pátek, 29. února 2008
čtvrtek, 28. února 2008
Karni Mata - Rats Rule at Indian Temple ...
Karni Mata Temple is a popular and unusual holy shrine of India. This Temple is in a small town of Deshnok, which is located at a distance of 30 kms in south of Bikaner in Rajasthan. Karni Mata Mandir is easily accessible by regular buses from Bikaner and Jodhpur. To ensure a comfortable journey, one can also opt for taxis that can be availed from anywhere in Rajasthan. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Karni, who is regarded as the incarnation of Maa Durga.
středa, 27. února 2008
New Species in Suriname ...
A purple fluorescent frog is one of 24 new species found in the South American highlands of Suriname, conservationists reported on Monday, warning that these creatures are threatened by illegal gold mining.
The discovery of so many species outside the insect realm is extraordinary and points up the need to survey distant regions, said Leeanne Alonso of Conservation International, which led the expedition that found the new species.
"When you go to these places that are so unexplored and so remote, we do tend to find new species ... but most of them are insects," Alonso said by telephone from Suriname's capital, Paramaribo. "What's really exciting here is we found a lot of new species of frogs and fish as well."
A remarkable-looking toad, likely a new species in the genus Atelopus, in eastern Suriname.
The two-tone frog -- whose skin is covered with irregular fluorescent lavender loops on a background of aubergine -- was discovered in 2006 as part of a survey of Suriname's Nassau plateau, the conservation group said.
Scientists combing Suriname's Nassau plateau and Lely Mountains found four other new frog species aside from the purple one, six species of fish, 12 dung beetles and a new ant species, the organization said in a statement.
A dwarf catfish with an especially large mouth, a new species likely found only in the eastern Surinamese plateaus.
These creatures were discovered by 13 scientists who explored a region about 80 miles southeast of Paramaribo, including areas with enough clean fresh water sources to support abundant fish and amphibians.
They also found 27 species native to the Guayana Shield region, which spreads over Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana and northern Brazil. One of these was the rare armored catfish, which conservationists feared was extinct because gold miners had contaminated a creek where it was last seen 50 years ago.
Including the new species, the scientists observed 467 species at the two sites, ranging from large cats like panthers and pumas, to monkeys, reptiles, bats and insects.While these places are far from human civilization, they are totally unprotected and may be threatened by illegal gold-mining, Alonso said.
Daceton armigerum, a species of ant commonly found throughout South America.
These highland areas have also been investigated as sources of bauxite, used to make aluminum, but will most likely not be mined in the future, she said, at least not by the two mining companies that sponsored the study.
The sponsors are BHP Billiton Maatschappij Suriname (BMS, a subsidiary of BHP Billiton) Suriname Aluminium Company LLC (Suralco, a subsidiary of Alcoa Inc).
"It's an opportunity now for all the players, the mining companies who still have mining concessions there, the local communities, the government, the NGOs (non-governmental organizations), to try to make a regional plan for the area," Alonso said.
"When you go to these places that are so unexplored and so remote, we do tend to find new species ... but most of them are insects," Alonso said by telephone from Suriname's capital, Paramaribo. "What's really exciting here is we found a lot of new species of frogs and fish as well."
A remarkable-looking toad, likely a new species in the genus Atelopus, in eastern Suriname.
Scientists combing Suriname's Nassau plateau and Lely Mountains found four other new frog species aside from the purple one, six species of fish, 12 dung beetles and a new ant species, the organization said in a statement.
A dwarf catfish with an especially large mouth, a new species likely found only in the eastern Surinamese plateaus.
Including the new species, the scientists observed 467 species at the two sites, ranging from large cats like panthers and pumas, to monkeys, reptiles, bats and insects.While these places are far from human civilization, they are totally unprotected and may be threatened by illegal gold-mining, Alonso said.
Daceton armigerum, a species of ant commonly found throughout South America.The sponsors are BHP Billiton Maatschappij Suriname (BMS, a subsidiary of BHP Billiton) Suriname Aluminium Company LLC (Suralco, a subsidiary of Alcoa Inc).
"It's an opportunity now for all the players, the mining companies who still have mining concessions there, the local communities, the government, the NGOs (non-governmental organizations), to try to make a regional plan for the area," Alonso said.
úterý, 26. února 2008
Strange New Creatures Found in Antarctica ...
Several strange creatures including a psychedelic octopus have been found in frigid waters off Antarctica in one of the world’s most pristine marine environments.
Others resembled corals and shrimps. At least 30 appear to be new to science, said Julian Gutt, chief scientist of an expedition that was part of the International Polar Year research effort set to launch on March 1. The researchers catalogued about 1,000 species in an area of the Antarctic seabed where warming temperatures are believed to have caused the collapse of overlying ice shelves, affecting the marine life below. Read more at http://www.livescience.com/
These fast-growing sea squirts were found at Larsen A. This can be an indication of a first step towards a biodiversity change after the collapse of the ice shelves. The animals in the foreground are colonised by two crustaceans and a brittle star. Credit: J. Gutt, Alfred-Wegener-Institute
These deep-sea sea cucumbers are abundant in the Larsen B area. Interestingly they are all heading in the same direction. Credit: J. Gutt, Alfred-Wegener-Institute 2007
A new species of Shackletonia, an amphipod crustacean sampled near Elephant Island, Antarctic Pensisula, during the Polarstern expedition. Credit: C. d'Udekem, Royal Belgium Institute for Natural Sciences
Antarctic octopus (Paraledone turqueti). Credit: E. Jorgensen, NOAA 2007
pondělí, 25. února 2008
Fox In The Sands ...
Fennec foxes are among the most attractive desert mammals. Their most outstanding features are enormous ears, which are up to six inches long. Their ears have the dual purpose of helping track prey while remaining alert to enemies, as well as acting as a radiator to rid their small bodies of excess heat. Read more at http://www.livingdesert.org/.
neděle, 24. února 2008
sobota, 23. února 2008
pátek, 22. února 2008
Little Dragon ...
UPDATE:
Cordylids (Cordylidae; gordelakkedisse)
Cordylids are endemic to Africa and most of the species occur in South Africa. They are perhaps the most typical lizards of South Africa as they are usually very visible where they bask in the sun on exposed perches. The majority of the species are rock-living. All species possess two types of epidermal glands on the ventral aspect of the thigh, femoral and generation glands. Sometimes these glands can be absent in females. The function of these glands are still unknown, but they probably play a role in chemical communication. The family is partitioned into two genera and 55 species that vary considerably in morphology and behaviour. The flat lizards (genus Platysaurus ) have extremely flattened bodies and the males are brightly coloured. They are the only group in the family that lay eggs. The girdled lizards (genus Cordylus ) form the largest group and generally the tail has rings of spiny scales. Some species are extremely spinose, for example the well-known ouvolk of the Free State. Most are rock-dwelling, but at least seven species are terrestrial. The crag lizards have small scales and the tail is only moderately spinose. The grass lizards have elongated snakelike bodies with reduced limbs. Read more at http://www.chicagoherp.org/special/garyfogel/art_of_cordylid_lizards.htm
čtvrtek, 21. února 2008
středa, 20. února 2008
úterý, 19. února 2008
pondělí, 18. února 2008
neděle, 17. února 2008
sobota, 16. února 2008
čtvrtek, 14. února 2008
středa, 13. února 2008
Love ...
Love is everywhere, I see it
You are all that you can be, go on and be it
Life is perfect, I believe it :-*
You are all that you can be, go on and be it
Life is perfect, I believe it :-*
úterý, 12. února 2008
pondělí, 11. února 2008
Přihlásit se k odběru:
Příspěvky (Atom)