Tag: world
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The ghost of the rainforest: inside the hidden life of the Agami Heron
Hidden in the dense, waterlogged forests of Central and South America, the Agami Heron is a bird that even experienced ornithologists may never see in the wild. Known to many as the “ghost of the rainforest,” it slips along shadowy creeks and under mangrove canopies, more often heard than spotted. For those who do encounter
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Walking the ocean floor at Hopewell Rocks
The Hopewell Rocks is a series of sandstone pillars along the coast of the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada. The unique-looking rock formations, cliffs, and coves result from centuries of tidal erosion, yet another reminder of how nature crafts its own beauty. Home to the highest tides in the world The tides at the
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A trip to Portugal’s stunning Benagil Sea Cave
The Benagil Sea Cave, located in a small fishing village 3 hours from Lisbon, is arguably one of the most interesting tourist attractions in the world. Accessible only by boat, the cave contains a peculiar domed ceiling and natural oculus shaped by wave attrition and Miocene limestone built-up over 20 million years ago. Hiding under
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The cassowary is living proof that birds are living dinosaurs
The cassowary, a modern echo of its dinosaur ancestors, casts a mystical aura through its territory. Native to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia, the flightless Cassowary bird can grow up to a whopping 7 feet tall and weigh as much as 120 pounds. It’s the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird. Its deep and resonant
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The Fringed Leaf Frog
The Fringed Leaf Frog (Cruziohyla craspedopus) is one of the rarest amphibians in the world. The 3-inch creature lives a reclusive life up in the Amazon rainforest’s high canopies — it rarely visits the ground — in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The frog’s coloration, of course, is stunning — intermixing green, blue, and purple.
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Elephant trunk snake: the living relic of Southeast Asia’s wetlands
The elephant trunk snake (Acrochordus javanicus) looks like no other reptile. With sagging folds of skin and scales as rough as sandpaper, it seems more like an experiment from deep time than a creature of today’s rivers. Scientists consider it one of the most primitive lineages of snakes, retaining features that hint at an ancient
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Hyperion: The world’s tallest living tree
The Hyperion in Redwood Park in northern California is the world’s tallest living tree. The tree stands at a height of 380.3 feet and is approximately 700-800 years old. To put that in perspective, the tree is nearly 70 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty and 63 feet higher than Big Ben. Hyperion holds
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The Dragon’s Eye Stone Mine in Lancashire UK
The discovery of the Dragon’s Eye Stone Mine at the Hall of Giants stone mine in Lancashire, UK, resembles a scene from Indiana Jones or J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. The collapse of the mine roof caused the formation of the Dragon’s Eye. The rock’s exfoliation exposed sediments of different colors. The distinct appearance of this structure, composed