We had never heard of a pangolin until we watched this Brain Scoop video by Emily and the team at the Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum at The University of Montana. A quick search turned up this fascinating video by NatGeo Wild, which shows how this prehistoric-looking mammal walks on its hind legs, showing off its keratin scales, large tail, and huge front claws.
There are eight species of pangolins found throughout Africa and Asia. They are closely related to Xenarthrans – anteaters, armadillos, and sloths. Pangolins are mostly nocturnal. Some can hang from trees using their tails. Some sleep rolled up. Their reeeeeally long tongue helps them eat ants and termites.
There is a white-bellied tree pangolin living at the San Diego Zoo. You can watch an official zoo video about him or watch this more personal introduction.
From National Geographic’s I Didn’t Know That, this flexible, concrete-laced canvas can be put up by two people and ready to use as shelter within 24 hours. It’s essentially a building in a bag. With water to activate the concrete and air to inflate it into shape, the concrete hardens into a solid structure that resists fire and water. It can even become a sterile, hospital-like environment, an essential need in humanitarian crisis situations.
via Viral Viral Videos.
In collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, National Geographic just released a video explaining the impact of a cotton t-shirt: how much water it takes to make just one, how much energy it takes to grow, manufacture, and transport that shirt, and how much water and energy it takes to care for that shirt in your home. The video also explains how we can make a difference in reducing the resources used in care for that shirt:
One load of washing uses 40 gallons of water. One load of drying uses 5 times more energy than washing. In fact, skipping the ironing and drying of your t-shirt, saves a third of its carbon footprint.
Whether it’s reducing waste, saving energy, or being a conscious consumer, small actions can make a big difference. Think about ways that you could save energy and water.
Interested in a few changes that makes an impact?
1. Buy and share second-hand clothes. Related watching: Jessi Arrington’s Wearing Nothing New TedTalk about buying thrift store clothing. Two favorite quotes: “Color is powerful. It is almost physiologically impossible to be in a bad mood when you’re wearing bright red pants.” and ”Fitting in is way overrated.”
2. Buy a drying rack at a local store and let the sun (or the heat in your house) do all of the work!
Watch more videos about conservation here.
Koalas running. Koalas eating. Koalas clinging to legs. Koalas nose to nose. Koalas being ridiculously cute.
In an ongoing series, Koala Hospital, National Geographic travels to Port Macquarie, Australia, a few hours from Sydney, to visit the 40-year-old refuge for wild koalas. Volunteers there are clearly delighted at the chance to frolic with the fluffy marsupials, who cling adorably to tree branches and human legs alike. If you can’t make the trek but you want to contribute, you can adopt a wild koala via the hospital’s website, or help them plant a food tree, to counteract the koalas’ loss of habitat.
via The Atlantic.
Cheetahs on the Edge—Director’s Cut from Gregory Wilson, who was a part of the team who captured these stunning slow motion shots of cheetahs running:
Cheetahs are the fastest runners on the planet. Combining the resources of National Geographic and the Cincinnati Zoo, and drawing on the skills of an incredible crew, we documented these amazing cats in a way that’s never been done before.
Using a Phantom camera filming at 1200 frames per second while zooming beside a sprinting cheetah, the team captured every nuance of the cat’s movement as it reached top speeds of 60+ miles per hour.
The extraordinary footage that follows is a compilation of multiple runs by five cheetahs during three days of filming.
For more information about cheetah conservation, visit causeanuproar.com/
Two (of many) mesmerizing things about this video: the steadiness of the cheetahs’ heads and the amount of time their back legs seem to not touch the ground.
More about how the cheetah’s speed has ”achieved nature’s optimal balance of size, running ability and weight” at It’s Okay to Be Smart.
