I own an angora sweater or two. I fully understood that these sweaters are made from combed rabbit hair. But in my mind, I pictured a velveteen rabbit of sorts. I never expected my sweater to have been derived from a creature as funky (and poofy) as this:
Learn more about these funny bunnies on this website.
Apparently, there has been a new species of lemur discovered. They're small and cute, but honestly - what's up with those beady eyeballs?
From National Geographic:
August 9, 2005—You're a good man, Microcebus lehilahytsara—quite literally. The German and Madagascan scientists who discovered the new lemur species named it for U.S. lemur expert Steve Goodman ("lehilahytsara" is Malagasy for "good man"). They announced the discovery of this and another new lemur species (not pictured) today.
Surprisingly, the scientists discovered Microcebus lehilahytsara not in some shrouded jungle but in one of the most studied rain forests on the African island of Madagascar. Then again, this good man is not much bigger than a big mouse, making Microcebus lehilahytsara all the more difficult to find.
About the size of a gray squirrel, the other new lemur species is also fairly wee, hence its name, Mirza zaza—"zaza" being Malagasy for "child."
"Also, with this name the new lemur is dedicated to Madagascar's children, to remind them of their responsibility for preserving the island's unique biodiversity for future generations," according to a press statement from Chicago's Field Museum.
The two new primate species are rare finds, bringing the total number of known lemur species to 49—all of which occur naturally only on Madagascar or the nearby Comoros islands.
That lemur, however, is a rockstar compared to his Lord of the Ring cousin, the Aye-Aye lemur - honestly, who's cuter?:
I saw a ton of these Brahman cows when I was in Costa Rica last May. Their ugliness shocked me.
From Wikipedia:
The Brahman breed of cattle originated from the Bos indicus cattle originally brought to the US from India. It has been crossbred extensively with Bos taurus, the European cattle. Both are members of the family Bovidae.
The Brahman is the sacred cow of Hinduism, see also Brahman.
The Brahman has a distinct large hump over the top of the shoulder and neck, and a loose flap of skin (dewlap) hanging from the neck. Their ears are large and floppy. Bulls weigh 1600 to 2200 pounds (800 to 1,100 kg) and cows weigh 1000 to 1400 pounds (500 to 700 kg). At birth, calves weigh 60 to 65 pounds (30 to 33 kg).
Despite their huge size, they are known as a docile breed, if handled with kindness from calfhood.
Brahmans have a greater ability to withstand heat than European cattle. They have more sweat glands, and also an oily skin, thought to help repel pest insects. They are also more resistant to parasites and disease.
They have also been extensively crossbred with European cattle in subtropical United States, in central America and in some tropical areas of the world to gain their advantages in hot climates.
This is one of my favorite animals. I used to handle these when I volunteered at the S.F. Zoo. It acts like a monkey, even though it is in the raccoon family.
From Wikipedia:
The Kinkajou (Potos flavus), also known as the Honey Bear, is a nocturnal rainforest mammal related to the raccoons. It is the only member of the genus Potos (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire & Cuvier, 1795).
An average adult Kinkajou weighs 2-3 kg (4-7lbs). Although classified in the order Carnivora, and equipped with sharp teeth, they actually eat primarily fruit. Captive animals will eat honey (earning them the name 'Honey Bear", it has never been observed in the diet of wild kinkajous. Native to Central America and South America, this tree-dwelling mammal is not particularly rare, though it is seldom seen by people because of its strict nocturnal habits.
Like raccoons (also members of the family Procyonidae), kinkajous have remarkable manipulatory abilities, in this respect rivalling primates.
Kinkajous are sometimes kept as pets. Their personality tends to be playful and curious, and they are generally tame. However, some owners report unpredictable, vicious attacks by their kinkajous even after several years of non-aggression.
