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- Hermit.jpg (53.59 KiB) Viewed 1950 times
On the plus side, the majestic Stag...
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- Majestic.jpg (125.47 KiB) Viewed 1950 times
Amazing Nature
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pharvey
- Moderator
- Posts: 15851
- Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:21 am
- Location: Sir Fynwy - God's Country
Re: Amazing Nature
Sad times when a Hermit Crab makes his home in a plastic bottle cap.....
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On the plus side, the majestic Stag...
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On the plus side, the majestic Stag...
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"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things" - Yma o Hyd.
Re: Amazing Nature
WA's 'shark graveyard' offers glimpse of prehistoric monster, the megalodon shark
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-07/ ... /101735780
Scientists have discovered a "shark graveyard" deep on the sea floor of the remote Western Australian coast containing hundreds of fossilised teeth, including those of a close relative of a fearsome prehistoric predator — the megalodon shark.
The surprising discovery was made by a team of scientists on board the CSIRO's research vessel Investigator, during a biodiversity survey at the new Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park.
Museum of Victoria Research Institute senior collections officer Dianne Bray, who was on board the voyage, said when the team first dragged up the net from their final trawl it looked disappointing.
"When we put these nets down hoping to get animals, we are surveying biodiversity," she said.
"So initially we thought it was just full of sediment and manganese nodules."
But soon they realised what they had found.
'Amazing' discovery
"Then we started going through it and one of my colleagues spent at least an hour just going through it picking shark teeth," she said.
"It was amazing, it really was.
"Not all were fossils, some were relatively recent mako sharks and two species of great white shark relatives."
Over 750 teeth were pulled from the area, which was near the base of the Muirfield Sea Mountain, south west of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
The haul included the tooth of a megalodon shark, or its closest ancestor.
The prehistoric predator, which died out more than three million years ago, was the largest shark to ever live, and grew to between 15 and 18 metres in length.
WA Museum curator of fish Glenn Moore said the "graveyard" was a remarkable find.
"I don't know of any obvious explanation of why they might all be together other than perhaps it was a low point in the ocean floor, so they would eventually make their way down," he said.
"I have never seen anything like this, or heard of anything like that, it's a unique opportunity to have an almost complete collection from one spot.
"And when the palaeontologist get their hands on them I'm sure they'll be very happy."
Dr Moore is currently on board the second marine park biodiversity study, underway in the Gascoyne.
more at link................................
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-07/ ... /101735780
Scientists have discovered a "shark graveyard" deep on the sea floor of the remote Western Australian coast containing hundreds of fossilised teeth, including those of a close relative of a fearsome prehistoric predator — the megalodon shark.
The surprising discovery was made by a team of scientists on board the CSIRO's research vessel Investigator, during a biodiversity survey at the new Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park.
Museum of Victoria Research Institute senior collections officer Dianne Bray, who was on board the voyage, said when the team first dragged up the net from their final trawl it looked disappointing.
"When we put these nets down hoping to get animals, we are surveying biodiversity," she said.
"So initially we thought it was just full of sediment and manganese nodules."
But soon they realised what they had found.
'Amazing' discovery
"Then we started going through it and one of my colleagues spent at least an hour just going through it picking shark teeth," she said.
"It was amazing, it really was.
"Not all were fossils, some were relatively recent mako sharks and two species of great white shark relatives."
Over 750 teeth were pulled from the area, which was near the base of the Muirfield Sea Mountain, south west of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
The haul included the tooth of a megalodon shark, or its closest ancestor.
The prehistoric predator, which died out more than three million years ago, was the largest shark to ever live, and grew to between 15 and 18 metres in length.
WA Museum curator of fish Glenn Moore said the "graveyard" was a remarkable find.
"I don't know of any obvious explanation of why they might all be together other than perhaps it was a low point in the ocean floor, so they would eventually make their way down," he said.
"I have never seen anything like this, or heard of anything like that, it's a unique opportunity to have an almost complete collection from one spot.
"And when the palaeontologist get their hands on them I'm sure they'll be very happy."
Dr Moore is currently on board the second marine park biodiversity study, underway in the Gascoyne.
- Megalodon lived up to 23 million years ago and had no peer when it came to ocean predators. (Supplied: CSIRO)
- shark.jpg (28.93 KiB) Viewed 1921 times
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
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Dannie Boy
- Hero
- Posts: 13885
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- Location: Closer to Cha Am than Hua Hin
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pharvey
- Moderator
- Posts: 15851
- Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:21 am
- Location: Sir Fynwy - God's Country
Re: Amazing Nature
Something out of Alien!!Dannie Boy wrote: ↑Mon Dec 12, 2022 7:09 am Not sure about pretty damn cool - more like pretty damn scary!!
"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things" - Yma o Hyd.
Re: Amazing Nature
Christmas spiders on the hunt for mates as summer heats up in Western Australia's south-west
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-17/ ... /101771396
Are these arachnids Australia's cutest spiders? Curtin University spider expert Leanda Mason reckons they might be.
The Christmas spider, or jewel spider, is endemic to Australia but in "prolific numbers" during summer in WA's south west.
The tiny creatures — known as Austracantha minax — are less than a centimetre in length.
Despite their tiny size, they are popular with spider spotters and the public for their striking colours and quirky shapes.
"I like the name jewel spider because it demonstrates how precious they are. They're very cute," Dr Mason said.
"They have very small eyes, clustered together ... they have little legs that curl underneath them.
"If disturbed, they'll run off and hide."
Why are they called Christmas spiders?
The spider is around all year but is most visible during warmer months when it is building webs and looking for a mate.
"A lot of spiders are highly seasonal," Dr Mason said.
"Most spiders roam during the cooler wetter months.
"Jewel spiders are around all the time, but you won't see them as much as they're spiderlings or juveniles in the wet months.
"When I was a child I thought, incorrectly, they were called Christmas spiders because they looked like decorations."
Walk through Western Australia's bush during Birak — the hot and dry season when the warm days are tempered by afternoon sea breezes — and it is hard to miss Christmas spiders.
Dr Mason says you can walk through countless webs and end up covered in the tiny creatures.
"They're usually at about head height. If you're walking through the bush you'll see them at head height between two branches to catch insects flying through," she said.
"They have big colonies and are semi-social. They'll use each other's webs sometimes to catch insects. They're very non-aggressive to other spiders and humans."
more photos at the link
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-17/ ... /101771396
Are these arachnids Australia's cutest spiders? Curtin University spider expert Leanda Mason reckons they might be.
The Christmas spider, or jewel spider, is endemic to Australia but in "prolific numbers" during summer in WA's south west.
The tiny creatures — known as Austracantha minax — are less than a centimetre in length.
Despite their tiny size, they are popular with spider spotters and the public for their striking colours and quirky shapes.
"I like the name jewel spider because it demonstrates how precious they are. They're very cute," Dr Mason said.
"They have very small eyes, clustered together ... they have little legs that curl underneath them.
"If disturbed, they'll run off and hide."
Why are they called Christmas spiders?
The spider is around all year but is most visible during warmer months when it is building webs and looking for a mate.
"A lot of spiders are highly seasonal," Dr Mason said.
"Most spiders roam during the cooler wetter months.
"Jewel spiders are around all the time, but you won't see them as much as they're spiderlings or juveniles in the wet months.
"When I was a child I thought, incorrectly, they were called Christmas spiders because they looked like decorations."
Walk through Western Australia's bush during Birak — the hot and dry season when the warm days are tempered by afternoon sea breezes — and it is hard to miss Christmas spiders.
Dr Mason says you can walk through countless webs and end up covered in the tiny creatures.
"They're usually at about head height. If you're walking through the bush you'll see them at head height between two branches to catch insects flying through," she said.
"They have big colonies and are semi-social. They'll use each other's webs sometimes to catch insects. They're very non-aggressive to other spiders and humans."
- The spiders are found in large numbers during warmer months in southern WA.(Supplied: Lee Murphy)
- xmas spider.jpg (156.89 KiB) Viewed 1845 times
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
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lindosfan1
- Deceased
- Posts: 4069
- Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:26 pm
- Location: uk
Re: Amazing Nature
Baby pink iguanas spotted for the first time, they are critically endangered only a few 100 left in the world.
Woke up this morning breathing that's a good start to the day.
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lindosfan1
- Deceased
- Posts: 4069
- Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:26 pm
- Location: uk
Re: Amazing Nature
The world's smallest and in my opinion prettiest gecko one and a half in inches long.
Woke up this morning breathing that's a good start to the day.
Re: Amazing Nature
- php5mMrBIAM.jpg (74.4 KiB) Viewed 1731 times
Girl, nine, finds megalodon shark tooth on Maryland beach
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64231245
Amateur fossil hunters dream of finding the ancient and the rare. One little girl spoke it into existence.
Molly Sampson, nine, was on a Christmas Day visit to Calvert Beach in Maryland, and told her mother she was "looking for a Meg".
Wading in knee-deep waters, that's exactly what she found: a tooth belonging to the now-extinct Otodus megalodon shark species.
A local marine museum's curator called it a "once-in-a-lifetime kind of find".
The megalodon - ancient Greek for "big tooth" - lived in seas worldwide until it died out at least 3.5 million years ago.
Growing to more than 66ft (20m) long, the species was not only the biggest shark in the world, but one of the largest fish ever to exist.
The tooth Molly found was 5in long, as big as her hand, according to her mother Alicia Sampson, who shared news of the find on Facebook.
Mrs Sampson wrote that her daughters, Molly and Natalie, wanted to "go sharks tooth hunting like professionals" and had asked for insulated chest waders as a Christmas present.
Almost as soon as they received their gifts and finished their breakfasts on Christmas morning, they headed to the shores of nearby Calvert Cliffs with her husband Bruce, she told the BBC's US partner CBS News.
"She told me she was wading in knee deep water when she saw it and dove in to get it," Mrs Sampson said of her daughter's find. "She said she got her arms all wet, but it was so worth it."
Her husband had hunted for fossils in the area since he was a child, and Molly had found over 400, much smaller teeth in her own right, she said, but neither had ever encountered a tooth so large.
"She has always wanted to find a 'Meg', but for whatever reason, she spoke it into existence on Christmas morning," Mrs Sampson told CBS.
The family took the tooth to the Calvert Marine Museum, whose paleontology department confirmed the shark's identity and congratulated the "future paleontologist" on Facebook.
"People should not get the impression that teeth like this one are common along Calvert Cliffs," Stephen Godfrey, the museum's curator of paleontology, said.
"And she didn't have to dig into the cliffs to find the tooth, it was out in the water."
- phpy586pBAM.jpg (43.52 KiB) Viewed 1731 times
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: Amazing Nature
Giant cane toad found in Conway National Park in north Queensland weighs 2.7kg
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-20/ ... /101873072
Ranger Kylee Gray says she was so shocked to discover a 2.7-kilogram giant toad next to a hiking trail in North Queensland she thought it was a practical joke.
"But then I realised it was breathing," she said.
"A big warty, brown, ugly cane toad just sitting in the dirt.
"I just couldn't believe it to be honest — I've never seen anything so big."
Department of Environment and Science rangers had been clearing a trail at Conway National Park in the Whitsunday region when they discovered the mighty amphibian.
"There was a red-belly black snake on the track in front of us … so we stopped to let the snake pass and got out of the vehicle and right next to us was this huge cane toad," she said.
She said she couldn't believe how heavy the toad was when she reached down to grab it.
According to the Guinness World Records, the largest known toad weighed in at 2.65 kilograms in 1991.
"We didn't get it on certified scales … so we're sort of kicking ourselves."
"We dubbed it Toadzilla."
The 2.7-kilogram toad measured just over 25 centimetres in length.
Ms Gray said it was by far the largest toad she had encountered.
"A cane toad that size will eat anything it can fit into its mouth, and that includes insects, reptiles, and small mammals," she said.
"We believe it's a female due to the size, and female cane toads do grow bigger than males.
"She was found at an elevation of 393 metres, which isn't unusual, but she has created a lot of interest among our ranger staff due to her size."
Ms Gray said the toad's age was not known but they could live up to 15 years in the wild "so this one has been around a long time".
The poisonous pest was euthanased and will be taken to the Queensland Museum in Brisbane.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-20/ ... /101873072
Ranger Kylee Gray says she was so shocked to discover a 2.7-kilogram giant toad next to a hiking trail in North Queensland she thought it was a practical joke.
"But then I realised it was breathing," she said.
"A big warty, brown, ugly cane toad just sitting in the dirt.
"I just couldn't believe it to be honest — I've never seen anything so big."
Department of Environment and Science rangers had been clearing a trail at Conway National Park in the Whitsunday region when they discovered the mighty amphibian.
"There was a red-belly black snake on the track in front of us … so we stopped to let the snake pass and got out of the vehicle and right next to us was this huge cane toad," she said.
She said she couldn't believe how heavy the toad was when she reached down to grab it.
According to the Guinness World Records, the largest known toad weighed in at 2.65 kilograms in 1991.
"We didn't get it on certified scales … so we're sort of kicking ourselves."
"We dubbed it Toadzilla."
The 2.7-kilogram toad measured just over 25 centimetres in length.
Ms Gray said it was by far the largest toad she had encountered.
"A cane toad that size will eat anything it can fit into its mouth, and that includes insects, reptiles, and small mammals," she said.
"We believe it's a female due to the size, and female cane toads do grow bigger than males.
"She was found at an elevation of 393 metres, which isn't unusual, but she has created a lot of interest among our ranger staff due to her size."
Ms Gray said the toad's age was not known but they could live up to 15 years in the wild "so this one has been around a long time".
The poisonous pest was euthanased and will be taken to the Queensland Museum in Brisbane.
- big toad.jpg (284.37 KiB) Viewed 1702 times
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Re: Amazing Nature
I was reading that, and wondering how big it was compared to some of the larger toads we see in Khao Tao lake. 25cm didn't sound that large, but when I saw the photo, what a beauty.
Championship Plymouth Argyle 1 - 2 Leeds Utd
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Re: Amazing Nature
Here is a good feeling story:
Nakhon Si Thammarat The wonderful "Otter Boon Survived" Follow the monks. Go out every morning and enjoy the locals. Dear friends, pets of different breeds, the whole parish.
Jan. 20, 2023 - Reporter reports that there's an incredible life. The wild otters that the monks saved saved kept in the temple became the Sai Boon Otters, followed the monks every morning, became a favorite of the locals, and also befriended dogs and cats for almost the entire parish.
At "Wat Tha Lat", Ban Jad Moo 7, Tha Up Tha Sala, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province An otter, a wild animal, came to live in the temple, an ancient abandoned temple that was restored a few years ago.
But that's not as common as a miracle, since this "otter" is a temple disciple, following the monks out every morning and listening to the daily prayers, which is beloved by Buddhists and ordinary villagers.
Specifically, at 4:30 a.m., reporters traveled to Wat Tha Lat to monitor the behavior of the otter. Seeing the reporter, there was no sign of being afraid of strangers.
Even at 5:30 a.m., The Mass, Kutajitto, or "Luang Ta Mass," issued a bibliography, and "Otter Boonrod" immediately followed. Although the trail was dark, the "Otter Boon Survived" followed the mass and passed by the houses with dogs. The dog would come out to play and greet the familiar boondog otter. None of them sounded barking, threatening, or unfriendly to a single otter.
When Luang Ta Mass reaches Yom Upadhak's house waiting for the almsgiving, the Otter Boonrod will make a sound similar to the call for Yom to come out to give alms, and while LuangTa prays for blessings, the Otter Boonrod will lie in a crouch waiting for the Royal Mass to finish his blessing, and then walk on to the next house, performing this kind of behavior in all houses.
Not sure if the link will work. This article is not the lead article, more photos at the link:
https://www.msn.com/th-th/news/national ... 3a052d9efd
Nakhon Si Thammarat The wonderful "Otter Boon Survived" Follow the monks. Go out every morning and enjoy the locals. Dear friends, pets of different breeds, the whole parish.
Jan. 20, 2023 - Reporter reports that there's an incredible life. The wild otters that the monks saved saved kept in the temple became the Sai Boon Otters, followed the monks every morning, became a favorite of the locals, and also befriended dogs and cats for almost the entire parish.
At "Wat Tha Lat", Ban Jad Moo 7, Tha Up Tha Sala, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province An otter, a wild animal, came to live in the temple, an ancient abandoned temple that was restored a few years ago.
But that's not as common as a miracle, since this "otter" is a temple disciple, following the monks out every morning and listening to the daily prayers, which is beloved by Buddhists and ordinary villagers.
Specifically, at 4:30 a.m., reporters traveled to Wat Tha Lat to monitor the behavior of the otter. Seeing the reporter, there was no sign of being afraid of strangers.
Even at 5:30 a.m., The Mass, Kutajitto, or "Luang Ta Mass," issued a bibliography, and "Otter Boonrod" immediately followed. Although the trail was dark, the "Otter Boon Survived" followed the mass and passed by the houses with dogs. The dog would come out to play and greet the familiar boondog otter. None of them sounded barking, threatening, or unfriendly to a single otter.
When Luang Ta Mass reaches Yom Upadhak's house waiting for the almsgiving, the Otter Boonrod will make a sound similar to the call for Yom to come out to give alms, and while LuangTa prays for blessings, the Otter Boonrod will lie in a crouch waiting for the Royal Mass to finish his blessing, and then walk on to the next house, performing this kind of behavior in all houses.
Not sure if the link will work. This article is not the lead article, more photos at the link:
- AA16yeJN.jpg (55.68 KiB) Viewed 1676 times
- AA16xR62.jpg (79.75 KiB) Viewed 1676 times
https://www.msn.com/th-th/news/national ... 3a052d9efd
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Re: Amazing Nature
At 16 years plus, Speedy is the oldest known sea dragon, facial-recognition project finds
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-28/ ... /101884442
Diver John Smith has been photographing sea dragons for the best part of two decades.
Every year Mr Smith, 75, clocks up at least 150 dives at Waubs Bay near his home at Bicheno on Tasmania's east coast.
When the weather is good, he heads under water.
"It's a hobby," Mr Smith said.
"I love the underwater photography side of it and it's really good exercise. It's non-load bearing."
For almost 16 years, one of his main diving companions has been a sea dragon called Speedy.
"He's got a bit of a swept-back hairstyle," Mr Smith said.
"His front appendage, on top of his head, is bent back a bit, so it looks like he's travelling at speed."
Speedy is one of four sea dragons residing at Waubs Bay that scientists believe are the longest living of thousands of recorded sea dragons in Australia.
SeaDragonSearch is an initiative by scientists in Western Australia using facial recognition technology to identify and track sea dragons through photographs submitted by recreational divers.
Out of the 3,000 weedy sea dragons being tracked, Speedy is the oldest.
While sea dragons on average are thought to live for eight years, Speedy is estimated to be at least 16 years old, based on Mr Smith's photographs.
Mr Smith admitted he did not know he had actually been swimming with Speedy all of this time.
He said he sent SeaDragonSearch photographs he had taken over the years and they identified Speedy from his early photographs and recent ones.
"When they first told me, I think he was 12 years of age at that stage, and he's still there," Mr Smith said.
"They showed me one of the photos I'd sent in from 16 years ago and he looked a lot younger then, but don't we all."
Longer living than first thought
Sea dragons are found only in the lower half of Australia and there are three species — leafy, weedy and ruby.
Perth scientist Nerida Wilson, who started SeaDragonSearch, said the typical life expectancy of a sea dragon was still unknown.
"It was thought to be six to 10 years, but data from SeadragonSearch shows some individual sea dragons are older than this," Dr Wilson said.
"Current research suggests that Tasmania's sea dragons live much longer than first thought, which may be related to the cooler water temperatures they experience, but we don't know exactly why."
It is thought Tasmanian sea dragons are also much larger than their mainland friends.
Divers hope the SeaDragonSearch will help to uncover more about the species.
Mr Smith said while the facial-recognition technology was great for keep tracking of sea dragons and learning more about them, he could identify some of his local sea dragons by eye.
"You just get to know where they hang out, some of their peculiarities, the way they act — so you get to know them," he said.
"They're got some peculiarities, one for example has three appendages on her neck."
Mr Smith also has names for sea dragons he sees regularly.
"There was one that we called Dot. She had some quite prominent spots on her but I think she's passed on now, I haven't seen her for a long time," he said.
"And there's one we call Lola."
Mr Smith hoped the research would help provide more understanding about the life span and reproduction of sea dragons.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-28/ ... /101884442
Diver John Smith has been photographing sea dragons for the best part of two decades.
Every year Mr Smith, 75, clocks up at least 150 dives at Waubs Bay near his home at Bicheno on Tasmania's east coast.
When the weather is good, he heads under water.
"It's a hobby," Mr Smith said.
"I love the underwater photography side of it and it's really good exercise. It's non-load bearing."
For almost 16 years, one of his main diving companions has been a sea dragon called Speedy.
"He's got a bit of a swept-back hairstyle," Mr Smith said.
"His front appendage, on top of his head, is bent back a bit, so it looks like he's travelling at speed."
Speedy is one of four sea dragons residing at Waubs Bay that scientists believe are the longest living of thousands of recorded sea dragons in Australia.
SeaDragonSearch is an initiative by scientists in Western Australia using facial recognition technology to identify and track sea dragons through photographs submitted by recreational divers.
Out of the 3,000 weedy sea dragons being tracked, Speedy is the oldest.
While sea dragons on average are thought to live for eight years, Speedy is estimated to be at least 16 years old, based on Mr Smith's photographs.
Mr Smith admitted he did not know he had actually been swimming with Speedy all of this time.
He said he sent SeaDragonSearch photographs he had taken over the years and they identified Speedy from his early photographs and recent ones.
"When they first told me, I think he was 12 years of age at that stage, and he's still there," Mr Smith said.
"They showed me one of the photos I'd sent in from 16 years ago and he looked a lot younger then, but don't we all."
Longer living than first thought
Sea dragons are found only in the lower half of Australia and there are three species — leafy, weedy and ruby.
Perth scientist Nerida Wilson, who started SeaDragonSearch, said the typical life expectancy of a sea dragon was still unknown.
"It was thought to be six to 10 years, but data from SeadragonSearch shows some individual sea dragons are older than this," Dr Wilson said.
"Current research suggests that Tasmania's sea dragons live much longer than first thought, which may be related to the cooler water temperatures they experience, but we don't know exactly why."
It is thought Tasmanian sea dragons are also much larger than their mainland friends.
Divers hope the SeaDragonSearch will help to uncover more about the species.
Mr Smith said while the facial-recognition technology was great for keep tracking of sea dragons and learning more about them, he could identify some of his local sea dragons by eye.
"You just get to know where they hang out, some of their peculiarities, the way they act — so you get to know them," he said.
"They're got some peculiarities, one for example has three appendages on her neck."
Mr Smith also has names for sea dragons he sees regularly.
"There was one that we called Dot. She had some quite prominent spots on her but I think she's passed on now, I haven't seen her for a long time," he said.
"And there's one we call Lola."
Mr Smith hoped the research would help provide more understanding about the life span and reproduction of sea dragons.
- Speedy the sea dragon is at least 16 years old and resides at Bicheno on Tasmania's east coast.(Supplied: John Smith)
- sea dragon.jpg (171.71 KiB) Viewed 1644 times
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
-
dtaai-maai
- Hero
- Posts: 14924
- Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:00 pm
- Location: UK, Robin Hood country
Re: Amazing Nature
^^Interesting article. There's an amazing video at the link. Fascinating, thanks for posting Nereus, Old Man of the Sea!
This is the way