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Have you ever noticed very small insects on water surfaces skating or striding swiftly over the water? Do you wonder whether it is a small-sized spider or a mosquito with long legs? Well, these little water striders that walk on water are called pond skaters. With water repellent hairy feet, these insects glide or skate across the surface of water with ease. Thanks to this skating-like movement, the insect got its name: pond skater, and the scientific name given to these insects is Gerris lacustris....

Rahonavis belonged to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, and clade Dinosauria. Their scientific name was Rahonavis ostromi. Rahonavis was a genus of theropods that looked liked birds that existed in the Late Cretaceous period (Maastrichtian, about 70 mya). They used to live in that region which is in present-day called as northwestern Madagascar. Catherine Forster and her colleagues in the Maevarano Formation rocks at some quarry, which is somewhere near Berivotra, Mahajanga Province, found the partial skeleton of this dinosaur....

A salamander is a type of amphibian with moist skin that looks like a cross between a frog and a lizard. There are around 740 different species of salamander, all with different characteristics, and most species of salamander can be found in North America.Salamanders are amazing creatures, associated with power and passion. However, because of habitat loss, populations have been decreasing. Many areas suitable for salamanders have unfortunately been destroyed by humans to make way for developed land....

Sea turtles are antisocial creatures who love to spend most of their time alone in the sea. Sea turtles are reptiles from the Cheloniidae family. They are found worldwide and originated from the northern coast of Australia and are spotted around tropical and subtropical beaches. There exist seven species of sea turtles: loggerhead, green sea turtle, leatherback, hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, Olive Ridley, and flatback. All the species of sea turtle are found in different oceans....

With feathers, wings, and claws, birds are warm-blooded species. Among more than 10,000 species of birds, the sociable lapwing is one of them. A sociable lapwing or sociable plover (Vanellus gregarius) is a Critically Endangered shorebird found in open grassland in the countries of Central Asia. The population of these birds is recorded specifically in Middle East countries including Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Syria, Turkmenistan, Russia, Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan....

Tree swallows are migratory birds and nest in isolated pairs or loose groups. They are known as aerial insectivores as they feed on insects while being airborne. Tree swallows can be found in North America during spring, summer, and fall. Their nest sites are found in fields or marshes near water bodies. Tree swallows have their own song, which can be heard clearly during the summer months. It is a sweet chirping call....

The white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a small-sized singing bird, belonging to the nuthatch family.Although there is rarely any difference between the male and female birds of the species, the males are slightly more vibrant than the females. The territory-conscious nuthatches join a flock only during foraging for seeds to store in the crevices in the bark of trees. Foraging means gathering wild food. The monogamous birds pair with one individual and stay with them until they die or one of the birds disappears....

The yellowtail damselfish is also known by its binomial name Chrysiptera parasema. It is a very popular species of saltwater fish that is also kept in an aquarium as pets. The yellowtail blue damselfish are native to the reefs of the Indo-Pacific and are mostly found around the countries like Japan, the Philippines, and Australian regions.These fish are known to be one of the most common fishes kept as a pet in saltwater aquariums and community tanks because they are very tolerant fish and are inexpensive and hardy fish....

A city with a historical and cultural inheritance that finds its roots back in history up to 3000 years.Beijing is among China’s famous ancient cities, the other three being Nanjing, Luoyang, and Xi’an (Chang’an). If we try to find out the extremely well-maintained ancient cities in the whole world, Beijing stands among the top contenders.Did you know that during the years 1958-1961, more than 30 million people were killed by mass famine in Beijing?...

The ostrich is one of the few flightless birds that exists.An ostrich makes up for not being able to fly by being one of the fastest land animals found in the African savannah. It is a majestic bird with wings that even though are big in size, do not provide enough support for the bird to fly.This makes the ostrich use its long legs as the focal part of its survival in the wild plains of the African savannah, the north-west of Africa and southern Africa....

man kissing cat; how to bond with your cat Credit: Carlos G. Lopez / Getty On This Page Do Some Cats Bond More Easily? How Cats Bond With Humans 4 Specific Ways to Bond With Your Cat Kitten vs. Adult Cat Bonding Bonding With a New Cat Those stereotypes that cats are aloof? Most of them aren't true. Nevertheless, with more discerning felines, it may take a little work to establish real intimacy....

dog licking girl's face; Is a dog's mouth cleaner than a human's? Credit: FatCamera / Getty Some dogs like to give wet, sloppy “kisses” to their humans. While the loving sentiment is sweet, you might wonder if your pup is actually slathering you with harmful germs. There’s an old saying that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s. But is it true? We asked Leslie Bass, DVM, veterinarian and medical director of VCA Algiers Animal Hospital in New Orleans, to give us the lowdown on dog saliva....

In mid-February, a walker discovered a teeny badger cub abandoned along a wooded trail in Inverness, Scotland. European badgers typically have large family groups—known as a clan or cete—so to find a baby on its own meant something terrible probably happened. According to The Independent, this wee mite weighed only 250 grams (about 8 ounces) and was about 2 weeks old. The rescuer contacted the Scottish SPCA National Wildlife Rescue Centre (SPCA) for help....

Zebras are African ’equids’ (horses) with striped coats that are black and white.Zebras are one of the most well-known African animals due to their distinctive pride stripes. They are sociable creatures that dwell in tiny harems to huge herds known by the name dazzles.Zebras have never been completely tamed, unlike their closest cousins, horses, and donkeys. Their stripes occur in a variety of designs and they never change their stripes. Zebras live in open, grassy regions and have a number of adaptations or specific features, that assist them in surviving in their African environment....

When a four-legged family member doesn’t feel well, we’ll do just about anything to help. And if your dog suffers from arthritis or some other painful ailment that doesn’t respond to traditional treatments, it can be especially frustrating. Which might mean it’s time to consider trying acupuncture for dogs. That’s how lots of canine patients of Christine Horne, DVM, CCRP, CVA, CIVCA, arrive under her care at the BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital’s Georgia Veterinary Rehabilitation in Marietta: Nothing else worked....

iguana resting on tree branch in Florida Credit: passion4nature / Getty The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) took to Twitter on Monday to warn its followers about something strange: iguanas falling from trees in Florida. It may sound like a sign of the apocalypse, but the phenomenon is actually a result of the increasingly frigid, and more common, cold snaps South Florida is experiencing. Iguanas are cold-blooded and hang out in trees, bushes, and on rocks to soak up sunlight that warms their blood enough to function....

Everything about snakes is quite fascinating.Their skin, their movement, their swiftness. There are many unique abilities that a snake can do, but shedding their skin takes all the points because even though some other animals shed their skin, none of them can do it like snakes.Doesn’t it make you wonder that if no other animals are capable of shedding their skin then why do snake shed their skin? The answer is that they do not fit in the same old skin anymore....

black cat; halloween movie characters as dogs or cats Credit: Jean Michel Segaud / EyeEm / Getty Happy Howl-oween! The spookiest month of the year has officially arrived, and our tails are wagging with excitement over all the tricks and treats to come. Whether you prefer to celebrate with a scary thriller or a fun-filled family movie (I’m the latter), you’re sure to recognize several of these classic Halloween movie characters....

Iran is blessed with diversity in its wildlife.Iran animals of the desert are unique, rare, and some of them are even harmful. The country has a list of amazingly adapted mammals, reptiles, and birds that inhabit the deserted lands.Starting from small rodents of the desert to big, dangerous carnivores, Iran shelters all types of animals in its forests. One-tenth of Iran is covered by forests and the northern districts around the Caspian region are the most densely forested areas of Iran....

Humans have always been fascinated by stars and galaxies.To study these celestial objects and bodies, we have divided them into groups; thus, a group of stars is known as a constellation. The concept of a constellation helps us study stars in a more organized way, and there are many constellations in the milky way galaxy itself.One such famous constellation is the Draco constellation. The constellation Draco has both myths and facts associated with its name, and many legends draw a direct relation between the constellation Draco with mythological stories....