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Confusing cat-like animal from Madagascar
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The fossa ( Cryptoprocta ferox) is carnivorous mammal endemic to Madagascar. It is a member of the Eupleridae, a family of carnivorans closely related to the mongoose family. Its classification has been controversial because its physical traits resemble those of cats, yet other traits suggest a close relationship with viverrids (e.g. bearcat). The fossa is the largest mammalian carnivore on the island of Madagascar and has been compared to a small cougar. Adults have a head-body length of 70–80 cm (28–31 in) and weigh between 5.5 and 8.6 kg (12 and 19 lb), with the males larger than the females. It has semi-retractable claws (meaning it can extend but not retract its claws fully) and flexible ankles that allow it to climb up and down tre ...
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6110 |
bio_man |
6 years ago |
What do elephants and fish have in common?
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Nothing, except for this fish, appropriately named the elephantnose fish ( Gnathonemus petersii) for its peculiar, elongated spout. The fish is widespread in the flowing waters of West Africa and hunts insect larva at dawn and dusk. Its nose is actually a sensitive extension of its mouth, that it uses for self-defense, communication, navigation, and finding worms and insects to eat. This organ is covered in electroreceptors, as is much of the rest of its body. The elephantnose uses a weak electric field, which it generates with specialized cells called electrocytes, which evolved from muscle cells, to find food, to navigate in dark or turbid waters, and to find a mate. The elephantnose fish live to about 6 to 10 years. ...
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5500 |
duddy |
7 years ago |
Bigger bait = Bigger fish
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The Giant African earthworm ( Microchaetus rappi) can grow to 22 feet (or 6.7 meters) and weigh as over 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg). It is the largest of the segmented worms (commonly called earthworms).
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7661 |
duddy |
7 years ago |
One long snout
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The aardvark's outsize snout is tailor-made to house a foot-long, sticky tongue that's the perfect tool for extracting termites from their mound nests. Bush-meat hunters are fond of eating aardvarks, but the "antbear" ( Orycteropus afer) is still relatively common across sub-Saharan Africa.
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3070 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
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11080 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
One of the world's largest diamonds recovered
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According to the Lucara Diamond Corporation, this diamond is so big (pictured above) that it did not fit into the onsite scanners, and had to be sent to Belgium for assessment. This gem, named the Lucara diamond, weighs in at 1 111 karats and is almost entirely devoid of impurities. Since it was recovered in Botswana (South Central Africa), the country will make a 10% royalty on the diamond, and collect 10% in export taxes when the diamond’s value is decided. As of yet, the company has no idea what the diamond is worth, though some have estimated a value above $65 million. ...
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24803 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
A buttload of coachroaches
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A female Madagascar hissing cockroach giving birth from her butt. After the brood hatches from her body, she secretes nutritional goo to provide them their first meal. That's dedicated parenting.
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9891 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Saharan silver ants are cool, literally
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Saharan silver ants live in sands that get as hot as 70°C, but the ants themselves can't get any hotter than 53.6°C. To survive, they've developed a hairy and silvery coating that reflects most of the light that hits them - and keeps them from getting cooked!
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3212 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Nature's gymnast lurking in the deserts of Morocco
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Found in the deserts of Morocco, the cartwheeling spider ( cebrennus rechenbergi) uses all eight of its legs to cartwheel and roll away from predators. Using forward or backward flips, this movement effectively doubles its normal walking speed similar to acrobatic flic-flac movements used by gymnasts. Interestingly, C. rechenbergi is the only spider known to use this unique form of rolling locomotion!
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4145 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
The African Renaissance Monument
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I bet you've never seen this statue before. Neither had I until today. It's "The African Renaissance Monument" in Dakar, Senegal. The monument stands at a height of approximately 49 meters (160 feet), including its base, making it one of the tallest statues globally. It was designed by Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby Atepa and was built by a North Korean company. The statue was inaugurated on April 4, 2010, during Senegal's 50 th independence anniversary celebration, and symbolizes Africa's emergence from a history of colonization and oppression and its progress toward a brighter future. ...
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104501 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
Queen Khentakawess and Osiris
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I am not sure if such blogs are welcome here, but I will try sparking enthusiasm in this subject. Alongside my major field of interest, I have an unhealthy/obsessive curiosity distortion in the archaeology field, specifically Egyptology. And recently, two major discoveries have been made in the Ancient Egyptian land. The first discovery made was that belonging to an Ancient Queen named Khentakawess's the 3rd's tomb, which was located near her husband's tomb, Pharoah Neferefre. These two, date back to the 4th or 5th dynasties, that is approximately 4000 years back in history. Around that time, the first three pyramids, yes, the ones that we see all the time and are the most famous pyramids of Giza, were being built by Pharoahs Khufu, his son ...
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13181 |
ehd123 |
9 years ago |
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13014 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
Loudest sound in Earth's history
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It shattered the eardrums of sailors over 50 kilometres away, sent shock waves around the world several times over, and could be heard by 50 geological locations covering over 10% of the globe. This was the loudest sound in recorded history occurred in 1883. The sound was caused by a record-breaking volcanic eruption that sent smoke up almost 80 kilometres into the air as ash fell into the ocean some 20 kilometres away. Burning hot debris was shot from the mouth of Krakatoa's volcano at speeds of up to 2,575 kilometres per hour, which is more than double the speed of sound. The video below gives you an idea of what an erupting volcano sounds like, but of course, nothing close to what was described above! ...
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7936 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
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5417 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
How an elephant scratches its waist
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Here's a good reminder of how enormous elephants are - this one's using a Volkswagen as a scratching post. Photographed in South Africa, the elephant was in musth, which is a sexually aggressive period experienced by elephant bulls once a year.
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5232 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
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