There are 9 types of echinacea, three of which are used for medicinal purposes, native to North America. In herbal medicine, the leaves and seeds of this plant are used, but its roots have the most valuable healing properties.

For centuries, Echinacea has endowed people with its extraordinary beauty and healing properties. For its lovely inflorescences, Echinacea is called the "American golden flower" or "evening sun". And today, with its unusually attractive inflorescences, it will decorate any garden, and beekeepers will appreciate it - after all, it is an excellent honey plant. Blooming from mid-summer to mid-autumn, Echinacea flowers attract many butterflies, bees and bumblebees to the garden. As a honey plant, the plant is valuable because it blooms at the end of summer, when the main honey plants have already faded. From one hectare of continuous crops of echinacea, 60-130 kg of honey can be obtained.

 

Only Echinacea purpurea has been well studied, it is widely used in medicine and is popular in ornamental gardening. The American Indians, knowing about the healing power of echinacea, cultivated it centuries ago and used it as a universal medicine for a variety of diseases.

Echinacea roots and herb contain essential oils, resins, phytosterols, carbohydrates, isobutylamides, fatty oil, and a variety of other substances. 7 groups of biologically active substances have been found in plants, which include polysaccharides, flavonoids, caffeic acid derivatives, essential lipids, alkylamides, vitamins and trace elements.

Experts recommend taking echinacea for any septic conditions, symptoms of blood poisoning, meningitis, bronchitis, tonsillitis, otitis media, burns, boils and purulent ulcers, gangrene, stomatitis, gum disease, candidiasis, psoriasis, eczema, inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system, postlercosis , gonorrhea, herpes, hemorrhoids.

As it turned out, echinacea not only stimulates antiviral and antibacterial immunity, but also directly, like antibiotics, causes the death of bacteria, viruses and some fungi. It is especially effective to use echinacea during epidemics, as it helps the body to cope with viral diseases. Echinacea extracts inhibit the growth and reproduction of streptococcus, staphylococcus, Escherichia coli. The preparations of this plant are effective in the treatment of prostatitis, gynecological disorders, various wound processes (trophic ulcers, osteomyelitis). Juice from fresh inflorescences accelerates blood clotting. In general, the remedy is recognized as non-toxic, but in some cases it is not recommended to take echinacea - during pregnancy and lactation, with tuberculosis, leukemia, multiple sclerosis, collagenosis.

The females only spend 18-20 days ashore, giving birth and suckling one pup.. and come into oestrus towards the end of lactation (roughly 16 days after giving birth!) and mate again, often reluctantly.... Mating is shockingly violent. leading to injuries of the female. These two look like 'love's young dream..' but it wasnt. The cow is at the front looking unsure. The bull is behind her looking absolutely full of himself. They had already fought when I took this shot and they continued to fight. He made a complete mess of her face before mating. It was tough, emotional viewing.

Here is a 3-month-old Baby Rhino that was rescued after being found wandering without its mother in the Serengeti.

 

The baby rhino’s skin was injured before being rescued necessitating a blanket to protect it from the Sun. The caretakers also cover the baby with dirt to protect it from flies, etc.

 

The baby will reside in a wildlife animal shelter until old enough to be released back into the wild.

 

A rhinoceros commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of the odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of the species are native to Africa, and three to South and Southeast Asia.

 

Rhinoceroses are some of the largest remaining megafauna: all weigh at least one ton in adulthood. They have a herbivorous diet, small brains for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure.

 

They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter when necessary.

 

The two African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths; they rely instead on their lips to pluck food.

 

Rhinoceroses are killed by poachers for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market for high prices, leading to most living rhinoceros species being considered endangered.

 

A baby rhino is surely one of Africa’s most adorable inhabitants. Seeing one practicing its charge will put a smile on anyone’s face – unless its mother is following suit and heading in your direction!

 

If a baby rhino survives its early years, it will grow into one of Africa’s largest and toughest animals, with a pair of magnificent horns. But there are still challenges ahead, and its distinguishing feature puts it at risk from poachers.

 

Mothers of both species give birth to a single calf, after a 15-month (black rhinos) or 16-month (white rhinos) gestation period. A black rhino calf weighs around 35-50 kg, while the larger white rhino gives birth to a 40-65 kg baby.

 

Like any mammal, a baby rhino needs its mother’s milk to grow big and strong. Rhino milk is quite unusual in that it’s extremely low in fat.

 

This could be because of the mother’s long lactation period – calves may continue to suckle for a year or more. Therefore, producing calorie and nutrient-dense milk would be too much of a strain.

 

Before calves are fully weaned, they must prepare their bodies for their adult diet. Specifically, their digestive systems, which lack the bacteria to digest vegetation at birth. How do they get these bacteria? By eating their mother’s dung!

 

This switch in a baby rhino’s diet doesn’t happen overnight. They must munch on dung for a few months to properly prepare their gut for a lifetime of grazing or browsing.

 

The young calf relies heavily on its mother for food and protection in its early months and years, while males play no part in the rearing of young. Baby rhinos will stay with their mother for two or three years, during which time she won’t mate with other males.

 

Rhino calves are born without horns. Look closely, and you can make out the stub from which the horn will grow. It doesn’t take long – within a couple of months it will start to appear, though it will be a long time before it looks anywhere near fully grown.

 

Rhino horns are not really ‘horns’ at all. They’re made of keratin, the same substance as our fingernails. Once the baby rhino’s horns begin to grow, they will keep growing throughout its life. This happens very slowly, at several centimetres per year.

 

With a rhino’s long lifespan, it means older individuals can have very long horns indeed. The record for a white rhino is 150 cm!

 

(Nikon Z, 100-400 @ 200 mm, 1/1600 @ f/5, ISO 800, processed to taste)

The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

In cetaceans, maternal care is long-lasting. Offspring remain close to their mothers for an extended period, even after they can feed themselves. All whale species nurse their young for several months, though the exact duration varies by species. In Southern Right Whales, the gestation period typically lasts one year, followed by lactation for four to six months. Females have two mammary slits on either side of the genital slit, below the belly. Cetaceans lack sucking muscles; instead, the calf applies pressure to the nipple, causing milk to be ejected into its mouth.

 

The southern right whale makes long annual migrations. In summer and autumn it feeds in the cold waters near the slope of the Argentine Sea and Subantarctic Islands. During winter and spring, it migrates to temperate waters in the north Patagonian gulfs, the northern sector of the Argentine Sea, Uruguay and southern Brazil, where it breeds.

This species can be sighted in coasts from Maldonado to Rocha, approximately from July or August until October.

 

• Southern right whale

• Ballena franca austral

 

Scientific classification

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Mammalia

Order:Artiodactyla

Infraorder:Cetacea

Family:Balaenidae

Genus:Eubalaena

Species:E. australis

 

Costa Bonita, Rocha, Uruguay

Okavango Delta

Botswana

Southern Africa

 

The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest.

 

This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive robust muzzle. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish gray to light gray or even grayish brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large, curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on the short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary.

 

The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about eight and a half months. The calf remains with its mother for eight months, after which time it joins a juvenile herd.

 

Blue wildebeest are found in short grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid.

 

Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the volcanic soil short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) rates the blue wildebeest as being of Least Concern.

 

The population has been estimated to be around one and a half million and the population trend is stable. – Wikipedia

 

Statisticians tell us Americans spend around $33 billion each year on weight-loss products. I am not very good at math, but it looks like our nation could take that money, divide it up, and give each of us around $100. Not sure what conclusions you can draw from that other than, like the results from most diet plans, some people would be happy, some not.

 

Mother does have their own weight loss plan, one involving giving birth. From birth to 5 months, depending on different factors, a doe can lose anywhere from 15-30% of its body weight from the demands of birth and nurturing her young.

 

Much of the weight loss comes during the lactation period when fawns depend on their mother’s milk for the first 4-5 weeks, drinking every four hours initially. By the end of the first week, the twins in the photo are daily consuming nearly two liters of milk together.

 

Things slow down for the mother as fawns begin nibbling vegetation by three weeks, and most are weaned by four months.

 

Does need to regain the lost body weight to survive the coming winter as well as to be in good shape for the next breeding season.

 

Interesting group trekking up the small creek as the male’s apparent ease and familiarity with the doe and twins suggests it’s likely an older offspring from the same doe—probably her yearling from the previous season. I wonder if he feels like a third wheel at times.

  

(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)

 

After an extensive morning swimming lesson, this Hawaiian monk seal pup appears to be annoyingly prodding his resting mom to present for a feeding. The rambunctious male pup was 35 days old in this photo, born 14 April 2022 on Oahu's north shore. He appears healthy with an obvious weight and size gain from my previous photo at age 7 days. The mother loses weight as she doesn’t feed much during this period of nurture and lactation. Monk seal pups usually wean at age 5 to 7 weeks. His experienced mother is known as RN58 “Luana”, born 2013, also on Oahu’s north shore. An updated estimate by NOAA indicates a small, but encouraging, population increase to 1,570 individuals throughout the Hawaiian archipelago. However, Hawaiian monk seals remain endangered and among the rarest of marine mammals.

In cetaceans, maternal care is long-lasting. Offspring remain close to their mothers for an extended period, even after they can feed themselves. All whale species nurse their young for several months, though the exact duration varies by species. In Southern Right Whales, the gestation period typically lasts one year, followed by lactation for four to six months. Females have two mammary slits on either side of the genital slit, below the belly. Cetaceans lack sucking muscles; instead, the calf applies pressure to the nipple, causing milk to be ejected into its mouth.

 

The southern right whale makes long annual migrations. In summer and autumn it feeds in the cold waters near the slope of the Argentine Sea and Subantarctic Islands. During winter and spring, it migrates to temperate waters in the north Patagonian gulfs, the northern sector of the Argentine Sea, Uruguay and southern Brazil, where it breeds.

This species can be sighted in coasts from Maldonado to Rocha, approximately from July or August until October.

 

• Southern right whale

• Ballena franca austral

 

Scientific classification

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Mammalia

Order:Artiodactyla

Infraorder:Cetacea

Family:Balaenidae

Genus:Eubalaena

Species:E. australis

 

Costa Bonita, Rocha, Uruguay

From Wikipedia:

 

The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Oddly, rare blue wildebeest can have a glow or luminescent coat during the change of seasons between fall and winter. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Today, it is extinct in Malawi, but has been successfully reintroduced in Namibia. The southern limit of the blue wildebeest range is the Orange River, while the western limit is bounded by Lake Victoria and Mount Kenya. The blue wildebeest is widespread and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves, and conservancies. So, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources rates the blue wildebeest as being of least concern. The population has been estimated to be around 1.5 million, and the population trend is stable.

Ha! This is supposed to illustrate all those midnight feedings a breastfeeding mom has to put up with (as well as the 2am and 4am feedings!) Breastmilk digests more quickly than formula, so a breastfed babe may not sleep through the night as quickly as a formula fed one. But it's worth it!

 

Breastfeeding for one year cut the odds of developing breast cancer by 4.8 per cent...and the longer you breastfeed for, the more you will be reducing your risk.

 

So far, I've accumulated SEVEN YEARS worth of reduced risk.

 

Oh...and a bit of lactation advice so I can fit this into todays FGR theme (angles, angles, angles): To correct latch issues, try holding baby at a 90 degree angle to your breast...as shown here. (Was that a stretch? LOL)

Breastfeeding is still the best for babies

Feel the happiness of the kittens

While partaking of the mother's milk

Mothers know best !

TRIPLE-PURPOSE CATTLE for Milk, Draft & Beef

Dexter cattle for Milk

 

There are many accounts of Dexter milk production reported over the years and those can be found in the books available from the ADCA. It is evident from the literature that Dexter cattle produce plenty of milk for most families. In herds which have been selected for milk production, yields of 3,600 liters per lactation have been reported. To convert that to gallons, divide by 3.79 which results in 950 gallons. If the lactation lasted for 305 days as it does on most dairies in the U.S., the cows would be producing about 3 gallons per day. The milk in that report had 4.1% butterfat content.

 

Reports from individuals who milk a cow for family use suggest that the production level varies with breeding and feed, but is 1.5 to 2.5 gallons per day. In a survey done by the ADCA Science Committee, some owners shared milk with a calf, while others took all of the milk for family use, so it was difficult to get an exact amount of milk produced. However, in each case the owners were pleased with the quantity and quality of the milk from Dexters.

  

Dexter cattle for Draft

 

An ox is merely a steer with a good education, and Dexters do educate well. They are smart, which means that they can pick up a bad habit as quickly as a good one, but this is not generally a problem as long as the ox teamster is always smarter than the oxen. Consistency, fairness, and patience are important with training cattle. It is advisable to begin handling and training the calves within days of their birth. Halter breaking, voice commands, and learning to wear a yoke usually begin early. Then it's time and practice, and there is no substitute for spending hours with your cattle, and no greater pleasure than spending time with your Dexters.

 

Dexters are agile, trainable, sturdy, little oxen. The larger ones are able to pull a walking plow, logs, and wagons. For the smaller steers, loads certainly have to scaled down. Dexters are intelligent and willing to learn. Their spunk makes them want to pull and do the work asked of them. Putting lots of time into training a yoke of oxen makes any teamster want the pair to last for years. Dexters do generally tend to be blessed with longevity, so this is another plus for them as oxen.

 

For the serious ox puller, Dexters can stay competitive in the lower weight classes for their entire lives and thus have an advantage over younger, less experienced yokes of cattle.

  

Angelique has trained with me to become a Lactation consultant. I think she is well on her way.

Asclepias tuberosa is a species of milkweed native to eastern North America. It is a perennial plant growing to 0.3–1 metre (1 ft 0 in–3 ft 3 in) tall, with clustered orange or yellow flowers from early summer to early fall. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, 5–12 cm long, and 2–3 cm broad.

 

This plant favors dry, sand or gravel soil, but has also been reported on stream margins. It requires full sun.

 

It is commonly known as butterfly weed because of the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. It is also the larval food plant of the Queen and Monarch butterflies. Hummingbirds, bees and other insects are also attracted.[2]

 

Use of the plant is contraindicated in pregnancy, during lactation or with infants due to the small amount of cardiac glycosides.[3]

 

The plant looks similar to the lanceolate milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata), but is uniquely identified by the larger number of flowers, and the hairy stems that are not milky when broken. It is most commonly found in fields with dry soil. Thanks to those who view, comment or save my photo. It will be highly appreciated. No multi invites please. I will not comment or save a photo made by a cell phone, Ipads, or similar devices.

Photographed in Tanzania, Africa

 

=> Please click on the image to see the largest size. <=

 

It was a real treat to see all the young wildebeests, with seemingly boundless energy, racing around confines of the herd while the adults grazed. I'm guessing that all that racing helped prepare those youngsters to run for their lives when predators attacked the herd.

  

===============

From Wikipedia: The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Oddly, rare blue wildebeat can have a glow or luminescent coat during the change of seasons between fall and winter. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Today, it is extinct in Malawi, but has been successfully reintroduced in Namibia. The southern limit of the blue wildebeest range is the Orange River, while the western limit is bounded by Lake Victoria and Mount Kenya. The blue wildebeest is widespread and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves, and conservancies. So, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources rates the blue wildebeest as being of least concern. The population has been estimated to be around 1.5 million, and the population trend is stable.

 

Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in a northern and a southern species. The blue wildebeest remained in its original range and changed very little from the ancestral species, while the black wildebeest changed more as adaptation to its open grassland habitat in the south. The most obvious ways of telling the two species apart are the differences in their colouring and in the way their horns are oriented.

 

In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most abundant big-game species; some populations perform an annual migration to new grazing grounds, but the black wildebeest is merely nomadic. Breeding in both takes place over a short period of time at the end of the rainy season and the calves are soon active and are able to move with the herd, a fact necessary for their survival. Nevertheless, some fall prey to large carnivores, especially the spotted hyena.

 

Wildebeest often graze in mixed herds with zebra, which gives heightened awareness of potential predators. They are also alert to the warning signals emitted by other animals such as baboons. Wildebeest are a tourist attraction but compete with domesticated livestock for pasture and are sometimes blamed by farmers for transferring diseases and parasites to their cattle. Illegal hunting does take place but the population trend is fairly stable and, with some in national parks or on private land. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists both kinds of wildebeest as least-concern species.

 

Predators:

Major predators that feed on wildebeest include the lion, hyena, African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, and crocodile, which seem to favour the wildebeest over other prey. Wildebeest, however, are very strong, and can inflict considerable injury even to a lion. Wildebeest have a maximum running speed of around 80 km/h (50 mph). The primary defensive tactic is herding, where the young animals are protected by the older, larger ones, while the herd runs as a group. Typically, the predators attempt to isolate a young or ill animal and attack without having to worry about the herd. Wildebeest have developed additional sophisticated cooperative behaviours, such as animals taking turns sleeping while others stand guard against a night attack by invading predators. Wildebeest migrations are closely followed by vultures, as wildebeest carcasses are an important source of food for these scavengers. The vultures consume about 70% of the wildebeest carcasses available. Decreases in the number of migrating wildebeest have also had a negative effect on the vultures. In the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, wildebeest may help facilitate the migration of other, smaller-bodied grazers, such as Thomson's gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii), which eat the new-growth grasses stimulated by wildebeest foraging.

  

4F3A7208fFlkr

Photographed in Tanzania, Africa

 

=> Please click twice on the image to see the largest size. <=

 

It was a real treat to see all the young wildebeests, with seemingly boundless energy, racing around confines of the herd while the adults grazed. I'm guessing that all that racing helped prepare those youngsters to run for their lives when predators attacked the herd.

  

===============

From Wikipedia: The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Oddly, rare blue wildebeat can have a glow or luminescent coat during the change of seasons between fall and winter. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Today, it is extinct in Malawi, but has been successfully reintroduced in Namibia. The southern limit of the blue wildebeest range is the Orange River, while the western limit is bounded by Lake Victoria and Mount Kenya. The blue wildebeest is widespread and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves, and conservancies. So, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources rates the blue wildebeest as being of least concern. The population has been estimated to be around 1.5 million, and the population trend is stable.

 

Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in a northern and a southern species. The blue wildebeest remained in its original range and changed very little from the ancestral species, while the black wildebeest changed more as adaptation to its open grassland habitat in the south. The most obvious ways of telling the two species apart are the differences in their colouring and in the way their horns are oriented.

 

In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most abundant big-game species; some populations perform an annual migration to new grazing grounds, but the black wildebeest is merely nomadic. Breeding in both takes place over a short period of time at the end of the rainy season and the calves are soon active and are able to move with the herd, a fact necessary for their survival. Nevertheless, some fall prey to large carnivores, especially the spotted hyena.

 

Wildebeest often graze in mixed herds with zebra, which gives heightened awareness of potential predators. They are also alert to the warning signals emitted by other animals such as baboons. Wildebeest are a tourist attraction but compete with domesticated livestock for pasture and are sometimes blamed by farmers for transferring diseases and parasites to their cattle. Illegal hunting does take place but the population trend is fairly stable and, with some in national parks or on private land. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists both kinds of wildebeest as least-concern species.

 

Predators:

Major predators that feed on wildebeest include the lion, hyena, African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, and crocodile, which seem to favour the wildebeest over other prey. Wildebeest, however, are very strong, and can inflict considerable injury even to a lion. Wildebeest have a maximum running speed of around 80 km/h (50 mph). The primary defensive tactic is herding, where the young animals are protected by the older, larger ones, while the herd runs as a group. Typically, the predators attempt to isolate a young or ill animal and attack without having to worry about the herd. Wildebeest have developed additional sophisticated cooperative behaviours, such as animals taking turns sleeping while others stand guard against a night attack by invading predators. Wildebeest migrations are closely followed by vultures, as wildebeest carcasses are an important source of food for these scavengers. The vultures consume about 70% of the wildebeest carcasses available. Decreases in the number of migrating wildebeest have also had a negative effect on the vultures. In the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, wildebeest may help facilitate the migration of other, smaller-bodied grazers, such as Thomson's gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii), which eat the new-growth grasses stimulated by wildebeest foraging.

  

4F3A7324fFlkr

Photographed in Tanzania from a safari vehicle, no cover

 

Please click twice on the image to view at the largest size

 

While taking a back route to Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, our vehicle happened upon these two Bat-eared Foxes. They were very sleepy but one managed to get to its feet to insure we meant no harm. The other was content to just open its eyes while remaining in its previous position. In addition to their spectacular ears, I really liked the two tone color of their tails.

 

====================

From Wikipedia: The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) is a species of fox found on the African savanna. It is the only extant species of the genus Otocyon and considered a basal canid species. Fossil records indicate this canid first appeared during the middle Pleistocene.

 

It is named for its large ears, which have a role in thermoregulation. The bat referred to in its colloquial name is possibly the Egyptian slit-faced bat (Nycteris thebaica), which is abundant in the region and has very large ears.

 

Habitat:

Bat-eared foxes are adapted to arid or semi-arid environments. They are commonly found in short grasslands, as well as the more arid regions of the savannas, along woodland edges, and in open acacia woodlands. It prefers bare ground and areas where grass is kept short by grazing ungulates. It tends to hunt in these short grass and low shrub habitats. However, it does venture into areas with tall grasses and thick shrubs to hide when threatened.

 

In addition to raising their young in dens, bat-eared foxes use self-dug dens for shelter from extreme temperatures and winds. They also lie under acacia trees in South Africa to seek shade during the day.

 

Diet:

Bat-eared foxes are considered the only truly insectivorous canid, with a marked preference for harvester termites (Hodotermes mossambicus), which can constitute 80–90% of its diet.

 

When this particular species of termite is not available, their opportunistic diet allows a wide variety of food items to be taken: they can consume other species of termites, other arthropods such as ants, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, millipedes, moths, scorpions, spiders, and rarely birds, small mammals, reptiles, and fungi (the desert truffle Kalaharituber pfeilii). Berries, seeds, and wild fruit also are consumed. The bat-eared fox refuses to feed on snouted harvester termites, likely because it is not adapted to tolerate termites' chemical defense.

 

Generally, bat-eared foxes meet their water requirements by the high water content of their diet, water constitutes a critical resource during lactation.

  

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As the Evening Standard pointed out in June of 2019, ".... Goldman Sachs's new £1 billion London headquarters is full of family-friendly features, including lactation suites for new mothers, a nursery with pet fish and a climbing wall, and “resting rooms” for tired bankers. ….. the US investment bank’s European HQ in the Square Mile has a string of innovations for its 6,000 UK staff, known for working punishing hours in return for multi-million-pound pay packets. The 10-storey office, known as Plumtree Court, is bigger than 26 football pitches and has the largest trading floor in London. When staff begin to move in next weekend, they will be able to sign their babies and pre-school children up to a 7,000 square-foot nursery and play centre, which includes a water play area, technology classroom with a wifi-connected smartboard, trikes, a play kitchen, two napping rooms and an “art gallery’” for tots’ drawings."

Masai Mara National Reserve

Kenya

East Africa

 

The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest.

 

This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive robust muzzle. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish gray to light gray or even grayish brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large, curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on the short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary.

 

Blue wildebeest are found in short grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid.

 

Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the volcanic soil short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) rates the blue wildebeest as being of Least Concern.

 

The population has been estimated to be around one and a half million and the population trend is stable. – Wikipedia

 

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Normally, one baby drinks at Esther's breast and the other one gets a bottle - they take turns. Even then, it's not enough for one baby. A lactation specialist is helping us out, and she suggested that it might help to breastfeed them together sometimes.

 

With the feeding cushion we have, this is a very photogenic happening indeed.

I also uploaded the non-photoshopped version, it's here

   

Normaal gesproken krijgt één baby Esthers borst en de andere de fles - dat gaat om beurten. Zelfs dan is het niet genoeg voor één. We hebben hulp van een lacatatiekundige, en zij suggereerde dat het zou kunnen helpen om ze soms tegelijk de borst te geven.

 

Met het voedingskussen dat we hebben, is het een zeer fotogenieke happening.

Ik heb de niet bewerkte versie ook geüpload, die kun je hier zien

Okavango Delta

Botswana

Southern Africa

 

The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive robust muzzle. The adults' hues range widely. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on the short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary.

 

The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about eight and a half months. The calf remains with its mother for eight months, after which time it joins a juvenile herd. Blue wildebeest are found in short grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid.

 

Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth. This is where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to many countries as well as Botswana. The blue wildebeest is widespread, and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves and conservancies. For this reason, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) rates the blue wildebeest as being of Least Concern. The population has been estimated to be around one and a half million and the population trend is stable.

After a morning swimming and foraging lesson, this Hawaiian monk seal pup appears to be enjoying one of the last meals provided by its mother. The male pup was born 14 April 2022 on Oahu’s north shore; the fifth pup born this season on Oahu (PO5). He appears healthy with an obvious weight and size gain from my previous observations. The mother loses weight as she doesn’t feed much during this period of nurture and lactation. Monk seal pups usually wean at age 5 to 7 weeks and this one weaned a few days after this photo on 25 May 2022 and was tagged Q24/Q25. His experienced mother is known as RN58 “Luana”, born 2013, also on Oahu’s north shore where she has returned to birth several pups. A recently updated survey estimate by NOAA indicates a small, but encouraging, population increase to 1,570 individuals throughout the Hawaiian archipelago. However, Hawaiian monk seals remain endangered and among the rarest of marine mammals.

Hill Turmeric is an erect herb, growing to 75 cm tall, found on moist, shaded areas of wet forests and along sluggish grassy slopes of higher altitude. It has stout rootstock bearing small almond like sub-globose tubers at the ends of the fibrous roots. The tubers are fleshy and white inside, aromatic.

Medicinal uses: The Savara tribes in the Eastern Ghats in India use tuber extracts to cure jaundice. Jatapu and Kaya tribes apply warm tuber paste to treat body swellings. Women of Jatapu and Savara tribes eat boiled tubers to increase lactation. Khand tribes apply tuber paste on the head for cooling effect.

 

Source: flowersofindia.net

Avaliable in getty images 524466309

China, Beijing, Dashanzi 798 Art Zone, located in the Chaoyang District.

 

At the plaza old disused chimneys of a former factory, now the side of the “KU EIGHTEEN” event lactation & shops.

 

The three digit number "798" which stands for much more than the numbers for this once booming compound for the State's pre-reform electronic industries, in Beijing these numbers symbolize country's cutting edge art movement by the Chinese vanguard, untied artistic personalities with alternative life goals.

China's artist vanguard has turned an industrial graveyard into an artistic paradise wild & unconquered attitudes breeze inside 798's free & inconsequential atmosphere.

 

The large area was once a booming compound for the State’s pre-reform electronic industries, the buildings, designed by the former East German Republic & constructed with help from the now former Soviet Union, were vital for China's old industrial development projects & they're just as key to the art scene at 798.

Old Maoist slogans are visible on the ceiling arches. The Dashanzi factory complex began 1951, production in 1957, as an extension of the "Socialist Unification Plan" of military-industrial cooperation between the Soviet Union & the newly formed People's Republic of China.

 

Attracted by the Bauhaus Style buildings, around 2002 an amazing reincarnation process began when artists' studios started cheerily popping up like daisies over graves.

This area feels an affinity to what can be discovered & sensed along the Left Bank in Paris or around Greenwich Village, NYC. 798 has become the biggest arts area in China & earned great international reputation acclaim in just two years.

 

📌 …Artists began to gather to re-make the factory spaces, gradually developing them into swanky galleries, hip art centres, artists' studios, design companies, fashion stores, cosy coffeehouses, bistros, restaurant, bars etc. …..& one of my favoured paces in Beijing.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

16 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

Breasts of a Monkey in an animal theme park in Bali. There were so many monkeys at the park which is very good for photography. Happy to take pictures of monkey tribes and close-up of their species.

The verbena in our garden really flourished this summer!

 

Verbena (/vərˈbiːnə/, vervain) is a genus in the family Verbenaceae. It contains about 250 species of annual and perennial herbaceous or semi-woody flowering plants. The majority of the species are native to the Americas and Asia.

 

The leaves are usually opposite, simple, and in many species hairy, often densely so. The flowers are small, with five petals, and borne in dense spikes. Typically some shade of blue, they may also be white, pink, or purple, especially in cultivars.

 

The genus can be divided into a diploid North American and a polyploid South American lineage, both with a base chromosome number of seven. The European species is derived from the North American lineage. It seems that verbena as well as the related mock vervains (Glandularia) evolved from the assemblage provisionally treated under the genus name Junellia; both other genera were usually included in the Verbenaceae until the 1990s. Intergeneric chloroplast gene transfer by an undetermined mechanism – though probably not hybridization – has occurred at least twice from vervains to Glandularia, between the ancestors of the present-day South American lineages and once more recently, between V. orcuttiana or V. hastata and G. bipinnatifida. In addition, several species of verbena are of natural hybrid origin; the well-known garden vervain has an entirely muddy history. The relationships of this close-knit group are therefore hard to resolve with standard methods of computational phylogenetics.

 

Some species, hybrids and cultivars of verbena are used as ornamental plants. They are drought-resistant, tolerating full to partial sun, and enjoy well-drained, average soils. Plants are usually grown from seed. Some species and hybrids are not hardy and are treated as half-hardy annuals in bedding schemes.

 

They are valued in butterfly gardening in suitable climates, attracting Lepidoptera such as the Hummingbird hawk-moth, Chocolate albatross, or the Pipevine swallowtail, and also hummingbirds, especially V. officinalis, which is also grown as a honey plant.

 

The hybrid cultivars "Silver Anne" and "Sissinghurst" have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

 

For some verbena pathogens, see List of verbena diseases. Cultivated verbenas are sometimes parasitized by Sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and spread this pest to other crops.

 

Verbena has longstanding use in herbalism and folk medicine, usually as an herbal tea. Nicholas Culpeper's 1652 The English Physitian discusses folk uses. Among other effects, it may act as a galactagogue (promotes lactation) and possibly sex steroid analogue. The plants are also sometimes used as abortifacient. Verbena has been listed as one of the 38 plants used to prepare Bach flower remedies, a kind of alternative medicine promoted for its effect on health. However, according to Cancer Research UK, "there is no scientific evidence to prove that flower remedies can control, cure or prevent any type of disease, including cancer".

 

The essential oil of various species, mainly common vervain, is traded as "Spanish verbena oil". Considered inferior to oil of lemon verbena in perfumery, it is of some commercial importance for herbalism and it seems to be a promising source of medical compounds. Verveine, the famous green liqueur from the region of Le Puy-en-Velay (France) is flavored with these vervains.[citation needed]

 

Verbena has long been associated with divine and other supernatural forces. It was called "tears of Isis" in ancient Egypt, and later called "Hera's tears". In ancient Greece it was dedicated to Eos Erigineia. In the early Christian era, folk legend stated that V. officinalis was used to staunch Jesus' wounds after his removal from the cross. It was consequently called "holy herb" or (e.g. in Wales) "Devil's bane".[citation needed]

 

Vervain flowers are engraved on cimaruta, Italian anti-stregheria charms.[citation needed] In the 1870 The History and Practice of Magic by "Paul Christian" (Jean Baptiste Pitois) it is employed in the preparation of a mandragora charm. The book also describes its antiseptic capabilities (p. 336), and use as a protection against spells (pp. 339, 414).

 

While common vervain is not native to North America, it has been introduced there and for example the Pawnee have adopted it as an entheogen enhancer and in oneiromancy (dream divination), much as Calea zacatechichi is used in Mexico.

 

The generic name is the Latin term for a plant sacred to the ancient Romans. Pliny the Elder describes verbena presented on Jupiter altars; it is not entirely clear if this referred to a verbena rather than the general term for prime sacrificial herbs.[verification needed]

 

The common names of verbena in many Central and Eastern European languages often associate it with iron. These include for example the Dutch IJzerhard ("iron-hard"), Danish Læge-Jernurt ("medical ironwort"), German Echtes Eisenkraut ("true ironherb"), Slovak Železník lekársky ("medical ironherb"), and Hungarian vasfű ("iron grass"). An indeterminate vervain[verification needed] is among the plants on the eighth panel of the New World Tapestry (Expedition to Cape Cod).[citation needed]

 

In the Victorian language of flowers, verbena held the dual meaning of enchantment and sensibility.

 

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbena and www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=1993

 

Um texto, em português, da Wikipédia:

 

Hibiscus

 

Hibiscus L. é um gênero botânico, com cerca de 300 espécies, inserido na família das Malvaceae, com flores e folhas exuberantes. Devido à nova taxonomia pela filogenética (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group), muitas espécies que pertenciam a esse gênero estão migrando para outros gêneros. Por exemplo: Hibiscus esculentus L., a planta do quiabo, agora é Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. O cultivo dos exemplares do gênero, tanto ornamental como econômico, está disseminado nas regiões subtropicais e tropicais, cuidando para não sofrerem com geadas e temperaturas baixas constantes.

 

Etimologia:

Hibiscus significa Ísis (deusa egípcia), em grego.

 

Sinonímia:

 

Bombycidendron Zoll. & Moritzi

Bombycodendron Hassk.

Brockmania W. Fitzg.

Fioria Mattei

 

Espécies:

 

Hibiscus acetosella

Hibiscus x archeri (híbrido)

Hibiscus arnottianus

Hibiscus bifurcatus

Hibiscus brackenridgei

Hibiscus calyphyllus

Hibiscus cameronii

Hibiscus cannabinus

Hibiscus chitra

Hibiscus cisplatinus

Hibiscus clayi

Hibiscus coccineus

Hibiscus denisonii

Hibiscus diversifolius

Hibiscus elatus

Hibiscus furcellatus

Hibiscus fuscus

Hibiscus grandiflorus

Hibiscus hastatus

Hibiscus heterophyllus

Hibiscus indicus

Hibiscus kokio

Hibiscus lasiocarpos

Hibiscus lavaterioides

Hibiscus lobatus

Hibiscus ludwigii

Hibiscus macrophyllus

 

Hibiscus mastersianus

Hibiscus militaris

Hibiscus moscheutos

Hibiscus mutabilis (malva-rosa)

Hibiscus paramutabilis

Hibiscus pedunculatus

Hibiscus pernambucensis (guanxuma-do-mangue)

Hibiscus platanifolius

Hibiscus radiatus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (hibisco)

Hibiscus sabdariffa (vinagreira)

Hibiscus schizopetalus (hibisco-crespo)

Hibiscus scottii

Hibiscus sinosyriacus

Hibiscus splendens

Hibiscus syriacus (hibisco-da-síria)

Hibiscus tiliaceus (algodoeiro-da-praia)

Hibiscus trionum (flor-de-todas-as-horas)

Hibiscus waimeae

Hibiscus dioscorides

Hibiscus diriffan

Hibiscus escobariae

Hibiscus noli-tangere

Hibiscus quattenensis

Hibiscus socotranus

Hibiscus stenanthus

 

Portugal:

Em Portugal este género está representado por 2 espécies, presentes em Portugal Continental, a primeira nativa, a segunda introduzida:1

 

Hibiscus palustris L.

Hibiscus trionum L.

 

Classificação do gênero:

 

Sistema Classificação Referência

Linné Classe Monadelphia, ordem Polyandria Species plantarum (1753)

 

Papuodendron C. T. White

Pariti Adans.

Talipariti Fryxell

Wilhelminia Hochr.

  

A text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Hibiscus

For other uses, see Hibiscus (disambiguation).

Hibiscus

Hibiscus flower TZ.jpg

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Angiosperms

Class: Eudicots

Order: Malvales

Family: Malvaceae

Subfamily: Malvoideae

Tribe: Hibisceae

Genus: Hibiscus

L.

Species

 

232 species

Synonyms

 

Bombycidendron Zoll. & Moritzi

Bombycodendron Hassk.

Brockmania W.Fitzg.

Pariti Adans.

Wilhelminia Hochr.

 

Hibiscus (/hɨˈbɪskəs/ or /haɪˈbɪskəs/) is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known simply as hibiscus, or less widely known as rose mallow. The genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἱβίσκος (hibískos), which was the name Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40–90) gave to Althaea officinalis.

 

Description:

The leaves are alternate, ovate to lanceolate, often with a toothed or lobed margin. The flowers are large, conspicuous, trumpet-shaped, with five or more petals, color from white to pink, red, orange, purple or yellow, and from 4–18 cm broad. Flower color in certain species, such as H. mutabilis and H. tiliaceus, changes with age.[5] The fruit is a dry five-lobed capsule, containing several seeds in each lobe, which are released when the capsule dehisces (splits open) at maturity. It is of red and white colours. It is an example of complete flowers.

 

Uses:

Symbolism and culture

Hibiscus species represent nations: Hibiscus syriacus is the national flower of South Korea, and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the national flower of Malaysia. The hibiscus is the national flower of Haiti. The red hibiscus is the flower of the Hindu goddess Kali, and appears frequently in depictions of her in the art of Bengal, India, often with the goddess and the flower merging in form. The hibiscus is used as an offering to goddess Kali and Lord Ganesha in Hindu worship.

 

In the Philippines, the gumamela (local name for hibiscus) is used by children as part of a bubble-making pastime. The flowers and leaves are crushed until the sticky juices come out. Hollow papaya stalks are then dipped into this and used as straws for blowing bubbles.

 

The hibiscus flower is traditionally worn by Tahitian and Hawaiian girls. If the flower is worn behind the left ear, the woman is married or in a relationship. If the flower is worn on the right, she is single or openly available for a relationship. The hibiscus is Hawaii's state flower.

 

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie named her first novel Purple Hibiscus after the delicate flower.

 

The bark of the hibiscus contains strong bast fibres that can be obtained by letting the stripped bark set in the sea to let the organic material rot away.

 

Landscaping

Many species are grown for their showy flowers or used as landscape shrubs, and are used to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

 

Paper

One species of Hibiscus, known as kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), is extensively used in paper-making.

 

Beverage

Main article: Hibiscus tea

 

The tea made of hibiscus flowers is known by many names in many countries around the world and is served both hot and cold. The beverage is well known for its color, tanginess and flavor.

 

It is known as bissap in West Africa, agua de jamaica in Mexico and Honduras (the flower being flor de jamaica) and gudhal (गुड़हल) in India. Some refer to it as roselle, a common name for the hibiscus flower. In Jamaica, Trinidad and many other islands in the Caribbean, the drink is known as sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa; not to be confused with Rumex acetosa, a species sharing the common name sorrel). In Ghana, the drink is known as soobolo in one of the local languages.

 

Roselle is typically boiled in an enamel-coated large stock pot as most West Indians believe the metal from aluminum, steel or copper pots will destroy the natural minerals and vitamins.[citation needed]

 

In Cambodia, a cold beverage can be prepared by first steeping the petals in hot water until the colors are leached from the petals, then adding lime juice (which turns the beverage from dark brown/red to a bright red), sweeteners (sugar/honey) and finally cold water/ice cubes.

 

In Egypt,[citation needed] Sudan and the Arab world, hibiscus tea is known as karkadé (كركديه), and is served as both a hot and a cold drink.

 

Food

Dried hibiscus is edible, and it is often a delicacy in Mexico. It can also be candied and used as a garnish.

 

The roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is used as a vegetable. The species Hibiscus suratensis Linn synonymous to Hibiscus aculeatus G. Don is noted in Visayas Philippines being a souring ingredient for almost all local vegetables and menus. Known as Labog in the Visayan area, (or Labuag/Sapinit in Tagalog), the species is a very good ingredient in cooking native chicken soup. Certain species of hibiscus are also beginning to be used more widely as a natural source of food coloring (E163),[citation needed] and replacement of Red #3 / E127.

 

Hibiscus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidopteran species, including Chionodes hibiscella, Hypercompe hambletoni, the nutmeg moth, and the turnip moth.

 

Health benefits

The tea is popular as a natural diuretic; it contains vitamin C and minerals, and is used traditionally as a mild medicine.

 

A 2008 USDA study shows consuming hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure in a group of prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. Three cups of tea daily resulted in an average drop of 8.1 mmHg in their systolic blood pressure, compared to a 1.3 mmHg drop in the volunteers who drank the placebo beverage. Study participants with higher blood pressure readings (129 or above) had a greater response to hibiscus tea: their systolic blood pressure went down by 13.2 mmHg. These data support the idea that drinking hibiscus tea in an amount readily incorporated into the diet may play a role in controlling blood pressure, although more research is required.

 

Studies have demonstrated the anti-hypertensive effects of H. sabdariffa in both humans and animals. It has been proposed that the antihypertensive effects of H. sabdariffa is due to its angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibiting activity. In a randomized, controlled clinical trial involving 39 patients with mild to moderate hypertension, Captopril was compared to an extract of H. sabdariffa for antihypertensive effects. Subjects taking an extract of H.sabdariffa, consumed daily before breakfast for four weeks, found reduction in blood pressure similar to Captopril. Another randomized, placebo clinical trial involving 54 study participants with moderate hypertension demonstrated a reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However upon discontinuation of treatment, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were subsequently elevated.

 

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis has a number of medical uses in Chinese herbology. Lokapure s.g.et al. their research indicates some potential in cosmetic skin care; for example, an extract from the flowers of Hibiscus rosa- sinensis has been shown to function as an anti-solar agent by absorbing ultraviolet radiation.

 

In the Indian traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda, hibiscus, especially white hibiscus and red hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), is considered to have medicinal properties. The roots are used to make various concoctions believed to cure ailments such as cough, hair loss or hair greying. As a hair treatment, the flowers are boiled in oil along with other spices to make a medicated hair oil. The leaves and flowers are ground into a fine paste with a little water, and the resulting lathery paste is used as a shampoo plus conditioner.

 

Hibiscus tea also contains bioflavonoids, which are believed to help prevent an increase in LDL cholesterol, which can increase the buildup of plaque in the arteries.

 

A previous animal study demonstrated the effects of H.sabdariffa extract on atherosclerosis in rabbits. Notably, a reduction in triglyceride, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein was observed in rabbits consuming a high cholesterol diet (HCD) in addition to H.sabdariffa extract compared to rabbits only fed HCD, suggesting a beneficial effect.[16] Furthermore, the H. sabdariffa seed is abundant in phytosterol and tocopherol, plant forms of cholesterol that have antioxidant and LDL cholesterol lowering effects.

 

Precautions and Contraindications:

 

Pregnancy and Lactation

While the mechanism is not well understood, previous animal studies have demonstrated both an inhibitory effect of H. sabdariffa on muscle tone and the anti-fertility effects of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, respectively. The extract of H. sabdariffa has been shown to stimulate contraction of the rat bladder and uterus; the H.rosa-sinensis extract has exhibited contraceptive effects in the form of estrogen activity in rats. These findings have not been observed in humans. The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is also thought to have emmenagogue effects which can stimulate menstruation and, in some women, cause an abortion. Due to the documented adverse effects in animal studies and the reported pharmacological properties, the H. sabdariffa and H.rosa-sinensis are not recommended for use during pregnancy. Additionally, they are not recommended while breastfeeding due to the lack of reliable information on its safety and use.

 

Contraindications

No contraindications have been identified.

 

Adverse Effects

Drug Interactions

It is postulated that H. sabdariffa interacts with diclofenac, chloroquine and acetaminophen by altering the pharmacokinetics. In healthy human volunteers, the H. sabdariffa extract was found to reduce the excretion of diclofenac upon co-administration. Additionally, co-administration of Karkade (H. sabdariffa), a common Sudanese beverage, was found to reduce chloroquine bioavailability. However, no statistically significant changes were observed in the pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen when administered with the Zobo (H.sabdariffa) drink. Further studies are needed to demonstrate clinical significance.

 

Species:

In temperate zones, probably the most commonly grown ornamental species is Hibiscus syriacus, the common garden hibiscus, also known in some areas as the "Rose of Althea" or "Rose of Sharon" (but not to be confused with the unrelated Hypericum calycinum, also called "Rose of Sharon"). In tropical and subtropical areas, the Chinese hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis), with its many showy hybrids, is the most popular hibiscus.

 

Several hundred species are known, including:

  

Hibiscis acapulcensis

Hibiscus acetosella Welw. ex Hiern.—False Roselle

Hibiscus acicularis

Hibiscus aculeatus—Comfortroot

Hibiscus altissimus

Hibiscus andongensis

Hibiscus angolensis

Hibiscus aponeurus[26]

Hibiscus archeri—Archer's Hibiscus

Hibiscus aridicola

Hibiscus arnottianus A.Gray—Kokiʻo ʻula (Hawaii)

Hibiscus asper—Bush Roselle

Hibiscus austroyunnanensis

Hibiscus barbosae

Hibiscus benguellensis

Hibiscus berberidifolius

Hibiscus bernieri

Hibiscus bifurcatus—Fork-bracted Rosemallow

Hibiscus biseptus—Arizona Rosemallow

Hibiscus bojerianus

Hibiscus boryanus—Foulsapate Marron

Hibiscus brackenridgei A.Gray—Hawaiian hibiscus Maʻo hau hele

Hibiscus burtt-davyi

Hibiscus caerulescens

Hibiscus caesius—Dark-eyed Hibiscus (South Africa)

Hibiscus calyphyllus—Lemonyellow Rosemallow (Tropical Africa)

Hibiscus cameronii—Cameron's Hibiscus, Pink Hibiscus

Hibiscus cannabinus L.—Kenaf

Hibiscus castroi

Hibiscus cisplatinus—Rosa Del Rio

Hibiscus citrinus-

Hibiscus clayi O.Deg. & I.Deg.—Hawaiian red hibiscus (Hawaii)

Hibiscus clypeatus—Congo Mahoe

Hibiscus coccineus (Medik.) Walter—Scarlet Rosemallow

Hibiscus colimensis

Hibiscus columnaris—Mahot Rempart

Hibiscus comoensis

Hibiscus congestiflorus

Hibiscus costatus

Hibiscus coulteri—Desert Rosemallow

Hibiscus cuanzensis

Hibiscus dasycalyx—Neches River Rosemallow

Hibiscus denudatus Benth.—Pale Face (Southwestern United States, Northwestern Mexico)

Hibiscus dimidiatus

Hibiscus dioscorides A.G.Mill. (es/pt) (Yemen)

Hibiscus diplocrater

Hibiscus diriffan A.G.Mill. (Yemen)

Hibiscus diversifolius—Swamp Hibiscus

Hibiscus dongolensis

Hibiscus donianus

Hibiscus elatus—Mahoe

Hibiscus elegans

Hibiscus engleri—Wild Hibiscus

Hibiscus escobariae

Hibiscus excellii

Hibiscus ferrugineus

Hibiscus ficalhoanus

Hibiscus flavoroseus

Hibiscus fragilis DC.—Mandrinette (Mascarene Islands)

Hibiscus fragrans

Hibiscus fritzscheae

Hibiscus furcellatus Desr.—Lindenleaf rosemallow (Caribbean, Florida, Central America, South America, Hawaii)

Hibiscus fugosioides

Hibiscus furcellatus—Salad Hibiscus

Hibiscus fuscus

  

Hibiscus genevii Bojer (Mauritius)

Hibiscus gilletii

Hibiscus gossweileri

Hibiscus grandidieri

Hibiscus grandiflorus Michx.—Swamp rosemallow (Southeastern United States)

Hibiscus grandistipulatus

Hibiscus grewiifolius

Hibiscus hamabo

Hibiscus hastatus

Hibiscus heterophyllus—Native rosella

Hibiscus hirtus—Lesser Mallow

Hibiscus hispidissimus

Hibiscus huellensis

Hibiscus hybridus

Hibiscus indicus

Hibiscus insularis Endl.—Phillip Island hibiscus (Phillip Island)

Hibiscus integrifolius

Hibiscus jaliscensis

Hibiscus kochii

Hibiscus kokio—Red Rosemallow

Hibiscus labordei

Hibiscus laevis All. (=H. militaris)—Halberd-leaved rosemallow (central and eastern North America)

Hibiscus lasiocarpos—Woolly Rosemallow

Hibiscus lasiococcus

Hibiscus lavaterioides

Hibiscus laxiflorus

Hibiscus leptocladus ([Northwest Australia])

Hibiscus leviseminus

Hibiscus lilacinus—Lilac Hibiscus

Hibiscus liliiflorus—Rodrigues Tree Hibiscus

Hibiscus longifolius

Hibiscus longisepalus

Hibiscus ludwigii

Hibiscus lunariifolius

Hibiscus macrogonus

Hibiscus macrophyllus—Largeleaf Rosemallow

Hibiscus macropodus

Hibiscus makinoi—Okinawan Hibiscus

Hibiscus malacophyllus Balf.f. (Yemen)

Hibiscus malacospermus

Hibiscus martianus—Heartleaf Rosemallow

Hibiscus moscheutos Welw. ex Hiern.—Crimsoneyed Rosemallow (Central and Eastern North America)

Hibiscus mutabilis L.—Cotton Rosemallow, Confederate Rose (East Asia)

Hibiscus paramutabilis

Hibiscus pedunculatus

Hibiscus pernambucensis—Seaside Mahoe

Hibiscus phoeniceus—Brazilian Rosemallow

Hibiscus platanifolius

Hibiscus quattenensis

Hibiscus poeppigii—Poeppig's Rosemallow

Hibiscus radiatus—Monarch Rosemallow

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.—Chinese hibiscus (East Asia)

Hibiscus sabdariffa L.—Roselle, Omutete, or Sorrel

Hibiscus schizopetalus—Fringed Rosemallow

Hibiscus scottii

Hibiscus socotranus

Hibiscus sinosyriacus

Hibiscus splendens

Hibiscus stenanthus Balf.f. (Yemen)

Hibiscus striatus—Striped Rosemallow

Hibiscus syriacus L. (Type species)—Rose of Sharon (Asia)

Hibiscus tiliaceus L.—Sea hibiscus (Australia, Southeast Asia, Oceania)

Hibiscus trilobus—Threelobe Rosemallow

Hibiscus trionum L.—Flower-of-an-Hour

Hibiscus vitifolius—Tropical Rose Mallow

Hibiscus waimeae A.Heller—Kokiʻo keʻokeʻo (Hawaii)

   

Um texto, em português, da Wikipédia:

 

Hibiscus

 

Hibiscus L. é um gênero botânico, com cerca de 300 espécies, inserido na família das Malvaceae, com flores e folhas exuberantes. Devido à nova taxonomia pela filogenética (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group), muitas espécies que pertenciam a esse gênero estão migrando para outros gêneros. Por exemplo: Hibiscus esculentus L., a planta do quiabo, agora é Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. O cultivo dos exemplares do gênero, tanto ornamental como econômico, está disseminado nas regiões subtropicais e tropicais, cuidando para não sofrerem com geadas e temperaturas baixas constantes.

 

Etimologia:

Hibiscus significa Ísis (deusa egípcia), em grego.

 

Sinonímia:

 

Bombycidendron Zoll. & Moritzi

Bombycodendron Hassk.

Brockmania W. Fitzg.

Fioria Mattei

 

Espécies:

 

Hibiscus acetosella

Hibiscus x archeri (híbrido)

Hibiscus arnottianus

Hibiscus bifurcatus

Hibiscus brackenridgei

Hibiscus calyphyllus

Hibiscus cameronii

Hibiscus cannabinus

Hibiscus chitra

Hibiscus cisplatinus

Hibiscus clayi

Hibiscus coccineus

Hibiscus denisonii

Hibiscus diversifolius

Hibiscus elatus

Hibiscus furcellatus

Hibiscus fuscus

Hibiscus grandiflorus

Hibiscus hastatus

Hibiscus heterophyllus

Hibiscus indicus

Hibiscus kokio

Hibiscus lasiocarpos

Hibiscus lavaterioides

Hibiscus lobatus

Hibiscus ludwigii

Hibiscus macrophyllus

 

Hibiscus mastersianus

Hibiscus militaris

Hibiscus moscheutos

Hibiscus mutabilis (malva-rosa)

Hibiscus paramutabilis

Hibiscus pedunculatus

Hibiscus pernambucensis (guanxuma-do-mangue)

Hibiscus platanifolius

Hibiscus radiatus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (hibisco)

Hibiscus sabdariffa (vinagreira)

Hibiscus schizopetalus (hibisco-crespo)

Hibiscus scottii

Hibiscus sinosyriacus

Hibiscus splendens

Hibiscus syriacus (hibisco-da-síria)

Hibiscus tiliaceus (algodoeiro-da-praia)

Hibiscus trionum (flor-de-todas-as-horas)

Hibiscus waimeae

Hibiscus dioscorides

Hibiscus diriffan

Hibiscus escobariae

Hibiscus noli-tangere

Hibiscus quattenensis

Hibiscus socotranus

Hibiscus stenanthus

 

Portugal:

Em Portugal este género está representado por 2 espécies, presentes em Portugal Continental, a primeira nativa, a segunda introduzida:1

 

Hibiscus palustris L.

Hibiscus trionum L.

 

Classificação do gênero:

 

Sistema Classificação Referência

Linné Classe Monadelphia, ordem Polyandria Species plantarum (1753)

 

Papuodendron C. T. White

Pariti Adans.

Talipariti Fryxell

Wilhelminia Hochr.

  

A text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Hibiscus

For other uses, see Hibiscus (disambiguation).

Hibiscus

Hibiscus flower TZ.jpg

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Angiosperms

Class: Eudicots

Order: Malvales

Family: Malvaceae

Subfamily: Malvoideae

Tribe: Hibisceae

Genus: Hibiscus

L.

Species

 

232 species

Synonyms

 

Bombycidendron Zoll. & Moritzi

Bombycodendron Hassk.

Brockmania W.Fitzg.

Pariti Adans.

Wilhelminia Hochr.

 

Hibiscus (/hɨˈbɪskəs/ or /haɪˈbɪskəs/) is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known simply as hibiscus, or less widely known as rose mallow. The genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἱβίσκος (hibískos), which was the name Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40–90) gave to Althaea officinalis.

 

Description:

The leaves are alternate, ovate to lanceolate, often with a toothed or lobed margin. The flowers are large, conspicuous, trumpet-shaped, with five or more petals, color from white to pink, red, orange, purple or yellow, and from 4–18 cm broad. Flower color in certain species, such as H. mutabilis and H. tiliaceus, changes with age.[5] The fruit is a dry five-lobed capsule, containing several seeds in each lobe, which are released when the capsule dehisces (splits open) at maturity. It is of red and white colours. It is an example of complete flowers.

 

Uses:

Symbolism and culture

Hibiscus species represent nations: Hibiscus syriacus is the national flower of South Korea, and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the national flower of Malaysia. The hibiscus is the national flower of Haiti. The red hibiscus is the flower of the Hindu goddess Kali, and appears frequently in depictions of her in the art of Bengal, India, often with the goddess and the flower merging in form. The hibiscus is used as an offering to goddess Kali and Lord Ganesha in Hindu worship.

 

In the Philippines, the gumamela (local name for hibiscus) is used by children as part of a bubble-making pastime. The flowers and leaves are crushed until the sticky juices come out. Hollow papaya stalks are then dipped into this and used as straws for blowing bubbles.

 

The hibiscus flower is traditionally worn by Tahitian and Hawaiian girls. If the flower is worn behind the left ear, the woman is married or in a relationship. If the flower is worn on the right, she is single or openly available for a relationship. The hibiscus is Hawaii's state flower.

 

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie named her first novel Purple Hibiscus after the delicate flower.

 

The bark of the hibiscus contains strong bast fibres that can be obtained by letting the stripped bark set in the sea to let the organic material rot away.

 

Landscaping

Many species are grown for their showy flowers or used as landscape shrubs, and are used to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

 

Paper

One species of Hibiscus, known as kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), is extensively used in paper-making.

 

Beverage

Main article: Hibiscus tea

 

The tea made of hibiscus flowers is known by many names in many countries around the world and is served both hot and cold. The beverage is well known for its color, tanginess and flavor.

 

It is known as bissap in West Africa, agua de jamaica in Mexico and Honduras (the flower being flor de jamaica) and gudhal (गुड़हल) in India. Some refer to it as roselle, a common name for the hibiscus flower. In Jamaica, Trinidad and many other islands in the Caribbean, the drink is known as sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa; not to be confused with Rumex acetosa, a species sharing the common name sorrel). In Ghana, the drink is known as soobolo in one of the local languages.

 

Roselle is typically boiled in an enamel-coated large stock pot as most West Indians believe the metal from aluminum, steel or copper pots will destroy the natural minerals and vitamins.[citation needed]

 

In Cambodia, a cold beverage can be prepared by first steeping the petals in hot water until the colors are leached from the petals, then adding lime juice (which turns the beverage from dark brown/red to a bright red), sweeteners (sugar/honey) and finally cold water/ice cubes.

 

In Egypt,[citation needed] Sudan and the Arab world, hibiscus tea is known as karkadé (كركديه), and is served as both a hot and a cold drink.

 

Food

Dried hibiscus is edible, and it is often a delicacy in Mexico. It can also be candied and used as a garnish.

 

The roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is used as a vegetable. The species Hibiscus suratensis Linn synonymous to Hibiscus aculeatus G. Don is noted in Visayas Philippines being a souring ingredient for almost all local vegetables and menus. Known as Labog in the Visayan area, (or Labuag/Sapinit in Tagalog), the species is a very good ingredient in cooking native chicken soup. Certain species of hibiscus are also beginning to be used more widely as a natural source of food coloring (E163),[citation needed] and replacement of Red #3 / E127.

 

Hibiscus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidopteran species, including Chionodes hibiscella, Hypercompe hambletoni, the nutmeg moth, and the turnip moth.

 

Health benefits

The tea is popular as a natural diuretic; it contains vitamin C and minerals, and is used traditionally as a mild medicine.

 

A 2008 USDA study shows consuming hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure in a group of prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. Three cups of tea daily resulted in an average drop of 8.1 mmHg in their systolic blood pressure, compared to a 1.3 mmHg drop in the volunteers who drank the placebo beverage. Study participants with higher blood pressure readings (129 or above) had a greater response to hibiscus tea: their systolic blood pressure went down by 13.2 mmHg. These data support the idea that drinking hibiscus tea in an amount readily incorporated into the diet may play a role in controlling blood pressure, although more research is required.

 

Studies have demonstrated the anti-hypertensive effects of H. sabdariffa in both humans and animals. It has been proposed that the antihypertensive effects of H. sabdariffa is due to its angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibiting activity. In a randomized, controlled clinical trial involving 39 patients with mild to moderate hypertension, Captopril was compared to an extract of H. sabdariffa for antihypertensive effects. Subjects taking an extract of H.sabdariffa, consumed daily before breakfast for four weeks, found reduction in blood pressure similar to Captopril. Another randomized, placebo clinical trial involving 54 study participants with moderate hypertension demonstrated a reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However upon discontinuation of treatment, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were subsequently elevated.

 

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis has a number of medical uses in Chinese herbology. Lokapure s.g.et al. their research indicates some potential in cosmetic skin care; for example, an extract from the flowers of Hibiscus rosa- sinensis has been shown to function as an anti-solar agent by absorbing ultraviolet radiation.

 

In the Indian traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda, hibiscus, especially white hibiscus and red hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), is considered to have medicinal properties. The roots are used to make various concoctions believed to cure ailments such as cough, hair loss or hair greying. As a hair treatment, the flowers are boiled in oil along with other spices to make a medicated hair oil. The leaves and flowers are ground into a fine paste with a little water, and the resulting lathery paste is used as a shampoo plus conditioner.

 

Hibiscus tea also contains bioflavonoids, which are believed to help prevent an increase in LDL cholesterol, which can increase the buildup of plaque in the arteries.

 

A previous animal study demonstrated the effects of H.sabdariffa extract on atherosclerosis in rabbits. Notably, a reduction in triglyceride, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein was observed in rabbits consuming a high cholesterol diet (HCD) in addition to H.sabdariffa extract compared to rabbits only fed HCD, suggesting a beneficial effect.[16] Furthermore, the H. sabdariffa seed is abundant in phytosterol and tocopherol, plant forms of cholesterol that have antioxidant and LDL cholesterol lowering effects.

 

Precautions and Contraindications:

 

Pregnancy and Lactation

While the mechanism is not well understood, previous animal studies have demonstrated both an inhibitory effect of H. sabdariffa on muscle tone and the anti-fertility effects of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, respectively. The extract of H. sabdariffa has been shown to stimulate contraction of the rat bladder and uterus; the H.rosa-sinensis extract has exhibited contraceptive effects in the form of estrogen activity in rats. These findings have not been observed in humans. The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is also thought to have emmenagogue effects which can stimulate menstruation and, in some women, cause an abortion. Due to the documented adverse effects in animal studies and the reported pharmacological properties, the H. sabdariffa and H.rosa-sinensis are not recommended for use during pregnancy. Additionally, they are not recommended while breastfeeding due to the lack of reliable information on its safety and use.

 

Contraindications

No contraindications have been identified.

 

Adverse Effects

Drug Interactions

It is postulated that H. sabdariffa interacts with diclofenac, chloroquine and acetaminophen by altering the pharmacokinetics. In healthy human volunteers, the H. sabdariffa extract was found to reduce the excretion of diclofenac upon co-administration. Additionally, co-administration of Karkade (H. sabdariffa), a common Sudanese beverage, was found to reduce chloroquine bioavailability. However, no statistically significant changes were observed in the pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen when administered with the Zobo (H.sabdariffa) drink. Further studies are needed to demonstrate clinical significance.

 

Species:

In temperate zones, probably the most commonly grown ornamental species is Hibiscus syriacus, the common garden hibiscus, also known in some areas as the "Rose of Althea" or "Rose of Sharon" (but not to be confused with the unrelated Hypericum calycinum, also called "Rose of Sharon"). In tropical and subtropical areas, the Chinese hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis), with its many showy hybrids, is the most popular hibiscus.

 

Several hundred species are known, including:

  

Hibiscis acapulcensis

Hibiscus acetosella Welw. ex Hiern.—False Roselle

Hibiscus acicularis

Hibiscus aculeatus—Comfortroot

Hibiscus altissimus

Hibiscus andongensis

Hibiscus angolensis

Hibiscus aponeurus[26]

Hibiscus archeri—Archer's Hibiscus

Hibiscus aridicola

Hibiscus arnottianus A.Gray—Kokiʻo ʻula (Hawaii)

Hibiscus asper—Bush Roselle

Hibiscus austroyunnanensis

Hibiscus barbosae

Hibiscus benguellensis

Hibiscus berberidifolius

Hibiscus bernieri

Hibiscus bifurcatus—Fork-bracted Rosemallow

Hibiscus biseptus—Arizona Rosemallow

Hibiscus bojerianus

Hibiscus boryanus—Foulsapate Marron

Hibiscus brackenridgei A.Gray—Hawaiian hibiscus Maʻo hau hele

Hibiscus burtt-davyi

Hibiscus caerulescens

Hibiscus caesius—Dark-eyed Hibiscus (South Africa)

Hibiscus calyphyllus—Lemonyellow Rosemallow (Tropical Africa)

Hibiscus cameronii—Cameron's Hibiscus, Pink Hibiscus

Hibiscus cannabinus L.—Kenaf

Hibiscus castroi

Hibiscus cisplatinus—Rosa Del Rio

Hibiscus citrinus-

Hibiscus clayi O.Deg. & I.Deg.—Hawaiian red hibiscus (Hawaii)

Hibiscus clypeatus—Congo Mahoe

Hibiscus coccineus (Medik.) Walter—Scarlet Rosemallow

Hibiscus colimensis

Hibiscus columnaris—Mahot Rempart

Hibiscus comoensis

Hibiscus congestiflorus

Hibiscus costatus

Hibiscus coulteri—Desert Rosemallow

Hibiscus cuanzensis

Hibiscus dasycalyx—Neches River Rosemallow

Hibiscus denudatus Benth.—Pale Face (Southwestern United States, Northwestern Mexico)

Hibiscus dimidiatus

Hibiscus dioscorides A.G.Mill. (es/pt) (Yemen)

Hibiscus diplocrater

Hibiscus diriffan A.G.Mill. (Yemen)

Hibiscus diversifolius—Swamp Hibiscus

Hibiscus dongolensis

Hibiscus donianus

Hibiscus elatus—Mahoe

Hibiscus elegans

Hibiscus engleri—Wild Hibiscus

Hibiscus escobariae

Hibiscus excellii

Hibiscus ferrugineus

Hibiscus ficalhoanus

Hibiscus flavoroseus

Hibiscus fragilis DC.—Mandrinette (Mascarene Islands)

Hibiscus fragrans

Hibiscus fritzscheae

Hibiscus furcellatus Desr.—Lindenleaf rosemallow (Caribbean, Florida, Central America, South America, Hawaii)

Hibiscus fugosioides

Hibiscus furcellatus—Salad Hibiscus

Hibiscus fuscus

  

Hibiscus genevii Bojer (Mauritius)

Hibiscus gilletii

Hibiscus gossweileri

Hibiscus grandidieri

Hibiscus grandiflorus Michx.—Swamp rosemallow (Southeastern United States)

Hibiscus grandistipulatus

Hibiscus grewiifolius

Hibiscus hamabo

Hibiscus hastatus

Hibiscus heterophyllus—Native rosella

Hibiscus hirtus—Lesser Mallow

Hibiscus hispidissimus

Hibiscus huellensis

Hibiscus hybridus

Hibiscus indicus

Hibiscus insularis Endl.—Phillip Island hibiscus (Phillip Island)

Hibiscus integrifolius

Hibiscus jaliscensis

Hibiscus kochii

Hibiscus kokio—Red Rosemallow

Hibiscus labordei

Hibiscus laevis All. (=H. militaris)—Halberd-leaved rosemallow (central and eastern North America)

Hibiscus lasiocarpos—Woolly Rosemallow

Hibiscus lasiococcus

Hibiscus lavaterioides

Hibiscus laxiflorus

Hibiscus leptocladus ([Northwest Australia])

Hibiscus leviseminus

Hibiscus lilacinus—Lilac Hibiscus

Hibiscus liliiflorus—Rodrigues Tree Hibiscus

Hibiscus longifolius

Hibiscus longisepalus

Hibiscus ludwigii

Hibiscus lunariifolius

Hibiscus macrogonus

Hibiscus macrophyllus—Largeleaf Rosemallow

Hibiscus macropodus

Hibiscus makinoi—Okinawan Hibiscus

Hibiscus malacophyllus Balf.f. (Yemen)

Hibiscus malacospermus

Hibiscus martianus—Heartleaf Rosemallow

Hibiscus moscheutos Welw. ex Hiern.—Crimsoneyed Rosemallow (Central and Eastern North America)

Hibiscus mutabilis L.—Cotton Rosemallow, Confederate Rose (East Asia)

Hibiscus paramutabilis

Hibiscus pedunculatus

Hibiscus pernambucensis—Seaside Mahoe

Hibiscus phoeniceus—Brazilian Rosemallow

Hibiscus platanifolius

Hibiscus quattenensis

Hibiscus poeppigii—Poeppig's Rosemallow

Hibiscus radiatus—Monarch Rosemallow

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.—Chinese hibiscus (East Asia)

Hibiscus sabdariffa L.—Roselle, Omutete, or Sorrel

Hibiscus schizopetalus—Fringed Rosemallow

Hibiscus scottii

Hibiscus socotranus

Hibiscus sinosyriacus

Hibiscus splendens

Hibiscus stenanthus Balf.f. (Yemen)

Hibiscus striatus—Striped Rosemallow

Hibiscus syriacus L. (Type species)—Rose of Sharon (Asia)

Hibiscus tiliaceus L.—Sea hibiscus (Australia, Southeast Asia, Oceania)

Hibiscus trilobus—Threelobe Rosemallow

Hibiscus trionum L.—Flower-of-an-Hour

Hibiscus vitifolius—Tropical Rose Mallow

Hibiscus waimeae A.Heller—Kokiʻo keʻokeʻo (Hawaii)

  

Um texto, em português, da Wikipédia:

 

Hibiscus

 

Hibiscus L. é um gênero botânico, com cerca de 300 espécies, inserido na família das Malvaceae, com flores e folhas exuberantes. Devido à nova taxonomia pela filogenética (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group), muitas espécies que pertenciam a esse gênero estão migrando para outros gêneros. Por exemplo: Hibiscus esculentus L., a planta do quiabo, agora é Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. O cultivo dos exemplares do gênero, tanto ornamental como econômico, está disseminado nas regiões subtropicais e tropicais, cuidando para não sofrerem com geadas e temperaturas baixas constantes.

 

Etimologia:

Hibiscus significa Ísis (deusa egípcia), em grego.

 

Sinonímia:

 

Bombycidendron Zoll. & Moritzi

Bombycodendron Hassk.

Brockmania W. Fitzg.

Fioria Mattei

 

Espécies:

 

Hibiscus acetosella

Hibiscus x archeri (híbrido)

Hibiscus arnottianus

Hibiscus bifurcatus

Hibiscus brackenridgei

Hibiscus calyphyllus

Hibiscus cameronii

Hibiscus cannabinus

Hibiscus chitra

Hibiscus cisplatinus

Hibiscus clayi

Hibiscus coccineus

Hibiscus denisonii

Hibiscus diversifolius

Hibiscus elatus

Hibiscus furcellatus

Hibiscus fuscus

Hibiscus grandiflorus

Hibiscus hastatus

Hibiscus heterophyllus

Hibiscus indicus

Hibiscus kokio

Hibiscus lasiocarpos

Hibiscus lavaterioides

Hibiscus lobatus

Hibiscus ludwigii

Hibiscus macrophyllus

 

Hibiscus mastersianus

Hibiscus militaris

Hibiscus moscheutos

Hibiscus mutabilis (malva-rosa)

Hibiscus paramutabilis

Hibiscus pedunculatus

Hibiscus pernambucensis (guanxuma-do-mangue)

Hibiscus platanifolius

Hibiscus radiatus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (hibisco)

Hibiscus sabdariffa (vinagreira)

Hibiscus schizopetalus (hibisco-crespo)

Hibiscus scottii

Hibiscus sinosyriacus

Hibiscus splendens

Hibiscus syriacus (hibisco-da-síria)

Hibiscus tiliaceus (algodoeiro-da-praia)

Hibiscus trionum (flor-de-todas-as-horas)

Hibiscus waimeae

Hibiscus dioscorides

Hibiscus diriffan

Hibiscus escobariae

Hibiscus noli-tangere

Hibiscus quattenensis

Hibiscus socotranus

Hibiscus stenanthus

 

Portugal:

Em Portugal este género está representado por 2 espécies, presentes em Portugal Continental, a primeira nativa, a segunda introduzida:1

 

Hibiscus palustris L.

Hibiscus trionum L.

 

Classificação do gênero:

 

Sistema Classificação Referência

Linné Classe Monadelphia, ordem Polyandria Species plantarum (1753)

 

Papuodendron C. T. White

Pariti Adans.

Talipariti Fryxell

Wilhelminia Hochr.

  

A text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Hibiscus

For other uses, see Hibiscus (disambiguation).

Hibiscus

Hibiscus flower TZ.jpg

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Angiosperms

Class: Eudicots

Order: Malvales

Family: Malvaceae

Subfamily: Malvoideae

Tribe: Hibisceae

Genus: Hibiscus

L.

Species

 

232 species

Synonyms

 

Bombycidendron Zoll. & Moritzi

Bombycodendron Hassk.

Brockmania W.Fitzg.

Pariti Adans.

Wilhelminia Hochr.

 

Hibiscus (/hɨˈbɪskəs/ or /haɪˈbɪskəs/) is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known simply as hibiscus, or less widely known as rose mallow. The genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἱβίσκος (hibískos), which was the name Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40–90) gave to Althaea officinalis.

 

Description:

The leaves are alternate, ovate to lanceolate, often with a toothed or lobed margin. The flowers are large, conspicuous, trumpet-shaped, with five or more petals, color from white to pink, red, orange, purple or yellow, and from 4–18 cm broad. Flower color in certain species, such as H. mutabilis and H. tiliaceus, changes with age.[5] The fruit is a dry five-lobed capsule, containing several seeds in each lobe, which are released when the capsule dehisces (splits open) at maturity. It is of red and white colours. It is an example of complete flowers.

 

Uses:

Symbolism and culture

Hibiscus species represent nations: Hibiscus syriacus is the national flower of South Korea, and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the national flower of Malaysia. The hibiscus is the national flower of Haiti. The red hibiscus is the flower of the Hindu goddess Kali, and appears frequently in depictions of her in the art of Bengal, India, often with the goddess and the flower merging in form. The hibiscus is used as an offering to goddess Kali and Lord Ganesha in Hindu worship.

 

In the Philippines, the gumamela (local name for hibiscus) is used by children as part of a bubble-making pastime. The flowers and leaves are crushed until the sticky juices come out. Hollow papaya stalks are then dipped into this and used as straws for blowing bubbles.

 

The hibiscus flower is traditionally worn by Tahitian and Hawaiian girls. If the flower is worn behind the left ear, the woman is married or in a relationship. If the flower is worn on the right, she is single or openly available for a relationship. The hibiscus is Hawaii's state flower.

 

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie named her first novel Purple Hibiscus after the delicate flower.

 

The bark of the hibiscus contains strong bast fibres that can be obtained by letting the stripped bark set in the sea to let the organic material rot away.

 

Landscaping

Many species are grown for their showy flowers or used as landscape shrubs, and are used to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

 

Paper

One species of Hibiscus, known as kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), is extensively used in paper-making.

 

Beverage

Main article: Hibiscus tea

 

The tea made of hibiscus flowers is known by many names in many countries around the world and is served both hot and cold. The beverage is well known for its color, tanginess and flavor.

 

It is known as bissap in West Africa, agua de jamaica in Mexico and Honduras (the flower being flor de jamaica) and gudhal (गुड़हल) in India. Some refer to it as roselle, a common name for the hibiscus flower. In Jamaica, Trinidad and many other islands in the Caribbean, the drink is known as sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa; not to be confused with Rumex acetosa, a species sharing the common name sorrel). In Ghana, the drink is known as soobolo in one of the local languages.

 

Roselle is typically boiled in an enamel-coated large stock pot as most West Indians believe the metal from aluminum, steel or copper pots will destroy the natural minerals and vitamins.[citation needed]

 

In Cambodia, a cold beverage can be prepared by first steeping the petals in hot water until the colors are leached from the petals, then adding lime juice (which turns the beverage from dark brown/red to a bright red), sweeteners (sugar/honey) and finally cold water/ice cubes.

 

In Egypt,[citation needed] Sudan and the Arab world, hibiscus tea is known as karkadé (كركديه), and is served as both a hot and a cold drink.

 

Food

Dried hibiscus is edible, and it is often a delicacy in Mexico. It can also be candied and used as a garnish.

 

The roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is used as a vegetable. The species Hibiscus suratensis Linn synonymous to Hibiscus aculeatus G. Don is noted in Visayas Philippines being a souring ingredient for almost all local vegetables and menus. Known as Labog in the Visayan area, (or Labuag/Sapinit in Tagalog), the species is a very good ingredient in cooking native chicken soup. Certain species of hibiscus are also beginning to be used more widely as a natural source of food coloring (E163),[citation needed] and replacement of Red #3 / E127.

 

Hibiscus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidopteran species, including Chionodes hibiscella, Hypercompe hambletoni, the nutmeg moth, and the turnip moth.

 

Health benefits

The tea is popular as a natural diuretic; it contains vitamin C and minerals, and is used traditionally as a mild medicine.

 

A 2008 USDA study shows consuming hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure in a group of prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. Three cups of tea daily resulted in an average drop of 8.1 mmHg in their systolic blood pressure, compared to a 1.3 mmHg drop in the volunteers who drank the placebo beverage. Study participants with higher blood pressure readings (129 or above) had a greater response to hibiscus tea: their systolic blood pressure went down by 13.2 mmHg. These data support the idea that drinking hibiscus tea in an amount readily incorporated into the diet may play a role in controlling blood pressure, although more research is required.

 

Studies have demonstrated the anti-hypertensive effects of H. sabdariffa in both humans and animals. It has been proposed that the antihypertensive effects of H. sabdariffa is due to its angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibiting activity. In a randomized, controlled clinical trial involving 39 patients with mild to moderate hypertension, Captopril was compared to an extract of H. sabdariffa for antihypertensive effects. Subjects taking an extract of H.sabdariffa, consumed daily before breakfast for four weeks, found reduction in blood pressure similar to Captopril. Another randomized, placebo clinical trial involving 54 study participants with moderate hypertension demonstrated a reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However upon discontinuation of treatment, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were subsequently elevated.

 

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis has a number of medical uses in Chinese herbology. Lokapure s.g.et al. their research indicates some potential in cosmetic skin care; for example, an extract from the flowers of Hibiscus rosa- sinensis has been shown to function as an anti-solar agent by absorbing ultraviolet radiation.

 

In the Indian traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda, hibiscus, especially white hibiscus and red hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), is considered to have medicinal properties. The roots are used to make various concoctions believed to cure ailments such as cough, hair loss or hair greying. As a hair treatment, the flowers are boiled in oil along with other spices to make a medicated hair oil. The leaves and flowers are ground into a fine paste with a little water, and the resulting lathery paste is used as a shampoo plus conditioner.

 

Hibiscus tea also contains bioflavonoids, which are believed to help prevent an increase in LDL cholesterol, which can increase the buildup of plaque in the arteries.

 

A previous animal study demonstrated the effects of H.sabdariffa extract on atherosclerosis in rabbits. Notably, a reduction in triglyceride, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein was observed in rabbits consuming a high cholesterol diet (HCD) in addition to H.sabdariffa extract compared to rabbits only fed HCD, suggesting a beneficial effect.[16] Furthermore, the H. sabdariffa seed is abundant in phytosterol and tocopherol, plant forms of cholesterol that have antioxidant and LDL cholesterol lowering effects.

 

Precautions and Contraindications:

 

Pregnancy and Lactation

While the mechanism is not well understood, previous animal studies have demonstrated both an inhibitory effect of H. sabdariffa on muscle tone and the anti-fertility effects of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, respectively. The extract of H. sabdariffa has been shown to stimulate contraction of the rat bladder and uterus; the H.rosa-sinensis extract has exhibited contraceptive effects in the form of estrogen activity in rats. These findings have not been observed in humans. The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is also thought to have emmenagogue effects which can stimulate menstruation and, in some women, cause an abortion. Due to the documented adverse effects in animal studies and the reported pharmacological properties, the H. sabdariffa and H.rosa-sinensis are not recommended for use during pregnancy. Additionally, they are not recommended while breastfeeding due to the lack of reliable information on its safety and use.

 

Contraindications

No contraindications have been identified.

 

Adverse Effects

Drug Interactions

It is postulated that H. sabdariffa interacts with diclofenac, chloroquine and acetaminophen by altering the pharmacokinetics. In healthy human volunteers, the H. sabdariffa extract was found to reduce the excretion of diclofenac upon co-administration. Additionally, co-administration of Karkade (H. sabdariffa), a common Sudanese beverage, was found to reduce chloroquine bioavailability. However, no statistically significant changes were observed in the pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen when administered with the Zobo (H.sabdariffa) drink. Further studies are needed to demonstrate clinical significance.

 

Species:

In temperate zones, probably the most commonly grown ornamental species is Hibiscus syriacus, the common garden hibiscus, also known in some areas as the "Rose of Althea" or "Rose of Sharon" (but not to be confused with the unrelated Hypericum calycinum, also called "Rose of Sharon"). In tropical and subtropical areas, the Chinese hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis), with its many showy hybrids, is the most popular hibiscus.

 

Several hundred species are known, including:

  

Hibiscis acapulcensis

Hibiscus acetosella Welw. ex Hiern.—False Roselle

Hibiscus acicularis

Hibiscus aculeatus—Comfortroot

Hibiscus altissimus

Hibiscus andongensis

Hibiscus angolensis

Hibiscus aponeurus[26]

Hibiscus archeri—Archer's Hibiscus

Hibiscus aridicola

Hibiscus arnottianus A.Gray—Kokiʻo ʻula (Hawaii)

Hibiscus asper—Bush Roselle

Hibiscus austroyunnanensis

Hibiscus barbosae

Hibiscus benguellensis

Hibiscus berberidifolius

Hibiscus bernieri

Hibiscus bifurcatus—Fork-bracted Rosemallow

Hibiscus biseptus—Arizona Rosemallow

Hibiscus bojerianus

Hibiscus boryanus—Foulsapate Marron

Hibiscus brackenridgei A.Gray—Hawaiian hibiscus Maʻo hau hele

Hibiscus burtt-davyi

Hibiscus caerulescens

Hibiscus caesius—Dark-eyed Hibiscus (South Africa)

Hibiscus calyphyllus—Lemonyellow Rosemallow (Tropical Africa)

Hibiscus cameronii—Cameron's Hibiscus, Pink Hibiscus

Hibiscus cannabinus L.—Kenaf

Hibiscus castroi

Hibiscus cisplatinus—Rosa Del Rio

Hibiscus citrinus-

Hibiscus clayi O.Deg. & I.Deg.—Hawaiian red hibiscus (Hawaii)

Hibiscus clypeatus—Congo Mahoe

Hibiscus coccineus (Medik.) Walter—Scarlet Rosemallow

Hibiscus colimensis

Hibiscus columnaris—Mahot Rempart

Hibiscus comoensis

Hibiscus congestiflorus

Hibiscus costatus

Hibiscus coulteri—Desert Rosemallow

Hibiscus cuanzensis

Hibiscus dasycalyx—Neches River Rosemallow

Hibiscus denudatus Benth.—Pale Face (Southwestern United States, Northwestern Mexico)

Hibiscus dimidiatus

Hibiscus dioscorides A.G.Mill. (es/pt) (Yemen)

Hibiscus diplocrater

Hibiscus diriffan A.G.Mill. (Yemen)

Hibiscus diversifolius—Swamp Hibiscus

Hibiscus dongolensis

Hibiscus donianus

Hibiscus elatus—Mahoe

Hibiscus elegans

Hibiscus engleri—Wild Hibiscus

Hibiscus escobariae

Hibiscus excellii

Hibiscus ferrugineus

Hibiscus ficalhoanus

Hibiscus flavoroseus

Hibiscus fragilis DC.—Mandrinette (Mascarene Islands)

Hibiscus fragrans

Hibiscus fritzscheae

Hibiscus furcellatus Desr.—Lindenleaf rosemallow (Caribbean, Florida, Central America, South America, Hawaii)

Hibiscus fugosioides

Hibiscus furcellatus—Salad Hibiscus

Hibiscus fuscus

  

Hibiscus genevii Bojer (Mauritius)

Hibiscus gilletii

Hibiscus gossweileri

Hibiscus grandidieri

Hibiscus grandiflorus Michx.—Swamp rosemallow (Southeastern United States)

Hibiscus grandistipulatus

Hibiscus grewiifolius

Hibiscus hamabo

Hibiscus hastatus

Hibiscus heterophyllus—Native rosella

Hibiscus hirtus—Lesser Mallow

Hibiscus hispidissimus

Hibiscus huellensis

Hibiscus hybridus

Hibiscus indicus

Hibiscus insularis Endl.—Phillip Island hibiscus (Phillip Island)

Hibiscus integrifolius

Hibiscus jaliscensis

Hibiscus kochii

Hibiscus kokio—Red Rosemallow

Hibiscus labordei

Hibiscus laevis All. (=H. militaris)—Halberd-leaved rosemallow (central and eastern North America)

Hibiscus lasiocarpos—Woolly Rosemallow

Hibiscus lasiococcus

Hibiscus lavaterioides

Hibiscus laxiflorus

Hibiscus leptocladus ([Northwest Australia])

Hibiscus leviseminus

Hibiscus lilacinus—Lilac Hibiscus

Hibiscus liliiflorus—Rodrigues Tree Hibiscus

Hibiscus longifolius

Hibiscus longisepalus

Hibiscus ludwigii

Hibiscus lunariifolius

Hibiscus macrogonus

Hibiscus macrophyllus—Largeleaf Rosemallow

Hibiscus macropodus

Hibiscus makinoi—Okinawan Hibiscus

Hibiscus malacophyllus Balf.f. (Yemen)

Hibiscus malacospermus

Hibiscus martianus—Heartleaf Rosemallow

Hibiscus moscheutos Welw. ex Hiern.—Crimsoneyed Rosemallow (Central and Eastern North America)

Hibiscus mutabilis L.—Cotton Rosemallow, Confederate Rose (East Asia)

Hibiscus paramutabilis

Hibiscus pedunculatus

Hibiscus pernambucensis—Seaside Mahoe

Hibiscus phoeniceus—Brazilian Rosemallow

Hibiscus platanifolius

Hibiscus quattenensis

Hibiscus poeppigii—Poeppig's Rosemallow

Hibiscus radiatus—Monarch Rosemallow

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.—Chinese hibiscus (East Asia)

Hibiscus sabdariffa L.—Roselle, Omutete, or Sorrel

Hibiscus schizopetalus—Fringed Rosemallow

Hibiscus scottii

Hibiscus socotranus

Hibiscus sinosyriacus

Hibiscus splendens

Hibiscus stenanthus Balf.f. (Yemen)

Hibiscus striatus—Striped Rosemallow

Hibiscus syriacus L. (Type species)—Rose of Sharon (Asia)

Hibiscus tiliaceus L.—Sea hibiscus (Australia, Southeast Asia, Oceania)

Hibiscus trilobus—Threelobe Rosemallow

Hibiscus trionum L.—Flower-of-an-Hour

Hibiscus vitifolius—Tropical Rose Mallow

Hibiscus waimeae A.Heller—Kokiʻo keʻokeʻo (Hawaii)

  

Photographed in Tanzania, Africa

 

=> Please click twice on the image to see the largest size. <=

 

This young wildebeest, like other young wildebeest in the herd, was running at top speed while the adults grazed nearby. These sporadic runs build the speed and stamina they need to outrun the predators that constantly target the wildebeest herds. Note the remnant of its umbilical cord still attached to its belly.

 

===============

From Wikipedia: The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Oddly, rare blue wildebeat can have a glow or luminescent coat during the change of seasons between fall and winter. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Today, it is extinct in Malawi, but has been successfully reintroduced in Namibia. The southern limit of the blue wildebeest range is the Orange River, while the western limit is bounded by Lake Victoria and Mount Kenya. The blue wildebeest is widespread and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves, and conservancies. So, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources rates the blue wildebeest as being of least concern. The population has been estimated to be around 1.5 million, and the population trend is stable.

 

Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in a northern and a southern species. The blue wildebeest remained in its original range and changed very little from the ancestral species, while the black wildebeest changed more as adaptation to its open grassland habitat in the south. The most obvious ways of telling the two species apart are the differences in their colouring and in the way their horns are oriented.

 

In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most abundant big-game species; some populations perform an annual migration to new grazing grounds, but the black wildebeest is merely nomadic. Breeding in both takes place over a short period of time at the end of the rainy season and the calves are soon active and are able to move with the herd, a fact necessary for their survival. Nevertheless, some fall prey to large carnivores, especially the spotted hyena.

 

Wildebeest often graze in mixed herds with zebra, which gives heightened awareness of potential predators. They are also alert to the warning signals emitted by other animals such as baboons. Wildebeest are a tourist attraction but compete with domesticated livestock for pasture and are sometimes blamed by farmers for transferring diseases and parasites to their cattle. Illegal hunting does take place but the population trend is fairly stable and, with some in national parks or on private land. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists both kinds of wildebeest as least-concern species.

 

Predators:

Major predators that feed on wildebeest include the lion, hyena, African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, and crocodile, which seem to favour the wildebeest over other prey. Wildebeest, however, are very strong, and can inflict considerable injury even to a lion. Wildebeest have a maximum running speed of around 80 km/h (50 mph). The primary defensive tactic is herding, where the young animals are protected by the older, larger ones, while the herd runs as a group. Typically, the predators attempt to isolate a young or ill animal and attack without having to worry about the herd. Wildebeest have developed additional sophisticated cooperative behaviours, such as animals taking turns sleeping while others stand guard against a night attack by invading predators. Wildebeest migrations are closely followed by vultures, as wildebeest carcasses are an important source of food for these scavengers. The vultures consume about 70% of the wildebeest carcasses available. Decreases in the number of migrating wildebeest have also had a negative effect on the vultures. In the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, wildebeest may help facilitate the migration of other, smaller-bodied grazers, such as Thomson's gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii), which eat the new-growth grasses stimulated by wildebeest foraging.

 

Afr-4F3A7269fFlkrD

Photographed in Tanzania, Africa

 

=> Please click twice on the image to see the largest size. <=

 

I was pleased to have a chance to take this photo because I've not been happy with many previous photos I've taken of wildebeests. Primarily, I suppose, because I've tried to take a photo of the entire animal and have not really been able to appreciate the details of the animal's structure or markings. In this photo, the curve of its skull between horns and nose, the texture of its horns and the pattern of its hide is easier to see. Previous photos I've taken have also made it difficult to see its brown eyes against the brown color of its head. And then, of course, there are those *very* long eyelashes...

 

===============

From Wikipedia: The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Oddly, rare blue wildebeat can have a glow or luminescent coat during the change of seasons between fall and winter. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Today, it is extinct in Malawi, but has been successfully reintroduced in Namibia. The southern limit of the blue wildebeest range is the Orange River, while the western limit is bounded by Lake Victoria and Mount Kenya. The blue wildebeest is widespread and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves, and conservancies. So, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources rates the blue wildebeest as being of least concern. The population has been estimated to be around 1.5 million, and the population trend is stable.

 

Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in a northern and a southern species. The blue wildebeest remained in its original range and changed very little from the ancestral species, while the black wildebeest changed more as adaptation to its open grassland habitat in the south. The most obvious ways of telling the two species apart are the differences in their colouring and in the way their horns are oriented.

 

In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most abundant big-game species; some populations perform an annual migration to new grazing grounds, but the black wildebeest is merely nomadic. Breeding in both takes place over a short period of time at the end of the rainy season and the calves are soon active and are able to move with the herd, a fact necessary for their survival. Nevertheless, some fall prey to large carnivores, especially the spotted hyena.

 

Wildebeest often graze in mixed herds with zebra, which gives heightened awareness of potential predators. They are also alert to the warning signals emitted by other animals such as baboons. Wildebeest are a tourist attraction but compete with domesticated livestock for pasture and are sometimes blamed by farmers for transferring diseases and parasites to their cattle. Illegal hunting does take place but the population trend is fairly stable and, with some in national parks or on private land. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists both kinds of wildebeest as least-concern species.

 

Predators:

Major predators that feed on wildebeest include the lion, hyena, African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, and crocodile, which seem to favour the wildebeest over other prey. Wildebeest, however, are very strong, and can inflict considerable injury even to a lion. Wildebeest have a maximum running speed of around 80 km/h (50 mph). The primary defensive tactic is herding, where the young animals are protected by the older, larger ones, while the herd runs as a group. Typically, the predators attempt to isolate a young or ill animal and attack without having to worry about the herd. Wildebeest have developed additional sophisticated cooperative behaviours, such as animals taking turns sleeping while others stand guard against a night attack by invading predators. Wildebeest migrations are closely followed by vultures, as wildebeest carcasses are an important source of food for these scavengers. The vultures consume about 70% of the wildebeest carcasses available. Decreases in the number of migrating wildebeest have also had a negative effect on the vultures. In the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, wildebeest may help facilitate the migration of other, smaller-bodied grazers, such as Thomson's gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii), which eat the new-growth grasses stimulated by wildebeest foraging.

  

6D6A2491fFlkr

Photographed in Tanzania, Africa

 

=> Please click twice on the image to see the largest size. <=

 

This young wildebeest, like other young wildebeest we'd seen, was running at very high speed while the adults grazed nearby. These sporadic runs build the speed and stamina they need to outrun the predators that constantly target the wildebeest herds. As an indication of just how young this little guy is, note the remnant of its umbilical cord still attached to its belly.

 

===============

From Wikipedia: The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Oddly, rare blue wildebeat can have a glow or luminescent coat during the change of seasons between fall and winter. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Today, it is extinct in Malawi, but has been successfully reintroduced in Namibia. The southern limit of the blue wildebeest range is the Orange River, while the western limit is bounded by Lake Victoria and Mount Kenya. The blue wildebeest is widespread and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves, and conservancies. So, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources rates the blue wildebeest as being of least concern. The population has been estimated to be around 1.5 million, and the population trend is stable.

 

Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in a northern and a southern species. The blue wildebeest remained in its original range and changed very little from the ancestral species, while the black wildebeest changed more as adaptation to its open grassland habitat in the south. The most obvious ways of telling the two species apart are the differences in their colouring and in the way their horns are oriented.

 

In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most abundant big-game species; some populations perform an annual migration to new grazing grounds, but the black wildebeest is merely nomadic. Breeding in both takes place over a short period of time at the end of the rainy season and the calves are soon active and are able to move with the herd, a fact necessary for their survival. Nevertheless, some fall prey to large carnivores, especially the spotted hyena.

 

Wildebeest often graze in mixed herds with zebra, which gives heightened awareness of potential predators. They are also alert to the warning signals emitted by other animals such as baboons. Wildebeest are a tourist attraction but compete with domesticated livestock for pasture and are sometimes blamed by farmers for transferring diseases and parasites to their cattle. Illegal hunting does take place but the population trend is fairly stable and, with some in national parks or on private land. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists both kinds of wildebeest as least-concern species.

 

Predators:

Major predators that feed on wildebeest include the lion, hyena, African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, and crocodile, which seem to favour the wildebeest over other prey. Wildebeest, however, are very strong, and can inflict considerable injury even to a lion. Wildebeest have a maximum running speed of around 80 km/h (50 mph). The primary defensive tactic is herding, where the young animals are protected by the older, larger ones, while the herd runs as a group. Typically, the predators attempt to isolate a young or ill animal and attack without having to worry about the herd. Wildebeest have developed additional sophisticated cooperative behaviours, such as animals taking turns sleeping while others stand guard against a night attack by invading predators. Wildebeest migrations are closely followed by vultures, as wildebeest carcasses are an important source of food for these scavengers. The vultures consume about 70% of the wildebeest carcasses available. Decreases in the number of migrating wildebeest have also had a negative effect on the vultures. In the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, wildebeest may help facilitate the migration of other, smaller-bodied grazers, such as Thomson's gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii), which eat the new-growth grasses stimulated by wildebeest foraging.

  

4F3A7429fFlkrD

Close up of a Holstein cow grazing. Always hard to nail the focus with a moving animal and f4.0. A compromise between sharpness and focus is where it ends up. Also, when you have one as white as this, you are afraid of blowing the highlights.

 

I visited an old talc mine in northern Nevada for the specific purpose of attempting to photograph one of the bats that sleep there during the day. It is quite challenging to get a photo of them as they rest face down along the walls in a passage that I can barely stand in, about chest-high off the floor. Plus, while some light does get in the relatively shallow dig, it is pretty dark for getting a camera to focus and I certainly wouldn’t want to disturb the little critters while they rest up for a night of hunting insects. I took a couple light stands and some little LED panel lights I generally use for nightscape shooting. These lights can be dimmed WAY down so as not to disturb the bats. I also borrowed my wife’s 100mm f2.8 macro lens to for the task. This lens is absolutely tack sharp and purpose built for close-up work and that big aperture lets in lots of light. The downside is that depth of field is almost nil at that focal length and aperture when you’re shooting something from a foot away. Therefore, a single frame may only have the face of a mouse-sized creature in focus and nothing else. By placing the camera on a tripod very low and pretty much leaning the camera to the wall of the passage, I was able to shoot some longish exposures to gather enough light to expose this bat. I also used my mirrorless (Canon R7)camera’s automatic focus stacking feature to shoot 32 separate frames to ensure I’d have sharp sections of the bat from front to back to later merge in Photoshop (the camera also composites them automatically but only in JPEG and I wasn’t super happy with that one). Avid macro shooters actually use a "slider" that physically moves the camera a tiny bit with each shot which produces better results as it eliminates the "breathing" that can occur by changing the focus point each time as it is done here. My result isn’t perfect but, given the challenges and not wanting to spend too much time and disturb the animals, I’m fairly pleased.

 

As to the animals themselves, I believe they are myotis lucifugus or the not-so-imaginatively named Little Brown Bat, a species of “mouse eared” bats that is, interestingly enough, not related to eptesicus fuscus, the BIG brown bat. They are fascinating little animals that I enjoy watching flit around and chase bugs above my patio on summer evenings. They can eat more than half their body weight in insects in a single night (lactating females can actually consume MORE than their body weight in a night at peak lactation). As I read up on them a bit I also found it quite interesting that females only birth one baby per year. That’s definitely not what I’d expect from such a tiny and delicate creature. They can form colonies number in the tens of thousands but this little spot probably only had a dozen or so roosting in it that I saw.

Photographed in Tanzania, Africa

 

=> Please click twice on the image to see the largest size. <=

 

This young wildebeest, like other young wildebeest in the herd, was running at top speed while the adults grazed nearby. These sporadic runs build the speed and stamina they need to outrun the predators that constantly target the wildebeest herds. Note the remnant of its umbilical cord still attached to its belly.

 

===============

From Wikipedia: The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Oddly, rare blue wildebeat can have a glow or luminescent coat during the change of seasons between fall and winter. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Today, it is extinct in Malawi, but has been successfully reintroduced in Namibia. The southern limit of the blue wildebeest range is the Orange River, while the western limit is bounded by Lake Victoria and Mount Kenya. The blue wildebeest is widespread and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves, and conservancies. So, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources rates the blue wildebeest as being of least concern. The population has been estimated to be around 1.5 million, and the population trend is stable.

 

Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in a northern and a southern species. The blue wildebeest remained in its original range and changed very little from the ancestral species, while the black wildebeest changed more as adaptation to its open grassland habitat in the south. The most obvious ways of telling the two species apart are the differences in their colouring and in the way their horns are oriented.

 

In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most abundant big-game species; some populations perform an annual migration to new grazing grounds, but the black wildebeest is merely nomadic. Breeding in both takes place over a short period of time at the end of the rainy season and the calves are soon active and are able to move with the herd, a fact necessary for their survival. Nevertheless, some fall prey to large carnivores, especially the spotted hyena.

 

Wildebeest often graze in mixed herds with zebra, which gives heightened awareness of potential predators. They are also alert to the warning signals emitted by other animals such as baboons. Wildebeest are a tourist attraction but compete with domesticated livestock for pasture and are sometimes blamed by farmers for transferring diseases and parasites to their cattle. Illegal hunting does take place but the population trend is fairly stable and, with some in national parks or on private land. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists both kinds of wildebeest as least-concern species.

 

Predators:

Major predators that feed on wildebeest include the lion, hyena, African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, and crocodile, which seem to favour the wildebeest over other prey. Wildebeest, however, are very strong, and can inflict considerable injury even to a lion. Wildebeest have a maximum running speed of around 80 km/h (50 mph). The primary defensive tactic is herding, where the young animals are protected by the older, larger ones, while the herd runs as a group. Typically, the predators attempt to isolate a young or ill animal and attack without having to worry about the herd. Wildebeest have developed additional sophisticated cooperative behaviours, such as animals taking turns sleeping while others stand guard against a night attack by invading predators. Wildebeest migrations are closely followed by vultures, as wildebeest carcasses are an important source of food for these scavengers. The vultures consume about 70% of the wildebeest carcasses available. Decreases in the number of migrating wildebeest have also had a negative effect on the vultures. In the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, wildebeest may help facilitate the migration of other, smaller-bodied grazers, such as Thomson's gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii), which eat the new-growth grasses stimulated by wildebeest foraging.

  

4F3A7427fFlkr

Photographed in Tanzania, Africa

 

=> Please click on the image to see the largest size. <=

 

Zebra are often found in herds of wildebeest but, as can be seen in the background, apparently pay no attention to the wildebeest skirmishes.

 

===============

From Wikipedia: The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.

 

The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Oddly, rare blue wildebeat can have a glow or luminescent coat during the change of seasons between fall and winter. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.

 

The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Today, it is extinct in Malawi, but has been successfully reintroduced in Namibia. The southern limit of the blue wildebeest range is the Orange River, while the western limit is bounded by Lake Victoria and Mount Kenya. The blue wildebeest is widespread and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves, and conservancies. So, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources rates the blue wildebeest as being of least concern. The population has been estimated to be around 1.5 million, and the population trend is stable.

 

Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in a northern and a southern species. The blue wildebeest remained in its original range and changed very little from the ancestral species, while the black wildebeest changed more as adaptation to its open grassland habitat in the south. The most obvious ways of telling the two species apart are the differences in their colouring and in the way their horns are oriented.

 

In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most abundant big-game species; some populations perform an annual migration to new grazing grounds, but the black wildebeest is merely nomadic. Breeding in both takes place over a short period of time at the end of the rainy season and the calves are soon active and are able to move with the herd, a fact necessary for their survival. Nevertheless, some fall prey to large carnivores, especially the spotted hyena.

 

Wildebeest often graze in mixed herds with zebra, which gives heightened awareness of potential predators. They are also alert to the warning signals emitted by other animals such as baboons. Wildebeest are a tourist attraction but compete with domesticated livestock for pasture and are sometimes blamed by farmers for transferring diseases and parasites to their cattle. Illegal hunting does take place but the population trend is fairly stable and, with some in national parks or on private land. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists both kinds of wildebeest as least-concern species.

 

Predators:

Major predators that feed on wildebeest include the lion, hyena, African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, and crocodile, which seem to favour the wildebeest over other prey. Wildebeest, however, are very strong, and can inflict considerable injury even to a lion. Wildebeest have a maximum running speed of around 80 km/h (50 mph). The primary defensive tactic is herding, where the young animals are protected by the older, larger ones, while the herd runs as a group. Typically, the predators attempt to isolate a young or ill animal and attack without having to worry about the herd. Wildebeest have developed additional sophisticated cooperative behaviours, such as animals taking turns sleeping while others stand guard against a night attack by invading predators. Wildebeest migrations are closely followed by vultures, as wildebeest carcasses are an important source of food for these scavengers. The vultures consume about 70% of the wildebeest carcasses available. Decreases in the number of migrating wildebeest have also had a negative effect on the vultures. In the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, wildebeest may help facilitate the migration of other, smaller-bodied grazers, such as Thomson's gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii), which eat the new-growth grasses stimulated by wildebeest foraging.

  

4F3A7078fFlkr

It got the name Sow Thistle from the fact that when cut the plant exudes a latex like milk which was believed to help lactation in mothering sows.

 

The leaves, flowers and roots are edible. These are best consumed when the plant is young because the older it gets the more bitter it becomes. Once it becomes bitter you can cook with it or mix it with pleasant tasting greens. Leaf spines need to be removed. The leaves are rich in mineral salts and vitamin C. Harvesting the root while young is preferred and can be roasted and grounded to use like coffee.

 

'Sonchus', the name given sow thistle by the Romans, is Latin for ''hollow'' referring to the plant's hollow stems.

'Arvensis' refers to the plants affinity for cultivated areas.they are sometimes called Hare Thistles

Perennial sowthistle, they are sometimes called Hare Thistles are said to be a favourite of rabbits. It was believed predators can not disturb a rabbit sitting beneath the plant.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_weasel

  

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis), or simply weasel in the UK,[2] is the smallest member of the genus Mustela and of the family Mustelidae (as well as the smallest of the Carnivora), native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, though it has been introduced elsewhere. It is classed as being of Least Concern by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution and presumed large population.

 

Least weasels from various parts of its range vary greatly in size. The body is slender and elongated and the legs and tail are relatively short. The colour varies geographically, as does the pelage type and length of tail. The dorsal surface, flanks, limbs and tail of the animal are usually some shade of brown while the underparts are white. The line delineating the boundary between the two colours is usually straight. At high altitudes and in the northern part of its range, the coat becomes pure white in winter. Eighteen subspecies are recognised.

 

Small rodents form the largest part of the least weasel's diet, but it also kills and eats rabbits and other mammals, and occasionally birds, birds' eggs, fish and frogs. Males mark their territories with olfactory signals and have exclusive home ranges which may include several female ranges. Least weasels use pre-existing holes to sleep, store food and raise their young. Breeding takes place in the spring and summer, and there is a single litter of about six kits which are reared exclusively by the female. Due to its small size, fierce nature and cunning behaviour, the least weasel plays an important part in the mythology and legend of various cultures.

  

Taxonomy and evolution

  

The least weasel was given its scientific name Mustela nivalis by Carl Linnaeus in his 12th edition of Systema Naturae in 1766. The type locality was Westrobothnia in Sweden. As an animal with a very wide distribution, the morphology of the least weasel varies geographically. The species was reviewed by Reichstein in 1957 and again by van Zyll de Jong in 1992 and Reig in 1997. Youngman (1982) placed it in the subgenus Mustela while Abramov (1999) considered it should be included in the subgenus Gale. Based on skull characteristics, Reig (1997) proposed that the taxon should be split into four species, M. subpalmata, M. rixosa, M. vulgaris and M. eskimo. Abrimov and Baryshinikov (2000) disagreed, recognising only M. subpalmata as a separate species.[3]

 

Within the genus Mustela, the least weasel is a relatively unspecialised form, as evidenced by its pedomorphic skull, which occurs even in large subspecies.[4] Its direct ancestor was Mustela praenivalis, which lived in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene and Villafranchian. M. praenivalis itself was probably preceded by M. pliocaenica of the Pliocene. The modern species probably arose during the Late Pleistocene.[5] The least weasel is the product of a process begun 5–7 million years ago, when northern forests were replaced by open grassland, thus prompting an explosive evolution of small, burrowing rodents. The weasel's ancestors were larger than the current form, and underwent a reduction in size to exploit the new food source. The least weasel throve during the Ice Age, as its small size and long body allowed it to easily operate beneath snow, as well as hunt in burrows. It probably crossed to North America through the Bering land bridge 200,000 years ago

  

Subspecies

  

The least weasel has a high geographic variation, a fact which has historically led to numerous disagreements among biologists studying its systematics. Least weasel subspecies are divided into 3 categories:[7]

  

The pygmaea–rixosa group (small weasels): Tiny weasels with short tails, pedomorphic skulls, and pelts that turn pure white in winter. They inhabit northern European Russia, Siberia, the Russian Far East, Finland, northern Scandinavian Peninsula, Mongolia, northeastern China, Japan and North America.[7]

 

The boccamela group (large weasels): Very large weasels with large skulls, relatively long tails and lighter coloured pelts. Locally, they either do not turn white or only partially change colour in winter. They inhabit Transcaucasia, from western Kazakhstan to Semirechye and in the flat deserts of Middle Asia. They are also found in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.[7]

 

The nivalis group (average weasels): Medium-sized weasels, with tails of moderate length, representing a transitional form between the former two groups. They inhabit the middle and southern regions of European Russia, Crimea, Ciscaucasus, western Kazakhstan, southern and middle Urals and montane parts of Middle Asia, save for Koppet Dag.[7]

As of 2005,[8] 18 subspecies are recognised.

  

Description

  

Skulls of a long-tailed weasel (top), a stoat (bottom left) and least weasel (bottom right), as illustrated in Merriam's Synopsis of the Weasels of North America

The least weasel has a thin, greatly elongated and extremely flexible body with a small, yet elongated, blunt-muzzled head which is no thicker than the neck. The eyes are large, bulging and dark coloured. The legs and tail are relatively short, the latter constituting less than half the body length. The feet are armed with sharp, dark-coloured claws, and the soles are heavily haired.[19] The skull, especially that of the small rixosa group, has an infantile appearance when compared with that of other members of the genus Mustela (in particular, the stoat and kolonok). This is expressed in the relatively large size of the cranium and shortened facial region.[20] The skull is, overall, similar to that of the stoat, but smaller, though the skulls of large male weasels tend to overlap in size with those of small female stoats.[21] There are usually four pairs of nipples but these are only visible in females. The baculum is short, 16 to 20 mm (0.6 to 0.8 in), with a thick, straight shaft. Fat is deposited along the spine, kidneys, gut mesentries and around the limbs. The least weasel has muscular anal glands under the tail, which measure 7 by 5 mm (0.3 by 0.2 in), and contain sulphurous volatiles, including thietanes and dithiacyclopentanes. The smell and chemical composition of these chemicals are distinct from those of the stoat.[21] The least weasel moves by jumping, the distance between the tracks of the fore and hind limbs being 18 to 35 cm (7 to 14 in).[22]

  

Dimensions vary geographically, to an extent rarely found among other mammals. Least weasels of the vulgaris group, for example, may outweigh the smaller races by almost four times. In some large subspecies, the male may be 1.5 times longer than the female. Variations in tail length are also variable, constituting from 13–30% of the length of the body. Average body length in males is 130 to 260 mm (5 to 10 in), while females average 114 to 204 mm (4.5 to 8.0 in). The tail measures 12 to 87 mm (0.5 to 3.4 in) in males and 17 to 60 millimetres (0.7 to 2.4 in) in females. Males weigh 36 to 250 g (1.3 to 8.8 oz), while females weigh 29 to 117 g (1.0 to 4.1 oz).[23]

  

The winter fur is dense, but short and closely fitting. In northern subspecies, the fur is soft and silky, but coarse in southern forms. The summer fur is very short, sparser and rougher. The upper parts in the summer fur are dark, but vary geographically from dark-tawny or dark-chocolate to light pale tawny or sandy. The lower parts, including the lower jaw and inner sides of the legs, are white. There is often a brown spot at the corner of the mouth. The dividing line between the dark upper and light lower parts is usually straight but sometimes forms an irregular line. The tail is brown, and sometimes the tip is a little darker but it is never black. In the northern part of its range and at high altitudes, the least weasel changes colour in the winter, the coat becoming pure white and exhibiting a few black hairs in rare circumstances.[20][24]

  

Behaviour and ecology

  

Reproduction and development

  

The least weasel mates in April–July and there is a 34- to 37-day gestation period. In the northern hemisphere, the average litter size consists of 6 kits and these reach sexual maturity in 3 to 4 months. Males may mate during their first year of life, though this is usually unsuccessful. They are fecund in February–October, though the early stages of spermatogenesis do occur throughout the winter months. Anestrus in females lasts from September until February.[25]

 

The female raises its kits without help from the male. They are 1.5 to 4.5 g (0.05 to 0.16 oz) in weight at birth. Newborn kits are born pink, naked, blind and deaf, but gain a white coat of downy fur at the age of 4 days. At 10 days, the margin between the dark upper parts and light under parts becomes visible. The milk teeth erupt at 2 to 3 weeks of age, at which point the young start to eat solid food, though lactation can last 12 weeks. The eyes and ears open at 3 to 4 weeks of age, and by 8 weeks, killing behaviour is developed. The family breaks up after 9 to 12 weeks.[25] There is a single litter each year and least weasels can live for 7 or 8 years.[24]

  

Territorial and social behaviours

  

The least weasel has a typical mustelid territorial pattern, consisting of exclusive male ranges encompassing multiple female ranges. The population density of each territory depends greatly on food supply and reproductive success, thus the social structure and population density of any given territory is unstable and flexible.[26] Like the stoat, the male least weasel extends its range during spring or during food shortages. Its scent marking behaviour is similar to that of the stoat; it uses faeces, urine and anal and dermal gland secretions, the latter two of which are deposited by anal dragging and body rubbing. The least weasel does not dig its own den, but nests in the abandoned burrow of another species such as a mole or rat.[27] The burrow entrance measures about 2.5 cm (1 in) across and leads to the nest chamber located up to 15 cm (6 in) below ground. The nest chamber (which is used for sleeping, rearing kits and storing food) measures 10 cm (4 in) in diameter, and is lined with straw and the skins of the weasel's prey.[28]

 

The least weasel has four basic vocalisations; a guttural hiss emitted when alarmed, which is interspersed with short screaming barks and shrieks when provoked. When defensive, it emits a shrill wail or squeal. During encounters between males and females or between a mother and kits, the least weasel emits a high-pitched trilling. The least weasel's way of expressing aggression is similar to that of the stoat. Dominant weasels exhibit lunges and shrieks during aggressive encounters, while subdominant weasels will emit submissive squeals.[27]

  

Diet

  

Taxidermy exhibit showing a least weasel attacking a European hare, in the Natural History Museum of Genoa

The least weasel feeds predominantly on mouse-like rodents, including mice, hamsters, gerbils and others. It usually does not attack adult hamsters and rats. Frogs, fish, small birds and bird eggs are rarely eaten. It can deal with adult pikas and gerbils, but usually cannot overcome brown rats and sousliks. Exceptional cases are known of least weasels killing prey far larger than themselves, such as capercaillie, hazel hen and hares.[29] In England, a favoured prey item is the field vole (Microtus agrestis). These have fluctuations in population size, and in years of abundance may form up to 54% of the weasel's diet. In years of scarcity, birds form a greater proportion of the diet and female least weasels may fail to breed.[30]

 

Despite its small size, the least weasel is a fierce hunter, capable of killing a rabbit five to ten times its own weight.[31] Although they are commonly taken, the rabbits are usually young specimens, and become an important food source during the spring, when small rodents are scarce and rabbit kits are plentiful. Male least weasels take a higher proportion of rabbits than females, as well as an overall greater variety of prey. This is linked to the fact that being larger, and having vaster territorial ranges than females, males have more opportunities to hunt a greater diversity of prey.[32]

 

The least weasel forages undercover, to avoid being seen by foxes and birds of prey. It is adapted for pursuing its prey down tunnels, though it may also bolt prey from a burrow and kill it in the open.[32] The least weasel kills small prey, such as voles, with a bite to the occipital region of the skull[29] or the neck, dislocating the cervical vertebrae. Large prey typically dies of blood loss or circulatory shock.[32] When food is abundant, only a small portion of the prey is eaten, usually the brain. The average daily food intake is 35 g (1 oz), which is equivalent to 30–35% of the animal's body weight.[29]

  

Predators and competitors

  

The least weasel is small enough to be preyed upon by a range of other predators.[33] Least weasel remains have been found in the excrement of red foxes, sables, steppe and forest polecat, stoats, eagle owls and buzzards.[34] The owls most efficient at capturing least weasels are barn, barred, and great horned owls. Other birds of prey threatening to the least weasel include broad-winged and rough-legged buzzards. Some snake species may prey on the least weasel, including the black rat snake and copperhead.[28] Aside from its smaller size, the least weasel is more vulnerable to predation than the stoat because it lacks a black predator deflection mark on the tail.[33]

 

In areas where the least weasel is sympatric with the stoat, the two species compete with each other for rodent prey. The weasel manages to avoid too much competition by living in more upland areas, feeding on smaller prey and being capable of entering smaller holes. It actively avoids encounters with stoats, though female weasels are less likely to stop foraging in the presence of stoats, perhaps because their smaller size allows them to quickly escape into holes.[35]

  

Diseases and parasites

  

Ectoparasites known to infest weasels include the louse Trichodectes mustelae and the mites Demodex and Psoregates mustela. The species may catch fleas from the nests and burrows of its prey. Flea species known to infest weasels include Ctenophthalmus bisoctodentatus and Palaeopsylla m. minor, which they get from moles, P. s. soricis, which they get from shrews, Nosopsyllus fasciatus, which they get from rodents and Dasypsyllus gallinulae which they get from birds.[33]

 

Helminths known to infest weasels include the trematode Alaria, the nematodes Capillaria, Filaroides and Trichinella and the cestode Taenia.[33] Least weasels are commonly infected with the nematode Skrjabingylus nasicola, adults of which are found in the nasal sinuses and can damage the skull. There is no evidence that this has serious detrimental effects on even heavily infested animals.[36]

  

Distribution and habitat

  

The least weasel has a circumboreal, Holarctic distribution, encompassing much of Europe and North Africa, Asia and parts of northern North America, where it occurs mainly in places where the stoat isn't found, though it has been introduced in New Zealand, Malta, Crete, the Azore Islands and also Sao Tome off west Africa. It is found throughout Europe and on many islands, including the Azores, Britain (but not Ireland), and all major Mediterranean islands. It also occurs on Honshu and Hokkaido islands in Japan and on Kunashir, Iturup, and Sakhalin Islands in Russia.[1]

 

The least weasel occupies a similar type of habitat as the stoat but it less often frequents wet places. It can be found in fields, open woodland, bushy or rocky areas, parks and gardens, and at altitudes of up to about 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).[24]

  

Conservation status

  

The least weasel has a very wide circumboreal range and a large total population and is therefore listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of "least concern". Its chosen habitat is in areas of coarse vegetation and in some regions its numbers may be decreasing because of changes in agricultural practices, but altogether its population trend is thought to be steady. It is relatively common in Eurasia but less abundant in North America and is thought to be rare in the southeastern United States. It is subject to considerable variations in numbers in areas where its main rodent prey is liable to large population fluctuations. In years of rodent population booms, the least weasel numbers may rise by up to ten-fold, only to slump again as prey becomes scarce again in the following years.[1]

  

In folklore and mythology

  

The Ancient Macedonians believed that to see a least weasel was a good omen. In some districts of Macedon, women who suffered from headaches after having washed their heads in water drawn overnight would assume that a weasel had previously used the water as a mirror, but they would refrain from mentioning the animal's name for fear that it would destroy their clothes. Similarly, a popular superstition in southern Greece had it that the least weasel had previously been a bride, who was transformed into a bitter animal which would destroy the wedding dresses of other brides out of jealousy.[37] According to Pliny the Elder, the least weasel is the only animal capable of killing the basilisk;

 

To this dreadful monster the effluvium of the weasel is fatal, a thing that has been tried with success, for kings have often desired to see its body when killed; so true is it that it has pleased Nature that there should be nothing without its antidote. The animal is thrown into the hole of the basilisk, which is easily known from the soil around it being infected. The weasel destroys the basilisk by its odour, but dies itself in this struggle of nature against its own self.[38]

 

The Chippewa believed that the least weasel could kill the dreaded wendigo giant by rushing up its anus.[39] In Inuit mythology, the least weasel is credited with both great wisdom and courage, and whenever a mythical Inuit hero wished to accomplish a valorous task, he would generally change himself into a least weasel.[40] According to Matthew Hopkins, a witch hunter general during the English Civil War, least weasels were the familiars of witches

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From inside our log home, I caught sight of this beautiful, hunting fox on the opposite side of the slough (wetlands). It was great to watch him emerge from the cattails and slowly walk across the frozen, snow-covered slough and then wend his way back to his den in the poplar forest.

 

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The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora [...].

 

The winter fur is dense, soft, silky and relatively long. [...]. There are three colour morphs; red, silver/black and cross (see Mutations).[53] In the typical red morph, their coats are generally bright reddish-rusty with yellowish tints. A stripe of weak, diffuse patterns of many brown-reddish-chestnut hairs occurs along the spine. Two additional stripes pass down the shoulder blades which, together with the spinal stripe, form a cross. The lower back is often a mottled silvery colour. The flanks are lighter coloured than the back, while the chin, lower lips, throat and front of the chest are white. The remaining lower surface of the body is dark, brown or reddish.[52] During lactation, the belly fur of vixens may turn brick red.[54] The upper parts of the limbs are rusty-reddish, while the paws are black. The frontal part of the face and upper neck is bright brownish-rusty red, while the upper lips are white. The backs of the ears are black or brownish-reddish, while the inner surface is whitish. The top of the tail is brownish-reddish, but lighter in colour than the back and flanks. The underside of the tail is pale grey with a straw coloured tint. A black spot, the location of the supracaudal gland, is usually present at the base of the tail. The tip of the tail is white.

 

Red foxes have elongated bodies and relatively short limbs. The tail, which is longer than half the body length[52] (70% of head and body length[53]), is long, fluffy and reaches the ground when in a standing position. [...].

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Fox

 

Have a great start to your new week and thanks, as always, for visiting.

 

(1) Don’t Just Look for Lumps

 

The most common way that conventional doctors look for breast cancer in women is to identify lumps in the breast. They most often do this with mammogram x-rays. This offer physicians a basic roadmap for navigating the terrain of breast tissue, allowing them to pinpoint any lumps, masses, or other questionable abnormalities that might point to a malignancy.

But mammograms can be a potential cause of cancer due to the ionizing radiation they send into breast tissue. They also aren’t accurate 100 percent of the time, despite what you may have been told. Lumps and masses in breast tissue can be either benign (harmless) or malignant (harmful), and mammograms don’t differentiate between the two. This often leads to false diagnoses and unnecessary treatments with chemotherapy and radiation.

A better option, if you choose to undergo routine cancer screenings, is thermography. This unique screening method allows doctors to not only look for unusual lumps or growths, but also identify whether or not angiogenesis is taking place within the breast tissue. This is a much stronger and more accurate indicator that breast cancer may be present.

Angiogenesis is a fancy way of saying new blood vessel growth, which may indicate that a woman’s body is trying to build a new supply system for blood to be delivered to developing breast tumors. Doctors who specialize in examining thermography images will be able to identify whether or not angiogenesis is taking place, and suggest a proper course of action.

 

(2) Hormones and Cellular Health

 

A lot of health experts like to talk about breast cancer as something that results from “bad genetics,” being passed down from mothers to their daughters. This implies that breast cancer can’t be avoided and occurs as an unfortunate “luck of the draw” type scenario. And depending on the type of breast cancer they’re talking about, there may be some merit to this popular theory.

But most types of breast cancer are a result of environment, diet, and lifestyle, all of which dictate how a woman’s endocrine system produces and balances hormones. In other words, hormone imbalance plays a much greater role in determining breast cancer risk than many people think. Thermography can help qualified physicians determine whether or not a woman has an elevated breast cancer risk due to this often overlooked early indicator.

 

(3) Learn Your Body’s Natural Rhythms

 

Every woman’s body has a unique ebb and flow, and getting in tune with your own personal rhythm is invaluable for staying healthy. Paying close attention to any unusual changes that might be occurring, especially within breast tissue, is critical to avoid breast cancer.

If you feel any unusual aches or pains in your breast, including occasional throbbing, pain, or even fluctuating discomfort, talk to your doctor. Many women assume that only an isolated lump with localized pain suggests the presence of breast cancer. The truth is that breast cancer can manifest as “scattered, seed-like” tumors that, in some cases, spread like small tentacles throughout breast tissue.

Experts from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston warn that breast cancer often shows up without the classic lump, showing symptoms such as swelling and irritation, dimpling, nipple discharge beyond normal lactation, nipple inversion, and/or a thickening and reddening of skin around the nipple.1

“There are breast cancers that present as half a lump or there may be no lump at all,” says Dr. Naoto Ueno, chief of Translational Breast Cancer Research at the Center, as quoted by CBS News. “It could just be a strange-looking skin appearance or skin being red or dimpled.”

Just be sure to look for patterns of change or any new and unusual symptoms that occur outside the norm. Occasional pain may not be indicative of breast cancer, but persistent itching, for instance, could point to fluid buildup, poor lymph function, or your body trying to create new blood vessels for breast tumors.

 

(4) Can Back Pain Indicate Breast Tumor Development?

 

Upper back pain that feels as though it’s coming from deep within the bones may be an early sign of breast cancer – but don’t assume that every occasional bout of soreness or back pain means you’re becoming the next statistic! Chronic back pain that doesn’t relent with stretching, chiropractic or other means may be a sign that breast cancer tumors are forming.

Sometimes when tumors are developing in a woman’s breast, they put pressure on the ribs and spine causing new found and persistent pain. You need to be aware of any changes that occur in your spinal column, upper back, and even neck. Talk to your doctor if you feel as though the pain you’re experiencing is unusually pronounced and marked by pressure from a possible internal growth.

 

(5) Nutrient Deficiency and Cancer

 

If you’re not getting enough of the right nutrients in your diet, including things like vitamin D and iodine, your risk of developing breast cancer is already elevated. Nutrient deficiency is endemic in the West. Many people don’t realize that what they’re not eating is increasingly their likelihood of developing chronic health conditions such as breast cancer.

Nearly 75 percent of the adult “healthy” population is deficient in iodine, which has been shown to help ward off cancer cells in the breast and elsewhere throughout the body. Vitamin D is another risk factor in breast cancer. A 2012 study published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism revealed that low vitamin D levels are a hallmark in women with breast cancer. Other studies show similar findings.

A good rule of thumb in today’s nutrient-depleted world is to supplement with these and other cancer-fighting nutrients such as selenium and zinc. You may also wish to consult with a trained naturopath or integrative doctor. They can help you identify any specific nutrient deficiencies you might have and help you optimize your unique biological “terrain” for best breast cancer prevention.

 

source: www.thetruthaboutcancer.com

  

things left unsaid

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This afternoon, I was delighted to see this red fox across the lake from our log home on Bluebird Estates.

   

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The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora [...].

 

The winter fur is dense, soft, silky and relatively long. [...]. There are three colour morphs; red, silver/black and cross (see Mutations).[53] In the typical red morph, their coats are generally bright reddish-rusty with yellowish tints. A stripe of weak, diffuse patterns of many brown-reddish-chestnut hairs occurs along the spine. Two additional stripes pass down the shoulder blades which, together with the spinal stripe, form a cross. The lower back is often a mottled silvery colour. The flanks are lighter coloured than the back, while the chin, lower lips, throat and front of the chest are white. The remaining lower surface of the body is dark, brown or reddish.[52] During lactation, the belly fur of vixens may turn brick red.[54] The upper parts of the limbs are rusty-reddish, while the paws are black. The frontal part of the face and upper neck is bright brownish-rusty red, while the upper lips are white. The backs of the ears are black or brownish-reddish, while the inner surface is whitish. The top of the tail is brownish-reddish, but lighter in colour than the back and flanks. The underside of the tail is pale grey with a straw coloured tint. A black spot, the location of the supracaudal gland, is usually present at the base of the tail. The tip of the tail is white.

 

Red foxes have elongated bodies and relatively short limbs. The tail, which is longer than half the body length[52] (70% of head and body length[53]), is long, fluffy and reaches the ground when in a standing position. [...].

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Fox

 

Have a great Tuesday and thanks for visiting.

Osteophagy is the practice in which animals, usually herbivores, consume bones. Most vegetation around the world lacks sufficient amounts of phosphate. Phosphorus is an essential mineral for all animals, as it plays a major role in the formation of the skeletal system, and is necessary for many biological processes including: energy metabolism, protein synthesis, cell signalling, and lactation. Phosphate deficiencies can cause physiological side effects, especially pertaining to the reproductive system, as well as side effects of delayed growth and failure to regenerate new bone.

While osteophagy has been regarded as a beneficial behavior to combat mineral deficiencies in animals, osteophagic practices have also been observed to be detrimental to the dentition of herbivores. It has been observed that the pattern of wear on the cheek teeth of herbivores is congruous to the manner in which herbivores hold and chew bones. A major cost of osteophagy is therefore significant wear on teeth and dental breakage in herbivores, whose teeth are not designed for the regular consumption of hard materials but rather for the grinding of vegetal fibres.

 

This Giraffe (Giraffa) and its calf were busy feeding of a wildebeest carcass and was photographed on game drive in Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya.