The Komodo dragon is the largest known lizard in the world. They evolved in isolation in the islands around the Indonesian archipelago. The species was undisturbed until its eventual discovery by Western world during the first World War. The Komodo dragon is a species of monitor lizard. In addition to being the largest lizard in the world, it is known to be one of the most aggressive. The Komodo dragon’s evolution spans millions of years with little interruption....
Ready to learn what happens when the Mississippi River freezes over? Let’s dive in! The Last Time the Mississippi River Froze Over Because of the amount of human infrastructure on the Mississippi River, it doesn’t freeze over often. However, in the early 20th century, freezing over wasn’t too uncommon. It also wasn’t catastrophic, either. That part can be a bit surprising. After all, with a major river like the Mississippi, it seems like any changes can completely alter how we live our lives, especially in the time before planes and cars were fully accessible....
Some of the millions of as-yet-undiscovered animal species are exceedingly little. Going by this same logic, some are also incredibly big, having existed millions of years ago and dwarfing creatures like elephants and giraffes. Land predators were the most dominant and identifiable of the largest undiscovered species due to their size and the fact that they essentially ruled the planet. So, what’s the largest land predator that ever walked the Earth?...
About Woolly Mammoths Extinct woolly mammoths are elephant-like mammals that were about the size of today’s African elephants. They’re so closely related to extant elephants that they have almost indistinguishable DNA. They’re one of the species in the extinct genus that contains all of the animals we call mammoths. The woolly mammoth is specifically named after its most prominent feature which was its woolly coat. They were well adapted to the cold and lived in northern regions during the height of the last Ice Age....
When exploring, Henry Hudson may have wondered where the Hudson River starts. Let’s find out where this river starts! Where Does The Hudson River Start? The Hudson River’s origin is in Lake Tear of the Clouds. This lake is in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County of upstate New York. Also, the river is 315 miles long and eventually ends in the Atlantic Ocean in New York City. So, the Hudson River starts in Lake Tear of the Clouds and ends in the Atlantic Ocean....
Where Does the Ohio River Begin? The headwaters of the Ohio River are at the confluence of the Allegheny and the Monongahela rivers at Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Ohio River then flows for 981 miles and ends in Cairo, Illinois. The Ohio River ends by flowing into the Mississippi River and is one of its many tributaries. The Course of the Ohio River After forming at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, the Ohio River flows through the Allegheny and Beaver counties....
A tornado is a destructive vortex of violently rotating winds that looks like a funnel-shaped cloud. Tornadoes are either birthed in thunderstorms or precede them. The most violent tornadoes emanate from what are called supercells. One in a thousand storms becomes a supercell, and one in five or six supercells triggers a tornado. Tornadoes occur during distinctive seasons, such as spring or late summer. They are very common in the United States, and every year they kill about 70 people on average, causing property damage worth several millions....
Katrina made landfall in southern Mississippi on the afternoon of August 29 and wreaked unimaginable havoc along its course. The death toll and property loss in New Orleans were exacerbated by the failure of the levees that protect the city from Lake Pontchartrain. By the evening of August 31, at least 80% of New Orleans had been submerged by floodwaters. There were many variables that contributed to the mass destruction left behind by Hurricane Katrina, which we will break down in detail below....
The blue field was modeled after the Choctaw flag, which was flown by the tribe during the American Civil War and authorized in 1860. Blue represents commitment and faithfulness. The shield’s olive branch and a calumet, which represent defense or protection, show a united people’s desire for peace. This one and New Mexico’s are the only two United States flags that prominently include Native American symbols. However, Massachusetts and Minnesota’s flags do possess state seals that depict Native people....
Every year, the country honors the heroic warriors who attempted to defend Peruvian territory during the 1880 Battle of Arica. This was one of the most significant encounters of the War of the Pacific involving Peruvian soldiers and the powerful fully-equipped Chilean adversary. The former Peruvian city of Arica is still a part of Chile and serves as a permanent reminder of Peru’s defeat in both the Battle of Tacna and Arica and the Pacific War....
Uzbekistan is pronounced [ozbekiˈstɒn]. The climate in this country is hot and dry, with less than eight inches of rain per year. Summer temperatures reach a high of 104°F, and winters are around -9°F. Uzbeks make up the largest Turkic group outside of Turkey, with over 16 million Uzbeks living in Uzbekistan. Uzbeks are descendants of the Mongol Golden Horde from the 15th and 16th centuries. The name Uzbek is believed to be from the Mongol khan named Öz Beg....
The narwhal tusk contains up to ten million nerve endings that are exposed, making it incredibly sensitive to any form of contact. Using alternate solutions of high-salt and freshwater to expose the outside surface of a narwhal’s tusk generated significant changes in the narwhal’s heartbeat, according to research published in 2014. How Does the Narwhal Survive in the Arctic Waters With Such A Long Tusk? The tusk of a narwhal is softer on the outside and firmer and denser on the interior....
But in this specific video, a turtle wins the battle. The alligator clamped its jaws around the turtle, trying to devour the innocent creature like a snack. Unfortunately, this giant reptile does not have the best times at this particular moment. As it repeatedly fumbles, trying to swallow the turtle, the prey gets an opportunity to slip out and slowly hops for safety. The turtle’s hard shell plays a significant role in rescuing it from the enemy....
While the Hoover Dam may have been thought to be the tallest by many, this isn’t the case. It takes top honors, with its height reaching 726.6 feet above sea level, not including any appendant structures, like those used during construction (which account for its height). About the Oroville Dam The Oroville Dam is a concrete gravity dam in the Feather River watershed of California, at the border of Butte County and Plumas County....
In this video, a black and white cat paws at a giant brown remote-controlled tarantula. It looks like a novelty item bought for Halloween but it quickly became a cat toy. The cat begins laying down, partially under a nearby bed frame. He plays it cool, grooming his face and pawing cautiously as the tarantula stays in one place. Each time the tarantula moves, even just a little bit, the cat gets wary....
In one video, we get to see just how far a mom will go to protect her babies. In the clip, posted back in 2013, we can see a mother moose standing on a dirt road with her two calves. Moose generally give birth to their babies in May, meaning that this trio was out and about early in the summer months, especially with how small the calves were. The cameraman in the video, as explained in the description, is simply trying to get past the moose to continue on his way down the road....
The elegance and grace of eagles are befitting of their role as America’s national bird. The female eagle is bigger and heavier than the male, as is the case with the majority of raptors. They have a body length of over three feet, a wingspan that can reach seven feet, and an average weight of 12 pounds. The weight of eagles is less than it seems. An eagle’s feathers make up most of its body, and since its bones are hollow, they are smaller than the skeletons of mammals....
Have you ever wondered what the largest animal to ever live on land is? How about the biggest animal to ever live in the ocean? As you might imagine, prehistoric creatures could fill out a list all by themselves, but we are going to break it down by species and diet to make it a little more interesting. Below we have compiled a list of the longest, tallest and heaviest animals ever to walk the Earth....
Here are nine of these animals: #9. Animals That Burrow Underground: Naked Mole Rat This weird little animal lives in colonies that are more like those of ants and termites than mammals. The colony is dominated by a queen, and she’s the only female who is allowed to breed. As with bees, reproducing is her only job, and all the other naked mole rats in the colony do the work of raising the babies, protecting the colony from invaders, and keeping the tunnels and chambers in order....
What Are Transgenic Animals? Living cells contain molecules that determine the characteristics of the cell and the overall traits of an organism. Scientists call these molecules deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is present in all organisms right from the embryonic stage. Snippets of this DNA make up genes. Although they occur naturally, it is possible to change the genetic information of an animal by introducing foreign genes. In the case of the glowing fish, all scientists had to do was introduce a glowing gene from another animal to modify its natural genetic composition....
