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#11 |
Evil I Am
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![]() Falco Peregrinus ![]() Fastest Creature on Earth Peregrine FalconThe relationship between Peregrine Falcons and humans goes back thousands of years. Once highly prolific and widespread throughout the world, Peregrine Falcons were commonly used throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East in the practice of Falconry. Peregrines are naturally docile and easily lent themselves to taming by humans who saw the Falcon's hunting prowess as an asset in hunting for food. The Peregrine’s magnificent speed and power also made it the favorite bird for falconers in the Middle Ages. The female, which is slightly larger and more powerful than the male, was preferred, and only she is given the title of “falcon.” A male Peregrine is referred to as a “tiercel” meaning third. Although falconry has fallen out of favor, there are still those who practice it today. ![]() Masters of the Hunt Peregrine Falcons are raptors, which means they are birds that hunt and kill for food. They are very well adapted to the hunt; with strong, sharp, curved beaks for tearing flesh; large, keen eyes for viewing prey at great distances; and sharp, powerful claws (called talons) for clutching and grasping other birds, such as pigeons, blackbirds, ducks, and pheasants, are the falcons' usual prey. Peregrines' incredible speed is the primary weapon used to kill their prey during the hunt. When they get ready to strike, they close their talons and strike the bird in a plunging dive, usually knocking the bird unconscious with a single blow. The force of the initial strike is so severe that the bird is usually killed on impact. As the victim falls through the air the falcon circles back and picks its prey out of the air with its claws. If the bird survives the initial blow, the Peregrine will break its neck with a quick ’s spine. Fascinating Facts The Peregrine Falcon is easily recognizable as distinct from other raptors. It has black feathers on its head, sort of in the pattern of a helmet, with dark feathers around its beak that look kind of like a dark mustache (remember "mutton chops" in the 1970s?) You could say it looks like a "biker hawk". The feathers on its back are dark, with a bluish cast. The peregrine is the fastest bird on record reaching horizontal cruising speeds of 65-90 kph ( 40-55 mph) and not exceeding speeds of 105-110 kph (65-68 mph). When stooping, the peregrine flies at much greater speeds. Pairs of Peregrines mate for life, usually setting up housekeeping high in the cliffs. Since we're running out of cliffs in Europe and the U.S., Peregrines have taken to building their nests up on top of high-rise buildings in large cities. Peregrine nests are called scrapes, or eyries and baby falcons are called eyasses. Although they have a high mortality rate, Peregrines have been known to live as long as 15 years. If you don't believe the stories about the incredible speed of the Peregrine Falcon, then watch the video demonstration of a falcon being clocked at diving speeds of over 200mph!
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#12 |
Evil I Am
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![]() The 10 most poisonous animals: (possible Bacteriums not considered) ![]() 1. Box jellyfish / Sea Wasp [Marine Stinger] (Chironex fleckeri) ![]() 2. Button polyp (family Zoanthidea) ![]() 3. Poison dart frog (family Dendrobatidae) ![]() 4. Cone snail (family Conidae) ![]() 5. Blue ring octopus (Hapalochlaena) ![]() 6. Mediterranean yellow scorpion (Tityus serrulatus) ![]() 7. Inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) ![]() 8. [Sydney] Funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus) ![]() 9. Dubois' sea snake (Aipysurus duboisii) ![]() 10. Stone fish (family Synanceiidae)
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Last edited by evilmoers; 22nd November 2010 at 10:36.
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#13 |
Evil I Am
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![]() Chironex fleckeri ![]() What Makes the Sea Wasp so Deadly? Photo of a box jellyThere are many creatures on this earth that are quite deadly to humans. The deadliest of all, of course, being other humans. Perhaps, what poses the greatest threat to our lives are creatures we can't even see - microbes. These are the microorganisms we usually call germs or cooties, the ones that make us sick. By and large, disease-causing germs are responsible for the largest number of human deaths every year. But what we're talking about here are the venomous creatures; those whose bodies manufacture toxins that can be rubbed off, ingested (swallowed), or injected into another, causing severe illness or death. Just to name a few, there's the poison dart frogs of the Costa Rican jungles, stonefish, cone shells, the black mamba snake, and even a tiny octopus that lives in tropical waters. When creatures are rated for the "deadliness factor" there's a couple of measures that are taken into account: 1) How many people an ounce of the creature's venom can kill 2) How long it takes you to die from the venom after being bitten, stung, or stuck In both cases the grand prize winner and world-record holder is the creature known as the sea wasp, or marine stinger. The venom from a single creature can kill up to 60 adults! Over 100 people have been killed by the stings from a Chironex fleckeri and many more have been stung, but lived. Get stung badly enough by one and you could be dead within four minutes. The name sea wasp is misleading because the creature isn't actually a wasp or insect at all. It is a jellyfish. The "bell" of this box jelly can get as big as a basketball with up to 60 tentacles hanging down as long as 15 feet, which is pretty good sized jelly. Not as big as the world-record jellyfish, though. ![]() Silent Stalkers Sea Wasps, or box jellies, are not aggressive. They don't have to be. For jellyfish, they are pretty fast swimmers (up to 5mph), dangling their long tentacles in the surf behind them until something, usually a fish, gets caught in their practically invisible tentacles. That's where all their nematocysts (stinging capsules contained within cells called cnidocytes located along the tentacles) are located. (Most people who have been stung are Aussies who were swimming in the surf along with the jellies and never even saw the tentacles.) The poison is used to kill their prey as close to "instant" as possible in order to prevent a struggling victim from thrashing their delicate tissues. Makes sense. Then they can take their time devouring their meal without risking injury to themselves. Deadly Toxins What's really amazing is how the stinging cells work. They're little tiny poison darts that are buried inside the flesh of each tentacle (like the sweat glands in your skin), along the entire length. They're triggered chemically, by contacting the surface of human skin or the scaly skin of a fish. Scientists have captured box jellies and put them in tanks in the laboratory. Simply by pouring alcohol into the tank they caused the stinging cells to react and release their venom. Hmmm. This means that if the jelly's tentacles don't come in contact with the chemicals on human skin, the nematocysts won't respond and you won't get stung! ![]() Simple Fix Turns out, something as thin and flimsy as women's nylon pantyhose worn over the skin will prevent the jellies from stinging. Aussies have known about this trick for years. You'll catch totally cool Aussie Lifeguards wearing women's pantyhose over their arms and on their legs. It may look funny, but it can prevent them from suffering agonizing pain and can even save their lives. Not everyone who has been stung by a Sea Wasp has died, but those who didn't may have wished they had. The sting from a box jelly is said to be excruciatingly painful. It can cause nausea, vomiting and breathing problems. The Aussies have developed an antivenom (something to counteract the toxic effects of the jelly's venom). Doesn't do you a whole lotta good if you got stung so badly while you were out in the water and then couldn't even make it back to shore. But, you really need to get tangled up good (contacting at least 10 feet of tentacle) in order to experience its ultimate effect - death.
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#16 |
Omg where am I at?
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#17 |
Evil I Am
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![]() Aconyx jubatus ![]() Fastest Animal on Land Cheetahs have characteristic dark lines that look like "tears". It is believed this coloration helps to absorb glaring sunlight for better vision during the day. Cheetahs are, without a doubt, the fastest creatures in the world on land. (There's probably some wickedly fast creatures in the ocean that we still don't even know about). Why would a cheetah need to be able to run so fast? The only animal that comes in a close second to the Cheetah's amazing speed is its favorite prey, the gazelle. In order to catch up with a meal that's as swift as the wind, the cheetah had to develop the ability to run as fast, or faster than the gazelle, or face the alternative - starvation. Pretty strong motivation for practicing their wind sprints. These cats can run 70mph/112kph. Try to picture one running alongside your car the next time you're driving down the freeway! Cheetahs are Specialized Cats The range of these fast casts isn't anywhere what it used to be. They are now found mostly in East Africa. They're also found in some places in the Middle East, in Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and once upon a time in India. Cheetahs are an excellent example of the effects of natural selection on creating a super fast, aerodynamic hunting cat. There are several species of large cats in the world, including leopards, lions, jaguars, mountain lions, ocelots, and tigers, but none of them can match the speed of the cheetah. Natural selection works when those creatures having the best physical ability, body design, and behaviors to adapt to their environment and survive, where other creatures without those "cool features" will not survive to pass on their genes to another generation. There are many other large wild cats who look and behave very differently from the cheetah, but have adapted to survive in their environments in other ways. Look at the features on the cheetah that help to make it such an awesome speed demon: · it has a long, super streamlined body with long, powerful legs - longer legs mean fewer strides from point A to point B · the cheetah's head is small in proportion to its body (compare it to other large cats) - part of its aerodynamic styling for less resistance for greater speed · the long, powerful tail helps the cheetah to maintain balance when changing direction at extremely high speeds · did you know that cheetahs can "bark"? They make several different types of vocalizations, but they don't growl. Although the Cheetah is one fast runner, he can only maintain that incredible velocity for about 200 to 300 yards/274 meters. These high speeds only allow the cat to overtake its prey within short distances, so cheetahs must still rely on stealth, sneaking, and the element of surprise to get close enough to the gazelle before giving chase. Video:
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Last edited by evilmoers; 25th November 2010 at 00:26.
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#18 |
Evil I Am
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![]() Pangasius gigas ![]() Freshwater Fish Records It's official! The new world record holder for the biggest freshwater fish is the Giant Mekong catfish (Pangasius gigas). The biggest one ever captured and measured was caught in Thailand in May of 2005. It was 9 feet long and weighed 646 pounds. The fish in the photo below was captured by some fisherman where the species is considered endangered, but can still be caught with special permits. The fish was turned in to the Department of Fisheries where the eggs and sperm are collected from these rare giants and harvested for a captive breeding program to keep the species alive. This giant catfish inhabits the waters of the Mekong River in China, which flows southward into Southeast Asia. This fish is found as far south as Cambodia and Thailand where it is known as Pla Buk, which means simply "huge fish".The dimensions of these catfish are very impressive, with the largest supposedly growing up to 10ft/3m and weighing up to 660lbs/300kg. Scientists have recently discovered something amazing about the Giant Mekong catfish; they live out part of their lives at sea. Most people have the impression of catfish as slow, lumbering bottom-feeders, but it turns out that the migration routes of these catfish rival those of the better known salmon. Scientists have recorded Pangasius gigas traveling as much as 600 miles (1000 km) inland from the south China sea up the Mekong River to spawn. Giant Mekong Catfish This giant catfish caught in May of 2005 was 9 feet long and weighed 646 lbs. This is more than 5 times bigger than the 'world record' catfish caught in North America. The waters of the Mekong River are very murky and make it difficult to track the movements of the fish. In order to determine where the Mekong catfish have been, scientists examined chemical markers called isotopes in bone and muscle tissue of catfish from the Khone Falls region of the Mekong. The team found evidence that the freshwater-dwelling fish had migrated recently from a marine habitat. Although this method of fish tracking is a highly regarded method, it appears that this is the first time it has been used to track the migration routes of river catfish species from a marine environment. The recent discovery that Mekong catfish are anadromous, (moving from coastal waters into fresh waters to spawn) has surprised even scientist's long-held notions of freshwater species. It may be that many other species of catfish also have similar migration habits, and that other species of freshwater fish may be found living part of their lives at sea. It certainly gives new meaning to the concept of "freshwater fish", if they spend part of their lives living in the salty waters of a marine environment. As big as the Giant Mekong catfish can get, there are rumored to be other species of freshwater fish whose dimensions rival those of the Mekong catfish. Among them are the Arapaima and huge freshwater stingrays, both found living in the Amazon River. The giant Chinese paddlefish is also a serious contender for world's biggest freshwater fish, but very little is known about this species that seems to be rapidly disappearing.
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#19 |
Evil I Am
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![]() Ursus maritimus ![]() Polar Bears are Cool Photo of polar bear sow with cubsThese guys seriously know how to pose for the camera! Not only are they cool in front of the camera, but they live in the coolest places on the planet - literally. Arctic sea ice, water, islands, and continental coastlines around the arctic circle are home to these massive carnivores. The temperatures where these bears live ranges from an average -29°F/-34°C in winter and 32°F/0°C in summer. The coldest area in winter is northeastern Siberia, where the temperature has been recorded as low as -92°F/-69°C. Not so great for people, but fine if you're a polar bear with an extremely dense fur coat. Massive Carnivores The average adult male weighs between 850-900 lbs/380-400 kgs, but one killed in 1960 weighed 2,210 lbs/995 kgs! He was 12 feet long. That's the size of a family car! Polar bears live only in northern climates, in the Arctic circle and can be found in Canada, Alaska, Norway and northern Russia. Polar bears spend a lot of time moving great distances in search of their favorite food - seals. The range of these bears can vary from 20,000 to as many as 135,000 square miles. They hunt for seals through the winter ice that forms over the ocean, where the seals spend most of their time (to get away from the bears). When the ice over the sea melts in summer the polar bears can't hunt for the seals as easily, so they fast all summer long. In order to survive an entire summer without food they eat a LOT of seals in winter building up fat stores until half of their body mass is pure fat. That enormously thick layer of fat also helps to keep them comfortably warm while living in an inhospitably cold environment. During the summer months when the sea ice melts they will roam as far south as Hudson Bay, where they hang out and "chill" until the sea ice forms again in the fall. The warmest areas in summer are inland regions of Siberia, Alaska, and Canada where temperatures can reach as high as 90°F/32°C, which is pretty comfortable for folks without fur coats (you and me). The coat of fur on an average polar bear is about 1-2 in./2.5 to 5 cm thick. A dense, wooly, insulating layer of underhair is covered by a relatively thin layer of stiff, shiny, guard hairs. Believe it or not, their fur isn't actually white. If you got up real close to a polar bear and plucked one of his hairs you would see that the polar bear's coat is made of clear, colorless hairs (and you would probably find out how powerful the bear is). The hairs scatter light, making it appear white (or sometimes yellow, depending upon the angle of the sun). If you were to pull out all of the polar bear's hairs (which would really be stupid) you would see black skin underneath all that white fur. In the photo (below, at left) where the bear's fur is thinnest on the snout you can see the black skin beneath. The bears' black skin absorbs the heat from the sun and the six-inch layer of fat under their skin insulates them from the extreme cold of the Arctic circle. You and I would be miserably cold living outside all the time above the Arctic circle, but polar bears are quite comfortable. In fact, polar bears are so well insulated against the brutal cold of their environment that they have a tendency to get overheated. How do they cool off? Usually by going for a swim. Polar bears are excellent swimmers. Researchers have tracked polar bears swimming for several hours straight, as much as 100 kilometers in a single stretch. They can only hold their breath for about two minutes, but they can close their nostrils (without having to pinch their noses, or wear nose plugs) when they dive underwater. Photo of polar bearsAnother physical adaptation of the polar bear to its icy habitat is its enormous paws. Polar bears' paws are massive compared to their body size if you compare them with other bears. These large, rounded paws give the bears increased surface area for walking over snow and ice - kind of like built-in snowshoes. A male polar bear can weigh two to three times as much as a female bear. Male polar bears are called boars and female bears are called sows, while their babies are called cubs. Males and females only get together during mating season. When female polar bears are pregnant they go into a modified hibernation state - it's not a deep hibernation because their body temperatures remain high. They have to in order to facilitate the growth and nourishment of their developing cubs. When pregnant a female polar bear will dig a den in a southward-facing snowbank and crawl inside to rest for up to eight months or more. She will give birth to one or two, two-pound cubs while she is hibernating. Polar bear cubs are too tiny at first to tolerate the extreme cold of their native habitat. She and her babies will stay holed up inside the den alternating between sleeping and nursing. Mama bear will not eat while caring for her tiny babies. She will devote herself exclusively to nursing her cubs, her body providing nourishment for them by drawing from her fat stores. It takes a tremendous amount of energy for a female polar bear to bear, give birth to, and nourish cubs for the better part of a year. In the spring she will emerge from her den and begin to hunt for seals to provide meat for her growing cubs. Polar bear cubs will stay with their mother for as long as 30 months before she, or a prospective mate, will drive them away to fend for themselves. Video:
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#20 |
Evil I Am
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![]() Pygocentrus nattereri ![]() From the moment tiny baby piranhas hatch from their microscopic eggs, they come into the world armed and dangerous. Baby piranha will feast on tiny crustaceans, fruits, seeds, and aquatic plants. Once they reach about 1.5 inches in length they begin feeding on the fins and flesh of other fish that wander too closely. As they grow larger they begin to venture out in groups (shoals) of about 20 fish where they use a variety of hunting strategies to kill and eat their prey. Heck, they don't kill their prey first, they just start eating the victim alive - that's what makes them so ferocious. Adult piranha have been known to eat their own babies. Talk about brutal! When a school of piranha are in a feeding frenzy the water appears to boil and churn red with blood. They attack with such ferocity that they strip an animal of its flesh within a matter of minutes, even taking bites out of each other in the process. There are approximately 20 species of piranha found living in the Amazon River, with only four or five of them posing any danger. Most piranha species are quite harmless and docile, but the ones with the nasty reputation for aggressive behavior are the red-bellied piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri. Piranha pictureAdult piranha will eat just about anything - other fish, sick and weakened cattle, even parts of people. Sickly cattle that have stooped their heads down to drink from the river have been grabbed by the mouth and nose and pulled into the water, completely devoured minutes later. As wicked as it all sounds, piranha have a useful function in the Amazonian jungles just like any other predators in the wild. They are part of the checks and balances Mother Nature employs to eliminate the weak and sick so only the strong survive. Razor Sharp Teeth Piranhas are world-famous for their razor-sharp teeth. Native peoples of South America will catch the piranha and use their teeth to make tools and weapons. Even the fisherman who catch these vicious little predators have to be careful when the fish is out of water. A single piranha out of water is still dangerous enough to take off the flesh, or the odd toe, from an unwary fisherman. Predator Becomes Prey As ferocious and fearsome as the piranhas are, they are not invulnerable. As young the piranhas are a tasty part of many other creatures' diet. As voracious adults the piranha feed on young herons that fall from the trees while learning to fly, or young caimans (a type of small alligator) that are too little to defend themselves. When the floodplains of the Amazon run dry during the dry season the piranha are stranded in isolated lagoons, where they languish and die from lack of oxygen. The adult herons will then feed on the piranha that once ate their young. Caimans will feast on the piranhas that ate their young kin, as they lay dying in their shrinking pools. Such is the circle of life. Pet Piranhas? Believe it or not, there are people who actually keep piranhas as "pets". Piranhas aren't good pets in the traditional sense because you can't hold or pet them, and they aren't affectionate. Piranha owners still must be extremely careful of the fish's sharp teeth and aggressive nature. Keeping them well fed is probably the key to keeping them mellow. People who fancy piranhas as pets may be more attracted to the grisly reputation and aggressive manner of these world-class predators, perhaps keeping them for their "entertainment" value. That's O.K. - it's human nature to be fascinated with morbid and gruesome creatures. But piranhas are also very beautiful fish. As long as anyone desires to take a creature out of the wild and bring into captivity they must take the responsibility of treating it with respect and good care.
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