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Ilha de Queimada Grande

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Ilha de Queimada Grande

Ilha de Queimada Grande may not be the best place for a peaceful holiday.

  • Ilha de Queimada Grande is a Brazilian island of small size with no inhabitants, found in the ocean near São Paulo, Brazil, in South America.
  • ‘Ilha de Queimada Grande’, literally ‘great burnt island’, is also known as ‘Snake Island’ and ‘Queimada Grande Island’.
  • At its highest point, Ilha de Queimada Grande reaches 206 metres (676 feet), and covers an area of 430,000 square metres (514,000 square yards).
  • Ilha de Queimada Grande features a lighthouse that was first used from 1909 to warn passing ships of the island, however it was automated just over a decade later.
  • The environment of Ilha de Queimada Grande ranges from grassy clearings to rainforest, spread across rocky terrain, and the island’s name is said to be a reference to the original practice of burning vegetation in readiness for a banana plantation there.
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Ilha de Queimada Grande
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • The Golden Lancehead (Bothrops insularis), a critically endangered snake considered one of the deadliest on earth, is only found on Ilha de Queimada Grande, and there are an estimated 2000 to 4000 snakes of this species.
  • Two shipwrecks of merchant watercraft lie in the waters surrounding Ilha de Queimada Grande, wrecked in 1893 and 1933 respectively.
  • There are a number of species of snakes on Ilha de Queimada Grande, and the animal is in abundance, ranging from one to five snakes per square metre, making it a dangerous place to visit.
  • There are a number of bird species, as well as spiders, amphibians and lizards, that occupy or visit Ilha de Queimada Grande, some of which are eaten by the snakes.
  • The lighthouse operator once lived on Ilha de Queimada Grande, but since its automation, the Brazilian Government banned all visits to the island unless coordinated by credited scientists.
Bibliography:qq
Área de Relevante Interesse Ecológico Ilhas Queimada Grande e Queimada Pequena, 2015, Wikipedia, http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Área de Relevante Interesse Ecológico Ilhas Queimada Grande e Queimada Pequena
Geiling N, This Terrifying Brazilian Island Has the Highest Concentration of Venomous Snakes Anywhere in the World, 2014, Smithsonian, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/snake-infested-island-deadliest-place-brazil-180951782/
Ilha de Queimada Grande, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilha_da_Queimada_Grande
Snake Island – Ilha de Queimada Grande, 2015, Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/snake-island-ilha-de-queimada-grande

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Suet

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Suet

Suet is not always easily obtainable, and is not interchangeable.

  • Suet is a food item derived from the fat of animals such as sheep and cattle, and when fresh it is a white colour.
  • Suet is typically the hard fat from around the animal’s kidneys, and is unlike other fat found on the animal, so other animal fat alternatives should not be used.
  • Suet can be an ingredient in pastries and deep-fried dishes, an ingredient in traditional Christmas puddings and others, as well as fruit mince, and it is often found in traditional British recipes of this kind.
  • Suet is used to create a light and spongy texture in food, due to its higher melting temperature that helps to build structure and creates pockets of air in the partially cooked mixture, and as such, it is best if it is not substituted with any other fat.
  • If temperatures exceed 45° to 50° Celsius (113° to 122° Fahrenheit), suet beings to melt, a temperature higher than most other fats, and it starts to solidify at temperatures between 37° and 40° Celsius (98.6° and 104° Fahrenheit).

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  • As suet is an animal product, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator, or frozen if long storage times are required, and for cooking purposes, it is usually grated or minced before adding to a recipe.
  • Suet can be made into bird feed, often in the form of tallow, and has been made into soap, leather cleaners and lamp fuel in the past.
  • Suet is very high in cholesterol, fat and calories, which has led to its use in the diets of some explorers in history, to contribute to the large energy intake needed in freezing weather conditions.
  • Among the first mentions of suet as an ingredient, was a recipe of a pudding cooked for the members of Cambridge University in 1617.
  • Vegetable shortening and frozen butter can be used as a somewhat passable alternative for suet; however the flavour will differ, and the texture is likely to be more dense and oily.
Bibliography:
Akis E, How To Replace Suet in Christmas Pudding, 2012, Times Colonist, http://www.timescolonist.com/life/how-to-replace-suet-in-christmas-pudding-1.10199
Carter K, Suet, Part two: What it is, What it isn’t, and What to Look For., 2013, Savoring The Past, http://savoringthepast.net/2013/01/21/suet-part-two-what-it-is-what-it-isnt-and-what-to-look-for/
The Secrets of Suet, Shredded and Otherwise, 2010, Pacdon Park, http://www.pacdon.com.au/2011/01/03/the-secrets-of-suet-shredded-and-otherwise/
Suet, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suet

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Sulfur

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Sulfur

Don’t lose your senses under the smell of sulfur!

  • Sulfur is an element that is part of the periodic table, scientifically notated as ‘S’, while 16 is its atomic number.
  • The cosmos’ tenth most common element is sulfur, which can be found naturally in stars of massive size, in meteorites, and in volcanic gases.
  • Sulfur, also known and spelled as ‘sulphur’, is coloured yellow in its purist form; though it changes to a red coloured liquid upon reaching a heat of approximately 200° Celsius (392° Fahrenheit).
  • Originally, sulfur was mined in a somewhat pure form or extracted from pyrite, however in modern times the element is extracted from fossil fuels such as petroleum.
  • The identification and use of sulfur has been present throughout many ancient civilisations, including Egypt, India, Greece and China, and the element was often used for primitive medical purposes.
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Volcanic Sulfur
Image courtesy of James St. John/Flickr
  • Fertilisers, pesticides, cellophane, paper bleach, rayon, detergents, as well as preservatives purposed for dried fruit, all often make use of sulfur.
  • Sulfur is relatively safe for humans in its elemental form, however when combined with other elements, it can cause harm through breathing it in a gas form, or on contact with skin.
  • Compounds with strong smells, typically those unpleasant, generally consist of sulfur; including the odour of rotten eggs, the spray of skunks, and garlic.
  • Sulfur melts at 388.36 Kelvin (115.21° Celsius or 239.38° Fahrenheit); boils at 717.8 Kelvin (444.6° Celsius or ​832.3° Fahrenheit); and produces a flame of a blue colour.
  • Sulfur has been used as an ingredient in multiple medicines, particularly those to cure skin diseases, due to the element’s ability to kill bacteria.
Bibliography:
The Element Sulfur, n.d, Jefferson Lab, http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele016.html
Sulfur, 2015, Los Alamos, http://periodic.lanl.gov/16.shtml
Sulfur, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur

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Cassowary

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Cassowary

Don’t feed, aggravate, threaten or approach a cassowary. You may not enjoy it.

  • A cassowary is a species of flightless bird, native to New Guinea and northern Australia, that is typically hidden in tropical rainforest areas.
  • The scientific name of a cassowary is Casuarius, from the Casuariidae family, and it is the only genus of birds in the family.
  • There are three species of cassowaries still living – the northern, dwarf and southern, with the southern species being the most abundant.
  • A cassowary’s diet consists primarily of fruit, and they also eat insects, vegetation, small animals and fungi.
  • Cassowaries are large birds that range from 1.5 to 2 metres (4.9 to 6.6 feet) in height and weigh around 25 to 58.5 kilograms (55 to 129 pounds), ranking it in the top three extant birds in height, and in the top two in weight.

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Cassowary
Image courtesy of Heather Paul/Flickr

  • Cassowaries have dangerously clawed feet with three toes, which have been known to cause both animal and human fatalities.
  • The plumage of a cassowary is primarily black, while the neck is generally a mixture of blues and reds, and the bird has a horn-like protrusion on its head, known as a ‘casque’.
  • Habitat destruction and isolation, as well as hunting, have caused populations of some species of cassowary to decrease in numbers, and these are listed as vulnerable.
  • Female cassowaries generally lay from three to eight eggs, that are coloured green to blue, and reach a length of 14 centimetres (5.5 inches), making them the third largest bird eggs in the world, and they are looked after by the males before and after they have hatched.
  • A study in 2003 revealed that cassowaries expecting food from humans are most likely to attack, while 75% of all attacks on humans are a result of this, caused by their loss of shyness from humans feeding them.
Bibliography:
Cassowary, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/cassowary/
Cassowary, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassowary
Evans O, Southern Cassowary, 2015, Australian Museum, http://australianmuseum.net.au/southern-cassowary
Our Unique Big Bird, 2015, Australian Rainforest Foundation, http://www.arf.net.au/content.php?pageid=1280380330

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Corpse Flower

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Corpse Flower

You get more than you bargained for with the corpse flower.

  • Corpse flowers are large flowering plants native to the Sumatra rainforests of Indonesia, in Asia, and they may also be found in nearby areas.
  • The scientific name of a corpse flower is Rafflesia arnoldii and it is from the family Rafflesiaceae, a family of parasitic plants.
  • Corpse flowers have five large petals that can grow to be up to 1.05 metres (3.4 feet) in length and they are the largest known extant flower recorded.
  • The flower colour of corpse flowers ranges from red, oranges and browns, and is spotted with white.
  • Corpse flowers excrete an odour compared to that of a dead corpse, which serves as an attraction for flies to pollinate the plant.
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Corpse Flower
Image courtesy of Tamara Van Molken/Flickr
  • The buds of corpse flowers reach a length of approximately 0.3 metres (1 foot) and have an appearance similar to a cabbage.
  • There was a race between the French and the British to publish a scientific name for the genus of the corpse flower, as both countries obtained specimens at various times, however it was the British who named the genus in 1820, and in 1821 they named this particular species.
  • Tree shrews eat the fruit produced by corpse flowers, that contain numerous small seeds, which the shrews help to disperse.
  • Corpse flower plants do not have leaves or roots, and instead, they feed from a vine host plant as a parasite, and remain hidden until ready to bloom.
  • Corpse flowers will only bloom when ready for pollination, a period that may last for only a couple of days, though it can take months for the buds to mature and open.
Bibliography:
Rafflesia Arnoldii (Corpse Flower), n.d, KEW Royal Botanic Gardens, http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/rafflesia-arnoldii-corpse-flower
Rafflesia Arnoldii, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafflesia_arnoldii
World’s Largest Flower, Raffelsia Arnoldii, 2013, Facts List, http://factslist.net/2013/04/worlds-largest-flower-rafflesia-arnoldii/

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