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Silver Gull

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Silver Gull

It’s the survival of the scavengers when it comes to silver gulls.

  • Silver gulls are a species of seagull native to coastal areas in Australia, as well as New Zealand and New Caledonia in the South Pacific Ocean.
  • The scientific name of a silver gull is Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae, and it is from the family Laridae, the family of gulls, although it was previously part of the Larus genus and known as Larus novaehollandiae.
  • Silver gulls are also known as ‘red-billed gulls’, ‘sea pigeons’ and simply as ‘seagulls’.
  • The feathers of silver gulls range from white to grey in colour, with some parts of their wings coloured black, and they have a red beak, as well as a red ring around their eyes.
  • Silver gulls grow to be 38 to 45 centimetres (15 to 18 inches) in length, with a wingspan of approximately 91 to 96 centimetres (36 to 38 inches), and they generally weigh between 260 to 350 grams (9 to 12 ounces).

Silver Gull, Animal, Bird, Trivia, Random Facts, Australia, Seagull, Grass, Water

  • The call of a silver gull is loud and it typically makes a ‘kwarwh’ or similar sounding noise.
  • The diet of silver gulls consists primarily of fish, insects, worms and crustaceans, as well as scraps scavenged from waste piles, and they are especially common around rubbish dumps.
  • Silver gulls build nests low to the ground, mostly from vegetation, and the female will typically produce an average of three eggs, which hatch after three to four weeks, and the grey-brown coloured young are raised by both parents.
  • Populations of silver gulls have increased significantly since the 1950s as a result of the large quantities of food waste that Australians now produce, and they have become so common that they have become a pest in some areas, and they are also impacting the breeding of other bird species.
  • Silver gulls are opportunists and are known to boldly wait for humans to drop food in parks or beach areas; and they have also been observed to have kleptoparasitic behaviour, where they steal food from other birds or animals.
Bibliography:
Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), n.d, Wildscreen Arkive, http://www.arkive.org/silver-gull/larus-novaehollandiae/
Silver Gull, 2012, Birdlife Australia, http://birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/Silver-Gull
Silver Gull, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_gull

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Black Forest Cake

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Black Forest Cake

Black Forest cake is a slice of sweet Germany.

  • Black Forest cake is a layered dessert made primarily of cream, cake and cherries, and it is famously German.
  • ‘Black Forest cake’ is also known as ‘Black Forest gateau’, ‘Black Forest cherry cake’, and ‘Black Forest cherry torte’, while the German term for the cake is ‘Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte’.
  • The typical ingredients of the layers of Black Forest cake are chocolate cake, cherries that are usually sour, and whipped cream, while more cream, cherries and chocolate flakes are often used for decoration.
  • Black Forest cake is said to be named after the liquor traditionally used as an ingredient to flavour the cake, ‘Kirschwässer’ – a cherry brandy, which is believed to have originated in the Black Forest of Germany, although other theories exist, including reference to the cake having the appearance of the traditional Black Forest costume worn by women.
  • It has been alleged that confectioner Josef Keller invented the Black Forest cake in 1915, at the Cafe Agner in Bad Godesberg, in Germany, Europe, and while this has been disputed, Keller’s hand written recipe is said to still exist.
Black Forest Cake, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Cream, Cake, Food, Culinary, Germany, Layers, Decorated
Black Forest Cake
Image courtesy of Mikel Ortega/Flickr
  • To be officially known as ‘Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte’, Black Forest cake requires the use of Kirschwasser, or Kirsch as it is sometimes known; cherries; cream or butter cream; as well as a minimum of three percent cocoa present in the cake batter.
  • The earliest published written record of Black Forest cake was in 1934, by John Martin Erich Weber, a German confectioner, in his book ‘250 Konditorei-Spezialitäten und wie sie entstehen’, translated in English literally as ‘250 pastry specialties and how they originate’.
  • Today, Black Forest cake is well known worldwide and one of the most popular cakes in Germany, though it was only listed as the thirteenth most famous German cake in 1949.
  • In mid 2006, a world record for the largest Black Forest cake was set, created in Germany’s Europa Park, and it had an area of approximately 80 square metres (861 square feet) and a weight of 2,963 kilograms (6,532 pounds).
  • A dessert from Sweden, known as ‘Schwarzwaldtårta’, also translated as ‘Black Forest cake’, exists, however it is made of layers of meringue and whipped cream and garnished with chocolate, and as it contains no cake batter, it is typically gluten free.
Bibliography:
Black Forest Cake, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Forest_cake
The History of Black Forest Cherry-torte, n.d, Food History, http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/BlackForestCake/index.htm
Recipe: Black Forest Cake, 2015, The Nibble, http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/cookies/cakes/black-forest-cake-recipe.asp

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ʻĪao Valley

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ʻĪao Valley

ʻĪao Valley is the perfect mix of rainforest and rain.

  • ʻĪao Valley is a valley located in the western area of Maui, an island of Hawaii, which is part of the United States.
  • ʻĪao Valley has an abundance of lush rainforest flora, although it is said that most of the plants are not native to the area.
  • The United States listed ʻĪao Valley as a National Natural Landmark in 1972, and as such, it is Division of State Parks logomaintained by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
  • ʻĪao Valley State Monument, the national park encompassing the valley, covers an area of 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres), and a road makes the park easily accessible to visitors.
  • The term ‘ʻĪao’ is from the Hawaiian language, and when translated into English it means ‘toward the dawn’ or ‘cloud supreme’.
ʻĪao Valley, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Place, Landmark, Hawaii, Forest, America, Needle
Part of ʻĪao Valley
Image courtesy of Mary and Andrew/Flickr
  • The ʻĪao Needle’, a volcanic plug of ʻĪao Valley, is a notable landmark in the area, reaching an above sea level height of 685 metres (2250 feet) and approximately 365 metres (1200 feet) above ground.
  • According to Hawaiian mythology, the god and provider of life, Kāne, is associated with ʻĪao Valley.
  • In its history, ʻĪao Valley has been used as a royal burial site, as well as a major battleground in 1790, when King Kamehameha I conquered the island in his bid to establish the Kingdom of Hawaii.
  • ʻĪao Valley is a common place visited by tourists, who will often explore the site through hiking, and lookouts and a botanical garden are located on the main trail.
  • The peak of Puʻu Kukui, located above the ʻĪao Valley, receives an average of around 9.8 metres (32 feet) of rainfall annually, making it one of the ten wettest places on earth.
Bibliography:
‘Iao Valley State Park, 2015, Maui Guidebook, http://mauiguidebook.com/central-maui/iao-valley-state-park/
Iao Valley, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iao_Valley
Iao Valley State Park, 2015, Hawaiian Tourism Authority, http://www.gohawaii.com/en/maui/regions-neighborhoods/central-maui/iao-valley-state-park/

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Hunting Trophy

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Hunting Trophy

Would you ever display a hunting trophy on your wall?

  • Hunting trophies are objects made of hunted game specimens, typically put on display like a trophy, and they can be as simple as animal horns, tusks or teeth, or it can be the taxidermied head or body of a hunted animal.
  • Generally, elderly animal specimens are favoured for exhibiting as a hunting trophy, due to their impressive size, and hunting these animals will usually have little or no impact on the general population of the species.
  • The practice of hunting animals for the purpose of gaining a hunting trophy is known as ‘trophy hunting’, and most animals that are used for this purpose come from Canada or African countries.
  • If undertaken randomly and without control, trophy hunting can disrupt populations of animals, reproduction patterns and the genetic pool.
  • In the 1800s, taxidermied animals became sought after and were commonly displayed, and during this time, the hunting trophy became popular among Europeans.

Hunting Trophy, Invention, Taxidermy, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Deer, Head

  • Trophy hunting is often considered to be highly beneficial for African countries, as it contributes greatly to the country’s economy with little negative effect, and in 2008, across a small selection of African countries, $190 million USD was injected into the African economy as a result.
  • Investigations conducted suggest that the controlled hunting of some animals for hunting trophies, especially those in Africa, controls and potentially increases a species’ population, due, in part, to locals of the area wanting to protect the animals so that can collect large sums of money from those wanting to do the hunting.
  • Hunting for the purpose of a hunting trophy is prone to being controversial, as it is commonly claimed that it is inhumane and dangerous to animal populations, however many of the major wildlife organisations have supportive or neutral views on the subject.
  • Hunting trophy animal heads and antlers are commonly mounted on a wall, most often in an office or one’s house, often in a specially designated ‘trophy’ or ‘game room’.
  • A number of places and organisations, including a number of airlines, have banned the handling or importing of hunting trophies, mainly because they don’t agree with the killing of animals for sport purposes.
Bibliography:
The History of Trophy Hunting, 2015, Timeline, https://www.timeline.com/stories/the-history-of-trophy-hunting
Hunting Trophy, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophy_hunting
Ting I, Hunting trophy imports to Australia rise as global trophy imports fall, 2015, The Sydney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/hunting-trophy-imports-to-australia-rise-as-global-trophy-imports-fall-20150807-giuagr.html
Trophy Hunting, n.d, In Defense of Animals, http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/wild-free2/habitats-campaign/anti-hunting/hunters/trophy-hunting/

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Frilled-neck Lizard

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Frilled-neck Lizard

Frilled-neck lizards will attempt to intimidate anyone, including you!

  • Frilled-neck lizards are a species of lizard native to wooded areas and dry forests of northern parts of Australia and southern areas of New Guinea.
  • ‘Frilled-neck lizards’ are also known as ‘frillneck lizards’, ‘Australian frilled lizards’, ‘frilled dragons’ and ‘frilled lizards’.
  • The scientific name of a frilled-neck lizard is Chlamydosaurus kingii and it is from the family Agamidae, the family of iguanian or dragon lizards.
  • Frilled-neck lizards have a flap of skin that reaches from their head down to the neck, which they can extend outwards to frill around their neck.
  • A frilled-neck lizard has a long tail and the lizard typically ranges from 60 to 90 centimetres (24 to 35 inches) in length, though only a third of it is the length of its body, and it usually has a weight ranging from 0.5 to 1 kilogram (1.1 to 2.2 pounds).
Frilled Neck Lizard, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Animal, Reptile, Lizard, Australia, Unflared, Resting, Bathing
An Unflared Frilled-neck Lizard
Image courtesy of VirtualWolf/Flickr
  • The scale colour of frilled-neck lizards is generally a combination of tan, brown, yellow and black, while the frill is coloured vibrant reds and oranges, and they mainly live in trees on branches or the trunks where they are generally camouflaged.
  • The diet of frilled-neck lizards consist primarily of beetles, rodents, termites and other insects, as well as spiders, while smaller lizards are also sometimes consumed.
  • Female frilled-neck lizards generally lay between 4 to 14 eggs at one time, laid in a nest in the ground, and hatchlings are usually female when incubation temperatures are above 35°C (95°F).
  • As a popular symbol of Australian fauna, a depiction of a frilled-neck lizard can be found on the discontinued Australian two cent coin.
  • When threatened or scared, a frilled-neck lizard will arch its body and flare its frill, hiss and lunge, and if all else fails, flee quickly.
Bibliography:
Chlamydosaurus, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlamydosaurus
Chlamydosaurus kingii, 2001, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Chlamydosaurus_kingii/
Frilled Dragon, n.d, Perth Zoo, http://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Frilled-Dragon-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Frilled Lizard, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/frilled-lizard/

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Maize

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Maize

Is it maize or corn?

  • Maize is a grain-based food plant where the seeds, or kernels, are also known as ‘corn’, and the plant was first cultivated in Mexico, America, thousands of years ago, where the grain is a staple food.
  • The scientific name of maize is Zea mays and it is from the family Poaceae, the family of true grasses.
  • There are a number of different types of maize, and they are generally categorised under the names ‘sweet corn’, ‘popcorn’, ‘flour corn’, ‘flint corn’, ‘dent corn’, and ‘wild’ or ‘pod corn’.
  • Approximately 600 kernels of maize form on a cob, that grows as an ‘ear’ or spear head shaped spike, on a 2.5 to 12 metre (8 to 39 feet) tall plant.
  • Female flowers of maize plants produce stigmas that are like strands of hair, known as ‘silk’; and the kernels or seeds are a white, yellow, orange or red colour, while green, purple, black, and blue/grey varieties exist.

Maize, Food, Culinary, Ten Random Facts, Vegetation, Field, Europe

A Field of Maize
Image courtesy of Carsten Ullrich/Flickr
  • The United States was the world’s top producer of maize in 2013, producing roughly 353.7 million tonnes (389.9 million tons), of a world total production of just over 1 billion tonnes (1.1 billion tons), making it the most produced cereal crop on earth.
  • Depending on the type and variety, maize has different uses – sweet corn is generally cooked and eaten like a vegetable; popcorn is heated until the kernels burst providing a light weight snack, flour corn is typically ground into flour; flint and dent corn are used for animal feed and are also processed and made into products for human consumption; while pod corn is not usually used for commercial purposes.
  • A protein found in maize, that fails to break down when cooked, can cause allergic reactions, with symptoms that include itchiness, rashes, asthma or vomiting, among others.
  • Field corn, which includes all types of maize except for sweet corn and popcorn, accounts for at least 98% of corn crops grown in the United States, of which around 75% is used for stock feed and the production of ethanol fuel, while the rest is used to make products like breakfast cereal, corn syrup, corn starch and flour, corn chips, and other commercial products.
  • The cobs of maize have been crafted into smoking pipes, and it is believed that they were made as early as the 1860s in the United States, while the starch is used in many non-food products including adhesives and plastics.
Bibliography:
Corn, 1999, Purdue Agriculture, https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/Crops/Corn.html
Maize, 2009, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, http://www.iita.org/maize 
Maize, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maize

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