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US calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza with draft UN resolution
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/21/us-calls-for-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza-with-draft-un-resolutionOpen linkView original on lemmy.mlThe longest insect, a stick insect (Phryganistria chinensis)
The longest insect, a stick insect (Phryganistria chinensis) measures 64 centimetres (25 in) in total length.
The carnivorous Cape Sundew plant eating a fruit fly over 6 hours
The Cape Sundew is a small carnivorous species of sundew native to the Cape in South Africa.
The plant secretes a sticky substance that then captures its prey by luring it through the dazzling digestive secretions produced on the tentacles of the leaves.
The secretion acts as a visual signal, as it shines in the sun and through the red tentacle tip, and is also a chemical attractant that attracts insects.
Trapped insects are then wrapped and brought towards the centre where secreted enzymes digest the insect.
Tsitsikama Black Rain Frog
Endemic to the southern coast of South Africa, the Tsitsikama Black Rainfrog is a burrowing frog, and can be found in tunnels up to 15 cm deep and spends most of its time underground. It generally prefers to avoid water.
It is primarily nocturnal and emerges from its burrow to scavenge for food.
It does not have tadpoles and instead has young which emerge from the egg as smaller versions of the adults. These are called froglets.
Phyllodoce lineata
A worm with 300 segments, 200 mm (8 in) long. It is native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
The Blue Pride-of-Nieuwoudtville
A vulnerable flower since its area of occupancy is less than 10km^2^ in the Karoo.
A 73,000-year-old doodle on a flake of stone from a cave in South Africa may be world's oldest drawing
Earliest known rock drawing
In 2011, archaeologists found small rock fragment among spear points and other excavated material. After extensive testing for seven years, it was revealed that the nine red lines drawn on the rock were handmade and from an ochre crayon dating back 73,000 years. This makes it the oldest known abstract rock drawing. The geometrical markings are an astonishing example of creative behaviour.
Augrabies flat lizard in Augrabies Falls, South Africa
Augrabies flat lizards are common on the granite walls of Augrabies Falls National Park, where they are exposed to thousands of tourists. In summer, they perform acrobatic leaps to catch black flies on the wing from the swarms that gather near rivers; they will also eat ripe berries of Namaqua figs. Augrabies flat lizards will follow bird flocks to find these fruit-laden trees.
One major predator of this lizard is the rock kestrel. Research indicates that the higher the UV levels on a male's throat, the more dominant it is and is less likely to be challenged. These flat lizards have been discovered to have a much higher visual sensitivity to UV light than other lizards species, allowing males to accurately distinguish between conspecifics of various fitness. They have as many as three times the number of UV photoreceptor cells in their retina compared to other lizards.