Most Beautiful Rapidly Moving Plants

Squirting Cucumber

Ecballium elaterium, also called the squirting cucumber or exploding cucumber, is a plant in the cucumber family. It gets its unusual name from the fact that, when ripe, it squirts a stream of mucilaginous liquid containing its seeds, which can be seen with the naked eye. It can move rapidly thus a rapid plant movement. It is native to Europe, northern Africa, and temperate areas of Asia. It is grown as an ornamental plant elsewhere, and in some places it has naturalized. It is suspected to provide food for the caterpillars. This plant, and especially its fruit, is poisonous. In the ancient world it saw use as an abortifacient. In Turkey, the fresh fruit juice of this plant is directly applied into the nostrils for the treatment of sinusitis as a herbal / folk remedy.

Impatiens

Impatiens containing over a thousand species is a vibrant World of Busy Lizzies, Balsams, and touch-me-nots. Some species are annual plants and produce flowers from early summer until the first frost, while perennial species, found in milder climates, can flower all year. Regardless of their lifespan, the largest impatiens grow up to about 2 meters tall, but most are less than half as tall. The leaves are entire and shiny; their upperside has a thick, water-repellent cuticula that gives them a greasy feel. These plants derives their scientific name Impatiens and the common name “touch-me-not” in reference to their seed capsules. When the capsules mature, they “explode” when touched, sending seeds several meters away. This mechanism is also known as “explosive dehiscence”; thus having a rapid plant movement.

Orchidaceous

Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the Orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family containing a number of beautiful dazzling flowering plants that possess rapid movement due to their strong highly specialized pollination behavior associated  to them. Orchids generally have simple leaves with parallel veins but are well known for the many structural variations in their flowers. In orchids that produce pollinia, pollination happens as some variant of the following. When the pollinator enters into the flower, there are a series of contractions and relaxations as that of a muscle occurs with the flower seen by naked eye and similar activity occurs when the pollinator enters another flower thus pollinating it. The possessors of orchids may be able to reproduce the process with a pencil, small paintbrush, or other similar device.

Witch Hazel

Witch-hazel (Hamamelis) are deciduous shrubs or (rarely) small trees growing to 3–8 m tall, rarely to 12 m tall. They are popular ornamental plants, grown for their clusters of rich yellow to orange-red flowers which begin to expand in the autumn as or slightly before the leaves fall, and continue throughout the winter.  The horticultural name means “together with fruit”; its fruit, flowers, and next year’s leaf buds all appear on the branch simultaneously, a rarity among trees.H. virginiana flowers in the fall of the year. The flowers of the other species are produced on the leafless stems in winter, thus one alternative name for the plant, “Winterbloom”.Each flower has four slender strap-shaped petals 1–2 cm long, pale to dark yellow, orange, or red. The fruit is a two-part capsule 1 cm long, containing a single 5 mm glossy black seed in each of the two parts; the capsule splits explosively at maturity in the autumn about 8 months after flowering, ejecting the seeds with sufficient force to fly for distances of up to 10 m, thus another alternative name “Snapping Hazel

Trigger plant

Stylidium (also known as triggerplants is a genus of plants that derive its name from Stylos, which refers to the distinctive reproductive structure that its flowers possess like a column or a pillar. Pollination is achieved through the use of the sensitive “trigger”, which comprises the male and female reproductive organs fused into a floral column that snaps forward quickly in response to touch, harmlessly covering the insect in pollen. They have beautiful flowers, and although species of the genus represent a very diverse selection of plants but  most easily identified by their unique floral column, in which the stamen and style are fused. The column also commonly called a “trigger” in this genus typically resides beneath the plane of the flower.

Sensitive Partridge Pea

Chamaecrista nictitans (Sensitive Partridge Pea, Small Partridge Pea or Wild Sensitive Plant) is a herbaceous species of legume widely distributed through the temperate and tropical Americas. It is an annual plant capable of rapid plant movement—its leaflets fold together when touched.

Colors of Sea – 6 Beautiful Worms, Corals and Mushrooms

Seas and oceans are breathtakingly beautiful part of this world. They are full of life, colors, appeal, and attract art and nature lovers. Deep colored water, lovely and marvelous fish, amazing corals, worms, mushrooms and sea animals of brilliant colors make the nature lovers and photographers dive in to relish and savor beauty of this wonderful and magnificent part of the world.

1. Light Bulb Tunicate

Light Bulb Sea Squirt (Scientific name: Clavelina Lepadiformis) is a colonial sea squirt. The transparent tunic of the worm shows the yellow or white internal organs. This gives them the glow of a light bulb and hence they got their name. They are mostly found along the Norwegian Coast. Their colonies can also be seen in the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and in the Mediterranean Sea. They sit together with a loose binding at the base. They are cylindrical and have a 4cm long elongation. They grow in late winters and reproduce in summers.

2. Christmas Tree Worms

Christmas Tree Worms (Scientific name: Spirobranchus Giganteus) are small, tube-building  worms belonging to the family Serpulidae. These attractive corals come in a variety of colors ranging from yellow and orange to blue and white. They are widely distributed throughout the world’s tropical oceans. The worm’s multicolored spirals actually are highly derived respiratory structures. It lacks specialized appendages for movement or swimming and does not move outside it’s tube. They have two beautiful crowns which give them Christmas tree appearance and hence they got their name. These crowns are specialized mouth appendages of the worm. They are very sensitive to disturbances. Even a shadow causes an instant reaction. It’s tube is it’s home.

3. Bubble Coral

Bubble Corals (Scientific name: Plerogyra Sinuosa) are beautiful and extinct water filled bubbles and this property gives them their beautiful name. They need light to inflate and expand. When they expand during daytime, they look like bubbles, pearls or grapes. It has a hard skeleton which is visible when they deflate. These corals are extremely fragile and puncture with touch. Care should be taken while handling and collecting them because of their long tentacles. They are mostly found in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

4. Open Brain Coral

Open Brain Coral (Scientific name: Trachyphyllia Geoffroyi) is an oval shaped heavy skeleton with a conical base. These are also known as Folded Brain or Crater Coral. They are large polyp stony (LPS) with usually 2 to 3 polyps. The beautiful corals are red, yellow, brown, green or blue in color. It has a shape of number 8 or an hour glass shape. Tentacles come out of the mouth at evening and serve the protection purpose. The are up to 80 mm in length with 2 to 3 mouths. It is photosynthetic and requires no feeding. The red ones need less lightning than the green ones. They are easy to be collected as they prefer attaching their body to reefs, shells and dead corals.

5. Cup Coral

Cup corals (Family name: Dendrophyllidae ) are beautiful corals produced in deep water. They are non-reef building species and live on zooplankton. They extend beautiful translucent tentacles at night. Cup corals are found in extremely cold water throughout the world. Cup corals are also known as flowers of the sea and are famous due to their brilliant colors and bouquet formation. They usually take the formation of cups and plate. This coral makes its own outer skeleton of limestone.

6. Finger Coral

Finger Corals (Scientific name: Porites Compressa) are beautiful corals resembling fingers also known as Commonly referred to as Thin Finger Leather Coral, Knobby Finger Leather Coral, Devil’s Hand/Finger Leather Coral, Dead Man’s Finger Coral, Bushy Soft Coral, Chili Pepper Coral, Cabbage Leather Coral, Trough Coral, Sinularia Finger Thick and Lobed Leather Coral. They are naturally found in a number of shades including brown, tan, yellow, green, pink and gray. They originally belong to Indian and Pacific Ocean. These unique corals have an average size of 1-2 inches. They take their nutrition from an algae with the name of zooxanthellae. This algae hosts within its body and depends on photosynthesis.  They also take their nutrients from micro plankton. Their appearance mainly depends on the strength of the ocean currents.

5 Deadliest Creatures of the Amazon

1. Mosquito

With all these strong, sharp-toothed animals in the list it’s amazing that the deadliest creature award should go to something that’s tiny enough to squash in your hand. But the mosquito carries deadly diseases with it, such as malaria and so is the most dangerous animal in the rainforest. If it bites you, it can pass the disease directly into your bloodstream and, if you’re not vaccinated, it can kill you pretty quickly.

What’s worse is they’re becoming cleverer. A repellent called Deet, which is widely used by tourists to ward them off, is no longer as repellent as it used to be, thanks to the mosquito evolving a resistance to it. So, on your next trip to the Amazon, avoid the jaguars, don’t swim too close to the caiman and most importantly pack your mosquito net!

2. Jaguar

You’ve got to love an unfussy eater. And the jaguar is certainly unfussy – its diet consists of 87 different animals, from deer to mice and it’s safe to say it’s opportunistic in its hunting habits. It would definitely try and kill any human that wandered across its path.

It’s a rare type of feline in that, along with the tiger, it enjoys swimming. So don’t think that jumping on the nearest boat and rowing away will help – it’ll just follow. They like to live in the rainforest and are the biggest cats in the Western Hemisphere (in the world, only lions and tigers are bigger). So, they’re big, merciless and utterly carnivorous. Yet, they look so beautiful and it’s tragic that they are nearing threatened status because of the destruction of their habitats. Efforts should be made to save the rainforest jaguar from extinction, even if they would never choose to spare your life.

3. South American Rattlesnake

The Amazon is teeming with all kinds of snakes, but the rattlesnake is one of the deadliest to humans. Rattlesnakes are said to be responsible for 9% of all serious snakebites in Latin America and the look of the bites varies according to the species of snake, which has led to at least one death after Southern-Brazilian doctors failed to recognize a Northern-Brazilian snakebite (cited in Mark O’Shea’s book ”Venomous Snakes of the World“). They live in the savannah regions of the Amazon, as well as other parts of South America. One native that’s probably best avoided…

4. Brazilian Wandering Spider

This creature has the distinction of being the world’s most venomous spider (in the Guinness Book of Records) but the edge is taken off its scariness slightly but the fact that there’s an effective antivenom available to counteract the very, very toxic venom. So as long as it bites you near the antivenom, you’re fine! In fact, one study suggested that in a third of all bites, it doesn’t even deposit the venom and in another third, it only deposits a small amount. Practically a teddy bear, then!

Although it’d be hard to explain that to the British grocery clerk who found one in a box of bananas in Gravesend in 2008. The store was closed until animal officers arrived to take the spider away and humanely put it down. It was deemed “too dangerous” to go near photographers. Poor thing clearly wandered that bit too far!

5. Poison Dart Frog

One of the most distinctly “Amazon”-looking creatures, and one of the deadliest. Their bright colors are specifically designed to ward off predators and look unappetizing. The name “poison dart frog” comes from the use of their poison on blowdarts by humans, although only a small proportion of frogs are used for that purpose.

The frogs are tiny but deadly. One type – the golden poison dart frog – is only 2in long, but contains enough poison to kill 10 men. Attempts are being made to synthesize the poison for medicinal uses, but so far it’s not available commercially. One day, we might just see poison dart frog venom painkillers on the shelves though!

10 Most Beautiful Animals

These ten beautiful animals were chosen strictly based on their popularity.

1. FOX

Foxes belong to the family of Canidae and they are usually a little smaller than your everyday domestic dog. There are about 37 different species that can be referred to as a fox. They usually have a narrow snout and a bushy tail. Of the 37 species only 12 actually belong to the original line of foxes. The most common species of foxes is the red fox. Foxes are usually thought to be very cunning. All in all they are magnificent animals; they are wild but absolutely beautiful.

2. TURTLE

Turtles are basically reptiles. They are characterized by a shell that develops from their ribs and serve as a protective cover. The earliest known turtles date back to around 215 million years and are therefore considered to be the oldest members of the reptile family. The largest of turtles are aquatic though they do not lay eggs under water. They do breath under water though. When threatened these beautiful creatures can envelop inside their shells however, if rolled over they are very vulnerable.

3. POLAR BEAR

They belong to the family of bears. Polar bears primarily are natives to the Arctic Circle. They happen to be the largest carnivore on land. An adult male called a boar would usually weight between 350 to 680 kilograms. There are a total of nineteen polar bear subpopulations and eight of them are dangerously declining. They are classified as vulnerable species. This can primarily be attributed to large scale hunting. They are very important in the culture of Arctic human populations. Polar bear belong to the family or Ursidae.

4. TIGER

Tigers happen to be the largest species amongst cats with the total body length as long as 3.3 meters. They can weigh around 306 kilograms. These guys are the third largest land carnivores that roam the earth. They belong to the family of Felidae. Tigers have featured in ancient mythology and folklore and appear on many flags, coat of arms etc. It is hard to believe that the tigers are endangered. They are beautiful creatures especially so because of their coat. Their attack tactic revolves around stealth and they are pretty good at that.

5. STALLION

A male horse that has not been castrated is known as a stallion. I am actually really fond of these animals; I find them to be really graceful. A stallion is usually not an aggressive animal though that obviously depends on the kind of training. They require very careful management if you want perfection. The term stallion actually dates back to the era of Henry VII. They are herd animals but can be trained to take part in horse shows and horse racing etc.

6. LION

They belong to the family of Felidae and are one of the four big cats. Some of the male exceed 250 kilograms in weight. They happen to be the second largest living cat after the tiger. Mostly these animals can be found in Africa and parts of Asia (natively). Around 10,000 years ago they were the largest mammals (in numbers) to roam the planet. They live around ten to fourteen years in the wild however if they are in captivity their age might increase to around twenty years. The male lion is easilydistinguishable because of the mane around the neck which looks absolutely stunning in my opinion. 

7. DOLPHIN

They are aquatic mammals. Dolphins are very closely related to whales too which is weird considering the difference in their aggression. There are around forty different species of dolphins alive which vary in size. They can measure from 1.2 to 9.5 meters in length and can weigh between 40 kilograms to 10 tons. They can be found in the shallow seas and would usually feed on fish and squid. They belong to the family of Dephinidae. They are considered to be very intelligent and are quite playful too.

8. EAGLE

These birds belong to the family of Accipitridae. They have many different species with over sixty found in Eurasia and Africa. Move out from these regions and you will find around 2 species in the United States and Canada, 9 species in Central and South America and another 3 in Australia. These are birds of prey and are usually very large in size and strongly built. They usually live in nests built on high cliffs or trees; gorgeous creatures. Just so you know, an eagle is not just one bird, there are many species and the third spot goes to every single one of them.

9. LYNX

This is a name you do not frequently hear. There are around four different species of medium-sized wildcats and a lynx can refer to any one of those. The name Lynx originated in Middle English. They belong to the family of Felinae. They usually have short tails and black hair on the tips of their ears. They have a ruff right under the neck. These are the primary characteristics of a lynx. The largest among these species is the Eurasia Lynx.

10. ARCTIC WOLF

These guys are polar wolves or white wolves. They descend from the gray wolf and are mammals that belong to the family of Canidae. They can usually be found in the Canadian Arctic and parts of Alaska. You see a wolf-like creature and its pure white, you know it’s an arctic wolf. They are the only subspecies of wolf that are not threatened and that can be attributed to the fact that they rarely come across human contact.

African Elephant

Elephant

Elephants help maintain forest and savanna ecosystems for other species, and are integrally tied to rich biodiversity.

The largest land mammal on earth, the African elephant weighs up to eight tons. The elephant is distinguished by its massive body, large ears and a long trunk, which has many uses ranging from using it as a hand to pick up objects, as a horn to trumpet warnings, an arm raised in greeting to a hose for drinking water or bathing.

Asian elephants differ in several ways from their African relatives. They are much smaller in size and their ears are straight at the bottom, unlike the large fan-shape ears of the African species. Only some Asian male elephants have tusks. All African elephants, including females, have tusks. Elephants are either left or right-tusked and the one they use more is usually smaller because of wear and tear. The Asian elephant has four toes on the hind foot and five on the forefoot, while the African elephant has three on the hind foot and five on the forefoot.

Led by a matriarch, elephants are organized into complex social structures of females and calves, while male elephants tend to live in isolation. A single calf is born to a female once every 4-5 years and after a gestation period of 22 months—the longest of any mammal. These calves stay with their mothers for years and are also cared for by other females in the group.

The two species of elephants—African and Asian—need extensive land to survive. Roaming in herds and consuming hundreds of pounds of plant matter in a single day, both species of elephant require extensive amounts of food, water and space. As a result, these large mammals place great demands on the environment and often come into conflict with people in competition for resources.

The seeds of many plant species are dependent on passing through an elephant's digestive tract before they can germinate. It is calculated that at least a third of tree species in central African forests rely on elephants in this way for distribution of seeds.

Elephants directly influence forest composition and density, and can alter the broader landscape. In tropical forests, elephants create clearings and gaps in the canopy that encourage tree regeneration. In the savannas, they reduce bush cover to create an environment favorable to a mix of browsing and grazing animals. 

10 Incredibly Adaptive Sahara Desert Animals

10. Jerboa

These adorable little rodents have very long legs and can jump very high. Despite their minuteness, they can run up to 16 miles per hour, making them quite challenging to catch. Amazingly, the jerboa doesn’t have to drink water—quite a useful adaptation for a desert creature. It still needs to take in water of course, like all living things, but it is able to extract enough from its foods to sufficed for its needs.

9. Fennec Fox

These foxes are nocturnal and are characterized by their very large ears. Not only do the ears help them to hear better in the desert, but they also help them to release body heat, keeping them cool. They are small and lightweight, usually weighing only a couple of pounds.

8. Monitor Lizard

This large lizard (generally; some can be quite small) is venomous and can become quite aggressive when threatened, especially during colder seasons. Monitor lizards not only include desert-thriving species in the Sahara, but also species which can live in forests or even wetlands. This makes them some of the most versatile creatures on the planet. They are extremely intelligent and can even count.

7. Ostrich

Not a lot of people think of ostriches when asked to name a desert animal, but ostriches are some of the fastest animals in the Sahara. They are able to run up to 40 miles an hour, almost as fast as the gazelles. They can travel a long ways, and can also pick up noises and see movement across vast distances, helping them spot and avoid predators. When threatened, the ostrich can fight back, kicking with its long legs.

6. Sidewinder

There are a number of species of sidewinder in various deserts around the world. The horned viper is particularly well known in the Sahara. The venom from this snake can be lethal, and also quite painful, even in cases that do not lead to death. The unique sideways movement of the sidewinder helps it to traverse the sands quickly and effectively. Sadly, changes in the environment have caused the horned viper to enter the endangered species list.

5. Death Stalker Scorpion

This type of scorpion is translucent and yellow in appearance, and is among the most venomous animals of the Sahara desert, and the entire world. They look ephemeral and fragile, but they are incredibly dangerous, capable of causing respiratory failure and death.

4. Addax Antelope

Like the gazelle, the Addax antelope is well known for its sleekness and its beauty. They are among the most endangered animals on the planet, with long, elegant horns and flat feet. Sadly they have been hunted to the point where there are only around 500 left. Global warming has also done them no favors. They are however very good at crossing the Sahara sands on their flat feet. They will probably not be able to adapt to human threats and global warming fast enough to survive however, and need our help.

3. The Scarab Beetle

Also known by the less dignifying (but perhaps more descriptive) name “dung beetle," the scarab beetle was a holy symbol to the ancient Egyptians and has some impressive adaptability. Dung beetles make creative use of animal feces. They are able to subsist almost entirely on animal waste. There are several ways that scarabs can make use of the dung they find, depending on how flexible they feel about their living situations. Dung beetles can roll dung until it makes a ball shape and then push it home, or simply dig a new burrow next to a heap of dung to live in. Some dung beetles just burrow into the dung they find and make it into a home, chewing their way out when they get hungry. Nom nom!

2. Dorcas Gazelle

Also known as the Ariel Gazelle, this animal is sleek and graceful, usually weighing around 25 kilograms. Many animals in the Sahara desert prey on gazelles, so the Dorcas gazelle has evolved to avoid them on impulse. When a predator approaches, the gazelle’s highly attuned body will automatically jump. This is known as “stotting." It serves several purposes. Firstly, it gets the gazelle out of immediate danger. Secondly, it demonstrates the gazelle’s speed and reflexes to the predator, discouraging it. Thirdly, it alerts other gazelles that a predator is approaching. If the gazelle is forced to run, it can achieve an astounding 49 miles per hour.

1. Camels

One animal you probably think about when you think about the desert is the Sahara desert camel. Camels store a large amount of fat in the humps on top of their backs (no, not water—that is a myth). The fat can be burned for energy when the camel is unable to locate any food. While most of us are searching for ways to burn off fat and slim up our bodies, camels are actually evolved by nature to carry extra fat around to survive!

The Sahara desert really is quite diverse, and as you can see, some of the most incredible species on the planet make their home there. The conditions may be daunting, but the animals that live there are up for the challenge. Even in difficult conditions, life can prevail, which is really quite inspiring. Next time you’re going through a rough patch, think about the animals of the Sahara and how you can learn from their example.