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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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Spotted Lake

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Spotted Lake

Spotted Lake is coloured in polka-dots.

  • Spotted Lake is a drainage basin with no outflow, located in British Columbia’s Similkameen Valley, in Canada.
  • The water of Spotted Lake is high in sodium and magnesium sulphate, and calcium, as well as a number of other minerals.
  • During summer, the evaporation of water in Spotted Lake leaves numerous water pools that contain significant quantities of mineral deposits, and as such, the lake looks spotty.
  • ‘Spotted Lake’ is also known in the indigenous language of the area as ‘ktlil’xWW‘ (Ha? Ki lil xw), or ‘sacred medicine lake’, and it is also known as ‘Chliluk’, ‘Khiluk’ and ‘Kliluk’.
  • Spotted Lake has been considered a sacred area by native communities, especially the local Okanagan people, with the ability to heal illness and damage to human skin.
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Spotted Lake
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • Minerals of Spotted Lake were extracted during World War I, for the manufacture of explosives.
  • Spotted Lake can reach 700 metres (765 yards) at its longest point and 250 metres (273 yards) at its widest.
  • Spotted Lake is designated as a protected area and has been owned by the Canadian government and indigenous communities since 2001, though it was privately owned prior to this.
  • There are said to be 365 individual pools of water in summer at Spotted Lake, that range in colour from yellow, orange, green, purple and blue, depending on the mineral content.
  • The pathways between the pools of water of Spotted Lake occur due to the hardening of minerals, however walking in the lake area is prohibited.
Bibliography:
10 Things to Know About Khiluk – The Spotted Lake of British Columbia, 2014, CryptoVille, http://visitcryptoville.com/2014/01/30/10-things-to-know-about-khiluk-the-spotted-lake-of-british-columbia/
Discover the mystic ‘Spotted Lake’: A sacred site producing therapeutic waters near Osoyoos BC Canada, 2013, Strange Sounds, http://strangesounds.org/2013/04/discover-the-mystic-spotted-lake-a-sacred-site-producing-therapeutic-waters-near-osoyoos-bc-canada.html
Spotted Lake (Khiluk), British Columbia, Canada, 2014, Globetrotter’s Wanderlust, http://globetrotterswanderlust.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/spotted-lake-khiluk-british-columbia.html
Spotted Lake, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_Lake
Spotted Lake, n.d, British Columbia, http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/16532.html

 

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Ranch Dressing

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Ranch Dressing

Get into the American taste with ranch dressing.

  • Ranch dressing is a condiment popularly used as flavouring for a variety of foods.
  • Typically, ranch dressing is made of buttermilk, mayonnaise, herbs and onion, with the occasional spice, however, many different versions are available, that come in a variety of flavours.
  • Ranch dressing was invented in the early 1950s by American Steve Henson, and was served to the guests of his tourist accommodation known as Hidden Valley Ranch.
  • The ranch dressing served to tourists was well received, leading to the sauce being made so that it could be sent home with the guests, and later began being manufactured commercially.
  • Hidden Valley Ranch Food Products Inc were the original producers of ranch dressing, and it was sold to The Clorox Company in 1972 for eight million dollars.
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Ranch Dressing
Image courtesy of Brad.K/Flickr
  • Ranch dressing is commonly used to flavour salads, and it is also used as a dip and as a sauce, for both vegetables and meat.
  • Ranch dressing took the status of the United State’s most commercially popular dressing as of 1992, a title previously held by Italian dressing, and held that spot for at least 20 years.
  • Ranch dressing was originally difficult to store, due to the quantity of dairy in the recipe, however, in 1983, the recipe was developed so that a shelf stable product could be sold in supermarkets, where it could be obtained in a bottle without the need of refrigeration.
  • The popularity of ranch dressing saw a sharp increase during the 1980s, as restaurants began to offer the dressing as part of their menu, and its ready availability in supermarkets also contributed to its prominence.
  • Depending on the recipe, ranch dressing may be high in vitamin K, and it has significant quantities of fat, and sodium.
Bibliography:
Jones A, History of Ranch Dressing, 2015, eHow, http://www.ehow.com/about_5065787_history-ranch-dressing.html
Koerner J, Ranch Dressing, 2015, Slate, http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/number_1/2005/08/ranch_dressing.html
Ranch Dressing, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranch_dressing

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American Bullfrog

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American Bullfrog

Do you get a bit jumpy around American bullfrogs?

  • American bullfrogs are a species of large frog, native to Canada and southern and eastern parts of the United States, as well as parts of Mexico, and they are also just called ‘bullfrogs’, although this term can be used loosely to refer to other frog species.
  • The scientific name of an American bullfrog is Rana catesbeiana and it is from the family Ranidae, the family of true frogs.
  • The colour of the skin of American bullfrogs is generally a combination of green, brown, grey and yellow.
  • The length of an American bullfrog can range from 9 to 15 centimetres (3.5 to 6 inches) or larger, and it can weigh 300 to 500 grams (0.6 to 1.1 pounds) or more.
  • Anything swallowable makes up an American bullfrog’s diet, including fish and other water creatures, birds, rodents, reptiles and insects.
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American Bullfrog
Image courtesy of Katja Shulz/Flickr
  • American bullfrog hind legs are eaten as a food item by humans in a number of countries, and the frogs are often captured through spearing or by hand.
  • American bullfrog females can produce up to 20,000 eggs at a single time, and they hatch as tadpoles, which can take a few months and up to a few years, depending on water temperature, to grow into adult frogs.
  • Male American bullfrogs display social dominance, and they emit a deep sound when calling, said to be similar to that of cattle, hence their common name.
  • American bullfrogs can live up to 16 years, although this is rare – they are more likely to have a lifespan of  six to ten years.
  • American bullfrogs have been introduced, accidentally or deliberately, to parts of South America, Europe and Asia, and they have been detrimental to native species in some of these areas.
Bibliography:
American Bullfrog, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/amphibians/american-bullfrog/
American Bullfrog, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bullfrog
Bullfrog, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/bullfrog/

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Marble Caves

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Marble Caves

Light cannot escape in the labyrinth of the Marble Caves.

  • The Marble Caves is a group of caves made of marble, situated in the Chile portion of the General Carrera Lake, in South America.
  • ‘Marble Caves’ is also known as ‘Marble Caverns’, as well as ‘Marble Cathedral’ and ‘Marble Chapel’, although these terms may refer to particular formations in the area.
  • Only boats of small size can be used to view and make their way through the Marble Caves, which are located in perfectly clear, stunning turquoise water.
  • The marble stone of the Marble Caves is rich in calcium carbonate, making up approximately 94% of the formation.
  • It is estimated that the total weight of the Marble Caves combined, would be 5 billion tonnes (5.5 billion tons).
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Part of Marble Caves
Image courtesy of Dan Lunberg/Flickr
  • The marble colour of the Marble Caves ranges from white to grey to blue, and also includes the odd pink tint.
  • The Marble Caves were formed by water and weather erosion over a span of thousands of years.
  • ‘Marble Caves’ are known in Spanish as the ‘Catedral de Mármol’ or the ‘Capilla de Mármol’.
  • There are three formations in the Marble Caves group – the cathedral, the chapel and the cave.
  • To access the Marble Caves, a boat is usually used from the small remote town of Puerto Rio Tranquilo, while the most common period to visit is from December to February.
Bibliography:
General Carrera Lake Is Chile’s Answer To Everything Blue And Beautiful, 2014, Huff Post Travel Canada, http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/01/22/general-carrera-lake-photos_n_4640023.html
The Marble Cathedral of Chile: Are These the World’s Most Beautiful Caves?, 2011, Daily Mail Australia, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2021090/The-marble-cathedral-Chile-Natural-wonder-worlds-beautiful-cave-network.html
The Marble Cathedral of General Carrera Lake, 2011, Kuriositas, http://www.kuriositas.com/2011/05/marble-cathedral-of-general-carrera.html
Marble Caves, Chile, 2015, Don’t Complain, http://www.dont-complain.com/2015/01/17/marble-caves-chile/

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Guinea Pig

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Guinea Pig

Guinea pigs are really just pampered rodents.

  • Guinea pigs are a domesticated rodent species, popularly kept as a pet, and they are not found in the wild.
  • The scientific name of guinea pigs is Cavia porcellus and it is from the family Caviidae, the family of cavies.
  • A ‘guinea pig’ is also known as a ‘cavy’, while the species’ scientific name ‘porcellus’, means ‘piglet’ in Latin.
  • Guinea pig descendants were native to the Andes mountains of South America and are said to have been domesticated between 5000 and 2500 BC.
  • Guinea pigs have been a traditional food source for some native tribes of South America, being one of the main reasons for their domestication, while in 2004, it was estimated that in Peru, 65 million of the rodents were eaten.

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  • The selective breeding of guinea pigs was undertaken during the 1200s, while the mammal was later introduced to the upper class of Europe in the 1500s.
  • Guinea pigs generally range from 20 to 25 centimetres (8 to 10 inches) in length and weigh 700 to 1100 grams (1.5 to 2.5 pounds).
  • The diet of guinea pigs consists primarily of grasses but also other vegetation including fruit and vegetables.
  • The hair of guinea pigs can be short or long, and usually ranges from blotched patterns to solid colours of white, brown, grey, orange and black.
  • Guinea pigs have been used since the 1600s to research health, including diseases such as scurvy, cholera, various fevers and typhus.
Bibliography:
Bradford A, Guinea Pig Facts, 2015, Live Science, http://www.livescience.com/50658-guinea-pig-facts.html
Guinea Pig, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig
Vries L, Peru Pushes Guinea Pigs as Food, 2004, CBS News, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/peru-pushes-guinea-pigs-as-food/

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