Tag Archives: Asia

Woolly Mammoth

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Woolly Mammoth

There is a lot of information about the extinct woolly mammoth.

  • Woolly mammoths are large, extinct mammals from prehistoric northern Europe, Asia and America, that are said to be relatives of Asian Elephants.
  • Woolly mammoths have the scientific name of Mammuthus primigenius and are one of ten species of mammoth from the family Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths.
  • Woolly mammoths reached 1.8 to 4 metres (6 to 13 feet) in height and weighed up to 4 to 8 tonnes (4.4 to 8.8 tons); had dark hair coats coloured mostly black or brown; as well as small ears and short tails that reduced the chance of frostbite.
  • Woolly mammoths boast some of the most collected data of all prehistoric animals, due to extensive skeletons, preserved bodies, fossils and cave depictions.
  • Woolly mammoths had two long, sloped tusks that grew to be 1.5 to 4.2 metres (5 to 14 feet) in length, and three quarters were generally visible, while the tusks were probably used for defense and species fighting in the form of hitting.
Woolly Mammoth Royal BC Museum, Victoria, British Columbia, Fake, Replication, Musuem, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, MammalReplica of a Woolly Mammoth
Image courtesy of Rob Pongsajapan/Flickr
  • Woolly mammoths lived in large herds similar to today’s elephants, while weak and young mammoths were preyed on by pack dog species and large animals from the cat family, and the typical life span ranged from 25 to 80 years.
  • The diet of woolly mammoths probably consisted of vegetation including shrubs, trees, fruit, moss, nuts and smaller plants.
  • Woolly mammoths are often depicted in ancient cave paintings, while the bones were used by people to create human shelters and the tusks made into weapons and tools.
  • Woolly mammoths probably became extinct due to hunting and habitat changes, and the last mammoths probably lived isolated in the Arctic Ocean on Wrangel Island.
  • Some frozen woolly mammoths contain DNA that could possibly be extracted and cloned, although this popular theory is controversial, due to financial costs and ethical issues.
Bibliography:
Woolly Mammoth, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/woolly-mammoth/
Woolly Mammoth, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolly_mammoth

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Sun Bear

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Sun Bear

Sun bears are not bright and happy when threatened.

  • Sun bears are mammals native to Southeast Asian tropical forests that typically live by themselves in trees, where they make themselves nests that they rest in.
  • Sun bears have the scientific name Helarctos malayanus and are from the family Ursidae, the family of bears, and there are two subspecies – Herlarctos malayanus malayanus (Malayan) and Herlarctos malayanus euryspilus (Bornean).
  • ‘Sun bears’ are also known as ‘dog bears’, due to their facial features resembling those of a dog, ‘honey bears’ and ‘Malay bears’.
  • A sun bear’s fur is typically coloured black, and it can also have grey, brown, red, orange or yellow markings, especially on the upper body under the neck, where there is crescent which is interpreted as a sunrise.
  • Sun bears are the smallest species of bear, and they range from 120 to 150 centimetres (4 to 5 feet) in height and grow to be 27 to 70 kilograms (60 to 150 pounds) in weight.
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Sun Bear
Image courtesy of Ryan Poplin/Flickr
  • The diet of sun bears mainly consists of insects including ants and termites, as well as fruit, but they also consume birds, eggs, larvae, rodents, nuts, reptiles and honey, while smaller foods are reached via a 20 to 25 centimetre (7.9 to 9.8 inch) long tongue.
  • Sun bears have litters of one or two cubs that are born blind and without hair, and they have a lifespan that ranges from 15 to 30 years.
  • Sun bears are classified as vulnerable due to logging illegally in forest habitats and poaching.
  • Sun bears are preyed on by snakes, some large mammals from the cat family and birds of prey.
  • Sun bears can move at speeds of 48 kilometres per hour (30 miles per hour) and are very fast climbers.
Bibliography:
Sun Bear, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/sun-bear/
Sun Bear, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/sun-bear/
Sun Bear, 2014, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/sun-bear
Sun Bear, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_bear

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Door to Hell

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Door to Hell

How long can a fire burn in the Door to Hell?

  • The Door to Hell is among the largest deposits of natural gas in the world, located in the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan’s Derweze, in Asia.
  • ‘The Door to Hell’ is also known as ‘Gates of Hell’, the ‘Gas Crater of Darvaza’, ‘Derweze Crater’ and the ‘Darvaza Crater’.
  • The Door to Hell gas field is said to have been discovered by petrochemical engineers from the Soviet Union in 1971 and a drilling rig was soon established.
  • Early on, during the gas drilling stage at the Door to Hell, the site collapsed and formed a 69 metre (225 feet) diameter hole, that is 30 metres (99 feet) deep.
  • When the collapse at the Door to Hell occurred, large quantities of toxic and non-environmentally friendly methane gas were released, which to remove, was set alight.
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The Door to Hell
Image courtesy of flydime/Wikimedia
  • The original fire of the Door to Hell is said to have been burning since 1971, although at the time, it was expected that the fire would only last a few days or weeks.
  • In late 2013, adventurer George Kourounis, a Canadian, reached the Door to Hell’s base, becoming the first person to accomplish this, and he collected soil samples from within that contained extremophile bacteria.
  • To protect and allow future gas mining in the area, the Door to Hell was commanded to be closed in early 2010, by Turkmenistan’s then President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, although it was not accomplished.
  • The nearby town of Derweze is said to have had a forced population reduction from approximately 1,700 people, to 350 in 2004, by the then President Saparmurat Niyazov’s orders, to ‘protect’ the tourism industry of the Door to Hell.
  • The Door to Hell is a popular tourist attraction for those visiting the area, with people venturing onto the crater’s edges, which are susceptible to collapsing, to view the spectacular fires in the crater.
Bibliography:
Door to Hell, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_to_Hell
Nunez C, Q&A: The First-Ever Expedition to Turkmenistan’s “Door to Hell“, 2014, National Geographic News, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2014/07/140716-door-to-hell-darvaza-crater-george-kourounis-expedition/
Turkmenistan’s Door to Hell, 2013, Sometimes Interesting, http://sometimes-interesting.com/2013/07/31/turkmenistans-door-to-hell/

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Beaver

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Beaver

Do you beaver around a lot?

  • Beavers are rodents that are generally active at night, and their habitat is primarily water bodies in forest areas of North America, Europe and Asia.
  • Beavers spend significant quantities of time constructing and maintaining dams and other aquatic structures like lodges, that provide protection and housing, as well as water movement that allows resources to float, and they use trees that they cut down with their sharp teeth, as well as rocks, other vegetation and mud as their building materials.
  • Beavers have the scientific name Castor, while they are the only living members of the family Castoridae, and there are two extant species of beaver – Castor fiber which is known as the Eurasian species, and Castor canadensis, the North American species.
  • Beavers are able to move easily in water, and their diet consists of vegetation, particularly material from a variety of trees, including bark, leaves and twigs, as well as aquatic plants and sedges.
  • Beavers grow to lengths of 60 to 120 centimetres (23 to 47 inches), making them the second largest rodent on earth, and weigh 16 to 27 kilograms (35 to 60 pounds).
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Beavers
Image courtesy of flinchlake2000/Flickr
  • Beavers have beige, red-brown, brown, almost black, or grey fur; the back feet are webbed; they have see-through eyelids; and a flat tail that acts like a rudder and provides a loud warning when slapped against water.
  • Beavers live in families in their lodges that consist of as many as ten rodents, and they are preyed on by wolves, bears and lynxes, and the animal has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years, although they can live up to 24 years.
  • Beavers body parts have been used in traditional medicine; the secretions from their castor sacs or scent glands are used in the perfume industry and as a flavouring for food; and the fur coat is a commonly poached item.
  • It is illegal to hunt or kill beavers in some countries and areas, while in other places, including parts of the United States, it is legal to trap or shoot the animal.
  • When introduced without sufficient predators, beavers can overrun habitats, causing extensive forest removal, landscape change and water flow changes, as well as other problems, and they can be a pest on farms and properties.
Bibliography:
Beaver, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/beaver/
Beaver, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/beaver/
Beaver, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver

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Dill

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Dill

Isn’t dill play-on-words fun!?

  • Dill is a leafy herb that reaches heights of 40 to 60 centimetres (16 to 24 inches) and the plant is grown as an annual in full sun.
  • Dill is native to Europe’s east, Russia’s south, Africa and the Mediterranean, and it is the only species in the Anethum genus; its scientific name is Anethum graveolens.
  • Dill is from the family Apiaceae, that is also known as the Umbelliferae family, and it is the family of celery, parsley and carrots, and other hollow stem plants.
  • ‘Dill’ is derived from the Norse word ‘dilla’, meaning ‘to lull’ or the Old English word ‘dile’, and the names are a reference to the plant’s medicinal purposes.
  • Dill leaves are often used in seafood or soup dishes, as well as pickled items like cucumbers, and the seeds are used as a spice for flavouring.
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  • Oil can be obtained from the dill plant, which can be used to produce soap.
  • Dill has been used for thousands of years, and in England in the 5th to 11th centuries it was used to treat headaches, stomach illness, boils and nausea, and other sickness.
  • Fresh dill leaves are delicate and feathery and are typically coloured a bright green, while seeds are mustard to brown in colour.
  • Dill has a taste described typically as mild and warm, with a slight anise flavour, and the leaves have a milder flavour than the seeds.
  • Dill leaves are a very good source of vitamin C and vitamin A, and they contain many other vitamins and minerals, while the seeds are high in calcium.
Bibliography:
Dill (Anethum graveolens), 2014, Gourmet Garden, http://www.gourmetgarden.com/en/herb/252/dill
Dill, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=71
Dill, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dill

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Buckwheat

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Buckwheat

Buckwheat is not wheat but instead a wheat alternative.

  • Buckwheat is a seed grain that is obtained from the plant with the scientific name Fagopyrum esculentum, and is classified as a pseudocereal, as it is not a species of grass.
  • ‘Buckwheat’ is also known as ‘beech wheat’, and this name is a reference to the similar triangular shaped appearance it has to beech nuts that are significantly larger, and its common use as a wheat replacement.
  • Buckwheat is not related to wheat, instead it comes from the family Polygonaceae, the family of knotweed, that rhubarb also belongs to.
  • ‘Buckwheat’ s comes from the word ‘boecweite’ that means ‘beech wheat’ in Middle Dutch, and when the seed is roasted, it is known as ‘kasha’.
  • In 2011, Russia was the leading producer of buckwheat, with 800,380 tonnes (882,000 tons), China with 720,000 tonnes (793,700 tons) and Ukraine boasting 281,600 tonnes (310,400 tons).

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  • The outer buckwheat layer is typically a dark tan when roasted, or light green or brown in colour when raw, while the inner starch is coloured white, and is approximately 3 to 4 millimetres (0.12 to 0.16 inch) in diameter and approximately 5 millimetres tall.
  • Buckwheat can be eaten raw or roasted, and is commonly ground into flour, which in turn is used in pancakes, noodles, bread and porridge; although some people are allergic to it, causing a rash, and anaphylaxis cases have occurred.
  • Buckwheat is a grain that does not contain wheat or gluten, and therefore is a common replacement for those with coeliac disease, or who are intolerant or have an allergy to wheat.
  • A buckwheat seed is called a ‘groat’, and its triangular shape has led to unique equipment to hull the seed.
  • Buckwheat is very high in fibre, niacin, riboflavin, copper, magnesium, phosphorous and manganese.

 

Bibliography:
Buckwheat, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11
Buckwheat, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat
Murray, J, What is Buckwheat? Buckwheat Defined, 2014, About Food, http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/a/What-Is-Buckwheat.htm

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