Wild carrots are small, spindle-like, white, and slim. They are both aromatic and acrid making their flavour undesirable and therefore wild carrots are not a popular dietary option and are considered weeds in most countries. Nonetheless they was originally cultivated some 5,000 years ago in Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, for their aromatic leaves and seeds, for medicinal purposes, rather than for their roots.



However the cultivation of the carrot resulted in a significant change in both colour and taste, as they were selectively bred over the centuries to reduce bitterness, increase sweetness and minimise the woody core; this process eventually produced the familiar garden vegetable.



Up to the 17th century, the domesticated varieties of the wild carrot were purple or yellow, but at the turn of the 18th century Dutch growers created the orange variety that we eat today. This replaced the purple and yellow varieties, which had a tendency to brown soups and soups, thereby reducing the visual appeal of food.

Colourful and endearing frogs from Indonesia. (Click on image for full size.)

Many animals prefer to avoid the icy winter, either by migrating, or by hibernating, but not the river otter, who can often be seen playfully sledding down hills on their stomachs, or playing in the snow. Otters have a special coat of fur with guard hairs to keep out the elements, and wavy underfur to trap in warm air. This special fur, combined with oil to keep out water, acts as a splendid winter coat for the otters. With all the protection from the cold, otters can freely swim and dive through the icy waters, which is very useful as their diet comprises of fish.



When the surface of water bodies freezes over, otters just need to find a way to access the water below. Getting below the ice isn’t a problem for otters, as they’ll mainly stick near rivers or streams, places with flowing water, since the flowing water won’t freeze over like a lake or pond. And should a hole is made in the ice, otters will make sure that the hole doesn't freeze over again!



See also our interesting previous post on otters: zafoid.com/post/view/11139

Yelkouan Shearwaters (Garnija in Maltese, the local language) are seabirds endemic to the Mediterranean, that is endangered, and vulnerable to extinction. The LIFE Arċipelagu Garnija is an ongoing project working hard for the protection of these seabirds, and for securing their future within the Maltese islands, where up to 10% of the species' current population can be found.

Cute burrowing owls from the United States.

Oxpeckers are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, in open habitats, but are absent from the driest deserts and the rainforests. They graze exclusively on the bodies of large mammals, feeding on ectoparasites, particularly ticks, as well as on insects infesting wounds present in their hosts. The impala is their preferred host, probably because of their heavy tick load as well as the social nature of that species. Can you spot the oxpeckers in these images?

Synchronous fireflies glow yellow, illuminating the night at the forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.

Spiral whip coral off the coast of Indonesia.

Colourful birds from Australia.

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