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Furcifer Pardalis
The panther chameleon (''Furcifer pardalis'') is a species of chameleon found in the eastern and northern parts of Madagascar in a tropical forest biome. Additionally, it has been introduced to Réunion and Mauritius. Taxonomy The Nosy Be panther chameleon was first described by French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1829. Its generic name (''Escherichia'') is derived from the Latin root ''furci'' meaning "forked" and refers to the shape of the animal's feet. The specific name ''pardalis'' refers to the animals' markings, as it is Latin for "leopard" or "spotted like a panther". The English word chameleon (also chamaeleon) derives from Latin ''chamaeleō'', a borrowing of the Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (''khamailéōn''), a compound of χαμαί (''khamaí'') "on the ground" and λέων (''léōn'') "lion". The Greek word is a calque translating the Akkadian ''nēš qaqqari'', "ground lion". This lends to the common English name of "panther chameleon". Description Pan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Georges Cuvier
Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French natural history, naturalist and zoology, zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier was a major figure in natural sciences research in the early 19th century and was instrumental in establishing the fields of comparative anatomy and paleontology through his work in comparing living animals with fossils. Cuvier's work is considered the foundation of vertebrate paleontology, and he expanded Linnaean taxonomy by grouping classes into phylum, phyla and incorporating both fossils and living species into the classification. Cuvier is also known for establishing extinction as a fact—at the time, extinction was considered by many of Cuvier's contemporaries to be merely controversial speculation. In his ''Essay on the Theory of the Earth'' (1813) Cuvier proposed that now-extinct species had been wiped out by periodic catastrophi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nosy Be
Nosy Be (formerly Nossi-bé and Nosse Be) is an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Nosy Be is Madagascar's largest and busiest tourist resort. It has an area of , and its population was 109,465 according to the provisional results of the 2018 Census. ''Nosy Be'' means "big island" in the Malagasy language. The island was called Assada during the early colonial era of the 17th century. Nosy Be has been given several nicknames over the centuries, including "Nosy Manitra" (the scented island). History The first human inhabitants of Nosy Be were small bands of Antankarana and Zafinofotsy, before the Sakalava people migrated there and became the most numerous ethnic group on the island. These people were joined later by some Comorians, Indians or Antandroy. Nosy Be made first major appearance in Madagascar's history when King Radama I announced that he intended to conquer the whole west of Madagascar. That plan was eventually achieved in 1837 when the Sakalava Kingdom of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Montagne D'Ambre National Park
Montagne d'Ambre National Park is a national park in the Diana Region of northern Madagascar. The park is known for its endemic flora and fauna, water falls and crater lakes. It is north of the capital, Antananarivo and is one of the most biologically diverse places in all of Madagascar with seventy-five species of birds, twenty-five species of mammals, and fifty-nine species of reptiles known to inhabit the park. Geography The park covers an area of on an isolated volcanic massif, of mostly basaltic rock, above the surrounding dry region. Attractions include spectacular waterfalls and several crater lakes. There are numerous rivers and streams and the park is a water catchment area for the town of Antsiranana, which is surrounded by dry, sparse forests and semi-desert with succulent plants. Annual rainfall in the park is compared with around the town. The area is named after the deposits of copal, a soft form of amber. Amber is one of the most accessible parks in northern M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gravid
In biology and human medicine, gravidity and parity are the number of times a woman is or has been pregnant (gravidity) and carried the pregnancies to a viable gestational age (parity). These terms are usually coupled, sometimes with additional terms, to indicate more details of the woman's obstetric history. When using these terms: * Gravida indicates the number of times a woman is or has been pregnant, regardless of the pregnancy outcome. A current pregnancy, if any, is included in this count. A multiple pregnancy (e.g., twins, triplets, etc.) is counted as 1. * Parity, or "para", indicates the number of births (including live births and stillbirths) where pregnancies reached viable gestational age. A multiple pregnancy (e.g., twins, triplets, etc.) carried to viable gestational age is still counted as 1. * Abortus is the number of pregnancies that were lost prior to viable gestational age for any reason, including induced abortions or miscarriages but not stillbirths. The abort ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Projectile Use By Living Systems
Although projectiles are commonly used in human conflict, projectile use by organisms other than humans is relatively rare. Animals Liquid projectiles Most projectiles used by terrestrial animals are liquids. Among invertebrates there are a number of examples. Velvet worms can squirt out an slimy adhesive fluid from glands on the sides of their head, and use it to trap their prey. The spitting spiders ''Scytodes'' can spit a venomous sticky fluid that traps its victims and also poisons them. The bombardier beetle is unusual by using a violent exothermic chemical reaction to launch a boiling noxious chemical spray in a rapid burst of pulses from special glands in its abdomen, accompanied with a popping sound. The ''Anthia'' (oogpister beetle) will fire formic acid at attackers, probably extracting the formic acid from the ants that it eats. The devil-rider stick insects ('' Anisomorpha'') can fire terpenes from glands on the metathorax that can cause an intense burning irritati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste buds housed in numerous lingual papillae. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva and is richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels. The tongue also serves as a natural means of oral hygiene, cleaning the teeth. A major function of the tongue is the enabling of speech in humans and animal communication, vocalization in other animals. The human tongue is divided into two parts, an oral cavity, oral part at the front and a pharynx, pharyngeal part at the back. The left and right sides are also separated along most of its length by a vertical section of connective tissue, fibrous tissue (the lingual septum) that results in a groove, the median sulcus, on the tongue's surface. There are two groups of muscle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dactyly
In biology, dactyly is the arrangement of digits (fingers and toes) on the hands, feet, or sometimes wings of a tetrapod animal. It comes from the Greek word δακτυλος (''dáktylos'') = "finger". Sometimes the ending "-dactylia" is used. The derived adjectives end with "-dactyl" or "-dactylous". As a normal feature Pentadactyly Pentadactyly (from Greek "five") is the condition of having five digits on each limb. It is traditionally believed that all living tetrapods are descended from an ancestor with a pentadactyl limb, although many species have now lost or transformed some or all of their digits by the process of evolution. However, this viewpoint was challenged by Stephen Jay Gould in his 1991 essay "Eight (Or Fewer) Little Piggies", where he pointed out polydactyly in early tetrapods and described the specializations of digit reduction. Despite the individual variations listed below, the relationship is to the original five-digit model. In reptiles, the limbs ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamatave
Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French Tamatave, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of its capital and biggest city Antananarivo. In 2018 Toamasina had a population of 325,857. History Under French rule, Toamasina was the seat of several foreign consuls, as well as of numerous French officials, and was the chief port for the capital and the interior. Imports consisted principally of piece-goods, farinaceous foods, and iron and steel goods; main exports were gold dust, raffia, hides, caoutchouc (natural rubber) and live animals. Communication with Europe was maintained by steamers of the Messageries Maritimes and the Havraise companies, and also with Mauritius, and thence to Sri Lanka, by the British Union-Castle Line. During the colonial period, owing to the character of the soil and the formerly crowded native population, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maroantsetra
Maroantsetra , formerly Louisbourg, is a market town and domestic seaport in Analanjirofo Region, Madagascar, at the northern end of the Bay of Antongil. In 2005 it had a population of 42,529 people. History Maurice Benyovszky arrived in Maroantsetra in February 1774. He established a colony here, which was named Louisbourg. A hospital was built as well as a quarantine on Nosy Mangabe island just off the coast. Geography and climate Maroantsetra is a coastal town in northeastern Madagascar, approximately by air northeast of Antananarivo. The Antainambalana River flows into the bay after meandering around the town. It is one of the wettest places in Madagascar due to the trade winds, and receives an average of 138 inches (350 cm) of rain annually. Landmarks and economy Maroantsetra is the main point of access to Masoala National Park and the Nosy Mangabe special reserve. Transport The town is served by Maroantsetra Airport. The National road 5 links the town to Toamasina thoug ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sambava
Sambava is a city and commune (commune urbaine; mg, kaominina) at the east coast of northern Madagascar. It is the capital of Sambava District and Sava Region. The population of the commune was 84,039 in as of the 2018 commune census. Infrastructure Sambava is located on Route nationale 5a (Madagascar), Route Nationale 5a Ambilobe - Antalaha. It has a local airport, Sambava Airport, regional airport. In addition to primary schooling the town offers secondary education at both junior and senior levels. The town provides access to hospital services to its citizens. Economy Farming and raising livestock provides employment for 45% and 0.5% of the working population. The most important crop is vanilla, while other important products are coconut and rice. Industry and services provide employment for 0.5% and 53.5% of the population, respectively. Additionally fishing employs 0.5% of the population. Sambava disposes of white, sandy beaches with several hotels. The Marojejy Nation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antsiranana
Antsiranana ( mg, Antsiran̈ana ), named Diego-Suárez prior to 1975, is a city in the far north of Madagascar. Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region. It had an estimated population of 115,015 in 2013. History The bay and city originally used the name ''Diego-Suárez'', named after Diogo Soares, a Portuguese navigator who visited the bay in 1543–44. In the 1880s, the bay was coveted by France, which desired it as a coaling station for steamships. After the first Franco-Hova War, Queen Ranavalona III signed a treaty on December 17, 1885, granting France a protectorate over the bay and surrounding territory, as well as the islands of Nosy-Be and Ste. Marie de Madagascar. The colony's administration was subsumed into that of Madagascar in 1896. The Second Pacific Squadron of Imperial Russia anchored and was resupplied at Diego-Suárez on its way to the Battle of Tsushima in 1905. In 1942, Diego-Suárez was the primary objective of Operation Ironclad, the starting point ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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