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What color is a toucan's skull?
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Well, obviously it's white, but take a look at its bill! The attractive 7.5-inch-long bill is possessed by both male and female toucans. Interestingly, they use them during a mating ritual, pitching fruit to one another, but has very limited use as an excavation tool. Toucans make their nests in tree hollows found in rain forest regions of Southern Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean region to which they are native. ...
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1101 |
bio_man |
6 years ago |
Nine longest words in the English language
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Want to better your vocabulary? Try pronouncing these words on your own, then attempt to use at least one in your next conversation! Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilic ovolcanoconiosis – 45 letters- A lung disease caused by breathing in volcanic dust.
Supercalifragilisticexpialido cious – 34 letters- Meaning "wonderful", from song of this title in the movie Mary Poppins.
Floccinaucinihilipilification – 29 letters- Meaning "the action or habit of estimating as worthless".
Trinitrophenylmethylnitramine – 29 letters- A chemical compound used as a detonator in shells.
Antidisestablishmentarianism – 28 letters- Meaning "opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England".
Electroencephalographically – 27 lettersMicrospectrophotometr ...
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9197 |
bio_man |
5 years ago |
Canada's only desert
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You probably wouldn't associate Canada with having any deserts, since the country is typically attributed with winters that are long and harsh. However, that's not entirely true if you visit the southern region of Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada, known as the Okanagan Desert. In this area, summer temperatures regularly exceed 38˚C (100 °F), and portions of the area receive roughly 250 to 300 mm (10 to 12 inches) of rain per year – compare that to Vancouver, which receives approximately 1120 mm (43 inches) of rain per year. While some areas in British Columbia experience hotter summer temperatures and are at least as arid, the South Okanagan area is home to several species of plants and animals that are not found elsewhere in Canada. For e ...
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19686 |
bio_man |
4 years ago |
The story behind ballpoint pen caps
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Ever wondered why traditional ballpoint pens are capped with a vent? If you search online, you'll find several theories as to why, from the outrageous being that it prevents suffocation if a child were to inhale it, to the possibility that the company made it purposefully to dry out the ink and make the user buy a new pen. Others have even suggested a greater science behind it, saying that the hole either creates the same level of air pressure inside and outside of the pen, allowing the ink to flow into the point, or to make it easier to remove the cap. It turns out that one of these claims is actually true, can you guess which one?According to the website of the ballpoint pen inventor, BIC writes that "all our BIC caps comply with internati ...
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8747 |
bio_man |
4 years ago |
Have you ever seen octopus eggs before?
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Octopus reproduction is fairly uniform across species. When a female is ready to mate, she releases a chemical into the water that attracts males. They follow this chemical to the female, where they will often fight one another for the right to mate with the female. Sometimes the female will mate with more than one male. The same chemical that attracts the males stops the males from eating the female - cannibalism is common amongst octopodes. Once it has been decided who will be mating, the male transfers packages of sperm called \"spermatophores\" to the female using his third right arm (which typically has no suckers). The female stores these, and then builds a den. She then seals the entrance. Once this is complete, she lays the eggs and ...
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8387 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
The goblin shark
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This is the goblin shark, a bizarre and rarely spotted creature found in water deeper than 200 m throughout the world. Very little is known about their life history or reproduction, as encounters with them in their native habitat are incredibly rare. Most specimens are dragged up by deep sea fishers. They are famous for their strangely shaped heads - they have snouts much longer than any other shark, and retractable jaws.
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6085 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
The giant land snail
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Giant African land snails can get quite large. They are native to Africa and are routinely confiscated at airports as they are very popular as pets in the Western world, and can be considered an invasive species. There is a population of these snails spreading in Coral Gables, Florida.
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5463 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
A miniture fox, the fennec fox
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This fantastic minifox is a desert dweller who weighs in around 3 lb. (1.4 kg) and stretches just beyond a foot (30 cm), not counting its uniquely gigantic ears, which can measure almost half its body length. The smallest of all the world\'s foxes, the fennec burrows away during the day and scavenges for insects and fruit at night. Its huge ears emit body heat and help it keep cool among the dunes of the Sahara and elsewhere in North Africa. Some locals hunt the fennec for its fur, while others capitalize on its cuteness in the pet trade. ...
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3210 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Sunda pangolins
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Sunda pangolins have become the most frequently seized mammal in the illegal wildlife trade in Asia, as smugglers sell the creatures to meet culinary and medicinal demand. These gentle insectivores are now on the endangered species list.
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6510 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
Wolf spider babies hang on for dear life
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The wolf spider is the only species of spider that carries its offspring this way -- live, hatched and wriggling on her back! After a gestation of 9 to 27 days (dependent on temperature) during which the eggs are carried around in a silk globe attached to the mothers stomach, the offspring hatch and climb on to her back. They stay there until they're ready to hunt alone.
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2744 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
A marine animal that looks like you know what
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This is Urechis unicinctus, a species of marine spoon worm. It is also know as the fat innkeeper worm or (I bet you'll never guess why) the penis fish. They live in burrows of sand and mud and are commonly eaten raw with salt and sesame oil in Korea and parts of Japan.
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7626 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
The mammoth of birds
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This bird, known as the elephant bird, went extinct sometime in the 17th century as a result of human activity. Although flightless, the birds were widespread, inhabiting the northern to the southern tip of Madagascar. Not only are they three times the size of an ostrich, they are also known for their massive egg. These fossils are so rare that one is currently being auctioned and is expecting to go for an upwards cost of $40 000..
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3848 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
Stealth bomber
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This is the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit (stealth bomber). This machine is capable of pin-point strikes on most any hardened target available such as underground bunkers. Needless to say, it is also capable of delivering nuclear weapons. This stealthy aircraft was designed in a way that enemies could not anticipate its arrival, but its 22,600 Kg bomb load and a multitude of nuclear missiles would ensure they'd know when it had arrived. Named the B-2 Spirit, its advantage in battle is derived from its designation spirit; it operates like a ghost. Engines: Four General Electric F118-GE-100 turbofans of 17,300 lbs. thrust each Wingspan: 172 ft. Length: 69 ft. Height: 17 ft. Speed: High subsonic Takeoff weight: 336,500 lbs. ...
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3839 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
Do certain foods actually increase/decrease blood pH?
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Many people believe that if you eat certain foods, it can cause your blood to become more alkaline or acidic. Medical research studies have clearly shown that breathing and blood carbon dioxide and bicarbonate ions levels are more significant factors in blood-pH control. Alveolar hyperventilation that is common in the sick reduces cell oxygenation, increases resting blood lactate levels, intensifies production of free radicals due to tissue hypoxia (cells are deprived of oxygen), causes diabetic ketoacidosis in the genetically predisposed patients, and suppresses the immune system and main blood-pH buffer systems of the human organism. ...
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4209 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Don't like centipedes? They may be beneficial
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If you have a house centipede crawling around on your floors, you’re in luck! These little guys feed on pests such as termites, cockroaches, spiders, and ants to keep your home’s biodiversity to a minimum. Adult centipedes have 15 pairs of legs that help it achieve top speeds of 0.4 meters per second. To mate, centipedes become acquainted through the touching of antennae, and the male deposits sperm onto the ground, which the female then uses to fertilize her eggs.
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4202 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
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