The inspiring Joey of Kangaroo!

Usually we see a big baby delivered from a huge animal. But in 1980s I read about an animal of six feet height, that delivers its bean like baby having only two inches as length! ...

Killifish eggs adapt to environment!

We see many adaptations in animals to their environment . Do you know that the eggs of a fish adapt to its environment? This fish is the Killifish (Cynolebias constanciae). It lives in rivers and streams in Brazil, South America. When there is a dry season, the pond in which it lives dries up and so, it dies in it. But its eggs escape from the season's effects, as they are preserved inside the moist mud of the pond. When the rainy season starts, these eggs sense the change in the environment and hatch out into fry (young fish)!

This Killifish is also kept as pet in aquarium. It is five centimeter in length. In aquarium, to breed this fish a dry season and a rainy season are mimicked to trick its eggs into hatching out! The life span of this fish is about two years and it is also used in controlling mosquito breeding, as it feeds on mosquito larvae also.

We have seen earlier in one of my older posts about the Lung Fish that estivates inside the mud. Here we have now seen the intelligent and wonderful adaptation of these eggs of Killifish too!

Keep cool yourself with Refrigerator!

Being in the tropical region the 'ice' has been a wonder matter since my childhood. Then I tasted the sweetness and the coldness of the 'ice fruit' purchased from cart man . We used to peep into the ice factory with much enthusiasm how this wonder is being made. Then came the 'ice-making chest' in the medical shops. I had placed the water inside the ice tray of its freezer compartment and later opened the freezer with amazement to see the water frozen into ice cubes. This 'ice chest' was nothing but our Refrigerator! It works on the principle of compressed gas on being released out, produces coolness at the site of its release. At school we were explained this with an example: 'while releasing the air from the bicycle tube by taking out the tube valve, place your finger tip on the mouth of the air releasing tube. You shall now feel the coolness!' Yet another example was also given: 'a drop of spirit put on the skin produces coolness by its evaporation into the air!' Similarly, inside the refrigerator (fridge) a gas like Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) is used. It is first compressed to its liquid state and then released into in its gaseous state, when it cools down our food kept in the fridge, taking out the heat from them!

Every place we go, we see this fridge being used. It preserves food preventing wastage by decay and enables us to store our food purchased in bulk quantity. It also gives us cool drinks that are inevitably preferred in summer to keep ourselves cool. Can we now imagine a life without this wonderful refrigerator?!

Sandgrouse has special care!

Sometimes, even at rain fed areas farmers have to bear with patience, and adapt to the lesser rainfall in their area. It is needless to say then about the desert-like 'no rain area.' Out of many adaptations made by animals in such areas, a wonderful parental care is noteworthy here. Sandgrouse (Pteroclididae) flies miles to find out a water hole, dips in it, and flies back with its water-soaked feathers. The thirsty and waiting chicks suck water from its feathers and quench their thirst! For this activity the sand grouse has feathers in its belly that are specially adapted to absorb water and retain it. It has also got its legs feathered!

This sand grouse that has a pigeon-like small head, is a seed eater. It is monogamous. Both the male and the female share incubating duties. Chicks that hatch out from the eggs begin to feed for themselves at once.

This sand grouse is a wonder bird with its wonder and special parental care!