This Wildlife Wednesday post was my last until next week because of my upcoming exams.  I feel blogging would be a distraction.  Sorry.

The Platypus, or Ornithorhynchus anatinus, is a monotreme native to Australia.  A monotreme is a very strange type of mammal.  Although it is technically a mammal as it secretes milk for its offspring and has hair, it also lays eggs.  Due to its strange appearance, it was first thought to be a joke when the stuffed carcass was brought back to England.

The Intriguing Duck-billed Platypus

The Platypus lives to be around ten years old.  They have short, dense dark brown fur on their back with a light brown underside.  Their bill is surprisingly flexible.  The bill is also very complex, being covered in sensory receptors that respond to electrical and tacitile changes.  Their short, webbed limbs hide venom ducts in males which are used in self defense or during fights for mating rights.  The venom is strong enough to cause pain in humans!   Their tail resembles that of a beaver and it aids in swimming and fat storage. 

Platypi hunt small frogs, crayfish, and insects in their freshwater habitats.  They usually hunt at night and sleep in their dens during the day.  These monotremes are also very adept swimmers who can close their eyes and nostrils while swimming or diving. 

Other notable monotremes include Echidnas (or Spiny Anteaters) which is also exclusive to that obviously strange island of Australia.

A Chilean volcano near the city Chaiten gushed lava and blasted ash more than 12 miles into the atmosphere today.  This promptly led to a complete evacuation of 4,000 people from the city.   After the eruption, rain fell, covering everything in a thick sheet of mud.  Fortunately, there is little lava emerging from the volcano, and it is moving slowly at that. 

A Photo of an Eruption from a Satellite

The volcano has been erupting for five days at this point.  It has been shooting a thick column of ash into the stratosphere.  The plume can be seen from as far away as Patagonia and Atlantic Ocean islands.  Officials in Argentina have also reported ash fall over wide areas in the southern part of the country.

The volcano lies in the Ring of Fire, which is where tectonic plates of the earth’s crust are constantly buckling, creating mountains and volcanoes.  The ring circles the Pacific Ocean.  Although this event reminds me of a Tommy Lee Jones movie (which was really bad), the casualties seem to be much lower because of the smart decisions of officials.  I only hope that we can learn from this event. 

NASA has put the launch of the final repair flight to the Hubble Space Telescope on hold for 5 weeks due to fuel tank problems.  The original date for take off was in late August.

A Previous Repair Mission to Hubble

Ever since the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster, additional time is required for safety inspections.  Improvements need to be made to the fuel tanks on the shuttle for the Hubble servicing mission, which is to carry a seven-man astronaut crew (at this point) in late September.  The ship Atlantis’ new fuel tank is the first NASA has built from scratch.  The new design will limit the loss of foam insulation that prevents damager to orbiters during liftoff.  During the Columbia disaster, a piece of foam gouged a hole in the left wing of the shuttle, ending in the death of all on board as it reentered the Earth’s atmosphere.  The agency required two new external tanks for the Spaceship Atlantis because the astronauts will not be able to restock in the International Space Station if the craft suffers severe damage.   

 

The Hubble mission’s delay also means NASA will have to push back a restock mission to the International Space Station.  It is not expected to effect NASA’s plan to complete the International Space Station’s construction by 2010.  NASA’s new shuttle, Discovery, is still on track for a May 31 launch. 

The Requiem by Verdi is a composition in the structure of a Catholic funeral Mass (the most famous Requiem is Mozart’s).  It was completed to mark the anniversary of the death of Alessandro Manzoni, An Italian poet.  It is known as the second best Requiem ever written (after Mozart’s) and is world famous for the double chorus needed to pull off the spectacular sound.  My good friend is one of those in the chorus.

An Orchestra and Double Chorus Performing Verdi’s Requiem

The terrifying “Dies Irae” introduces the traditional sequence of the Latin funeral feelings.  Trumpets surround the stage throughout the piece to produce the “inescapable call to Judgement of the Tuba mirum”   After this the famous tenor solo Ingemisco sends hope to the penitent dead.  The joyful “Sanctus”  starts with a “brass-filled fanfare to announce the coming of the Lord.”  Thus ends the Requiem.

Today, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing the piece along with the BPO chorus.  The BPO are adding a little twist to the story.  Instead of just performing the piece, they are including the story of the Defiant Requiem.  This was when a group of Nazi concentration camp prisoners performed the Requiem without expressed order to do so.  I cannot wait to see and hear this show.  I will rate it as a comment when I return.

Pete Seeger a Few Years Ago

Just recently, Pete Seeger, a true American hero and singer-songwriter, turned 89.  Mr. Seeger, happy birthday and many more.  Thanks for helping me become who I am.