A pterodactyl was a dinosaur that could fly. In fact, according to scientists, pterodactyls were the first vertebrates to fly. Most pterodactyls were massive in size with some of them having a wingspan of nearly 33 feet!

However, paleontologists working in northeastern part of China have now discovered a smaller variety of this reptile. Actually small would be an understatement. Paleontologists have found a fossil belonging to a pterodactyl that had a wingspan of just 10 inches. This means that instead of being large and ominous, these dinosaurs had a size similar to that of a house sparrow.

This new pterodactyl has been named Nemicolopterus crypticus, which roughly translates to "hidden flying forest dweller". In addition, researchers have found that this tiny pterodactyl lived around 120 million years ago.

The fossil was found buried in rocks and the researchers found out that this pterodactyl did not have teeth. From studying the fossil, they also found out that this dinosaur spent a lot of time clinging on to the branches of trees. The fossilized bones had strongly defined curves which led scientists to conclude this.

Although evidence shows that the dinosaur was not fully grown, paleontologists have not been able to answer conclusively whether it would have grown bigger. One thing is for sure, even if this pterodactyl had grown bigger, it would still be smaller than the smallest pterodactyl fossils found until now.

So, maybe it is safe to conclude that tiny pterodactyls did exist. All paleontologists now have to do is find more of these fossils to convince their detractors.



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Hidden cameras to capture amazing photos of wildlife in their natural habitat is not a new concept, but has definitely been on the rise as the technology improves and researchers better understand how best to implement it. Scientists have greatly increased their efficiency in the painstaking labor of cataloguing exactly what species of animals reside in a given region, as well as document behaviors of the animals that would be impossible to observe directly. This is done by setting up a grid pattern of camera sites covering various habitat types and camera angles in each region.

Photos are triggered by infrared sensors allowing researchers to track groups of animals can be tracked as they move through the matrix. Evidence of rare species can be used to fight for conservation of dwindling habitat. In some cases several years may pass between sightings of endangered species may making them even more valuable. Sumatran Tiger, African Elephant, and the Rhinoceros are just a few examples of the hundreds on the endangered species list.

These types of hidden cameras are referred to as deercams or camera traps and are also used by hunters to see what types of animals are in a region and what size antlers bucks have. Digital versions are not unlike standard wireless security cameras, but are disguised to look like nature. Animals do not always appreciate camera flashes and sometimes a grumpy bear or irritable tiger will attack camera trap setups. Some scientists have even gone as far as rigging camera setups on the animals.

The photos obtained create an important bridge in educating the public. Humans are visual creatures, and children especially connect stunning images and develop a sense of the natural word in a day and age where everything seems to be force fed via television and computer screens. Hidden camera wildlife photography is certain to inspire the next generation of scientists and discoveries, as well as foster individual creativity and broaden worldviews by providing a fascinating glimpse of rarely seen creatures.

The award winning photography of Michael "Nick" Nichols, and his work on "The Last Place on Earth", is a fantastic example of how a combination of hidden camera traps and standard photography can be used to tell a story. Mike and his team spent 2 years traveling over 2000 miles through Congo rainforests documenting wildlife and natives in the region producing breathtaking images. Some of best images can be seen on his website are of charging elephants, a wide eyed mandrills reaching for a camera trap, and Babenzele children.


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I don't know why the Osage Orange is sometimes referred to has a hedge apple. It is true this hedge plant being a thorny tree has oft been used as a fence to keep the horses from jumping over it, the pigs from find their way under it, or the bulls from crashing through it. But if you look at the fruit it looks a great deal more like a mutant orange than any kind of apple.

When you first see the fruit you may wonder if it is edible. It is not. I looks like a bumpy grapefruit. What is true is that the trees were used as a kind of prairie fence before the advent of barbed wire.

Some say that there is something that can choke a horse-an Osage Orange. You will sometimes hear that farm animals get the fruit caught in their throats. Nevertheless, squirrels will sometimes rip away the flesh of the fruit to get at the seeds.

Hedge Apples produce entire trees which are male or female. Only the females produce fruit.

The wood is prized as bow wood by the archery crowd. It also make good fence posts that resist rot and it burns well in the fireplace too.

The Osage Orange has been shown to have some insect repellent properties. It contains a chemical which has a similar effect as the mosquito repellent Deet. In the past, some people have set out the fruit in their houses in an attempt to dissuade bugs from entering.

Wood from the tree was called Bodark because the French noticed that the Osage Indians used it to make bows of bows and arrows fame. So bois d'arc became bodarc or bodark. English speaking people often referred to trees as bow wood.

Like many of the world's most curious objects, the Osage Orange goes by many names. The scientists dubbed it Maclura pomifera. Other names are Osage-apple, mock orange, hedge-apple, horse-apple, and hedge ball. Some slang terms for the fruit are monkey ball, monkey orange and brain fruit.

Back in the wild west Hedge Apple trees were planted close together to form a living fence. Hedges formed from these trees were said to be "horse high, bull-strong, and hog-tight." The trees also served as wind breaks and shelterbelts and they slowed soil erosion.

The trees can grow to be 30 feet tall. They are in the same family as the mulberry (Moraceae).

Another name for the tree is yellow-wood. Some of its wood can be made to produce a yellow or orange dye.



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