National Geographics: November 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

wonder gecko pictures

Description
One of the largest and arguably most beautiful geckos in its range, the wonder gecko is a fairly robust species with a broad head, long and powerfully built limbs, and a rather short tail. The adult is yellowish or buff in colour, with darker and... More
One of the largest and arguably most beautiful geckos in its range (3), the wonder gecko is a fairly robust species with a broad head, long and powerfully built limbs, and a rather short tail (2) (3) (4). The adult is yellowish or buff in colour, with darker and lighter spots or broken stripes, and a white belly and sides, while hatchlings are more brilliantly coloured, being bright yellow with black bands (2) (4). The eyes are large, lidless and quite prominent, giving this gecko one of its alternative names, ‘frog-eyed gecko’ (2) (4) (5). A number of subspecies are recognised (6).

Unlike many other geckos, the wonder gecko lacks the expanded toe pads used in climbing (2) (4), and instead the toes possess a fringe of comb-like scales that allow easier motion in sandy habitats (2). The scales of the head are small, while those of the body, limbs and tail are noticeably enlarged, particularly along the upper side of the tail (2) (4). In addition to producing a sharp call, the wonder gecko is able to produce a loud, defensive hissing or scraping sound by writhing the tail, causing the large scales to rub together (2) (3) (7).

wonder gecko picture

Saturday, November 20, 2010

caecilians pictures and information

The Western Ghats are home to several species of Caecilians (Gymnophiona).
Caecilians are legless, burrowing amphibians which mostly live in leaf litter, loose soil, under rocks and decaying logs. They are also found in agricultural fields and only surface during the monsoon. The body is elongated and smooth with a slimy skin. The smaller caecilians superficially resemble earthworms while the larger ones are often mistaken for snakes. However, they can be told apart from earthworms by the presence of eyes, teeth and skeleton and from snakes by the lack of scales on skin. The eyes in caecilians are not well developed which is most likely to be because of their burrowing life style. They are considered as rare which is apparently due to their subterranean habits. To see them one has to search carefully (usually by digging) and be at the right place and at the right time. There are few places where they are common, but, at least one species was reported to be abundant in agricultural fields in Kerala. The larger caecilians look like snakes but their skin is smooth and not scaly.

caecilians picture

caecilians picture
The Western Ghats Caecilians

The Western Ghats of India are one of the global biodiversity hotspots, and a centre of caecilian diversity. Of the 26 described species of Caecilians from India, 25 are endemic. From distributional records it is apparent that the hot spot of known caecilian diversity in India is the Western Ghats. Of the 20 currently recognized Western Ghats species, most are known from the southern part of the range, including seven species endemic to this area.
As far as is known, all Indian Caecilians are oviparous i.e. they lay eggs and have a free-living, aquatic larval stage. The smallest Indian caecilian is about 142 mm (5.6 in) in length (Gegeneophis krishni) and the longest is 545 mm (21.5 in) (Ichthyophis malabarensis). As per the available information, most caecilians are opportunistic feeders and feed on earthworms, termites, larvae and pupae of a variety of insects. The observation of the faeces of captive caecilians indicates that they may be detritivores i.e. feeding on dead and decomposed organic matter also.
Despite more than 100 years of research in the region, the number of recognised Caecilian species in the Western Ghats is still increasing rapidly. Most of Western Ghats caecilians were previously described from the southern part of the peninsula. However, moderate recent effort expended in the herpetologically under explored northern region has uncovered several new species. The current picture of caecilian biology in the northern Western Ghats is well illustrated by recent discoveries. In the last 18 months, five new species have been described from northern Karnataka and Maharashtra. Thus, we know almost nothing of their biology and they are all of data deficient as a conservation status.
As per the recent reports about 31% of the amphibians of the world are on the verge of extinction. This is really an alarming situation. Many more species are yet to be discovered and if the situation remains the same then they will extinct without our knowledge. These amphibians play a dual role in the food chain. They are predators which keep a check on the insect population and are also prey for a variety of other predators. Their decline is surely going to disturb the balance of the entire food chain which will ultimately affect human beings.

caecilians picture

Thursday, November 18, 2010

corn snake very dangerous snake

Is It A Corn Or A Rat!?
Corn and Rat snakes both belong to the genus Elaphe; Corns belong to the species Elaphe guttata; many of the rat snakes are subspecies of Elaphe obsoleta. For a full list of the Elaphe species, see the TIGR Database: Colubridae: Elaphe.

The Latin word elaphe means deerskin; guttata means speckled or spotted. Both terms apply to corns and rats: in most species, their skin feels like finely tanned deerskin, while the patterns on their back create spots or speckles. Some people see the patterning of the belly scales as resembling maize, a colorful ancestor of our modern day corn. Another theory relating to how corn snakes got their name comes from the early Europeans settlers. They frequently found these snakes in their corn fields and corn cribs, and thought they were eating the corn! In fact, the corn snakes were, and remain, very helpful to farmers as they help keep down the rodent population. Amelanistic corns (those lacking the black and brown skin coloring) are sometimes called "red rat snakes" because of their red-to-orange coloring.

There are presently two subspecies of corns, E. g. gutatta and E. g. meahllmorum.

The care information below discusses corns. The same information applies to rat snakes, as well, other than that species whose overall length and size are larger than corns will require larger enclosures and larger prey.

Natural History
Corns are commonly found in deciduous forests, pine barrens, rocky hillsides and farm areas over a broad swath of the United States (Alabama, Arkansas, West central/Southeast Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Southern Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Eastern Utah, Virginia). They have also been reported in Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, North Durango, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas) and the Cayman Islands.

Corns are most active at night or in the hours of dawn and dusk (crepuscular). While they are primarily ground-dwellers, some are semi-arboreal. While the Elaphes feed on everything ranging from fish to frogs to rodents to mammals, wild Corns start off feeding on small invertebrates and vertebrates, such as crickets. Corns lay eggs, becoming sexually mature at around two years of age.

Personal Statistics
Hatchlings range in size from 9-14 inches (22-36 cm); adults are generally 2.5 to 5 feet 76-152 cm) in length; most are in the 3-4 foot (91-122 cm) range. The average life span of these snakes is 10 years, although one was documented to be 21 years old.

In the wild, hatchlings feed largely on small lizards and tree frogs, while adults feed on small rodents and birds, killing their prey by constriction. In captivity, hatchlings Corns can easily be started on pinkie mice (1-2 day old), quickly moving up the prey scale, to fuzzies, crews and small adult mice. Both hatchlings and adults can be fed prekilled rodents.

When selecting a corn or rat snake, look for a well-fleshed body, no visible cuts or abrasions, clear, alert eyes, tongue flicking, no signs of mites or ticks. The vent should be clean.

corn snake vey dangerous

corn snake very dangerous

Monday, November 15, 2010

dangerous wallpaper

Time (1993)
American Music Awards: Special International Artist Award for record sales and Humanitarian efforts around the world. (In the future, the award will be known as The Michael Jackson International Artist Award) (1993)
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP): Best R&B Awards for In The Closet, Rembember The Time, and Jam (1993)
Bravo Magazine: Gold Otto Award (1993)
Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) Award: Most Performed Songs of The Year, Black Or White & Remember the Time (1993)
Echo awards: Best International Artist of the Year (1993)
Grammy Awards: Living Legend Award (1993)
Guinness Book Of World Records: Lifetime Achievement Award (1993)
Guinness Book Of World Records: Our Children, Our Hope Of Tomorrow Award (1993)

dangerous wallpaper

Thursday, November 11, 2010

puff adder snake most dangerous

The Puff Adder, bitis ariens, is considered Africa’s most dangerous snake. Its widespread habitat, large fangs, potent venom, mean disposition and willingness to bite are the reasons why this snake is responsible for more fatalities than any other snake in Africa. It can be mainly found throughout southern Africa, except in true deserts and dense forests. They thrive in rocky grasslands.

Read more at Suite101: The Puff Adder: Africa's Most Dangerous Snake http://www.suite101.com/content/the-puff-adder-a36056#ixzz153EFRAdi
Adders are nocturnal and eat rodents, birds, amphibians, lizards and small mammals. Their enemies include man, badgers, warthogs, other snakes and some birds of prey.

Morphology
The average length for the puff adder is approximately one meter. They can weigh up to six kilograms and can have quite a wide girth. Males tend to be larger than the females and have longer tails. Color patterns on this snake vary by the geography it inhabits. All species have dark bands around the eyes
Behavior
This snake is a rather sluggish snake that doesn’t move fast. As a result, it relies on camouflage to hide itself. Its ability to hide in its surroundings explains why it’s reluctant to move and why so many individuals get bitten. When it does move, it moves in a fashion similar to the way caterpillars move. Although slow, they are very quick when it comes to attacking for food or prey. If disturbed the snake will hiss loudly and form a tight coil, holding its head in an ‘S’ shaped position. This enables the snake to strike sideways or forward with lightening speed. The fangs tend to be long and have the ability to penetrate soft leather. Puff adders additionally are good swimmers and climbers.

Read more at Suite101: The Puff Adder: Africa's Most Dangerous Snake http://www.suite101.com/content/the-puff-adder-a36056#ixzz153EPIwdO
Read more at Suite101: The Puff Adder: Africa's Most Dangerous Snake http://www.suite101.com/content/the-puff-adder-a36056#ixzz153EK0bSE