Disaster Relief for the Digital Age: 13 Innovative Ideas
October 7, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Technology & Gadgets. ]
What if an unmanned robot that looks like a distant cousin of Optimus Prime could respond to a meltdown at a nuclear plant, reducing the number of human lives lost? Imagine all-terrain emergency response vehicles that can shift from ultra-fast two-seaters to trucks full of precious supplies within minutes, and prefabricated shelters that can hook onto the outside of damaged skyscrapers with the help of a helicopter. Is this the future of disaster relief? These 13 incredibly creative concepts inspire hope for the ways in which we can deal with catastrophe as technology progresses.
Digital Origami Emergency Shelter
(images via: evolo.us)
Design firm LAVA bases this concept for a prefabricated emergency shelter on the water molecule. The modular design can either be shipped flat-pack, dropped off fully assembled by helicopter or built on-site out of local plywood. Each unit houses two adults and one child with sleeping, eating and reading space. By night, the shelter is illuminated by way of an LED light, shining as “a sign of hope.”
Fractal Prefab Eco Village
(images via: shradhabhandari.com)
Highly versatile, sustainable and self-sufficient, the fractal structure of this prefabricated emergency shelter concept by Shradha Bhandari enables it to adjust to nearly any landscape, fitting in among trees or clinging to uneven terrain. It includes openings for light and air, and its sloped rooftop panels enable both solar panel installation and collection of rainwater, which would be channeled into underground reservoirs.
Healing Bench by Adrian Candela
(images via: tuvie)
Incredibly compact, the Healing Bench converts from a backpack to an operating bench, and it even holds a blanket and medical kit so that emergency workers can carry important tools to disaster sites hands-free. It’s made with the same materials and construction as a kayak so that it’s durable and able to float.
Cardborigami Corrugated Fold-Out Shelter
(images via: envirogadget)
We don’t tend to think of cardboard as being water-resistant, flame resistant or particularly strong – so it’s not a likely candidate for disaster housing. However, designer Tine Hovsepian has figured out a way to defy these assumptions with Cardborigami, a corrugated cardboard structure that has been scored so that it can fold flat or expand into a tent-like shelter. While extremely basic, it is meant as a temporary place to sleep until better shelter conditions are available.
Self-Contained Mobile Emergency Unit
(images via: evolo.us)
One of the biggest challenges for emergency responders is a lack of water and power on-site. The EDV-01 solves that problem by collecting up to 20 liters of potable water from the air each day – enough for two adults to live on. A rooftop solar system and fuel cell generates power for the unit. Even more impressive is the fact that this stainless steel container requires no on-site construction at all; a hydraulic pump raises the walls to form a second floor with the flip of a switch. Four hydraulic feet allow it to sit on uneven terrain.
A.N.T. Disaster Response Vehicles
(images via: tuvie.com)
Inspired by an ant’s ability to carry 10-50 times its own body weight across broad distances at a fast pace, A.N.T. – Aid Necessities Transporter – could help the United Nations and other relief organizations to reach remote disaster locations. The ground clearance of the three-wheeled vehicle can be adjusted either for speed or rough terrain, and a small passenger pod lifts up to accommodate a large load of supplies.
Reaction Housing System – Rapid Response Shelter
(images via: reactionhousingsystem.com)
Made up of compact pre-fabricated individual living units for four people called Exos, the Reaction Housing System can be assembled into interconnected spaces and costs just $5,000 per unit, much less than many other similar disaster housing solutions. Four beds fold against the walls when not in use, and there are four generator-powered outlets for electronics. 20 flat-pack Exos can fit on a single 53-foot semi-truck trailer and 1,940 can be transported via one freight train to provide housing for an impressive 7,760 people.
RISE: Post-Disaster Parasitic Shelters
(images via: evolo.us)
If a natural disaster hits a highly populated urban area with very little ground space – like, for example, Sao Paulo, the most populous city in the Americas – standard emergency shelters may not be much help. This innovative design by Mike Reyes actually hooks new temporary living space onto existing high-rise structures. The units would be flown in via helicopter and, with the help of survivors inside the skyscrapers, would be hooked onto the interior lip of a window, held securely by the force it creates on the exterior walls of the building. Each unit contains 4 beds, desks, skylights, windows, a water funnel and purer and the option of solar cells. They even have outdoor patios that allow neighboring units to connect.
Portable Disaster Pod by Jonathan Ferrer
(images via: coroflot)
A protective, portable egg-shaped pod could be dropped down to disaster sites, quickly folding out into a tripod shape with a second layer of legs. An orange nylon rip-stop shield resists water and wind, enlarging the space.
Containers to Clinics: Shipping Crate Medical Complexes
(images via: inhabitat)
Already providing much-needed care in Haiti, Containers to Clinics could represent the future in economical, easy-to-deploy medical complexes that save the lives of disaster victims. Two separate shipping containers make up one full-service clinic with examination rooms and labs; the 8′ by 20′ crates are, of course, easily transported by ship.
SEED: Shipping Container Emergency Housing
(images via: cusa-dds.net)
Another concept that makes use of shipping containers – in this case, reclaiming used ones – is SEED, a project of researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina that aims to provide safe housing for disaster victims as quickly as possible. Shipping containers are naturally resistant to earthquakes and are fit as long-term housing, making them an ideal solution for seismic events in poor Caribbean nations like Haiti where survivors may not be able to afford to rebuild.
Bull Frog: Mobile Medical Supplies for Any Terrain
(images via: tuvie.com)
Not only does this seemingly simple pull-cart help doctors carry crucial medical supplies into disaster areas, even over rough terrain, but it folds out into a work station, allowing victims to take a seat on a bench while being treated. This compact clinic-to-go could make the work of emergency responders much easier and more efficient, and seems as if it would be fairly economical to produce.
GSR Disaster Relief Robot
(images via: coroflot)
Like something out of Transformers, the GSR Disaster Relief Robot is by far the most futuristic concept on this list. Designer Daniel Shankland II imagines a towering machine that can enter dangerous situations to aid disaster victims without putting disaster responders at risk. Imagine the lives that such a creation could have saved if it were deployed, for example, to the failing Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan in the wake of this year’s tsunami.
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(Re)Make it Rain: Rainwater Reclamation Designs
September 12, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Home & Garden. ]
Big, bulky plastic rain barrels have their place, but there’s more than one way to capture and store rainwater, as these 12 innovative and versatile designs and concepts prove. Dual-purpose garden furniture and rain cisterns, personal catchment systems that attach to water bottles, beautiful self-watering planters and towering public installations harvest the most precious resource of all, and they do it in style.
Rain Harvesting Garden Table
(images via: green launches)
Cisterns take up a lot of room, and not everyone has a huge backyard. This brilliant concept doubles the function by turning your rainwater reservoir into a garden table; the slanted surface of the table captures water. Great for those who only need to harvest small amounts of rainwater, or as a supplement to additional systems.
Downspouts Double as Water-Recycling Planters
(images via: seattle times)
This cool concept for urban gutter downspouts turn an otherwise unremarkable element of the exterior of a building and turns it into a decorative planter, routing some of the water to the roots of the plants along the way.
Lush, Elegant Rainwater Harvesting System
(images via: inhabitat)
Save space and beautify your garden with CISTA, a decorate rain reservoir and planter that stretches tall to take up less valuable room. Industrial designers figforty and architects MOSS SUND designed the 8-foot stainless steel column to hold up to 100 gallons of water; a climbing vine is planted at the base and allowed to take over the frame.
Agua in Situ: Rainwater Purifying Trees
(images via: coroflot)
Blending in with nature and providing a potentially life-saving function, Agua in Situ is a tree-like vertical rainwater harvester made of stainless steel with a UV-resistant polycarbonate internal layer. The opening is shaped like leaves or the petals of a flower to capture rainwater naturally, and a carbon filter on the end of each tower sterilizes the water for safe use.
Accumuwater Water Tower
(images via: coroflot)
Doubling as public sculpture, the Accumuwater is like a smaller, household version of the Agua in Situ without the filtering capabilities. The towers independently capture rainwater for those who, for whatever reasons, can’t use their roofs; a hose or spigot attaches to the base.
Rain-Collecting Skyscraper
(images via: design boom)
When water is needed on a large scale – as it already is in many areas of the world – why not devote an entire skyscraper to the job of harvesting rainwater? ‘Capture the Rain’, by Ryszard Rychlicki and Agnieszka Nowak, has a dish-shaped roof and an exterior shell consisting of gutters to do just that. Under the surface of the roof is large reservoirs with reed fields that botanically filter the water for use in toilets, washing machines, cleaning and other domestic applications.
RainDrops: Reusing 2-Liter Bottles
(images via: yanko design)
Not only does this innovative system reuse disposable 2-liter bottles, it adapts to an existing gutter system, providing individual-sized amounts of captured water at a very low initial cost. Designed by Evan Gant, the ‘Rain Drops’ concept could be adapted for use in developing areas where fresh, sanitary water is scarce.
Vertical Garden & Rain Collector
(images via: treehugger)
‘Vert’ is a vertical garden, a way to capture and use rainwater, and a potential screen for unsightly outdoor areas, all in one simple wooden structure. A cotton wick at the top draws water from a tank up to a self-watering planter; the cedar planter boxes can be arranged as desired. Such a system could allow users to grow food in small spaces without increased usage of tap water.
Inverted Umbrella & Cistern Chair
(images via: gregortimlin.com)
Like the rain cistern/garden table, the ‘Volume Chair’ takes a functional object already found in most yards and turns it into a storage tank for water. In this case, an inverted umbrella (which also functions as a sun shade) captures rainwater and transports it with a hose to the chair-shaped tank.
Petal Drops Personal Rain Harvester
(images via: quirky)
Even if you don’t have a single square inch of outdoor space to call your own, you can harvest rainwater for a variety of uses with the clever ‘Petal Drops’, a flower-shaped funnel that attaches to standard water bottles. Made of 100% recycled high-density polyethylene, the design is simple and elegant and takes up very little space when not in use.
Rainwater Hog
(images via: rainwaterhog.com)
The Rainwater Hog may not exactly be a stunning sculptural object to beautify your outdoor area, but it’s not quite as ugly as many rain barrel designs. Better yet, its vertical design saves space, and multiple units can easily be placed side-by-side. Made of UV-stabilized, food-grade plastic, each 50-gallon unit is 100% recyclable.
Massive Glass Funnels at Shanghai Expo 2010
(images via: tonylaw)
At the 2010 Shanghai Expo, massive glass funnels imbedded with LED lights, overlapped with tent structures, served a double purpose: harvesting rainwater on a massive scale, and letting natural daylight into the shaded area while maintaining protection against the elements. The rainwater was channeled into a 7,000-cubic-meter storage tank and used throughout the grounds to water plants.
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Glow Away: 10 Odd Objects Made From Uranium Glass
September 6, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steve in Art & Design & Home & Garden & Uncategorized. ]
Uranium Glass, a form of glassware known for the vivid green glow it exudes under ultraviolet light, contains from 2% to 25% uranium oxide by weight. Also known as Vaseline Glass and negligibly radioactive, these pale yellow to jade green pieces were popular home and tableware items from the mid-nineteenth century through the start of the Cold War.
Uranium Glass Marbles
(images via: The Marble Connection)
“You’ll put someone’s eye out with those uranium glass marbles!” You don’t know the half of it, mom. The USAF’s A-10 “Warthog” ground-attack jet makes mincemeat out of enemy tanks firing a Gatling gun loaded with depleted uranium slugs. Translation? All your aggies are belong to us.
(images via: Marbles Galore and eBay/Vnauck)
Seriously, a marble that looks like a miniature Loc-Nar just can’t be beat. Imagine showing up in the schoolyard with these bad boys, then lighting ‘em up with a mini blacklight keychain… now that’s all kinds of awesome.
Uranium Glass Atomic Rooster
(images via: Collectible Glass and Tozour Family)
OK, they’re actually uranium glass hens but an Atomic Rooster reference was mandatory in this case. Uranium glass hens are surprisingly common, acting as lids for salt cellars, sugar bowls, even cookie jars. Heck of a place to keep cookies, if you ask me.
(image via: Look in the Attic & Co.)
Contrary to your probable first assumption, uranium glass glows green under ultraviolet light, not due to any residual radioactivity. Under normal lighting uranium glass objects can range from pale yellow to medium green in tint, and can vary from opaque to transparent.
Uranium Glass Crookes Tube
(images via: The Cathode Ray Tube Site)
What’s a Crookes Tube, you ask? I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you… OK, not really, come back and sit down. Crookes Tubes date from the era of real steampunk and Film Noir when electricity was a novelty and radioactivity even more so. The early Crookes uranium glass discharge tube above didn’t have to be made of uranium glass but aren’t you glad it was? Paging Marvin the Martian, I think we found your Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator.
Uranium Glass Bulldog
(images via: Bonanza.com)
Hellhound, you say? This li’l guy creeps me out even without the aid of a blacklight. Notice how his eyes glow red when the blacklight is on… that’s not supposed to happen, is it??
(images via: Globe Antiques & Collectibles)
Here’s another uranium glass bulldog, made by the Mosser Glass Company. Stated to be a “Bulldog Vaseline Glass Doorstop Figurine,” this pug-ugly pug deserves better than being a lowly doorstop, and he sure knows it.
Uranium Glass Shoes
Ruby slippers, meh. Uranium glass slippers, yeah! Skipping down the Yellow Brick Road in a pair of uranium glass slippers would have served Dorothy (and her little dog, too) very well indeed. What flying monkey would dare to go up against these bodacious bilious booties?
Uranium Glass Juicer
(images via: The Estate Store and Thomas A Durston)
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade… on a glowing green juicer made of uranium glass! Most any kitchen implement has been given the “vaseline glass” treatment, which seems strange as neither vaseline nor uranium belong anywhere near most any kitchen.
(images via: Thomas A Durston and eBay/Flowernme)
The above selection of uranium glass juicers illustrates the variety of tints and grades of transparency that made this type of glass so popular for so long… and we’re talking roughly 2,000 years: the Romans made uranium glass and used it in their mosaics. Of course, they didn’t have blacklights or UV lamps back then but uranium glass gives off a slight green glow in ordinary daylight, courtesy of the sun’s natural UV rays.
Uranium Glass Dog Button
(images via: Cairn Rescue Network)
These Vaseline Uranium Dog Glass Buttons are hand-made in the Bohemian town of Jablonec where the arts of glassmaking and button-making go back many centuries. Wear a glowing glass button with a dog’s face on it? Czech!
Uranium Glass Box
(images via: Etsy/Tiedyehut, Codiyioti and MrVaselineGlass)
The mere concept of a “Uranium Glass Box” sounds like something out of sci-fi; the perfect place for Lex Luthor to keep his Kryptonite (he probably keeps his Uranium in a Kryptonite Glass Box).
(image via: eBay/BarberShopShaving)
A uranium glass box to store your razor blades and hone them fiendishly sharp… I’d trade my Gillette Fusion for one any day. They say Jack the Ripper conserved his deathly implements of horror in one of these boxes. Sounds like a cool place to store one’s post-cremation ashes.
Uranium Glass Skull
(images via: Artskulls)
Move over, Indiana Jones, there’s a new kid on the glass block and (unlike your last effort) he’s getting glowing reviews. Yes, it’s a phosphorescent skull fashioned from uranium glass. If it didn’t already exist, someone would have to make one.
(images via: Glasskulls.com)
Any budding Colonel Kurtz’s out there should take note: all you really need to lord it over some primitive, undiscovered tribe is one of these uranium glass skulls and a pocket blacklight. Somebody starts up, you flick on the UV… let the kowtowing begin!
Uranium Glass Keyboard
(images via: Dovetail Designs)
Steven Klein has built the ultimate steampunk keyboard & stand, featuring hand blown uranium glass keys and space bar infused with around 3% oxides and uranates of uranium by Mark Matthews. Eureka, break out the lead foil finger-cots and let’s do some isotope typing.
(images via: Matthews Marble Interest Group)
One can easily imagine Edgar Allan Poe, H. G. Wells or Ray Bradbury hunched over Klein’s so-called Celestial Keyboard, which is housed in a cabinet crafted from cherry, quilted maple and ebony wood. It’d also look right at home on Captain Nemo’s Nautilus.
(image via: Janne Moren)
Collecting uranium glass is a popular hobby and can be quite lucrative as well due to the age and rarity of some pieces. Perhaps it’s not a good idea to accumulate too many pieces in a single location, however, as you never want to have a critical mass.
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Paper, Naturally: 48 Gorgeous Works of Paper Art
May 23, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
From organic-looking installations that seem to have sprung from the forest or the sea to incredibly intricate scenes that can take months to complete, these stunning works of nature-themed paper art from 14 artists defy the disposable, ephemeral qualities of the material. Master paper artists slice, fold, bend and glue paper of all colors and textures into sculptures, collages and illustrations that variously elevate paper beyond its origins or take it back to its natural roots. See 56 more works by 14 additional artists at WebUrbanist.
Colorful Scenes by Helen Musselwhite
(images via: helenmusselwhite.com)
“Each piece combines the hand cutting, folding and scoring of a wide range of papers and card that are further worked on to create patterned and textured surfaces,” says artist Helen Musselwhite of her creative cut-paper collages. “They are then used to build scenes in box frames which are often complex and consist of many layers. This process means that each item of work is truly individual with no two pieces the same.Influenced by the natural world each piece is manipulated to become an intriguing place, a glimpse into another world of fiction and fairytale.”
Birds and Horse by Anna-Wili Highfield
(images via: annawilihighfield.com)
Sydney, Australia-based artist Anna-Wii Highfield creates these beautiful paper sculptures of animals from archival cotton paper which is then painted and sewn together. The artist, the daughter of puppeteers, works mostly by commission, sending her animal figures all over the world.
Black and White Birds by Christina Empedocles
(images via: davidbsmithgallery.com)
A former geologist, artist Christina Empedocles clearly feels an affinity to nature, as evidenced by the many plant and wildlife motifs in her work. Empedocles draws highly realistic images onto paper with wax pencil and then cuts and folds the paper into a mix of sculpture and collage.
3D Animals and Flowers by Jo Lynn Alcorn
(images via: jolynnalcorn.com)
Quirky and fun, Jo Lynn Alcorn’s three-dimensional paper collages spring forth from the artist’s treasured collection of beautiful papers in all prints and colors. “I do a pencil and marker sketch, which I scan digitally, and then rework within Illustrator and Photoshop as needed. I have a background as a graphic designer, which is very useful, as I often work closely with art directors and photographers to ‘imbed’ products such as jewelry or fashion items within my pictures. My artwork and the products are shot separately, then brought together digitally by the photographic retoucher.”
Intricate Cut-Outs by Emma Van Leest
(images via: emmavanleest.com)
Astonishingly detailed and cut by what one can only imagine must be the steadiest of hands, these paper scenes by Emma Van Leest reveal seemingly endless details the more you stare. A single piece could take the artist up to two months to complete, and it’s easy to see why: they’re all hand-cut, using archival paper and an Xacto knife.
In an interview with The Design Files, Van Leest said of her chosen medium, “It’s such an ephemeral, everyday material that we all use. We scribble on it, scrunch it up, throw it out. It’s lightweight and accessible which means that you don’t think of creating something so delicate and painstaking as a papercut with it. It’s exciting to create something of beauty and interest out of it.”
Vivid Illustrations by Kate Slater
(images via: kate slater illustration)
Don’t you want to just fall into Kate Slater’s lush, colorful paper world? The British illustrator creates these adorable scenes for children’s books, editorials, advertisements and pleasure, working in both flat collage and relief collages made with cut paper and wire.
Fresh Florals by Eloise Corr Danch
(images via: eloisecorrdanch.com)
New York City artist Eloise Corr Danch creates stunning paper flowers, garlands and even a full-sized dress. Her clients include Anthropologie, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, with incredible displays in the pages of magazines, in retail shop windows and in galleries.
Trees from Trash by Yuken Teruya
(images via: inhabitat)
Japanese artist Yuken Teruya cuts the most delicate of trees out of everyday throwaway objects like toilet paper rolls and fast food bags. While the work calls attention to the role that such materials play in our lives, they’re also beautiful, a quality that the artist hopes viewers won’t take for granted. “I feel that my work shouldn’t only have the function of conveying the artist’s message. My works have a right to simply be beautiful or offer any kind of attraction.”
Pop-Ups by Lizzie Thomas
(images via: lizziethomas.co.uk)
Paper artist Lizzie Thomas of Brighton, UK creates these charming wooden books with hand-cut paper pop-ups inside. “My work is an exploration of narrative, myth and metaphor. I am particularly interested in the use of symbol in fairytale and folklore and also write my own stories. I take inspiration from the use of wood and paper in Japanese spiritual life. I use 2D to create 3D by introducing layering and movement into materials.”
3D Paper Sculpture by Jeff Nishinaka
(images via: jeffnishinaka.com)
“Paper to me is a living breathing thing that has a life of its own,” says renowned artist Jeff Nishinaka, whose work often appears in high-profile advertisements and galleries. “I just try to redirect that energy into something that feels animated and alive.” Take one look at his incredible, often life-sized paper sculptures, and you’ll agree that he succeeds on this front. Nishinaka crafts all kinds of scenes and objects from paper, but those that portray nature seem to be a heartfelt tribute to the very trees that provided his favorite artistic medium.
Playful Illustrations by Saelee Oh
(images via: saeleeoh.com)
Korean-American artist Saelee Oh crafts these playful, childlike cut-paper illustrations that explore themes like utopia, female empowerment, nature and animal symbolism. “I think about lace and delicacy and fragility,” she says. “I like the flatness of paper and all of its subtle textures and properties. I love paper. I want to make a paper burrito and eat it everyday. I love the different smells of paper too. The process of paper cutting is also more of a meditative exercise for me than painting or drawing with graphite or ink.”
Translucent Sculpture by Polly Verity
(images via: polyscene.com)
Edinburgh, Scotland-based artist Polly Verity makes these surreal sculptures of animals and mythological figures from wire and paper. Her work ranges from miniature to life-size figures as well as an array of paper costumes including masks and shoes.
The Paper Garden by Jade Pegler
(images via: spectrescope)
From afar, you might not even notice that there was anything ‘unnatural’ about these art installations by Jade Pegler. Her organic paper creations seem as if they really could have sprung from stumps and dead leaves. These temporary installations bring paper back to its natural environment, where its life first began.
Coral Reefs by Amy Eisenfeld Genser
(images via: amygenser.com)
Vast, mysterious ocean ecosystems in Caribbean blues and the dark, purple-black hues of the deepest seas are represented vividly by rolled and painted paper, mounted to canvas by artist Amy Eisenfeld Genser. “I often look to the natural world for inspiration. I am fascinated by the flow of water, the organization of beehives, and the organic irregularity of plants, flowers, rock formations, barnacles, moss, and seaweed.”
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High Nature: Amazing Mountain Wildlife
June 30, 2009 by admin · View Comments
(images via claude74, itsnature, gravitydude99)
Mountains are some of the most inhospitable places on earth. Thin air, lack of vegetation and harsh weather highlight that fact. But some creatures have adapted to mountain life. For them, negotiating rocky terrain, breathing thin air, and finding food in such a scarce environment is second nature.
Snow Leopard
(image via newagecrap)
Snow Leopards are at home in South and Central Asia. They are an especially stocky cat, weighing up to 120 pounds. Despite their ferocity (snow leopards have been known to kill animals three-times their size), they are endangered, with the worldwide population estimated around 10,000.
Indian Rhino and Yak
(images via Wonker and thomaswanhoff)
The Indian Rhinoceros is one of the most unusual mountain creatures. They thrive in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains in Northeastern India and Nepal. They can weight more than 3 tons, easily the largest mountain animal on earth.
The yak is a woolly, strong creature that has made life possible to humans in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau for centuries. They have larger hearts and lungs than their other bovine cousins and can survive at up to 18,000 feet above sea-level.
Mountain Goat
(image via mikefats)
There are actually several species that are often tagged as Mountain Goats. The shaggy, sure-footed Rocky Mountain Goat is frequently sighted in Colorado and Wyoming. Other species are equally sure-footed and able to survive by eating whatever the mountains have to offer.
Himalayan Griffon, Andean Condor, and Tibetan Snowcock
(images via reurinkjan, Ester Inbar and Otto Plantema)
The Himalayan Griffon Vulture is a scavenger that can often be seen soaring over the mountains of South Asia. With a wingspan that approaches 10 feet, this is one of the largest birds to be found at high altitudes.
The Andean Condor is the Griffon’s Western Hemisphere cousin. It has a similar size. This South American species can live up to 50 years.
The Tibetan Snowcock is not as large as the two scavengers above, but it is arguably as tough, carving out an existence high on the Tibetan Plateau.
Alpine Marmot
(images via leo-seta)
Alpine Marmots are the largest relative of the squirrel. They have an ideal set of skills for life in Central Europe’s mountains. They are able to dig through hard, rocky ground with ease and can escape harsh conditions by hibernating (sometimes up to nine months per year).
Vicuna and Llama
(images via Rico Hubner and eschipul)
The rare Vicuna is a cousin of South America’s most famous domesticated animal, the llama. It thrives in the same high-altitude conditions, but is considerably harder to find. At one point, there were only about 10,000 left in the wild. Protection has brought the number back to more than 100,000.
The Llama has become of necessity of life for people living in the high Andes. These relatives of the camel have are used for labor, for their thick wool, and even for food.
Alpine Ibex
(image via Earth explorer)
This species of goat is easily recognized by its long, curving horns (which can be more than three feet long). Despite the menacing appearance this gives them, the horns are mainly used for protection against predators. Like most other goats, the ibex is strictly a herbivore, surviving on sometimes scarce mountain foliage.
Water-holding Cabbage
(image via Esculapio)
This unique plant species is one of the many unique ones that grow high on Mount Kilimanjaro. The flowering tops make it seem top-heavy and completely alien.
Bharal and Deer Mice
(images via reurinkjan and kwantlen park)
The Bharal is yet another goat-like animal that thrives in sparse, rocky terrain. Its sure footing and ability to ingest anything that is vaguely edible make it an ideal mountain dweller. Bharal are a major food source for another animal on this list, Snow Leopards.
Deer Mice are found high on many of the world’s mountains. These creatures can adapt easily to a number of environments, including the extreme cold of the Andes Mountains.
Josh
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