Unusual Horned Beetle

Photo Douglas J. Emlen

Photo E. Greene

The name of this male unusual stag-horned beetle could be Proagoderus rangifer (or Onthophagus rangifer), which is species in Tribe Onthophagini, Subfamily Scarabaeinae, Family Scarabaeidae. It is about 11 mm length. Closely relative beetles can be found in Europe as well, but dark coloured.

Source: Douglas J. Emlen - Division of Biological Sciences UM, Whyfiles

What is an Ekranoplan

An ekranoplan (Russian: экранопла́н, literally "screen plane") is a vehicle resembling an aircraft but which operates solely on the principle of ground effect. Ground effect vehicles (GEV) fly above any flat surface, with the height above ground dependent upon the size of the vehicle. Ekranoplan design was conceived by Soviet engineer Rostislav Alexeev.

During the Cold War, ekranoplans were sighted for years on the Caspian Sea as huge, fast-moving objects. The name Caspian Sea Monster was given by US intelligence operatives who had spotted the huge vehicle, which looked like an airplane with the outer halves of the wings removed. After the end of the Cold War, the "monster" was revealed to be one of several Soviet military designs meant to fly only a few meters above water, saving energy and staying below enemy radar.

The ekranoplan has a lifting power of 1,000 tonnes, among the largest ever achieved. The KM, as the Caspian Sea Monster was known in the top secret Soviet military development program, was over 100 m long (330 ft), weighed 540 tonnes fully loaded, and could travel over 400 km/h (250 mi/h), mere meters above the surface of the water.

(The video is documentary in Russian)

Source: Wikipedia

Thylacine - video records

The Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. Native to Australia and New Guinea, it is thought to have become extinct in the 20th century. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger (due to its striped back), and also known as the Tasmanian Wolf. The seven film clips above comprise near all of the motion picture footage known to exist of living Thylacines. The last known specimen died in Hobart Zoo 1936. I want to believe that there are still surviving Thylacines in some remote place.

Source:Wikipedia

The Largest Beetle - part III

The Goliath beetles (Goliathus) are among the largest beetles. In my opinion only 2 or 3 specieses are heavier or larger. There are a lot of claims that Goliathus goliatus, Goliathus orientalis or Goliathus regius are the heaviest beetles or even insects with weight up to 100 gr (3.5 oz), but it is very unlikely, according to University of Florida a large living Goliathus goliatus of approximately 10 cm total length was recently reported to weigh 42 grams (C. Campbell, pers. comm.). The same extrapolation of data would produce a figure of about 45 grams for a living 11 cm Goliathus, that mean 3 or 4 grams fewer than the largest reported Megasoma actaeon – 13.5 cm. On the photo Goliathus regius on men arm.

Source: Wikipedia, Extreme Science, University of Florida, Natural Worlds
See more: The Largest Beetle - part I, The Largest Beetle - part II

Biggest carnivorous fish ever

The megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon) was a giant prehistoric shark that probably lived between about 16 to 1.6 million years ago. It is the biggest known carnivorous fish to have ever lived. The maximum size of this creature has been calculated to be at 15.9 m (52.1 feet) long and the body mass of about 48 tonnes.

The teeth are similar to great white shark teeth but are much larger and can measure up to more than 17.78 cm (7 inch) long in slant. This one on the photo above is not so big.

Source: Wikipedia

Dryest place on the Earth

The Atacama Desert receives on an average less than .004 in /.01 cm of rainfall per year, some parts of this desert have not received rainfall for over 400 years.

Hottest place on the Earth

Image Courtesy : www.spiegel.de A NASA satellite recorded surface temperatures in the Lut desert of Iran as high as 71ºC (159ºF), 2005, the hottest temperature ever recorded on the surface of the Earth.

Largest White Shark

Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) caught in a set-net in Seven Star Lake, Hualien County, Taiwan, on May 14, 1997. Gross weight of this animal was 2500 kilograms and total length is estimated at 6.7 to 7.0 metres. Source of information is Victor Lin (Victor Lin pers. comm.). Possibly the largest great white shark ever recorded.

Source: Mollet

Amazing 747-400 Landing

Insane 747-400 Landing
The airport is Princess Juliana, which is located on Sint Maarten, Netherland Antilles.

Goshawk hunting

Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) chasing different animals. One of the most fearsome birds. Spectacular agility in fly. Here another very good video of Goshawk chasing hare. Here Goshawk call at nest.

Albino animals - part II

Partial albino chimpanzee (or bonobo ?)

Albino Gorilla, the famous Snow Flake.

Albino macaque.

Albino hedgehog.

Albino Bactrian Camel.

Albino (or may be not) wolf.

Albino whale.

Albino kangaroo, I'm not sure for the species.

See more: Albino animals - part I

God Save the Queen - Mic Conway

I found this while browsing youtube. God Save the Queen by Mic Conway's Whoopee Band (1990). Nice ukulele performance.
Lyrics (I think the original is Sex Pistols'):

"God Save The Queen"

God save the queen
The fascist regime
They made you a moron
Potential H-bomb

God save the queen
She ain't no human being
There is no future
In England's dreaming

Don't be told what you want
Don't be told what you need
There's no future, no future,
No future for you

God save the queen
We mean it man
We love our queen
God saves

God save the queen
'Cause tourists are money
And our figurehead
Is not what she seems

Oh God save history
God save your mad parade
Oh Lord God have mercy
All crimes are paid

When there's no future
How can there be sin
We're the flowers in the dustbin
We're the poison in your human machine
We're the future, your future

God save the queen
We mean it man
We love our queen
God saves

God save the queen
We mean it man
And there is no future
In England's dreaming

No future, no future,
No future for you
No future, no future,
No future for me

No future, no future,
No future for you
No future, no future
For you

See more: Mic Conway

Iranian policewomen

I can't resist to post it. They are climbing and training nunchaku gown-dressed, its incredible.

Skull on Mars

The photo is from Gusev crater, Mars. May be the object on the picture is only strange shaped stone, but is impressive how symmetrical and skull-like it is. There are not a lot of similar stones around.

Source: Mars Anomaly Research, NASA

Tidal Wave

It is too fast for lunar tidal wave. May be it is tsunami? I'm don't sure.

Largest Black Marlins

On the photo Alfred Glassell poses with his long standing world record Black Marlin (Makaira indica) weighing 1,560 pounds (707.6 kg) caught off Cabo Blanco Peru in 1953. There are a lot of claims for world record, but the largest fish that I found is on the picture above.

Another large black marlin taken in 2001 on the Great Barrier Reef. This massive fish weighed 1,386 lbs (628.7 kg).

Source: Antique & Classic Fishing Reels, BigMarineFish

Is there an evolution?

With exception of Japan and Western Europe, the rest of the world is in tragic situation.

First Blood

One of my favourite movie scenes. The movie is "First Blood" 1982.

"Back there I could fly a gunship, I could drive a tank, I was in charge of million dollar equipment, back here I can't even hold a job PARKING CARS!"

Albino animals

Albino Common Raven (Corvus corax).

White American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Note the blue eyes, similar like albino humans.

Partial Albino Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), very strange.

Albino Sand Martin (Riparia riparia). In some countries is said that the albino swallows and martins bring good luck and will comply a wish.

See more: Albino animals - part II

Most venomous fish

Apparently the stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa), also known as the the reef stone or dornorn is the most venomous fish in the world. It is a carnivorous ray-finned fish with venomous spines that lives on reef bottoms, camouflaged as a rock.

Source: Wikipedia, Australian Museum