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Blue Poison Dart Frog

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Blue Poison Dart Frog

Blue poison dart frogs are brilliant, beautiful and baleful.

  • Blue poison dart frogs are paralysing toxic frogs native to the rainforests of the country Suriname, in north-eastern South America.
  • ‘Blue poison dart frogs’ are also known as ‘blue poison arrow frogs’ and, in the native language, ‘okopipi’.
  • Blue poison dart frogs have the scientific name Dendrobates tinctorius ‘azureus’, referring to the frogs azure blue skin colour, and they are from the family Dendrobatidae, the family of poison dart frogs.
  • Blue poison dart frogs can reach lengths of 3 to 4.5 centimetres (1.2 to 1.8 inches) and be as heavy as 8 grams (0.3 ounces) in weight.
  • Typically, blue poison dart frog females are larger than males in size, but males have four larger toes that end with heart shapes, compared to the female’s four smaller toes that end rounded.

Blue Poison Dart Frog, Perspective, Toxic, Beautiful, Amazing, pale, Ten Random Facts

Blue Poison Dart Frog Image courtesy of Tom Thai/Flickr
  • The blue poison dart frog has a vibrant azure blue skin colour, and is spotted with a unique pattern of black spots, which alerts predators of the frog’s poisonous content, and if a predator is poisoned by the glands in the skin, they are usually paralysed by them, which can cause the predator to die.
  • Blue poison dart frogs breed during the wet season, with two to ten eggs per clutch, which take two to three weeks to hatch.
  • Blue poison dart frog tadpoles measure around one centimetre (0.4 inches) in length and are not toxic like adult frogs, and although the adult frogs are found near water bodies, they do not swim.
  • Blue poison dart frogs’ diet mainly consists of insects, including ants, beetles, caterpillars and flies, and sometimes spiders.
  • In the wild, blue poison dart frogs live an average of five years, but in captivity they can live up to ten years.
Bibliography: Blue Poison Dart Frog, 2014, National Aquarium, http://www.aqua.org/explore/animals/blue-poison-dart-frog
Blue Poison Dart Frog, 2014, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, http://www.lowryparkzoo.com/bio_florida_bluepoisondartfrog.php
Blue Poison Dart Frog, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_poison_dart_frog

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Aogashima

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Aogashima

Aogashima is a lush, volcanic island.

  • Aogashima is an island that forms part of Japan’s Izu archipelago in Asia, and is located in the Philippine Sea.
  • Aogashima is an active volcano, which last erupted in 1781 to 1785, and a small crater is housed inside the large caldera of the island.
  • ‘Aogashima’ means ‘blue island’ and it covers an area of 8.75 square kilometres (3.38 square miles), and its highest point, named ‘Otonbu’ is 423 metres (1388 feet) above sea level.
  • Aogashima had a population in 2014, of 170, a decrease of 35 since 2009, and it is governed by, and part of the sub-prefecture Hachijō, of Japan’s capital city, Tokyo.
  • Aogashima is only accessible by boat, which can be dangerous, and helicopter, and it houses a live weather camera for boats.

Aogashima, Green, Crater, Lush, Island, Ten Random Facts, Japan,

Aogashima
Image courtesy of Soica2001/Wikipedia Commons
  • Aogashima is the home to one post office and one school, which caters for children to junior high level (up to age 15), and for further education, teenagers are required to leave the island, often indefinitely.
  • Aogashima holds a cattle festival annually in August, and its main export is a salt high in calcium called hingya salt.
  • During the volcanic activity of the Aogashima volcano in 1781 to 1785, many of the more than 300 occupants died, and others fled to a nearby island, Hachijōjima.
  • From 1785 to 1834, Aogashima remained mostly uninhabited and was totally deserted for 16 years, until re-settlement by a group of Japanese in 1835.
  • Aogashima’s animals and plants include fish like Kujirayo (guinea grunt); the Japanese wood pigeon; lilliums; persea; various seaweed, as well as other flora and fauna.
Bibliography:
About Aogashima, 2011, Aogashima, http://www.vill.aogashima.tokyo.jp/office/outline.html
Aogashima, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aogashima
Japan’s Hidden Tropical Island: Aogashima, 2011, Tofugu.com, http://www.tofugu.com/2011/12/07/japans-hidden-tropical-island-aogashima/
Tokyo2014, Spoon and Tamago, http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2014/01/31/wanderlust-tokyos-volcanic-crater-island-aogashima/

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Screw

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Screw

These facts are screwed in.

  • A screw is generally a small tapered rod, with a thread, that is used to attach two or more items to each other, and it typically has a sharp pointed end to puncture the material it is being threaded into.
  • ‘Screws’ are sometimes called ‘bolts’, although this term is somewhat inaccurate, as bolts usually require a nut, while the former, do not.
  • Screws have a flat or raised top, called a ‘head’, to prevent deep embedding and in some instances, to provide a decorative finish.
  • A screw is commonly used with a screwdriver or wrench to rotate it, so that it threads into the material, as well as to tighten it.
  • Screws typically are designed to fasten clockwise and have, what is called ‘a right handed thread’, although anticlockwise (left) fastening ones are available.

Screw, Metal, Long, Short, Assorted, Different, Bronze, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Fix

  • Screws were most likely invented before 300 BC, possibly by the legendary Archimedes, a Greek polymath, and early forms were generally made of wood and were often used as part of a press for wine or oil.
  • Screws are most commonly made of strong metal, typically steel, although noncorrosive materials are sometimes needed, so stainless steel, brass, and in some circumstances, plastic, is used.
  • Metal screws have only been popularly used since the late 1700s, and they were patented multiple times in the second half of the 1800s.
  • Screws can be used instead of nails, pins, rivets, glue, tape, welding and soldering.
  • Screws most commonly have a signal straight slot in the head, for a screwdriver, although the cross shaped slot in a Phillips head is also popular, and there are many other designs available, including square, hexagon and star shaped slots.

 

Bibliography:
The History of the Screw, n.d, Wagner, http://www.wagner-werkzeug.de/fileadmin/pdf/Geschichte-Schraube-ENG.pdf
Screw, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw

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White Rain Lily

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White Rain Lily

The white rain lily is as calming as rain.

  • A white rain lily is a flowering bulb, native to parts of South America.
  • White rain lilies have the scientific name Zephyranthes candida and are one of the 71 rain lily species.
  • White rain lilies are from the family Amaryllidaceae, the family of amaryllis, and while the flowers somewhat resemble a crocus, they do not belong to the same family.
  • White rain lilies are also known as ‘storm lilies’, ‘fairy lilies’, ‘August rain lilies’, ‘Peruvian swamp lilies’, ‘white zephyr lilies’, ‘white fairy lilies’, ‘autumn crocus’ and ‘autumn zephyr lilies’.
  • White rain lilies have white to pale pink coloured flowers that are cup shaped, with petals that are approximately 4 cm (1.6 inches) long, and six long, thick, yellow stamens.

White Rain Lily, Flower, Zephyr, Three, bloom, Plant, Single, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • The best site to grow a white rain lily plant in, is in full sun or partly shaded areas, and they prefer moist soil conditions.
  • A white rain lily plant blooms from late summer to autumn, often after rain, hence its name.
  • White rain lily plants grow up to 10 to 30 centimetres (6 to 12 inches) in height and have long and skinny green leaves.
  • White rain lilies are commonly grown for decorative purposes in gardens, although they have become a weed in some parts of some countries.
  • White rain lilies are evergreen and are generally grown as a perennial, although in cold climates they are usually grown as annuals.

 

Bibliography:
White Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes candida), 2013, Easy to Grow Bulbs, http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/p-1218-rain-lily-white-zephyranthes-candida.aspx
Zephyranthes candida, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zephyranthes_candida
Zephyranthes candida, n.d, Missouri Botanical Gardens, http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c747

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Custard

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Custard

Custard is quite exquisite.

  • Custard is an edible substance most commonly used in desserts, and it can range from a runny, pouring liquid, up to a firm and thick consistency.
  • Traditional custard is primarily made of eggs, which thickens the mixture, and a dairy product, such as milk, although cream is often used, and vanilla and sugar is commonly incorporated.
  • Custard is commonly used in desserts, like tarts and trifle, and served hot or cold with puddings, although it can also be used in savoury cuisine, and is the main ingredient for quiche.
  • ‘Custard’ comes from the word ‘croustade’, a Middle French word, which in turn comes from the Latin word ‘crustāre’, meaning ‘crust’, referring to the pastry or tart it was often used in.
  • Making egg based custard can be a little tricky, as it can easily burn or spoil, and if it reaches temperatures of more than 80°C (176°F), it can cause curdling, while at 70°C (158°F) it will usually start to set.

Yellow, Custard, Bowl, Vanilla, Liquid, Thick, Ten Random Facts, Dessert,

  • Custard has been historically made throughout Medieval Europe, typically eaten in tarts, but it was not unknown in Asia during the same period.
  • Powdered custard mix is absent of egg, and was first invented in 1837 by Alfred Bird, from Birmingham, England, who originally made it for his wife who was allergic to eggs, although he started selling it commercially and it became a great success.
  • Powdered custard is usually purchased in a packet from a grocery store, and it usually contains corn starch, although other starch products are sometimes used; colour; and flavour; and milk is heated and added to the powder to make it a thickened liquid.
  • Custard is very high in cholesterol, and is high in riboflavin, phosphorus, selenium and calcium.
  • Longlife and ready made custards have become popular, and are commonly available in supermarkets, and they can be used as is, or heated and poured over desserts.

 

Bibliography:
Custard, 2013, British Food: A History, http://britishfoodhistory.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/custard/
Custard, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custard
Olver L, Food Timeline FAQs: puddings, custards, & creams, 2014, Food Timeline, http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpuddings.html

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Chameleon

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Chameleon

Chameleons are one of a kind.

  • Chameleons are a family of reptilian lizards native to Africa, southern Asia and southern Europe, and the family includes over 160 species and has the scientific name Chamaeleonidae.
  • The word ‘chameleon’ is also spelt ‘chamaeleon’ and it comes from the word ‘chamaeleō’, a Latin word that in turn comes from the Greek word ‘khamailéōn’ meaning ‘ground lion’.
  • Chameleons are commonly known for their profound ability to change colour, which is done by distributing the pigment cells that they have in three layers in various ways to create different colour patterns, although some species do no have this ability.
  • Chameleons can range from 1.5 to 68.5 centimetres (0.6 to 27 inches) in length, and can move at speeds of 35 kilometres per hour (21 miles per hour).
  • Chameleons can appear in various shades and colours of blue, green, red, orange, yellow, pink, purple, black and brown, due to their colour changing ability, and change colours for the purposes of camouflage, communicating to others of their kind, and response to environment and temperature.
Chameleon, Green, Lizard, Focus, Reptile, Flickr, Ten Random Facts
Chameleon
Image courtesy of Imke.StahlmannFlickr
  • Chameleons can see small objects up to 5 to 10 metres (16 to 33 feet) away, are able to see in ultra violet as well as normal light conditions, have 360° vision, and, despite lacking an eardrum and visible ear, can hear.
  • Chameleons have free moving eyes, pincer-like feet, a very long darting tongue and a head with a horn or crests.
  • Chameleons have a diet that mainly consists of insects, while berries, leaves and other vegetation are also consumed, although some species are believed to be more herbivorous, and for some of the larger species they consume prey like small birds and small reptiles.
  • Chameleons are mostly found on trees or shrubs in rainforest, desert or savannah habitats, in their native countries, however they can been found in some areas of North America where they have been introduced.
  • Depending on the species, chameleons lay egg clutch sizes of around 2 to 100 eggs in a hole they dig in the ground, and the young will hatch in four to twelve months, or up to two years in some species.
Bibliography:
Chameleon, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/chameleon/
Chameleon, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chameleon

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