Golden Retriever (by Amie Anderson)
Que ternurita…
(Fuente: heathledgers)
Pandas at play in China
Chinese authorities estimate that there are only 1,600 pandas in the wild, with some 300 living in captivity, but many think these figures are very optimistic and the actual figures could be half these. | images by Clare Kendall
Done by Erica (alreadyseenalreadyheard.tumblr.com) at Thor’s Hammer and Needle in Poulsbo, Wa.
The innocuous-looking harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis, shown left) wields a biological weapon of mass destruction. Europe and North America imported the insects in the early 20th century to control pesky aphids. But the harlequin, native to Asia, began to flourish, crowding out the native seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata, shown inset). Scientists previously thought that the harlequin prospered because of an unusually strong antimicrobial immune system, which would protect it from disease in a foreign environment. But the beetle’s more potent secret is a fungal parasite, in the insect-afflicting Nosema genus, which lives in the beetle’s blood. The parasite doesn’t affect the harlequin but fatally overwhelms seven-spotted lady beetles within 2 weeks of infection, researchers report online today in Science. Ladybugs commonly eat the eggs of competing species, so when seven-spotted beetles feast on the harlequin’s parasite-laden eggs, the parasite strikes back. Researchers say that foreign invaders fare better when they bring along diseases that they’re already tolerant of, while other, closely related species (such as the seven-spotted ladybug) might not enjoy such conquistador-like success. | via sciencemag.org
This is my turtle that was done by Javier Eastman at Get Ink Tattoo in Norwalk, CT. Javier is a fantastic artist and very professional. I love the way my tattoo turned out and I couldn’t have asked for anything better!
