Onelargeprawn » Animal Kingdom

The Most Beautiful Sea Jellies

prawn1 — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:45:26 +0000

It’s not the first time that we’ve posted about the Alexander Semenov. The marine biologist works at the White Sea Biological Station (WSBS) in northwest Russia and photographs the most wonderful undersea animals as part of his job. After four years at WSBS, Semenov is now the chief dive master and a camera is always on hand when he journeys into the depths of the White Sea.

When I first began to experiment with sea life photography I tried shooting small invertebrates for fun with my own old camera and without any professional lights or lenses. I collected the invertebrates underwater and then I shot them in the lab. After two or three months of failure after failure, I ended up with a few good pictures, which inspired me to buy a semi-professional camera complete with underwater housing and strobes. I’ve spent the following field season trying to shoot the same creatures, but this time in their environment. It was much more difficult, and I spent another two months without any significant results. But when you’re working at something every day, you inevitably get a lot of experience. Now after four years of practice I get a few good shots almost every time I dive.

There are over 1500 known species of jellyfish in the world and Semenov has photographed quite a few, especially the Cyanea genus of stinging jellyfish. After the jump you will find some of the striking deep sea jellies that Semenov has encountered, more specifically photos of Cyanea capillata, the lion’s mane jellyfish.

See more of Semenov’s amazing undersea photography on his website or on Flickr.

[via Design Taxi]

The Bark Side

prawn1 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:13:12 +0000

When I got married many years ago, I had a grand idea for my bride’s entrance. I imagined a pack of dogs — some small, others big — all dressed up in bowties, and in unison barking out the tune to the “Here comes the bride” march. My wife thought it sweet, albeit a bit silly. It never happened, but that didn’t mean that it was a bad idea.

Roll on 2012, and Volkswagen have created a super cute commercial with 12 dogs barking out the famed Star Wars Imperial March theme. An AT-AT walker appears in the video too, in an costume that looks similar to the one worn by our favourite AT-AT dog, Bones Mello. Check out The Bark Side below.

[via @jessjorgensen]

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Attack of the Sneaky Sea Snail

prawn1 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:27:59 +0000

Sloth are adorably cute but snails are on the opposite end of the scale. Cone snails are fiendish creatures, carnivorous, venomous, and predatory. This little clip from the BBC shows how exactly the gastropod feeds upon an unsuspecting fish that happens to be three times its size. It’s too horrible for words.

[via @Wakeangl]

Bath Time for Baby Sloths

prawn1 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:28:52 +0000

OMG SLOTHS!

They are adorable aren’t they? In this little clip from Animal Planet, a bed of baby sloths get treated to a bath of tea and leaves. It is just too cute for words.

[via @LaurenBeukes]

Attack of the Japanese Hornets!

prawn1 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:45:16 +0000

With its large body and wingspan, the Japanese giant hornet is quite the fearsome creature. It is known to prey on bees, often dismembering heads and limbs in the heat of battle. It eats their honey too, because after all, to the victor belong the spoils.

It is claimed that a single Japanese giant hornet can kill 40 honey bees in a minute, so can you imagine what damage a nest of them could cause? The BBC did exactly that. In this clip, a band of 30 Japanese giant hornets unleash hell upon a colony of 30,000 diminutive European honey bees. The attack is timed to some epic orchestral music.

The original clip along with the relevant commentary can be seen after the jump.

[via BlackNotes]

Beautiful Undersea Photography by Alexander Semenov

prawn1 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:58:42 +0000

Alexander Semenov is a marine biologist stationed at the White Sea Biological Station (WSBS), a remote research centre that is located on the Karelsky Coast in northwest Russia. Semenov is part of the dive team at WSBS and during his excursions, takes close-up shots of the truly beautiful and bizarre fauna lurking in the depth of the White Sea.

Have a look at some of Semenov’s amazing undersea photography after the jump.

Clione limacina

Aglantha digitale

Beroe Abyssicola

Coryphella verrucosa

Cyanea Capillata

Limacina helicina

Sarsia tubulosa

Aurelia aurita

Caprella septentrionali

Tubularia indivisa

You can see much more of Semenov’s incredible undersea photography on Flickr.

[via Behance Blog]

Starlings Take Flight in Amazing Murmuration

prawn1 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:00:53 +0000

A flock of birds. A murder of crows. A parliament of owls. The English language certainly provides descriptive terms for collections of birds. Perhaps one of the most interesting collective nouns is a murmuration. This term describes a gathering of starlings, and Vimeo user Sophie Windsor Clive was lucky enough to experience such a murmuration on the River Shannon in Ireland.

Clive recorded the amazing phenomenon where thousands of starlings are in flight, with one bird trying to copy the movement of the other. What results is a collections of wonderfully swirly, hypnotic patterns. It’s a breathtaking sight, you must see it.

What looks like a mating dance is actually a form of survival says The Telegraph. Starlings are prey for other larger birds and to avoid being the next meal, the starlings seek safety in the flock. They fight to stay away from the edge, because it’s easier predatory birds to snatch them up from there.

[via @Deems]

Animal Eyes, Up Close

prawn1 — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:30:00 +0000

You may recall Your Beautiful Eyes, a series by Armenian photographer Suren Manvelyan that took a closer look at the human eye. He carries on with this theme in his latest set of photos, this time his subject range includes fish cats, horses, and crocodiles. Have a look at this amazing macro shots of animal eyes after the jump.

Horse

Husky

Nylus Crocodile

Siam Cat

Tiger Python

Fish

See a few more close-up images of animal eyes on Manvelyan’s gallery.

[via +Jim Sher]

Mountain Biker Meets Angry Buck

prawn1 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:34:20 +0000

Whenever I’ve walked on the slopes of Table Mountain, the nicer mountain bikers are generally the ones going uphill. They’re far too out of breath to be of any danger to me. However, the ones coming down the hill seldom announce their presence. They scream down the rocky roads, leaving a trail of dust and angered walkers in their wake.

You’d think a mountain biker on the flat savanna wouldn’t be of much nuisance to anyone. Unfortunately for mountain biker, Evan van der Spuy of Team Jeep South Africa, that wasn’t the case. During a race at the Albert Falls Dam, van der Spuy rode past a grazing Red Hartebeest who reacted to the cyclist’s presence. And by “react”, I mean “charge the mountain biker and klap him something fierce”.

Yoh.

[via +James Francis]

This Dog is an AT-AT Walker

prawn1 — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:07:18 +0000

Judging from the look on his face, Bones Mello wishes his owner were locked up in a prison in a galaxy far, far away. The everso cute Italian Greyhound belongs to Katie Mello, a fabricator who decided dress her dog up as an imposing Imperial Walker from the Star Wars universe.

Have a look at some images of the fabrication process and final goofy result, after the jump.

If you’d like to see more photos and make contact with Bones, he now has a Facebook page.

[via @GoDsGiMp]

Intricate Cardboard Sculptures Created by Algorithms

Amazing Wood-Chip Sculptures by Sergei Bobkov

prawn1 — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 07:30:50 +0000

You might not believe it, but what looks like taxidermied animals are in fact made from completely from wood chips. Russian school teacher Sergei Bobkov cuts chips from the Siberian cedar to create wonderfully detailed sculptures of birds and animals.

To make the plummage for his bird sculptures, he cuts the wood chips from a cedar stick and soaks them in water for several days. He then rolls them into the shape of a feather. It’s a labour-intensive project and Bobkov spents up to six months to produce a sculpture. Have a look at some of his creations after the jump.

The enterprising artist has patented his unique method of manufacturing art sculptures.

[via The Telegraph | English Russia]

Oh Look! The Vasculature of a Porcine Heart

prawn1 — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:50:40 +0000

Back in 2007, Flickr user Rob Jones took a photo of the wonderfully intricate mess of veins and capillaries in a porcine heart. With its four chambers and four valves, a pig’s heart is similar to a human one and blood flows through it in a similar way to a human’s.

The image show a porcine heart where the blood was replaced with a plastic substance, and when the tissues surrounding the heart was dissolved, all that remained was the detailed vascular system. Have a look at the full image after the jump.

[via Photojojo!]

Moscow’s Subway-Riding Stray Dogs

prawn1 — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:09:55 +0000

The subways of Moscow are not only used by people. Some of the stray dogs who live on the outskirts of the city have learned how to use the transport system to ride into the centre of town, scavenge food, and then to return to the suburbs.

The dogs choose the less-crowded cars, and can be seen napping on the floors and on empty seats, or wandering amongst the commuters. Muscovites seem to tolerate the dogs, and in one station, there is a bronze statue dedicated to a stray who was stabbed to death by a heartless person. They rub its shiny nose for good luck.

Of the some 30,000 strays in Moscow, scientists seem to think that only a few have managed to master the subway routes by using the sights, smells, and announcements to figure out where they are and where they need to be. Some of the dogs have figured out where to sit to increase their chances of being fed. Others it seems are more cunning, and resort to sneaking up behind unsuspecting Muscovites and barking loudly so that they drop whatever food they may be eating. Some residents are incensed about the presense of the street-smart strays and want them deported, while others are pragmatic, asking people to learn to live with them.

Have a look at an ABC News report on the subway-riding dogs of Moscow.

To see more images and video clips, head to English Russia.

[via Oddity Central]

Incredible Macro Photography by Igor Siwanowicz

prawn1 — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:30:53 +0000

If you have a penchant for macro photography like I do, you’re sure to love the exceptional talents of Igor Siwanowicz. There isn’t much information about the photographer so his photos will have to do the talking. The subjects in front of Siwanowicz’s lenses include all manner of amphibians, insects, and reptiles. He captures the everso cute expressions on the faces of the chameleons and the Kung Fu poses that praying mantises are fond of.

Have a look at some of his stunning macro photos after the jump.

Click the images to see them bigger.

Chameleon Baby

Crested Gecko

Desert Horned Toads

Juvenile Yemen Chameleon

Jumping Spider

Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar

Kinyongia Multituberculata

Acanthosaurus Agamas

Devil’s Flower Mantis

Rhombodera Basalis

See hundreds more of Siwanowicz fantastic photos at Photo.net or on DeviantART.

[via Shortlist]

The Fastest Living Thing on the Planet?

prawn1 — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:10:37 +0000

In an episode of “Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds”, Richard Hammond travels to the English countryside in search of the fastest living thing on the planet. Would it surprise you to know that it lives in piles of horse poop? Be disgusted and/or amazed below.

If you had some concerns about Hammond’s confusion of speed and acceleration, you may want to read Rhett Allain’s article on Wired, where he uses maths to question Hammond’s claims.

[via The Presurfer]

World’s Smallest Aquarium is Super Cute

prawn1 — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:59:03 +0000

Anatoly Konenko is a Russian artist who specializes in miniatures, so much so that he even has Guinness World Record to his name. In 1996, Konenko created a 30-page, 0.9 mm by 0.9 mm book complete with text (and illustrations!), and won the award for the world’s smallest printed book.

Carrying on the theme of microminiature as he has done for 30 years, Konenko has recently created the tiniest of aquariums. Measuring just 30mm wide, 24mm high, and 14 mm deep, the glass tank holds 10 ml of water, plants, stones, and teeny-weeny fish! He uses a itty-bitty net to place the little Zebrafish into their home, and he has even crafted a water purification filter to keep the habitat clean and healthy. You must see images of this adorable little aquarium after the jump.

And here is a video of how Koneko assembles his aquarium.

[via The Awesomer]

All the Beautiful Fishes

prawn1 — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:50:16 +0000

The photos from David Hiepler and Fritz Brunier remind me of the Smarties’ slogan, “WotalotIgot!” Through a massive viewing window at the Georgia Aquarium, the photographers give us a spectacular look at the largest aquarium habitat in the world.

The Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world, housing over 120,000 sea creatures. It houses four whale sharks, and the aquarium was designed around the 6.3-million-US-gallon whale shark exhibit. Of the aquarium’s six galleries, the Ocean Voyager exhibit contains the most fishes and includes the gentle whale sharks who are named Alice, Norton, Ralph, and Trixie. The photos taken by Hiepler and Brunier are from the viewing window of Ocean Voyager exhibit. See them after the jump.

It’s a pity there are only three images but you can see user-submitted photos of the George Aquarium exhibits on Flickr.

[via Jim Sher on Google+]

Amazing Electron Microscope Images

prawn1 — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 07:15:02 +0000

A photomicrograph (or micrograph) is an image that is taken through a microscope, and we’ve covered a few of those on the blog including Nikon’s “Small World” competition, a traveller’s tale in a strange microscopic world, and an incredibly close-up look at insects. If you missed any of those, click here to see them.

North American scientific instruments company, FEI, is in the business of supplying electron microscopes to a various industries and it is the fantastic images taken by their line of scanning electron microscope (or SEM), that we’ll show you today. According FEI, their SEMs can magnify 20 to 1,000,000 times better a light microscope and can be used in tasks that contain long scientific words such as 3D cellular ultrastructure, macromolecular localization, and 3D tissue imaging. The proof is really in the details. Hit the jump to see some of the FEI’s microscopic images.

Hydrothermal Worm

This cute critter is a marine organism found near hydrothermal vents in the ocean. It has been magnified 525 times.

Platinum Nano-Wire

This is a platinum wire that has been milled to 50 nanometres in diameter. It is to be used a gas sensor.

Human Tooth

Dentin is found in teeth and comprises tiny channels called dentinal tubules. This images shows those tubules.

Biofilm

This images shows a biofilm that has developed on carbon steel after 14 days of immersion in seawater.

Canyon

This is what happens when you cut a semiconductor at a sloping angle.

Silver and Copper

These colourfully geometric objects are silver particles and copper crystals.

Catepillar Mouth

A catepillar’s mouth and sensory organs are shown here.

Sponge Spicule

This is an image of a spicule as found in a South African sponge (the animal, and not the dish-washing implement).

Crystal Ocean

These are copper crystals on a copper surface.

Nanoflowers

These flowers have been obtained through hydrothermal synthesis, a process of growing crystals from aqueous solutions.

See more wonderful images taken by electron microscopes on the FEI website or on Flickr.

[via James Francis on Twitter]

New World Transparent Specimens

prawn1 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:01:36 +0000

Fisherman and artist Iori Tomita turns the process of preserving animals into an art form. Tomita, who studied ichthyology at university, uses a interesting staining method to bring colour to animal carcasses. This is his process as explained by Wired:

Tomita first removes the scales and skin of fish that have been preserved in formaldehyde. Next he soaks the creatures in a stain that dyes the cartilage blue. Tomita uses a digestive enzyme called trypsin, along with a host of other chemicals, to break down the proteins and muscles, halting the process just at the moment they become transparent but before they lose their form. The bones are then stained with red dye, and the brilliant beast is preserved in a jar of glycerin.

The staining process for each creature can take anywhere from five months to a year to be complete. The results are absolutely striking, have a look at some of the see-through creatures in his New World Transparent Specimens series after the jump.

See more images on Tomita’s website.

[via Trendland]

Beautiful Macro Insect Photos by Leon Baas

prawn1 — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:45:04 +0000

If you liked Miroslaw Swietek’s shots of dew-covered insects, you make take a shine to the macro photos by Leon Baas.

The Dutch photographer has always been fascinated by insects, and with the help of books, he taught himself how to take close-up photos. Afters years of experimenting with different lighting methods and equipment, Baas says he has managed to develop a style of this own. Have a look at his some of his wonderful macro insect photos after the jump.

See more of Baas’ work at 1X.

[via Smashing Magazine]