Discovery Science 🧬

Saberfish: Its body seems to be cast from metal. Why do ordinary fish shine so brightly? Imagine: you are sitting in a boat off the coast of Italy, Spain, Africa or Australia, quietly fishing. For a couple of hours now you have been dragging small, boring fish from the World Ocean one after another. And then something serious tugs at your fishing rod. You enter into a fight with him for the right to keep the fishing rod in your hands and, in the end, you pull out... a two-meter strip of silver metal with a fish head at the end! Congratulations, you've just met a sabrefish! Even a second glance at it is enough to understand how different the saber fish is from its neighbors in the ocean. Her body is elongated almost to the limit, her dorsal fin evokes associations with a punk mohawk. And the most noticeable thing is that the fish has no scales at all, only thin skin, sparkling like well-polished metal! One thing is not clear: why did the already not the largest fish give up its only protection in favor of brightly shiny skin? The answer lies in the lifestyle of the saber fish. Unlike the moray eel, which has similar proportions, our heroine does not hide among corals and underwater rocks, but lives directly in the depths of the ocean, where there is no shelter and is not expected. In such conditions, not a single scale, even the most durable, will protect a medium-sized fish from dolphins and sharks. Therefore, the saberfish decided to rely on optical camouflage. The cells of her skin are almost entirely filled with guanine crystals, the layers of which are interspersed with layers of cytoplasm - the internal liquid environment of the cells. And it is precisely this complex structure that gives a bright, metallic shine, which is very difficult to distinguish from reflections on the surface of the water. But the guanine crystals in their cells are located differently, and the space between them is occupied by colored pigments. And the most interesting thing is that camouflage works not only on fish, but also on people. We still know practically nothing about the lifestyle of the fish, and we learn about fluctuations in its numbers from fishermen who catch saberfish as bycatch. This means that the disguise works! Author: Yaroslav Ilyin 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

Red-haired stove maker: Their nests are complex houses made of clay, the thoughtfulness of which is amazing! How technologically advanced should a nest be? How many birds - so many answers to the question. For some, it’s enough to throw a heel of branches just so that the egg doesn’t roll away. Other birds make a good wicker nest or even create one out of saliva, which is actually hellish work. But the red ovenbird from the tropical forests of South America surpassed everyone. After all, his nest is a high-tech clay house, manufactured according to all construction rules! When a couple of red-haired stove-makers decide that it’s time for them to build a life together, raise children and do other socially approved things, they look for a suitable foundation for their home. And this is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. Yes, any thick branch, flat stone on top of a cliff or the roof of a human house will suit them, but there is one caveat: there must be a clay outlet in the immediate vicinity of the construction site. Therefore, bird cottages are easiest to find in hilly areas and along river banks. Once the site for construction has been chosen, long and extremely tedious work begins. First, the stove-maker takes a beak full of straw and small twigs, then flies to the clay deposit and mixes everything thoroughly. And only then does he pick up a beak full of this mixture and carry it to the construction site. But due to the size of the bird’s beak, this process drags on for many weeks. But wait, why such difficulties? Why can’t you just immediately collect clay and fashion a house out of it? Because clay mixed with straw is adobe, an amazingly durable and weather-resistant material that even people appreciate. Moreover, they were so appreciated that they are still used today, in the age of glass, cement and polymer materials. Not only are adobe bricks cheap and easy to make, they are also stronger than unfired clay - small twigs and blades of grass act as reinforcement, taking on part of the load and preventing the base material from crumbling into useless pieces. And the birds came up with this technology themselves, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years ago! But the choice of material is only half the battle; stove makers even approach the architecture of their home wisely. The thick walls of the nest keep it warm at night and cool during the day, all precipitation rolls off the rounded roof, and the entrance to the small house is always located so that climbing inside without wings is problematic. As a result, the birds get a cozy, reliable and safe home that they can use for several years. And even powerful tropical downpours cannot wet the feathers of their chicks! Author: Yaroslav Ilyin 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

Подборка крутых фото номер 2. За уточку простите, кто знает, тот поймёт 😄😄😄 А горгоноцефал на фото 8 вообще монстр! А чайка на фото 6, кажется, заключила сделку с Дагоном 😁 Кстати, пользуясь случаем, порекламирую наш Телеграм. Ну, он классный, потому что там редкий постинг, только длинные интересные статьи и большой чат на 800 чел, где непрерывно обсуждают всякое про животных. Короче, приходите по ссылке, которая будет в комментарии к этому посту от имени нашей группы! 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

Суматранская кошка: Крошечные водяные хищники Азии. Милые, но мега скрытные! Мы привыкли, что кошки — это существа, с подозрением относящиеся к воде, хоть и очень уважающие рыбку. Но суматранская кошка — это животное из другого теста. Вся её жизнь связана с водой, а питается она почти исключительно водными животными. И в этом её главная слабость, которая чуть не погубила вид. Когда-то давно, кошка процветала. Она обитала не только на Суматре и Борнео, но и в Малайзии и даже в Таиланде. Небольшие, не более 2,5 килограмм веса, похожие на котов-подростков, животные жили по берегам рек и озёр, где охотились на лягушек, саламандр, крабов и мелкую рыбку. Но затем в регион пришла техническая революция. Население начало расти крайне быстро, а любимые кошками прибрежные заросли стали вырубать под фермы и плантации. В то же время начали беднеть речные экосистемы: отходы грязных производств подтачивали здоровье местных обитателей. И кошка стала исчезать. К началу 20 века она полностью вымерла на территории Малайзии и Таиланда, а её численность на островах сократилась до критических значений. И несмотря на то, что охота и вылов кошек стали полностью запрещены, её численность оставалась крайне низкой. А потом, в 2013 году, случилось неожиданное: фотоловушки зафиксировали суматранскую кошку на Малазийском полуострове, хотя зверя не видели здесь с 1974 года. Причём кошка обитала всего в нескольких километрах от плантаций масличной пальмы. То есть там, где экосистема давно нарушена человеческим вмешательством. А в конце прошлого года кошка принесла зоологам настоящий подарок: автоматическая камера засняла кошку вместе с котёнком на территории Таиланда. Хотя их не встречали здесь уже более 30 лет! Учёным пока неизвестно, добрались ли островные кошки до материка вплавь, или же критическая низкая численность, помноженная на навыки маскировки, не давала нам их обнаружить. Но одно можно сказать точно: окружающая среда стала для них менее враждебной, и суматранские кошки начали приспосабливаться к жизни в тех регионах, где раньше выживать было просто невозможно. И это просто прекрасные новости! Автор: Ярослав Ильин 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

The authorities canceled the holiday fireworks so as not to disturb the walrus 🙏❤ In the English seaside town of Scarborough, locals know not only their neighbors by name, but also the local wildlife. So, a walrus, who had long been nicknamed Thor, settled in their harbor; during the migration process, he sailed to the town and decided to rest before the long journey to the Arctic. Having learned about the arrival of a rare overseas guest, marine fauna experts recommended that city authorities cancel New Year's fireworks because they could frighten Thor and cause him severe stress. And it was done. The head of the city council emphasized that the absence of fireworks during the holiday may upset many, but still the welfare of the animal is more important. Walrus sightings are rare in the UK and it is best to provide them with a warm welcome and attention to their needs. 📲We are at MAX: https://max.ru/likes_animals 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

A dog with an injured paw got stuck in a gas station In the Canadian province of Manitoba, a large white dog named Juno appeared at a gas station. She sat at the door all the time and seemed to greet passing drivers. Everyone caressed her and treated her, but animal rights activists, having learned about the stray, were very concerned. They quickly found out that the dog had an owner, but he could no longer take care of her due to his health problems. Juno's paw was injured and the dog was clearly in severe pain. Volunteers took the girl, and she was very happy to see her rescuers. At the veterinary clinic they were told that she was quite thin and it would be a good idea to feed her. Juno was otherwise healthy, except for her sore paw. It turned out that this was an old fracture that had healed incorrectly. The dog could no longer step on its paw. The doctors deliberated for a long time until they made the difficult decision to amputate it, since it was no longer possible to restore the leg. While waiting for the operation, Juno was assigned to home foster care, where she is gaining weight and playing with all her might with her relatives. After treatment, the affectionate girl will find a new home and responsible owners. 📲We are at MAX: https://max.ru/likes_animals 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

It turns out that dolphins sometimes get a real “high”. They carefully suck the puffer fish - the one that secretes the toxin. Not to eat, but to slightly catch the effect. The fugu is passed around, as if in a friendly company. After this, the dolphins hover at the surface of the water and look at their reflections for a long time. Scientists believe that in small doses the toxin causes relaxation and euphoria. 📲We are at MAX: https://max.ru/likes_animals 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

They shook their tail and pretended that it was so In Moscow, blogger Christina (pictured) took her dog Jack, a Bichon Frize, to a grooming salon. Usually the haircut took about two hours, but this time the dog was not returned for five. It became clear that something had gone wrong. And the truth is, it went completely wrong. As it turned out later, all this time the groomers were trying to stop the bleeding: they accidentally cut off Jack's tail. The dog ended up being urgently stitched up by veterinarians. The salon owners first promised compensation, but then simply disappeared. Moreover, the official position of the establishment is that the salon has nothing to do with it. And according to them, the culprit is... the dog himself. 📲We are at MAX: https://max.ru/likes_animals 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

A man from Cambodia has been breeding a breed of super pigs on his farm for many years. He crosses the strangest specimens and eventually achieved the fact that between the usual fat pigs he has body-building boars, lean and muscular. According to experts, their muscles are 2-3 times better developed than ordinary pigs! The farmer believes that muscular pigs will weigh more, which will bring in more money. This may be true, but they don’t want to buy pork from him; they believe that he injects pigs with steroids and growth hormones. 📲We are at MAX: https://max.ru/likes_animals 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot