Arthrobotrys fungus

Arthrobotrys is a genus of mitosporic fungi in the family Orbiliaceae. There are 71 species. They are a predatory fungus that captures and feeds on nematode worms. Rings that form on the hyphae constrict and entrap the worms, then hyphae grow into the worm and digest it. Arthrobotrys fungus feeds on nematode worms that it traps in a tightening noose in just 1/10th of a second.

Green Parakeet

The Green Parakeet (Psittacara holochlora), is a medium-sized parrot that is native to Central America, from Mexico south to northern Nicaragua. These birds have established self-sustaining populations in some cities in southeast Texas in the United States. It is unclear if the US population are feral released birds or may be some wild vagrants which have moved north from Mexico. The Green Parakeet is usually nonmigratory, but will move sometimes to take advantage of food supplies. The Pacific Parakeet, formerly considered a distinct species, is now placed herein as a subspecies Psittacara holochlora strenua. The bird is 32 cm in length, and is mostly green in color. It also has a yellow beak. The bird feed on seeds, various fruits, and corn. It can sometimes be considered a crop pest. Wild birds primarily use scrub and swamp forests, woodlands, and forest clearings. The US population takes advantage of palm groves in the cities. Green Parakeet pairs usually find holes in trees to nest in where it lays 3-4 eggs. It will also nest colonially on crevices in cliff faces. After the breeding season is completed, the birds will form large communal roosts. Green Parakeet's nest in the crater of the active Masaya volcano in Nicaragua is apparently immune to the toxic sulfurous flames.

Frankenstein's author's strange fact

Mary Shelley (née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus (1818). She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley. Her father was the political philosopher William Godwin, and her mother was the philosopher and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary Godwin's mother died when she was eleven days old; afterwards, she and her older half-sister, Fanny Imlay, were raised by her father. When Mary was four, Godwin married his neighbour, Mary Jane Clairmont. Godwin provided his daughter with a rich, if informal, education, encouraging her to adhere to his liberal political theories. In 1814, Mary Godwin began a romantic relationship with one of her father’s political followers, the married Percy Bysshe Shelley. Together with Mary's stepsister, Claire Clairmont, they left for France and travelled through Europe; upon their return to England, Mary was pregnant with Percy's child. Over the next two years, she and Percy faced ostracism, constant debt, and the death of their prematurely born daughter. They married in late 1816 after the suicide of Percy Shelley's first wife, Harriet. In 1816, the couple famously spent a summer with Lord Byron, John William Polidori, and Claire Clairmont near Geneva, Switzerland, where Mary conceived the idea for her novel Frankenstein. The Shelleys left Britain in 1818 for Italy, where their second and third children died before Mary Shelley gave birth to her last and only surviving child, Percy Florence. In 1822, her husband drowned when his sailing boat sank during a storm near Viareggio. A year later, Mary Shelley returned to England and from then on devoted herself to the upbringing of her son and a career as a professional author. The last decade of her life was dogged by illness, probably caused by the brain tumour that was to kill her at the age of 53. Until the 1970s, Mary Shelley was known mainly for her efforts to publish Percy Shelley's works and for her novel Frankenstein, which remains widely read and has inspired many theatrical and film adaptations. Recent scholarship has yielded a more comprehensive view of Mary Shelley’s achievements. Scholars have shown increasing interest in her literary output, particularly in her novels, which include the historical novels Valperga (1823) and Perkin Warbeck (1830), the apocalyptic novel The Last Man (1826), and her final two novels, Lodore (1835) and Falkner (1837). Studies of her lesser-known works such as the travel book Rambles in Germany and Italy (1844) and the biographical articles for Dionysius Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopaedia (1829–46) support the growing view that Mary Shelley remained a political radical throughout her life. Mary Shelley's works often argue that cooperation and sympathy, particularly as practised by women in the family, were the ways to reform civil society. This view was a direct challenge to the individualistic Romantic ethos promoted by Percy Shelley and the Enlightenment political theories articulated by her father, William Godwin. Author Mary Shelley kept the heart of her late husband Percy Bysshe Shelley wrapped in a piece of his poetry for 29 years.

Larry Da Leopard

A Texas tattoo artist’s obsession with leopard spots may have caused a rift with his loved ones, but he believes it has brought him one step closer to becoming a true ‘manimal’ with cat-like reflexes. Born Lance Brieschke, Larry Da Leopard has covered every inch of his body with more than a thousand spots to become half man, half big-cat. The 40-year-old is a well-known character in Austin, prowling the streets in little more than a loincloth as part of his outrageous leopard act. Larry the Leopard of Austin, Texas is covered in over 1000 Leopard spot tattoos.

Environment friendly cemetery

Sunset Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary Sunset Hills was founded by Chet Hitt in 1995 after a friend remarked that it was a shame that his Mother couldn’t be buried in her home town of Apple Valley. The process was long and arduous… Cemeteries are rarely started from scratch anymore. Mr. Hitt, however, had a vision and nothing was going to stand in his way. He left the family plumbing business and after six years of government red tape, began construction of a project many said couldn’t be done. One early supporter was the “Queen of the West”, Dale Evans. During her beloved husband Roy Rogers later days, Dale often found solace in the peace and beauty of the Memorial Park. It is said that Dale wrote much of her last book from a spot in the park overlooking the valley below. When Roy Rogers passed on, his burial service was one of the first milestones for Sunset Hills. With a huge crowd of family, friends and fans in attendance, the service was an honor for the Cemetery and set the tone for the quality of service delivered by Sunset Hills Shortly after the passing of Roy, Dale Evans approached Chet Hitt about the idea of building a chapel in honor of her late husband. Mr. Hitt agreed, and on February 19, 2007 the Roy Rogers – Dale Evans officially opened. Today, Sunset Hills is an award winning facility, recognized as one of the most unique and beautiful cemeteries in the West. The Desert Estate Gardens and one-of-a-kind landscaping have garnered attention throughout the nation and the world with international media with news coverage from as far away as Asia and Europe. The sunset hills cemetery in Eugene, Oregon offers an electric tricycle hearse for those who prefer an environmentally friendly funeral. http://www.flipkart.com/affiliate/Widgets?widget_type=best_sellers&affid=rochaktat

The Flying Snake

Chrysopelea, or more commonly known as the flying snake, is a genus that belongs to the family Colubridae. Flying snakes are mildly venomous,[1] though they are considered harmless because their toxicity is not dangerous to humans.[2] Their range is in Southeast Asia (the mainland, Greater and Lesser Sundas, Maluku, and the Philippines), southernmost China, India, and Sri Lanka. It can jump from tree to tree and glide in the air for over 300 feet.

Ndebele people - Long necks

Married women of the Ndebele people of South Africa wear metal rings to push down their collarbones and give the illusion of long stretched necks.

The Ndebele are part of the larger Nguni ethnic group. They are thought to have travelled from Natal to the Transvaal region, led by a chief called Musi and settling near Pretoria in about 1600. In the mid-seventeenth century, the nation split over a succession dispute between his two sons, Manala and Ndzundza. In 1882, following friction with Voortrekker settlers over land and other resources, the Boer leader Piet Joubert led a campaign against the Ndebele leader Nyabela. Nyabela was imprisoned, finally being released in the late 1890s, and many of his people were indentured to white farmers. During the apartheid era, Nyabela's successor as leader, Cornelius, was forcibly moved with his people to a tribal "homeland" called KwaNdebele, which was given nominal self-government. People with the last name Ndebele are considered royal.