Bird Name:

Long-tailed tit

Latin Name:

Aegithalos caudatus

Status:

Least concern

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Aegithalidae

Genus: Aegithalos

Species: A. caudatus

General Information:

The Long-tailed tit is a common European bird. They are lively birds than can be aggressive. They will roost together, which helps preserve body heat. Up to 50 birds can be clustered together at once. The large groups are often quite noisy.

Physical Description:

The long-tailed tit is a small, fluffy bird with a long-tail. The tail accounts for nearly half the body length, which averages 15 cm. A thick black stripe above each eye extends back to collar. The head and upper breast are otherwise whitish while the underparts are rose-pink. It has reddish brown shoulders with white edges to the flight feathers. The long tails is black and edged in white. Sexes are alike. The young have brown coloring on their heads. Regional variations to color due occur.

Diet:

The diet of the Long-tailed tit consists of invertebrates and seeds.

Habitat:

Resides in Europe but is absent from the central and northern parts of Scandinavia. Its range extends into Asia but not into Africa. It lives in deciduous and mixed woodland with a thick understory. Its nest is ball or bag shaped and usually incorporates moss, lichens and spider webs and is lined with feathers. Pair spends 2-3 weeks building the nest. It is so small their tails must curl under to fit inside.

Reproduction:

The breeding season extends from February to June. The clutch consists of 7 to 12 white eggs with reddish speckling. Incubation takes about 13 days and is done solely by female, although male will bring her food. Young are fed by both parents and will fledge after 14 to 18 days. If the nest is predated, adults will participate in cooperative breeding with relative birds.

Bird Name:

Greater India Hill Mynah

Latin Name:

Gracula Religiosa intermedia

Status:

Least concern

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Sturnidae

Genus: Gracula

Species: G. Religiosa

Subspecies: G. Religiosa intermedia

General information:

Commonly known as the Talking Mynah, the Greater India Hill Mynah is one of 10 subspecies of G. religiosa, and is considered the northern subspecies. The Greater India Hill Mynah is an extremely vocal bird and is renowned for its ability to imitate. Along with the Java Hill Myna (G. religiosa religiosa) they are the most commonly captured and imported of the Hill Mynahs for the pet trade. Described by many as the best talking bird in the world, Hill Mynahs can choose to imitate any human voice and speak in high or low tones.

Physical Description:

The Greater India Hill Mynah averages 27 cm in length but can reach up to 35 cm. It is much larger in size than the Lesser Hill Mynahs. It has glossy black feathers which turn purple-blue when exposed to the sunshine. The wings show a white band and there is obvious yellow skin behind and below the eyes. The eye and nape patches are connected, which distinguishes it from the other subspecies. The bill is orange with a yellow tip. The feet and legs are also yellow. Males and females are similar. Juveniles also resemble adults, except their coats are dull and may have a ragged appearance before their first molt.

Diet:

The diet consists of fruits, berries and seeds of various shrubs and trees. They are also known to eat insects and small lizards.

Habitat:

The Greater India Hill Mynah inhabits north India, China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and the northern through central part of Thailand. They prefer areas of high rainfall and humidity and spend most of their lives in trees. They are known for inhabiting dense jungles near the forest edge, although they are now commonly found on tea and coffee plantations with many flowering shade trees. While not breeding large flocks accumulate, but couples are obvious.

Reproduction:

The Greater India Hill Mynah nests in small tree holes usually located at the forest edge. Several pairs may nest in the same tree without territorial aggression. The monogamous pair searches together for the nesting site. Both sexes fill the hole with twigs, leaves, and feathers. Females instigate copulation by stretching horizontally and flapping their tails up and down quickly. The average clutch is 2 eggs which are blue with brown spots. Incubation lasts 13-17 days and the majority is done by the female. Parents will feed the nestlings together and they will leave them unattended when searching for food. The young fledge after a month and the pair will begin a new clutch. Hill mynas average 2-3 clutches per year, with the most occurring in warmer climates. Breeding is between April and July, although it does vary slightly by region.

We've all heard it so many times that it's just one of those things that's obviously true. But how many of us have actually seen a flying fish and watched what they do?

I've watched them many times. I used to see them all the time when I was in the U.S. Navy and sailing the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and especially the South China Sea. From what I've observed, I think that "obviously true" assessment doesn't do justice to the behavior and abilities of the flying fish. Watch them for a while, and you will see that they don't "just glide."

For one thing, they have considerable control of their direction and flight attitude. They can, to some extent, choose where they will reenter the water. They can steer around breaking whitecaps or floating debris. They can cut their flight short and descend sharply to the water when they want to.

More remarkably, they can, and in fact they do more often than not, gain power, airspeed, and altitude without reentering the water.

Well, without reentering the water completely.

The lower lobe of the tailfin of every flying fish I ever saw is noticeably larger than the upper lobe. After the fish has nearly lost its initial energy and begins approaching the water, it will usually arch its body to dip this lower fin back into the water, then it shuttles its tail back and forth to gain speed and rise into the air again.

If the water is really dead flat, they just dip their tails into the water wherever they happen to be when they get too low. However, if there is any swell at all, even the long swell in a ripple-free sea, they seem to choose to dip their tails into the water on the "uphill" side of a wave, and so get a "ski-jump" effect that maximizes their altitude.

They can do this repeatedly on a single "flight." I've seen at least five cycles of dip-shuttle-rise that carried a flying fish for more than two hundred yards without returning to the water. I suspect that the limiting factor is either their skin drying out, or their blood oxygen running low. In a pinch, I could imagine a flying fish extending a "flight" for over a half a mile if it needed to.

Do flying fish really fly, or do they just glide? No, it isn't "flying" the same as a bird or a bat or an insect flies, but I think it's a good deal more than "just gliding."

Things I've Read, but Haven't Seen

I've read that there is at least one species of flying fish that flaps its "wings" in flight, but I've never seen it. I've also read that at least some flying fish can use the "ridge lift" of a wave to extend their flight, much as an albatross or a pelican glides, but I can't say as I've seen that either. Nevertheless, I still believe that to say a flying fish "just glides" is understating the truth about this remarkable family of fish.

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Genus: Trichosanthes

Species: cucumerina

Synonyms: Trichosanthes anguina

Common names: Snake Gourd, Snakegourd, Pointed Gourd, Serpent Gourd, Chinese Cucumber, Gualou

General Description: Snake Gourd is an annual climber with lobed, rich green leaves. It has white flowers that bloom in the summer followed by white striped slender fruit that turns orange when ripe. The unique fruit can be up to six feet in length. The lacy white flowers bloom only after dark. The genus Thichosanthes comes from the Greek and means "hair flower", which describes the fragrant and delicately fringed white petals. This species is commonly grown for its use as a vegetable or use as a medicine.

Location: This tropical vine is native to southeastern Asia and Australia but is currently cultivated throughout the world.

Uses: Many parts of this plant are used including the fruit, seed and roots. The fruit is considered to be anthelmintic, emetic, and purgative. The seed are cooling. There are also a number of medicinal uses for Snake Gourd including use as an aphrodisiac, a laxative, and to treat worms. It can be used ot treat ailments such as wasting, thirst and fever. Another interesting use for Snake Gourd is the fruit can be used as a soap substitute.

Snake Gourd, which is part of the pumpkin family, is chemically very diverse. Peptides in the plant are used as an abortifacient in China. Alkaloids have also been reported in the family which, however, is noted for a class of compounds called the cucurbitacins. Saponins, sterols, and phenolics are also known.

This tropical plant is commonly eaten in Indian and other southeastern Asian dishes. It is a common ingredient in many curries.

Disclaimer: The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Any reference to medicinal use is not intended to treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease.

Ivory comes from animal teeth and tusk and has been used traditionally by many different cultures. It can be very difficult to tell real ivory from synthetic or fake ivory. The problem is that real ivory varies so much in color and grain. There are ways of telling fake ivory from real ivory just by performing a few tests. Of course to be 100% sure a chemical test has to be done. Ivory was used for centuries in Chinese dragon artwork and Eskimo Carving.

Most fake ivory is made up of either plastic or a resin of old ivory that is ground down and mixed with another synthetic. Bone carvings are also easily confused with ivory carvings. Bone carvings are generally have far less value than those of ivory. Plastic and resins are usually smoother than real ivory. Looking at bone under magnification you will see a lot of pitting something that real ivory will not have.

The hot pin test can help you determine the difference between plastic, synthetic, bone and ivory. Its best to perform this test on the bottom of the object that is not visible as it may cause damage to plastic objects. Heat a needle until it is extremely hot than touch the needle against the object you are testing. A hot needle can not penetrate real ivory like it will a plastic or resin. When you touch bone with a hot needle smell the area that you touched. It should have a very unique smell like burning hair. When you touch ivory with a hot needle you will smell something more like a burning teeth dentist office type smell. Passing this test is a pretty good indication that you have real ivory.

If your collecting ivory a magnifying glass of 15x is a must and a UV light is recommended.

Family: Rhizophoraceae

Genus: Rhizophora

Species: mangle

Common name: red mangrove, mangrove

General Description and Location: The Red mangrove is a tree incredibly important to tropical and subtropical coastlines. It naturally stabilizes coastal mudflats and helps reduce erosion. In addition, it is a feeding and breeding ground for fish, juvenile fish, shellfish, birds and coastal wildlife. There are a number of mangrove species, but the Red mangrove is the most common and widespread.

Red mangrove is found on the water-ward side of mangrove swamps, protecting the ecosystem from heavy waves and erosion. As a result, Red mangrove is one of the most ecologically important woody plants on the planet. These small trees are pummeled by tides daily, but their vine-like roots absorb air through pores, and are thus well-suited for their home.

Uses: These salt-tolerant shrubs and trees are also used in a variety of medicinal treatments. Red mangrove is a traditional tribal remedy for angina, asthma, boils, diarrhea, dysentery, eye ailments, fever, hemorrhage, inflammation, jaundice, leprosy, sores, sore throat, and wounds. In addition, Red mangrove is a tree used in production of charcoal.

These swamps are productive natural communities, providing vital sources of energy for wildlife. The vegetation is low and dense, a forest of small trees emerging in saltwater, tideland flats along tropical and subtropical coastlines. Mangrove forest ecosystems have been seriously affected by the hurricanes which have devastated the Florida Everglades in this century.

The world's tropical and sub-tropical coastlines are dominated by these swamps, being distributed much like coral reefs. With changes wrought by global warming, these swamps and the important ecosystem support they provide are in peril.

Disclaimer: The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Any reference to medicinal use is not intended to treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease.

Family: Zingiberaceae

Genus: Alpinia

Species: zerymbet

Synonyms:Alpinia speciosa, Alpinia nutans, Costus zerumbet, Catimbium speciosum, Languas speciosa, Zerumbet speciosum

Common Names: boca de dragon, colonia, de tui maux, getto, jockey club, light galangal, palo santo, pink porcelain-lily, shellflower, shell ginger, tous maux

General Description: The Shell flower is a member of the ginger family that is native to western Asia. It has become an interesting garden perennial throughout the world. It is most commonly cultivated and distributed in the tropics, including Brazil, Peru, the Amazon, and the USA states of Florida, Hawaii and the territory of Puerto Rico.

Location: This plant is an evergreen tropical perennial with tall clumps of green leaves growing to ten feet tall in warm tropical climates. It produces ginger-like rhizomes from which the plant grows. This is a beautiful plant that is becoming popular as a house plant because of its tropical appearance. It is also used as a landscape plant in warmer climates. Several different cultivars are now for sale in United States garden stores under the name "variegated ginger." In these typical conditions, the plants are smaller; they reach eight feet in a green house and three to four feet tall as a houseplant.

Shell flower gets its name from the individual shell pink flowers that droop from the ends of the stems. The flowers resemble sea shells. The flowers are fragrant and waxy.

Alpinia is a large genus with more than 230 species from the Ginger family (Zingiberaceae). They are in demand throughout the world as ornamentals because of their bright, eye-catching flowers.
Shell flowers prefer medium wet, well drained soils in full sun to semi-shade. As a house plant, it needs bright light and humidity. The plants don't produce flowers until the second year.

Uses: The long leaf blades of the Shell flower are used for wrapping zongzi in China; zongzi are Chinese rice dumplings. In Brazilian herbal medicine, Shell flower essential oil is a tonic for hypertension and cardiac health. This plant has many other uses around the world: balsamic, diuretic, colds, flu, fevers, intestinal bloating and gas, stomach problems and indigestion.

Family: Smilacaceae

Genus: Smilax

Species: officinalis, aristolochiaefolia, glabra, febrifuga, ornata, regelii, japicanga

Common names: Sarsaparilla, salsaparrilha, khao yen, saparna, smilace, smilax, zarzaparilla

General Description: Sarsaparilla is a brambled, woody trailing vine that grows up to 50 m long. It often climbs high in the rainforest canopy. Birds feast on its small flowers and black, blue, or red berry-like fruits. The vines have long prickly stems and shiny leaves; they may be cultivated to form impenetrable thickets.

Location: Smilax, a member of the lily family, is native to tropical and temperate parts of the world and comprises about 350 species worldwide. It is native to South America, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Mexico, Honduras, and the West Indies. Many species of Smilax around the world share the name sarsaparilla; these are very similar in appearance, uses, and even chemical structure.

Uses: The primary uses of sarsaparilla include the flavoring of beverages and homeopathic medicine. Sarsaparilla is a name you'll probably recognize as it was once fermented to make root beer. Sarsaparilla remains the herbal ingredient in root beer today.

It has been difficult and confusing to determine with accuracy the medicinal properties of sarsaparilla since studies have been done with different species of sarsaparilla, including Smilax china, S. glabra,and S. ornata. Roots are used for medicinal purposes. They are reddish-brown, tuberous and may grow six to eight feet long. Sarsaparilla root was used as a general tonic by indigenous tribes in South America, where European traders found it and introduced it into their culture in the 1400s. This root has been used for centuries by the indigenous peoples of Central and South America for sexual impotence, rheumatism, skin ailments, and as a general tonic.
Sarsaparilla is an anti-inflammatory herbal remedy that is believed to ease rheumatism, arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, including skin disorders. Sarsaparilla roots are odorless and fairly tasteless, and are generally considered safe if taken as prescribed. Sarsaparilla is however taken in conjunction and combination with various other herbs, and seldom alone.
It is now available in a variety of tablets, capsules and tincture products in many modern natural and health food stores.

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Genus: Croton

Species: lechleri, salutaris, palanostigma

Common names: Sangre de grado, sangre de drago, dragon's blood, drago, sangue de drago, sangue de agua

General Description: Sangre de grado is a tree that grows from 30 to 60 feet high in the upper Amazon rainforest of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. It is also the name of the red latex sap from the Peruvian Rainforest that has been used for centuries for healing sores and bleeding. Sangre de grado is a sustainable rainforest resource that has many potential applications.

Uses: Although its traditional use has been for healing wounds, Sangre de grado is also used for its antibacterial and antiviral properties; it is considered an antiseptic. It can be used both internally and topically. Examples include treatment for vaginal hemorrhaging, tumors, stomach ulcers, swelling from arthritis, tooth extraction, hemorrhoids, pharyngitis, tonsillitis and diarrhea. Its antiseptic properties lend well for healing of ulcerations in the gastro-intestinal tract as well as wounds on the skin.

This ethno-medicinal red tree sap is obtained from several species of Croton. The Sangre de grado tree emits blood-red sap which is collected and processed. Sangre de grado may also be sold either as a liquid straight from the tree, or the bark may be processed and sold.

Clinical research in 2000 showed that "...Sangre de grado is a potent, cost-effective treatment for gastrointestinal ulcers and distress via antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and sensory afferent-dependent actions. In traditional Amazonian medicine sangre de grado is used as an oral gargle for sore throat, as a vaginal antiseptic after childbirth, topically as a hemostatic, and taken internally for wound healing. In recommended dosages, sangre de grado is considered non-toxic, and there are no known contraindications or drug interactions." (Alternative Medicine Review, 2001)