BiologyCoachOnlineBlog

Last Week's #MysteryCreature was the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus).

First described in 1888, U. phantasticus is the smallest of the Uroplatus geckos. Adults range in length from about 2.5 to 6 inches (66 to 152 mm). Leaf-tailed geckos may have notches in their flattened tails (to mimic decaying leaves). However, this particular trait is seen predominantly in males and many experts have posited that such is a fo...

Last week's #MysteryAnatomy structure was the Common Carotid Artery.

The common carotid arteries supply the head and neck with oxygenated blood. The common carotid arteries are present on the left and right sides of the body. They subsequently divide into the external and internal carotid arteries. [The external branches supply blood to the face and scalp while the internal branches service the left and right sides of the brain.] The average diameters of the common ...

Last week's #MysteryCreature was Wallace's Flying Frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus).

A flying frog - sometimes referred to as a "gliding frog" - is a frog that has the ability to achieve gliding flight. That is, it can descend at an angle of less than 45° relative to horizontal. [Non-flying frogs descend vertically and only at angles greater than 45-degrees (which is referred to as parachuting)]. Gliding flight evolved as an adaptation to a life high a...

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Last week's #MysteryAnatomy structure was Hyaline Cartilage.

Hyaline cartilage is a translucent glassy (hyaline) soft tissue found on many joint surfaces throughout the body. Hyaline cartilage is firm in consistency and it contains a considerable amount of collagen. Hyaline cartilage contains no nerves or blood vessels.

Hyaline cartilage can be found in the larynx, trachea, and bronchi as well as on the articulating surfaces of bones. The collagen fiber...

"In a bid to stop the killing of elephants for their tusks, world governments voted at a major conservation conference to urge the closure of all domestic ivory markets.

After fierce debate -- including opposition from governments like Namibia and Japan -- the motion was adopted on the final day of the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress, a 10-day meeting that drew 9,000 people to Honolulu, Hawaii this month." Read more @ https://www.yahoo.com/...

The Mary River turtle is a short-necked, fresh-water turtle that is endemic to the Mary River in south-east Queensland, Australia. It is one of Australia's largest turtles. In fact, specimens with a carapace length of more than 20-inches (50 cm) have been recorded.

Adult Mary River turtles have an elonga...

Cardiac muscle is one of three types of muscles tissues found throughout the body. [The other two are skeletal muscle and smooth muscle.] Cardiac muscle (a.k.a. "heart muscle") composes the thick, middle layer - or myocardium - (between the endocardium and the epicardium) of tissue that forms the walls of the heart. The cells that make up cardiac muscle are called myocardiocytes.

Like all muscle tissue, cardiac muscle contracts. It is the serial contrac...

Last week's ‪#‎MysteryCreature‬ was the Naked Mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber).

The Naked Mole-rat, also known as the sand puppy, is a burrowing mammal native to parts of East Africa. It is the only species classified in the genus Heterocephalus. The na...

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Last week's ‪#‎MysteryAnatomy‬ structure was the pancreas.

The pancreas is a glandular organ that is located in the abdominal cavity and just posterior to the stomach. The pancreas, which is about six-inches (15-cm) long, is an organ with dual functions. That is, it functions as both an endocrine and a digestiv...