(image via: Wikipedia)

While we may think that we understand how life on Earth works, there are still many mysteries out there to make us question everything. Blood Falls is a waterfall in Antarctica that spews blood-red water from five stories up. It was first discovered in 1911, but it wasn’t until recently that scientists have begun to dig into just how significant the location really is – both for understanding life on Earth and for speculating about life on other planets.

(image via: Not Exactly Rocket Science)

Blood Falls offers an interesting and wholly unusual way for researchers to study microbial life in glacial Antarctica. Scientists have long been curious about whether there might be microbial life surviving in the frozen continent’s subglacial lakes. But testing the waters has proven extremely difficult as extremely thick ice and concerns about contamination have stalled any possible research. So Blood Falls, a naturally-occurring outflow of saltwater from the lake beneath Taylor’s Glacier, offers a unique opportunity to look at what might be going on under the surface of the ice.

(image via: Atlas Obscura)

What researchers found was truly amazing. The waters beneath Taylor’s Glacier are a kind of ancient time capsule where a community of microorganisms was able to develop and evolve in an environment not found anywhere else on Earth. When the lake was trapped under the glacier some 1.5 – 2 million years ago, some simple life forms were trapped in it. The subglacial lake contains no oxygen, but is home to at least 17 different types of microorganisms. The water is hyper-salinated (very salty), and its unusual coloring is due to its high iron content, which instantly rusts upon being exposed to air outside of its closed-in origin, creating the blood red waterfall. The strange and inhospitable conditions in the subglacial lake had led researchers to wonder just how all of those microorganisms could have survived in the extremely cold, airless, completely dark environment for so long.

(image via: Science)

The working theory is that the organisms evolved to use sulfate to “breathe” the ferric iron, and lived on the very small amounts of organic matter that were trapped in the subglacial pocket with them millions of years ago. The discovery is significant because similar conditions are present on some extraterrestrial bodies; knowing that such life forms exist here on Earth make it easier to believe that somewhere out there in space, there could be similar colonies of microbes surviving at extreme temperatures with no oxygen and no light.

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(Images via: Babble, Belief Net, SACO, Flickr, Woodbridge, Mental Floss, Oregon Mag)

Male pregnancy is a rare but real phenomenon in the animal kingdom. In some instances, male pregnancy is the result of man-made chemicals having strange effects on male frogs and bass, prompting weird intersex developments. In other situations, male pregnancy is a natural part of how seahorses, pipefish and leafy sea dragons reproduce. Whatever the case, males taking the reproductive roles of females provide bizarre and surprisingly fascinating studies.

Common Weed Killer Causes Some Male Frogs to Lay Eggs

(Images via: Flickr, SF Gate, Magic Canoe, Jeremy Biggs)

Did you know that one of the most common weed killers can cause drastic changes in male frogs, transforming them into females that lay eggs? In a recent study, 40 male African clawed frogs were raised from infancy to adulthood in a solution containing the chemical Atrazine, which is found in many weed killers. According to the study’s findings, 10 percent of the 40 frogs apparently developed into females. Upon dissection, 2 of the 4 transformed frogs maintained their male DNA despite also displaying ovaries. As for the other two transformed frogs, they mated with male frogs and laid eggs that produced male offspring. Previously, Atrazine had been shown to decrease sperm and testosterone and cause some male frogs to mate with other males rather than female frogs. Now it appears that the chemical can apparently cause some males to become near female frogs, a strange development to say the least.

Feminized Fish: Intersex Development in Male Bass

(Images via: Harkness, Seqfish, Fishing Fury, Big Fish Tackle)

Just as Atrazine has a surprising effect on male frogs, other pesticides and even prescription drugs and pills have been shown to affect male species of fish after entering U.S. rivers, streams and other bodies of water. In 2004, researchers discovered male bass laying eggs (see top left and bottom right images) in the Potomac River, a strange occurrence that was attributed to contaminants that included natural hormones and were excreted by humans and livestock. According to a survey around this time period, 42 percent of male bass in the Potomac showed signs of intersex development, which refers to one sex displaying both testicular and ovarian tissue, while 79 percent displayed some sort of sexual abnormality. A year later, intersex fish were found in tributaries in West Virginia. More recently, researchers have noted how antidepressants and other wastewater compounds disrupt the endocrine systems of male fish and cause them to become feminized and lay eggs.

Seahorses: Wombs That Would Make Kangaroos Proud

(Images via: Bukisa, Wet Web Media, Dive Gallery, Fused Jaw)

Prior to these recent intersex discoveries in male frogs and bass, only a few other male animal species demonstrated pregnancy. Probably most famous among these species is the male seahorse, which takes on a reproductive role that is opposite to what is most commonly seen in nature. Male seahorses compete with each other not to impregnate female seahorses but to be impregnated. During seahorse mating, the female deposits unfertilized eggs into the male’s brood pouch. The male seahorse then fertilizes the eggs with his own sperm, thus initiating a three-week pregnancy that is marked by an inability to move around and search for food. After 3 days of labor, the male seahorse will give birth to 200 baby seahorses.

Male Pipefish Breeding: It’s All in the Genes

(Images via: Get A Huge Tank, Flickr, Cold Water Images, Top News)

A member of the same Syngnathidae family as seahorses, male pipefish also carry eggs in a protective pouch before giving birth. A few years back, researchers discovered a specific gene that supports the protective pouches and allows male pipefish pregnancies to occur. Called patristacin, this gene sustains male pipefish pouches, which help regulate the amount of saline in the womb. Interesting but not surprising, the patristacin gene is also found in seahorses and even in the kidneys and livers of other bony fish.

Male Leafy Sea Dragons: Shooting Out Their Offspring

(Images via: Sandshack, Sea Sky, KGOE, Animal Pictures Archive)

There is more to the eye when it comes to the leafy sea dragon, another relative to the seahorse. Not only looking like a piece of floating seaweed, the male leafy sea dragon cares for roughly 250 bright pink eggs that are attached to its tail via a long tube stemming from the female leafy sea dragon partner. After attaching to the male’s brood pouch, the eggs take nine weeks to hatch, changing in color to either purple or orange during this time period. When ready to give birth, the male leafy sea dragon shoots the baby sea dragons out of its tail during a 24-48 hour period. Only 5% of the leafy sea dragons survive, and those that do are pretty much independent from birth.

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Not all of us own land for farming, but even urban dwellers can grow gardens and plants. There are more and more fantastic green living concepts being designed for people who want to try out their green thumb. Here are 15 fantastically futuristic plant growing design concepts.

One Pot, Two Lives

(image credits: Yanko Design)

The planter and fish tank work together to make your fish and your plant healthier. The system works by the fish poo acting as a moist fertilizer for the plant. The filter system helps to maintain neutral PH quality in the water for the fish while extending the watering period by about one week for the plant. One Pot, Two Lives was created by designers Sheng-Zhe Feng and Ling-Yuan Chou.

Urb Garden

(image credits: designawards)

Urb Garden by Xavier Calluaud allows people who do not have space for traditional horizontal gardens to indulge in gardening. Vertical food gardens encourage urban dwellers to grow their own food. It comes with a self-contained drip watering system, keeping the plants hydrated. It was also designed for organic recycling to act as plant fertilization.

PC Green Computing Concept

(image credits: core77)

Designer Luis Luna created this green computer concept design called “O.” The project was inspired by the oxygen and the photosynthesis cycle, trying to reduce the amount of CO2 that computers generate. This CPU is both decorative and meant to encourage a green thinking lifestyle for computer users.

Kitchen Garden & Moss Bathmat

(image credits: La Chanh Nguyen,La Chanh Nguyen)

Designer La Chanh Nguyen came up with both of these green living concepts. The Kitchen Garden basically grows over the pot holding kitchen utensil and provides a vertical garden. The chef can cut some fresh aromatic herbs as needed. How about a moss bathmat? Moss Carpet utilizes the humidity of the bathroom as well as water dripping off a person to stay watered. It would also provide a very different feeling under your feet than most people experience when stepping out of the shower or tub.

Office Partition & Foot Rest

(image credits: yankodesign)

Having plants in the office is not a new idea, but designers Jinsun and Seonkeum Park have a couple of plant growing concepts that you have doubtfully seen in the office yet. For those of you trapped in the dreaded cubicle, perhaps office life would seem a bit less bleak with a Breathing Partition? They claim it will bring an ever-lasting oasis to an otherwise dull and dreary office environment. Not for you? Then how about a grass foot rest to allow a feeling of nature under your bare feet?

Le Petit Prince

Le Petit Prince was designed by Martin Miklica and was one of the 2009 Electrolux Design Lab Competition winners. This intelligent robotic greenhouse concept was designed to help with future exploration and expanding population on Mars. The four-legged pod can carry and tend to a plant inside its glass container. It also can send wireless communication to other greenhouse robots, allowing them to learn from each other.

Ecohabitare

(image credit: trendsupdates)

If you don’t have the farming land for a garden, surely you have enough space to hang a “picture?” Ecohabitare is a vertical garden designed by Daniele Adamo and Ravel Casela. Made from flat plates manufactured from recycled packages, this portable vertical garden takes 20 minutes a day to harvest and irrigate. The fertilized soil only needs changed once a year when you add new seeds. It requires about 9.8 feet or 3 meters of wall space and is best suitable for growing chives, parsley, tomato, basil, mint, bold, strawberry and rosemary.

Air-conditioning Curtain / Vertical Planter

(image credit: designboom)

This air conditioning curtain concept was designed by Laura Boffi. “Fresco Di Lana” is made from wool and meant to be kept wet via a water pump. The air-conditioning curtain could perhaps be considered swag except it also functions as a vertical garden. The wet wool filters hot air, cooling it as it enters the house. The wet wool provides pockets in which to grow your food, flowers, or plants indoors.

Envi Urban Waste Management

(image credits: behance)

Designer Julien Bergignat created Evni, one of 58 projects that was shortlisted for the 2009 BraunPrize competition. Envi is a foresight urban dustbin, promoting composting from biodegradable waste. The concept design shows the benefits of urban recycling in which the waste turns into compost for the plant it carries.

Refrigerator That Grows Plants

(image credits Yanko Design)

Designer Hanna Sandström worked with Green Fortune & Whirlpool to come up with a refrigerator that will nurture a seed into a plant. It’s meant to grow herbs and organic greens that you might normally purchase. Although still in concept design stage, the system should automatically water and give light to the refrigerator garden. Not possible? Once upon a time, the same thing was said about ice spitting out the refrigerator door. Growing plants in your frig would give garden fresh a whole new meaning.

Ekokook

(image credits Yanko Design)

Designer FALTAZI came up with Ekokook, one of the coolest kitchen concept systems ever invented. You can watch the video below whether you understand French or not and see it in action. Ekokook does it all, from use and re-use of your solid waste, liquid waste, organic waste, oh…and cook too. It has a combo fridge/freezer, steam oven, and two-tier dishwasher. Non-smelly waste is placed into a bin and compacted into briquettes. The double sink collects water that is filtered to be reused on the plants hanging above it. Organic waste is taken care of by earthworms and then further recycled into food for indoor and outdoor plants.

Volksgarden Hydroponics

(image credits: gizmag)

Volksgarden is not a concept design but a reality of an effective hydroponic garden on wheels. It’s a ferris wheel ride for plants, growing up to 80 plants at once, taking 45-50 minutes to complete a rotation, spinning 24/7. The unit only takes up 1/3 of the floor space used by a conventional flat garden. Omega Garden Technology claims Volksgarden yields three to five times the comparable weight per watt average per harvest. This seems like a great way to grow your own food . . . or weed.

Home Farming

(image credits: designboom)

Philips design completed a project on how we might eat and source our food in 15-20 years from now. This Home Farming concept is a self-contained farm for growing plants and raising fish. This vertical garden is a step beyond those above as you would also be able to provide meat with your veggies. Below is a video of their design probe looking at the future of food.

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Assassin Bug

(images via: NCSU, Creepy Crawly Poetry and Thailand IPM-Info)

Assassin bugs lie in wait for their prey, then ambush it much like James Bond on a secret mission. What follows is somewhat un-Bondish: the assassin bug spears its unfortunate victim with a wickedly curved beak, or rostrum, through which a potent flesh-dissolving enzyme is injected. Once the bug’s saliva has done its dastardly deed, the rostrum becomes a straw through which the prey’s liquified innards are slurped. Personally I’d rather have a martini… shaken, not stirred.

(images via: Ecohealth-101, Science Daily and Help! Nurse!)

Most species of assassin bugs prey on other insects, which is nice considering their revolting way of feeding. I did say “most”, however, so stifle that sigh of relief. Some types of assassin bugs are haematophagous, meaning blood-suckers. The so-called “Kissing Bug” of the genus Triatoma is the most notorious of these, named for its habit of biting sleeping humans on their lips or eyes. If that’s not bad enough, their bites can spread a potentially fatal illness known as Chagas Disease.

Robber Fly

(images via: Thomas Shahan, Bob Mullen and Gallicissa)

These big-eyed beasties are built to kill, though thankfully they limit their deadly attention to other insects. Like assassin bugs, robber flies “prepare” their prey by stabbing it with their beaks, then injecting a potent combo of enzymes that both paralyzes and liquifies the victim from within.

(image via: J Cossey)

Robber flies have 5 eyes, though the huge, multi-faceted compound eyes are much more prominent than the 3 tiny simple eyes located between them. Good vision serves the robber fly well when it goes after its favored prey, which include other flies, moths, dragonflies and even spiders.

Wolf Spider

(images via: Dreamstime, Wolfspiders.net and Allpro Pest Mgmt)

Spiders look scary close-up, with the exception of a few Jumping Spiders that have become popular Internet images. Wolf spiders sound seriously bad and they’ve got the looks to match. Shaggy, with massive venomous fangs and eight eyes of various sizes, wolf spiders patrol the landscape like their lupine namesakes, dispatching most any other creature approximating its size.

(image via: Ryan Photographic)

Wolf spiders express creepiness in another, almost endearing way: when the baby spiders in the egg sac the females carry around with them begin to hatch, the tiny spiderlings clamber up and onto the mother’s back and ride along, sharing in meals and taking advantage of mom’s fearsomely fanged deterrent.

Ant Lion

(images via: Wayne’s This & That and Kensea Media)

If “ant lion” isn’t a scary enough name, how about “sand dragon”? Either way, you just know they’re up to no good. Ant lions have evolved a remarkably complex and unique method of feeding that is their claim to fame: they construct a conical depression in loose sand and hide just beneath the surface at the funnel’s apex. Anything that stumbles into the ant lion’s trap quickly finds that climbing up the sandy slopes take both effort and time – the latter of which is unavailable due to the intervention of the ant lion’s humongous fangs.

(image via: Devan-1)

Ant lions were the likely inspiration for one of the most frightening scenes in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), in which Jabba the Hutt feeds his captives to a sand-dwelling Sarlacc whose lair in the Great Pit of Carkoon lies just beneath Jabba’s floating ship.

Death’s-Head Hawkmoth

(images via: Secret Shropshire, Sansior and Animal Pictures Archive)

Fast-flying hawkmoths are not rare; their large caterpillars are often found on tomato plants and feature a large “horn” on their tail leading to the casual name “tomato hornworm”. Hawkmoths are unusual among moths for their ability to make a high-pitched squeaking noise when irritated. Death’s-head hawkmoths display an eerie, skull-like pattern on their backs that serves no practical purpose other than to, unintentionally, give us the willies.

(images via: Growabrain)

Most people have never seen the death’s-head hawkmoth in the flesh, instead recalling its image from the posters advertising the 1991 horror film The Silence Of The Lambs. A curious fact about the image used on the poster – what appears to be a skull is actually a Salvador Dali portrait of several nude women!

Killer Bees

(images via: Viewzone, Amoeba and Babypoohbarella)

Killer bees are the angry, winged, stinger-equipped poster kids for the maxim “do not mess around with nature!” The original intent was noble enough: toughen up meek European honey bees by breeding them with African bees so their progeny could withstand the rigors of tropical climates. Of course, a hybrid Killer Bee queen soon escaped from the lab and the overly sensitive, swarming critters have been making a beeline (sorry) for the USA ever since.

(image via: Hit The Road)

Killer bees first entered the United States through the town of Hidalgo, Texas, in the autumn of 1990. Seemingly without any other claim to fame or noteworthy roadside attraction, Hidalgo’s city council splurged the better part of their budget on the immense killer bee sculpture shown above. You’ll find it beside city hall, honey.

Tiger Mosquito

(images via: Daily Mail UK and Fohn.net)

Imagine if researchers managed to cross tigers with mosquitoes… then again, let’s not, we already know what happened with the bees. There ARE tiger mosquitoes, however, and though they’re 100% insect they’re also plenty ferocious – and they’re out for your blood! Tiger mosquitos are easy to identify, just look for the striking black and white stripes… and the rapidly expanding blood-red belly.

(image via: Mosquitaire)

Formerly restricted to forest and wetland areas of southeast Asia, modern-day human travel patterns have spread the tiger mosquito to new habitats across the globe. It’s thriving as well; tiger mosquitoes do well in human communities and are active at any time of day instead of merely dawn and dusk.

Hickory Horned Devil

(image via: Entomology for Master Gardeners)

Hickory Horned Devils are the caterpillars of the Regal, or Royal Walnut moth. The caterpillars resemble those of hawkmoths but in this species the “horns” are longer, colored black & red, and come in clusters. Combined with their bright turquoise bodies, the horns really stand out and, it’s assumed, make predators think twice about having them for a snack.

(image via: The Hidden World)

Hickory Horned Devils can be found in the southeastern USA and are North Carolina’s largest caterpillars, growing up to 5 inches long. They’re harmless, though, both to humans and to other insects. Walnut and hickory trees, not so much.

Vampire Moth

(images via: Gigazine)

Vampire Moths are one instance in which the behavior of the creature fully backs up their unpleasant name. Yes indeed, these moths are fully equipped to suck blood from – in their native habitat – water buffalo and also humans if given the opportunity. The male Vampire Moths (females only drink fruit juices) press a barbed proboscis into the skin and drink to their heart’s content.

(image via: Vampirewire)

Entomologists only recently described the ghoulish feeding habits of these moths, possibly because occurrences have been exceedingly rare. On the bright side, it seems that unlike mosquitoes, Vampire Moths do not spread any communicable diseases or parasites when they drink blood.

Bee Wolf

(images via: New Scientist and Wikipedia)

Beewolves, also known as Digger Wasps… nah, “beewolf” is way cooler so I’m sticking with that. The way they got their name is sort of creepy, though: a female beewolf will paralyze a bee by stinging it, afterwhich it takes the doomed insect back to its underground lair and lays an egg on its body. The egg hatches into a larva that burrows into the somnolent bee and eats its fill. Sweet! Another curious habit of beewolves is that as adults they drink nectar – often acquired by “squeezing” the bees they have captured.

(images via: New Scientist and PhysOrg)

Beewolves have been in the news of late, and not because of their supremely rad name. It seems that the creatures have evolved a symbiotic relationship with certain species of bacteria who coat the surfaces of beewolf pupae with antibiotics. This protects the metamorphosing insects within safe from microbial attack during this critical period in their development. In the pair of images above, mass spectrometry was used to highlight the antibiotic compounds on the pupa’s surface.

As awesomely scary as beewolves sound, they don’t frighten everyone – in one Japanese town, digger wasps are baked into crispy crackers as part of a traditional recipe. Recipe for WHAT, who can say… and as for the taste, we’ll just guess that it has a mild sting.

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(Images via: Wonders of Pakistan, Daily Mail, Max Waugh, Consejo, Flickr, It’s Nature, Indy Media, Get Eco Now, Invasive Species East, CMS, Jagtheesh)

Defined as man-, animal- or machine-made noise that has a harmful effect on surrounding life, noise pollution or environmental noise from transportation, construction and many other loud and annoying activities is wreaking havoc on natural habitats and environments. From birds in the sky to elephants on land to dolphins in the sea, noise pollution is threatening all types of species and altering the way in which these animals communicate, mate and even protect themselves from larger predators.

No Solace High Above from Noise Pollution

(Images via: P Base, Science Daily, University of Manchester, Happy Pet Travels)

For many types of bats, owls and birds, noise pollution from planes, machinery and car traffic in urban areas and construction in natural habitats is changing normal ways of life. Environmental noise has been shown to affect the way that bats and owls find and hunt for prey. For example, gleaning bats such as the Bechstein’s bat are less likely to hunt in noisy areas. According to researchers, too much noise pollution could put these animals at risk of extinction by making once fulfilling environments unlivable. While some birds like great tits, waterbirds, birds of prey, corvids and starlings are able to adapt to urban noise by tweeting louder, other birds with lower frequencies are not as adaptable at changing their tunes, which may affect these winged-friends from communicating with and finding each other for mating, and even propel them to fly away to less noisy environments.

Turn Down the Sound on the Ground

(Images via: Flickr, AJ Tours and Transfers Zambia, Free Webs, Wildlife Pictures Online)

For Zimbabwe elephants, helicopters that fly above their herding grounds can be as frighteningly loud as an elephant stampede. As tourist helicopter rides over Victoria Falls (see top right image) have been ramped up in recent years, environmentalists warn that such increased activity may scare the area’s large concentration of elephants, causing them to run and flee to other areas. If such altered elephant behavior occurs as a result of helicopters, environmentalists worry that the entire ecosystem – meaning thousands of other wild animals and birds – will suffer as well. However, the local government has not seemed too concerned about these possibilities, saying that the tourist shows must go on.

The Budweiser Frogs Wouldn’t  Put Up With This

(Images via: AARP, The Magnolias, Bourbonnais Township Park District, University of Oklahoma, P Base)

For female grey tree frogs, increasing noise from nearby traffic has been shown to slow their abilities to listen for and locate male frogs that are calling for their services during the mating season. As for European tree frogs, they simply don’t call as much due to increasing noise pollution. Unfortunately, both grey and European tree frogs have struggled to adapt their calls to the growing demands of increased environmental noise, which environmentalists say could lead to less reproduction and declining populations of these frogs.

I Don’t Mean To Be A Crab But Please Be Quiet

(Images via: Learnativity, King Snake, Built City)

While hermit crabs are equipped with great protection (their shells) from larger predators, they are not as quick to shield themselves when environmental noise is present. According to a recent study, hermit crabs that were distracted by nearby noises from boats were slower to hide in their shells when presented with a simulated predator, in this case a donut that was covered with a black T-shirt and attached to a pole swung near the crabs. Based on the study’s findings, the hermit crabs in quiet areas quickly hid from the potential predator. On the other hand, the hermit crabs in noisy areas appeared distracted by the boat noise and did not retract as quickly, suggesting to researchers how noise can put crabs in a disadvantageous position when predators are near.

Hardly Noise Free under the Sea

(Images via: Okinawa, Flickr, Anon, Switched)

The deep blue sea would seem to offer some peace and quiet for whales, dolphins and porpoises, but this is not the case as noise from sonar, commercial shipping and drilling for oil and gas are causing great harm. In the case of military sonar and seismic testing, it is believed that whales, dolphins and porpoises can become scared by the high-pitch sounds, causing them to surface in water that is beyond their physical limits and beach themselves. Communication among these animals is also affected by underwater noise pollution like sonar, which has caused some dolphins to go temporarily deaf and whales to be separated from their calves. Sadly, it doesn’t appear that the ocean’s noise level is going to be reduced any time soon, that is unless some more stringent sound regulations are passed. With climate change, the oceans are expected to get noisier as molecules that usually absorb sound are changed by the water becoming more acidic. In fact, some experts are predicting that sound absorption in the ocean may decrease by 60 percent and that underwater noise may travel 70 percent further in the future as a result of climate change.

Beetles and Loud Rock Music: Literal Beatle Mania

(Images via: Photobucket, Chesapeake Tree Services, Sky Blu, Myremecos)

Loud noise is detrimental to so many species that scientists are using it to their advantage, in this case for more noble purposes. To combat the effects of ravenous bark beetles that are damaging many types of trees (see top right image), researchers recently conducted an experiment in which loud rock music from Metallica, Guns & Roses and Queen and backward recordings of Rush Limbaugh were blasted near trees infested with these beetles. According to the study’s findings, the loud noise severely bothered the beetles to the point where it disrupted their tunneling, feeding and reproduction habits. In some cases, the loud recordings caused the beetles to kill each other, thus possibly providing a new way to handle these pests and save infested trees. Of course, this experiment was performed in a controlled laboratory setting and does not take into account how the music would affect birds and other species that live in the trees. Judging by the response of most animals to noise pollution, such music would likely be problematic for these other animals despite eradicating one major problem: annoying bark beetles.

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Beefalo

(images via: Dubldacres, Beefalo.us and Utah Beefalo)

Beefalo, a hybrid of beef cattle and the American Bison, have been hailed as one of the meat industry’s greatest successes. Docile enough for ranching, beefalo provide meat that has more protein and less fat than that of the typical steer. Even better, beefalo beef is very low in cholesteral and is said to taste just as good as classic steak, if not better.

Hybrid buffalo-cattle were first noticed in the mid-nineteenth century and efforts to standardize the hybrids, called at first “cattalo”, gained momentum after tens of thousands of cattle died in the Blizzard of 1888. It took nearly a century, however, to produce fertile and viable beefalo that did not require a herd of buffalo cows to be kept on-hand. The American Beefalo Association, Inc., founded in November of 2008, was now oversees the registration of beefalo in the USA.

Cama

(images via: Read The Smiths and Taylor Llamas)

Camel-Llama hybrids, or “Camas”, appear camel-like in coloration but without the stereotypical camel’s hump. Camas are both viable and fertile – though separated by several million years of evolution, these camelid mammals each have 74 chromosomes. Would you walk a mile for a camel? You might if you were the last llama on earth (or at least, in the general area), but since these animals live oceans apart a little human matchmaking is required to crossbreed them. Not to mention, the use of artificial insemination… dromedary camels weight about 6 times as much as the average llama.

(image via: Taylor Llamas)

The Camel Reproduction Centre in Dubai has set its sights on making Camas, with the expectation that the hybrids would retain the camel’s desirable size, strength and hardiness while imbuing them with the much more cooperative temperament of the llama. The first Cama, named Rama, was born at the Camel Reproduction Centre on January 14, 1998. Unfortunately, Rama grew up mean, mad and generally uncooperative. Back to the drawing board!

Cheetoh

(images via: OLX and Greenstone Cheetohs)

Evocative name notwithstanding, the Cheetoh cat has no relation to either Cheetahs or cheese-flavored corn puffs. Instead, this relatively new feline is descended from selected Bengal Cat and Ocicat bloodlines, resulting in an exotically spotted cat with the Ocicat’s long legs and low-shouldered walking style. Cheetohs are larger than average domestic cats with males ranging from 15 to 22 pounds and females topping out at about 15 pounds.

(image via: Michenews)

According to The International Cheetoh Breeders Association, “The goal of the Cheetoh breeding program was to create a very intelligent cat that is larger (than domestic cats) with an extraordinary wild look, without adding more wild blood. Most importantly, (the Cheetoh is) an extremely social, docile and gentle-natured lap cat that is safe for all family members.” A 22 pound lap cat? I just can’t weight.

Geep

(image via: Mentalfloss)

Your Prius may be a hybrid but a Geep – Wrangler or not – is actually a chimera. Chimeras are man-made, the result of the fusing of two distinct, very early embryos. The end result is a creature that exhibits a patchwork of traits depending on which embryo’s tissue is dominant.

(images via: BBC, Union Agway and Daily Mail UK)

Actual sheep-goat hybrids are extremely rare: though they may look somewhat similar, sheep and goats are separate species with differing numbers of chromosomes (goats have 60, sheep just 54). A recent sheep-goat hybrid with 57 chromosomes dubbed “The Toast of Botswana” was born in the year 2000. The creature, which had a hairy outer coat and a wooly inner coat, was healthy but had to be castrated due to its overactive libido – rather ironic, because the horny demi-goat was believed to be sterile.

Grolar Bear

(images via: WorldNews and Read The Smiths)

It may look mixed up, but the uncomfortably-named Grolar Bear proves by its mere existence that brown and white can get along. Though not common by any means, these Grizzly-Polar bear hybrids occur from time to time where the range and habitat of these majestic creatures overlaps.

(image via: Inhabitots)

If “Grolar Bear” sounds a little forced, consider the alternative: the Pizzly Bear. Weird name or not, these ursine hybrids demand a whole lot of respect; they are intermediate in size between Grizzlies and Polar Bears – in other words, BIG.

Liger

(images via: Drunken Santa and Nature Safari India)

The nature of animal hybrids often depends on exactly who the parents are. Take the Liger, for example. Ligers are the offspring of a male lion (Panthera leo) and a tigress (Panthera tigris) while in Tigons, the roles are reversed. Ligers only occur in captive environments as their natural ranges have not overlapped for many centuries. In appearance, Ligers superficially resemble lions though they may display subtle skin and fur mottling and have no manes. They also tend to grow larger than either parent – in fact, ligers are the largest of all the big cats. Lastly, although Napoleon Dynamite says Ligers are pretty much his favorite animal, they are NOT bred for their skills in magic. Gosh!

(image via: The Top The Best, Worth1000)

Now this is one good-looking beast! Unfortunately it’s a creation of photoshop and NOT that of a lion and a tiger. Ligers do indeed combine the traits and characteristics of lions and tigers, just not as clear cut as the whimsical creature above.

Spider Goat

(images via: ChuckGame, Space Daily and WebEcoist)

Spider Goat, Spider Goat, does whatever a… well, you’ve seen that movie but are you ready for actual Spider Goats? Ready or not, here they come – and aren’t they cute? Nevermind the fact that the goats have spider genes that allow the females to excrete spider silk proteins in their milk… I’m afraid to ask how the males excrete it. The resulting spider silk fiber is said to be “more durable than Kevlar, more stretchable than nylon, and stronger than steel.”

(image via: The Final Hour)

In case you were wondering (and you know you were), yes, it is possible to use the same gene-splicing technique to create Spider Pigs. There’s no guarantee, however, that they would be able to walk on ceilings, hide behind clocks or provide us with tasty yet stringy bacon. Watch a short video on Spider Goats here… if you dare:

Toyger

(images via: Primaeval Cats and Schaffhausen)

Toygers are not strictly hybrids but breeders have accessed Bengal Cat bloodlines in order to give these surprisingly striped tabbies a more wild appearance and a “big cat body”. Toygers can trace their lineage back to 1980 when breeder Judy Sudgen noticed that a couple of her tabbies sported unusual and distinctive mackerel markings. Sudgen was able to enhance the markings in subsequent generations after importing a similarly striped tom alleycat from India. Currently, breeders are using advanced computer modeling and imaging techniques to project what an ideal, tiger-like Toyger should look like and that goal is expected to be reached later in 2010.

(image via: Aluren)

Toyger cats are rapidly increasing in popularity, perhaps in response to an unstated demand for baby pets that don’t grow up. At their present state of development, Toygers have the ability to turn heads and provoke double-takes from those unfamiliar with the breed, something that in itself many owners find extremely appealing.

Wholphin

(images via: CBS News, My Pet Jawa and EVC Forum)

Breeding a whale with a different species of marine mammal would seem to be an impossible task – if not uncomfortable for the breed-ees – but if the whale is one of the smaller types like the False Killer Whale (Pseudorcas) than all bets are off. Such is the case with Kekaimalu, a hybrid of a 2,000 lb. male False Killer Whale and a 400 lb. female Bottlenose Dolphin born in 1985 at Hawaii’s Sea Life Park. Kekaimalu subsequently gave birth to a healthy female “Wholphin” named Kawili Kai in early 2005.

(image via: Dolphin Discovery)

The Wholphins born in Hawaii have 66 teeth, the median between a False Killer Whale’s 44 teeth and a bottlenose dolphin’s 88. As for Kekaimalu, she’s the star of Sea Life Park’s aquatic show and, according to trainer John Oakley, “She’s one of the brightest animals I’ve ever worked with.”

Zebroids

(images via: Nick Fraser, Heather Larkin and MSNBC)

A zorse is a zorse, of course, of course… except when it’s a zonkey, a zony or a zetland. As you might have guessed, the “z” comes from zebra and all of the aforementioned hybrids display some form of zebra striping. Zebroids typically combine the strength of zebras with the docility of domesticated horses, donkeys and, in at least one special case, a Shetland Pony. Zorses are bred with a purpose, however: they inherit the zebra’s resistance to the Nagana pest disease and are used for tourist treks on and around Mount Kenya.

(image via: Scienceblogs)

The above zorse’s strikingly patterned coat resulted from the inherited zebra-striping only being expressed on pigmented areas of the coat. White areas on what would normally be a piebald horse remain white. Zowie!

(image via: Patricia Piccinini)

Do these ten animal hybrids seem a bit too, er, tame? Not to worry, scientists and researchers are moving beyond hybrids and even chimeras in an effort to create “living laboratories”. Examples include pigs with mouse genes whose excrement is less damaging to the environment, and pigs with human – yes, human – genes whose organs could be used in transplants without fear of rejection. “Not to worry,” huh… perhaps I spoke too soon.

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Sex is oh so good for your health. Getting it on is about more than pleasure. Good sexual health can improve your physical health. It certainly puts you in a positive frame of mind. Conserve electricity, turn off the lights and light a candle. Save water, share a shower and soap each other. Go green between the sheets. Ok who needs sheets or a even a bed for that matter, but sex is eco-friendly. Au Naturale is the most earth-friendly packaging there ever was! This is more than a lifehack for mating, more than an excuse to have sex. Here are 55 fantastic health benefits and legitimate reasons to be having lots of sex.

*Safe sex is wise. This is not advocating sex, but instead listing the overall potential health benefits of hitting the sheets.

Sex Relieves Stress & Eases Depression

(image credits:techtunes,gorod.tomsk,Nord_Sud,amolifeamolife)

Treat your partner as if you’re dating is a lifehack strategy for keeping the spark alive. As romantic as a fairytale castle is, it’s unrealistic for most of us to plan a “date night” there. When dating, couples are generally more sexually adventuresome than after a couple has been together or married for a long time. Stress is a killer for both sexes. The health benefits of having sex to relieve stress and to ease depression have been proven. For men, their release calms them and sends happy chemicals to their brain. For women, absorbing semen works as a natural antidepressant and helps get rid of stress. So plan that romantic night out together in nature or light the candles for a special date dinner. Depressed and highly stressed individuals tend to have less sex. It’s a trap! Don’t fall into it.

Relieving pain

(image credits:skyscrapercity,skyscrapercity,atyunchik)

Romance your spouse outside the bedroom is a strategy for keeping the spark alive. Most of us can not take our beloved to a deserted island for a romantic getaway, but that is not required to gain this benefit of sex: relieving pain. The best painkiller ever created is the mighty O. No, not Oxycontin but Orgasm. It releases natural chemicals like endorphins in the body, both before and during climax. These endorphins have a similar chemical structure to morphine. Water is used in many therapies, so why not add the glorious and sensual feel of water to your sex life? It’s a win/win/win situation without needing to find the time, finances, and location of the closest deserted island. Having sex, win. Having sex in the water, double win. Having orgasmic sex in the water? Oh baby!

Sex Helps You Forget & Increases Happiness

(image credits:amolife)

Credit cards due? Bills piling up? Money trouble causes most couples to fight. Before it gets really ugly and you turn on each other, have sex. Having sex helps you forget your troubles. It also improves intimacy, lifts your mood, and increases your imagination. Regular humping can keep you happy. It might not cure your money problems, but keeping busy with the horizontal hustle was proven to provide the same levels of happiness as a couple earning an extra $100,000 annually.

Weight Loss & Boosting Cardiovascular Health

(image credits:amolife,existingvisual,LabbraSuDiTe,indianpad,amolife)

Next strategy to keep the spark hot is: Exercise, preferably together. Rambunctious rolling in the hay can burn off as much as 700 calories while less vigorous love making burns at least 200 calories. It’s surely the best way to control or lose weight? It’s definitely the best way to burn calories.

Ladies, your passion can protect his heart. Shag your guy’s ticker into shape. Sex lowers blood pressure, boosting cardio health, and reduces his risk of heart attack. Lovemaking improves strength, flexibility, and muscle tone. It might even might even protect against strokes.

Organic Orgasm = 10 All Natural “Medicine Cabinet Cures”

(image credits:codRosu)

Get busy getting frisky since the big O is the all-natural medicine cabinet. If you have a headache, then bonk your way to temporary headache relief. Forget Tylenol, having a headache is an excuse to have sex right away to cure you. It’s practically the cure for the common cold. Having sex stimulates those wonderful pleasure endorphins as well as antibodies to protect you from getting the flu or a cold. Once-a-week sex produces 30% higher levels of immunoglobulin A, boosting the immune system and fighting off disease.

Sex can relieve a stuffy nose; it’s is a natural antihistamine. It can even help combat hay fever and asthma. After frolicking under the sheets, your hormone prolactin surges and fires new neurons in the brain’s olfactory bulb. This means after doing the horizontal hustle, you have a heightened sense of smell. In fact, after sex all your sensitivities are heightened, including activating your taste buds.

Sex can also help protect those pearly whites, so you have better teeth. And it doesn’t get much more all-natural in ingredients than the minerals in semen, such as zinc and calcium, that have been proven to slow tooth decay. Selenium, an ingredient found in semen, might also serve in protection against cancer.

12 More Reasons Sex Is Good For Her & Protects Her Health

(image credits:amolife)

Getting down and dirty with her could help her reproductive health. The more sex she has, the more hormones she will produce that are responsible for increased sexual desire. That’s right, the more sex she has, the more sex she will want to have. More lovemaking can increase her levels of estrogen, which protects against osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s. Sex can also help prevent endometriosis in women. Ladies who have sex at least once a week have more regular menstrual cycles than those who frolic under the sheets less frequently. All this sex helps promote fertility in women by regulating menstrual patterns. Post romp, a female gets a jolt of natural oxytocin which in turn releases endorphins. This natural painkiller can help alleviate arthritis pain or lessen cramps. Plus all the practice is perfect if you want to hear the pitter-patter of little carbon footprints. After you’ve made a baby, horizontal dancing can trigger the onset of labor when she’s at term. Semen in her system may help with a speedy delivery. Yes, sex can maybe even help her to tolerate a natural, drug-free birth.

Sex Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk

(image credits:amolife,deviantart,frenchlettercondoms)

Yeppers, sex is also the answer for a happier and healthier prostate. Men in their 20s can cut their chance of getting prostate cancer by 1/3 by ejaculating more than five times a week. But older men also benefit from frequent sex, as 21 or more orgasms a month are linked to a much lower prostate cancer risk. The more he climaxes, the less likely he is to develop prostate cancer.

Cuts Risk Of Breast Cancer & Gives Better Bladder Control

(image credits:amolife)

Sex can help reduce the risk of breast cancer for women who have never given birth. A study showed that if a female increases the frequency of sex, she decreases the risks of breast cancer.

Sex strengthens the pelvic floor muscles that control the flow of urine. Kegel exercises occur naturally during sex, giving women better bladder control.

Sex Boosts Confidence & Improves Intimacy

(image credits:keenanevanscod,Rosu,imgfave,Nord_Sud)

Lovemaking of course builds and continues to improve intimacy. It also increases desire. If one or the other partner does not have much sexual desire, you can see from the reasons above that the more sex you have, the more sex you will want to have. Women often want more intimacy and is it within her reach. According to Family therapist Michael Gurian, author of What Could He Be Thinking?, a man’s oxytocin level matches a woman’s after his happy ending. Then you’ll both be more inclined to desire cuddle time. For some people, the more they feel loved, the more their self-esteem will inflate. Both parties, however, get a boost to their spirit. When things are great in bed, your confidence will increase. Sex therapist Sandor Gardos says, “When things go well in bed, you feel more confident and powerful in other parts of your life.” This weaves its way into our lovemaking, making us more daring and uninhibited in our sexual endeavors. That, in turn, makes the mighty O even better and makes us want more sex.

Healing Wounds & Hearts

(image credits:gorod,home-biba,Rooms for Romance,elferide)

Healing can be thought of in many ways. Sometimes a relationship needs to heal. Other times, a person needs to heal. It can be a wound or one suffering from something like diabetes. There have been studies in which evidence suggests that sex heals. Lovemaking can help rejuvenate to the point of cells regenerating and wounds healing faster. Set the stage right for the romp and anything is possible. Oxytocin from the big O, it does a body good.

Longevity: Live Long & Hump Often

(image credits:codRosu)

Sex could be the Fountain of Youth. To extend your life and increase vitality, have lots of sex. Most especially this is true for men as the more often he has the big O, the more his risk of death lowers. Guys who climax two times a week have a 50% lower chance of mortality than those who orgasm one time a month. Men who engage in sex regularly cut their chances in half of suffering a stroke. To live a long life, happily hump often.

Sex Fights Aging & Improves Flexibility & Lifts Mood

(image credits:stumbleupon,nanoflux,google,lavenderhill)

All our love hormones after sex help us to bond and to build trust, but also help to fight aging. Use it or lose it. Since sex helps us rejuvenate, the more you orgasm the better it is for you. You live longer, are more flexible, and continue to exercise while making love. So keep giving each other a booty biscuit, improving intimacy, continuing the cycle that increases sexual desire. You’ll be much happier and more inclined to have fun together when you know you’re burning hot for each other to be alone again.  Is it any wonder why sex is a mood lifter and the natural cure to mood improvement?

Eco-Sex Toys To Improve Sex Life & Your Imagination

(image credits:thedailygreen,libida,simply4lovers,goodcleanlove,eartherotics,lovemenaturally,smittenkitten)

Ecosexuals needs toys too. Get eco-sex toys and improve your imagination at the same time. There are lots of “green” lingerie like bamboo jersey shorts and sleeping mask. Sola makes a small bullet-shaped vibrator powered by the sun. Kissable Body Paints come in 8 flavors and are made from organically grown fruit. Soy candles are always a good choice. Yet there are other candles that melt into massage oils and are created from natural ingredients like vitamin E, avocado, and almond. How about a handcrafted spanker made from recycled car and truck tire parts? Or get wet and wild by lubing up with organic formulas, fortified with libido-boosting Chinese herbs like horny goat weed. There’s even Bo, the world’s first rechargeable erection ring. Keep stirring those creative juices. Sex will help improve the imagination and ecosex toys will help keep your sex life from becoming boring. Do you need more healthy reasons to see life through rosier-colored glasses and get your organic orgasm on?

Sex Boosts Energy & Helps You Sleep Better

(image credits:amolife,elferide,webpark,weheartit)

Your passionate adventures can be both reckless and wise. The world is starved for romance. Courtesy and chivalry pay off in the bedroom. Let go; you won’t be sorry. For women, the testosterone absorbed from semen can boost her energy. For men, the more sex he has, the more testosterone he produces which is the driving factor responsible for his sexual desire. Both parties get an energy boost from sex.  However, sex also helps you sleep better. The oxytocin released during big O also promotes sleep. Insomniacs, regular romps are the all-natural and most assuredly the best way to help you catch that needed shuteye.

Oh yes, sex is so good for you. It’s a cure-all; not that you needed a reason to have sex in the first place. But for all the 55 mind-blowing healthy benefits you’ve read here, you better get down to business with the horizontal hustle, do the nasty, go green between the sheets, get your ecosex on, frolic and romp. Forget language barriers or silly slang. Love is the universal language. Nothing gets lost in translation when making love.

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(Images via: Sword Fishing Central, Molly O Brown, Kid Cyber, Take No Prisoners, One to Many, Xenophilius, Free Dog Listings)

Roger Daltrey of The Who once sang that he could “see for miles and miles.” As the legendary British rockers prepare for tonight’s halftime show of Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, we thought it would be fun to look at animals with some unique and cool eyesight of their own. Just as Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are known for incredible downfield vision, animals like sea urchins, hammerhead sharks and bees maintain visual skills that are quite eye-opening and advantageous in their fields of play.

Hammerhead Sharks: Presented in 360-Degree Stereo Vision

(Images via: Fanpop, Aero Design, Guzer, Genetic Archaeology)

While the Super Bowl plays out in high definition on many televisions throughout the United States, hammerhead sharks move out about the oceans with amazing, human-like stereo version. According to a recent study in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the T-shaped head formations of hammerhead sharks allow them to have a wider range of view and greater depth perception, potentially giving them a distinct advantage when tracking down speedy prey. In the study, researchers flashed arcs of light around the right and left eyes of hammerhead sharks and then recorded the shark’s electrical activity via electrodes placed just under their corneas. The researchers learned that the hammerhead sharks had a three times higher overlap of what they could see in both their right and left eyes when compared to other sharks. The only downside for the hammerhead sharks is that they have bigger blind spots in front of their heads due to the larger distance between their eyes, which could explain why small schools of fish have been documented swimming safely in front of these mammoth creatures.

Sea Urchins: Eyeless but Not Powerless

(Images via: Midnight Sun School, Sheppard Software, Tree Hugger, Keealfian)

While sea urchins technically do not have eyes, they apparently “see” with their spines. As suggested by recent research at Duke University, sea urchins apparently interpret their surroundings from light that bounces off their spines. In the recent Duke study, 20 sea urchins were placed in a well-lit tank featuring two black discs of different sizes. While the sea urchins did not react to the smaller disc, they reacted differently to the beam intensity of the larger disc. Some of the urchins fled from the bigger disc while others moved closer to it. Based on these findings, the researchers suggested that sea urchins are capable of maintaining similar vision to the nautilus, horseshoe crab and other marine invertebrates with eyes, although sea urchin vision is still limited.

Bees: From the First Time They See Your Face

(Images via: P Base, Flickr, Flickr)

In another recent study detailed in the Journal of Experimental Biology, bees demonstrated the ability to recognize and remember human faces. French researchers first presented the bees with a simple image that represented a face, including two dots for eyes, a vertical dash for a nose and a horizontal line for a mouth, and rewarded the bees with droplets of sugar water went they went to the image. The researchers then removed the sugar water and presented other images with the dots, dash and line jumbled. Amazingly, the bees still went to the image that resembled the human face. However, when the researchers jumbled up the image of the human face, the bees did not know where to go, suggesting that they understand and use patterns to recognize humans in their environment.

Puppy Dogs: When Is It Pointless to Point?

(Images via: Daily Puppy, Dog Breed Info, Breeder Retriever, West Falen Collies)

If you own a puppy that just doesn’t seem to be responding to your pointing and other training, you should avoid getting frustrated, according to recent findings in the journal Animal Behavior. In a study examining German shepherds, collies, Dachshunds, pointers and many other breeds of puppies, researchers learned that these young guys are unresponsive to pointing until they are at least 21 weeks old if not older. Apparently, dogs better understand pointing as they get older and gain more experience and familiarity with such visual cues. Similar findings have been documented in young chimpanzees and baby children as they age and start processing more information, showing that animals and humans are more alike than we sometimes think.

See-Through Frogs and Fish: Japan’s Visual Gift to You

(Images via: Young Eager Minds, Day Life, The Sun, Digg)

While see-through frogs and fish may not have any extraordinary visual capabilities, they do provide humans a first-hand glimpse of amazing inner workings. In wake of controversies about dissecting animals, Japanese researchers have developed these see-through frogs and fish that are sans pigmentation, thus opening a window to the brain, heart and other organs. Interestingly, the researchers say that these see-through fish can live up to 20 years, thus letting us see how organs evolve over lifetimes. Since the see-through frogs are higher forms of life than the see-through fish, they are more preferable for scientific study and research. Whatever the case, both the see-through frogs and see-through fish are certainly cool to look at.

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The How & Why of Hairless Cats

(images via: OLX, Distractible, Ask Kitteh and Barecats Sphynx)

Hairlessness in cats is caused by a specific recessive gene, which means that the parents of a hairless cat must each carry a copy of the gene for hairlessness that they then pass down to their offspring. Unless genetically hairless “barecats” are bred with either close relatives or other carriers of the gene, expressed hairlessness would remain a rare and occasional occurrence.

(image via: Catfacts)

Sphynx cats are not completely hairless – like “hairless” dogs, elephants and marine mammals they do have some hair but the quantity and length are greatly reduced. Some liken the coat of a Sphynx cat to peach fuzz. Another curious feature of these cats is that, similar to tigers, their skin is pigmented in the same places darker hair would appear. From a distance then, Sphynx cats look like most any other cat… get closer and the difference can be shocking.

Hairless History

(images via: Angelfire Sphynx)

The first documented hairless cats were littermates Nellie and Dick, acquired by a Mr. Shinick of New Mexico in 1903 from some local Pueblo Native Americans. Hairless cats cropped up again in Toronto, Canada in 1966 (giving rise to the name “Canadian Hairless”) and shortly after in Minnesota, USA. As word of these strange cats began to spread, other occurrences were noted around the world and this helped breeders establish a viable line of Sphynx cats that were less susceptible to genetic diseases and disabilities brought about by inbreeding.

(image via: Dare2B-Bare)

It wasn’t until 1985 that The International Cat Association (TICA) accepted the Sphynx into Championship status and in 1987, the honor of Best International Sphynx and TICA Supreme Grand Champion was awarded to Britanya’s Lady Godiva.

Sphynx Cat Characteristics

(images via: Barecats Sphynx, Gorey Details and Free Space Comix)

Sphynx cats are distinctive in other ways besides being, for all intents and purposes, hairless. They have wedge-shaped heads, large ears, and tend to develop pot bellies as they age. They also seek warmth owing to their lack of insulating fur. This may come across as pure affection but it also has a physiological basis.

(image via: Izismile)

Sphynx cats’ skin can also be wrinkly, like that of Chinese Shar Pei dogs but without fur to ameliorate the degree of wrinkliness.

Scaredy Cats?

(images via: Catfacts, The Austin Probe, Eric Maziade and Phil Hodgson)

It’s natural for humans to be drawn to people and animals with big eyes, rounded facial features… babies and the babylike, to be exact. Sphynx cats don’t often conform to the stereotypical “cute” profile due to the lack of fur and its softening, rounding effect.

(image via: Izismile)

In extreme cases, Sphynx cats can appear bat-like, threatening, sinister, even frightening… such as the li’l feller above, whose meow is probably a lot worse than his bite.

Bring On The Kittehs!

(images via: OLX and Purple Slinky)

Odd or not, Sphynx cats can be exceptionally cute – especially as kittens. The younger they are, the rounder their features and the more wrinkly their skin. And, like all domestic cats, Sphynx cat kittens are curious, playful, mild-mannered and affectionate. Did I mention how cute they are?

(image via: Bestiarum Vocabulum)

The more the merrier? It’s not hard to find Sphynx cats cuddling together for warmth, being naked and all. Er, umm, roll the kitty pics!

Pairs Competition

(images via: BabyAssFace, Sphynx & Chi’s and Cats of Australia)

Either owners tend to keep more than one Sphynx cat or photographers just love to capture cat couples in their Kodachrome compositions – or maybe both. It may be that the image of a pair of Sphynx cats looks somehow more friendly, more inviting, more… agreeable.

(image via: Baxterboo)

Double trouble? More like two’s company – and if these felines can get along with each other, weird hairlessness or not, so can we humans. Ya think?

Tats on Cats: Art, Abomination or Both?

(images via: Courier Post Online, The Radical Ant Farm and Terrierman)

It had to happen, of course: someone tempted by the living canvas of a Sphynx cat’s skin decided it called out for a tattoo. Or two. The morality of tattooing animals, pets or not, is a hotly debated topic on which yours truly will not publicly take sides. By exposing you, the reader, to these images of tattooed Sphynx cats, perhaps a wider consensus on this practice can be reached.

(image via: Emptees)

One may wonder how the cats sit still and tolerate being tattooed. In at least some cases, they don’t… they are anesthetized while the “art” is being applied. The King Tut tat depicted above was applied in Russia where the practice is not unknown. Again, it’s arguable whether sedating pets for cosmetic procedures is ethical or not – a pity we can’t ask the cat.

Beauty: More Than Skin Deep

(images via: Got Pets Online, Ann Schaefer and Ganners)

One thing almost everyone can agree on is that Sphynx cats are distinctive-looking enough “as is”; no extra exterior modifications needed. As the images above clearly display, these unique cats display a savage beauty tempered by what appears to be significant intelligence and empathy. Or, maybe it’s just those big round eyes made all the more prominent by the absence of fur.

(image via: Daily Contributor)

The set of images above should do much to raise both the awareness and popularity of Sphynx cats. If THEY can’t keep a straight face, how on earth can you?

(image via: Curious Animals)

Sphynx cats… attractive, repulsive, or a little of both? If you think a Sphynx cat (or two) would help warm up your humble abode, check around for a reliable breeder and feel free to ask questions – for the cats’ sake as much as yours. And speaking of “warm”, keep in mind the fact that Sphynx cats ARE hairless. Keep ‘em comfy and they’ll surely do the same for you.

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Space . . . the final frontier. In the past, we’ve been awed with images from the Hubble. But now mankind can now tweet from outer space. The time has come for us to delve deeper into the unknown.  Attention: Calling all explorers for a Martian treasure hunt! No spacesuit is required. The human race can help discover new alien landscapes from the comfort of their computer chairs. Ready, set, click! Mars or bust…

Mars and Phobos

(image credit:TopTechWriter.US)

Once upon a time, this was all the closer we had ever come to Mars. The smaller object is little more than an asteroid, but Phobos is the biggest of Mars’ two moons. Phobos has no atmosphere and very little gravity. President Obama did not give a good review to NASA’s human space exploration policy. With limited funding, neither man nor rockets may be going to the moon, nevertheless Mars, anytime soon. Is Phobos really all the closer mankind will come to Mars in the future?

Rover Spirit About To Bite the Big One

(image credit:NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Red Rover, Red Rover, your mission is nearly over. The above image is from the front hazard-avoidance camera on NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, taken on Jan. 23, 2010. It was the 2,154th Martian day of the rover’s mission on Mars. After six years exploring the Red Planet, NASA’s Rover Spirit is no longer a free roaming robot. Rover is reduced to a stationary science platform. Although it is not yet dead, its final resting place will be the sand trap where Rover Spirit is stuck.

So what does that mean for mankind? It means it’s time for us to step up to the plate and investigate Mars ourselves.

Did you snort with disbelief? We can do it with the help of High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE, and an online tool called HiWish. HiRISE is one of six instruments on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). And now the public has been invited to propose imaging targets to see your favorite spot on Mars at people-scale resolution. We can pick pixels to view images the size of a desk.

Candidate Landing Site in NE Syrtis Major

(image credits:NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing. This image lies in the middle of a candidate landing site near a huge shield volcano and a giant impact basin. The bedrock could be more than 4 billions years old! This is but one recently released HiRISE image that is suggested as an excellent place to explore early Mars . . . when the environment might have been favorable for life. Men may be from Mars and women may be from Venus, but with the help of HiWish, we can unite to discover new treasures on the Red Planet.

Mars: Then and Now

(image credits:NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona,ESA,NASA,NASA/JPL/University of Arizona,NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

The top furry looking picture was taken by HiRise and is of the Starburst Spider. Before HiRISE kicked into high gear on Mars in 2006, the Mars Express Orbiter provided the HRSC image on the upper right. It was one of the first good shots of ice in a Martian crater. The image on the middle left was captured by Spirit’s panoramic camera during its 1,892nd Martian day. It is three images combined to show the soft soil exposed when wheels of NASA’s Rover Spirit dug into a patch of ground dubbed “Troy.” At the bottom left is a digital terrain model of Victoria Crater, a possible Opportunity Rover Landing Site. On the right are contortions on the floor of Hellas Basin, a basin often hidden by atmospheric haze and dust. This clear shot shows that materials like ice appear to have flowed in a viscous manner.

Digital Terrain Models

(image credits:NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

HiRISE DTMs are stereo pairs, made from two images of the same area on the ground, but they are taken from different angles. The three basic stages of creating a DTM are complicated tasks, involving sophisticated software, long computing times and lots of man-hours. Above, from left to right are the following DTMs:1)Layered rock outcrops in southwest Candor Chasma. 2)North Polar Trough with curved exposure. 3)Ring and cone structures, plus dunes and other landforms in Athabasca Valles. 4)Putative salt deposits in Terra Sirenum. 5)Potential new gully with bright deposits. 6)Dissected wall of Mojave Crater. 7)Mars Exploration Rover landing site at Gusev Crater. 8)Eroded scallops with layers.

Colorful Streaks

(image credit:NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

HiRISE captured these colorful streaks in the central pit of an impact crater, located in the ancient Martian highlands. The HiRISE camera onboard the MRO is the most powerful one of its kind ever sent to another planet. Its extremely high resolution allows us to see Mars like never before, helping other missions choose a safe landing site for future exploration. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the MRO, but the HiRISE camera is operated by the University of Arizona.

Megabreccia in Toro Crater

(image credit:NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

This false color image covers the western half of Toro Crater’s central peak. This 42 kilometer diameter crater is in Syrtis Major. Colorful patches of megabreccia make Toro Crater a great target for HiRISE. Scientists think that megabreccia may have formed during a period of frequent impact craters in Mars’ early history. HiRISE frequently targets the central peaks of craters because these features tend to bring up rocks like megabreccia that are usually buried under the surface. So far, HiRISE has found megabreccia in more than a hundred places on Mars.

18 Science Themes

(image credits:HiRise)

To join in the hunt, go to the HiWish Public Suggestion Page. Use the online tool HiWish and place your rectangle on the map of Mars where you’d like to look. Anyone, regardless of education, can nominate a target. First identify the location on a map, give an observation title, and then explain the potential scientific benefit of HiRISE photographing the site. Lastly, put the suggestion into one of the camera team’s 18 science themes that can be found above and voilà! Submit your potential Martian treasure. Our suggestions are looked at, science themes are prioritized, observations are validated, and if imaged, then released to the public.

Cool Mars HiRISE Images

(image credits:NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

Not all of the HiRISE images have spectacular names, but the pictures are astounding. You could help with that and submit your choice, your wish, with HiWish. Without further ado, here are some more cool pictures of Mars. The top left is titled USGS Dune Database Entry (ESP_014426_2070). On the top right is The Dark Spot on Mars. Those blotchy spots at the middle left are of the South Polar Carbon Dioxide Ice Cap. The middle right image is the Sand Dunes and Ripples in Proctor Crater. On the bottom left is Jezero Crater. At the bottom right, Falling Material Kicks Up a Cloud of Dust on Dunes.

More Awesome Martian Landscapes Captured by HiRISE

(image credits:NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

The top image is of the Mars Endurance Crater. The image in the middle shows dune symmetry inside a Martian crater. The photo on bottom shows dunes again, but these are frost-covered dunes inside a crater.

More From Mars

(image credits:NASA/JPL/University of Arizona,NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

It is at this time unknown if mankind will ever take an outer space adventure on the scale of moving to and inhabiting Mars. How mind-blowing would it be, however, to live there and to look out over such alien landscapes? That scaly looking image on the top left is of bright layered deposits with clues of acidic water. On the top right is an oblique view of the Victoria Crater. The middle right image gives us a closer look at water-related geologic activity on Mars. The bottom left is a meter-scale morphology of the north polar region of Mars. At the bottom right, that bizarre image has an uninspiring title, USGS Dune Database Entry.

Conspiracy Theory: Man on Mars?

(image credits:NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

We’ve all heard of crop circles and pyramids designed by aliens, possibly Martians. There are also “ancient landing strips” theoretically created by ancient aliens who once lived on Earth. We’ve also heard of the “man in the moon,” but this USGS Dune Database Entry Number seems to resemble a man’s outline on Mars. Or it is a Martian’s outline? Conspiracy theories will never die, so if you are a conspiracy theorist then you too had better get busy using HiWish to get the view you most wish to see on Mars. Despite the thousands of pictures already taken, less than 1% of the Red Planet’s surface has been imaged. The HiRISE science team will evaluate suggestions and put high-priority ones into a queue. Thousands of pending targets from scientists as well as the public will be imaged.

Earth & Moon As Seen From Mars…Our Future?

(image credit:NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

This is the view from Mars, looking out at Earth and the moon. Will it someday be the view of some brave souls who moved to the Red Planet? Here’s your Martian treasure map, HiRISE online image viewer, to get started. Take part in HiRISE and HiWish. If your children or grandchildren someday ask, wouldn’t you like to say you answered the call and helped explore Mars?

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