Nature 2024, November

Annam stick insects: appearance, lifestyle and captivity

Annam stick insects: appearance, lifestyle and captivity

Stick insects are unusual insects that live mainly in hot tropical countries. They have mastered the art of disguise to perfection, perfectly imitating various parts of plants. In nature, they are represented by a huge number of species, about one of them, the Annam stick insect, information is presented in this publication

One of the lightest tree species is balsa wood

One of the lightest tree species is balsa wood

A tree is different for a tree - and not only in appearance (fruits and leaves), but also in the structure of wood. Most often, builders have to deal with the definition of which tree is more practical and durable. Oak boards, pine, linden - all these trees are well known to us. But in tropical America, balsa is the most popular. This is the lightest tree in the world

The Red Book of the Saratov region: a list of plant and animal species

The Red Book of the Saratov region: a list of plant and animal species

The Saratov region is famous for its rich nature: protected forests, interesting animals and birds, in general, there is something to see. It is here that those species live that you can no longer see in other regions of our vast country

Do ferns bloom Opening the veil of secrecy

Do ferns bloom Opening the veil of secrecy

Which of us has not heard the legend about how on the night of Ivan Kupala a fern blooms its flowers? How the evil spirits rage, crawling out with all the composition to protect the precious color. How daredevils go into the forest to find a flower that will show the way to countless treasures. Yes, and what to hide, many of us also went to look for the color of the fern - some as a joke, some out of curiosity, and some just for a bet. Has anyone actually seen him? We'll find out very soon

The healing power of Centella asiatica

The healing power of Centella asiatica

The Chinese say that this plant is a "fountain of youth" that can prolong life. What is this magical flower? It's simple - it's Gotu Kola, or in a simple Asian Centella

Shrike - common shrike. Description, features

Shrike - common shrike. Description, features

Every day, whether in a city, village or any other place, we meet dozens of different birds. We know some of them from the school bench - these are the ubiquitous brawlers sparrows, magpie thieves, gloomy croaking crows, pleasing to the eye titmouse, leisurely strolling pigeons. But among them there are those who are difficult to recognize immediately, for example, the shrike bird

Large-flowered slipper: description of the plant, useful properties, use in traditional medicine, recipes

Large-flowered slipper: description of the plant, useful properties, use in traditional medicine, recipes

How many kinds of flowers does each of us know? Most likely a lot. These are roses, and chrysanthemums, and daisies, and peonies, and gladioli, and many, many others. However, there are those who not only delight with their unsurpassedness, but also surprise with their unusual appearance. For example, a lady's slipper is not to say that it is beautiful, but an unusually interesting and attractive plant. About him and the story

Blueberries and blueberries - what's the difference? Berry berry strife

Blueberries and blueberries - what's the difference? Berry berry strife

The tundra and Siberian forests are rich in a wide variety of berries - one who has never been to these parts cannot even imagine how much. Lingonberries, crowberries, cloudberries, junipers, cranberries, honeysuckle, blueberries and blueberries - you can list endlessly. That is why there is often confusion that blueberries and blueberries are the same berry. Like it or not - we will tell in this article

Real tinder fungus: description, application features, medicinal properties and reviews

Real tinder fungus: description, application features, medicinal properties and reviews

Probably, each of us at least once encountered mushrooms in life. We are taught to distinguish edible species from toadstools from a very young age

Black-throated loon: description, care features, habitat and interesting facts

Black-throated loon: description, care features, habitat and interesting facts

Loons are waterfowl, which are slightly smaller in size than the common goose. The peculiarity lies in the fact that their paws are completely unadapted to movement on the ground. Getting ashore, the bird is forced to practically crawl on the surface with its belly, but there are almost no traces of this method of movement

Cucumber tree - description, types, features of care and cultivation

Cucumber tree - description, types, features of care and cultivation

What is a cucumber, with what and how to eat it - each of us knows. We also know how cucumber grows - a herbaceous plant, which is the most ancient vegetable crop. But the inhabitants of Indonesia can say with confidence that it grows not only on shrubs. Cucumber tree, also called bilimbi, is the most common plant for Indonesians

River Lukh, Nizhny Novgorod region: description, sights and interesting facts

River Lukh, Nizhny Novgorod region: description, sights and interesting facts

Russia is famous for its rivers: the beautiful Ob, the mighty Amur, the full-flowing Lena, the Volga, the Kama, the Dvina - you can't list them all. And every river is beautiful in its own way

Onion Chalcedony: description, cultivation and reviews

Onion Chalcedony: description, cultivation and reviews

Onion is an indispensable vegetable in the kitchen of every housewife. It is not only added to various dishes, eaten just like that with bread, but also used in the treatment of almost all colds. Onions began to be used by people more than 5 thousand years ago. Central Asia is considered the birthplace of the vegetable. Today, not a single cuisine of the world can do without this vitamin-rich product. And thanks to agronomists, more and more new varieties are appearing, suitable for growing in different conditions

Swedish lake Mälaren: location and main attractions

Swedish lake Mälaren: location and main attractions

Mälaren is a lake in southern Sweden, located west of Stockholm. The Norrstrom channel connects it to the B altic Sea (S altsjön fjord). The area of Lake Mälaren is 1140 sq. km, it stretches for about 120 kilometers across Sweden and has over 1200 islands. The etymological name comes from the Old Norse word mælir, which appeared in historical records in the 1320s and means "gravel". Formerly known as Lǫgrinn, which is Old Norse for "lake

Top 5 unusual prickly flowers and plants

Top 5 unusual prickly flowers and plants

When you think of spiky flowers, the first thing that comes to mind is the rose. However, many plants have needles or spines, and many of them are great additions to gardens, borders, and other landscaping projects. From a biological point of view, thorns are a defense mechanism for plants. Well-known examples include aloe and thistle

Leopard sharks are the beauties of the underwater world

Leopard sharks are the beauties of the underwater world

The size of the leopard shark varies from 1.2 to 1.5 meters in length. It is a species of marten shark. The body is long and graceful with a short, rounded muzzle. Prefers to live in silty or sandy areas with a flat bottom, as well as near algae, rocky reefs or open coastal areas. Harmless and non-aggressive to people, so a photo of a leopard shark can be taken without fear of being bitten

The most beautiful lakes in Armenia

The most beautiful lakes in Armenia

Because of the high mountains, the Armenian Highland is considered a major source of water in Western Asia. The rivers Euphrates, Tigris, Araxes, Kura, Joroh, Khalis, Gale and some others originate from here and flow into the Persian Gulf, the Caspian, Black and Mediterranean Seas. The Armenian highland is famous for its three large, as well as numerous small and medium-sized lakes. The main lakes in Armenia are commonly referred to as seas

Macassar Strait: the mechanism of its formation, its significance in history

Macassar Strait: the mechanism of its formation, its significance in history

Between the islands of Borneo (Kalimantan) and Sulawesi in Indonesia is the Strait of Makassar, where a naval battle took place in 1942. In the north it is connected to the Celebes Sea, and in the south - to the Java Sea. The Mahakam River flows through Borneo and flows into the strait. Along it are the ports of Balikpapan, Makassar and Palu. The city of Samarinda is located 48 km up Mahakam. The strait is a common shipping route for ocean-going ships too big to pass through the Strait of Malacca

Unusual plants of the world. Predatory beauty or useful singularity

Unusual plants of the world. Predatory beauty or useful singularity

Unusual plants growing in the world, sometimes deadly for insects, sometimes very useful for humans. Which plants should be feared, and which should be appreciated, the article will tell

Black Sea mullet: description

Black Sea mullet: description

The Black Sea mullet, the photo of which is in this article, has several subspecies. This fish is caught from mid-summer until the onset of October cold weather. This is one of the most famous and sought after fish of the Black Sea. Mullet is very tasty, so a regular in the dishes of Sevastopol restaurants

Sea fish. Sea fish: names. Marine food fish

Sea fish. Sea fish: names. Marine food fish

In sea waters, as we all know, there is a huge variety of different animals. A fairly large proportion of them are fish. They are an integral part of this amazing ecosystem. The variety of species of vertebrate inhabitants of the seas is amazing. There are absolutely crumbs, having a length of up to one centimeter, and there are giants, reaching eighteen meters

Daylight in Moscow and St. Petersburg

Daylight in Moscow and St. Petersburg

Why are there white nights? What is daylight? Why are the days in Moscow longer in summer than in winter, and why are the nights white in St. Petersburg?

Winter flowers: description, photo. Indoor flowers in winter

Winter flowers: description, photo. Indoor flowers in winter

How long winter lasts with severe frosts, piercing winds and snowfalls! And sometimes it torments us with slush, gray and dull days. At this time, it is especially pleasant to receive a bouquet from a loved one. Of course, they are not as bright as in spring or summer, but when the weather is bad outside, they are especially expensive. Today we will introduce you the most beautiful winter flowers

Natural phenomena. Natural and dangerous natural phenomena

Natural phenomena. Natural and dangerous natural phenomena

Natural phenomena are ordinary, sometimes even supernatural, climatic and meteorological events that occur naturally in all corners of the planet

Sea grasses: types and descriptions, characteristics, photos and reviews

Sea grasses: types and descriptions, characteristics, photos and reviews

Sea grasses are plants that have adapted to living in sea water. Previously, these herbs grew on land, but gradually migrated to the marine habitat. All sea grasses, unlike algae, have rhizomes, stems, leaves, inflorescences and fruits. They grow wherever it is not very deep (up to 50 m depth). Their thickets resemble beautiful lush meadows

Coffee - a plant at home

Coffee - a plant at home

Probably every person would like to have an exotic coffee tree as a houseplant. The main obstacle to this is the erroneous opinion that growing and caring for it will require very significant efforts and investments, but in fact, this statement is not true, because coffee is a plant that is easily grown at home

Where camels live, others don't stand a chance

Where camels live, others don't stand a chance

The article tells about amazing animals - camels, about their habitat, features of the functioning of the body and life expectancy

Healing and magical stones: chalcedony

Healing and magical stones: chalcedony

From time immemorial, people endowed various stones with special properties. Chalcedony is a semi-precious mineral widely used in jewelry. Crystal is one of the varieties of quartz. It is transparent, and if impurities are excluded, then a pure stone turns out to be a grayish color

Red stones: names. Red gems

Red stones: names. Red gems

Red color kindles passion in us, appeals to primitive instincts, and also shows us the full power of chaos. This is the color of blood spilled more than once by people for various reasons. This is a shade of primitive bonfires, due to which a person survived in those days, having managed to tame the flame. The red color in the eastern countries symbolizes the Sun, which gives life to everything. In addition, it is impossible not to point out that in our proto-language "red" meant "beautiful"

Dyeing navel: description, characteristics and medicinal properties of the plant

Dyeing navel: description, characteristics and medicinal properties of the plant

Description and characteristics of the plant. Where is the dye navel used? Pharmacological properties of quercetin, which is part of the chemical composition of the plant. Growing a plant and its varieties

Blackberry gray: description, properties and application

Blackberry gray: description, properties and application

All the best to man is given by nature. Vegetables, fruits and berries are the most important source of vitamins; no complex can replace them. This is because everything in plants is useful. Natural substances are absorbed by the body much easier than something artificial

Tea bush: description, features, varieties, cultivation and recommendations

Tea bush: description, features, varieties, cultivation and recommendations

The name of Chinese tea Thea sinensis was fixed with the light hand of the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus, and thanks to him, Europeans still call this amazing drink that way. In 1758, they gave this name to the plant in honor of the Greek goddess of wisdom. And today a drink made from leaves collected from a tea bush is popular

Names and types of herbs. Types of lawn grasses

Names and types of herbs. Types of lawn grasses

Flowers and herbs in the modern world are used in various fields. Lawn gardening, treatment, decoration of compositions - grass is used in all this. But for each task and need, certain types are used

Tick activity. Tick season

Tick activity. Tick season

Nature is beautiful at any time of the year. But if in winter a person only threatens to freeze, then in the spring-summer period, all kinds of insects are activated. One of the most dangerous are ticks

Dart frogs are a dangerous beauty

Dart frogs are a dangerous beauty

How to keep exotic poison dart frogs at home, what are their varieties? Features of the blue and spotted poison dart frogs

Length of a crocodile: the maximum size of a predator known to science

Length of a crocodile: the maximum size of a predator known to science

Many aspects of the structure of predatory reptiles are known to science. For example, the weight, length of crocodiles, their natural species, the unique structure of the pupil. But in this article we will talk about the maximum size in length of such a dangerous predator and factors that can significantly affect this value

The most poisonous creature in the world (photo). What is the most poisonous creature on the planet according to the Guinness Book of Records?

The most poisonous creature in the world (photo). What is the most poisonous creature on the planet according to the Guinness Book of Records?

Many inquisitive people, most likely, wondered which creature is the most poisonous on earth. Interestingly, for a long time it was believed that these were snakes and spiders. But research scientists have painted us a different picture. And now we will consider what, in their opinion, is the most poisonous creature in the world. The top 10 below may surprise some nature lovers

Howling wolf Should I be afraid?

Howling wolf Should I be afraid?

Howling wolf… What is it? An ordinary picture from an art book, part of a landscape or a fragment of a nightmare?

Black smokers - hydrothermal springs at the bottom of the oceans

Black smokers - hydrothermal springs at the bottom of the oceans

The bottom of the ocean is as diverse as the earth's surface. Its relief also has mountains, huge depressions, plains and cracks. Forty years ago, hydrothermal springs were also discovered there, later called “black smokers”. See the photo and description of this curiosity below

Kurdzhips River - the place where the legend comes to life

Kurdzhips River - the place where the legend comes to life

About the Kurdzhips River, stretching from the Kuban to Adygea and flowing past the Guam Gorge, there is a popular rumor. But in today's material we will talk not only about the ancient belief, but for the most part about the reservoir itself, which attracts tourists with its extraordinary beauty