G-Trove > World of Wonder

Amazing footage of Great White Sharks

2007-12-16T16:46:00.000-08:00

The Master Builder

2007-12-03T01:56:00.000-08:00

Amazing footage of the Bowerbird's bower building. These extraordinary birds (males) build ornate "buildings" to impress their female mates. Presented by David Attenborough. Prepare to be blown away!

View here

Impressing the ladies

2007-12-03T00:29:00.000-08:00

Some amazing footage of male birds in spectacular plumage dressed to attract females. Narrated by David Attenborough.
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Did you know?

2007-11-04T03:40:00.000-08:00

Ayer's Rock (Uluru) is the eroded stump of a mountain that 350 million years ago was the height of the Andes.

Source: Bill Bryson

Amazing Creatures in Australia

2007-11-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

The largest kangaroo that ever existed was the giant short-faced kangaroo, which lived during the Pleistocene era. It grew to heights of up to 3 m!

The saltwater crocodile is the world's largest reptile - males can reach a staggering 6 m long

Marsupials are so energy efficient that they need to eat one-fifth less food than equivilent-sized placental mammals.

Kangaroos hop because it is the most energy efficient way of getting around at medium speeds. The energy of the bounce is stored in the leg tendons, much like a pogo stick.

Koalas eat gum leaves which are so toxic that they use 20% of their energy just detoxifying their food. They make up for this by having tiny brains (our human brains take up 20% of our energy.) Living in tree tops with so few predators means koalas can get by with few wits at all.

So challenging are conditions in Australia that several of its birds (kookaburras, magpies and blue wrens toname a few) have developed a breeding system called "helpers at the nest" Young adults stay with their parents to help bring up new chicks.

The dingo is thought to have been the world's first domesticated dog and the ancestor of all domestic dog breeds.

Source: Bill Bryson

Australia's most dangerous animals

2007-11-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

Box Jellyfish (Carybdea alata)

The Box Jellyfish (also known as a Sea Wasp) is a very dangerous creature to inhabit Australian waters. The Jellyfish has extreme toxins present on its tentacles, which when in contact with a human, can stop cardio-respiratory functions in as little as three minutes.

This jellyfish is responsible for more deaths in Australian than Snakes, Sharks and Salt Water Crocodiles.

The creature has a square body and inhabits the north east areas of Australia. The tentacles may reach up to 80 cms in length. It is found along the coast of the Great Barrier Reef.

This deadly species of jellyfish is related to another deadly jellyfish, the irukandji jellyfish.
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Irukandji (Carukua barnesi)

The Irukandji (Carukua barnesi) inhabits Northen Australian waters. This is a deadly jellyfish, which is only 2.5 cenimetres in diameter, which makes it very hard to spot in the water.

This is a species of jellyfish which has become known about in recent years, due to deaths of swimmers in Australia. In 2002, Richard Jordon was stung whilst swimming off the coast of Hamilton Island. He was a 58 year old British tourist, unfortunately he died a few days later.

This deadly species of jellyfish is relater to another deadly jellyfish, the box jellyfish.

Amazing Fact: The Irukandji jellyfish is only 2.5 centimetres in diameter, but can cause death to humans within days.
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Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

The Saltwater Crocodile is the world's largest reptile. These amazing creatures are found on the northern coast of Australia and inland for up to 100 kms or more. The Saltwater Crocodile has been reported to grow to lengths of 7 metres!, but the average size of a Saltwater Crocodile is 4 metres long.

They reproduce in the wet season, with the female crocodile laying up to 60 eggs at a time. When the crocodiles are born, only a very small number of these survive in the wild and grow to be adult crocodiles.

The crocodile is now a protected species in Australia, however if human danger is a factor, the crocodile will be moved away from possible contact. Many years ago Australia used to export crocodile skin, this is now illegal.

Amazing Animal Fact: The temperature of the saltwater crocodile's egg will determine the sex of the new born crocodile.

Did you know? The saltwater crocodile is the World's largest reptile.
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Blue Ring Octopus

The Blue Ring Octopus is a deadly venomous octopus which inhabits warm waters and shallow reefs off the coast of Australia. It also lives off the coast of New Guinea, Indonesia and the Phillipines.

This octopus has distinctive blue rings (hence its name) on its body and eight tentacles. With the tentacles spread, it is about 20 cms in diameter. It feeds on small sea creatures, and wounded fish.

Amazing Fact: If an octopus loses a tentacle, they can regenerate and grow a new one.
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Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa)

The Stonefish is another of Australia's deadly marine creatures. They inhabit shallow waters along the coast. The stonefish is well camouflaged in the ocean, as it is a brownish colour, and often resembles a rock. This is why it is called the Stonefish.

It has thirteen sharp dorsal spines on its back, which each have extremely toxic venom.

Amazing Animal Fact: The venom of a stonefish can kill a human in two hours.

People swimming in the ocean need to take care, as they can unknowingly step on a Stonefish and have venom injected into their foot.

The stonefish feeds on other small fish or shrimp.
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Red Back Spider (Latrodectus hasselti)

The Red Back Spider is Australia's most well known deadly spider. They are found all over Australia, and are common in urban areas. The Black Widow Spider (found in the USA) is a close relative of the Red Back. These spiders are usually found under logs, rocks, bricks, sheds and outdoor toilets.

The Red Back Spider feeds on insects, but can take down small lizards and crickets. These spiders are small in size, the females being about 1cm long and the males about 4mm long.

Amazing Fact: Only the female red back spider bite is dangerous to humans.
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Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis)

The brown snake is approximately 1.5 metres long, and is one of Australia's more deadly creatures. They have venom which can cause death to humans relatively quickly if left untreated. Brown snakes up to 2.3 metres have been recorded in Australia.
They feed on small creatures, such as mice and rats, small birds, lizards or even other snakes. These snakes are found in Eastern Australia, however they are not found in Tasmania.
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Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus)

The common tiger snake is found in southern and eastern Australia. They are usually around a metre long, and have a striped marking (hence the name Tiger Snake). This is not always the case however, as the markings can change due to the seasons and the age of the snake. They can grow up to 1.5 metres in length.

These are venomous snakes, and will attack if they are disturbed or threatened. Otherwise, they can live quietly. They are also often territorial, and will live in the same area for years. They are also found in suburban areas, even in the newer suburbs.

One elderly women was bitten by a tiger snake while she pruned the ivy on her fence, in Kew (an inner suburb of Melbourne, in 2003). Death resulted from this bite. However this is quite rare these days, as anti venene is readily available.

These snakes feed on all types of creatures, they happily feed on frogs, fish, small birds and other small mammals. They also eat other reptiles such as lizards.
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The Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

The Great White Shark or affectionally known as the "Great White" belongs to a group of sharks named Mackerel Sharks. Its common name was derived from the shark's white underbelly. They are solitary animals, but have also been reported to swim in pairs or groups. They are found on all coasts of Australia, and furthermore throughout the World.

They range between 3.5 to 5 metres long, and weigh on average 1,300kg. The females are large than males. The Great White is grey in colour from the top, and white underneath. They have on average 2,800 teeth in their mouth, all in rows and triangle in shape. They are slanted on an angle inwards, which helps keep hold of their prey.

Being predatory animals, they feed on other fish, including other sharks. They can even tackle small whales.

Amazing Fact: Great White's also eat animals that are already dead.

They attack their prey once, and then wait and let their prey bleed to death. They have an amazing sense of smell, and can pick up blood in water a long way away. This helps them to track down their prey, or potential prey.
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Funnel-web Spiders

Funnel-web spiders are found in eastern Australia, including Tasmania, in coastal and highland forest regions - as far west as the Gulf Ranges area of South Australia. Thirty-six species, including three tree dwelling species, have been identified.

Funnel-webs burrow in moist, cool, sheltered habitats - under rocks, in and under rotting logs, crevices, rot and borer holes in rough-barked trees. In gardens, they prefer rockeries and dense shrubberies, and are rarely found in more open situations like lawns. The most characteristic sign of a Funnel-web's burrow is the irregular silk trip-lines that radiate out from the burrow entrance of most species. These trip-lines alert the spider to possible prey, mates or danger.

Rain may flood burrows and the temporary retreats of male Funnel-webs, causing an increase in their activity. Funnel-webs are very vulnerable to drying out, so high humidity is more favourable to activity outside the burrow than dry conditions. Most activity is nocturnal. Gardeners and people digging in soil may encounter Funnel-webs in burrows at any time of the year.

Bites are most prevalent during summer and autumn when males leave the burrows in search of females. Accidental encounters with wandering males usually occur in gardens, houses, garages and sheds - particularly ground-level dwellings on concrete slabs.

Bites are dangerous and can cause serious illness or death. The venom appears to particularly affect primates (ie humans), whereas other mammals - such as cats and dogs - are relatively resistant.

The male Sydney Funnel-web Spider is more dangerous than the female. This is because the toxic venom component that attacks the human and primate nervous system so severely is only present in male spiders. Initial symptoms after a bite include local pain, mouth numbness, vomiting, abdominal pain, sweating and salivation. Antivenom is available and no deaths have occurred since its introduction.
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The Northern Lights

2007-11-03T03:53:00.000-07:00

The aurora is a glow observed in the night sky, usually in the polar zone. In northern latitudes, it is known as "aurora borealis" which is named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora and the greek name for north wind, Boreas since in Europe especially, it often appears as a reddish glow on the northern horizon as if the sun were rising from an unusual direction. The aurora borealis is also called the "northern lights". The aurora borealis most often occurs from September to October and March to April.

Fitzroy Mountain (Argentina)

2007-11-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite sets of photos taken at Fitzroy Mountain. The mountain was like a chameleon, adorning itself in different colours at different parts of the day. The photos show pre dawn, sunrise (red, then orange), early morning (all lit up) and late dusk.

The Los Tres Glacier at dawn and dusk. Really beautiful.

The mountain made a stunning backdrop to the lakes, streams and forests of the park.

World's Largest Organism

2007-11-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

The largest organism found on earth can be measured using a variety of methods. It could be defined as the largest by volume, mass, height, or length.

Some creatures group together to form a superorganism, though this cannot truly be classed as one large organism. (The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef (stretching 2,000 km) has been shown to be a collection of many organisms and is the largest known superorganism, though Gaia theory would consider the whole of the biosphere as a sort of superorganism.)

The Aspen tree (Populus tremuloides) forms large stands of genetically identical trees (technically, stems) connected by a single underground root system. These trees form through root sprouts coming off an original parent tree, though the root system may not remain a single unit in all specimens. The largest known fully-connected Aspen is a grove in Utah nicknamed Pando, and some experts call it the largest organism in the world, by mass or volume. It covers 43 hectares (.43 km²) and is estimated to weigh 6,600 tons.

A giant fungus of the species Armillaria ostoyae in the Malheur National Forest in Oregon was found to span 8.9 km² (2,200 acres), which would make it the largest organism by area. Whether or not this is an actual individual organism, however, is disputed: some tests have indicated that they have the same genetic makeup, but unless its mycelium is fully connected, it is a clonal colony of numerous smaller individuals.

Another clonal colony that rivals the Armillaria and the Populus colonies in size is a strand of the giant marine plant, Posidonia oceanica, discovered in the Mediterranean Sea near the Balearic Islands. It is about 8 km (4.3 miles) in length.

Excluding multi-stem trees, the General Sherman tree, an individual Giant Sequoia with a volume of 1487 m³, would hold the title of the world's largest living organism, if measured in volume and mass. This tree stands 83.8 m (274 ft 11 in) tall and the trunk alone is estimated to weigh over 2000 tons.

The largest single-stem tree ever measured was the “Lindsey Creek Tree,” a coastal redwood with a minimum trunk volume of over 2500 m³ and a mass of over 3600 tons, which fell over during a storm in 1905.

By volume and weight, the largest known animal ever to have lived is the blue whale, an endangered species whose official record length is 33.58 m (110 ft 2 inches), and weight 210 tons (for a pregnant female).

The largest land animals today are male Savannah Elephants, with one known example weighing around 12,272 kg (27,000 lb), though many extinct species, such as many dinosaurs, were much larger.

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World's Largest Frog

2007-11-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

The biggest kind of frog is the Goliath frog (Conraua goliath). They come from Cameroon in West Africa. Their bodies can reach the size of nearly a foot (30 cm) long.(remember: their legs are also AT LEAST that long!!!!) The Conraua Goliath weighs as much as a large housecat, about 3.3 kilos!

World's Oldest Trees

2007-11-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

The oldest living things on earth are Bristlecone pine trees, some of which can be found in the White Mountains of California. Many of them are over four thousand years old. Many of the trees living today were seedlings when the pyramids were being constructed, and mature trees in the time of Christ. These trees are ancient!

The oldest Bristlecones live in exposed sites at high altitudes, with lots of space between each tree. Strangely, these trees thrive only in the harshest of environments. The White Mountains, which rise to over 14,000 feet, are east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and so they get almost no rain. They're one of the driest places on earth during the summer. The trees live in hilly areas at the 10,000 foot level, where it is cold and windy.

Stones that Move

2007-11-02T03:54:00.000-07:00

Actively studied for 50 years, the rocks that mysteriously move around the dried lake bed playa in Death Valley, called the Racetrack, are yet to have an unquestionable explanation for their movement. Some say that there is moisture that causes the rocks to move slightly and gradually over time. Some say that ice forms and moves the stones. In any case, the process is slow and it repeats itself over and over again in order to move the stones.

Gosses Bluff (Australia)

2007-11-02T02:47:00.001-07:00

The meteor strike that created Gosses Bluff happened about 142 million years ago and devastated an area of over 8 square miles. The original crater was about four times its current diameter, but erosion over millions of years has reduced it to its current size.

The Great Blue Hole (Belize)

2007-11-02T02:18:00.000-07:00

Situated 60 miles off the mainland of belize is this incredible ‘geographical phenomenon’ known as a blue hole. There are numerous blue holes around the world but none as stunning as this one.

At surface level the near perfectly circular hole is 1/4 mile wide, the depth in the middle reaching 145 metres. obviously the hole is a huge hit with divers. read more here.

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Egmont National Park, New Zealand

2007-11-02T01:27:00.000-07:00

Mt. Egmont Volcano last erupted in 1755 and is now situated at the centre of egmont national park. park regulations have ensured the survival of a forest which extends at a 9.5 km radius from the summit of the volcano, the result of which can be seen from space in the form of huge dark green disc. this photo was taken during the sts-110 mission, April 2002.

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Retreating glaciers in the Bhutan - Himalaya

2007-11-02T00:25:00.000-07:00

A beautiful but clear sign that glaciers are slowly melting due to global warming. easily visible are the ends of most of these glacial valleys’ surfaces turning to water to form lakes, a trend which has been noticed only in the last few decades.

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An alluvial fan, Xinjiang Province, China

2007-11-02T00:22:00.001-07:00

Covering an area 56.6 x 61.3 km and taken on may 2nd, 2002, this photo shows an alluvial fan that formed on the southern border of the taklimakan desert in china. an alluvial fan usually forms as water leaves a canyon, each new stream eventually closing up due to sediment - the result being a triangle of active and inactive channels. the blue ones on the left are currently active.
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Fjords from space

2007-11-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

The fractal coastline of Greenland and its numerous fjords as seen from space.

Seven Modern Wonders

2007-09-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

There are some amazing 360 degree panaramas here - feels like you are really there

Putting it all in perspective

2006-12-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

The amazing mimicry of the Lyrebird

2006-12-08T05:06:00.001-08:00

Crazy Birds of Paradise

2006-12-08T04:58:00.000-08:00

Too much sex can kill you!

2006-07-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

One of the most common marsupials in Australia are nocturnal rat like creatures called antechinus.

The males live for only 11 months, the first 10 of which are spent eating and growing. Then their minds suddenly become obsessed with sex, so much so that they forget to eat and sleep. Instead, they gather in groups and try to woo passing females with serenading squeeks.

By the end of August, just two weeks after reaching puberty - every male is dead, exhausted by sex, and by carrying around swollen testes.

Birds - the record holders

2006-07-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

The largest bird in the world today is the Ostrich (Struthio camelus). The North African Ostrich subspecies is the tallest of all the Ostriches. Males can be 2.74 m tall. The head and neck can be 1.4 m long. The average height is around 2 m.

Ostriches also have the longest legs. Their legs can be up to 1.3 m long. A number of swifts have the shortest legs. Their family name Apodidae means 'lacking legs'.

Ostriches also have the largest eggs. The egg measures 15 - 20 cm long, 10 - 15 cm in diameter and weighs 1 - 1.78 kg.

And they are the fastest runners. They can run up to 72 km per hour over short distances.

The smallest bird in the world is either the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) from Cuba and the Isle of Pines or the Little Woodstar (Acestrura bombus) of Ecuador and northern Peru. The male hummingbird is 57 mm and weighs 1.6 g. Half of its length is taken up by the bill and the tail. Some experts think the Woodstar is even smaller.

The bird with the largest wingspan is the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) which lives in the southern oceans. Its wings average 2.54 - 3.51 m. The largest recorded wingspan was of a very old male whose wings measured 3.63 m.

The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) has the longest bill of any bill measuring 34 - 47 cm.

The bird with the longest bill to body size is the Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) that lives in the high Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia. Its bill is 10.2 cm long, four times longer than the bird's body, not counting the tail.

Jacanas (Jacanidae family) have the longest toes relative to body length. Some of the larger Jacanas can have 'toespans' of at least 15 cm.

The longest feathers of a wild bird relative to body size, are the central tail feathers of the male Ribbon-tailed Bird of Paradise (Asptrapia mayeri). It lives in the mountain rainforest of New Guinea.

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is the fastest bird and fastest of any kind of animal. It can reach speeds of at least 200 km when diving for prey in the air.

Hummingbirds have the fastest wingbeat. The Horned Sungem (Heliactin cornuta), in tropical South America beats its wings at 90 beats per second. Hummingbirds, Family Trochilidae have been recorded in experiments, hovering for 50 minutes.

The Artic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) is believed to migrate the furthest. It flies from the shores of the Arctic to the Antarctic. One banded Arctic Tern covered 22 530 km flying from the White Sea Coast of Russia to Fremantle, Western Australia.

Relative to body size the Long Rufous Humingbird (Selasphorus rufus) makes the longest migration. It measures 10 cm and flies from as far north as Alaska to Mexico and back again - 10 000 km.

The highest recorded altitude for any bird was 11 277 m for a Ruppell's Griffon Vulture (Gyps Rueppellii). It flew into a plane.

The smallest known egg is the egg of the Vervain Hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) of Jamacia and nearby islets. The egg is barely the size of a pea and measures less than 10 mm in length and weighs 0.356 g.

The largest nest was built by a pair of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was 2.9 m wide and 6 m deep. The Mallee Fowl (Leipoa ocellata) of Australia builds a mound for a nest. These mounds have been measured at 4.57 m high and 10.6 m long. A mound this size means the bird moved 250 cubic metres of vegetation and 300 tonnes of soil. The Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) which measures 35 cm and nests on islands in the North Pacific excavates a burrow of 2 - 3 m in length. Burrows up to 6 m are not uncommon and 8 m burrows have also been found.

Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) make the deepest dive of any bird ranging from 444 - 483 m. They also stay under water the longest. The maximum dive time recorded has been 18 minutes.

The fastest swimmer is probably the Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) at 27 km per hour.

The only poisonous birds known are the three species of Pitohui from Papua new Guinea - the Hooded Pitohui (Pitohui dichrous) the Rusty Pitohui (P. ferrugineus) and the Variable Pitohui (P. kirhocephalus). The Hooded Pitohui is the deadliest. The skin and feathers contain almost the same homobatrachotoxin as the Poison Arrow Frogs.

The earth in perspective

2006-07-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Tony for sending these amazing images showing just how infinitely enormous our universe is. Truly amazing.

Ladies, where does the red in your lipstick come from?

2006-06-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

Answer: From the blood of squished bugs (yes, seriously!)

FIVE STEPS TO RUBY RED LIPS

Step 1: Find a cactus in the Colca Canyon in Peru (not hard, they are everywhere)

Step 2: Chances are it will have parasitic bugs on it (most of them do)

Step 3: Carefully extract the bugs from the cactus (make sure you do not prick yourself)

Step 4: Squish the bugs. (You won't believe the copious amounts of bright red gunge you will get)

Step 5: Apply to the lips for a sexy, glossy finish. (Men will be impressed and want to kiss you immediately - or maybe not)

Yes, these bugs are the primary export of the Colca Canyon, sold by the locals to the cosmetic industry (by whom they are much sought) for use in lipstick. The locals painstakingly pick them off the cacti every 3 months. A kilogram of bugs (that a whole lot of bug) gets them $ 50.

Revlon probably wouldn't want you to know (or believe this) but it is true nevertheless!

Oh, and the bug juice is also used by western factories as a colourant for some yoghurt, mainly strawberry and black cherry (which happen to be my favourite flavours). Fancy that, I have been pouring bug blood onto my cereal all these years.

I am just suprised that Hollywood "splat" directors have not discovered it yet for their special effects. Or maybe they have. I am sure Tarantino would relish the idea of covering his actors in insect goo if it added to the realism of his scenes.

The Seven Natural Wonders of the World

2006-05-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

"We can never have enough of nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustable vigour, vast and titanic features, the sea-coast with its wrecks, the wilderness with its living and its decaying trees, the thunder-cloud, and the rain. We need to witness our own limits trangressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander." Henry David Thoreau

Northern Lights (Iceland)

Paricutin Volcano (Mexico)

Rio Harbour (Brazil)

Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe, Zambia)

Mount Everest (Nepal)

Grand Canyon (USA)

The Great Barrier Reef (Australia)

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A century in the blink of an eye

2006-05-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

"Put three grains of sand inside a vast cathedral, and the cathedral will be more closely packed with sand than space is with stars." Sir James Jeans

I love this quote. It gives me a sense of how infinite space is. I've been reflecting quite a bit lately about the infinite nature of time and space and just how fleeting (and very special) our lives are within it.

For fun, i did some calculations (with the help of the web!) to get some perspective on these things and found the results truly fascinating:

Perspective on time

The earth is 4.5 billion years old. But let's say that the earth began only 1 year ago.

This is when other things would have begun:

the universe - 3.3 years ago
the earth - 1 year ago
first one celled organisms - 246 days ago
first jelly fish - 48 days ago
first dinosaurs - 18 days ago
dinosaurs went extinct - 5 days ago
earliest man - 7 hours ago
civilisation began - 3 minutes ago
wheel invented - 34 seconds ago
Jesus born - 14 seconds ago
Battle of Hastings - 6 seconds ago
French Revolution - 1 second ago

Perspective on space

In reality, the earth is 93 million miles from the sun. But let's say it was just 1 cm.

This would mean the distance of other things to the sun was:

Mercury - 0.4 cm
Earth - 1.0 cm
Jupiter - 5.2 cm
Uranus - 19.3 cm
Pluto - 39.9 cm
nearest star - 2.5 km!!

If you tried to map out our tiny galaxy, you would need a piece of paper the size of the United States!

I find these figures startling and inspiring. Something to reflect on next time i find myself getting too wrapped up in the drama of my tiny life. Next time i fret about something, i'll ask myself "Is this likely to change the evolution of the human race in the next 5 billion years" - and if the answer is no, tell myself to forget it!!