Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East and Ethiopian Highlands, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2010, world production of wheat was 651 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize (844 million tons) and rice (672 million tons).
A Beautiful Harbour
A harbor or harbour or haven, is a body of water where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial.
A Mirror Image Of Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Chelonii (or) Testudines characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs and acting as a shield. "Turtle" may either refer to the order as a whole, or to particular turtles which make up a form taxon that is not monophyletic.
A Deer In Its Environment
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, mule deer such as black-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer (caribou), fallow deer, roe deer and chital
Environmental Creativity
Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby something new is created which has some kind of subjective value (such as a joke, a literary work, a painting or musical composition, a solution, an invention etc.). It is also the impetus and motivational force behind any given act of creation, and it is generally perceived to be associated with intelligence and cognition.
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australasia. The group is treated either as a single family, Alcedinidae, or as a suborder Alcedines containing three families, Alcedinidae (river kingfishers), Halcyonidae (tree kingfishers), and Cerylidae (water kingfishers). There are roughly 90 species of kingfisher. All have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with little differences between the sexes. Most species are tropical in distribution, and a slight majority are found only in forests. They consume a wide range of prey as well as fish, usually caught by swooping down from a perch. Like other members of their order they nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into the natural or artificial banks in the ground. A few species, principally insular forms, are threatened with extinction. In Britain, the word 'kingfisher' normally refers to the Common Kingfisher.
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australasia. The group is treated either as a single family, Alcedinidae, or as a suborder Alcedines containing three families, Alcedinidae (river kingfishers), Halcyonidae (tree kingfishers), and Cerylidae (water kingfishers). There are roughly 90 species of kingfisher. All have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with little differences between the sexes. Most species are tropical in distribution, and a slight majority are found only in forests. They consume a wide range of prey as well as fish, usually caught by swooping down from a perch. Like other members of their order they nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into the natural or artificial banks in the ground. A few species, principally insular forms, are threatened with extinction. In Britain, the word 'kingfisher' normally refers to the Common Kingfisher.
Cardinals, which make up the family Cardinalidae, are passerine birds found in North and South America. They are also known as cardinal-grosbeaks and cardinal-buntings. The South American cardinals in the genus Paroaria are placed in another family, the Thraupidae (previously placed in Emberizidae).
These are robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. The family ranges in size from the 12-cm (4.7 inches), 11.5-gram (.40 oz) Orange-breasted Bunting to the 25-cm (9.8 inches), 85-gram (2.99 oz) Black-headed Saltator[verification needed]. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinctive appearances. The Northern Cardinal type species was named by colonists for the male's red crest, reminiscent of a Catholic cardinal's mitre.
The "buntings" in this family are sometimes generically known as "tropical buntings" (though not all live in the tropics) or "North American buntings" (though there are other buntings in North America) to distinguish them from the true buntings, whose family does contain North American birds, but they are referred to as American sparrows (unrelated to Old World sparrows), juncos, and towhees rather than buntings. Likewise the grosbeaks in this family are sometimes called "cardinal-grosbeaks" to distinguish them from other grosbeaks. The name "cardinal-grosbeak" can also apply to this family as a whole.
Most species are rated by the IUCN as least concern, though some are near threatened.
The cheetah is a large feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. It is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx. The cheetah can run faster than any other land animal— as fast as 112 to 120 km/h (70 to 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances up to 500 m (1,600 ft), and has the ability to accelerate from 0 to over 100 km/h (62 mph) in five seconds.
This cat is also notable for modifications in the species' paws. It is one of the few felids with semi-retractable claws.
Cloud of dust at the centre of the Milky Way, smells of rum and tastes of raspberries:
Astronomers have concluded that a giant dust cloud at the heart of the Milky Way would taste of raspberries and smells of rum. The astronomers used the IRAM telescope in Spain to analyse the electromagnetic radiation emitted by Sagittarius B2, a vast dust cloud at the centre of the galaxy. They were searching for amino acids (one of the basic building blocks of life) when they identified a substance called ethyl formate. Ethyl formate is the chemical responsible for the flavour of raspberries, and also for the smell of rum. Dr Belloche and his colleague Robin Garrod at Cornell university of New York have collected over 4000 distinct signals from the cloud, but have only analysed around half of these. So far they have identified about 50 molecules in their survey, two of them had not been identified before.
Black Holes Can Get Really Big, And We Have No Idea Why.
Artist’s rendering of the environment around the supermassive black hole at the center of Mrk 231. The broad outflow seen in the Gemini data is shown as the fan-shaped wedge at the top of the accretion disk around the black hole, in side view. A similar outflow is probably present under the disk as well. The total amount of material entrained in the broad flow is at least 400 times the mass of the sun per year. Credit: Gemini Observatory/AURA, artwork by Lynette Cook
Right now, as you read this article, it’s quite possible that the ultra-huge black hole at the center of our galaxy is feasting on asteroids or supercooked gas.
We’ve seen these supermassive black holes in other spots in the universe, too: merging together, for example. They’re huge heavyweights, typically ranging between hundreds of thousands to billions of times the mass of the Sun. But we also know, paradoxically, that mini supermassive black holes exist.
So while we’ve observed the gravitational effects of these monsters, a University of Alberta researcher today (May 30) is going to outline the big question: how the heck some of them got so massive. For now, no one knows for sure, but scientists are naturally taking a stab at trying to figure this out.
Maybe they were your ordinary stellar black holes, just three to 100 times the mass of the sun, that underwent a growth spurt. There’s a sticking point with that theory, though: ”To do this, the black holes would have to gorge excessively, at rates that require new physics,” stated the Canadian Astronomical Society.
“We might also expect to see some black holes that are intermediate in mass between stellar-mass and supermassive black holes in our nearby universe,” the society added, “like a band that is consistently releasing albums, but never making it truly big.”
Anyway, Jeanette Gladstone (a postdoctoral researcher) will make a presentation at CASCA’s annual meeting in Vancouver today outlining some ideas. Gladstone, by the way, focuses on X-rays (from black holes) in her work. Here’s what she said on her research page:
“I am currently trying to understand a strange group of curiously bright X-ray binaries. These ultraluminous X-ray sources emit too much X-ray radiation to be explained by standard accretion [of] only a regular stellar mass black hole,” she wrote.
“So I use various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to try and understand what makes them appear so bright. More recently I have started looking at the very brightest of these sources, a group of objects that have recently become a class in their own right. These are the hyperluminous X-ray sources.”
Astronomers were pretty excited with this 2012 work: “For the first time, we have evidence on the environment, and thus the origin, of this middle-weight black hole,” said Mathieu Servillat, a member of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics research team, at the time.
Genetically – Engineered Mosquitoes Lose Nose for Humans:
It has long been believed that detecting carbon dioxide was one of the ways that mosquitoes target their human prey. But the fact that mosquitoes tend to favor certain people over others indicates that some other odor also plays a part in the attraction. Researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) have genetically engineered mosquitoes to alter their sense of smell, which could provide the understanding required to block the pesky pests’ attraction to humans.
A team led by Leslie Vosshall altered the odor-sensing capabilities of Aedes aegypti, a mosquito found in tropical and subtropical regions that is a vector for dengue fever, yellow fever and other diseases. Following on from her lab’s previous success in genetically engineering flies to delete a gene called orco, which they knew affected the flies’ ability to respond to odors, Vosshall’s team used zinc-finger nucleases to specifically mutate the orco gene in the mosquito.
After injecting the targeted zinc-finger nucleases into mosquito embryos, the researchers waited for them to mature before identifying the mutant individuals and generating mutant strains that allowed them to study the role the orco gene plays in mosquito biology.
They found that the genetically engineered mosquitoes exhibited a reduction in neural activity related to odor-sensing, with subsequent tests revealing various behavioral changes. Whereas normal Aedes aegypti will make a bee-line (or mosquito line) for humans when given the choice between a human and another animal, the mosquitoes with orco mutations showed a reduced preference for humans over guinea pigs. These results were seen even in the presence of carbon dioxide.
“By disrupting a single gene, we can fundamentally confuse the mosquito from its task of seeking humans,” says Vosshall.
However, the researchers still aren’t sure whether this confusion is due to an inability by the engineered mosquitoes to sense a “bad” smell coming from the guinea pig, or a “good” smell coming from the human, or both.
The researchers also found that the mosquitoes with orco mutations responded differently to DEET, the active ingredient in most insect repellents. When presented with two human arms, one covered in a solution containing 10 percent DEET, and the other untreated, the mosquitoes showed no preference for either arm, suggesting that they couldn’t smell the DEET. However, those that landed on the DEET-covered arm quickly flew away.
“This tells us that there are two totally different mechanisms that mosquitoes are using to sense DEET,” explains Vosshall. “One is what’s happening in the air, and the other only comes into action when the mosquito is touching the skin.” The researchers say this dual mechanism had never been identified before.
The research team plans to continue their study of the orco protein and how it interacts with the mosquitoes’ odor receptors.
“We want to know what it is about these mosquitoes that makes them so specialized for humans,” she says. “And if we can also provide insights into how existing repellants are working, then we can start having some ideas about what a next-generation repellant would look like.”
Even though mosquitoes cause more human deaths than any other animal, they do perform some beneficial ecological functions. So finding a more effective insect repellent would likely be a more palatable idea for those opposed to the idea of using genetic engineering to wipe the mosquito out altogether.
Mantis:
Mantodea (or mantises, mantes) is an order of insects that contains over 2,400 valid species and about 430 genera in 15 families worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. Most of the species are in the family Mantidae.
The English common name for any species in the order is "praying mantis", because of the typical "prayer-like" posture with folded fore-limbs, although the eggcorn "preying mantis" is sometimes used in reference to their predatory habits.In Europe and other regions, the name "praying mantis" refers to only a single species, Mantis religiosa. The closest relatives of mantises are the termites and cockroaches (order Blattodea). They are sometimes confused with phasmids (stick/leaf insects) and other elongated insects such as grasshoppers and crickets.
Praying Mantis Attacks Snake:
Praying Mantis attacks a snake many times its size and lives to tell about it! Watch the praying mantis fight the snake:
A fascinating insect, the praying mantis is widespread in the world and makes an awesome choice for a pet. Even people who don't like a lot of bugs can be persuaded to enjoy the antics of a praying mantis, as it swivels its head to look behind its shoulder at you (indeed, it's the only insect that can do this!)
Praying mantises (or mantids) come in many colors such as pink like a flower (the orchid praying mantis – Hymenopus coronatus) and white, although most are brown or green. The type of praying mantis species you'll be able to keep will depend on where you live and whether you're obtaining your praying mantis from the great outdoors or your local exotic pet store. Raising a praying mantis is fairly straightforward, a lot of fun, and it's likely you'll learn a lot more about this unique and entertaining insect simply by observing its daily antics.
Steps:
1
Find a praying mantis. The praying mantis is found in many parts of the world and some were introduced to the United States in the early nineteenth century and have since become naturalized.
If you know you have them in your local area, consider finding one from the wild. Praying mantises are usually about 3 inches (7-8cm) in length and mostly brown or green, and they look much like sticks and leaves, making them blend in well with their environment.
2
Get a container for your mantis. Get a small container to put your mantis in once you find it. It doesn't have to be very big - just a 6" x 6" square (15.2cm x 15.2cm) should do for most mantises. The container should be well ventilated and preferably made out of mesh, or chicken wire, to give the mantis and its prey something to cling onto. It should also have a secure top. Never use a container that had chemicals in it.
3
Catch your mantis. More than likely, you won't need any gloves, unless you're squeamish about touching bugs. Simply place the opening of your container in front of the mantis. Coax the mantis into the container using a twig, or your hand if you are okay with that. Soon, he or she should willingly go into the container. Close the top, because mantises are smart, and they'll seize any opportunity to escape.
4
Purchase a praying mantis. If you can't find one or they aren't in your area, visit your local pet store and ask for advice as to whether they can get a particular praying mantis for you. This might give you wider options for different species, depending on the laws in your country as to importing insects and keeping them as pets.
If purchasing a praying mantis, they are usually sold as nymphs. Each nymph comes packed in small container.
5
Prepare the home for your praying mantis. For the praying mantis to remain happy and healthy, she will need a good environment within your home. Choose a suitable structure to house your praying mantis, such as a vivarium. The structure should be large enough for a growing mantis if you've purchased a nymph and it needs to be kept warm, at around 24ºC (75ºF), and a few less degrees at night.
Provide climbing items. The praying mantis needs to be able to clamber up on things such as twigs, branches, small dowel poles, etc.
Decorate with foliage, twigs, and other natural items that allow the praying mantis to climb and clamber around. Some people place a living plant or two into the display, as the mantis will enjoy being able to climb it.
Warmth can be provided by using a spot lamp or a heater pad. Speak to your pet supplies specialist to see what they have in stock.
6
Keep your praying mantis separate from any other ones you plan on keeping. Praying mantises have voracious appetites for insects, including one another. They're top predators in the insect kingdom and will stalk or wait until their chance comes, so don't give them the chance to also be a cannibal.[5] Have separate housing for each praying mantis you intend to keep.
7
Feed your mantis properly. The food requirements of a praying mantis will vary depending on their growth stage:
For a nymph purchased from the pet store: Feed with fruit flies, micro crickets, gnats, aphids, and other mini bugs.
For a mantis that has grown and is molting or shedding, (the instar stage): Start to increase the insect size; then for each shedding period, feed normally but remove anything she ignores because she may not eat during molting.
For a fully grown praying mantis, get busy: Catch butterflies, crickets, grasshoppers or even house flies. In the wild praying mantises will consume anything they can catch and hold. They are also known to eat bees and wasps in the wild but you probably don't want to mess with them.
Buying crickets from the pet store is not necessary, although some people will tell you that using wild crickets could make your pet sick. This may or may not be true for store-raised mantises, but for wild-caught ones, some harm should come to them. As for store-bought crickets or some pet stores over feed their crickets, some caution should be exercised. Many pet stores do not feed or properly care for crickets, and any diseases those crickets have as a result can be passed on to your mantis. If you're not sure, spend a few days feeding store-bought or wild-caught crickets high nutrition diets to help manage the bacteria in their gut, and they should be fine.
Don't give the mantis live food that is bigger than it or your mantis might be the one that gets eaten.
Spray mist the enclosure to provide water for the praying mantis
8
Clear uneaten food out of the mantis' home. Mantises aren't the tidiest of diners and they'll leave behind all manner of debris including legs, wings, chewy or hard bits they didn't like, etc., and you need to remove these daily. When this debris piles up, the praying mantis will stress out and won't cope well in her artificial environment.
When cleaning out the leftovers from her meals, also remove your praying mantis' fecal matter (pellet shaped). 9
Handle with care. Your praying mantis is delicate no matter how strong she appears. Avoid picking her up as there are several risks involved; she might be crushed by an over-enthusiastic grip, or she might defend herself against your attempt by stabbing you with her forearms.[8] It will probably surprise you more than hurt you but it will definitely stress her and put on the defensive. The answer is to allow her to climb onto your outstretched palm, finger, or top of your hand, at her leisure. Be patient!
Praying mantises have wings once they're adults, meaning that they can fly. If you want to hold her, close all windows and doors before removing her from her home.
When molting, leave your praying mantis alone and don't touch her.[9] She'll shed her old exoskeleton and gain a new one. Once the new one is in place, you can handle her again.
10
Consider breeding the praying mantises if you want to have several praying mantises over time. A praying mantis has a short lifespan, of around six months from nymph to adulthood, and another six months as an adult. With good care, this can be extended up to a year and a half in the easy home life you're providing. Identify the gender of your praying mantis first - the female has six segments on her underside while the male has eight. If a female is mated, she can produce several egg cases (oothecae), and may well eat the male (and be aware that unmated females will probably still lay eggs, they just won't hatch).
Be prepared for nursery duty if you catch or mate a female mantis. She will grow a big belly, and lose the ability to fly. When your mantis lays eggs, it should be in the early fall, or late spring. Don't worry. You will have plenty of time to prepare for your eggs to hatch next spring.
The egg case will have a ridge along the center of it. It's not to everyone's liking to look at but shelve your squeamishness!
Come springtime, the eggs should soon hatch, and the nymphs should emerge through tiny holes in the egg case. A word of caution – they can, and will often eat each other if they are not separated, and when they reach molting stages, many mantises will stop eating for a day or two, so it's easier to squeeze out of that old shell.
Feed as outlined above.
Those you don't plan on keeping can be set free in your garden.
11
Maintain hygiene. Wash your hands after handling your praying mantis, its cages, or cage accessories.
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