Tag Archives: America

Black Widow Spider

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Black Widow Spider

Black widow spiders are fascinating but highly dangerous creatures.

  • Black widow spiders are highly dangerous, poisonous spiders, native to urban and forest North American habitats.
  • Black widow spiders range 1.3 to 3.8 centimetres (0.5 to 1.5 inches) in length, and males are typically a quarter or half the female’s size.
  • Black widow spiders are notable for the red hourglass marking on the brown to black abdomen in females, while males are coloured brown-yellow and often have light coloured stripes.
  • ‘Black widow spiders’ are also known as ‘black widows’, with three species using the same name, and these species have the scientific names Latrodectus variolus, L. mactans, and L. hesperus, and are found in northern, southern, and western North America respectively.
  • Black widow spiders are closely related to the Australian redback spiders, and they are from the family Theridiidae, the family of tangle-web or cobweb spiders.
Black Widow Spider, Female, Wed, Web, Urban, Inside, Epic, Scary, Ten Random Facts, Arachnid, Spider, Flickr
Black Widow Spider
Image courtesy of Steve Jurvetson/Flickr
  • The venom glands of black widow spiders are large, and the venom is said to be more toxic than fifteen doses of rattlesnake venom.
  • While black widow spiders are placed in the list of the ten most dangerous spiders in the world, their bites do not often cause human fatalities, and symptoms include muscle pain, breathing difficulties and nausea.
  • After mating, the female black widow spider may eat the male, hence the spider’s name; and females produce a cocoon like sac of 100 to 400 eggs, four to nine times a year.
  • Black widow spiders have a life span ranging one to three years, and they are preyed on by birds and wasps.
  • Black widow spiders eat insects including flies, beetles, caterpillars, mosquitoes and grasshoppers, that they catch in their random shaped webs, and once their prey is killed, the spiders inject an enzyme that breaks down and liquefies the insects.
Bibliography:
Black Widow Spider, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/black-widow-spider/
Black Widow Spider, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/bugs/black-widow-spider/
Latrodectus, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus

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Barrel of Monkeys

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Barrel of Monkeys

It is ‘more fun than a barrel of monkeys’.

  • Barrel of Monkeys is a game or toy that contains plastic linkable monkeys and a container that they are held in.
  • The main object of the Barrel of Monkeys game is to make the longest monkey chain by linking the arms, before dropping any.
  • Barrel of Monkeys was invented in 1965 by Leonard Marks, who came from New York’s Roslyn, in the United States, who is said to have sold the game to Lakeside Toys around that time.
  • Barrel of Monkeys was most likely an improvement on a similar form of entertainment of detachable hooks and links, that was possibly first invented in 1953 by Lawrence Reed from the United States, and was patented in 1955.
  • It is believed that ‘Barrel of Monkeys’ was originally to be named ‘Barrel of Fun’, but due to copyright issues it was named after a well known phrase.

Barrel of Monkeys, chain, coloured, blue, red, green, yellow, assorted, plastic, game, Milton Bradley, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • The monkeys in the Barrel of Monkeys game were originally, until 1968, stored in cardboard cylinders, but this was changed to a plastic barrel.
  • Barrel of Monkeys traditionally contains twelve monkeys, though twenty-four is the barrel’s capacity, and the monkeys are generally coloured similar to the barrel – red, blue, green or yellow.
  • Barrel of Monkeys is manufactured by the Milton Bradley Company, which in 2014 was owned by the game and toy corporation Hasbro.
  • Two Barrel of Monkeys’ monkeys are said to be able to be linked in eighty different ways, using arms, legs, heads and the like, and they can been used in 3D models to create polyhedral chemical structure models of viruses and proteins.
  • In 2011, Barrel of Monkeys was given the 53rd place in the ‘All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys’ list.
Bibliography:
Barrel of Monkeys: One of the All-TIME 100 greatest toys, n.d., Answers, http://invent.answers.com/toys-and-games/barrel-of-monkeys-one-of-the-all-time-100-greatest-toys
Barrel of Monkeys (Game), 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_of_Monkeys_(game)
Leonard, M 1968, ‘Interconnectable toy elements having hook members’, Google Patents, no. US3414265, 5 July, accessed 10 September 2014, <http://www.google.com/patents/US3414265>
Reed, L 1955, ‘Detachable link and hook game-piece’, Google Patents, no.US2712444, 5 July, accessed 10 September 2014, <http://www.google.com/patents/US2712444>

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Chinchilla

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Chinchilla

Chinchillas are cute and soft but endangered.

  • Chinchillas are a genus of two extant species of medium sized rodent mammals that move around mostly during twilight hours, and the animal lives in herds of 14 to 100.
  • Chinchillas live at elevations of up to 4,270 metres (14,000 feet) in South America’s Andes Mountains, and they belong to the family Chinchillidae, a family of squirrel-like rodents.
  • The term ‘chinchilla’ is said to have derived from ‘Chincha’, the name of the Andes Mountains indigenous people who wore garments made from their fur, however, it is also believed the term means ‘little bug’.
  • Chinchillas have become critically endangered, and one species is extinct, due to human hunting for its very soft fur.
  • Chinchillas grow to be 25 to 35 centimetres (10 to 14 inches) in length; weigh 400 to 500 grams (14 to 18 ounces); and can jump lengths of 1.8 metres (6 feet) in a single bound.
Chinchilla, Animals, pets, rodents, black, grey, white, Captive, Ten Random Facts
Chinchillas
Image courtesy of Ph!L!s/Flickr
  • Female chinchillas have litters averaging two or three, giving birth to young that have a body full of fur and open eyes, and they live on average 10 to 12 years, although they can live to age 20.
  • A chinchilla’s diet mainly consists of seeds, fruit, leaves and nuts, and they are preyed upon by birds like owls and hawks, snakes, foxes and other animals.
  • Chinchillas can be kept as pets, although the animal requires a specific diet and habitat, including a relatively cool environment.
  • The fur of chinchillas has been sold since the 1500s, while today the animal is bred commercially for their fur.
  • The fur colour of chinchillas is typically grey, although humans have bred them so that they produce different colours, including white, black, blue or beige.
Bibliography:
Chinchilla, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/chinchilla/
Chinchilla, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinchilla
The Chinchilla, 2014, Chinchilla Chronicles, http://www.chinchillachronicles.com/the_chinchilla.html

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Spider Monkey

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Spider Monkey

Eeek! Oh, it is just a spider monkey.

  • Spider monkeys are a group of monkeys, scientifically known as ‘Ateles’, that are native to Central and South America’s rainforests.
  • Spider monkeys have abnormally long arms, legs and tail, that somewhat resembles a spider, and they do not possess thumbs.
  • Spider monkeys’ diet mainly consists of fruit, as well as nuts, flowers, leaves, and insects.
  • Spider monkeys live high up in the tall trees, in troops of 10 to 40 monkeys, that generally split into smaller groups during daytime, and they vocalise by barking, screaming and whinnying.
  • Six of the seven species of spider monkey are endangered, some species critically, and the seventh is vulnerable, due to rainforest removal as well as hunting.
Spider Monkey, Brown, Crouch, Tree, Branches, Animal, Primate, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Endangered, Long limbs,Spider Monkey
Image courtesy of Russel Street/Flickr
  • Spider monkeys are from the Atelidae family, the family of large New World Monkeys, and they have a life span, on average, of 22 years, and can live up to 27.
  • The fur of spider monkeys is typically coloured gold, brown, black, white or grey and the extremities are also black coloured, while the colour varies depending on the species.
  • When threatened, either by humans or other animals like eagles and jaguars, spider monkeys may bark, shake trees to provoke fear, drop branches or, rarely, attack.
  • Female spider monkeys typically have a single baby at a time, with a gap of 3 or 4 years before they reproduce again, and the young monkey travels with and relies on the mother for approximately six to ten months.
  • Spider monkeys grow to be around 35 to 66 centimetres (14 to 26 inches) in height, with a tail length that can be as long as 89 centimetres (35 inches), and they weigh approximately 6 to 11 kilograms (13.25 to 24 pounds).
Bibliography:
Spider Monkey, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/spider-monkey/
Spider Monkey, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/spider-monkey/
Spider Monkey, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_monkey

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Gopher

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Gopher

What secret underground gopher networks have you stumbled upon?

  • Gopher rodents are 35 species of mammal, notable for creating and living in tunnel networks underground.
  • Gophers are the family group with the scientific name Geomyidae, and they are native to North America and Central America.
  • ‘Gophers’ are also known as ‘pocket gophers’ due to the pouches they have in their cheeks, and the term is occasionally used to refer to some of the Sciuridae family’s ground squirrels.
  • Gophers grow to be 12.7 to 35.5 centimetres (5 to 14 inches) in length and range from 220 to 1000 grams (0.5 to 2.2 pounds) in weight.
  • Gophers typically live up to three years in the wild, although some reach up to seven years.

Gopher, Rodent, Mammal, Animal, Grass, Ten Random Facts, animal, Flickr

Gopher
Image courtesy of Sebastian Bergmann/Flickr
  • Gophers have brown, dirt camouflaging fur, long teeth, and a tail that is short.
  • Gophers are prey to weasels, owls, hawks, badgers, snakes and other animals.
  • Gophers are often classified as agriculture and domestic yard pests, as the burrowing under soil can make a visible mess, and they sometimes eat and destroy plants and crops.
  • Gophers are solitary animals and the females give birth to between two to five offspring at one time, that initially can not see.
  • The diet of gophers primarily consists of tubers and roots, as well as vegetables, and other plant material, that they store in their burrows, and they use their cheek pouches to carry their food.
Bibliography:
Gopher, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopher
Myers P, Geomyidae, 2001, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Geomyidae/
Pocket Gophers, 2014, National Wildlife Federation, http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/pocket-gophers.aspx

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Earmuffs

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Earmuffs

Earmuffs: protect your ears from noise and cold.

  • Earmuffs are a piece of equipment or clothing accessory, that covers the ears, that are used for either thermal or acoustic purposes.
  • Earmuffs typically come as a pair of ear shields, pads or cups, connected by a curved strip that is usually made of metal or thermoplastic.
  • ‘Earmuffs’ are also known as ‘ear protectors’ and ‘ear-mufflers’, and those used for acoustic purposes are also known as ‘ear defenders’ and ‘hearing protectors’ and are classified as ‘personal protective equipment’ (PPE).
  • Thermal earmuffs are used to keep one’s ears warm, and are commonly used outdoors in cold climates.
  • Depending on their designed use, earmuff pads are commonly made of fabric, foam or thermoplastic, or a combination of these materials.

Earmuffs, Green, Acoustic, Sound, Protector, Invention, Ten Random Facts

  • When sounds are too loud, acoustic earmuffs are used to protect the ears, and they should be used when sounds breach 85 decibels.
  • Thermal earmuffs were invented in 1873 by American teenager Chester Greenwood, resident of Farmington in Maine in the United States, at 15 years of age, later receiving a patent for his improved invention in 1877, and by 1883 his company produced 30,000 a year and by 1936, 400,000 were being produced annually.
  • Earmuffs are usually placed on top or around the back of a person’s head, like a headband.
  • Acoustic earmuffs have different ratings, depending on the level of noise reduction they have when in use.
  • Earmuffs come in a variety of colours and the pads come in a variety of shapes depending on their purpose and fashion.

 

Bibliography:
Earmuffs, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earmuffs
Earmuffs 2005, The Great Idea Finder, http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/earmuff.htm

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