Clipmarks | Animal kingdom Clips

The First Video Footage of the World's Most Elusive Cat

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:16:23 GMT

clipped by: celestialdancer
clipper's remarks: "Andrew Hearn and Joanna Ross, researchers from the United Kingdom’s Global Canopy Programme’s Bornean Wild Cat & Clouded Leopard Project, have been surveying five species of wild cats of Borneo for several years. Their work has uncovered some remarkable findings. Besides capturing the world’s first ever video of the rare cat, the two are also credited for snapping the first photograph of a live bay cat. Based in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah, camera trapping and radio-tracking methods are utilized in their research. The program also provides educational materials, community surveys and training courses as well. " (from the article)

Clip Source: ecoworldly.com

Researchers in Malaysian Borneo have captured the world’s most elusive and endangered cat on film. The beautiful Bornean bay cat, Catopuma badia, is so rare; a live cat was not even photographed until 1998!

Although the amazing video only lasts seven seconds, the chestnut-red cat with the long tail can be clearly seen walking through the forest. Because so little is known about this particular wild cat, even its eating habits are unknown.

Endemic to the forests of Borneo, threats to this elusive animal include illegal pet trade, poaching, deforestation and habitat loss largely due to palm oil plantations. Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, it is estimated that only 2,500 Bornean bay cats remain in the wild today.

ALong with numerous photographs, the Bornean bay cat video footage is available on the MongaBay website.

Ghostly 'dance of a sea dragon'

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:17:41 GMT

clipped by: EddieIsSteady

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Ghostly 'dance of a sea dragon'

One of the most elegant courtship rituals in the animal kingdom has been captured on film by a BBC crew.

The dance of the weedy sea dragon takes place every year in the shallow seas off the coast of Australia.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

During the ghostly dance, two beautifully odd-looking fish mirror each other's every movement.

At the end of the ritual, the male fish is the one to get pregnant, giving birth two months later, a process the BBC crew filmed for the first time.

The dance of the weedy sea dragon is captured for the BBC natural history series Life.

Clip Source: newsimg.bbc.co.uk

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

"There is no sense that they are at all concerned about anything other than each other."

The mirror dance usually takes place in the fading evening light.

"What's so lovely is you feel you have seen the most intimate moments of their lives," says Mr Chapman.

The ritual usually takes place in spring.

Clip Source: newsimg.bbc.co.uk

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Sea dragons, seahorses and pipefish are the only fish species in which the males carry and raise the young.

Tags: marine-biology, seahorses, video

The top ten coolest Polychaete Worms

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:54:41 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Each explanation is as fascinating as the pics, so only able to do justice to one. Worth the visit.

Clip Source: www.bogleech.com

Over 10,000 species of Polychaete have been
documented, nearly all of them found in brackish or salt-water environments. Unlike the
earthworms, Polychaetes can possess dozens of legs, claws, tentacles, antennae, functioning
eyes and complex mouthparts, an anatomy that has been modified into an insanely broad variety
of lifestyles

#1: Osedax worms

As the largest single concentration of meat in the animal kingdom, the death of a whale is
one of the deep sea's most celebrated events

Structured more like a plant than an animal, the female Osedax worm lacks a
mouth or stomach, relying on a network of "roots" to tap into its only food source; the fatty
oils contained within whale bone. Like the thermal tube worms, it relies on unique
symbiotic bacteria to process this nourishment

the "missing" male
worms were there all along, plentiful but microscopic, living inside the bodies of the
females. Continuously fertilized by her tiny inner harem, the lady snot-flower pumps
thousands of eggs

Tags: nature

Ghostly 'dance of a sea dragon'

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:27:28 GMT

clipped by: martinlowe

Clip Source: newsvote.bbc.co.uk

A mirror of each other

One of the most elegant courtship rituals in the animal kingdom has been captured on film by a BBC crew.

The dance of the weedy sea dragon takes place every year in the shallow seas off the coast of Australia.

During the ghostly dance, two beautifully odd-looking fish mirror each other's every movement.

At the end of the ritual, the male fish is the one to get pregnant, giving birth two months later, a process the BBC crew filmed for the first time.

The dance of the weedy sea dragon is captured for the BBC natural history series Life.

Weedy sea dragons are a type of fish related to seahorses and pipefish.

When a male and female weedy sea dragon come together to mate, they perform an elaborate courtship ritual known as a "mirror dance".

"It's an amazingly engaging sequence, because it is so beautiful and graceful, and yet totally observed," says Adam Chapman, a BBC producer who helped film the behaviour with cameraman Doug Anderson.

Largest Web-Spinning Spider Found

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:55:28 GMT

clipped by: JackieDel
clipper's remarks:

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Meet the newest odd couple of the animal kingdom: the giant female and tiny male of the largest web-spinning spider known to science: Nephila komaci.

The female of the species has a leg span of up to 5 inches (12 centimeters), while the male—which spends much of its time clambering on its partner's back—barely reaches an inch (2.5 centimeters), a new study says.

Part of a well-known group of golden orb-weaver spiders—which can spin webs up to three feet (one meter) wide—N. komaci was first identified in a South African museum collection in 2000.

But it wasn't until a 2007 field survey, which discovered three individuals in South Africa's Tembe Elephant Park, that scientists knew the spider still existed in the wild.

The newfound spider, detailed October 20 in the journal PLoS One, is the first addition to the Nephila genus since 1879.

Overall, Coddington added, the discovery of this new species is "just further evidence that it's a wonderful world."

Tags: spiders

Shrimp Eyes May Lead to Ultra-Quality DVDs

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:23:02 GMT

clipped by: EddieIsSteady

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

Shrimp Eyes May Lead to Ultra-Quality DVDs

The amazing eyes of a giant shrimp living on Australia's Great Barrier Reef could hold the key to developing a new type of super high-quality DVD player, British scientists said on Sunday.

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

Mantis shrimps, dubbed "thumb splitters" by divers because of their vicious claws, have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom.

They can see in 12 primary colors, four times as many as humans, and can also detect different kinds of light polarization — the direction of oscillation in light waves.

"The mechanism we have found in this eye is unknown to human synthetic devices. It works much, much better than any attempts that we've made to construct a device," researcher Nicholas Roberts told Reuters.

He believes the "beautifully simple" eye system, comprising cell membranes rolled into tubes, could be mimicked in the lab using liquid crystals.

Details of the mantis shrimp research were published in the journal Nature Photonics.

Tags: shrimp, marine-biology, science, technology

The Animal Kingdom

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:03:22 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad

Clip Source: www.kidport.com

There are many different types of animals in the world. Many animals are quite similar to each other. Others are quite different. Animals can be classified based on their similarities. Continue on, and learn more about your fellow Earth inhabitants.

Protozoa
(phyla: protozoa)

Fish
(group: Pisces)

Echinoderms
such as starfish
(phyla: Echinodermata)

Amphibians
such as frogs
(class: Amphibia)

Annelids
such as earthworms
(phyla: Annelida)

Reptiles
such as crocodiles
(class: Reptilia)

Mollusks
such as octopus
(phyla: Mollusca)

Birds
(class: Aves)

Arthropods
such as crabs, spiders and insects
(phyla: Arthropoda)

Mammals
(class: Mammalia)

Crustaceans
such as crabs
(subphyla: Crustacea)

Marsupials
such as kangaroos
(order: Marsupialia)

Arachnids
such as spiders
(subphyla: Chelicerata
class: Arachnida)

Primates
such as gorillas and chimpanzees
(order: Primates)

Insects
(subphyla: Uniramia
class: Insecta)

Rodents
such as mice
(order: Rodentia)

Cetaceans
such as whales and dolphins
( order: Cetacea)

What you need to know about – Disney World Vacation Packages

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:32:38 GMT

clipped by: dslacademy
clipper's remarks: During summers the pleasure can be taken at the Typhoon Lagoon waterparks and the Blizzard Beach in Disney World, India. The place crammed by the tourists all round the year is bifurcated into five themed parks namely- The Magic Kingdom, Disney or MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom and the Epcot Center.

Clip Source: disney-world-vacation-packags.blogspot.com

During summers the pleasure can be taken at the Typhoon Lagoon waterparks and the Blizzard Beach in Disney World, India. The place crammed by the tourists all round the year is bifurcated into five themed parks namely- The Magic Kingdom, Disney or MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom and the Epcot Center.

Tags: disney world

Largest Web-Spinning Spider Found

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:53:41 GMT

clipped by: kkcapricorn
clipper's remarks: The newfound spider, detailed October 20 in the journal PLoS One, is the first addition to the Nephila genus since 1879.

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Meet the newest odd couple of the animal kingdom: the giant female and tiny male of the largest web-spinning spider known to science: Nephila komaci.

N. komaci was first identified in a South African museum collection in 2000.

N. komaci is likely rare within its small habitats in South Africa and Madagascar, researchers say, and females are much less common than males.

When ready to mate, a male will usually make his move when the female is molting, he added.

"Her legs are soft and her body's soft, and she can't prevent being inseminated by the male," Coddington said. "Once he's inseminated her, he'll break off his genitalia in hers, thereby plugging her up."

The male, which is left sterile, then drives away other males until he dies.

Tags: insects

World's Largest Web-Spinning Spider

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:31:26 GMT

clipped by: rj3sp

Clip Source: www.heute.at

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

'Giant' orb web spider discovered

[Video]

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Largest Web-Spinning Spider Found

Meet the newest odd couple of the animal kingdom: the giant female and tiny male of the largest web-spinning spider known to science: Nephila komaci.

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Nephila komaci

Nephila komaci is a member of the golden orb-web spider group and is the largest web-spinning spider known.^[1] Few specimens have been found in South Africa and Madagascar. N. komaci females are the largest Nephila yet discovered. Its tip-to-tip leg span is about 12 centimetres, and spins a web that is equally impressive in size, measuring more than a metre in diameter. (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091020/science/science_giant_spider)

Clip Source: www.plosone.org

Discovery of the Largest Orbweaving Spider Species: The Evolution of Gigantism in Nephila

Clip Source: www.plosone.org

Tags: science, biology, spider

Best Places to Get Trip Information About Disney World Vacation Packages

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:32:17 GMT

clipped by: dslacademy
clipper's remarks: Disney World Vacation Packages is much more than an amusement park, and even those who are familiar with the Magical Kingdom may not be aware of all it now encompasses, as it celebrates its 50th Anniversary. In addition to the main theme park, Disney World today also includes an Animal Kingdom safari park; Epcot, which is a celebration of world cultures and a variety of shows; and Disney-MGM studios, for a behind-the-scenes look at movie magic. It also features two separate water parks, and a whole city's worth of entertainment in Disney Downtown, with restaurants, nightclubs, street parties and much more!

Clip Source: disney-world-vacation-packags.blogspot.com

Disney World Vacation Packages is much more than an amusement park, and even those who are familiar with the Magical Kingdom may not be aware of all it now encompasses, as it celebrates its 50th Anniversary. In addition to the main theme park, Disney World today also includes an Animal Kingdom safari park; Epcot, which is a celebration of world cultures and a variety of shows; and Disney-MGM studios, for a behind-the-scenes look at movie magic. It also features two separate water parks, and a whole city's worth of entertainment in Disney Downtown, with restaurants, nightclubs, street parties and much more!

Tags: disney world

World Animal Day 2009

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:18:58 GMT

clipped by: chestnut501
clipper's remarks: World Animal Day started in Florence, Italy in 1931 at a convention of ecologists. On this day, animal life in all its forms is celebrated, and special events are planned on locations all over the globe. 4 October was originally chosen for World Animal Day because it is the feast day of Francis of Assisi, a nature lover and patron saint of animals and the environment. Numerous churches throughout the world observe the Sunday closest to 4 October with a Blessing for the Animals.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Earlier this month (October 4th) was World Animal Day. Started in 1931, the day was set aside to celebrate animal life in all its forms around the world, and humankind's relationship with the animal kingdom. Collected below are 41 photographs of animals around the world, at play, at rest, at work and more, taken over the past several weeks.

An international team of scientists perform an autopsy and DNA analysis on Lyuba, a baby woolly mammoth.

Tags: animals, news, world-animal-day, animal-kingdom, photographs, media, pictures

Photo of the Day: Best Animal photos Aug. 2009

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:58:07 GMT

clipped by: kkcapricorn

Clip Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com

a Cuban tree frog on a tree

Clip Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com

cub showed between mom's legs

Clip Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com

a rolling back scratch in the brush for a hobbled horse freed of its saddle

Clip Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com

rare white Bengal tiger, at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

Clip Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com

curious little ground squirrel appeared, became intriqued with the sound of the focusing camera and popped right into our shot!

Clip Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com

Sometimes you just snap a photo at exactly the right time.

Clip Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com

Twelve-year-old male lion brothers Tonyi, left, and Tombo lie with each other at Werribee Open Range Zoo

Clip Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com

Zebra migration in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Clip Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com

European bee-eater

Clip Source: photography.nationalgeographic.com

A fox stands out against the mountains of Svalbard, Norway.

Tags: animals

The Secrets Inside Your Dog's Mind

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:52:08 GMT

clipped by: lakotahope
clipper's remarks: Good dogs

Clip Source: www.time.com

Brian Hare, assistant professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, holds out a dog biscuit.

"Henry!" he says. Henry is a big black schnauzer-poodle mix--a schnoodle, in the words of his owner, Tracy Kivell, another Duke anthropologist. Kivell holds on to Henry's collar so that he can only gaze at the biscuit. See Pictures of Dogs Learning New Tricks.

Instead, he simply points at the cup on the right. Henry looks at Hare's hand and follows the pointed finger.

Henry the schnoodle just did a remarkable thing. Understanding a pointed finger may seem easy, but consider this: while humans and canines can do it naturally, no other known species in the animal kingdom can.

"You got it?" Hare asks Henry. Hare then steps back until he's standing between a pair of inverted plastic cups on the floor. He quickly puts the hand holding the biscuit under one cup, then the other, and holds up both empty hands.

10 Things You (Never?) Knew About Sex

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:28:27 GMT

clipped by: EddieIsSteady

Clip Source: www.thedigitalbeat.com

10 Things You Never Knew About SEX

1. The typical lovemaking session lasts around 15 minutes

Clip Source: www.thedigitalbeat.com

2. Humans aren't the only horny members of the animal kingdom doing it just for fun.

3. While Viagra has made erectile dysfunction (affecting 10 to 12 percent of men) a household phrase, the opposite problem -- premature ejaculation -- is more common (affecting 24 to 27 percent of men).

4. Crank up that thermostat... orgasms may be more intense in warmer conditions.

5. If a woman experiences orgasm during sex, she is more likely to become pregnant

6. Homosexuality is not unique to humans.

7. On any given day 400,000,000 people around the world -- 1 in 17 of us -- will have sexual intercourse.

8. Sex cures headaches.

9. Many elderly can and do have frequent sex. At age 70, 73% of males are still potent, and 30% of women 80 or older have still have sex.

10. 70% of women would rather eat choclate than have sex.

Sources: The Kinsey Report, Wikipedia, American Urology Association

Tags: sex, health