Tag Archives: Facts

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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Kalanchoe Blossfeldina

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Kalanchoe Blossfeldina

Kalanchoe blossfeldina is a toxin in disguise.

  • Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a species of succulent plant that is perennial and also evergreen.
  • ‘Kalanchoe blossfeldiana’ is also known as ‘florist kalanchoe’, ‘kalanchoe’, ‘Christmas kalanchoe’, ‘flaming Katy’ and ‘Madagascar widow’s-thrill’.
  • Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is known as the scientific name of the plant, which is from the family Crassulaceae, the family of stonecrops.
  • The height of kalanchoe blossfeldiana generally reaches around 30 to 45 centimetres (12 to 18 inches) although smaller varieties are available.
  • Kalanchoe blossfeldina is native to the plateaus of Madagascar, Africa, and the plant is slow growing.

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  • The flowers of Kalanchoe blossfeldina have four petals, though they can have more if they are a double variety, and they bloom numerously in clusters for long periods during autumn and winter months.
  • The colours of Kalanchoe blossfeldina flowers ranges from yellow, red, orange, purple, pink and white.
  • Kalanchoe blossfeldina is commonly used for ornamental purposes, particularly as a pot plant or in gardens.
  • The best growing conditions for kalanchoe blossfeldina is full sun and warm climates, while the plant needs significant exposure to light to thrive.
  • On consumption, Kalanchoe blossfeldina is toxic, particularly to animals, and the flower contains the highest concentration of toxins.
Bibliography:
Care of the Kalanchoe Plant, 2005, Al Krismers Plant Farm, http://www.krismers.com/Kalanchoe_care.pdf
The Flaming Katy, 2015, Our House Plants, http://www.ourhouseplants.com/plants/flaming-katy
Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalanchoe_blossfeldiana
Smith G, Toxicology Brief: Kalanchoe species poisoning in pets, 2004, dvm360, http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/toxicology-brief-kalanchoe-species-poisoning-pets?rel=canonical

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Nori

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Nori

Faces crinkle when nori is eaten!

  • Nori is a food item traditionally eaten as part of Japanese and Korean cuisine, and it is also consumed in China, but is less common.
  • Typically nori is made of an edible species of red seaweed, from the Pyropia and Porphyra genera, such as Pyropia yezoensis (the most commonly used species) and Pyropia tenera, both of which were previously part of the Porphyra genus, that are especially farmed for this purpose.
  • Nori is made by washing the seaweed in clean water, cutting it into small pieces via a machine, mixing the pieces with water and pouring the mixture onto mats to create sheets, which are passed through a drier, after which the sheets may be toasted, a process comparable to that of paper-making.
  • Nori is traditionally used as a wrapping around rice to make sushi and onigiri, and it may be used to flavour other rice dishes as well as soup and noodles.
  • Nori can be found in Asian grocery stores, although it is becoming increasingly common to find the product in general supermarkets, and it is typically sold as sheets in airtight packets, often including a moisture absorbent, as the product is susceptible to moisture, and thus should be stored in a dry place.
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Nori
Image courtesy of John Lodder/Flickr
  • The production of nori has occurred since at least 700 AD, as a paste, although it was not made into dry sheets until the early 1700s, while British scientist, Kathleen Drew-Baker contributed to a major breakthrough in the industry in the mid 1900s, and ‘one man’ machines have also revolutionised production since 1975.
  • Japan is the greatest producer of nori in the world, and produced 10 billion sheets in 2003, and it is the most widely eaten seaweed in Japan.
  • Nori is very high in iodine and is high in vitamin A, vitamin C and manganese, and contains many other vitamins and minerals.
  • ‘Nori’ is also known as ‘laver’ in some western cultures, and it can be flavoured and eaten as a food by itself, and it has a crispy texture in the packet, but once it is in use, it becomes limp and chewy.
  • The darker the colour of nori, the higher quality it is, and the product is typically roasted or toasted before consuming, although this is often done prior to packaging, which will turn it from a deep red, purple or almost black colour, to a dark green.
Bibliography:
About Seaweed, 2014, Seaweed Industry Association, https://seaweedindustry.com/seaweed/type/pyropia-yezoensis
Nori, 2015, All About Sushi Guide, http://www.allaboutsushiguide.com/nori.html
Nori, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nori
Reavis R, Nori – Japan’s Most Famous Seaweed: Part I, History and Traditional Use, 2012, Glendale Community College Blog, https://glendalecommunitycollege.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/nori-japans-most-famous-seaweed-part-i-history-and-traditional-use/

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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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Lead

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Lead

Lead is a very versatile material – it’s a pity it is so dangerous.

  • Lead is a metal chemical element of the carbon section in the periodic table, and it is a post transition, or poor, metal.
  • Lead is known under the Pb symbol on the periodic table, and it has the atomic number, or number of protons, of 82 and a standard atomic weight or relative atomic mass of 207.2.
  • When left open to the air, lead changes from a shiny blue-silver colour, to a dull grey, and it is a shiny silver colour when liquefied.
  • Lead is a very heavy but soft and pliable material, commonly used to block radiation, and it is also found in bullets, alloys, certain batteries, as well as traditionally in fishing sinkers, and is used in the building industry.
  • The natural formation of lead is generally caused by the breaking down of elements that are heaver, and it is most commonly found in the mineral galena, from which it is extracted.

Lead, Trivia, Element, Facts, Random Ten, Shiny, Material

  • Lead has been used as a material since 6000 BC, however the Ancient Romans were the first to use the material extensively, especially in pipes for plumbing purposes.
  • Lead is extremely toxic on entering the human body, affecting many organs negatively, and can even cause fatalities.
  • Lead in soil can be neutralised by certain fungi, notably Aspergillus versicolor, and some forms of bacteria may also be effective.
  • Lead melts at 600.61 Kelvin (327.46 ° Celsius or 621.43 ° Fahrenheit) and has a solid density of 11.34 grams/centimetres cubed (6.55 ounces/inches cubed) at room temperature.
  • The Latin term for ‘lead’ is ‘plumbum’, which has been used as the root for the English word ‘plumber’, which originally means ‘a worker of lead’, and the periodic table abbreviation is derived from the Latin word for the metal.
Bibliography:
Lead, 2015, Royal Society of Chemistry, http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/82/lead
Lead, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead
Learn About Lead, 2015, United States Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/lead/learn-about-lead

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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.

Guinea Pig, Pet, Domestic, Trivia, Rodent, Mammal, Animal, Brown, Black,

  • 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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