Author Archives: Cris

Guava

By | |
Leave a comment
Guava

Sweet or sour, guavas are versatile.

  • Guavas are a variety of fruit originating from Central America’s tropics, and they are now grown in various tropical islands and regions in America, Asia and Africa, while in 2011, India produced the most guavas in the world.
  • The most commonly grown species of guava plant has the scientific name Psidium guajava and it is from the family Myrtaceae, the family of myrtles, while some other species in the Psidium genus also produce similar, edible fruit.
  • The ovoid, pear, or round shaped guava ranges from 2.5 to 15 centimetres (1 to 6 inches) in length or diameter, depending on the species and variety.
  • Guava skin can be a green, yellow, cream, or red colour, while the flesh colour may be white, yellow, red or pink.
  • Typically gauvas are eaten fresh or slightly spiced, but they are also dried or made into juice, jams, or cooked as part of a dessert.
Guava, Ten Random Facts, Fruit, Green, Skin, Food, Culinary, Fresh, Whole, Uncut
Guava
Image courtesy of Chetan Kolluri/Flickr
  • Around 110 to 535 individual seeds can be found in a single guava, and the skin and seeds are generally edible.
  • Guavas commonly have a sweet taste, however, they can also have a sour flavour, depending on the variety or species, and they often have a strong sweet and/or musky odour.
  • The guava tree can grow to heights of 1.8 to 7.6 metres (6 to 25 feet) or more, and they can bear two crops of fruit in a year.
  • Water makes up to approximately 80% of the content of guavas, making it a great means of hydration.
  • Guavas are extremely high in vitamin C and are a good source of fibre, vitamin A, potassium, folate and copper.
Bibliography:
Ahuja A, 15 Amazing Guava Benefits: Heart Healthy, Weight Loss Friendly and More, 2015, NDTV Convergence Limited, http://food.ndtv.com/health/15-amazing-guava-benefits-heart-healthy-weight-loss-friendly-and-more-1244242
Grant B, Guava Plants; How to Grow and Care for Guava Fruit Trees, 2016, Gardening, http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/guava/growing-guava-fruit-trees.htm
Guava, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guava
Tropical Guava, 1996, California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc, https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/guava.html

Amazon:       

Mexican Redknee Tarantula

By | |
Leave a comment
Mexican Redknee Tarantula

You would be glad to hear that Mexican redknee tarantulas are not something to fear.

  • Mexican redknee tarantulas are a species of spider found in the forests of the Mexican mountain ranges in southern North America, and they have become a popular pet, though they are listed as ‘near threatened’ and are now somewhat protected.
  • The scientific name of a Mexican redknee tarantula is Brachypelma smithi and it is from the family Theraphosidae, the family of tarantulas.
  • ‘Mexican redknee tarantulas’ are also known as ‘red knee tarantulas’, ‘red-kneed tarantulas’, ‘Mexican red-knee tarantulas’ and ‘Mexican red-kneed tarantulas’.
  • Numerous small hairs can be found on Mexican redknee tarantulas, and the spider is primarily brown to black in colour with orange to red coloured patches on each leg joint.
  • Mexican redknee tarantulas are generally between 12 to 14 centimetres (4.7 to 5.5 inches) long and weigh 15 to 16 grams (0.5 to 0.6 ounces), while females are typically larger than males.

Mexican Redknee Tarantula, Arachnid, Spider, Red, Zoo, Sandy, Crawl, Hairy, Animal

  • The diet of a Mexican redknee tarantula consists primarily of insects, rodents and frogs, but also birds and other mammals, that are captured at the entrance of the spider’s burrow where it makes a web, and paralyses and liquefies the prey using its venom.
  • Through an extensive molting process, Mexican redknee tarantulas can restore any limbs or other bodily extensions that have been lost.
  • Female Mexican redknee tarantulas typically live to be 20 to 30 years, however a male’s lifespan is much shorter, at around 5 to 10 years.
  • When feeling threatened, a Mexican redknee tarantula can defend itself using its bite, however it prefers to display its fangs and shoot barbed hairs from its abdomen.
  • A female Mexican redknee tarantula lays from 200 to 400 or more eggs at one time, that are gathered into a silk web sack, which hatch after one to three months, and the young exit the sack approximately three weeks after hatching.
Bibliography:
Giesler A & Zaitz D, Brachypelma smithi, 2011, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Brachypelma_smithi/
Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula, 2010, Australian Reptile Park, http://www.reptilepark.com.au/animalprofile.asp?id=135
Mexican Redknee Tarantula, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_redknee_tarantula
Red Knee Tarantula, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/red-knee-tarantula/

Tropical Pitcher Plant

By | |
Leave a comment
Tropical Pitcher Plant

You certainly do not want to drink from a tropical pitcher plant.

  • Tropical pitcher plants are a group of at least 160 species of carnivorous plant, that are native mostly to Southeast Asia, while some can be found in Madagascar, northern Australia, and on a few smaller tropical islands around these areas.
  • ‘Tropical pitcher plants’ are also known as ‘pitfall traps’ and ‘monkey cups’, and they produce vessels known as ‘pitchers’, that hold fluid, hence their common name, though the plant typically needs humidity for pitchers to develop.
  • The scientific name of the tropical pitcher plant genus is Nepenthes, and this genus is the sole member of the Nepenthaceae family, and they were first described in 1658 by Étienne de Flacourt, a French governor who discovered them in Madagascar, and he referred to the plant as Amramatico.
  • The pitchers of a tropical pitcher plant generally grow and hang on tendrils that form on the leaf tips of the vine-like plant.
  • Tropical pitcher plants are well known for their carnivorous nature, catching food such as insects, but some species also catch larger specimens, such as lizards, frogs, rodents and even small birds.
Tropical Pitcher Plant, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Vegetation, Plant, Flora, Carnivorous, Red, Green, Swollen
Tropical Pitcher Plants
Image courtesy of Graeme Scott/Flickr
  • Bright colours, nectar, sweet aroma and even hairs attract prey to tropical pitcher plants, and the slippery nature of the pitcher’s rim, along with moist climates, assist in causing prey to fall into the plant’s pitchers.
  • A tropical pitcher plant waits for prey to slip into the pitcher, which holds a fluid that the prey gets trapped in which causes it to drown, and the plant then absorbs the animal’s nutrients.
  • Some fauna depends on tropical pitcher plants for caught food scraps and even shelter, some even depending exclusively on the flora while other animals use the pitcher as a toilet facility.
  • The pitchers of tropical pitcher plants vary in size, depending on the species, and can be 4 to 50 centimetres (1.6 to 20 inches) in height, and they vary in diameter, while some have a capacity of 3.5 litres (0.9 gallons).
  • A tropical pitcher plant produces clusters of flowers that are pollinated through certain flying insect species, though there is only one gender of flower on each plant; after which capsules of seeds are produced that each hold hundreds of light seeds, that are dispersed through wind movement.
Bibliography:
About Carnivorous Pitcher Plants, n.d, Learn About Nature, http://www.carnivorous–plants.com/pitcher-plant.html
Caring for Nepenthes, Tropical Pitcher Plants or Monkey Cups, n.d, Pitcher Plant, http://www.pitcherplant.com/care_sheets/nepenthes_care.html
Nepenthes, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepenthes

Amazon:       

Titanium

By | |
Leave a comment
Titanium

Titanium is one of those elements we all take for granted.

  • Titanium is a chemical element and metal, denoted by the atomic symbol ‘Ti’ and the atomic number 22.
  • Titanium is of a white to silver or grey colour and is shiny and metallic in appearance.
  • Titanium occurs naturally in mineral deposits, sediment, and rocks, especially igneous rocks, and is commonly retrieved from ilmenite, anatase, and rutile, and can be found in stars, meteorites, and living forms, including animals and plants, as well as water.
  • It is notable that titanium is very lightweight in comparison to its durability and strength, however if heated to above 430°C (806°F), it will weaken, and at 1668°C (3034.4°F), it will melt.
  • A variety of other metals can be alloyed with titanium to viably increase strength with little weight increase, making the metal very versatile.
Titanium, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Element, Material, Metal, Resource, Ti, Crystal Bar
Titanium Crystal Bar
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • Typically, titanium is extracted into a sponge-like form, which is them melted and fabricated into a usable resource.
  • The majority of titanium that is collected is used to produce titanium dioxide, which provides the white colour in many plastics, paper, paints and toothpaste; while the metal is sometimes used to strengthen sporting equipment, and it is also used in some forms of jewellery, automobiles, aircraft, watercraft and spacecraft, electronic devices, propellers for water use and missiles, among others.
  • Titanium has a high resistance against corrosion in both the air and water, though small particles of the metal are highly combustible, and when exposed to air, or the particles form a cloud of dust, they can spontaneously combust; and the metal also reacts easily to chlorine gas, liquid oxygen and heat, sometimes causing the chemical to explode.
  • Titanium was discovered by Englishman William Gregor, an amateur mineralogist, who discovered a strange sand with magnetic properties in 1791, which on analysis, was made of iron oxide and what was later determined as titanium oxide.
  • ‘Titanium’ is named after the twelve giant sons of Gaia and Uranus, the Greek mythology deities of earth and sky respectively, who were called ‘Titans’ and were renown for their strength.
Bibliography:
The Element Titanium, n.d, Jefferson Lab, http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele022.html
Titanium, 2016, Los Alamos National Laboratory, http://periodic.lanl.gov/22.shtml
Titanium, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium

Amazon:        

Gooseberry

By | |
Leave a comment
Gooseberry

These gooseberry facts certainly won’t lead you on a wild goose chase!

  • Gooseberries are a type of edible fruit related to currants, and they are native to Africa, Europe, and North America.
  • There are two main species of gooseberry that are grown – the European with the scientific name Ribes uva-crispa (sometimes called Ribes grossularia), and the American, that has the scientific name Ribes hirtellum, both of which are from the family Grossulariaceae, a family of flowering and edible currants.
  • American gooseberries are generally smaller but less susceptible to fruit-damaging mildew than the European varieties, that are generally bigger and have more flavour, though the two species have been bred together to improve outcomes, and numerous varieties have been produced.
  • Gooseberries typically grow on a thorny bush, that reaches approximately 1.5 metres (5 feet) in height.
  • A gooseberry is often a green colour with light coloured stripes, but it can be red, yellow, purple, black and white, depending on the species and variety, and it usually contains many small edible seeds in the flesh of the fruit.
 Gooseberry, Fruit, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Green, Berry, Culinary, Pile, Fresh
Gooseberries
Image courtesy of fsse8info/Flickr
  • Gooseberries are commonly eaten fresh; but they can also be cooked in pies, crumbles and other desserts; into a sauce; in jam; and used to flavour beverages.
  • When picked fully ripe, gooseberries can be quite sweet, and when they are picked prematurely they are usually somewhat tart, however, they are often picked early for commercial purposes, as the unripe fruit has greater storage times, and sour fruit are commonly used in cooking.
  • Gooseberries were of great popularity around the 1800s and early 1900s, especially in Britain, though in the United States of America, a fungal bacteria carried by the plant had begun infesting native pines, so many states initiated bans on the cultivation of the berry.
  • A gooseberry is usually ovoid or spherical in shape, generally ranging from 1 to 2.5 centimetres (0.5 to 1 inch) or more in length or diameter.
  • Gooseberries are very high in vitamin C, high in fibre and a good source of manganese, potassium and vitamin A.
Bibliography:
Gooseberries and Currants, 2015, Cornell University, http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/mfruit/gooseberries.html
Gooseberry, 1996, California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc., https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/gooseberry.html
Gooseberry, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gooseberry
What Are Gooseberries Good For?, 2016, Food Facts, http://foodfacts.mercola.com/gooseberries.html

Amazon:         

Bengal Tiger

By | |
Leave a comment
Bengal Tiger

Bengal tigers are in common in the world of tigers!

  • Bengal tigers are the most abundant subspecies of tiger alive and they are found in the Asian countries of Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
  • ‘Bengal tigers’ are also known as ‘royal Bengal tigers’ and ‘Indian tigers’, and they live mostly alone and occupy mangrove areas, forests and jungles.
  • The scientific name of a Bengal tiger is Panthera tigris tigris, and it is from the family Felidae, the family of cats.
  • Bengal tigers generally range from 2
    .4 to 3.3 metres (7.9 to 11 feet) in length, and they can weigh between 75 to 300 kilograms (165 to 661 pounds) or more.
  • The pelt of Bengal tigers is an orange to yellow colour striped with black, while the underside and some areas of the face and limbs are coloured white with black stripes.
Bengal Tiger, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Animal, Mammal, India, Orange, Black, Felid, Cat
Bengal Tiger
Image courtesy of Paul Mannix/Flickr
  • The diet of Bengal tigers consists primarily of small to medium sized mammals, including wild boars, buffalo, deer and hares.
  • Despite the animal numbers of the Bengal tiger being the greatest among tigers, it is classified as an endangered species due to extensive poaching for its fur and other body components (often used in traditional medicine), and habitat loss which also decreases numbers of prey.
  • Female Bengal tigers have litters that range from one to five cubs, every three or four years, as the young remain dependent for at least 18 months; and they can have a lifespan of 18 to 25 years.
  • The speed of a Bengal tiger can reach 65 kilometres per hour (40 miles per hour); and its only predators are humans.
  • In 2010, approximately 2000 to 2500 Bengal tigers populated the wild, with the highest population concentrated in India; and in recent years, there has been significant government effort, especially in India, to protect and increase tiger numbers.
Bibliography:
Bengal Tower, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/bengal-tiger/
Bengal Tiger, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_tiger
Bengal Tiger, 2016, World Wildlife Fund, http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/bengal-tiger

Amazon:       

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...