[ By Steph in Food & Health, History & Trivia, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
In Montana, children gleefully haul trout out of the water of a river that recently wasn’t able to support life of any kind. New Jersey residents relax once again in a historic but troubled park that shut down for decades due to serious toxic contamination. And in Brooklyn, enthusiastic locals hold dance parties in a district simmering with pollution. Whether officially ‘cleaned up’ by the EPA, still in the process of healing or only just recognized, these 13 Superfund sites have been reclaimed for recreational use – and while some still seem sketchy, it’s encouraging to see that even America’s dirtiest places can sometimes get a clean start.
Dioxin-Displaced Times Beach, Missouri
(images via: kinetic jane, subliculous)
One of America’s most notorious Superfund sites has undergone a dramatic transformation from a dioxin-soaked wasteland that was so toxic, the town had to be relocated to a new site, to a beautiful wildlife preserve and national park. Times Beach, Missouri became covered in dioxin when waste oil from a facility used to produce Agent Orange during the Vietnam War was sprayed on the roads to control a dust problem. The town was evacuated in 1985 and about 265,000 tons of contaminated soil and debris was incinerated. That site is now Route 66 State Park, and contains a large grass mound covering the debris of the demolished buildings.
Reed Keppler Aquatic Park, West Chicago, Illinois
(images via: epa.gov)
For forty years, residents of West Chicago swam in a public pool and played on fields that were adjacent to and sometimes even covered in radioactive materials. Even more radioactive mill tailings were fenced into a landfill on the property. By the 1990s, it was clear something needed to be done. The site was put on the National Priorities List and was then remediated by the EPA even while the new park complex was under construction. Today, the Reed-Keppler Park includes large family aquatic centers as well as baseball fields, a skate park and green space.
From Fly Ash to Fly Balls at Chisman Creek Park, Virginia
(image via: epa.gov)
Not so long ago, ‘Keep Out’ signs discouraged Virginians from exploring what is now Chisman Creek Park, and for good reason – this former Superfund site was once choked with 500,000 tons of toxic fly ash from the nearby Yorktown Power Station. Cleanup began in 1986 to remove heavy metals like arsenic from 27 acres of land, ponds, a tributary stream and the Chisman Creek Estuary and make the area’s groundwater safe to drink again. The EPA’s solution mostly consisted of a giant clay cap, covering the contaminated area, and relocating a portion of the tributary. The park was built over that cap in 1991 and is home to two softball fields.
Trout Fishing at Silver Bow Creek, Butte, Montana
(image via: mt.gov)
The Silver Bow Creek in Butte, Montana was fouled with dangerous mine waste for the better part of a century, resulting in a moonscape-like floodplain that was incapable of supporting life. This wasteland was listed as a Superfund site in 1983 and finally excavated starting in 1999. Cleanup is still underway, but some promising signs of life have appeared, and some portions of the site are considered safe and open for recreational activities like fishing.
Copper Smelter to Old Works Golf Club, Anaconda, Montana
(image via: oldworks.org)
It’s a startling sight: professional golfer Jack Nicklaus standing in a black pit of mining waste, about to tee off, with the remains of mining operations visible in the background. Anaconda, Montana is just a few miles from Butte and is actually a part of the same Superfund site. It still has a long way to go before it’s totally cleaned up. But one little slice of the contaminated area was turned into the Old Works Golf Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and built over the site of the Upper Works and Lower Works of the Anaconda Copper smelting operations. The fairways look like many others across the world, but for the sand traps that are filled with black slag, a mining by-product.
Alcyon Lake Park, Pitman, New Jersey
(image via: incaz)
Alcyon Lake Park has been a popular recreation spot in Pitman, New Jersey since 1895, offering a boardwalk, a bathhouse, merry-go-rounds, daredevil performances, a horse track and other attractions. But thanks to dangerous liquid waste contamination from an adjacent landfill, this 38-acre tract became the EPA’s number one Superfund site, forcing the park to close in 1981. The contamination was so great, some residents worried that they’d never get Alcyon Lake Park back – but after years of cleanup, it was restored to its former glory, reopening in 1999.
Maywood Riverfront Park, California
(image via: wikimedia commons)
The old Pemaco chemical mixing facility on the Los Angeles river in Maywood, California burned to the ground in 1993 but both underground and above-ground barrels and tanks of hazardous substances remained. Upon investigation, the EPA found that the soil and groundwater were contaminated with a rather frightening array of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and it was declared a Superfund site in 1999. The EPA installed a soil treatment system to deal with the mess, and construction on the Maywood Riverfront Park began while the site was still being cleaned. It’s now part of the Los Angeles River Greenway system.
California Gulch Site, Leadville, Colorado
(image via: american trails)
Strap on your helmet and take in the (hopefully safe, though sulfur-smelling) breeze as you take a bicycle tour of America’s largest Superfund site, California Gulch, in Leadville, Colorado. The site, which occupies the remains of an old mining town, is now home to part of a 12-mile trail and even includes some mining ruins. Even though some radioactive tailings remain, the EPA claims that enough cleanup has been done to consider the California Gulch section of the Mineral Belt Trail safe for recreation.
Dump Site to ‘Sort of Clean’ Park in Saco, Maine
(image via: press herald)
”I remember when there were open barrels of sludge,” says Brian Espe of the old Saco dump site in Maine where he now spots foxes, wild turkeys and other wildlife on walks with his dog. The 247-acre wooded site was once full of trash and tannery waste, but was covered with a rubber liner to keep the contamination in place beneath soccer fields and other recreation areas. Transformation of the Saco dump site is not yet complete, and it will never be back to normal – in fact, the recreation department can’t even dig into the field to mount goal posts or other structures for fear of puncturing the rubber seal. The EPA says that the athletic fields and other ‘active areas’ are only slightly contaminated, while the more serious contamination can still be found in ‘passive recreation areas’ used for walking and bird watching.
Luminous Processors/McDonalds, Athens, Georgia
(image via: epa.gov)
You can say a lot of things about the food at McDonalds, but at least the burgers aren’t radioactive (we think…) – even though one location in Georgia was built on an old Superfund site. The Luminous Processors glow-in-the-dark watch and clock manufacturing plant in Athens left behind seriously contaminated soil when it went out of business in 1980. The one-acre patch of radioactive land was backfilled with clean soil and deemed ‘clean’ in just five months, making way for the McDonalds which was constructed in 1990. The whole process was unusually quick for Superfund sites, which often take decades to resolve.
Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn
(image via: the dirt)
The Gowanus Canal area of Brooklyn hasn’t been cleaned up yet. In fact, it was only just named a Superfund site in the summer of 2010. But that designation isn’t stopping local residents from making the most of their neighborhood, for better or worse. Open-air dance parties and dumpster swimming pools are just a few ways that residents show their love for their home despite its many troubles.
“There’s no place in Brooklyn, or in New York City, that feels kind of more pleasant than being right here, which is odd given that that is a toxic waterway,” says Jennifer Prediger. “But it’s actually quite lovely. It’s the loveliest toxic waterway I’ve ever spent time on.”
Koppers ‘Theme Park’ Proposal, Gainesville, Florida
(image via: gainesville.com)
No, the EPA isn’t really planning to turn the Koppers Superfund site in Gainesville, Florida into a theme park. However, one city resident’s tongue-in-cheek proposal – printed in the Gainesville Sun – makes some interesting suggestions and hints at local frustration over the issue. Here’s a snippet:
“What’s with all the protest over the EPA’s plan for the Koppers Superfund site? With a little imagination we can turn a negative into a positive and build a one-of-a-kind environmental theme park. First, it needs a name, and I propose we name it in honor of Carol Browner, President Obama’s energy and environment czar… We can call it ‘Browner Fields Environmental Park of America’. Like any theme park, it’ll need rides. Climb to the top of Mount Apocalypse and slide down the Slippery Slope! Hop on the Endless Public Hearings merry-go-round! Stay overnight, it won’t kill you. Outright.” Sounds fun.
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12 Historic Sites & Ancient Ruins in Danger of Disappearing
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel, History & Trivia. ]
Vandalism, climate change, encroaching development and rampant commercialism – these are just a few of the threats facing priceless ancient ruins and historical sites around the world. While over 200 sites are in danger, the Global Heritage Fund has named these 12 sites as most likely to disappear if action isn’t taken immediately, erasing evidence of hundreds or even thousands of years of human history including an Armenian city that once rivaled Constantinople and a sacred place of Buddhist pilgrimage in Afghanistan.
Intramuros and Fort Santiago Historic District, Philippines
(images via: shotfinder, wikimedia commons)
The crumbling walls of a medieval fort make a strong contrast with an adjacent modern skyline, but that’s nothing compared to what you see once you step inside the high walls of Intramuros, the walled city containing the last vestiges of Spanish-era influences in Manila. Beside the ruins that were pelted with heavy shelling during World War II and only partially reconstructed are a Starbucks and a McDonalds. Some of the old moats surrounding the historic zone, which includes the imposing Fort Santiago, have been filled and converted to a golf course. The Global Heritage Fund fears that Intramuros will soon be “overrun by rampant commercialism”, and some historians fear that high-rises and malls will be next.
Hisham’s Palace, Palestine
(images via: michaelramallah, delayed gratification)
Hisham’s Palace’s troubles began over a thousand years ago, when an earthquake leveled it and covered it with sand in 747 AD. It was entirely forgotten for centuries until archaeologists unearthed the remains of this Umayyad winter palace in Palestine beginning in 1934. Historians are intensely curious about the palace, especially since it was unfinished when the earthquake struck, but may never be able to solve the mystery as urban development is encroaching fast. Archaeologists believe that if it’s not preserved now, Hisham’s Palace may be lost forever.
Abandoned Medieval City of Ani, Turkey
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Once upon a time, Ani was home to structures that were among the most technically and artistically advanced in the world, and rivaled renowned metropolises such as Constantinople and Cairo. Today, the former medieval Armenian kingdom (now part of Turkey) is in ruins, uninhabited and nearly forgotten. At its height, Ani was home to 200,000 residents, but a siege by invading Mongols in 1226 decimated its population and it lay dormant until the 19th century. It has been placed on ‘endangered sites’ lists by organizations like World Monuments Fund due to constant threats from earthquakes, neglect and nearby quarrying.
Nineveh, Iraq
(images via: stevanb)
It was the ‘Ancient jewel of the Assyrian Empire’, but Nineveh – located in Iraq near the modern city of Mosul – spent centuries as a pile of rubble even as the Bible told of its greatness. It was rediscovered by archaeologists in the 19th century and many of its ruins have been excavated and rebuilt, but its remains could be buried once again due to constant looting, vandalism and expanding suburbs.
City of Kings: Famagusta, North Cyprus
(images via: spirosk, wikimedia commons)
The Crusader kings were crowned in Famagusta, a once-bustling port city on the northeastern coast of Cyprus; such was its importance in the world. The medieval walled city flourished from the 12th to 15th centuries and was heavily fortified under the protection of Venice but nevertheless sacked by Ottoman Turks, and lay in depressed disuse with just a handful of poverty-stricken residents as it fought for its independence from Turkey. Today, Turkish-Muslim North Cyprus is segregated from Greek Orthodox South Cyprus and some experts say Famagusta won’t get the attention it deserves until Cyprus is reunified.
Swahili City of Lamu, Kenya
(images via: rogiro, wikimedia commons)
Once the trade capital of East Africa, Lamu, Kenya is the one of the oldest remaining Swahili towns on the East African coast and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. According to the Global Heritage Fund, Lamu dates back to the 12th century and its buildings embody the long history of Swahili technology and culture. Already pressured by neglect and insufficient management of fresh water resources, Lamu may fall to a large port development that is currently under consideration along the coast that will include an oil refinery and boost population to an unsustainable number.
Ancient Taxila, Pakistan
(images via: wikimedia commons, hassan sarmad)
A Mesolithic cave, Buddhist monasteries, Muslim mosques and four ancient settlements are just the beginning of the treasures that Taxila, Pakistan has to offer. Each settlement represents a different time period, revealing the pattern of progress over centuries including the rich religious and cultural history of the Pakistani people. Declared one of the top tourist sites in Pakistan, Taxila is also in danger of disastrous damage due to development, mining, looting, war and conflict.
Chersonesos Archaeological Site, Ukraine
(images via: argenberg, wikimedia commons)
In photos you’d never guess that these sea-swept ruins, with their tall white columns, were located anywhere but the Mediterranean. But Chersonesos is actually an ancient Greek settlement in Ukraine, founded about 2500 years ago and ruled over the centuries by both Rome and Byzantium. Its isolation made it an ideal place of exile for people who angered Rome, including Pope Clement I and the deposed Byzantine Emperor Justinian II. The ruins, found in the suburbs of Sevastopol, reflect the cultures of Greece, Rome and Byzantium. Urban encroachment and coastal erosion are both threats that the Ukrainian government is ill-equipped to handle due to lack of funding.
Maluti Temples, India
(image via: global heritage fund)
Compared to the majestic palaces and stunning ruins that can be seen all over India, the Maluti Temples are nothing to call home about. In fact, most people haven’t even heard of them. To anyone who loves the juxtaposition of formerly grand architecture with overgrowth and decay, the 72 remaining terracotta temples in the village of Maluti are undeniably beautiful, but they’re in danger of deteriorating completely without proper care. Unfortunately, the local government finds itself in a sort of catch-22 because although protecting the temples could bring in tourism revenue, they currently don’t have the funds or a plan to make it happen.
Bamiyan Valley Archaeology, Afghanistan
(images via: wikimedia commons)
An important Buddhist center on the Silk Road, the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan and was home to two towering Buddha statues that were destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001. The art and architecture that remains standing in this picturesque area, nestled within the mountains of the Hindu Kush, stand as a unique intersection of Indian, Hellenistic, Roman and Sasanian cultural influences as well as the Islamic influence that came later. Once a place of Buddhist pilgrimage and still home to many monasteries and sanctuaries, the Bamiyan Valley is threatened by continued cultural and religious conflict.
Sans Souci Palace, Haiti
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Not to be confused with a palace by the same name in Berlin, Haiti’s Sans Souci Palace was the royal home of King Henri Christophe and Queen Marie-Louise. The palace – named “without worry” in French – was built starting in 1810, just after Haiti won its independence, and Henri’s reign was far from peaceful. The unpopular ruler committed suicide on the grounds in 1820 and the palace was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1842. It was named a World Heritage Site in 1982 but today, as the country struggles to recover from the severe earthquake of January 2010, rebuilding the palace seems unlikely.
Mahasthangarh Archaeological Site, Bangladesh
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Bangladesh’s earliest archaeological site contains both ancient and medieval ruins dating back to the 3rd century BC as well as the tomb of Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar, who settled in the area and converted the people to Islam. Unlike most of Bangladesh, Mahasthangarh is located almost 36 meters above sea level, helping to protect its many archaeological digs from the nation’s frequent floods, but the site is deteriorating rapidly and has been subject to looting and vandalism.
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Sunrise, Sunset: Breathtaking Natural Light Photography
[ By Delana in Art & Design, History & Trivia, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Light is, of course, an essential element of photography. But when photographers get creative with the quality of light in their images, it becomes clear just how big a difference it can make in the overall mood. In fact, in certain conditions the light can almost become a character itself, lending a distinct personality to every photo. With its many personalities and endlessly changing appearance, natural light can turn a ho-hum image into a stunning one. These beautiful nature photographs illustrate just a small sampling of the natural light conditions that occur on our planet every day.
Nature’s Palette
(images via: Hartwig HKD, Jean Goff, popejon2, cobalt123, Christian Guthier, Trey Ratcliff)
Painting with artificial light is an art form most of us know well, but sometimes natural light paints its own pictures. These studies in natural light capture the quiet intensity of the sun’s rays and the warm gentle touch of shadows.
Sunlight Through Clouds
(images via: dubbs, Paulo Brandao, popejon2, l1mey)
When the sun casts long fingers of light down through the clouds, it is special enough to make even the most experienced nature lover stop and take notice. Called Jacob’s Ladders or God’s Fingers by many, the technical term is Crepuscular rays. No matter what you call them, they are beautiful examples of nature’s own art.
Northern Lights
(images via: localsurfer, Nick Russill, Beverly, Petur Valgeirsson)
The Aurora Borealis (also known as the Northern Lights) is a seemingly magical light display that turns a normal Northern sky into a light show like no other. The amazing colored lights are caused by natural reactions in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, but they were once believed to be caused by reflections from the armor of charging Valkyries.
The Interplay of Light and Water
(images via: Prabhu, Brian Auer, popejon2, Raymond Bosma, Forest Gilbakian, Vestman, Robert Wallace)
Light and water complement each other so well: reflections become whole other worlds and the horizon melts into the sea. Soft light touches the water to paint in a wholly soothing palette, while bright light bounces energetically off of every surface in sight.
Light Shining Through Trees
(images via: Mike, Ginny, Frank Wuestefeld, ViaMoi)
Light is one of the most ever-changing parts of nature, while trees are much more stable and semi-permanent. The combination of strong, rigid trees and ephemeral beams of light makes for unforgettable photographs. These are fine examples of a breathtaking moment captured by a photographer with perfect timing.
Sunrise and Sunset
(images via: dj@oxherder arts, Andre Theriault, Kipp Baker, ericdege)
Sunrise and sunset are two of the most perfect times of day to catch a breathtaking nature photograph. For a few short minutes at the beginning and end of every day, the world is bathed in splendid transitional sunlight unlike the light at any other time of day. The warm light transforms nearly any scene into one of serenity or energy, depending on which daily transition is being caught on camera.
Rainbows
(images via: Harald Hoyer, Tym, Marc Crumpler, Sarah Macmillan)
The elusive rainbow is one of nature’s loveliest little surprises. Atmospheric conditions and the viewer’s position have to be just right for the optical phenomenon to form…and when rainbows do appear, it’s like natural fireworks. These mystical colors in the sky have long been part of the mythology of nearly every culture on the planet.
Light Pollution
(images via: Jose Angel, Brian, Robert Snache)
As stunning as natural light is in photography, unnatural light can be impressive as well. These images all refer to light from nearby towns and cities as light pollution, which is a term used to describe artificial light that obscures the view of the natural world. Light pollution is a big problem for those who live in or near cities and long to look at the stars. But for all of its negative connotations, even light pollution can be beautiful in its own way.
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Coprolites: A Few Words On Prehistoric Turds
[ By Steve in Animals & Habitats, History & Trivia, Science & Research. ]
Coprolites, or fossilized excrement, is commonly found throughout the world – somewhat surprising considering the ephemeral nature of the source. Though the process of mineralization has made them hard and (thankfully) odorless, coprolites can still tell us much about the extinct creatures who created them so long ago.
Living In A World Of Poop
(images via: WIRED.com, Jacob Berkowitz and UCMP Berkeley)
If one considers the number of living creatures who have walked, trod, swam and flown through Life’s billion-year reign, it’s a wonder we’re not up to our eyes in excrement today! Or maybe we are and just don’t know it. When excrement fossilizes, minerals replace the organic matter and to the casual observer the result (a coprolite) is indistinguishable from a rock, stone or pebble. Paleontologists and the rather more specialized Paleoscatologists, however, know turds from treasure when they see them. Sometimes, in fact, the former can be the latter!
(images via: SuperStock and Amazon.com)
Meet Karen Chin, one of the world’s most well-known paleoscatologists – she’ll understand if you don’t want to shake hands. Chin is the curator of paleontology at the University of Colorado Museum in Boulder – no pun intended – and her work with dinosaur coprolites has enlightened us to some important aspects of dinosaur behavior and lifestyles.
(images via: Denver Post, Hanscom Family and Tea Cozy)
For example, Chin noted worm tracks in coprolites that indicated the big beasts were afflicted by worms and other intestinal parasites. She also discovered bones – both whole and crushed – in T Rex’s fossil dung that indicate the dainty-fingered dino wasn’t a dilettante when it came to downing its dinner.
Ex-Stinkers From The Extinct
(images via: NHM and Wyoming Dinosaurs)
Coprolites have been found to have come from all manner of creatures, great and small, fish or fowl, but dinosaur coprolites seem to have inspired the most interest and fascination. Perhaps seeing their poop brings these large, fearsome creatures down to size, so to speak. Maybe it’s just that for most of us excreta is a passing thing – yet these dino dumps appear pretty much “as left” even though they first saw the light of day tens of millions of years ago.
(images via: Fossils For Sale, It’s A Hard Rock Life and Science A2Z)
Paleoscatologists state that coprolites from carnivores are more easily preserved than those from herbivores – a somewhat surprising fact given that some of said plant-eaters were the largest creatures to have ever walked the Earth. Cretaceous carnivores were no lightweights however, and that goes for their dung as well.
(images via: RSM, Prehistoric CSI and Oak Park Journal)
The monster loaf above was thought to have been pinched by a Tyrannosaurus Rex some 65 million years ago, presumably during a commercial break. Discovered in 1995 by Wendy Sloboda of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the dino dropping measures 17.6 by 6.4 by 5.2 inches (44 x 16 x 13 cm) and weighs over 15.5 pounds (7 kg).
Mammoth Dung: A BIG Problem
(images via: PPSC, SEAC and Discovery.com)
Mammoths and Mastodons were big, they ate during the bulk of their waking hours – and they ate in bulk, period. What goes in, must come out as the old saying goes, and it’s likely these extinct shaggy pachyderms had a significant impact on their environment. Images of several fossilized “impacts” are shown above.
(image via: Green Diary)
It doesn’t take long (on a geologic scale) for dung to fossilize and in some cases the process is over and done with in just a few hundred years. Not so in the earth’s frozen tundra where generations of Woolly Mammoths roamed for hundreds of thousands of years, doing what Woolly Mammoths do… and doodoo. Some scientists speculate that as global warming heats up the Arctic, dormant microbes in the dung could wake up and go back to work, in the process spewing forth significant amounts of methane. Kinda like letting your dog do his business in the yard all winter and next spring when the snow melts… uh oh.
Regurgitalites: Jurassic Barf
(images via: WordSpy and Karen Carr)
Closely related to coprolites are Regurgitalites, or mineralized vomitus. If that’s not plain enough for you, we’ll call a spade a spade: fossilized vomit. One of the most, er, exciting regurgitalite finds occurred in 2002 when Peter Doyle of the University of Greenwich described a conglomeration of belemnite skeletons believed to have been coughed up by a marine reptile called Ichthyosaurus approximately 160 million years ago.
(images via: New Scientist, Prehistoric World and Tonmo.com)
Belemnites are ancient relatives of squid that had hard, calcified skeletal structures. It’s thought that once a certain number of these shells had accumulated within an ichthyosaur’s stomach, it would vomit them up much the way owls do with indigestible rodent bones. As for the British regurgitalite, Doyle stated that “We believe this is the first time the existence of fossil vomit on a grand scale has been proven beyond reasonable doubt.”
Pseudocoprolites: If It Ain’t Crap, It’s Crap
(images via: WAMS and Wikipedia Japan)
Sometimes what looks like a coprolite is really just a crappy rock. Various geological processes can conspire to create these so-called pseudocoprolites, most involve water and a variety of chemical reactions. Paleontologists and paleoscatologists can determine if a coprolite is the real deal by examining it under a microscope and by treating it with chemical agents. Coprolites of carnivores will have a high calcium phosphate content due to their high bone content.
Ground Sloths: Paleofeces Of The Pleistocene
Giant Ground Sloths were once relatively common in North and South America, and were the poster kids of the megafauna. Some species weighed up to 5 tons and stood up to 20 feet tall. Though most giant ground sloths died out thousands of years ago, a few may have survived in Cuba and on some Caribbean islands up until the mid 16th century. These massive creatures liked to make their dens in sheltered caves – those in dry or desert regions contain remarkably preserved samples of their dung.
(images via: Cryptomundo)
These massive creatures died out too recently for their dung to become completely fossilized as coprolites. Instead, what friable droppings remain are described as “paleofeces”. Samples found in Arizona caves have been extremely well preserved, and a cave in Chile was found to contain not only paleofeces but surprisingly fresh-looking sloth skin and hair. The photo above shows the interior of one of the best-known Arizona “sloth caves” with piles of dung scattered across the cave floor – not a candidate for a Good Housekeeping profile. No recent, color photos of the cave exist because a careless human smoker accidentally started a fire in the cave which consumed most of the flammable dung.
Dung Deposit Leaves Ancient Viking Thor
(images via: Guardian UK and York Daily Photo)
Human coprolites? In my bank? It’s not the deposit one normally expects to find but workers digging a new bank vault for Lloyds Bank in York, England back in 1972, found exactly that. At first, the 9-inch (23cm) long object was thought to be a chunk of old refinery slag but upon further investigation it was determined to be a rather large mineralized human excrement over 1,000 years old. According to paleoscatologist Andrew Jones, “This is the most exciting piece of excrement I’ve ever seen. In its own way, it’s as valuable as the Crown Jewels.” No shi-, er, no kidding!
(images via: Jorvik Viking Centre, BBC and Sports Illustrated)
The area of northeastern England including the town of York was under Viking occupation in the 10th century so it’s reasonable to assume the originator was a Viking. The Lloyds Bank Coprolite‘s impressive length and girth led student conservator Gill Snape to comment “Whoever passed it probably hadn’t performed for a few days, shall we say.” This makes sense, what with all the rape, pillage and games against the Packers that kept the Vikings busy. The coprolite is currently on display at the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, which invites you to come face to feces with the Vikings.
Who’s Laughing Now?
(images via: Personal Money Store, Gawker, Odd News Articles and Earth Magazine)
A remarkable discovery in Gladysvale Cave near Johannesburg, South Africa, has extended the age of the oldest found human hair from 9,000 years to over 200,000 years – thanks to the caveman’s ancient nemesis, the hyena. The hairs – about 40 of them – were discovered when coprolites of prehistoric Brown Hyenas were dissolved and analyzed. As the only human (hominid, to be exact) species known to inhabit the area 200,000 years ago was Homo Heidelbergensis, thought to be ancestral to Neanderthal Man, it’s extremely likely the hairs were ingested by a hyena that either killed one of our ancestors or scavenged a predeceased carcass.
When Poop Mines Were Goldmines
(images via: Welcome To Boyton, Factoidz and One Suffolk)
Not the most prestigious address perhaps, but the sign above marks a curious chapter in British history: the Great Coprolite Rush of 1849! It seems that in the early 1840s, coprolites aplenty were discovered in the hills of Suffolk, England. Processing with sulfuric acid released copious amounts of phosphates which were used for fertilizer. Most of the refining took place in the city of Ipswich, where the above street sign is located.
(image via: Suffolk Booklover)
The coprolite industry declined in the 1880s when other, less expensive methods of producing phosphates were discovered but Ipswich holds dear to its unusual claim to fame – and woe be it that anyone call the town a dump.
Polishing A Turd
(images via: Witless Wanderer, Bellerustique, Ken Grant Jewelry and Contrariwise Ramblings)
Who says you can’t polish a turd? Some may be familiar with jewelry made from polished dinosaur bones but coprolite jewelry is also available from the same manufacturers – and is often quite beautiful. Thank the natural process of mineralization for providing the coprolites with such a wide range of contrasting and complementary colors… and thank the dinosaurs for taking time out to produce those gaudy baubles in the first place.
(images via: FOX News and Telegraph UK)
As long as we’re co-opting old expressions, how about “I don’t know whether to sh*t or wind my watch”? Now you can do both… well, sort of, courtesy of the Dinosaur Dung watch from Artya. The Swiss-made timepiece features a polished coprolite face sourced from a herbivorous dinosaur’s dung dropped 100 million years ago. A bronze casing chosen to match the “warm and matchless tints” of dinosaur dung and a strap made from American Cane Toad skin completes this piece of… art? All for only $11,900.
(images via: BoingBoing and EW.com)
Whew, I need a break, and not that kind of break if you know what I mean. Writing about poop can leave one feeling flushed, pooped even, but it does stimulate some speculation such as: how appropriate it is that remains… remain? Coprolites offer us a unique way to get down & dirty with the daily details of ancient life – without all the actual down & dirtyness working with fresh pre-coprolites entrails. I mean entails. That’s it, I’m outta here.
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Insular Dwarfism: 12 Species that Evolved to be Small
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats, History & Trivia, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Island life isn’t all sandy beaches and coconuts. Sometimes, it’s rough, with very little food or freshwater available, and if you can’t get off the island, you’d better adapt. That’s exactly what these 12 miniature species did over thousands of years due to scarcity of resources, eventually becoming smaller versions of their mainland relatives. They’re not all insanely adorable tiny animals that melt us into big piles of fawning goo, but they are fascinating, rare, and all too often endangered or extinct.
Little People of Flores
(images via: wikipedia, science daily)
Could a tiny sub-species of in the genus Homo have co-existed in Indonesia with humans as recent as 12,000 years ago? First dubbed a “hobbit-like human ancestor”, it was soon discovered that Homo floresiensis was in fact its own species, standing just three feet tall, about the height of a modern human toddler. Nine skeletons were found in Flores, Indonesia in 2003 and have been studied extensively since then, with some scientists still arguing that they are actually deformed Homo sapiens. The team that discovered H. floresiensis believe the species is an example of insular dwarfism, with their growth restricted by a limited choice of food on the island.
Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth
(image via: bbc news)
When it comes to sloths, opinions tend to be radically divided: some people think they’re adorable, while others find them absolutely terrifying. But the critically endangered pygmy three-toed sloth, found only on the tiny island of Isla Escudo de Veraguas near Panama, is a miniature version of its mainland relatives, and is especially cute when swimming – it almost looks like a fuzzy turtle!
Channel Islands Pygmy Mammoth
(image via: wikipedia)
When you hear the word “mammoth”, you think of something epically huge. Not that the Channel Islands Pygmy Mammoth was a dainty little creature at 2,000 pounds, but it would still have been easily dwarfed by its 20,000-pound ancestor, the Columbian Mammoth. Remains of this species, which evolved to fit within the ecosystem of the now mostly-submerged Santa Rosae island off the coast of California, were first discovered in 1856.
Dwarf Elephants
(images via: wikipedia)
Unlike today’s pygmy elephants, which are subspecies of their own, prehistoric dwarf elephants evolved to be much smaller than modern elephants due to their insularity on islands around the world including Crete, Cyprus, Timor and the same island of Flores, Indonesia where pygmy human relatives were found. And unlike prehistoric dwarf mammoths, dwarf elephants really were small: the Cyprus dwarf elephant likely weighed around 440 pounds.
Channel Islands Fox
(image via: just chaos)
Aww, isn’t that a cute little kitten… oh… wait. It’s not a kitten at all. The Channel Islands Fox first evolved from the Gray Fox when they “rafted” over to the islands off the coast of California over 10,000 years ago and were faced with limited resources. They’re easy prey for eagles, being smaller than domestic house cats, and also highly susceptible to parasites and diseases brought over from the mainland.
Pygmy Hippo
(image via: soham pablo)
Pygmy hippos are about the same size as pigs – though technically, hippos are more closely related to whales and dolphins than to any of their fellow land animals. Semi-aquatic vegetarians, these miniature mammals are difficult to study because they’re nocturnal and very shy. Only about 3,000 remain in the wild, mostly in Liberia.
Bali Tiger
(image via: wikipedia)
The Bali Tiger may have been more comparable in size to leopards than to other tiger subspecies, but they were no less fierce. Sadly, these animals disappeared by the middle of the 20th century, though scientists believe there were never very many of them in the first place. These dwarf tigers were found exclusively on the island of Bali where they were hunted to extinction due to perceived threats and also the desire for jewelry made from their teeth and claws.
Cozumel Island Raccoon
(image via: animalesextincion.es)
Weighing just about 8-9 pounds, Cozumel Island racoons look exactly like their mainland relatives except for their diminutive size, the black bands on their throats and their golden yellow tails. They live on Cozumel Island off the coast of the Yucutan Peninsula in Mexico, and less than 300 remain. The Dwarf Coati, a relative of the raccoon, and a species of dwarf gray fox are also found on the island.
Balearic Island Cave Goat
(image via: mongabay)
The extinct Balearic Island Cave Goat wasn’t just a shorty at only 19.5” tall – its isolation on the rocky, nutrient-poor islands in the Mediterranean caused it to develop some even more unusual characteristics. Like crocodiles, this goat was able to grow at flexible rates, halting the growth process when food was unavailable. As far as scientists know, this goat was the only mammal ever to adapt in this way, and it probably helped the goat survive for five million years before being driven into extinction by human hunters.
Mindoro Dwarf Buffalo
(image via: edmond valerio)
There are so few Mindoro Dwarf Buffalo left, it’s rare for anyone to spot more than a solitary individual. Originally found all over the island of Mindoro in the Philippines, its range has been dramatically reduced by human civilization, hunting and logging. In fact, sightings of this mini water buffalo are so unusual that scientists know very little about its ecology. After being declared a critically endangered species, the Mindoro buffalo population has experienced a slight but very encouraging uptick.
Bernissartia – Tiny Crocodiles
(image via: wikimedia commons)
Imagine a cute “baby” crocodile that never grows up. That’s basically what Bernissartia, a prehistoric reptile from the Early Cretacious period around 130 million years ago, would seem like to us. Smaller than a house cat, Bernissartia looked just like modern-day crocodiles but had jaws more suited to catching fish than dragging a full-grown man underwater. It would have stood at sharp contrast to the nightmarishly enormous crocs of the day, like Sarcosuchus.
Key Deer
(image via: wikimedia commons)
Key Deer may not be around too much longer. Native only to the Florida Keys, this offshoot of white-tailed deer tops out at about 75 pounds and the antlers of males bear a signature white, velvety coating. Because of human encroachment, their habitat has been shrunken to a handful of lesser populated keys, and they swim from one island to another in search of fresh water.
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That Sinking Feeling: The Top 10 Drained Lakes
[ By Steve in Geography & Travel, History & Trivia, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
I like lakes, you like lakes, Luke Luck likes lakes, you get the picture but when lakes leak with little or lack of warning, there’s a lot less to like. This look at 10 drained lakes of the past and present shows the gravity of the situation when Mother Nature – or, on occasion, the errant hand of Man – suddenly decides to pull the plug.
Tempe Town Lake, Arizona, USA
(images via: DesertUSA, ASU and GWilmore)
Tempe Town Lake is a 2-mile long artificial lake that runs through the center of Tempe, Arizona, USA. The lake sits within the bed of the Salt River, which is almost always dry due to diversion of the river’s water for agricultural use at various points upstream.
(image via: KAM-AZ)
The lake is only about 13 feet deep on average and is held in place by innovative inflatable dams at either end. The Dams allow the Salt River to flow along its natural course at times when storms and flooding create an unusually high level of water in the river bed.
On July 20, 2010, the west side of Tempe Town Lake’s outflow dam suffered (for want of a better term) a blowout that allowed most of the lake’s water to quickly drain into the Salt River. Most of the approximately 10,000 fish living in the lake were swept downstream and an alligator named Tuesday was released into the remaining pools of water to eat what fish remained.
Lake Delhi, Iowa, USA
(images via: CBS News and Vacation Rentals)
The Delhi Dam, on the Maquoketa River south of Delhi, Iowa, was built over a 7-year period from 1922 to 1929. Lake Delhi was created behind the dam and over the succeeding decades proved to be a much-desired location for recreational boating, fishing, and lakeside summer housing.
(images via: Washington Times, Des Moines Register and FOX News)
Call it a dammed shame, but many say the failure of the Delhi Dam was an accident waiting to happen. Flooding in 2008 had caused a half-million dollars worth of damage to the dam and exceptionally heavy rains (approximately 10 inches in 12 hours) caused the swollen lake to overtop its southern embankment on July 24, 2010.
(image via: Des Moines Register)
Rapid erosion of the embankment sped up the outflow and by the next day, Lake Delhi was no more. As the lake and the Delhi Dam were owned by the Lake Delhi Recreation Association, it’s uncertain whether state or federal funds will be used to help rebuild the dam and restore the lake. If not, those who invested in former lakefront property will be out of luck AND lake.
Lake Delton, Wisconsin, USA
(images via: FlyHighWi, RV.net and Wunderground)
If residents of Lake Delhi are searching for some hope, they may find it in Wisconsin’s Lake Delton. Like Lake Delhi, Lake Delton is a man-made lake created in the 1920s as a way to attract visitors to the Wisconsin Dells tourist and vacation area. The lake – more of a reservoir, actually – is only about 10 feet deep and has a surface area of around 260 acres… at least it did, until June 9th of 2008.
(images via: Howder Family)
Heavy rains had raised the level of Lake Delton and put tremendous pressure on the dikes that separated the lake from the Wisconsin River 800 feet away. The sudden collapse of a 400-ft section of County Highway A that ran on top of the containment dike caused a deluge that completely drained Lake Delton in a matter of hours. Several lakefront homes also collapsed though there was no loss of life. Here’s a short video showing the state of the former Lake Delton 2 weeks after the water drained out:
Empty Lake Delton, via TFHowder
(image via: Wikimedia)
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle quickly announced the state would be repairing the lake and indeed, by Memorial Day of 2009 Lake Delton was re-opened with great fanfair.
Iceberg Lake, Alaska, USA
(images via: Far North Science and Stelia’s Guides)
Iceberg Lake, a glacial lake in the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains area of Alaska, leads a precarious existence by regularly filing and draining, sometimes catastrophically as it did in 1999. The lake is also remarkably responsive to weather conditions as it is pinned between two glaciers whose level of annual advancement and melting decide the fate of the lake.
(image via: National Park Photo Tour)
Scientists exploring the exposed bottom of Iceberg Lake discovered that distinct layers of sediment deposited on after another provided them with a detailed record of the area’s climate that could be traced back to the year 442 AD. Among other findings, the researchers were able to discern the Iceberg Lake did not drain at all during the Medieval Warm Period, a several centuries long warm interlude that existed up until the advent of the Little Ice Age, which lasted from approximately 1600 to 1850 AD.
Lake Haramaya, Ethiopia
(images via: Road To Ethiopia and Adis Ababa University)
Lake Haramaya was a freshwater lake in Ethiopia that was around 30 feet deep and whose shoreline stretched for about 10 miles – not an especially large lake but one that provided residents of the city of Harar with drinking water and farmers & fisherman with livelihoods. The keyword is “was”… overuse by residents, farmers and commercial enterprises caused the lake to drain completely in roughly a decade.
(images via: Gadaa.com, Road To Ethiopia and The CLP)
Lake Haramaya is not the only lake in Africa’s volcanic Rift Valley to run dry, and human use (and abuse) is not the only factor involved. Climatologists have noted an increased frequency of droughts over the past several decades and it’s thought that increasing human exploitation of the lake in recent years was enough to tip the balance.
Scott Lake, Florida, USA
(image via: The Ledger and Democratic Underground)
Scott Lake is a 291-acre natural lake in Lakeland, Florida, 30 miles east of Tampa. Like Lake Delhi, Scott Lake is owned by the surrounding homeowners who are once again asking state authorities to refill the lake and preserve their property values. Yes, “once again” – Scott Lake has drained before, in the early 1970s, caused by sinkholes opening up in the porous limestone bedrock that lies beneath the lake.
(images via: Democratic Underground, Thomas.net and Death By 1000 Papercuts)
In June of 2006, as many as 4 sinkholes suddenly opened in the lakebed and before you could say “Great Scott!”, Scott Lake was drained. Since then a heated controversy has arisen over demands from wealthy owners of lakeside property that water from Florida’s freshwater aquifer be used to refill the lake. This wasn’t a problem in 1974 but today, water is in short supply as Florida’s population puts increasing strain on the state’s fresh water supplies.
White Lake, Russia
(images via: Above Top Secret, Free Republic and BBC)
In May of 2005, residents of the village of Bolotnikovo near Nizhni Novgorod, Russia, were shocked to find that most of the water in White Lake had mysteriously vanished. No explanation could be offered for the sudden and silent loss of roughly a million cubic meters of water. “It looks like somebody has pulled the plug out of a gigantic bath,” said a correspondent fr Russia’s NTV. Though an official from a nearby village speculated that the lake’s water flowed into an underground river, others had their own suspicions, believing that “outside forces” were responsible. One man was quoted as stating “I think that America got us here.” It seems that in rural Russia at least, the Cold War never really ended.
Lake Peigneur, Louisiana, USA
(images via: Troy McClure, Damn Interesting and WayMarking)
Lake located above a salt mine? Scary. Oil drilling in and around said lake? Crazy! But then, we all know that the right hands at big oil companies (we’re looking at you, BP) sometimes don’t know what their left hands are up to… or down to, and in the case of Texaco’s drilling rig in Louisiana’s Lake Peigneur, that would be down to 1,300-odd feet below the bottom of a 10-ft deep lake. When the 14-inch wide drill bit broke through the roof of the mine, the results were predictable yet still spectacular.
(images via: Circa71 and Ticklebooth)
Thirty years before the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, carelessness on an oil rig created a chain reaction of events that saw the 1,125 square acre lake (plus several barges, trees and 65 acres of shoreline land) quickly drain into the underlying Jefferson Island salt mine.
This video from The History Channel shows some of the events connected with the catastrophic drainage of Lake Peigneur, filmed by eye-witnesses at the time:
Lake Peigneur – Disappearing Lake, via The History Channel
So, what have we learned from the Lake Peigneur disaster? Considering the salt dome beneath the now saline lake is being used as a storage for pressurized natural gas while oil drilling continues in the area, the answer is “not much”.
Aral Sea, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
(images via: Elgadfly and New Eurasia)
Once the 4th largest inland body of water in the world, the Aral Sea now ranks at just 10th – and falling. A victim of misguided agricultural policies enacted by a nation (the USSR) that is no more, the Aral Sea itself may soon be no more since its main inlet rivers have been dammed to provide water for cotton farms. As the lake shrinks, its waters become more and more saturated with salt , fertilizer and pesticides to the point that an estimated 75 million tons of toxic dust and salts are blown across Central Asia each year. Images of the Aral Sea’s shocking retreat taken from orbiting satellites and spacecraft are, in a word, tragic.
(image via: Econuz)
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the successor states to the USSR in which the toxic Aral Sea now lies, and although no longer bound by decrees from the Kremlin, the 2 states cannot agree on how to preserve or even restore the Aral Sea. In the meantime, the loss of over 90 percent of the sea has caused the entire region’s climate to become more extreme, and exposure to poisonous, windblown dust from the exposed lake bed has created a health crisis of immense scope. The shocking image above dates from the summer of 2009.
(image via: Telegraph UK)
There is, however, new hope for the Aral Sea as the Kazakh government and the World Bank are working to restore the lake to at least a semblance of its former size. As the images above show (2004 on the left, 2010 on the right), the Aral Sea’s surface area has rebounded 30 percent and depths in some areas have grown from 98 feet to over 130 feet.
Lake Missoula, Northwestern USA
(images via: The Resilient Earth and Glacial Lake Missoula)
Picture a lake with a surface area of 3,000 square miles containing 500 square miles of water, blocked by an ice dam that is actually an arm of a retreating glacier. This precarious image once existed, in western Montana, about 13,000 years ago and is known today as Lake Missoula. When the ice dam was breached and the lake began to drain westward towards the Pacific Ocean, a flood of biblical proportions ensued.
(images via: NPS and Summit Realty)
Not only is it estimated that it took only about 48 hours for the lake to drain completely, this nightmarish scenario is thought to have taken place as many as 40 times over a 2,000 year period. The repeated series of cataclysmic floods scoured vast stretches of eastern Oregon and Washington states into the Channeled Scablands. The remains of an enormous waterfall three times the height and width of Niagara Falls can be seen above top.
(images via: Huge Floods and Pics Digger)
Gigantic potholes, gargantuan ripple marks, dry waterfalls and other large-scale geologic features state unequivocally the incalculable power of rushing water – and lots of it. These features show some similarities to features found on the planet Mars and it’s now thought that our neighboring planet was subject to massive flooding events in its younger, wetter days.
(image via: Wikimedia)
Lakes, especially larger lakes, seem to be permanent fixtures of the landscape they occupy. In the geological big picture, however, this isn’t necessarily so and when change comes, it often comes suddenly and strikingly. Water tends to seek its own level under the influence of gravity, that’s just the way nature is… and nature knows no timetable and acts without regard to the works or wishes of Mankind.
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Cool Cryptids: 14 Amazing Animals of Myth & Legend
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats, History & Trivia, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Amazingly bizarre creatures are still being discovered around the world practically every week, and it wasn’t that long ago that we thought Komodo dragons, giant squid and platypi were mythical beasts. So is it possible that a lightening-spitting giant worm, a slimy river imp or a fat walking snake really exist? These 14 ‘cryptids’, creatures that have been reported but never confirmed, range from the seemingly possible to the laughably absurd.
Mongolian Death Worm
(image via: buzztab)
What’s so special about the Mongolian Death Worm that makes cryptozoologists spend their life savings blowing up the desert in search of it? Well, it can supposedly shoot lightening out of its rectum long-distance, for one. The blood-red, acid-spitting cryptid is said to be up to five feet long with spikes protruding from both ends. Mongolian nomads have reported on its existence for centuries, but despite night-vision goggles and camera-equipped ultralight planes, it has never been confirmed as a real creature.
Trunko the Furry Fish
(image via: the cryptozoologist)
What’s big as a whale and furry all over – with an elephant trunk? You might guess ‘mammoth’, except for the fact that this particular cryptid has the tail of a lobster and swims underwater. Trunko is the affectionate nickname given to the “fish like a polar bear” which was reportedly sighted in South Africa in 1924. The strangely bloodless carcass washed up on Margate Beach and despite being there for 10 days, no scientist ever investigated it. One explanation is that the specimen was a whale or shark that appeared furry due to decay.
Yowie the Hairy Hominid
(image via: crikey)
Everybody knows about Bigfoot and Yetis, but have you ever heard of a Yowie? Australia’s furry man-like creature has been a part of Aboriginal legend for centuries and is said to be 7-8 feet tall with bright red eyes and a body odor problem. Is it some undiscovered primate? Nobody knows for sure – one supposed “sighting” turned out to merely be a particularly hairy naked man running across the highway.
Chupacabra
(image via: holamun2)
What’s killing livestock in places like Puerto Rico, Chile and Mexico? Maybe it’s local predators like coyotes – or maybe it’s the Chupacabra, a persistent cryptid that supposedly sucks the blood of animals like goats. The so-called ‘bizarre’ mutilations of these dead animals has never been confirmed and though many a captured specimen has been declared to finally be a real Chupacabra, they’ve inevitably been identified as raccoons, possums and other everyday animals rendered hairless by skin disease.
Kappa – Slimy Japanese River Imp
(image via: pink tentacle)
It looks sort of like a child, but with the glistening skin of a frog and unusually thin, gangly limbs. The Kappa is one of Japan’s most famous cryptids, an amphibious creature that leaves a trail of slime wherever it goes. In 1984, a specimen was supposedly spotted at the edge of a river in Tsushima and the slime taken to a lab for analysis, but the sample was too small to be useful. Another reported encounter involved bizarre footprints in a home that left a gooey mess that even paint thinner couldn’t tackle.
Windigo – Cannibal Night Monster
(image via: bill casselman)
First, it invaded the body of an ill man as a lump of ice in the heart. Soon enough, the man would turn black with frostbite, begin vomiting ice and develop an insatiable craving for human flesh. In some northern Algonquin-speaking Native American tribes, the “windigo” was the unfortunate result of a man gone completely insane. Sometimes, the transformation was said to have been caused by cannabalism. But in nearly all cases, the man was said to turn into a gigantic nocturnal beast all too eager to feed upon the innocent.
Bladenboro Beast
(image via: hubpages)
What sort of creature could kill multiple pit bulls and drain their blood? Why, it could only be a hulking vampire creature resembling a cross between a wolf and a bear, of course. The Bladenboro Beast, named after the area it has reportedly terrorized since the 1950s, was spotted by a number of locals, one of whom described its “round face, shiny eyes and large teeth.” While locals still claim to catch glimpses of it today, some who believe the story think it might actually be a big cat – which are also a sort of cryptid, at least in this area. Reports of panthers in North Carolina have never been confirmed, either.
The Dover Demon
(image via: wikimedia commons)
This sketch of the ‘Dover Demon’ of Massachusetts is so alien-like, it’s easy for skeptics to dismiss reports of its existence as utter hogwash. But believers say this bizarre hairless creature with a watermelon-shaped head and orange eyes might have been some kind of mutant – and some believe that it really was an alien. One witness wrote next to a sketch he created “I, Bill Bartlett, swear on a stack of Bibles that I saw this creature.” Others seeking a scientific explanation wonder if it could have been a newborn moose – do you see any resemblance?
Minhocao
(image via: wikimedia commons)
Could the mythical minhocao of South America’s forests be a gigantic subspecies of caecilians – amphibians that look like earthworms? The minhocao (“big earthworm” in Portuguese), which is said to burrow underground, is believed to be a relic of the dinosaur age. Sightings were mostly reported in Brazil during the 19th century. Some people think that minhocaos are still spotted but accidentally reported as another cryptid, the giant anaconda.
Gnome of Girona
(image via: anomalia)
Is the creature seen in this jar some kind of undiscovered animal, an abnormal fetus or just a hoax? Dubbed the “gnome of girona”, it was captured by campers in Spain and supposedly lived for a few days before it was preserved in formol by parapsychologist Angel Gordon and shown all over Spanish television. According to Wikipedia, “The connection between the pictures and how they reached the media is obscure, qualifying the whole story as a hoax of dubious authority.” Some experts believe it may be the fetus of a cow.
Tsuchinoko
(image via: pink tentacle)
Perhaps the photos that supposedly show a creature known in Japan as the tsuchinoko are just a case of mistaken identity. Some argue that what you see here is just a snake digesting a huge meal, or an escaped exotic pet. But tsuchinokos have been reported since the 7th century, and considering some of the other bizarre creatures that have been confirmed as real lately, it wouldn’t be too surprising if this were really an undiscovered species. Japanese legend only serves to muddy the issue, however, with claims that the creature talks, with a propensity for lying and a love for alcoholic beverages.
Beast of Gevaudan
(image via: wikimedia commons)
Okay, so the Beast of Gevaudan doesn’t really have bizarre metal scales as portrayed in the movie Brotherhood of the Wolf. But the cryptozoological animal that the movie’s antagonist is based upon is known as a vicious man-eating wolf with huge teeth and longer-than-normal tails. The creature is blamed for attacks in the French village of Gevaudan between 1764 and 1767, with a death toll of over 200 people. Some say it could have been a wolf-dog hybrid, and others believe it was actually a werewolf.
Montauk Monster
(image via: wikimedia commons)
When a frightening-looking corpse washed up on the beach of Montauk, New York in 2008, onlookers joked that maybe it came from Plum Island, where the USDA runs an animal disease center. The corpse was likely bloated from its time in the water, but speculation has deemed it everything from a turtle without its shell to a raccoon to a dog. The current location of the body is unclear, making some people wonder whether the whole thing was a hoax.
Sea Monsters of All Stripes
(image via: wikimedia commons)
What creatures make up the biggest chunk of cryptids? Sea monsters, of course – there are so many of them, we could easily make a list that consisted of nothing but these mysterious underwater creatures that may or may not exist. It’s understandable – the sea is a strange and somewhat frightening place packed full of creatures that seem like they couldn’t possibly be real. Notable maybe-real-or-maybe-not water monsters include the infamous Loch Ness Monster, Chessie, Isshi, Kraken… the list goes on and on.
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Hail And Hailstones: A Cold Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
[ By Steve in Geography & Travel, History & Trivia, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Bob Dylan wasn’t referencing hail when he wrote “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” back in ‘62 but as innumerable dimpled cars, flattened fields and fractured skulls can attest, hail is as hard as rain can get.
(images via: Brian Abbott and Flipped Out)
When the New York City General Post Office was being designed back in the 1890s, someone at the architectural firm McKim, Mead and White thought that the motto “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” would make a great motto for the building’s exterior facade.
(image via: Arty Smokes)
Originally attributed to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, the motto does NOT mention one of the most frightening and dangerous weather conditions postmen – or anyone else required to perform their duties outdoors – must deal with: hail.
(images via: NOAA and Weatherfreaks)
Hail, in its mildest form, superficially resembles sleet (a mix of snow and rain) but both the conception and the consequences of the former can be much more severe. That’s because hail is associated with thunderstorms and their massive, spectacularly high anvil-shaped clouds. Inside these supercells, updrafts roaring at up to 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) take water droplets and ice crystals on a rollercoaster ride spanning tens of thousands of feet.
(images via: Weathersavvy, NOAA and FindTarget)
During the course of repeated trips up and down through these ominous cumulonimbus clouds, a barely visible ice crystal can grow to astonishing sizes and often strange shapes. The process can be compared to the making of homemade candles: with each dip in hot wax, the candle adds another layer. Hailstones continue to grow until their sheer weight overcomes the strength of the storm’s updrafts.
(images via: Wikipedia, Sky-Chaser and UNL)
Hail can fall with little warning, especially when storm clouds are close and rain is already falling heavily. When visibility permits, however, it’s possible to discern certain features that are distinct to hailstorms. One of these is the so-called “hail shaft”, which indicates hail falling at a distance in a sharply defined swath. Another is more curious: hail clouds sometimes take on an odd, greenish shade.
(images via: WAOW and Ohio Storms)
A wide variety of terms are used to describe the size of hailstones, including pea-sized, dime-sized, golfball-sized and baseball-sized. While the size of hailstones is one factor in estimating the damage they may cause to objects on the ground, another is their speed, or terminal velocity. In general, as hailstones get bigger their speed increases – to over 100 miles per hour (160 k/ph) in some cases.
(images via: Strange Dangers, UCAR and TheWeatherPrediction.com)
How big can a hailstone get? The current champion hailed from (actually, on) Aurora, Nebraska, USA. This monster, which fell during a storm in 2003, was measured at 7 inches (17.78 cm) in diameter. “I looked outside, and it was raining volleyballs,” said Dale Obermeier, an Aurora farmer and National Weather Service spotter. Imagine what that bad boy and its brothers could do to your cornfield, not to mention your cabeza. Just below the Aurora hailstone is a cross-section of the previous record-holder, a 1.67 pound (0.75 kg) and 5.5 inch (13.75 cm) wide monster that fell (very loudly, most likely) near Coffeyville, Kansas, in 1970.
(images via: FEMA, Pangea and Weather New Mexico)
Thunderstorms, even those accompanied by huge supercells that unleash blistering downpours and swarms of tornadoes, don’t always include hail in their arsenal. Some regions of the world appear to be more prone to hail and hailstorms, with common contributing factors being nearby mountain ranges that can accentuate updrafts. In the United States, the area where the states of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming meet is known colloquially as “Hail Alley.” Residents in this area may expect hail to fall 7 to 9 days each year.
(images via: Iowa Farmer Today, ISU, WSU and Notaviva Vineyards)
Hail has always been the bane of farmers, whose crops can be severely damaged by hail of even a modest size. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually by American farmers on hail insurance – it may be said that hailstones are the locusts of the modern age.
(images via: Traditional Roofing Magazine and NOAA)
Property damage caused by hail is not a new issue but one growing in importance as cities and their infrastructure continue to expand. Hail is problematic for homeowners, corporations and governmental authorities because although damaging hailstorms are rather rare, when they do strike the effects can be severe. The above images show hail damage on different types of roofing materials. Even slate roofs can suffer a shocking amount of damage after being bombarded by large hailstones traveling at speed. Greenhouses have no chance at all.
(images via: Saqibsns, Laurie Kendrick and KLBJ-590)
Automobiles and aircraft are also extremely susceptible to hail damage, manifested in two main ways: dimpling of sheet metal and, in the case of larger hailstones, cracked or shattered windshields and sunroofs.
(images via: Rosebery Classics and Sydney Morning Herald)
The devastation above occurred in Sydney, Australia, during the course of an exceptionally vicious hailstorm that left cars, roofs, even patio furniture in tatters. The April 14th, 1999 hailstorm dropped approximately half a million tons of hail and was Australia’s most costly natural disaster.
(images via: Geoscience Australia, ASTHC and New South Wales SES)
The blue covers on the roofs above indicate were significant damage from hailstones occurred during the 1999 Sydney hailstorm. Considering the scope and cost of the damage it’s a wonder only a single person lost their life: a man who was struck by lightning while in his boat.
(image via: Wikimedia)
Sydney has seen severe hailstorms before – the above image was taken during a storm that struck the city and its environs in 1947. The image may remind some of a recent very popular (nearly 4 million views) YouTube video that recorded hundreds of large hailstones slamming into a swimming pool… here it is, if you haven’t seen it yet:
Hail Storm Oklahoma City, via Beatlesfanxxl
(images via: More Cool Pictures)
Damage to property is one thing, injuries to people, pets and livestock caught outdoors during a hailstorm can be horrific. Often no shelter is available when hailstones suddenly begin to fall: sheep or cattle grazing in meadows and joggers on open trails are prime examples – and easy targets.
(images via: Millennium Ark, ABC.net, BBC and Pundita)
The unfortunate person above was one of a group of 4 college students jogging in Grinnell (near Des Moines), Iowa. Golfball-sized hail driven by winds of up to 75 miles per hour (120 kp/h) left the boys with dozens of painful raised welts, suspected broken ribs and a quick trip to the hospital. In July of 1990, 47 people in Denver, Colorado suffered a variety of serious injuries when a power outage trapped them on an amusement park Ferris wheel, where they were bombarded by hailstones the size of softballs!
(images via: Bill Qualls, Geelong Advertiser and Guardian UK)
Hail can indeed be deadly – although records in the United States list only 5 fatalities (the most recent in the year 2000) that can be definitely ascribed to hail, other nations have been much more seriously affected. India, in particular, has a long history of deadly hailstorms with the most notable occurring in 1888 when 246 people lost their lives. It has recently been determined, however, that an even greater hail-caused tragedy occurred centuries earlier at Skeleton Lake in Roopkund, India.
(images via: Ashish Garg, Junglelure and Nick Fleming)
Roopkund is located 16,499 feet (5,029 meters) above sea level in northern India’s Uttarakhand state. The area is exceedingly barren and completely treeless. Sometime in the 9th century, a large religious procession was traversing the area when it was overtaken by a sudden, severe hailstorm.
(images via: Gyandotcom and GIO Adventures)
It’s not known how many of the pilgrims survived the terrifying icy onslaught but today the remains of as many as 600 people can be found scattered in and around Skeleton Lake – a glacial lake so named after park rangers stumbled upon the macabre scene while on patrol in 1942.
(image via: Passing Parade)
Judging by the injuries seen on human skulls found at Skeleton Lake, scientists determined that the deaths of the pilgrims could only have been caused by the deadly impact of large hailstones the size of cricket balls.
(image via: More Cool Pictures)
Hail’s effect on human history, society and culture is incalculable. Imagine being a Neanderthal swept up in a hailstorm while hunting mammoths, one of the poor pilgrims at Roopkund who trusted in the mercy of a capricious God, or a 21st century college kid out for a carefree weekend jog… look up and look out, ’cause you never know when The Iceman Cometh.
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World’s 15 Weirdest Diseases & Medical Conditions
[ By Steph in Food & Health, History & Trivia. ]
The world is truly a hypochondriac’s nightmare, full of thousands upon thousands of painful and debilitating diseases and medical conditions, from the mundane to the highly unusual. But you don’t see these 15 disorders every day. Extremely rare and unbelievably bizarre, the world’s weirdest health issues range from ‘possessed’ hands that can’t be controlled to a metabolic disorder that makes sweat, urine and breath stink like putrefying fish.
Alien Hand Syndrome
(image via: film journal)
It’s the plot of a few horror movies, but also a very bizarre reality for some: hands with minds of their own that move and behave seemingly independent of the sufferer’s intentions. The ‘alien’ hands undo buttons, manipulate tools and even grope people without the awareness of those to whom the hands are attached. The individual has full sensation in the hand, but it seems ‘possessed’. It’s caused by a separation of the lobes of the brain whether through injury or surgery, and there’s no cure other than to distract the errant hand with an object to handle.
Bodies Turned to Stone
(image via: wikimedia commons)
Some people’s bodies are a little too proficient at healing injuries, going so far overboard as to turn a joint to stone. The extremely rare condition known as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva involves a mutation of the body’s repair mechanism, which causes muscle, tendons and ligaments to ossify when damaged. For people with this medical condition, operations on their injuries will only cause additional bone growth. In the most extreme cases, patients may be rendered completely immobile within decades.
Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome
(image via: mapbutcher)
Imagine having 200+ orgasms each and every day – not just in the privacy of your own home, but on the train, in meetings at work and at dinner with your parents. As opposed to hypersexuality, persistent sexual arousal syndrome is more physical than psychological and is usually detached from sexual desire. One study connected the disorder to restless leg syndrome. There’s no known effective cure.
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome
(image via: jackieleigh)
When objects appear much small or larger than they should – like dogs the size of mice, or ladybugs as big as a house – you’re either on drugs or experiencing Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, a temporary condition that affects our perception of the world around us. Sometimes associated with migraines and often occurring at the edge of sleep, the disturbances affect sense of size, depth and even time. Doctors believe that it may involve the brain’s occipital lobe, which controls visual information.
Exploding Head Syndrome
(image via: joseph gray)
If the jarring sound of an explosion wakes you up in the middle of the night, it’s usually because a transformer blew or your cat knocked over some dishes. But for some people, hearing such sounds is an everyday occurrence – and it’s all in their heads. People with Exploding Head Syndrome hear all kinds of racket in the night, startling them out of a deep sleep. Such incidents are thought to be brought on by anxiety or extreme fatigue, and the condition is not associated with any physical ailment.
Walking Corpse Syndrome
(image via: dan hollister duck)
Walking Corpse Syndrome isn’t just the name of a metal band. It’s an utterly mystifying phenomenon in which the afflicted person is convinced that he or she has died or lost some vital part of the body, but are still aware and walking the earth. Officially known as Cotard’s Syndrome, this mental illness can sometimes be brought about by a brain injury. Very rarely, people with Walking Corpse Syndrome believe they’re immortal and begin testing that theory, resulting in suicide.
Progeria – Accelerated Aging
(image via: wikimedia commons)
We all dread the symptoms of aging – baldness, wrinkles, losing our teeth. But sometimes, they come all too early. Children with the extremely rare disorder known as Progeria begin to look elderly before they’re even two years old, while maintaining age-appropriate intelligence. Sadly, most people affected by Progeria begin to suffer from the same ailments as the elderly including arthritis and cardiovascular disease and rarely live past the age of thirteen.
Foreign Accent Syndrome
Imagine waking up to find that you suddenly have a foreign accent, and it’s completely out of your control. Crazy as it sounds, Foreign Accent Syndrome is not just a pretentious affectation among people who want to sound exotic or sophisticated. This involuntary change in speech usually occurs after a brain injury like a stroke or head trauma, although in at least one case it seems to have been caused by a severe migraine. The specific way in which speech is affected varies in each individual, making it sound as if the person has an accent specific to a particular area of the world.
Aquagenic Urticaria – Allergy to Water
(image via: metro)
Being allergic to substances like milk or peanuts is difficult enough – but imagine breaking out in painful, burning welts every time your skin was touched by water. That’s daily life for people with Aquagenic Urticaria, who are allergic to water in all forms – even tears. One British woman with this highly unusual condition can’t even hold her son because if he sweats, she “gets covered in sore lumps.” “I am a prisoner in my own body,” Michaela Dutton told The Metro. “I don’t see friends because they wrongly think it’s contagious.”
Cold Urticaria – Allergy to Cold Temperatures
(image via: wikimedia commons)
Almost everybody gets goosebumps in cold weather, but breaking out in hives is another matter altogether. People with cold urticaria are actually allergic to cold temperatures. Most people with this condition only get mildly itchy when it’s cold, while others suffer from severe welts on any part of the body exposed to cold, including the mouth and throat when cold beverages are consumed. Some people with severe cold urticaria can’t go swimming, because cool water temperatures could cause them to go into shock and drown.
Congenital Insensitivity to Pain
(image via: dadjanda)
A word without pain sounds great, right? Except that it would be a complete disaster. Just ask anyone afflicted with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain. Sure, they’re immune to torture and won’t ever complain of a toothache or a sprained ankle, but for children in particular, this disorder often results in debilitating injuries. It’s all too easy to scratch your eye, burn yourself, bite off the tip of your tongue or walk around on a broken bone oblivious to the problem. The condition is caused by either large amounts of endorphins in the brain, or congenital mutations that dull pain-sensing neurons.
Human Werewolf Syndrome
(image via: mental floss)
How much body hair is considered abnormal? It’s generally subjective, but for people with severe Hypertrichosis, hair grows profusely in all sorts of unusual places, leaving no question that something unusual is going on. Sometimes referred to as “human werewolf syndrome”, severe hypertrichosis involves excessive hair growth all over the body which grows back even after laser treatments. Only about 50 living people are currently known to have this condition.
Tree Bark Skin Disorder
(image via: popfi)
People go to great lengths to get rid of a single wart. What if your entire body were covered in them? That’s reality for the few people in the world who have ‘Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis‘, a hereditary skin disorder in which skin growths caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) spread out of control. One of the most severe cases is that of Dede Koswara, an Indonesian Man who has been called “Tree Man”. 95% of his warts were removed in 2008, but most of them grew back, making it clear that he will require 2 surgeries a year for the rest of his life to keep them at bay.
Blue Skin Disorder
Skin comes in all colors – even shocking shades of blue and violet. For the Fugate family of Kentucky, blue skin was a hereditary trait that passed down from one generation to the next over 162 years due to a rare blood disorder called methemoglobinemia. Essentially, because blood is less oxygenated, it appears blue rather than red through the skin. Since the cause of the family’s disorder was discovered, all members carrying the gene have been treated and appear normal. But sometimes people get a strange blue tinge to their skin even without this affliction – argyria is a blue skin disorder associated with consumption of the health supplement colloidal silver.
Fish Odor Syndrome
(image via: joost j baker ijmuiden)
How would you like to walk around emitting insanely noxious odors, no matter how good your personal hygiene may be? People with trimethylaminuria, sometimes called ‘fish odor syndrome’, can’t control the very strong smells that are emitted through their sweat, urine and breath because their bodies don’t properly break down a fishy-smelling organic compound found in food. The smell is so strong that this rare disorder can be life-disrupting. There is no known treatment, but some people manage it through diet and antibiotics.
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Grand Paws: 10 Of The World’s Longest Lived Animals
[ By Steve in Animals & Habitats, History & Trivia, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Aging may be a natural life process but for our animal friends, it’s more often a curse: predators pick out the slow, weak and old for an easier kill. As pampered pets and protected in zoos, however, animals have a much greater chance of reaching ages simply not possible in the wild. These 10 “grand paws” lead the senior circuit with the most golden years.
Oldest Rabbit – 18+ Years
(images via: Gomestic, LooneyTunes and Talking Squid)
According to the House Rabbit Society, rabbits kept indoors may expect to live from 6 to 8 years and rabbits kept outdoors in hutches typically enjoy shorter lifespans, probably due to environmental factors. Though there are a number of notable rabbits who have lived upwards of 14 years, the longest-lived rabbit so far recorded was a wild rabbit caught on August 6th, 1964, in Tasmania, Australia. Subsequently named Flopsy and kept as a pet, the rabbit lived a further 18 years and 10.75 months making his/her actual age at passing on very close to 19 years.
(images via: Boston.com, Readers Digest and World Records Academy)
The Guinness Book of Records has handed out framed certificates for the “Oldest Living Rabbit” from time to time; an odd practice considering the length of the so-called record would change by the day until the rabbit died – at which point it would no longer be a Living Rabbit. Examples include, from above left going clockwise: 14-year-old George, 15- to 16-year old Heather, and 16-year-old Hazel.
Oldest Spider – 28 Years
(images via: American Tarantula Society, I, Trudge and My Interests)
Insects are among the shortest-lived of all creatures, some only surviving a day or so after achieving their adult stage. Spiders aren’t insects but as Arthropods they share many traits with them. Surprisingly, brief lifespans aren’t one of them – a fact that will dismay many who can’t abide the hairy little (or not so little) beasties.
(images via: Kayotic Exotic, Children’s Lit and Emails From Crazy People)
Most people would imagine the average spider would live for a few weeks, couple of months at most… but 28 years?? That does appear to be the case, and the ancient arachnid in question is (or was) a female tarantula captured in Mexico in 1935. Perhaps the spider’s diet – it was a “bird-eating spider” – made the difference. If you can catch & chow down on birds, you can certainly hold off the Grim Reaper for a while.
Oldest Dog – 29 Years
(images via: Oh My News and Houndbound)
The oldest documented dog recorded was Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog who was born in June of 1910 and died on November 14th, 1939. Bluey could have lived longer but as he was suffering from an undisclosed chronic ailment his owners thought it best that he be put to sleep. Most ACDs live 12 to 15 years and are known for their hard work on farms and ranches. Bluey’s age at death was 29 years, 5 months – the equivalent age of a human being would be about 206!
(images via: DogGuide.net and Inquisitr)
It seems astonishing that in the past 70 years not a single dog has surpassed ol’ Bluey’s longevity record. A few have come close, however, including 29-year-old Bella (top), Chanel (above left, 21 years and 114 days) and Otto (20 years and 334 days, above right).
Oldest Cat – 38 Years
(images via: World Records Academy, China Daily, Denbighshire Free Press and The Daily Mews)
Cats and dogs are equal, you say? Not when it comes to age – cats do seem to have an advantage in that department. Maybe it’s their more relaxed (in general) character, perhaps its the way they handle the domestic lifestyle, who can really say? What we CAN say is that cats can live well into their 30s and unconfirmed reports have them lasting into their 40s. Guess that’s where the term “cougar” came from. Above are a selection of “old cats” – from left and moving clockwise: Mischief (27), Tizzie (36), Jess (25), and Spike (31)
(images via: Catster, Magic Tails and Cat Diaries)
According to the 2007 edition of the Guinness Book of Records, the reigning longevity champion of cat-dom was Creme Puff, a female tabby born on August 3rd, 1967 and who died on August 6th, 2005) aged 38 years and 3 days. Though an abundance of long-lived cats are regularly reported from the UK, Creme Puff lived with her owner, Jake Perry & family, in Austin, Texas, USA.
Oldest Goldfish – 43 years
(images via: ShutterStock, Fizzics Education and Awakened To Change)
Who can live longer, a polar bear (oldest age = 42) or a goldfish? Wrong, it’s the goldfish… well, as long as they don’t come into contact. Reports of goldfish living into their 40s are surprisingly commonplace, with many of them spending their whole lives with the same family whose child won them at a fair or festival. Owners who would like to prolong the lives of their goldfish as long as possible would do well to provide them with a larger aquarium than the stereotypical Goldfish Bowl and feed them a variety of foods – not those smelly fish flakes.
(images via: PetGoldfish.net, Paper Castle Press and Free Republic)
You might think its unfair and a little ironic that as we enter our golden years, our hair turns silver. Well, misery loves company: it happens to goldfish too, though it’s their scales that turn silver. Take “Tish”, for example a Comet Goldfish who, according to the BBC, “died at the age of 43 peacefully in his bowl.” Tish joined the Hand family of Yorkshire, England, in 1956 when then 7-year-old Peter Hand won him at a local fun fair.
Oldest Horse – 62 Years
(images via: Daily Mail UK and Simply Marvelous)
Horses, at least those lucky enough to be pampered and put out to stud, can live for many decades. Must be the whole “stud” thing. Most horses live 20 to 25 years, which seems a long time considering most thoroughbreds who run in major races like the Kentucky Derby are just 3 years old.
(image via: 1st Art Gallery)
The verifiably oldest horse was Old Billy, born in 1760 and living an astonishing 62 years. As Old Billy had a tough early life as a barge horse towing cargo boats along England’s many inland canals, his exceptional longevity is all the more surprising.
Oldest Bird – 77 Years
(images via: Outlaw Journalism, PWAM and Ebooks@Adelaide)
Birds can live upwards of 60 years, with some species (parrots, vultures, albatrosses and eagles – no “bald” remarks, if you please) possibly exceeding the century mark. A longevity listing posted by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (Illinois) had a Turkey Buzzard on top, at 118 years – though no corroborating information was included. Long lifespans in birds should not be too surprising, as they are closely related to long-lived reptiles such as turtles and tortoises.
(images via: Brookfield Zoo and Jokulhlaup)
Cookie, a Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo who has resided at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo since 1933 when he was a one-year-old fledgling, is today recognized as the world’s longest living bird – he’s 77. Cookie is considered to be “semi-retired” as public appearances stress him out. He was also diagnosed with for osteoarthritis and osteoporosis in 2007, ailments that may be the result of his being fed only seeds for the first 40 years of his life. Most Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos live from 40 to 60 years in captivity so Cookie is flying well into uncharted territory.
Oldest Elephant – 86 Years
(images via: Elephants.com, James Tung and Andrew Howat)
They say an elephant never forgets, which is really saying something in the case of those pachyderms whose ages, if not surpassing their weight, most certainly are higher than their shoe size. Elephants are generally credited with being the longest-lived land mammal, humans aside, with the most common figure given being 70. One side of the ongoing tragedy of elephant poaching is that the oldest animals – often those with the largest and longest tusks – are the ones most frequently targeted and killed. The oldest elephant on record was 86-year-old Lín Wàng (1917 – February 26, 2003). This well-documented elephant served both Chiang Kai Shek and the Imperial Japanese Army before arriving in Taiwan after the communist takeover of China.
(image via: Metro UK)
A candidate for the world’s oldest living elephant is Vatsala (above), a female Indian elephant estimated by her keepers at India’s Panna Tiger Reserve to be in her early 90s. When Vatsala arrived at the sanctuary in 1971 she had already lost her teeth, an indication that she was probably more than 50 years old.
Oldest Koi – 226 years
(images via: On The Borderland, Echigo and Newz Is Newz)
Beating out elephants, cats, dogs, birds horses and more for anything is an accomplishment, outliving them all is almost unbelievable! Yet it’s been done, and by a fish no less. Not just any fish either – you might guess a shark, sturgeon or giant catfish and you’d be wrong. Nope, it’s a koi. These relatives of the aforementioned goldfish are mainly known for populating Japanese temple fishponds and one such denizen, named Hanako, managed to live an amazing 226 years (1751 to July 17th, 1977).
(image via: Koi360)
Scientists have incontrovertible evidence for Hanako’s extreme age. Much like trees, fish exhibit growth rings on their scales. Careful inspection of Hanako’s scales after her demise confirmed temple record-keeping was accurate – this otherwise unremarkable fish (shown above, in 1966) had managed to survive 226 years of history, geology and climatology. In the year of Hanako’s hatching, President James Madison was born, the town of Georgetown, Maryland was founded, and the elemental metal Nickel was discovered and described.
Oldest Tortoise – 255 Years
(images via: Arkive, aVida and Ashton Nichols)
Among the most famous long-lived animals are the Giant Tortoises of the Galapagos Islands, the Seychelles, Java and Flores islands in Indonesia, and other islands. These sluggish but majestic creatures were once common on continental landmasses; it’s only on islands mainly free of mammals that they have managed to survive to this day.
(images via: BBC and New York Times)
The current record holder for Oldest Giant Tortoise is Adwaita, a 550 lb (250 kg) male Aldabra giant tortoise who was presented as a gift to Lord Clive (1725-1774). British seafarers had previously captured Adwaita and 3 other tortoises in the Seychelles islands near Madagascar. Estimated to have been born circa 1750, Adwaita lived at the Alipore Zoological Gardens in Kolkata, India, from 1875 to the time of his death on March 23rd, 2006. Subsequent radiocarbon dating of Adwaita’s shell confirmed an age of approximately 255 years.
(image via: Cheezburger.com)
“Treat the elderly with respect”… this age-old (sorry) admonition works for animals as well as for people. As modern medicine boosts the numbers of seniors of ALL species, the records quoted in this post will surely be broken sooner or later, and that’s a good thing. I SAID, THAT’S A GOOD THING!
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