The Extraordinary Dog Is Relishing a Delightful Reward for Its Exceptional Behavior.
The amazing dog was thrilled to receive a special treat for its outstanding behavior. I decided to reward it with a whole chicken wing for not causing any trouble for my neighbor today. Normally, it wreaks havoc in her garden by darting around, especially through her tea bush area. Surprisingly, it didn’t even approach my neighbor’s house this time.
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How Do Birds That Eat Fish Catch Their Prey?
Different species of birds use different techniques to catch fish. Some, like ospreys and eagles, fly high above the water and then dive down to catch fish with their talons. Others, like herons and egrets, wade slowly through shallow water, waiting for fish to swim by before striking with their bills.
What is The Benefit Of Eating Fish For Birds?
Fish are a rich source of protein and other nutrients, making them an important food source for many birds.
Eating fish can help birds build strong muscles and feathers, and can also provide them with the energy they need for long migrations.
How do fish-eating birds affect the ecosystem?
Fish-eating birds play an important role in many aquatic ecosystems. By feeding on fish, they help to control populations of these animals, which can prevent overfishing and other ecological imbalances.
However, in some cases, fish-eating birds can also have negative impacts on fish populations, particularly if their numbers become too large and they begin to overexploit local fish stocks.
What are some fish-eating birds?
Fish-eating birds are a diverse group of birds that have adapted to feeding on fish as their primary source of food.
Some common examples of fish-eating birds include herons, egrets, cormorants, ospreys, pelicans, gulls, and terns.
Which birds are known for eating fish?
Some birds are particularly well-known for their fish-eating habits. Ospreys, for example, are sometimes called “fish hawks” because of their specialized hunting technique, which involves diving feet-first into the water to catch fish. Similarly, cormorants are known for their ability to swim underwater in pursuit of fish.
What types of birds eat fish?
Many different types of birds are known to eat fish. Some, like ospreys and eagles, are raptors that catch fish with their sharp talons and powerful beaks.
Others, like herons and egrets, use their long, slender bills to spearfish in shallow water. Still others, like pelicans and gulls, scoop fish out of the water with their bills.
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Why Is Excited Little Susie Spilling Milk While Bottle Feeding
This is little Susie being bottled feed from her owner. Susie lost her mom in an accident while crossing the road. It was a tragic loss for little Susie. Now she is being taken good care of by her owner. Life has been a lot better since then now she gets the proper care that she needs. In this premium video, u will see her bottle-fed and bouncing around happy as can be.
Human to animal breastfeeding has been practiced in some different cultures during various time periods. The practice of breastfeeding or suckling between humans and other species occurred in both directions: women sometimes breastfed young animals, and animals were used to suckle babies and children. Animals were used as substitute wet nurses for infants, particularly after the rise of syphilis increased the health risks of wet nursing. Goats and donkeys were widely used to feed abandoned babies in foundling hospitals in 18th- and 19th-century Europe. Breastfeeding animals has also been practised, whether for perceived health reasons – such as to toughen the nipples and improve the flow of milk – or for religious and cultural purposes. A wide variety of animals have been used for this purpose, including puppies, kittens, piglets and monkeys.
This information is provided to individuals who purchase one or more lambs at a livestock auction, a livestock dealer, or a farm and who are not sure how to properly care for the lamb(s). If you obtain a lamb(s) and you are not quite sure of their age(s), then follow these steps.
If you obtained the baby lamb at an auction or from a farm, you don’t always know if the lamb consumed its mother’s first milk (colostrum). Colostrum is naturally fortified with vitamins, minerals, and antibodies that are essential for a newborn’s survival. If you believe the lamb did not receive colostrum, obtain some from a local sheep producer. Well-prepared shepherds typically keep a supply of colostrum frozen to thaw and warm for such instances. Artificial colostrum for sheep is also available commercially. Newborn lambs need colostrum as their first food within eight hours after birth. The sooner they consume colostrum, the better.
Adding new animals to a farming operation is a potential route for introducing disease. Keep new lambs separate (quarantined) from other animals on the farm for at least 3 weeks. Observe these animals daily and watch for any signs of illness or disease. If they become ill, don’t add them to your flock. In performing your chores, care for the new animals after caring for all others.
Determine if the lamb is male or female. Male lambs (rams) typically grow faster and larger than females (ewes). If the lambs are likely to be kept more than 8 months of age, castration of male lambs at a young age (under 30 days of age) is recommended.
Check both eyes to make sure they are clear, there is no sign of tears, and the eyelid is not inverted and irritating the eye. An irritated eye is red or tearing (wet around and under the eye). Check the mouth to determine if there are sores or scabs around the mouth. If sores or scabs exist, wear disposable gloves when handling the lamb. The lamb may have a disease called “sore mouth” that is communicable to people. In humans, the disease is called “orf” (contagious pustular dermatitis). Wash your hands and arms thoroughly with soap and water if you have handled lambs with a sore mouth.
With one motion, pinch and pull the lamb’s skin by the neck and see if the skin easily returns to the animal’s body. If the skin takes a while after being “tented”, the lamb is likely dehydrated and needs fluids quickly. Purchase unflavored and clear electrolyte from the baby section of the grocery store or drug store to restore the fluid level in dehydrated animals. Use a baby bottle with a nipple to provide the electrolyte.
Weigh the lamb by holding the lamb and standing on a bathroom scale. Subtract your weight to get the weight of the lamb. If the lamb weighs less than 15 pounds, the lamb could be 1 to 20 days of age. Lambs less than 30 days of age will need a liquid diet until about 60 days of age. They will start to nibble lamb ration pellets at about 30 days of age. Provide fresh drinking water at all times for the lamb in a clean bucket that the lamb can easily reach.
If you determine that the lamb is 30 days of age or younger, purchase a baby bottle with nipple from the grocery store or lamb nipples from the farm feed store or livestock supply catalog. Make the hole in the baby bottle nipple larger by slicing a small X across the tip of the nipple with a sharp straight razor blade or utility knife. Don’t make the hole too large. The act of the lamb sucking the nipple will allow the milk to flow at a suitable rate. Purchase lamb milk replacer (specifically formulated for lambs) from the farm and feed store. Read and follow the directions for mixing the formula. For young lambs, make the liquid about the warmth of body temperature. Do not overheat or microwave the formula. The best way to mix the formula is to use warm water and a whisk. As the lamb reaches about two weeks of age, the formula does not have to be warmed. For efficiency, lambs can be trained to suck from a bucket nipple feeder.
Provide the milk replacer to the lamb via the baby bottle and nipple at regular intervals (every 2-3 hours) throughout the day and night as prescribed by the directions on the milk replacer bag. Make sure to thoroughly wash bottles and nipples after use. If the lamb is unable to suck, you may need to provide the formula via a stomach tube. For information about stomach tubing a lamb, contact Cooperative Extension, 207.581.3188 or 800.287.0274 (in Maine), extension@maine.edu
Keep the lamb warm in a small pen and away from any drafts. The pen should be dry with clean bedding. Pine shavings under a layer of straw work well as bedding. A heat lamp will likely be unnecessary – even in Maine. If the air temperature is below 40 degrees F, keep the lamb inside the home or warmed area. Single lambs can be kept in a large cardboard box (open-topped) or a baby playpen. Most lambs that are fed a formula will be able to keep themselves warm even in a barn. Some shepherds cover young lambs with a “jacket” to help them maintain body temperature. A jacket can be made with a single piece of fleece or woolen fabric. Fit the jacket by simply cutting slits for the rear legs and pin the front with safety pins. Stools (droppings) from a healthy baby lamb are usually yellow or light brown in color and has the consistency of caulking compound. As the lamb matures (at about 30 days of age) their stools will become pelleted. Take time to observe that the lamb is relieving itself regularly. Watch that the lamb is both urinating and defecating.
Watch for pelleted droppings from the lamb(s). If your lamb’s stools are loose, cut back on the amount of grain you are providing. Each lamb will likely consume ½ to 2 pounds of grain per day depending on its age.
If the lamb’s age is determined to be over 45 days of age, it can be fed grain (make sure it is a grain mix formulated for lambs), water, and high-quality hay (preferable 2nd crop hay) as their rumen is starting to develop. Be sure to provide fresh, clean water at all times.
To avoid a common disease of lambs called “overeating disease” (enterotoxemia), it is recommended that lambs be vaccinated subq (subcutaneous meaning—under the skin) with a CDT vaccine (2 cc/lamb) at about 30 days of age, then boosted (another 2 cc/lamb) between three and four weeks later. An overview of the CDT vaccine can be found on the CDT Vaccinations for sheep and goats page (MSU Extension). A small vial of CDT vaccine can typically be purchased with 20–gauge needles and 12 cc capacity syringes at the farm/feed store or from your veterinarian. Keep the vaccine refrigerated. A higher gauge needle means a thinner diameter. Thinner needles are less intrusive when used to give an injection for lambs. Weigh the lamb(s) every 7-10 days to make sure it is gaining weight. Keep a record of its weight on a wall calendar. By 2 months of age, a healthy lamb should weigh 40 to 60 pounds.
If you believe the lamb(s) has been on pasture, it is possible that the lamb has internal parasites. A common blood-sucking parasite of sheep is the barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus). Don’t deworm the lamb unless it is confirmed via stool sample (by your vet) and/or anemia check (FAMACHA). If you have any questions or concerns about raising the lamb(s), don’t hesitate to contact your local Cooperative Extension Office, Extension Livestock Specialist, Dr. Colt Knight (colt.knight@maine.edu), or Extension Veterinarian, Dr. Anne Lichtenwalner (anne.lichtenwalner@maine.edu). Sending photos via smartphone or email is also an option.
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How Do You Survive in a Toxic Work Environment?
Career Motivation – How Do You Survive in a Workplace Led by toxic leaders?
So in this article by David Burkus, we’ll outline six ways to deal with toxic leadership—and we’ll save the most obvious tactic (leaving) for last.
Set Boundaries
The first tactic to deal with toxic leadership is to set boundaries. You can’t control everything (or even most things) about toxic bosses but you can decide what the boundaries of the relationship are. You can try to reduce the number of hours you need to be in contact with them, or the times of day you respond to their emails. And if you can’t, you can create buffer zones of time to decompress after an unavoidable meeting. In addition, get clear early about your boundaries for acceptable behavior. Decide ahead of time what behavior is tolerable and what behavior means it’s time to look for new work.
Document Actions
The second tactic to deal with toxic leadership is to document actions. Take the initiative to document the examples of toxic or inappropriate behavior that you notice bad bosses exhibit. This helps your entire team since behavior that would otherwise go unnoticed is noticed and documented, and it may help your cause if things get so bad you need to get senior leadership or human resources involved. But documenting toxic actions also helps create a form of psychological distance. Overtime, you’ll start to see yourself as the researcher whose job it is to study this fascinating example of toxicity—instead of the unfortunate employee of an ill-mannered boss.
Build Support
The third tactic to deal with toxic leadership is to build support. If you and your team are going to survive, you’ll need each other. So, take the initiative to build social connection and emotional support. The most valuable resource you can have after an emotionally or physically draining interaction is another person you can turn to for trusted conversations or just emotional venting. And the easiest way to find that person is to be that person for someone else. Make it clear that your colleagues can call your or stop by your desk after their interactions with bad bosses and make a point to invent in gratitude and appreciation to help rebuild the culture of the team as a whole.
Avoid Drama
The fourth tactic to deal with toxic leadership is to avoid drama. Do not get sucked into the drama bad bosses create—and they will try to create drama. One of the ways toxic leaders manage to retain power and keep others from discovering their toxicity is to keep the team divided against itself by creating tensions, even false tensions, between individual members. Don’t take the bait. In addition to helping keep the team together, avoiding drama helps you keep peace of mind, partly because you’ll keep psychological distance and partly because in time people will learn you don’t participate in the drama, and they’ll stop trying to drag you into it.
Step Up
The fifth tactic to deal with toxic leadership is to step up. Bad bosses create a leadership vacuum, and someone needs to fill it. Be the leader your team needs. Be the trusted friend your coworkers need. And be the level head that difficult decisions call for. This means taking on extra roles to serve your team, but often those acts of service can actually help lift our spirits and decompress from stress in unexpected ways. This may even mean stepping up for your team and being the one who confronts your toxic leader about his behavior. This is a tricky conversation to have but it’s a well-needed one. It puts the toxic leader on notice that their behaviors are being documented and their days may be numbered unless they can modify their behavior.
Leave
The sixth tactic to deal with toxic leadership is to leave. And if you’ve tried some or all of the above tactics and your boss still hasn’t changed, then it’s time to take this action. One of the confusing effects of bad bosses is that people don’t quit the team as soon as they should. Sometimes people like the company but hate their boss and stay hoping for a new opportunity, and sometimes people become so afraid of the unknown that they’d rather deal with the known toxicity. But if you’ve tried other tactics and it’s just not getting better, there’s no reason to believe it ever will, and the best thing you can do for you own career is to leave.
But if you leave remember one last thing: this experience, as traumatic as it was, has made you a better leader as well. Once you’ve survived, you’ll start to think about how differently you’d respond in similar situations, and you’ll start to learn more about what makes for a positive leader as you analyze past experiences with such a terrible one. And in doing so, you’ll become a better leader. You’ll become a more positive leader. You’ll become a leader who helps everyone do their best work ever.
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Beautiful and Courageous Pigeons Sharing Food With a Little Dove
Pigeons are beautiful and loyal to their owner, not to mention courageous. They are also smart, gifted and very talented. Long ago they were also used for sending messages from one place to the next and were considered good pets to have. The Dove on the other hand is a close family member of the Pigeon family.
Pigeons are effective as messengers due to their natural homing abilities. The pigeons are transported to a destination in cages, where they are attached with messages, then the pigeon naturally flies back to its home where the recipient could read the message. They have been used in many places around the world.
In the Second World War, pigeons were used in active service in Europe, India and Burma. The last pigeon messaging service in the world was in Odisha called Orissa Police Carrier Pigeon Service and it disbanded in 2006 after 60 years of active service and 800 birds.
Pigeons, also known as rock doves, are found on every continent in the world except Antarctica. No matter where you live, you can get a chance to feed them by visiting cities and other urban areas. They are smart, gentle birds who enjoy being given grains, fruits, and vegetables, among other foods. Be aware of any feeding regulations in your area and give pigeons quality food to keep them happy and healthy.
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Web Weaving Spider Constructs A Beautiful Web in Timelapse
A beautiful web weaving spider spins its web in time lapse. Spiders are amazing at web design. Spiders make their webs from silk, a natural fiber made of protein. Spider silk combines the useful properties of high tensile strength and durability. Spider webs are used for multiple purposes, but the main purpose is to trap insects that get caught up in the web. The insects, now become food for the Spider. They are many species of Spiders all around the world, Spiders are practically everywhere.
Unlike us humans, Spiders do not sleep because they don't have eyelids but they can reduce their activity level and lower their metabolic rate to conserve energy.
Spiders hate the smell of citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges. They even can not stand the smell of peppermint oils tea tree oils, eucalyptus, or vinegar. Using any of these around the house would keep Spiders away. Spiders' web is said to be five times stronger than steel.
Spider webs are built from silk, which is produced within the body of the Spider and pulled out of two openings with the spider's hind legs.
All spiders have two claws on their feet but web-spinning spiders have three. They are used to pull the silk but also grip and release the thread of the web and provide traction when they move along the web.
The strength of the web is dependent not only on the strength of the spun silk but on the web design itself.
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4 Lifestyle Changes With Health Benefits in Reducing Blood Pressure.
Here are 4 lifestyle changes that can reduce blood pressure and keep it down.
1. Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline.
Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Being overweight also can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea), which further raises blood pressure.
Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure. If you’re overweight or have obesity, losing even a small amount of weight can help reduce blood pressure. In general, blood pressure might go down by about 1 millimeter of mercury (mm Hg) with each kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of weight lost.
Also, the size of the waistline is important. Carrying too much weight around the waist can increase the risk of high blood pressure.
In general:
Men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters).
Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters).
These numbers vary among ethnic groups. Ask your health care provider about a healthy waist measurement for you.
2. Exercise regularly.
Regular physical activity can lower high blood pressure by about 5 to 8 mm Hg. It’s important to keep exercising to keep blood pressure from rising again. As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day.
Exercise can also help keep elevated blood pressure from turning into high blood pressure (hypertension). For those who have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring blood pressure down to safer levels.
Some examples of aerobic exercise that can help lower blood pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing. Another possibility is high-intensity interval training. This type of training involves alternating short bursts of intense activity with periods of lighter activity.
Strength training also can help reduce blood pressure. Aim to include strength training exercises at least two days a week. Talk to a health care provider about developing an exercise program.
3. Eat a healthy diet.
Eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and low in saturated fat and cholesterol can lower high blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg. Examples of eating plans that can help control blood pressure are the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet.
Potassium in the diet can lessen the effects of salt (sodium) on blood pressure. The best sources of potassium are foods, such as fruits and vegetables, rather than supplements. Aim for 3,500 to 5,000 mg a day, which might lower blood pressure 4 to 5 mm Hg. Ask your care provider how much potassium you should have.
4. Reduce salt (sodium) in your diet.
Even a small reduction of sodium in the diet can improve heart health and reduce high blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg.
The effect of sodium intake on blood pressure varies among groups of people. In general, limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less. However, a lower sodium intake — 1,500 mg a day or less — is ideal for most adults.
To reduce sodium in the diet:
Read food labels. Look for low-sodium versions of foods and beverages.
Eat fewer processed foods. Only a small amount of sodium occurs naturally in foods. Most sodium is added during processing.
Don’t add salt. Use herbs or spices to add flavor to food.
Cook. Cooking lets you control the amount of sodium in the food. #bloodpressure #highbloodpressure #healthylifestyle
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The Beautiful Garden Snail Is It a Pet or Pest?
Would You Call A Garden Snail A Pet or Pest?
The garden snail has a pale grey, moist skin and a large, brown or yellowish shell with paler flecking and darker, spiraling bands. They are widespread and common throughout the UK and often considered garden pests. They come out at night to feed and rest during the day in sheltered places, such as under rocks.
land snail, any of the approximately 35,000 species of snails (phylum Mollusca) adapted to life away from water. Most species are members of the subclass Pulmonata (class Gastropoda); a few are members of the subclass Prosobranchia. Typically, land snails live on or near the ground, feed on decaying plant matter, and lay their eggs in the soil. They are most common on tropical islands but occur also in cold regions, where they hibernate. Arboreal forms, such as Liguus of Florida and Cuba, tend to be brightly coloured; terrestrial forms usually are drab. Largest in size are those of the genus Achatina, of Africa, some 20 cm (8 inches) across. Several common land snails (Helix species) of Europe are table delicacies, especially in France. See gastropod.
snail, a gastropod, especially one having an enclosing shell, into which it may retract completely for protection. A gastropod lacking a shell is commonly called a slug or sea slug.
escargot, (French: “snail”) any of several species of edible land snails, a delicacy of French cuisine.
Although the snails eaten as escargots are terrestrial, they are technically mollusks and therefore classified as seafood. The word escargot, in that regard, descends from the Latin word for mollusk, conchylium, by way of the Provençal escaragol, “shell.”
In France escargots are judged, as are so many other foods, by terroir, the place from which they come. The best escargots, in that view, are Helix pomatia from the vineyards of Burgundy, and then only those harvested at the very beginning of winter, when the snails have retreated into their shells and begun their winter fast, thereby mitigating the need to clean their digestive tract. Snails so harvested are boiled directly; snails harvested earlier are held aside for several days until they purge themselves of any food waste. Because of this timing, in France escargots are a traditional treat at Christmas, when some two-thirds of the annual harvest is consumed.
Helix pomatia, called the Roman or Burgundy snail (escargot de Bourgnone), is the most prized of the escargot species. H. lucorum, the Turkish snail (escargot du turc), and Cornu aspersum, the common garden snail (escargot petit gris), are also eaten. All three species, as well as a few others, are harvested wild but are also farmed. After being boiled briefly for cleaning, the snails are removed from their shells and then cooked in oil, wine, or butter. Returned to their shells, escargots are usually served with liberal amounts of butter, garlic, and herbs such as parsley and thyme. Few diners, therefore, have a strong sense of what escargots taste like on their own. Connoisseurs describe the flavour of escargots to be something like a slightly salty mushroom.
In France, where escargots remain a popular dish, they are usually served as light appetizers. Like other seafood, however, escargots can be eaten in different forms—baked into a tart, for instance, or served on a roll like lobster. In Italy and Greece, escargots are served atop pasta. Escargots are popular elsewhere in Europe as well, especially in Spain, Portugal, and Germany. Escargots are widely available throughout the year in canned form. Snails contain high levels of protein proportional to their size and are low in fat (though not so if served in butter or oil). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns, however, that eating undercooked snails can lead to infection by a parasite called the rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), which causes eosinophilic meningitis. Snails can carry other parasites as well. Escargots, therefore, should not be eaten raw. freshwater snail, any of the approximately 5,000 snail species that live in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. Most are members of the subclass Pulmonata, which also includes the terrestrial snails and slugs, but some are members of the subclass Prosobranchia; both subclasses belong to the class Gastropoda. The southeastern United States has the greatest number of species; another notable location is Lake Tanganyika, in Africa. Freshwater snails are dispersed between isolated bodies of water via birds’ feet, wind-blown leaves, and floods. Several species are hosts to a variety of parasitic flatworm species (called trematodes) that cause disease in humans and other warm-blooded animals; e.g., schistosomiasis. Some species (e.g., the amphibious snail Ampullarius gigas) are used to keep aquariums clean. slug, any mollusk of the class Gastropoda in which the shell is reduced to an internal plate or a series of granules or is completely absent. The term generally refers to a land snail. Slugs belonging to the subclass Pulmonata have soft, slimy bodies and are generally restricted to moist habitats on land (one freshwater species is known). Some slug species damage gardens. In temperate regions the common pulmonate slugs (of the families Arionidae, Limacidae, and Philomycidae) eat fungi and decaying leaves. Slugs of the plant-eating family Veronicellidae are found in the tropics. Carnivorous slugs, which eat other snails and earthworms, include the Testacellidae of Europe. mollusk, also spelled mollusc, any soft-bodied invertebrate of the phylum Mollusca, usually wholly or partly enclosed in a calcium carbonate shell secreted by a soft mantle covering the body. Along with the insects and vertebrates, it is one of the most diverse groups in the animal kingdom, with nearly 100,000 (possibly as many as 150,000) described species. Each group includes an ecologically and structurally immense variety of forms: the shell-less Caudofoveata; the narrow-footed gliders (Solenogastres); the serially valved chitons (Placophora or Polyplacophora); the cap-shaped neopilinids (Monoplacophora); the limpets, snails, and slugs (Gastropoda); the clams, mussels, scallops, oysters, shipworms, and cockles (Bivalvia); the tubiform to barrel-shaped tusk shells (Scaphopoda); and the nautiluses, cuttlefishes, squids, and octopuses (Cephalopoda).
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Amazing Little Squirrel Collects Nuts From Inside of a Tree
The most iconic behavior of squirrels is storing nuts and acorns for winter. Which is necessary for the species of squirrel that do not hibernate.
The hind legs of squirrels are double-jointed, which gives them the ability to run up and down the trees very quickly.
A male squirrel can actually smell a female in heat, from up to a mile away.
Mating season for squirrels is from February to May, with a 44-day gestation period. Generally, two to four young are born per litter.
Squirrels have 4 toes on their feet, which are extremely sharp and used for gripping tree bark whilst climbing. They also have 5 toes on their back feet.
Squirrels are astonishing animals. Did you realize they can jump multiple times their body length and turn their lower legs 180 degrees to confront any course while climbing? They likewise have sublime vision, and they advance by rapidly duplicating different creatures.
They are not timid about turning out in the daytime, making them one of the uncommon wild vertebrates that a large number of us really see. Whether you think they are an irritation or a beautiful sight, look at this astonishing squirrel in this video!
Squirrels are clever creatures and can learn to navigate numerous obstacles to find the most efficient route to food, they’re also rather good at finding shortcuts.
Squirrels can jump a distance of up to 20 feet. They have long, muscular hind legs and short front legs that work together to aid in leaping.
With 285 species of squirrels, they can be found in every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
Squirrels can eat their own body weight every week, which is roughly 1.5 pounds.
Squirrels can fall from 30 meters high, without hurting themselves.
When jumping, or falling, they use their tail both for balance and as a parachute!
An arctic ground squirrel, which is a species of ground squirrel native to the Arctic, is the only warm-blooded mammal able to withstand body temperatures below freezing whilst hibernating.
Squirrels eyes are positioned in a way which allows them to see behind them.
Squirrels have been proven to run at speeds of 20 miles per hour, however generally, most squirrels run half this.
squirrel, (family Sciuridae), generally, any of the 50 genera and 268 species of rodents whose common name is derived from the Greek skiouros, meaning “shade tail,” which describes one of the most conspicuous and recognizable features of these small mammals. These distinctive animals occupy a range of ecological niches worldwide virtually anywhere there is vegetation. The squirrel family includes ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and flying squirrels, but to most people squirrel refers to the 122 species of tree squirrels, which belong to 22 genera of the subfamily Sciurinae. The North American gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) has adapted to urban and suburban areas where it is regarded as aesthetic or as a minor annoyance. In northern Europe the red squirrel (S. vulgaris) is valued for its soft, thick fur. Villagers in tropical forests keep squirrels as pets. Most species are hunted for food.
General features
Tree squirrels have slender, lanky bodies, long, muscular limbs, and furred feet. The forefeet have four long digits plus a short, stubby thumb, and the five-toed hind feet are narrow or moderately wide. The bald soles of the feet take the form of prominent, fleshy pads. Because the ankle joints are flexible and can be rotated, squirrels can rapidly descend trees headfirst with the hind feet splayed flat against the trunk. Their large, bright eyes convey an alert demeanour, and the broad, short head tapers to a blunt muzzle adorned with long whiskers. The rounded ears, small in relation to body size, are densely covered with short, fine hairs, which form a long tuft at the tips of the ears in some species. The tail is about as long as head and body or appreciably longer. Furred from base to tip, the tail appears bushy and cylindrical when the hairs grow evenly around the tail; the tail appears flatter if the fur originates only from opposite sides. Claws are large, strong, curved, and very sharp, which enables tree squirrels to navigate vertical surfaces and slim branches.
Variation in body size is considerable. Largest are the four species of Oriental giant squirrels (genus Ratufa) native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Weighing 1.5 to 3 kg (3 to almost 7 pounds), it has a body length of 25 to 46 cm (about 10 to 18 inches) and a tail about as long. Two species of pygmy squirrels are the smallest: the neotropical pygmy squirrel (Sciurillus pusillus) of the Amazon Basin weighs 33 to 45 grams (1 to 1.5 ounces), with a body 9 to 12 cm long and an equally long tail; but the African pygmy squirrel (Myosciurus pumilio) of the West African tropical forests is even smaller, at 13 to 20 grams, with a body length of 6 to 8 cm and a somewhat shorter tail.
Squirrels’ soft, dense fur is moderately long in most species but can be very long and almost shaggy in some. Colour is extraordinarily variable. Some species are plain, covered in one or two solid shades of brown or gray. A few species are striped along the sides and back; sometimes the head is also striped. Tropical species exhibit combinations of white, gray, yellow, orange, red, maroon, brown, and black, yielding a variety of complex coat patterns.
Giraffe standing in grass, Kenya.
Britannica Quiz
Know Your Mammals Quiz
Natural history
All tree squirrels are diurnal and arboreal, but the range of vertical activity in species differs widely, especially among those living in tropical rainforests. Some, such as the Oriental giant squirrels (genus Ratufa) and the African giant squirrels (genus Protoxerus), rarely descend from the high canopy. Others, like the pygmy squirrel of Sulawesi (Prosciurillus murinus), travel and forage at intermediate levels between ground and canopy. Some large tropical squirrels, such as the Sulawesi giant squirrel (Rubrisciurus rubriventer) and the northern Amazon red squirrel (Sciurus igniventris), nest at middle levels but travel and forage low in the understory or on the ground. The African palm squirrels (genus Epixerus) are long-legged runners that forage only on the ground. Certain species, such as the red-tailed squirrel (S. granatensis) of the American tropics and the African pygmy squirrel, are active from ground to canopy. In the United States, the Eastern fox squirrel (S. niger) runs along the ground from tree to tree, but others, including the Eastern gray squirrel (S. carolinensis), prefer to travel through the treetops and regularly cross rivers by swimming with the head up and tail flat on the water’s surface. Thomas’s rope squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus) of Africa even submerges itself and swims underwater.
Discover whether squirrels forget where they bury half of their food
Discover whether squirrels forget where they bury half of their foodSee all videos for this article
Most tree squirrels have strong chisel-like incisors and powerful jaws, which are required for gnawing open the hard nuts that, along with fruits, are a primary component of their diet. They also eat seeds, fungi, insects and other arthropods, the cambium layer of tree bark, nectar, leaves, buds, flowers, and sometimes bird eggs, nestlings, and carrion. Some red squirrels (genus Tamiasciurus) and Sciurus species of temperate climates will stalk, kill, and eat other squirrels, mice, and adult birds and rabbits for food, but such predation in tropical tree squirrels seems rare.
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Nests are constructed among branches in the forest canopy or at lower levels in tree crowns, vine tangles, tree hollows, or undergrowth near the ground. Some species of tropical tree squirrels produce several litters per year; breeding season in the Northern Hemisphere may extend from December to September and may result in one or two litters that average three to seven young, depending upon the species.
In the New World, tree squirrels range from the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska southward through coniferous and deciduous woodlands in the United States to the tropical rainforests of South America. In Africa, tree squirrels are native to rainforests and some woodland savannas. Their distribution in the remainder of the Old World extends from the northern boreal forests of Europe and Asia to the Indonesian tropical rainforests. East of the Asian continental margin, tree squirrels inhabit the forests of Taiwan, some islands in the Philippines, and Sulawesi, but they do not occur naturally anywhere east of those islands. Most of the species in 20 of the 22 genera are found in tropical rainforests.
Classification and evolutionary history
Tree squirrels belong to the subfamily Sciurinae; it and the subfamily Pteromyinae (flying squirrels) constitute the family Sciuridae of the order Rodentia. Fossils record the evolutionary history of tree squirrels back to the Late Eocene Epoch (41.3 million to 33.7 million years ago) in North America and the Miocene Epoch (23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago) in Africa and Eurasia.
FAMILY SCIURIDAE (squirrels)
2 subfamilies comprising 272 species in 51 genera found worldwide. See flying squirrel for 15 genera and 42 species of subfamily Pteromyinae. See also ground squirrel.
Subfamily Sciurinae
230 species in 36 genera, including ground squirrels (10 genera, 62 species), marmots (1 genus, 14 species), chipmunks (1 genus, 25 species), Asian rock squirrels (1 genus, 2 species), and prairie dogs (1 genus, 5 species).
Tree squirrels
122 species in 22 genera.
Genus Sciurus (tree squirrels)
28 non-African species.
Genus Callosciurus (Oriental, or tricoloured, tree squirrels)
15 Southeast Asian species.
Genus Sundasciurus (Sunda squirrels)
15 Southeast Asian species.
Genus Paraxerus (bush squirrels)
11 African species.
Genus Funisciurus (rope, or African striped, squirrels)
9 African species.
Genus Heliosciurus (sun squirrels)
6 African species.
Genus Funambulus (Asiatic palm squirrels)
5 Asian species.
Genus Microsciurus (dwarf squirrels)
4 Central and South American species.
Genus Prosciurillus (Sulawesi dwarf squirrels)
4 Southeast Asian species.
Genus Ratufa (Oriental giant squirrels)
4 Indian and Southeast Asian species.
Genus Tamiops (Asiatic striped squirrels)
4 Southeast Asian species.
Genus Tamiasciurus (red squirrels or chickarees)
3 North American species.
Genus Exilisciurus (pygmy squirrels)
3 Southeast Asian species.
Genus Epixerus (African palm squirrels)
2 West African species.
Genus Protoxerus (oil palm squirrels or African giant squirrels)
2 African species.
Genus Sciurillus (neotropical pygmy squirrel)
1 Amazonian species.
Genus Rubrisciurus (Sulawesi giant squirrel)
1 Southeast Asian species.
Genus Nannosciurus (black-eared squirrel)
1 Southeast Asian species.
Genus Myosciurus (African pygmy squirrel)
1 West African species.
Genus Rheithrosciurus (tufted, or groove-toothed, ground squirrel)
1 Southeast Asian species found only on Borneo.
Genus Glyphotes (sculptor squirrel)
1 Southeast Asian species found only on Borneo.
Genus Syntheosciurus (Bang’s mountain squirrel)
1 species found only in Costa Rica and Panama.
Guy Musser
Filmed by JLas Wilson
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An Enchanted Forest With a Magical Lake Reflection
There are a few settings that are only enchanted by their actual nature, and that is the way I would depict the area of this dream tree workmanship on a little island by the Lake. I will always remember whenever I first saw this dream tree close to a beautiful lake as we came in our most memorable evening. There was something so elegant and enchanted about the lines of those tree trunks and appendages. I have frequently said that these trees help me to remember a ballet performer trapped amidst a dance. They appear to emerge from the water as opposed to being established there.
The forest was colossal, spacious, and archaic. Its canopy was ruled by yew, beech, and hickory, who let through enough dancing beams of sunshine for vibrant ferns to flourish in the insect riddled soils below.
Silent branches dangled from the occasional tree, and a range of flowers, which were scattered sporadically, added playful elements to the otherwise beige forest floor.
A tumult of sounds, predominantly those of foraging beasts, added life to the forest, and were in harmony with the barrage of noise coming from a waterfall in the distance.
Dark tree trunks, shadows, overhanging limbs across the path seen at the last second, clumps of bushes, barely visible black trails snaking through the undergrowth, moon shining through a lattice of leaves, patchy sky & stars seen in glimpses through tree breaks, tall shadowed pines stretching up like arrows into the sky, streaks of cloud against the…
The lake showed up as though by wizardry as we peaked the edge. It was in tear silver in variety and it was formed like a totally level plate of metal. No sound rang out from the gleaming void of room around it. Religious community calm, it was fixed with pine trees and the whiff of mint drifted dependent upon us. We chose to advance toward its decanter clear shore. The unspoiled scene blew our mind. Unruffled by wind or downpour, it was vault still and peaceful. The main sounds were the blundering of honey bees and the weighty reverberation of a raven cracking.
Out on the lake, tumbling trout were slapping the surface. They were wanting to get one of the group of flies that hummed about. The paradise releasing light added a brilliant color to the essence of the lake and it was heaven. A surprising aha second came unbidden, which included the excellence of the normal world. I remained quiet about it. The pinching midges didn’t detract from the joy of that day. I can in any case see the downpour pearled grass to my eye. I recollect the saccharine wonderful smell of that grass. I recall that the water posed a flavor like the nectar of the divine beings. In particular, I recall how it felt to be youthful on that exceptional day
wilderness without trying to control or disrupt it.
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This trope frequently goes hand in hand with The Maze; fairly often, portrayals of the Enchanted Forest will emphasize the difficulty of finding one's path through it and the ease of getting lost in its depths. Some cases will go beyond the regular difficulty of pathfinding in thick forest and will depict this as a supernatural effect, sometimes bordering on Alien Geometries, where specific paths must be followed to avoid becoming hopelessly lost or being taken straight back to the heart of the woods.
Historically, this trope originates from the often contentious relationship between humanity and woodlands. Agricultural civilizations tend to prefer their land to be clear, open, and carefully managed, often leading to the clearing of all but the wildest, thickest and most impenetrable woodlands. Additionally, old-growth forests often serve as refuges for large animals pushed out from farmlands and urban areas and for the undesirables of society — bandits, fugitives and runaway slaves all often sought forests and wooded swamps as refuges. Forests thus often come to represent holdouts of non-controlled landscape, the metaphorical "other" that doesn't belong to humanity, where forces of chaos and untamed nature remain dominant and strong. Combined with the difficulty of seeing very far in thick tree growth, which easily suggests the idea that who knows what peril or wonder could be hidden right under your nose, and with the tendency of many cultures to view nature and the unknown as magical and spirit-haunted, it's easy to see how the trope of the deep, magical and primordial forest originated.
This may also be a Shadowland for Arcadia, but is more likely to be one for a brilliant and happy city. Enchanted Forests are very common in the Standard Fantasy Setting.
See also The Lost Woods, which is video game levels themed around forests; these two tropes often overlap, but don't necessarily do so. Compare The Hedge of Thorns and Forest of Perpetual Autumn.
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2 Bears are Preciously Playful With Each Other
Polar bears are not only unique for their famous white fur (which is actually translucent), their paws perfectly built to grip ice and keep the bear from slipping, or their ability to smell a seal's breathing hole in the ice more than half a mile away. They are also the only bear species to be officially classified as marine mammals. Due to their dependence on the ocean for food and habitat, polar bears spend most of their lives on the sea ice, rather than on land.
Being so adept in the water, polar bears can swim continuously for days at a time. Findings published in the journal Polar Biology from the U.S. Geological Survey reveal that one polar bear fitted with an electronic tracking device was measured swimming nonstop for 232 hours across 687km, through waters that were 2-6C. That’s the equivalent of swimming for nine and a half days straight!
Not only is the sea a life source for polar bears, it’s also a great place for keeping clean (polar bears love to be clean) and for play, as these two young polar bears show us.
For these youngsters, playing in the water is not only fun, but also an opportunity to build up their agility, speed and defence skills in the ocean. With only 10% of polar bear hunts ending in success, practicing their skills is always a useful activity.
The primary hunting method for polar bears involves sniffing out the scent of a seal’s breathing hole - which they can detect from up to 20 miles away on the ice or up to half a mile away if the seal is in or under the ice - quietly waiting on the ice nearby and then grabbing them as a they come up for a breath. With the seal able to make a quick getaway in the water, having their own well-practiced skills can help these polar bears be in the successful 10% for their next meal.
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Stunning Birds Eating From a Classic Bird Feeder
Beautiful birds eating seeds from an all in one classic bird feeder. Bird watching has always been a favourite thing to do. I love the stunning sounds which they make in the mornings. This is the most beautiful music, anyone can hear.
To understand the different types of birds and what they are doing in their daily lives. They are more than 800 hundred species of birds or maybe even more. Having a good bird feeder is always a nice idea. It brings you much closer to the birds by making them part of your life. To study and interact with each one of them. In this premium video, you shall see many birds flying around the bird feeder. You will also get a chance to see them landing on the bird feeder and eating the seeds that are contained within the feeder.
I hope that you enjoy this beautiful video of birds feeding. Thank you for watching and supporting my channel kellkell4 premium videos. Please write your comments and questions in the description below. Enjoy your day.
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The Worlds Most Beautiful Flowers Blooming.
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs. Flowers may facilitate outcrossing (fusion of sperm and eggs from different individuals in a population) resulting from cross-pollination or allow selfing (fusion of sperm and egg from the same flower) when self-pollination occurs.
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). Flowers produce gametophytes, which in flowering plants consist of a few haploid cells which produce gametes. The "male" gametophyte, which produces non-motile sperm, is enclosed within pollen grains; the "female" gametophyte is contained within the ovule. When pollen from the anther of a flower is deposited on the stigma, this is called pollination. Some flowers may self-pollinate, producing seed using pollen from the same flower or a different flower of the same plant, but others have mechanisms to prevent self-pollination and rely on cross-pollination, when pollen is transferred from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower on a different individual of the same species.
Self-pollination happens in flowers where the stamen and carpel mature at the same time, and are positioned so that the pollen can land on the flower's stigma. This pollination does not require an investment from the plant to provide nectar and pollen as food for pollinators.[1]
Some flowers produce diaspores without fertilization (parthenocarpy). Flowers contain sporangia and are the site where gametophytes develop.
Most flowering plants depend on animals, such as bees, moths, and butterflies, to transfer their pollen between different flowers, and have evolved to attract these pollinators by various strategies, including brightly colored, conspicuous petals, attractive scents, and the production of nectar, a food source for pollinators.[2] In this way, many flowering plants have co-evolved with pollinators to be mutually dependent on services they provide to one another—in the plant's case, a means of reproduction; in the pollinator's case, a source of food.[3] After fertilization, the ovary of the flower develops into fruit containing seeds.
Flowers have long been appreciated by humans for their beauty and pleasant scents, and also hold cultural significance as religious, ritual, or symbolic objects, or sources of medicine and food.
Etymology
Flower is from the Middle English flour, which referred to both the ground grain and the reproductive structure in plants, before splitting off in the 17th century. It comes originally from the Latin name of the Italian goddess of flowers, Flora. The early word for flower in English was blossom,[4] though it now refers to flowers only of fruit trees.[5]
Morphology
Diagram of flower parts.
Main article: Floral morphology
The morphology of a flower, or its form and structure,[6] can be considered in two parts: the vegetative part, consisting of non-reproductive structures such as petals; and the reproductive or sexual parts. A stereotypical flower is made up of four kinds of structures attached to the tip of a short stalk or axis, called a receptacle. Each of these parts or floral organs is arranged in a spiral called a whorl.[7] The four main whorls (starting from the base of the flower or lowest node and working upwards) are the calyx, corolla, androecium, and gynoecium. Together the calyx and corolla make up the non-reproductive part of the flower called the perianth, and in some cases may not be differentiated. If this is the case, then they are described as tepals.[8]
Perianth
Main article: Perianth
Calyx
The sepals, collectively called the calyx, are modified leaves that occur on the outermost whorl of the flower. They are leaf-like, in that they have a broad base, stomata, stipules, and chlorophyll.[9] Sepals are often waxy and tough, and grow quickly to protect the flower as it develops.[9][10] They may be deciduous, but will more commonly grow on to assist in fruit dispersal. If the calyx is fused together it is called gamosepalous.[9]
Corolla
The petals, together the corolla, are almost or completely fiberless leaf-like structures that form the innermost whorl of the perianth. They are often delicate and thin, and are usually coloured, shaped, or scented to encourage pollination.[11] Although similar to leaves in shape, they are more comparable to stamens in that they form almost simultaneously with one another, but their subsequent growth is delayed. If the corolla is fused together it is called sympetalous.[12]
Reproductive
Main article: Plant reproductive morphology
Reproductive parts of Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum). 1. Stigma, 2. Style, 3. Stamens, 4. Filament, 5. Petal
Androecium
The androecium, or stamens, is the whorl of pollen-producing male parts. Stamens consist typically of an anther, made up of four pollen sacs arranged in two thecae, connected to a filament, or stalk. The anther contains microsporocytes which become pollen, the male gametophyte, after undergoing meiosis. Although they exhibit the widest variation among floral organs, the androecium is usually confined just to one whorl and to two whorls only in rare cases. Stamens range in number, size, shape, orientation, and in their point of connection to the flower.[11][12]
In general there is only one type of stamen, but there are plant species where the flowers have two types; a "normal" one and one with anthers that produce sterile pollen meant to attract pollinators.[13]
Gynoecium
The gynoecium, or the carpels, is the female part of the flower found on the innermost whorl. Each carpel consists of a stigma, which receives pollen, a style, which acts as a stalk, and an ovary, which contains the ovules. Carpels may occur in one to several whorls, and when fused together are often described as a pistil. Inside the ovary, the ovules are attached to the placenta by structures called funiculi.[14][15]
Variation
Although this arrangement is considered "typical", plant species show a wide variation in floral structure.[16] The four main parts of a flower are generally defined by their positions on the receptacle and not by their function. Many flowers lack some parts or parts may be modified into other functions or look like what is typically another part.[17] In some families, like Ranunculaceae, the petals are greatly reduced; in many species, the sepals are colorful and petal-like. Other flowers have modified stamens that are petal-like; the double flowers of Peonies and Roses are mostly petaloid stamens.[18]
Many flowers have symmetry. When the perianth is bisected through the central axis from any point and symmetrical halves are produced, the flower is said to be actinomorphic or regular. This is an example of radial symmetry. When flowers are bisected and produce only one line that produces symmetrical halves, the flower is said to be irregular or zygomorphic. If, in rare cases, they have no symmetry at all they are called asymmetric.[19][20]
Flowers may be directly attached to the plant at their base (sessile—the supporting stalk or stem is highly reduced or absent).[21] The stem or stalk subtending a flower, or an inflorescence of flowers, is called a peduncle. If a peduncle supports more than one flower, the stems connecting each flower to the main axis are called pedicels.[22] The apex of a flowering stem forms a terminal swelling which is called the torus or receptacle.[20]
In the majority of species, individual flowers have both pistils and stamens. These flowers are described by botanists as being perfect, bisexual, or hermaphrodite. However, in some species of plants the flowers are imperfect or unisexual: having only either male (stamens) or female (pistil) parts. In the latter case, if an individual plant is either female or male the species is regarded as dioecious. However, where unisexual male and female flowers appear on the same plant, the species is called monoecious.[23] Many flowers have nectaries, which are glands that produce a sugary fluid used to attract pollinators. They are not considered as an organ on their own.[24]
Inflorescence
Main article: Inflorescence
The calla lily is not a single flower. It is actually an inflorescence of tiny flowers pressed together on a central stalk that is surrounded by a large petal-like bract.[25]
In those species that have more than one flower on an axis, the collective cluster of flowers is called an inflorescence. Some inflorescences are composed of many small flowers arranged in a formation that resembles a single flower. A common example of this is most members of the very large composite (Asteraceae) group. A single daisy or sunflower, for example, is not a flower but a flower head—an inflorescence composed of numerous flowers (or florets).[26] An inflorescence may include specialized stems and modified leaves known as bracts.[27]
Floral diagrams and formulae
Main articles: Floral formula and Floral diagram
A floral formula is a way to represent the structure of a flower using specific letters, numbers, and symbols, presenting substantial information about the flower in a compact form. It can represent a taxon, usually giving ranges of the numbers of different organs, or particular species. Floral formulae have been developed in the early 19th century and their use has declined since. Prenner et al. (2010) devised an extension of the existing model to broaden the descriptive capability of the formula.[28] The format of floral formulae differs in different parts of the world, yet they convey the same information.[29][30][31][32]
The structure of a flower can also be expressed by the means of floral diagrams. The use of schematic diagrams can replace long descriptions or complicated drawings as a tool for understanding both floral structure and evolution. Such diagrams may show important features of flowers, including the relative positions of the various organs, including the presence of fusion and symmetry, as well as structural details.[33]
Development
A flower develops on a modified shoot or axis from a determinate apical meristem (determinate meaning the axis grows to a set size). It has compressed internodes, bearing structures that in classical plant morphology are interpreted as highly modified leaves.[34] Detailed developmental studies, however, have shown that stamens are often initiated more or less like modified stems (caulomes) that in some cases may even resemble branchlets.[35][16] Taking into account the whole diversity in the development of the androecium of flowering plants, we find a continuum between modified leaves (phyllomes), modified stems (caulomes), and modified branchlets (shoots).[36][37]
Transition
The transition to flowering is one of the major phase changes that a plant makes during its life cycle. The transition must take place at a time that is favorable for fertilization and the formation of seeds, hence ensuring maximal reproductive success. To meet these needs a plant is able to interpret important endogenous and environmental cues such as changes in levels of plant hormones and seasonable temperature and photoperiod changes.[38] Many perennial and most biennial plants require vernalization to flower. The molecular interpretation of these signals is through the transmission of a complex signal known as florigen, which involves a variety of genes, including Constans, Flowering Locus C, and Flowering Locus T. Florigen is produced in the leaves in reproductively favorable conditions and acts in buds and growing tips to induce a number of different physiological and morphological changes.[39]
The ABC model of flower development
The first step of the transition is the transformation of the vegetative stem primordia into floral primordia. This occurs as biochemical changes take place to change cellular differentiation of leaf, bud and stem tissues into tissue that will grow into the reproductive organs. Growth of the central part of the stem tip stops or flattens out and the sides develop protuberances in a whorled or spiral fashion around the outside of the stem end. These protuberances develop into the sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Once this process begins, in most plants, it cannot be reversed and the stems develop flowers, even if the initial start of the flower formation event was dependent of some environmental cue.[40]
Organ development
Main article: ABC model of flower development
The ABC model is a simple model that describes the genes responsible for the development of flowers. Three gene activities interact in a combinatorial manner to determine the developmental identities of the primordia organ within the floral apical meristem. These gene functions are called A, B, and C. A genes are expressed in only outer and lower most section of the apical meristem, which becomes a whorl of sepals. In the second whorl both A and B genes are expressed, leading to the formation of petals. In the third whorl, B and C genes interact to form stamens and in the center of the flower C genes alone give rise to carpels. The model is based upon studies of aberrant flowers and mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana and the snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus. For example, when there is a loss of B gene function, mutant flowers are produced with sepals in the first whorl as usual, but also in the second whorl instead of the normal petal formation. In the third whorl the lack of B function but presence of C function mimics the fourth whorl, leading to the formation of carpels also in the third whorl.[41]
Function
See also: Plant reproductive morphology
The principal purpose of a flower is the reproduction of the individual and the species. All flowering plants are heterosporous, that is, every individual plant produces two types of spores. Microspores are produced by meiosis inside anthers and megaspores are produced inside ovules that are within an ovary. Anthers typically consist of four microsporangia and an ovule is an integumented megasporangium. Both types of spores develop into gametophytes inside sporangia. As with all heterosporous plants, the gametophytes also develop inside the spores, i. e., they are endosporic.
In the majority of plant species, individual flowers have both functional carpels and stamens. Botanists describe these flowers as perfect or bisexual, and the species as hermaphroditic. In a minority of plant species, their flowers lack one or the other reproductive organ and are described as imperfect or unisexual. If the individual plants of a species each have unisexual flowers of both sexes then the species is monoecious. Alternatively, if each individual plant has only unisexual flowers of the same sex then the species is dioecious.
Pollination
Main article: Pollination
A Tūī, Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae, feeding on flax flower nectar, with yellow pollen on its forehead
Grains of pollen sticking to this bee will be transferred to the next flower it visits.
The primary purpose of the flower is reproduction.[42] Since the flowers are the reproductive organs of the plant, they mediate the joining of the sperm, contained within pollen, to the ovules — contained in the ovary.[10] Pollination is the movement of pollen from the anthers to the stigma.[43] Normally pollen is moved from one plant to another, known as cross-pollination, but many plants are able to self-pollinate. Cross-pollination is preferred because it allows for genetic variation, which contributes to the survival of the species.[44] Many flowers are dependent, then, upon external factors for pollination, such as: the wind, water, animals, and especially insects. Larger animals such as birds, bats, and even some pygmy possums,[45] however, can also be employed.[46][47] To accomplish this, flowers have specific designs which encourage the transfer of pollen from one plant to another of the same species. The period of time during which this process can take place (when the flower is fully expanded and functional) is called anthesis,[48] hence the study of pollination biology is called anthecology.[49]
Flowering plants usually face evolutionary pressure to optimize the transfer of their pollen, and this is typically reflected in the morphology of the flowers and the behavior of the plants.[50] Pollen may be transferred between plants via a number of 'vectors,' or methods. Around 80% of flowering plants make use of biotic, or living vectors. Others use abiotic, or non-living, vectors and some plants make use of multiple vectors, but most are highly specialised.[51]
Though some fit between or outside of these groups,[52] most flowers can be divided between the following two broad groups of pollination methods:
Biotic pollination
Flowers that use biotic vectors attract and use insects, bats, birds, or other animals to transfer pollen from one flower to the next. Often they are specialized in shape and have an arrangement of the stamens that ensures that pollen grains are transferred to the bodies of the pollinator when it lands in search of its attractant (such as nectar, pollen, or a mate).[53] In pursuing this attractant from many flowers of the same species, the pollinator transfers pollen to the stigmas—arranged with equally pointed precision—of all of the flowers it visits.[54] Many flowers rely on simple proximity between flower parts to ensure pollination, while others have elaborate designs to ensure pollination and prevent self-pollination.[44] Flowers use animals including: insects (entomophily), birds (ornithophily), bats (chiropterophily), lizards,[47] and even snails and slugs (malacophilae).[55]
Attraction methods
Ophrys apifera, a bee orchid, which has evolved over many generations to mimic a female bee.[56]
Plants cannot move from one location to another, thus many flowers have evolved to attract animals to transfer pollen between individuals in dispersed populations. Most commonly, flowers are insect-pollinated, known as entomophilous; literally "insect-loving" in Greek.[57] To attract these insects flowers commonly have glands called nectaries on various parts that attract animals looking for nutritious nectar.[58] Some flowers have glands called elaiophores, which produce oils rather than nectar.[59] Birds and bees have color vision, enabling them to seek out colorful flowers.[60] Some flowers have patterns, called nectar guides, that show pollinators where to look for nectar; they may be visible only under ultraviolet light, which is visible to bees and some other insects.[61]
Flowers also attract pollinators by scent, though not all flower scents are appealing to humans; a number of flowers are pollinated by insects that are attracted to rotten flesh and have flowers that smell like dead animals. These are often called Carrion flowers, including plants in the genus Rafflesia, and the titan arum.[60] Flowers pollinated by night visitors, including bats and moths, are likely to concentrate on scent to attract pollinators and so most such flowers are white.[62] Some plants pollinated by bats have a sonar-reflecting petal above its flowers, which helps the bat find them,[63] and one species, the cactus Espostoa frutescens, has flowers that are surrounded by an area of sound-absorbent and wooly hairs called the cephalium, which absorbs the bat's ultrasound instead.[64]
Flowers are also specialized in shape and have an arrangement of the stamens that ensures that pollen grains are transferred to the bodies of the pollinator when it lands in search of its attractant. Other flowers use mimicry or pseudocopulation to attract pollinators. Many orchids for example, produce flowers resembling female bees or wasps in colour, shape, and scent. Males move from one flower to the next in search of a mate, pollinating the flowers.[65][66]
Pollinator relationships
Further information: Pollination syndrome
Many flowers have close relationships with one or a few specific pollinating organisms. Many flowers, for example, attract only one specific species of insect, and therefore rely on that insect for successful reproduction. This close relationship an example of coevolution, as the flower and pollinator have developed together over a long period of time to match each other's needs.[67] This close relationship compounds the negative effects of extinction, however, since the extinction of either member in such a relationship would almost certainly mean the extinction of the other member as well.[68]
Abiotic pollination
Main articles: Anemophily and Hydrophily
A Grass flower with its long, thin filaments and large feathery stigma.
The female flower of Enhalus acoroides, which is pollinated through a combination of Hyphydrogamy and Ephydrogamy.
Flowers that use abiotic, or non-living, vectors use the wind or, much less commonly, water, to move pollen from one flower to the next.[51] In wind-dispersed (anemophilous) species, the tiny pollen grains are carried, sometimes many thousands of kilometres,[69] by the wind to other flowers. Common examples include the grasses, birch trees, along with many other species in the order Fagales,[70] ragweeds, and many sedges. They have no need to attract pollinators and therefore tend not to grow large, showy, or colorful flowers, and do not have nectaries, nor a noticeable scent. Because of this, plants typically have many thousands of tiny flowers which have comparatively large, feathery stigmas; to increase the chance of pollen being received.[65] Whereas the pollen of entomophilous flowers is usually large, sticky, and rich in protein (to act as a "reward" for pollinators), anemophilous flower pollen is typically small-grained, very light, smooth, and of little nutritional value to insects.[71][72] In order for the wind to effectively pick up and transport the pollen, the flowers typically have anthers loosely attached to the end of long thin filaments, or pollen forms around a catkin which moves in the wind. Rarer forms of this involve individual flowers being moveable by the wind (Pendulous), or even less commonly; the anthers exploding to release the pollen into the wind.[71]
Pollination through water (hydrophily) is a much rarer method, occurring in only around 2% of abiotically pollinated flowers.[51] Common examples of this include Calitriche autumnalis, Vallisneria spiralis and some sea-grasses. One characteristic which most species in this group share is a lack of an exine, or protective layer, around the pollen grain.[73] Paul Knuth identified two types of hydrophilous pollination in 1906 and Ernst Schwarzenbach added a third in 1944. Knuth named his two groups 'Hyphydrogamy' and the more common 'Ephydrogamy.'[74] In hyphydrogamy pollination occurs below the surface of the water and so the pollen grains are typically negatively buoyant. For marine plants that exhibit this method the stigmas are usually stiff, while freshwater species have small and feathery stigmas.[75] In ephydrogamy pollination occurs on the surface of the water and so the pollen has a low density to enable floating, though many also use rafts, and are hydrophobic. Marine flowers have floating thread-like stigmas and may have adaptations for the tide, while freshwater species create indentations in the water.[75] The third category, set out by Schwarzenbach, is those flowers which transport pollen above the water through conveyance. This ranges from floating plants, (Lemnoideae), to staminate flowers (Vallisneria). Most species in this group have dry, spherical pollen which sometimes forms into larger masses, and female flowers which form depressions in the water; the method of transport varies.[75]
Mechanisms
Flowers can be pollinated by two mechanisms; cross-pollination and self-pollination. No mechanism is indisputably better than the other as they each have their advantages and disadvantages. Plants use one or both of these mechanisms depending on their habitat and ecological niche.[76]
Cross-pollination
Cross-pollination is the pollination of the carpel by pollen from a different plant of the same species. Because the genetic make-up of the sperm contained within the pollen from the other plant is different, their combination will result in a new, genetically distinct, plant, through the process of sexual reproduction. Since each new plant is genetically distinct, the different plants show variation in their physiological and structural adaptations and so the population as a whole is better prepared for an adverse occurrence in the environment. Cross-pollination, therefore, increases the survival of the species and is usually preferred by flowers for this reason.[44][77]
Self-pollination
Clianthus puniceus, the Kaka Beak.
Self-pollination is the pollination of the carpel of a flower by pollen from either the same flower or another flower on the same plant,[44] leading to the creation of a genetic clone through asexual reproduction. This increases the reliability of producing seeds, the rate at which they can be produced, and lowers the amount energy needed.[78] But, most importantly, it limits genetic variation. In addition, self-pollination causes inbreeding depression, due largely to the expression of recessive deleterious mutations.[79][80]
The extreme case of self-fertilization, when the ovule is fertilized by pollen from the same flower or plant, occurs in flowers that always self-fertilize, such as many dandelions.[81] Some flowers are self-pollinated and have flowers that never open or are self-pollinated before the flowers open; these flowers are called cleistogamous; many species in the genus Viola exhibit this, for example.[82]
Conversely, many species of plants have ways of preventing self-pollination and hence, self-fertilization. Unisexual male and female flowers on the same plant may not appear or mature at the same time, or pollen from the same plant may be incapable of fertilizing its ovules. The latter flower types, which have chemical barriers to their own pollen, are referred to as self-incompatible.[23][83] In Clianthus puniceus, (pictured), self-pollination is used strategically as an "insurance policy." When a pollinator, in this case a bird, visits C. puniceus it rubs off the stigmatic covering and allows for pollen from the bird to enter the stigma. If no pollinators visit, however, then the stigmatic covering falls off naturally to allow for the flower's own anthers to pollinate the flower through self-pollination.[78]
Allergies
Main article: Pollen allergy
Pollen is a large contributor to asthma and other respiratory allergies which combined affect between 10 and 50% of people worldwide. This number appears to be growing, as the temperature increases due to climate change mean that plants are producing more pollen[citation needed], which is also more allergenic. Pollen is difficult to avoid, however, because of its small size and prevalence in the natural environment. Most of the pollen which causes allergies is that produced by wind-dispersed pollinators such as the grasses, birch trees, oak trees, and ragweeds; the allergens in pollen are proteins which are thought to be necessary in the process of pollination.[84][85]
Fertilization
Main articles: Fertilization and Double fertilization
A floral diagram, with the pollen tube labelled PG
Fertilization, also called Synagmy, occurs following pollination, which is the movement of pollen from the stamen to the carpel. It encompasses both plasmogamy, the fusion of the protoplasts, and karyogamy, the fusion of the nuclei. When pollen lands on the stigma of the flower it begins creating a pollen tube which runs down through the style and into the ovary. After penetrating the centre-most part of the ovary it enters the egg apparatus and into one synergid. At this point the end of the pollen tube bursts and releases the two sperm cells, one of which makes its way to an egg, while also losing its cell membrane and much of its protoplasm. The sperm's nucleus then fuses with the egg's nucleus, resulting in the formation of a zygote, a diploid (two copies of each chromosome) cell.[86]
Whereas in fertilization only plasmogamy, or the fusion of the whole sex cells, results, in Angiosperms (flowering plants) a process known as double fertilization, which involves both karyogamy and plasmogamy, occurs. In double fertilization the second sperm cell subsequently also enters the synergid and fuses with the two polar nuclei of the central cell. Since all three nuclei are haploid, they result in a large endosperm nucleus which is triploid.[86]
Seed development
Main article: Seed development
The fruit of a peach with the seed or stone inside.
Following the formation of zygote it begins to grow through nuclear and cellular divisions, called mitosis, eventually becoming a small group of cells. One section of it becomes the embryo, while the other becomes the suspensor; a structure which forces the embryo into the endosperm and is later undetectable. Two small primordia also form at this time, that later become the cotyledon, which is used as an energy store. Plants which grow out one of these primordia are called monocotyledons, while those that grow out two are dicotyledons. The next stage is called the Torpedo stage and involves the growth of several key structures, including: the radicle (embryotic root), the epicotyl (embryotic stem), and the hypocotyl, (the root/shoot junction). In the final step vascular tissue develops around the seed.[87]
The two types of pollination are: self-pollination and cross-pollination. Self-pollination happens when the pollen from the anther is deposited on the stigma of the same flower, or another flower on the same plant. Cross-pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower on a different individual of the same species. Self-pollination happens in flowers where the stamen and carpel mature at the same time, and are positioned so that the pollen can land on the flower's stigma. This pollination does not require an investment from the plant to provide nectar and pollen as food for pollinators.[1]
Some flowers produce diaspores without fertilization (parthenocarpy). Flowers contain sporangia and are the site where gametophytes develop. Many flowers have evolved to be attractive to animals, so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen. After fertilization, the ovary of the flower develops into fruit containing seeds.
In addition to facilitating the reproduction of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans to bring beauty to their environment, and also as objects of romance, ritual, esotericism, witchcraft, religion, medicine, and as a source of food. #plants #blooming #flowers
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Angry Sheep Head Butts for Dominance
Headbutting is a dominance behavior in sheep. Sheep headbutt to establish dominance. This could be with other sheep or with people. Headbutting usually happens when a pair of rams both think they should be the one in charge of the pasture, so a challenge starts.
sheep
domesticated animal
Also known as: Ovis aries
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Last Updated: Jul 17, 2023 • Article History
flock of sheep
flock of sheep
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Category: Animals & Nature
Related Topics: Rambouillet Merino Hampshire Southdown Suffolk
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Jul. 17, 2023, 9:31 PM ET (AP)
Princess Diana’s iconic black sheep sweater could fetch at least $50,000 at auction
Cheviot
Cheviot
Delaine
Delaine
Discover sheep that shed its wool and how it can benefit farmers
Discover sheep that shed its wool and how it can benefit farmersSee all videos for this article
sheep, (Ovis aries), species of domesticated ruminant (cud-chewing) mammal, raised for its meat, milk, and wool. The sheep is usually stockier than its relative the goat (genus Capra); its horns, when present, are more divergent; it has scent glands in its face and hind feet; and the males lack the beards of goats. Sheep usually have short tails. In all wild species of sheep, the outer coat takes the form of hair, and beneath this lies a short undercoat of fine wool that has been developed into the fleece of domesticated sheep. Male sheep are called rams, the females ewes, and immature animals lambs. Mature sheep weigh from about 35 to as much as 180 kg (80 to 400 pounds). To browse sheep by breed, see below.
sheep
sheep
sheep
sheep
A sheep regurgitates its food and chews the cud, thus enabling its four separate stomach compartments to thoroughly digest the grasses and other herbage that it eats. The animals prefer grazing on grass or legume vegetation that is short and fine, though they will also consume high, coarse, or brushy plants as well. They graze plants closer to the root than do cattle, and so care must be taken that sheep do not overgraze a particular range. Sheep are basically timid animals who tend to graze in flocks and are almost totally lacking in protection from predators. They mature at about one year of age, and many breed when they reach the age of about one and a half years. Most births are single, although sheep do have twins on occasion. The lambs stop suckling and begin to graze at about four or five months of age.
Humpback whale breaching out of the ocean. (sea mammal; ocean mammal)
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A Quiz from Shrews to Whales
Sheep were first domesticated from wild species of sheep at least 5000 BCE, and their remains have been found at numerous sites of early human habitation in the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia. Domesticated sheep are raised for their fleece (wool), for milk, and for meat. The flesh of mature sheep is called mutton; that of immature animals is called lamb. There were estimated to be more than one billion sheep in the world in the early 21st century. The major national producers are Australia, New Zealand, China, India, the United States, South Africa, Argentina, and Turkey. Countries that have large areas of grassland are the major producers.
Merino
Merino
Shropshire
Shropshire
Domestic sheep differ from their wild progenitors and among themselves in conformation, quantity and quality of fleece, colour, size, milk production, and other characteristics. Most breeds of domesticated sheep produce wool, while a few produce only hair, and wild sheep grow a combination of wool and hair. Several hundred different breeds of sheep have been developed to meet environmental conditions influenced by latitudes and altitudes and to satisfy human needs for clothing and food. Breeds of sheep having fine wool are generally raised for wool production alone, while breeds with medium or long wool or with only hair are generally raised for meat production. Several crossbreeds have been developed that yield both wool and meat of high quality, however. Of the more than 200 breeds of sheep in the world, the majority are of limited interest except in local areas. For articles on individual breeds of sheep, see Cheviot; Hampshire; Karakul; Merino; Rambouillet; Shropshire.
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Adorable Poodle Makes Toddler Laughs by Ballet Dancing
The Poodle, called the Pudel in German and the Caniche in French, is a breed of water dog. The breed is divided into four varieties based on size, the Standard Poodle, Medium Poodle, Miniature Poodle and Toy Poodle, although the Medium Poodle is not universally recognised. They have a distinctive thick, curly coat that comes in many colors and patterns, with only solid colors recognized by breed registries. Poodles are active and intelligent, and are particularly able to learn from humans. Poodles tend to live 10–18 years, with smaller varieties tending to live longer than larger ones.
The Poodle likely originated in Germany, although the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) and a minority of cynologists believe it originated in France. Similar dogs date back to at least the 17th century. Larger Poodles were originally used by wildfowl hunters to retrieve game from water, while smaller varieties were once commonly used as circus performers. Poodles were recognized by both the Kennel Club of the United Kingdom and the American Kennel Club (AKC) soon after the clubs' founding. Since the mid-20th century, Poodles have enjoyed enormous popularity as pets and show dogs – Poodles were the AKC's most registered breed from 1960 to 1982, and are now the FCI's third most registered breed. Poodles are also common at dog shows, where they often sport the popularly recognized Continental clip, with face and rear clipped close, and tufts of hair on the hocks and tail tip. Most cynologists believe the Poodle originated in Germany in the Middle Ages, from a dog similar to today's Standard Poodle. The Poodle was Germany's water dog, just as England had the English Water Spaniel, France the Barbet, Ireland the Irish Water Spaniel and the Netherlands the Wetterhoun.[1][2][3][4][5] Among the evidence used to support this theory is the Germanic name for the breed, Poodle or "Pudel" in German, which is derived from the Low German word "puddeln", meaning "to splash". Numerous works by various German artists from as early as the 17th century depict dogs of recognisably Poodle type.[1][2][3][5] Some cynologists believe the Poodle originated in France, where it is known as the "Caniche" (French for "duck dog"), and that the breed descends from the Barbet. This view is shared by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI).[6][7] Others argue that the breed originated in Russia, Piedmont or Northwest Africa.[4][7]
Whatever the Poodle's country of origin, both their German and French breed names indicate the modern Poodle's ancestors were widely used by waterfowlers both to retrieve shot game and to recover lost arrows and bolts that had missed their mark.[3][4] Size variants
Due to their intelligence, obedient nature, athleticism and looks Poodles were frequently employed in circuses, particularly in France.[2][3][5][7] In French circuses poodles were selectively bred down in size to create what is now known as the Miniature Poodle, which was known as the Toy Poodle until 1907, as a smaller sized dog is easier to handle and transport in a travelling circus.[5] As circus performers the variety was frequently seen performing all manner of tricks including walking tightropes, acting out comedies and even performing magic and card tricks.[2][3][5]
The Toy Poodle was created at the beginning of the 20th century when breeders again bred Miniature Poodles down in size to create a popular companion dog.[2][3][5] Initially, these efforts resulted in disfigured or misshapen pups, as well as pups with behavioural problems, as a result of irresponsible breeding for dwarfed size only. As new breeding practices were adopted, the variety became set as a toy-sized replica of the original.[2][3][5] Later attempts to create an even smaller variety, the Teacup Poodle, were unable to overcome serious genetic abnormalities and were abandoned.[5]
The last of the Poodle varieties to be recognised was the Medium Poodle, which in size is mid way in between the Standard and the Miniature Poodle. Not universally recognised by the world's kennel clubs, the Medium Poodle is recognised by the FCI and most Continental European kennel clubs.[3][5][6] One of the reasons for creating this fourth size variety may have been a desire to reduce the number of entries of Poodles by variety at conformation shows.
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Energetic Cats Mischievous Behavior With Each Other While Owner's Not Looking
Feline Facts and Information
Domestic Cat Anatomy, habitat, distribution, feeding, reproduction, evolution, social structure, conservation. Domestic Cat images, videos and top facts.
Domestic Cat Facts and Information
It may seem hard to believe that your loving domestic cat is related distantly to the cats of the wild. The domestic cat has been part of households for more than 4,000 years. The ancient Egyptians loved them and many people were buried with their cat from that time period. They size and coloring of the domestic cat depends on the subspecies and the breed. It also depends on the location and the type of diet that is offered.
Domestic Cat Description
The domestic cat typically has a long and lean body. They have very long tails. You may find some that are quite round due to the fact that they have been overfeed by their human owners. They have small skulls and very tiny teeth. They are fast and agile animals with the ability to climb and to jump.
They can have sharp claws which is why many owners have those that live indoors declawed by a veterinarian but that’s incorrect and is against their nature. With very good vision and hearing the domestic cat is easily able to recognize what is going on in its surroundings. Retreating is very common when they sense fear.
Domestic Cat Habitat and Distribution
The domestic cat is able to live just about anywhere. They do well in all types of climates. Some of them are indoor cats and others live outdoors. There are many owners that allow them to come in and out at their leisure. These animals have the freedom to roam and to explore.
Not all domestic cats have a home though. In many communities there is a problem with a large number of them roaming around freely. They scavenge for food and they find various areas that they can use for shelter. The risk of disease is very high among such populations with is why many are worried about it.
Domestic Cat Behavior
Many say that the domestic cat has the life that we all dream of. Someone to wait on them, the ability to be alone as much as possible, and relaxing. Most domestic cats are very independent and they spend a great deal of time relaxing in the sunlight or napping. They are very playful as kittens but as they get older that need seems to disappear. They often purr which is a sound that their owners come to take as meaning they are very relaxed.
Domestic Cat Diet and Feeding Habits
The domestic cat is the only member of the feline family that doesn’t survive only on meat that it hunts. Still, the instinct is there. Many domestic cat owners have found them to capture mice or birds. In fact, many people have their beloved cats around to help reduce the chances of them experiencing problems with rodents.
The diet of a cat can vary significantly. Many of the foods offered do have some forms of meat in them. There are wet and dry cat foods out there that are variable. Owners often find that they need to try out various foods though before they get one that their cat will like. They can be very finicky and turn up their noses and not touch something they aren’t happy with.
Information about housecats
Domestic Cat – Felis silvestris catus
Domestic Cat Reproduction
Mating can occur for the domestic cat at any time of the year. The females will give birth about 60-67 days after mating. The litter can have up to 5 kittens in it. The young are weaned at about 6 weeks of age. The typical female can have up to 3 litters of kittens per year.
The lifespan of the domestic cat can range significantly. Some of them only life a couple of years due to injuries or disease. Those that have loving owners that attend to their needs can easily live for 15 years. The genetic profile of a cat though often determines the quality of life. Many of them have a tendency to suffer from ailments including arthritis, loss of hearing, or loss of sight.
Domestic Cat Conservation
It may surprise you to learn that the domestic cat is one of the most popular pet in the United States. They are more common than dogs due to the fact that they are easier to take care of. Many owners love the loyalty from their cat and the fact that they don’t make lots of noise. There aren’t any conservation efforts in place for this type of feline at this time.
In fact, there are plenty of organizations that continue to educate about the importance of having domestic cats neutered. There is an abundance of them out there that end up being strays or that are in shelters because there isn’t a home for them.
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Plants vs Zombies Adventure Game Play
Plant vs Zombies is one of the most popular games I have played on my android phone. This game is so addictive, once u start playing there is no stopping you. I am sure everyone has played or watched someone playing this game either on a phone or tablet.
The objective of this game is to not let the zombies cross the street and through your yard and get inside of the house. It's fun-filled and packed with laughter. Each level of the game gets more difficult to complete. First, you start off playing in the day. Then you move on to the night and the pool. There is also fog making it difficult to see the zombies coming at you. Then finally, you will play on the roof, which is the grand final. #plantsvszombies #plants #gaming
This article is about the franchise. For the title first game, see Plants vs. Zombies (video game). For the comic series, see Plants vs. Zombies (comic).
Plants vs. Zombies
Genre(s) Tower defense game (Mainline games)
Third-person shooter (Garden Warfare games)
Digital collectible card game (Plants vs. Zombies Heroes)
Developer(s) PopCap Games
Publisher(s)
Electronic Arts
PopCap Games
Creator(s) George Fan
Artist(s) Rich Werner
Writer(s) Stephen Notley
Composer(s) Laura Shigihara
Platform(s)
Microsoft Windows
macOS
iOS
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3
Nintendo DS
DSiWare
Android
Windows Phone
PlayStation Vita
BlackBerry Tablet OS
BlackBerry 10
Xbox One
PlayStation 4
Nintendo Switch
J2ME
First release Plants vs. Zombies
May 5, 2009
Latest release Plants vs. Zombies: Impfestation
June 13, 2023
Plants vs. Zombies is a video game franchise developed by PopCap Games, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts (EA). The series follows the affiliates of David "Crazy Dave" Blazing as they use his plants to defend against a zombie invasion, led by Dr. Edgar George Zomboss. The first game, Plants vs. Zombies (2009), was developed and released by PopCap before its acquisition by EA. After PopCap Games's acquisition, EA expanded the game into a franchise with games on many different platforms.
History
Release timeline
2009 Plants vs. Zombies
2010–2012
2013 Plants vs. Zombies Comics
Plants vs. Zombies 2
2014 Garden Warfare
2015
2016 Garden Warfare 2
Heroes
2017–2018
2019
Battle for Neighborville
TBA Plants vs. Zombies 3
Main series
On April 1, 2009, PopCap released a music video for the song "Zombies on Your Lawn" by Laura Shigihara to promote Plants vs. Zombies.[1] A PopCap spokesperson, Garth Chouteau, revealed in an IGN interview that Plants vs. Zombies would be released soon on PC and Mac.[2] On April 22, 2009, PopCap released an official game trailer of Plants vs. Zombies on YouTube.[3][4] During the promotion of Plants vs. Zombies, PopCap released a demo version of the game that could be played for thirty minutes.[5] Plants vs. Zombies was officially released on May 5, 2009, for PC and Mac,[6] by 2013 switching from a $2.99 gameplay cost to free-to-play on iOS and Android devices. Critics on mobile devices give the game an average of 4.3-4.8 star ratings.[7]
PopCap Games and its assets were bought by EA on July 12, 2011, for 750 million US dollars.[8] Fifty employees were laid off in the Seattle studio of PopCap Games on August 21, 2012, to mark a switch of focus to mobile and social gaming.[9]
On August 20, 2012, PopCap announced that they were working on a sequel to Plants vs. Zombies.[10] Its release date would be set at late spring of 2013.[11] However, the game's status was in doubt shortly after the announcement when the company went through a period of layoffs.[9]
In May 2013, PopCap Games released a trailer revealing a sequel to the first game, titled Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time.[12][13] The game was soft-launched for the iOS in Australia and New Zealand on July 10, 2013,[14] and was officially released on August 14, 2013, as a freemium title.[15] The game featured new locations and plants along with the addition of plant food, a power-up that can be used to enhance a plant for a short period and can either be bought using in-game currency or acquired by defeating zombies that are glowing green.[16] There are four other power-ups in the game, all of which are bought with coins, the in-game currency. Along with these new add ons, the game continues to make updates from time to time. According to EA News, the Arena and Penny's Pursuit updates, which are different game modes within the game, have been some of their latest major updates, aside from all the mini add ons.[17]
In July 2019, EA announced Plants vs. Zombies 3, another free-to-play mobile title in the series. It was launched in a pre-alpha state for Android in July 2019.[18][19] The game soft-launched in February 2020 in the Philippines, Romania, and Ireland.[20] It was then made unavailable in October 2020, becoming unplayable in November 2020. EA has plans to release an improved version of the game in the future.[21] On September 7, 2021, Plants vs. Zombies 3 was soft-launched again with substantial changes, such as two-dimensional graphics and the return of the Sunflower as a plantable plant, having the same purpose in the previous iterations.[22]
A film adaptation based on the franchise was pitched at DreamWorks Animation but cancelled.[23][24]
Spin-offs
A spin-off called Plants vs. Zombies Adventures was announced in March 2013[25] and was released on May 20, 2013 on Facebook. The game added new locations and new plants. It also had a gameplay feature in which the player had a limited amount of plants and had to grow more plants at an in-game farm.[26] In July 2014, it was announced that Plants vs. Zombies Adventures would close on October 12, 2014.[27]
Since July 2013, Dark Horse Comics has published a Plants vs. Zombies ongoing comic book series, following teenagers Nate Timely and Patrice Blazing as they protect Neighborville from the zombie armies of Dr. Edgar Zomboss, with the help of Patrice's uncle, David "Crazy Dave" Blazing, and his own legion of genetically-modified sentient plants, accessible via the Plants vs. Zombies Comics app.[28] Elements from the comic book series were later adapted to the franchise's video game instalments, and vice-versa.[29]
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare was announced at E3 2013 as a multiplayer third-person shooter game made for PC and consoles.[30][31] Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare was released on February 25, 2014, in North America and on February 27, 2014, in Europe.[32] A sequel, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2, was teased in June 2015 and was officially announced at E3 2015.[33][34] The game was released on February 23, 2016.[35] On March 10, 2016, PopCap announced Plants vs. Zombies Heroes, a digital collectible card game in the style of tower defense. It was soft released to certain countries on the same day,[36] and was fully released internationally on October 18, 2016.[37]
In August 2019, a closed beta of a sequel to Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 codenamed "Picnic" was made available to select players through invites.[38] On September 4, 2019, EA announced the sequel's title; Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. It was released in an early access state that same date. The game was fully released on October 18, 2019.[39][40]
A cancelled single player Plants vs. Zombies game had been in the works within EA from about 2015 to 2017. Known as "Project Hot Tub" in reference to Hot Tub Time Machine, the game was to have been an action game along the lines of the Uncharted series but maintaining its family-friendly nature, featuring two teenage siblings that travelled through time to fight zombies. The game was being developed by PopCap Vancouver. While a vertical slice of the game had been shown off to EA executives in 2017, EA opted to cancel the project to pull in more resources to Visceral Games to support their work on the Star Wars game under the name Project Ragtag, which had been languishing for several years. Despite this, EA cancelled Project Ragtag in October 2017, shutting down Visceral Games, and the former PopCap Vancouver team was relocated across other EA studios.[41]
References
NG, Keane (April 1, 2009). "PopCap Reveals Plants vs. Zombies". The Escapist. Archived from the original on February 1, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
Ocampo, Jason (April 4, 2009). "No Joke — PopCap Reveals Plants vs. Zombies". IGN (Interview). Archived from the original on April 5, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2010. PC and Mac initially, with other platforms under consideration.
NG, Keane (April 24, 2009). "Battle Plants With Your Own Zombies". The Escapist. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
Walker, John (April 24, 2009). "SPUDOW! Plants Vs Zombies Trailer, Zombie Maker". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
Chester, Nick (May 4, 2009). "Plants vs. Zombies demo eating brains right now". Destructoid. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
"PopCap Launches Plants vs. Zombies Game for PC and Mac". IGN. May 5, 2009. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
"Plants vs Zombies drops in-app fee". BBC News. February 13, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
Takahashi, Dean; Lynley, Matthew (July 12, 2011). "Electronic Arts buys PopCap for $750M". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
Goldfarb, Andrew (August 21, 2012). "Report: Layoffs Hit PopCap, International Studios Shuttered". IGN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
Tom, Senior (August 20, 2012). "Plants vs. Zombies 2 announced: 'hordes of new plant and zombie types'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
Krupa, Daniel (August 20, 2012). "Plants VS. Zombies Sequel out Late Spring 2013". IGN. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
Yannick, LeJacq (May 6, 2013). "'Plants vs. Zombies' sequel shambling toward release in July". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
Goldfarp, Andrew (May 6, 2013). "Plants Vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time Coming in July". IGN. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
Fahey, Mike (July 10, 2013). "Plants Vs Zombies 2 Is Weeks Away, But Aussies Get To Play Today". Kotaku. Archived from the original on December 25, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
Davis, Justin (August 14, 2013). "Plants vs. Zombies 2 Launching Worldwide Tonight". IGN. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
Shea, Cam (July 17, 2013). "Plants vs. Zombies 2 Review". IGN. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
Arts, Electronic (November 15, 2016). "Plants vs. Zombies 2 - Free Mobile Game - EA Official Site". Electronic Arts Inc. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
Holt, Kris (July 18, 2019). "'Plants vs. Zombies 3' is on the way and you can test it now". Engadget. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
Webster, Andrew (July 18, 2019). "EA announces Plants vs. Zombies 3". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
Madnani, Mikhail (February 28, 2020). "'Plants Vs. Zombies 3' from PopCap and EA Has Soft Launched in Philippines, Romania, and Ireland". Touch Arcade. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
Forde, Matthew (October 19, 2020). "EA pulls Plants vs. Zombies 3 from soft launch". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
"A New Vision for PVZ 3 Has Taken Root!". September 7, 2021.
@FactsPvZ (April 24, 2022). "Fact #286: According to Rich Werner (The original artist for PvZ 1), there was a pitch for an animated Plants vs…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
"Peter Zaslav". Peter Zaslav. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
Grubb, Jeff (March 26, 2013). "Plants vs. Zombies shuffles to Facebook; sequel due in summer". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
Webster, Andrew (May 20, 2013). "'Plants vs. Zombies Adventures' is a Facebook game you'll actually want to play". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 6, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
Shaul, Brandon (July 24, 2014). "EA Announces Closure of Plants vs Zombies Adventures on Facebook". AdWeek. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
Mosseri, Adam (July 19, 2013). "Plants vs. Zombies Comics Now Available on the App Store". iClarified. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
The Art of Plants vs. Zombies. Dark Horse Comics, 2013.
Yoan, Andrew (June 9, 2013). "Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare coming to E3". Shacknews. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
Goldfarb, Andrew (June 10, 2013). "E3 2013: Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
Karmali, Luke (January 16, 2014). "Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare Delayed". IGN. Archived from the original on January 17, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
Phillips, Tom (June 8, 2015). "Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 teased ahead of E3 reveal". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
Savage, Phil. "Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 announced". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
"Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2". IGN. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
Dornbush, Jonathon (March 10, 2016). "Collectible card game 'Plants vs. Zombies Heroes' in the works". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
Minotti, Mike (October 18, 2016). "Plants vs. Zombies Heroes enters the mobile digital card game arena". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
McWhertor, Mike (July 22, 2019). "EA sending out alpha invites for new Plants vs. Zombies shooter". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
Fahey, Mike (April 9, 2019). "New Plants Vs. Zombies Shooter Announced, Goes Live Today". Kotaku. Archived from the original on September 15, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
Nelson, Xavier (September 11, 2019). "How EA and Plants vs. Zombies are battling binge culture". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
Valentine, Rebekah (October 8, 2022). "How a Plants vs. Zombies Game Died so a Star Wars Game Could Live (and Then Also Die)". IGN. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
External links
Official website
vte
Plants vs. Zombies
Main series
Plants vs. Zombies (2009)Plants vs. Zombies 2 (2013)Plants vs. Zombies 3
Third-person shooters
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (2014)Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 (2016)Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville (2019)
Spin-offs
Dark Horse Comics' Plants vs. Zombies (2013–present)Plants vs. Zombies Heroes (2016)
Category
vte
PopCap Games
vte
Electronic Arts
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The Most Beautiful Waterfalls in the World
What are waterfalls of nature? Well in this video you can see how beautiful this waterfall is. The sound of the water crashing down against the rocks below. The wistful winds and the sparkling summer sun that shines through the water. It's so comforting to look at.
The waterfall is stunningly beautiful like aquatic blue as it flows gracefully downstream. A waterfall is a river or other body of water's steep fall over a rocky ledge into a plunge pool below. Waterfalls are also called cascades.
The process of erosion, the wearing away of earth, plays an important part in the formation of waterfalls. Waterfalls themselves also contribute to erosion.
Often, waterfalls form as streams flow from soft rock to hard rock. This happens both laterally (as a stream flows across the earth) and vertically (as the stream drops in a waterfall). In both cases, the soft rock erodes, leaving a hard ledge over which the stream falls.
A fall line is the imaginary line along which parallel rivers plunge as they flow from uplands to lowlands. Many waterfalls in an area help geologists and hydrologists determine a region's fall line and underlying rock structure.
As a stream flows, it carries sediment. The sediment can be microscopic silt, pebbles, or even boulders. Sediment can erode stream beds made of soft rock, such as sandstone or limestone. Eventually, the stream's channel cuts so deep into the stream bed that only a harder rock, such as granite, remains. Waterfalls develop as these granite formations form cliffs and ledges.
A stream's velocity increases as it nears a waterfall, increasing the amount of erosion taking place. The movement of water at the top of a waterfall can erode rocks to be very flat and smooth. Rushing water and sediment topple over the waterfall, eroding the plunge pool at the base. The crashing flow of the water may also create powerful whirlpools that erode the rock of the plunge pool beneath them.
The resulting erosion at the base of a waterfall can be very dramatic, and cause the waterfall to "recede." The area behind the waterfall is worn away, creating a hollow, cave-like structure called a "rock shelter." Eventually, the rocky ledge (called the outcropping) may tumble down, sending boulders into the stream bed and plunge pool below. This causes the waterfall to "recede" many meters upstream. The waterfall erosion process starts again, breaking down the boulders of the former outcropping.
Erosion is just one process that can form waterfalls. A waterfall may form across a fault, or crack in the Earth’s surface. An earthquake, landslide, glacier, or volcano may also disrupt stream beds and help create waterfalls.
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The Most Unusual Shark Species Ever Seen
Weirdest and Unusual Shark Ever Seen.
All creatures are peculiar in their specific manner and some are odder than others yet in the submerged world, the word unusual takes on a different meaning. There are a few extremely peculiar-looking sharks in the ocean! In this video, you shall see one of the most unusual sharks ever seen. Its body resembles that of a stingray with a cone-like face. Most of the time these types of sharks live in the deepest part of the ocean. They are only spotted by deep-sea divers and other marine wildlife people. The underwater world is vast and have yet to be fully discovered.
Throughout close to a large portion of a billion years, sharks have adjusted impeccably to suit their current circumstance. Some have advanced into awesome, torpedo-like dominant hunters while others make the rundown of the world’s weirdest sharks. Extendable jaws head formed like the substance of a tool compartment and one weirdo who will save prey in its mouth for a long time, hanging tight for it to bite the dust. Welcome to the strange, superb universe of abnormal-looking sharks!
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Thunderstorm and Lightning Strikes Over the Raging Sea
Raging sea and Lightning Strikes in a devastating thunderstorm. The skies filled with dark clouds and high winds. The sudden flashes of lightning brighten up the skies in each strike. The huge waves crashing against the boat. The superiorly thick smoky clouds rolled in like boulders, ready to crush anything in their Way. The darkness was engulfing and seemed to fully consume any spec of light. Without warning the rain came gushing down – throwing itself heavily onto the boat. The merciless winds caused the enormous waves to crash and erupt like lava coming down From a raging volcano. The waves punch and beat the side of the boat with all of their might and the wind gusts so strong that you can hear the howling sounds moving through the boat. The immensely thick cloud and fog – like a laser. The murky water below was an opaque block, of which only faint ghost-like shadows of sea creatures could be seen. With each wave, the fragile bodies of sea creatures were thrown carelessly onto the surrounding of the boat. The storm rages on with its merciless waves. There is nothing scarier than being in the middle of a thunderstorm at night.
The rainfall from thunderstorms starts and stops quite suddenly and is fairly intense while it lasts. The strong winds take the form of sudden sharp shifts in wind speed direction - squalls or gusts (possibly greater than 40% more than the 10 minute average speed) - which may not last more than a few minutes. The most severe form of these thunderstorm downdrafts are known as downbursts or microbursts, they have been observed first hand by the author at sea with speeds of around 70 to 80 knots which lasted only several minutes and DID A LOT OF DAMAGE!
If we have simultaneously, a high moisture content of the air (high relative humidity close to the earth’s surface), an unstable atmosphere and a lifting mechanism (a cold front, trough of low pressure, topographical barrier, just to name a few) to lift the moist air into the unstable environment- we should witness a thunderstorm event.
The simplest type of thunderstorm is a single 'cell'. The life cycle of a cell has three main stages:
In the 'towering cumulus' stage the thunderstorm or storm is not much more than a large cumulus cloud in which the air is all rising - called the 'updraft'. No rain or anvil cloud has yet formed. The upper edge of the cloud usually appears sharp and can often be seen growing by the second.
The 'mature stage' still has an updraft which has now reached the highest level it can (often the tropopause, the 'lid' to the lowest 10 to 20 km of the atmosphere, called the troposphere), and the cloud consequently has started to spread out at the top into the anvil shape; it usually has a soft feathery appearance since it is high enough to be composed of ice crystals rather than water droplets.
This is the fully developed cumulonimbus cloud. Although the thunderstorm proper is quite small as mentioned above, the spreading anvil cloud can cover an enormous area. It is the anvil clouds which make thunderstorms visible on satellite pictures, showing up as big blobs.
A second significant feature is that the storm has probably produced rain which falls out of the cloud base and is associated with descending air called the downdraft. It is this downdraft which when it reaches the ground and spreads out horizontally generates the sudden gusty winds nearly always associated with thunderstorms.
The downdraft is formed largely by evaporation of rain in the air below the storm, which creates a cool blob of air which sinks to the earth’s surface.
Although the downward acceleration of this cooled air is very small, the downdraft generally originates thousands of feet up in the storm, and even with only a couple of degrees of cooling, by the time the downdraft air reaches the ground it is moving fast enough to produce strong gusty winds. This also explains why the wind gusts of thunderstorms are cool and fairly moist.
The downdraft is often called the thunderstorm outflow, and the edge of it - the 'gust front' - is a favourite spot for new cells to develop, with air forced upwards as the gust front moves along. The downdraft can sometimes be clearly seen on radar or satellite imagery as a clear area of cloud-free air around a large thunderstorm cell - the sinking air dissipates any cloud in the surrounding area.
In the 'dissipating' stage of a cell, a weak updraft still exists at higher levels, but the storm consists mostly of downdraft, which has spread out sufficiently to cut off the warm moist air feeding the updraft, and since this is what sustains the storm, the cell quickly degenerates.
All three stages together take only about 30 to 50 minutes to occur. However, even non-severe thunderstorms are usually composed of more than one cell, and may last considerably longer as a result.
Thunderstorms are most common over the land in the afternoons in the late spring and summer months, but can occur in any month or at any time of day, especially over the sea.
How do thunderstorms move?
Thunderstorms usually DO NOT move with the surface wind direction and speed. Each storm cell moves with an average of the winds through the depth of the storm cloud. These average winds are known as the steering winds or more precisely, the pressure-weighted mean wind. Since the wind may, and usually does, change in both direction and speed with height, this average may be quite different from the surface wind velocity.
In the Australian East Coast for example, this steering wind on average occurs at a height of around 14000 to 16000 feet or 4 to 5 km. On most days, this wind is a westerly. This would mean that if thunderstorms formed on the Ranges to the west of Sydney or Brisbane they would move towards the coast.
Since many thunderstorms are in fact formed from a number of different cells, the formation and degeneration of cells can influence the direction in which the storm complex moves.
Thunderstorms almost never circle around and move over the same spot again.
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Why do Birds Take Baths, What’s so Important About a Bath?
The Importance of Why Birds Take Baths.
Despite the lack of knowledge about the function and importance of baths to birds, we all know that birds (like the rest of us) love having water around for bathing and drinking.
When working with migrant birds in the Yucatan Peninsula, I first began to understand how seriously birds take the business of bathing. We were studying warblers that were typically territorial. These birds frequently engaged in threat postures and even in fights to enforce the boundaries between their exclusive home ranges at our mangrove study sites.
But at a communal bird bath, there was a nightly truce.
Each evening at dusk, in a special spot in the mangroves where a freshwater spring bubbled up from the ground, numerous American redstarts, northern parulas, magnolia warblers, common yellowthroats and yellow warblers took turns bathing.
One by one, they shared this little oasis before going to roost for the night.
Seeing territorial warblers calmly taking turns for a bath tells us that for a bird, having access to water for bathing is worth checking one’s combative tendencies – at least for a few minutes.
Why Birds Take Baths
So, what’s so important about a bath?
The number of relevant scientific articles can be counted on one hand. There are very basic descriptions of the mechanics of bird bathing in North American2 and Australian birds3, an experimental examination of wetting and drying of disembodied feathers4, and a recent pair of studies that experimentally deprived captive starlings of bath water 5,1.
Although the functions of bird bathing aren’t clearly known at this point, these studies suggest that bathing plays an important role in feather maintenance.
Feathers are a bird’s lifeline: they insulate, waterproof and, of course, provide the power of flight.
Feathers get replaced once or twice a year. In the interim, they need to be kept in good condition. The sun, feather-munching mites, bacteria and gradual wear take a toll on feathers. A set of year-old flight feathers look like they’ve been through the ringer: they are frayed and dull.
A good bath may keep those precious feathers in the best condition possible for as long as possible.
Two recent studies on captive starlings have progressed our understanding a bit further. In one paper, Brilot and colleagues hypothesized that depriving a bird of a bath would result in more disheveled feathers and translate into poorer flight performance.
They tested a group of freshly-bathed starlings and a group that had been deprived of a bath for three hours prior to the experiment. The starlings deprived of a bath were clumsier when flying through an obstacle course made of vertically-hung strings, bumping into more strings as they flew.
In their second paper on starlings, the research team examined whether the bath-deprived starlings knew they were clumsier. They did this by presenting bathed and unbathed groups of birds with recordings of starling predator alarm calls – and delicious meal worms – at the same time.
The experiment indicated that birds with access to bath water were more willing to let their guard down and feed, despite the recorded call signaling the presence of a predator. The authors suggest that the unbathed birds were more cautious because they were aware that their ability to escape was impaired.
This work tells us that, beyond preserving feathers over the long term, bathing even makes a bird a more agile flier and more adept at escaping predators in the short term.
These studies are helpful, but the function of bathing still eludes us.
How does it make these birds better fliers? Does it help realign the tiny barbs that hold feathers together? Does it help distribute protective oils? Does it improve feather performance in some other way?
This all leaves me wondering about those birds in the Yucatan. Our research was focused on revealing differences in habitat quality among individuals, mainly by measuring the food resources of the birds. We reasoned that more food equaled birds in better condition with a better chance of survival.
But maybe we were ignoring another important aspect of habitat quality – access to bathing water. We see from the starling work that being deprived of a bath could make an unbathed bird easier to catch, so baths might play a role in survival too.
Until we get an answer from science, we will need to rely on common sense and keep those backyard bird baths full.
Preparing Your Backyard Bird Bath
Many of us with bird feeders also have a bird bath to go along with it. Even in the coldest months of the year, I’ve found that birds are eager to take baths.
I recently poured a warm tea kettle of water into my frozen bird bath and there was an instant scrum as the cardinals and white-throated sparrows jockeyed for position around the bath.
A more sophisticated approach to maintaining a bird bath in winter is to use a bird bath heater.
When warmer times come around, a water mister can enhance the backyard bird bathing experience.
Misters keep water fresh and brings a lot more attention to the bird bath. They are a great bird attractor during the spring and summer when people typically aren’t feeding birds.
Although it would be nice to know the exact functions of bird bathing, a lack of scientific knowledge won’t ever get in the way of a good bath.
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Attention Seeking Adorable Poodle Does His Version of Yoga Exercises
It’s amazing how animals and humans have so much in common. This loveable poodle does his version of yoga exercises. He starts with a few stretches of legs and back. Then he rolls around the ground with his favourite ball.
What do you think about this video? Make sure you tell me more in the comments down below. If you like what you see, don’t forget to share it with others who might like it as well. It just might be the highlight of their day! Enjoy!
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Silly Poodle Gets Envious and Demands to Play With the Piano
Adorable Poodle attempts to play with the piano. The poor dog looks so confused when sitting behind the piano. He looked at the owner then the piano repeatedly. Try not to laugh because it’s hilarious.
What do you think about this video? Make sure you tell me more in the comments down below. If you like what you see, don’t forget to share it with others who might like it as well. It just might be the highlight of their day! Enjoy!
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How to Make Crispy Deep Fried Banana
In this video, you can learn how to make this delicious crispy deep-fried banana recipe. First, you'll need these ingredients. All-purpose flour, cornstarch, eggs and baking powder. This recipe calls for overripe bananas, which yields the best results because they are caramelised during the deep-frying process.
Some people are familiar with fried plantains, but not a lot of people know that you can deep-fried bananas, which is quite addictive if you do them correctly. These are so delicious that once u have tried them for yourself you will grow to love them.
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Beautiful Orange Yellow Sunset
I captured this beautiful clip of the sun setting on the horizon. It's so gorgeous to look at from my rooftop. The sky is filled with bright orange and yellow rays of the sun. Most of the time the sunset is nothing like this, it's only on certain days you can capture such a spectacular view. Sunset (or sundown) is the disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth, it is a phenomenon that happens once every 24 hours except in areas close to the poles. The equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spring and autumn equinoxes. As viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun sets to the northwest (or not at all) in the spring and summer, and to the southwest in the autumn and winter; these seasons are reversed for the Southern Hemisphere. The time of sunset is defined in astronomy as the moment when the upper limb of the Sun disappears below the horizon.[1] Near the horizon, atmospheric refraction causes sunlight rays to be distorted to such an extent that geometrically the solar disk is already about one diameter below the horizon when a sunset is observed.
Sunset is distinct from twilight, which is divided into three stages. The first one is civil twilight, which begins once the Sun has disappeared below the horizon, and continues until it descends to 6 degrees below the horizon. The second phase is nautical twilight, between 6 and 12 degrees below the horizon. The third phase is astronomical twilight, which is the period when the Sun is between 12 and 18 degrees below the horizon.[2] Dusk is at the very end of astronomical twilight, and is the darkest moment of twilight just before night.[3] Finally, night occurs when the Sun reaches 18 degrees below the horizon and no longer illuminates the sky.[4]
Locations further north than the Arctic Circle and further south than the Antarctic Circle experience no full sunset or sunrise on at least one day of the year, when the polar day or the polar night persists continuously for 24 hours. At latitudes greater than within half a degree of either pole, the sun cannot rise or set on the same date on any day of the year, since the sun's angular elevation between solar noon and midnight is less than one degree. The time of sunset varies throughout the year, and is determined by the viewer's position on Earth, specified by latitude and longitude, altitude, and time zone. Small daily changes and noticeable semi-annual changes in the timing of sunsets are driven by the axial tilt of the Earth, daily rotation of the Earth, the planet's movement in its annual elliptical orbit around the Sun, and the Earth and Moon's paired revolutions around each other. During winter and spring, the days get longer and sunsets occur later every day until the day of the latest sunset, which occurs after the summer solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, the latest sunset occurs late in June or in early July, but not on the summer solstice of June 21. This date depends on the viewer's latitude (connected with the Earth's slower movement around the aphelion around July 4). Likewise, the earliest sunset does not occur on the winter solstice, but rather about two weeks earlier, again depending on the viewer's latitude. In the Northern Hemisphere, it occurs in early December or late November (influenced by the Earth's faster movement near its perihelion, which occurs around January 3). Likewise, the same phenomenon exists in the Southern Hemisphere, but with the respective dates reversed, with the earliest sunsets occurring some time before June 21 in winter, and latest sunsets occurring some time after December 21 in summer, again depending on one's southern latitude. For a few weeks surrounding both solstices, both sunrise and sunset get slightly later each day. Even on the equator, sunrise and sunset shift several minutes back and forth through the year, along with solar noon. These effects are plotted by an analemma.[5][6]
Neglecting atmospheric refraction and the Sun's non-zero size, whenever and wherever sunset occurs, it is always in the northwest quadrant from the March equinox to the September equinox, and in the southwest quadrant from the September equinox to the March equinox. Sunsets occur almost exactly due west on the equinoxes for all viewers on Earth. Exact calculations of the azimuths of sunset on other dates are complex, but they can be estimated with reasonable accuracy by using the analemma. As sunrise and sunset are calculated from the leading and trailing edges of the Sun, respectively, and not the center, the duration of a daytime is slightly longer than nighttime (by about 10 minutes, as seen from temperate latitudes). Further, because the light from the Sun is refracted as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere, the Sun is still visible after it is geometrically below the horizon. Refraction also affects the apparent shape of the Sun when it is very close to the horizon. It makes things appear higher in the sky than they really are. Light from the bottom edge of the Sun's disk is refracted more than light from the top, since refraction increases as the angle of elevation decreases. This raises the apparent position of the bottom edge more than the top, reducing the apparent height of the solar disk. Its width is unaltered, so the disk appears wider than it is high. (In reality, the Sun is almost exactly spherical.) The Sun also appears larger on the horizon, an optical illusion, similar to the moon illusion.
Locations north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle experience no sunset or sunrise at least one day of the year, when the polar day or the polar night persist continuously for 24 hours. As a ray of white sunlight travels through the atmosphere to an observer, some of the colors are scattered out of the beam by air molecules and airborne particles, changing the final color of the beam the viewer sees. Because the shorter wavelength components, such as blue and green, scatter more strongly, these colors are preferentially removed from the beam.[10] At sunrise and sunset, when the path through the atmosphere is longer, the blue and green components are removed almost completely, leaving the longer wavelength orange and red hues we see at those times. The remaining reddened sunlight can then be scattered by cloud droplets and other relatively large particles to light up the horizon red and orange.[11] The removal of the shorter wavelengths of light is due to Rayleigh scattering by air molecules and particles much smaller than the wavelength of visible light (less than 50 nm in diameter).[12][13] The scattering by cloud droplets and other particles with diameters comparable to or larger than the sunlight's wavelengths (> 600 nm) is due to Mie scattering and is not strongly wavelength-dependent. Mie scattering is responsible for the light scattered by clouds, and also for the daytime halo of white light around the Sun (forward scattering of white light).[14][15][16]
Sunset colors are typically more brilliant than sunrise colors, because the evening air contains more particles than morning air.[10][11][13][16] Sometimes just before sunrise or after sunset a green flash can be seen.[17]
Ash from volcanic eruptions, trapped within the troposphere, tends to mute sunset and sunrise colors, while volcanic ejecta that is instead lofted into the stratosphere (as thin clouds of tiny sulfuric acid droplets), can yield beautiful post-sunset colors called afterglows and pre-sunrise glows. A number of eruptions, including those of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 and Krakatoa in 1883, have produced sufficiently high stratus clouds containing sulfuric acid to yield remarkable sunset afterglows (and pre-sunrise glows) around the world. The high altitude clouds serve to reflect strongly reddened sunlight still striking the stratosphere after sunset, down to the surface.
Some of the most varied colors at sunset can be found in the opposite or eastern sky after the Sun has set during twilight. Depending on weather conditions and the types of clouds present, these colors have a wide spectrum, and can produce unusual results.
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