Animals in War
War between the Crocodile and The Seahorse
Animals in War
Showing posts with label Animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animals. Show all posts
Phobaeticus chani, World's Longest Insect Is One of Top 10 New Species Found in 2008
Phobaeticus chani, aka Chan’s Megastick named after amateur Malaysian naturalist Chan Chew Lun, is the longest insect in the world. Phobaeticus chani, which can only be found in Malaysian State of Sabah on the island of Borneo so far, just has been tapped as one of top ten new species found in 2008 by the International Institute for Species Exploration, Arizona State University. It ranks No. 2.
The one specimen (out of only six currently known) collected in the Natural History Museum in London is the first and also the largest Phobaeticus chani. It measures a horrifying 56.7 cm (22.3 in) when front legs was fully extended. Mr. Chan Chew Lun obtained the animal from a local collector and later donated to the Museum in 2008.
The remaining top species are:
No.1: A Palm that Flowers Itself to Death, Tahina spectabilis, aka Tahina Palm
No.3: Pea-sized Pony, Hippocampus satomiae , Satomi's Pygmy Seahorse
No.4: A Mere Thread of a Snake, Leptotyphlops carlae, Barbados Threadsnake
No.5: Welsh Rare Bit, Selenochlamys ysbryda, Ghost Slug
No.6: A Snail that's Whorls Apart, Opisthostoma vermiculum
No.7: Finding Nemo's True Blue Cousin, Chromis abyssus, Deep Blue Chromis
No.8: Devonian Delivery, Materpiscis attenboroughi, Mother Fish
No.9: No Jump in this Bean, Coffea charrieriana, Charrier Coffee
No. 10: Spray-on New Species, Microbacterium hatanonis, extremophile bacteria discovered in hairspray.
Source: Top 10 New Species – 2009, Phobaeticus chani Photos (NHM, Nature)
Barry (Picture), The Huge Sea Worm Captured in Britain’s Blue Reef Aquarium
Huge sea worm captured in Britain! The four-foot brown polychaete worm now called Barry (pictured above) was caught at a tank where it had terrorized the aquatic life months by staffers in Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay, UK. The scary giant sea worm is covered with thousands of bristles that sting and are capable of causing permanent numbness in humans. Barry was found after it was trapped out on a 20-pound fishing line. Barry probably arrived as a juvenile via a live rock shipment from another aquarium and ever since lived in secret until captured. Barry may become another attraction for Blue Reef Aquarium as it now is relocated to its own tank.
Source: Barry the giant sea worm discovered by aquarium staff after mysterious attacks on coral reef @ Dailymail
Video: Saudi Arabian Man Majed Al-Maliki Eats 22 Live Scorpions
Yikes! Saudi Arabian man Majed Al-Maliki ate 22 live scorpions in Riyadh on January 22. He beat the previous record of eating 21 by USA's Dean Sheldon (MP3 interview). Manjed Al-Maliki now is the Guinness World Record holder of a man eating most live scorpions.
Gau Jal: Indian Cow Urine Drink
India is a great country. It brings us the world's cheapest car Tata Nano and plans to launch what-is-believed-as-the-impossilbe-by-many-techies $10 laptop for its students. And maybe by the end of this year, it will present the world with a new drink called Gau Jal (cow water) made mainly of cow urine, mixed with herbs! So how will the Ccw urine drink taste? "It won’t smell like urine and will be tasty too....it’s going to be very healthy. It won’t be like carbonated drinks and would be devoid of any toxins," said Om Prakash, head of India's Hindu nationalist group the Cow Protection Department of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which is developing the unusual drink. (Image: an Indian familly is bottling cow urine products. It is not associated with the story above. Souce: Picasa/ISCOWP)
Recommended reading: Cow Urine Can Cure Many Diseases including "diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, psoriasis, eczema, heart attack, blockage in arteries, fits, cancer, AIDS, piles, prostrate, arthritis, migraine, thyroid, ulcer, acidity, constipation, gynecological problems, ear and nose problems, abortion and several other diseases.
Kitten with Knife and Gun
Pictures: Yangtze Giant Soft-shell Turtle, World's Most Endangered Turtle
Pictures: Yangtze Giant Soft-shell Turtle, World's Most Endangered Turtle!
Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle, scientific name Rafetus swinhoei, is a species of soft-shell turtle that is indigenous to China and Vietnam. It is also known as the Shanghai soft-shell turtle or Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle. It is believed to be the largest fresh water turtle in the world.
The female Yangtze Giant Soft-shell Turtle at Changsha Zoo, Hunan Province of China, one of the only three known live turtles of the species Rafetus swinhoei in the world
Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle is listed as critically endangered in the IUCN Red List 2006 and is the most endangered turtles in the world.
Even though the animal is dubbed as Panda in Water in China, it is much more rare than panda, because there are only three known to survive on the planet. An 80-year-old female Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle from Changsha Zoo in central Hunan Province, and a 100-year-old male at eastern China's Suzhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province. The third one, the world's only living example of Rafetus swinhoei in the wild lives in Hoan Kiem Lake in the center of Hanoi.
Since this May, the two Chinese turtles were brought together under a reproduction program collaborated by Chinese scientists and their American counterparts in order to save this species.
The male Yangtze Giant Soft-shell Turtle at Suzhou Zoo, Jiangsu Province of China, one of the only three known live turtles of the species Rafetus swinhoei in the world
Sadly, the earlier results were unsuccessful, as none of nearly 100 eggs the female turtle produced this year were hatched. Scientists have to try again next May in 2009.
Source: Wikipedia; The Only two known Yangtze Giant Soft-shell Turtle images: Xinhuanet
Alessandra Ambrosio Seeks Perez Hilton's Help to Find Losing Maltese Buddha
Alessandra Ambrosio Seeks Perez Hilton's Help to Find Losing Maltese Buddha! Victoria's Secret supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio has lost her beloved pet dog and now is trying to find where it is with a big reward. 
Alessandra Ambrosio's Buddha went missing (Perezhilton.com)
Alessandra Ambrosio photo (Joey Pasion/Wikipedia Creative Commons)
Alessandra Ambrosio's Buddha went missing (Perezhilton.com)
A friend close to the 27-year-old Brazilian bombshell said Alessandra was devastated over the disappearance of her Maltese, named Buddha (pictured left). They wrote to Perez Hilton to ask for some help,
Alessandra Ambrosio's 4 pound maltese named Buddha got out and is lost. He is tie dyed blue and green and is lost please help in anyway possible. She loves her dog so much and there is a large reward if someone returns him. He was lost in Beverly Hills. If anyone finds a Blue and Green little dog please call 310 3964400 or email Helpfindbuddha@gmail.com
We guess they couldn't find any better way other than sending an email to Perez Hilton, because some of tens of millions unique daily visitors of the gossip blogger's site PerezHilton.com may have some clues.
Alessandra Ambrosio has recently become a new mom. Her daughter with boyfriend Jamie Mazur, Anja Louise Ambrosio Mazur was born on August 24 in Florianopolis, Brazil.
Photos: Montauk Monster, The Monster Washes Ashore at Long Beach
A raccoon. ("The legs appear to be too long in proportion to the body.")
A sea turtle. ("Sea turtles do not have teeth.")
A rodent. ("Rodents have two huge, curved incisor teeth in front of their mouths.")
He said the general body shape looks like a dog or other canine ("Coyote?"). But that the "prominent eye ridge and the feet" don't match.
He said the feet and face look "somewhat ovine" - that would be like a sheep - but sheep don't have sharp teeth.
(Photo by Christina Pampalone/Newsday.com)
An Ugly Monkey-faced Piglet (Picture)
An ugly monkey-faced piglet (pictured above) was recently born in Henan Province, central China. According to the wife of its owner farmer Feng Changlin, the unusual piglet which sports a long nose, two big eyes and much-longer hinder legs, was one of 5 broods born by their sow on July 19, 2008. The newly-born animal has grabbed a lot of attractions from the villagers. Link
Gus, World's Ugliest Dog 2008
Meet Gus, the dog which has three legs, one eye and no hair beat Elwood to win the title of World's Ugliest Dog at the Somona-Marin Fair in California June 20, 2008. He secured a $1,000 top prize. The pedigree Chinese crested was brought by his owner, Jeanenne Teed, from St. Petersburg, Florida. Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Image
Hoopoe Chosen as Israel's National Bird
Picture source: Xinhuanet
The State of Israel finally has its national bird. The Hoopoe [wiki] (Duchifat--דוכיפת --in Hebrew), listed in the Old Testament as unclean and forbidden food for Jews, was selected as Israel's first national bird. Shimon Perez, the country's President, announced on Thursday. The pink, black and white-crested bird, among other candidates such as bulbul and red falcon etc. won a nationwide election held by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel since November. A total of 155,000 Israeli people participated in the voting, with 35% of them choosing Hoopoe as their national bird. Source: Ynet & Reuters
Oscar Is the Featherless Parrot (Video)
This parrot named Oscar is a featherless bird. A rare virus has caused her to pull out almost all her feathers during the past twelve12 years. About her sufferings, Youtube user tegwenseren commented, "I will never eat chicken again, this little bird pulled at my heart strings, she is adorable with a very big heart, and a beautiful spirit."
First Picture of Orangutan Hunting Fish with Spear
In a new book titled The Thinkers Of The Jungle which will be published by Ullmann Publishing in UK on May 5, there is a world exclusive, extraordinary image--a male orangutan in Borneo on the island of Kaja photographed hunting fish with the spear! It is the first time the animal has been seen using a tool to hunt, demonstrating our long-armed cousins do indeed have a remarkable ability to mimic human being's behaviour. This unique orangutan who could catch fish already trapped in the fishing lines learned his hunting skills from the locals they usually fished with spears on the Gohong River, Indonesia. Source: Dailymail
Natalie Portman Urinated by Dog (Picture)
Natalie Portman was urinated by a dog in New York! Natalie Portman and folk singer boyfriend Devendra Banhart took her own dog for a walk in Lower Manhattan the other day during her break from filming new movie in the city I Love You. At one point, Natalie's own Yorkie pup mingled with a passer's by dog which unashamedly answered the nature's call by urinating on Natalie Portman's foot.
The Star Wars actress suffered the unlikely humiliation of being urinated on by a dog while in Lower Manhattan this week.
The scruffy pooch appeared friendly at first, mingling with Natalie's own Yorkie pup, but just as she look the other way it brazenly cocked its leg and soaked her shoes.
Flying Penguins Found on King George Island By BBC (Picture & Video)
If you think all penguins can not fly, think again! BBC's new natural history series Miracles of Evolution camera crews have discovered a colony of Adélie penguins which can fly when they were filming on King George Island, some 750 miles south of the Falkland Islands. Film maker and writer Terry Jones is to present this unique bird unlike any other penguins in the world on the BBC's programme. The flying penguins video above is an ad for the BBC iPlayer. It's not an sole April Fools' prank:
To be fair, it IS an ad for the iPlayer, but it IS also specifically for April Fools. On the iPlayer site, the top video featured is the flying penguins, and the next one to the side is the “making of” the April Fools ad. Sadly, you can’t watch it on site unless you live in the UK.
Apparently, global warming is blamed for leading the Adelie penguins to develop the (probably unnecessary) flying capacities:
One of the first direct evolutionary responses to climate change has been observed in a species of penguin. A shrinking Antarctic ice shelf, a result of increasing global temperatures, has lead to a lack of breeding of sites and difficulty in finding food.
In response to these pressures a population of Adelie Penguins has rapidly evolved and reacquired the ability to fly. Film footage of this amazing development has been captured for the first time and the ornithological world has come together to highlight the dangers of climate change.
“Climate change is one of the greatest threats to the world’s birds. This species of penguin has evolved to cope with the rise in temperature and loss of ice but we should not be complacent and think that all species will manage”, says Dr Stuart Butchart, BirdLife's Global Species Programme Coordinator. “With hundreds of species at imminent risk of extinction there has never been a greater need for conservation.”
BirdLife International is now highlighting another danger being posed to this newly evolved species of penguin.
“The ability to fly now means that these penguins are able to forage for food over a much wider area. However, this puts them at risk from longline fisheries”, says Adrian Long, BirdLife's Head of Communications.
Chihuahua Conan Is a Japanese Dog's Prayer (Pictures)
Chihuahua Conan is a pet dog raised by chief priest Joei Yoshikuni at the Japanese Zen temple Shuri-Kannondo in Okinawa islands. Conan has now become a celebrity in Japan because this unique canine can 'pray' before the altar by mimicing its master!
The path to inner peace is long and arduous. But sitting on his hind legs, paws raised in reverence before the altar, this enlightened canine may just have discovered the key.
Against a backdrop of swirling incense and solemn chanting, the one-and-a-half-year-old, black-and-white Chihuahua cuts a cheerfully unlikely figure, as he loyally mimics his proud master during morning prayers at the Shuri Kannondo temple in southern Japan.
The devoted animal, known as Conan, hasn't just secured inner harmony for himself, either. His presence at daily prayers has also made headlines across Japan, helping to swell visitor numbers to the Zen Buddhist temple by more than 30 per cent – thereby putting worshippers on their own path to enlightenment.
Conan, originally a temple pet, rises without prompting before his morning and evening meals to go through his prayer routine at the temple in Naha, capital of Okinawa. When his master chants his prayers, known as "sutras", Conan raises his paws and joins them at the tip of his nose.
"It's so funny that he does it," says Kazuko Oshiro, 71, who has frequented the temple for more than 25 years. "He gets angry when somebody else sits on his favourite spot. He must be thinking that it's his special place."
When asked the secret of the dog's devotion, Yoshikuni reveals: "Clasping hands is a basic action of Buddhist prayer to show appreciation. He may be showing his thanks for treats and walks."
Source: Chinadaily & Independent
White Killer Whale Spotted in Alaska's Aleutian Islands
(Photo credit: AP/NOAA/Holly Fearnbach)
A white killer whale was spotted by US scientists aboard NOAA research ship Oscar Dyson who were conducting an acoustic survey of pollock near Steller sea lion haulout sites in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. The whale appeared to be a healthy, adult male about 25 to 30 feet long and weighing upward of 10,000 pounds. Link
Read also, Migaloo, World's only completely white humpback whale.
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