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Lake Lanoto'o National Park
Lake Lanoto'o National Park is a national park in Samoa. Established in 2003, the park covers 470 hectares of the central portion of the Tuamasaga district of Upolu and includes three volcanic crater-lakes: Lake Lanoto'o, Lanoata’ata and Lanoanea. In 2004 it was designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The park was established on 29 May 2003 under the authority of the National Parks and Reserves Act 1974. Ecology The park contains three highland crater-lakes and surrounding marsh and forest. It provides habitat for endangered birds such as the Tooth-billed pigeon, Manumea and Mao (bird), Mao, as well as the Samoan starling, Samoan whistler, Samoan flycatcher, and Samoan triller. The site is also important for the Pacific black duck and Spotless crake, and provides habitat for the Red-headed parrotfinch, Crimson-crowned fruit dove and Flat-billed kingfisher. Lake Lanoto'o itself is home to introduced Goldfish. The area was badly damaged b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono and Apolima); and several smaller, uninhabited islands, including the Aleipata Islands (Nu'utele, Nu'ulua, Fanuatapu and Namua). Samoa is located west of American Samoa, northeast of Tonga (closest foreign country), northeast of Fiji, east of Wallis and Futuna, southeast of Tuvalu, south of Tokelau, southwest of Hawaii, and northwest of Niue. The capital city is Apia. The Lapita culture, Lapita people discovered and settled the Samoan Islands around 3,500 years ago. They developed a Samoan language and Samoan culture, Samoan cultural identity. Samoa is a Unitary state, unitary Parliamentary system, parliamentary democracy with 11 Administrative divisions of Samoa, administrative divisions. It is a sovereign state and a member of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pacific Black Duck
The Pacific black duck (''Anas superciliosa''), commonly known as the PBD, is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the north and French Polynesia in the east. It is usually called the gray duck in New Zealand, where it is also known by its Maori name, . Taxonomy The Pacific black duck was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's ''Systema Naturae''. He placed it with all the other ducks, geese and swans in the genus ''Anas'' and coined the binomial name ''Anas superciliosa''. Gmelin based his description on the "Supercilious duck" that had been described in 1785 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his ''A General Synopsis of Birds''. The naturalist Joseph Banks had provided Latham with a water-colour drawing of the duck by Georg Forster who had accompanied Jam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protected Areas Of Samoa
Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although the mechanisms for providing protection vary widely, the basic meaning of the term remains the same. This is illustrated by an explanation found in a manual on electrical wiring: Some kind of protection is a characteristic of all life, as living things have evolved at least some protective mechanisms to counter damaging environmental phenomena, such as ultraviolet light. Biological membranes such as bark (botany), bark on trees and skin on animals offer protection from various threats, with skin playing a key role in protecting organisms against pathogens and excessive water loss. Additional structures like Scale (anatomy), scales and hair offer further protection from the elements and from predators, with some animals having features such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyclone Heta
Severe Tropical Cyclone Heta was a Category 5 tropical cyclone that caused moderate damage to the islands of Tonga, Niue, and American Samoa during late December 2003 and early January 2004. Heta formed on December 25, 2003; it reached a maximum intensity of 260 km/h (160 mph) and an estimated pressure of 915 hPa (27.02 inHg) before dissipating on January 11, 2004. It was the first named tropical cyclone to form during the 2003–04 South Pacific cyclone season. The damage Heta caused on Tonga, Niue, and American Samoa was estimated at $150 million (2004 USD), with most of the damage occurring in American Samoa; the cyclone was also responsible for one death. Heta precipitated a massive relief and clean-up operation that lasted throughout 2004. Meteorological history During December 25, 2003 the Fiji Meteorological Service reported that Tropical Disturbance 03F had developed underneath the subtropical ridge of high pressure about halfway between Fiji and Rotu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyclone Val
Severe Tropical Cyclone Val was considered to be the worst tropical cyclone to affect the Samoan Islands since the 1889 Apia cyclone. The system that was to become Severe Tropical Cyclone Val was first identified during the opening days of December 1991, as a small circulation, within the Intertropical Convergence Zone to the north of Tokelau. Over the next few days, the system moved westwards towards Rotuma and Tuvalu and gradually developed further, before it was named Val during December 5, after it had become a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. The system subsequently continued to intensify as it moved towards the Samoan Islands and peaked as a category 4 severe tropical cyclone, as it made landfall on the island of Savaii during December 6. After Val had passed over the island, weakening upper-level winds caused the system to slow down before it made a sharp clockwise loop which almost brought it over Savaii for a second time. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyclone Ofa
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ofa was a powerful tropical cyclone that caused severe damage in Polynesia in February of 1990. The system was first noted on January 27, 1990, near Tuvalu, as a shallow tropical depression that had developed within the South Pacific Convergence Zone. The cloud pattern slowly organized, and on January 31, while located east of Tuvalu, Ofa attained cyclone intensity. Moving slowly southeast, Ofa developed storm-force winds. It attained hurricane-force winds on February 2. Cyclone Ofa reached peak intensity on February 4. Shortly after, its peak Ofa began to weaken over a less favourable environment. Ofa was declared an extratropical cyclone on February 8, though the system was still tracked by meteorologists until February 10. Ofa produced gales or high winds or gales on many islands, resulting in widespread damage due to a combination of storm surge and high seas. In all, eight people were killed and damage totaled to . The worst effects were recorded in Sa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goldfish
The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have become an invasive pest in parts of North America. Native to East Asia, the goldfish is a relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the Prussian carp and the crucian carp). It was first selectively bred for color in imperial China more than 1,000 years ago, and several distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape, fin configuration, and coloration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known). History Various species of carp (collectively known as Asian carp) have been bred and reared as food fish for thousands of years in East Asia. Some of these normally gray or silver species have a tendency to produce red, orange or yellow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flat-billed Kingfisher
The flat-billed kingfisher (''Todiramphus recurvirostris'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to Samoa. Distribution Flat-billed kingfishers are found on the islands of Upolu and Savai'i in lowland and coastal areas. They were found not found in upland forests above 1,200m, most likely because food items become increasingly scarce with increased elevation. Ecology Like other species of kingfishers, the flat-billed kingfisher eats a variety of different food sources. However, they appear to be somewhat reliant on large insects Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of j ... and reptiles as part of their diet. References Birds of Samoa Todiramphus Birds described in 1842 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Coraciiformes-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crimson-crowned Fruit Dove
The crimson-crowned fruit dove (''Ptilinopus porphyraceus'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in American Samoa, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, and Wallis and Futuna Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest. Taxonomy and systematics Until 2016, both the purple-capped fruit dove and the Kosrae fruit dove were also considered as subspecies of the crimson-crowned fruit dove. The crimson-crowned fruit dove has two remaining sub-species: * ''P. p. porphyraceus -'' (Temminck, 1821): Found on Niue, Tonga and Fiji Islands * ''P. p. fasciatus'' - Peale, 1848: Found on Samoa References crimson-crowned fruit dove Birds of Fiji Birds of Tonga Birds of the Pacific Ocean crimson-crowned fruit dove The crimson-crowned fruit dove (''Ptilinopus porphyraceus'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in American Samoa, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Ni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red-headed Parrotfinch
The red-headed parrotfinch (''Erythrura cyaneovirens'') is a common species of estrildid finch found in the Samoan Islands. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 20,000 to 50,000 km2. It is found in subtropical/tropical lowland moist forest. References External linksSpecies factsheet - BirdLife International Erythrura Birds of Samoa Birds described in 1848 Taxa named by Titian Peale {{Estrildidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spotless Crake
The spotless crake (''Zapornia tabuensis'') is a species of bird in the rail family, Rallidae. It is widely distributed species occurring from the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia, across the southern Pacific Ocean to the Marquesas Islands and south to New Zealand. Taxonomy The spotless crake was Species description, formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's ''Systema Naturae''. He placed it with the other crakes and rails in the genus ''Rallus'' and coined the binomial nomenclature, binomial name ''Rallus tabuensis''. Gmelin's account is taken from that of the "Tabuan rail" that had been described in 1785 by the English ornithologist John Latham (ornithologist), John Latham in his book ''A General Synopsis of Birds''. Latham's description was probably based on a plate painted by the German naturalist Georg Forster who had accompanied the British explorer James Cook on his Second voyage o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samoan Triller
The Samoan triller (''Lalage sharpei''), known in Samoan as miti tae, is a species of bird in the family Campephagidae. It is endemic to Samoa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss. Description The Samoan triller is a bird with a length of about 13 cm, smaller than its relative, the Polynesian triller The Polynesian triller (''Lalage maculosa'') is a passerine bird belonging to the triller genus ''Lalage'' in the cuckoo-shrike family Campephagidae. It has numerous subspecies distributed across the islands of the south-west Pacific. It is 15 t .... There is no sexual dimorphism in Samoan trillers, with both sexes possessing similar plumage, a yellow bill, and white iris. The upperparts of the plumage range from a brown to a grey-brown. The underparts, chest, and throat are white, with faint brown bars present on the bird's flanks. References Birds of Samoa Lalage (bird) Birds described ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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