Tinselman

Antler Pile

click photo to enlarge

Antler pile, from the National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge.

Previous antler pile post: Curse of the Antler Arch

Lord of the Frogs

Well over a year ago, I had a staring contest with this self-satisfied frog (click to enlarge). It resides (or resided?) at the Paris zoo: the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plante. Founded in 1794, the Ménagerie is the first and oldest civil zoological garden in the world. The zoo has an antique quality –– surreal –– like stepping back into time. Whilst spending a day observing the various birds and se Parisian zoological beasts, one may begin to get the impression that the zoo has become frozen in time since its opening. Not true! As the Ménagerie website points out...

Other buildings, enclosures and improvements were added over the years: notably the bear den in 1805, the first big cats enclosure (since demolished) in 1821, the semi-circular pheasantry in 1827, the reptiles gallery in 1870, a wintering building in 1905, an ape house, transformed into a nursery in 1928, etc.

Group of artists at Jardin des Plantes, from the magazine "L'Illustration", 7 August 1902.

Dead in Paris

I recently took this photo at the Le Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. The skull's surface texture is especially fascinating: a texture which you can now study from the comfort of your cubicle! Just click on the above photo and it will enlarge to almost life-size proportions (though not quite that big).

Load time is fast. Firefox is preferred (for zooming in and out).

 

Blue Dragon

photo copyright ©2007 the doubtful guest

Dragons really do live! Of course, all you long horse disbelievers will probably deny the existence of this little beauty (without a second's thought), but I assure you, it is oh-so-very real. And strange. And blue.

It's real name? The pelagic sea slug. For more info, and to look at larger versions of the above great photo, visit the doubtful guest on flickr.

(via: spy's spice)

Staring at the Sun

My colorized version of Lagault's photo.

So you say astronomy is no fun? Then take a look at this blow-your-mind shot of the space shuttle and space station, silhouetted by a gigantic yellow sphere (the sun).

Thierry Lagault, the amateur photographer who took the photo yesterday (in Normandy), definetely deserves a round of applause... what a photo!

(via: Wohba!)

Mars Ice

Ice in crater at the north pole of Mars.
(makes great desktop wallpaper)

(via boing boing)

Mantis Contemplating Me

If you've ever sat and stared at praying mantis, you may have struck by it's uncanny tendency to stare right back. Which always seemed odd, for an insect. Maybe that's why, as a kid, I always left them alone – I always just assume let them be. But finding a praying mantis was still always a treat.

I've long since moved and I haven't seen a praying mantis in a long time. Never to fear... mantisuk.com can easily remedy this by supplying us with a wide variety of extraordinary mantids! Their sister site, bugsuk.com, is there for those of us who are more interested in the likes of stickbugs, millipedes, tarantulas, toads, hermit crabs and other exotic alternative pets.

By the way, there is a big plus to these alternative creatures. When they die, they can be eaten!

       

For More Insects:
• Easy Insects Store

Update: This is unbelievable: a praying mantis, eating a hummingbird (via: Boing Boing)

1000 Years of Clucking

This famous Bowthorpe Oak has used every ounce of her great and ancient power to shape herself into a cozy den for few chickens. Why? Perhaps, at 1000 years old, she has at last begun to sense there may be something worthwhile about the tiny feathered beings... even though they are short-lived, even though they are inestimably dumb.

And oh, and what a coop it is. Luxury coop! Coop of wondrous coops! What a grand place to fritter and cluck about one's business!

For more photos of famous trees, visit Ancient Trees.

Additional links:
• Famous Trees
• Wikipedia List of Famous Trees

Friendly Clouds Approaching

Beware. Your doom approaches. You are about to be sucked, like little Dorothy, into that witch-infested, freak-o-rama world they call Oz.

Oh, sorry... false alarm. These are just harmless Mammatus Clouds. These pouch-like shapes may look malicious, but they actually want to be your friend.

(via wohba!)

Disappearing Forests

Clear-cut land in British Columbia, Canada, as viewed from the space shuttle.