Tigers Butchered for Trade at "Zoos" in China?

December 29, 2009--Tourists feed tigers at the Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Park, a private zoo in Guillin, China, in an undated photograph.

Many such tourist attractions secretly operate as fronts for illegal tiger farming, butchering captive tigers for their parts, National Geographic magazine reports in the January 2010 story "Asia's Wildlife Trade."

On the eve of 2010--the Year of the Tiger in Chinese astrology--the big cats remain highly coveted. A dead adult male can sell for U.S. $10,000 or more on the black market. Tiger bones and penises are often used in traditional medicines, and some restaurants serve tiger meat, including, a recent DNA test suggests, the restaurant at Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Park, according to the National Geographic magazine article.

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Rare Monkeys Spotted in Vietnam

The survival of a subspecies may be riding on these monkeys' backs. The largest known troop of gray-shanked douc langurs (above left)—among the world's most endangered primates, has been discovered in central Vietnam. (See Vietnam map.)

About a thousand of these tree-dwelling, tangerine-tinted animals, first identified in 1997, are thought to exist. Some live in captivity, such as the douc pictured above (right).

Until the recent expedition, led by a team of WWF and Conservation International scientists, only one other population with more than a hundred individuals had been recorded.

Since the team began the survey in 2005, they have counted at least 116 monkeys—and they estimate about 180 make up the newfound population.

But the scientists have surveyed just a small section of Quang Nam Province—meaning it's possible more endangered monkeys lurk in these forests.

"To put it into a human perspective, this discovery is like finding a new country with over one billion people in it," Ben Rawson, a Conservation International wildlife biologist, said in a statement.

"We now have a much greater opportunity to overcome the very serious threats faced by this species and prevent its disappearance from our planet."

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Hundreds of Rare Gibbons Found in Vietnam

A male northern white-cheeked gibbon (left) and a mother carrying her baby hang out in a treetop in Vietnam's Pu Mat National Park in a recent picture.

The animals are part of a newfound population of more than 400 of the gibbons, which are deemed critically endangered in Vietnam and Laos by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The gibbons, which have declined due to widespread hunting and logging of their habitat, are likely extinct in China.

Conservation International had been searching for the rare primates since 2008, finding only a few scattered groups—until now. New auditory sampling surveys—during which researchers record the calls of gibbon "families"—have revealed that Pu Mat is home to 130 gibbon groups, for an overall population of roughly 455 individuals.

The discovery of such a large gibbon population may mean the species has a better chance of long-term survival, the scientists say.

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Video about Javan Rhino Extinct in Mainland Asia

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Javan Rhino Extinct in Mainland Asia

The Javan rhinoceros is extinct in mainland Asia, conservationists announced this week.

An adult female Javan rhino was shot and killed in a Vietnamese forest last year—leaving just one wild population left of the species in the world, a group of fewer than 50 individuals in a small park in Indonesia.

"The last Javan rhino in Vietnam has gone," Tran Thi Minh Hien,Vietnam director of the nonprofit WWF, said in a statement. (Watch a video of the Javan rhino's road to extinction.)

In April 2010 park rangers discovered the remains of the female rhino, which appeared to have died only a few months before.

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Video about Ornithoptera

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World of Insect Giants: Giant Butterfly

The largest winged insect in the world is the Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterfly, with females being the larger of the species having a wingspan of up to 12 inches (30cm). Female Ornithoptera alexandra (the scientific name for these giant butterflies) are not as brightly colored as the exotic males, which have iridescent scales of green, lavender, and blue. Not only are these magnificent creatures extraordinarily beautiful, they are also very rare. Queen Alexandra birdwings are found living only in remote jungles of Papua New Guinea.

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Video about Giant Tarantula

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Biggest Spider: Goliath Tarantula

Goliath Tarantulas are Fearsome Predators

There's something about spiders that gives most people the creeps, instilling a sense of fear and loathing upon seeing one. It's as though there's a part of the human brain that perceives the form of a spider as dangerous or threatening. Perhaps those deep dark feelings we get when we see a spider are echoes of an ancient human behavioral response known as instinct. Most of the thousands of species of spiders on this earth carry a venom that is virtually harmless to humans, but there are a few species which carry a deadly venom.

Based on primitive human experiences a permanent message has been embedded in our genetic make-up, one that warns us that spider = danger. And when we see a spider that is as large as a dinner plate, we get the creeps big time (or maybe it's just me).

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Oldest Living Organism: Ancient Bacteria

Of all the world records profiled on Extreme Science this one has proved to be the most elusive and tricky to keep updated. It seems there are a number of different organisms that hold the record for the "longest lived" and their exact ages are still under investigation. In fact, the only thing we can report for certain is that the records listed here will probably be upstaged by a new discovery in the near future. Below is a listing of what is currently in the literature as some of the oldest organisms still living today:

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Oldest Living Creature: Madagascar Radiated Tortoise

A Madagascar radiated tortoise presented to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain Cook in either 1773 or 1777 lived to the age of at least 188 years old! The animal was called Tui Malila. The venerated tortoise appears in the photo at right taken in 1953 when Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Tongan royal family.

Madagascar radiated tortoises are an endangered species found living only in the extreme south of the Island of Madagascar. They are called radiated tortoises because of the unique pattern of coloring on their shells, where yellow streaks radiate from the the 'scales' on the top shell - the carapace.

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Most Ferocious: Piranha

From the moment tiny baby piranhas hatch from their microscopic eggs, they come into the world armed and dangerous. Baby piranha will feast on tiny crustaceans, fruits, seeds, and aquatic plants. Once they reach about 1.5 inches in length they begin feeding on the fins and flesh of other fish that wander too closely. As they grow larger they begin to venture out in groups (shoals) of about 20 fish where they use a variety of hunting strategies to kill and eat their prey. Heck, they don't kill their prey first, they just start eating the victim alive - that's what makes them so ferocious. Adult piranha have been known to eat their own babies. Talk about brutal!

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Largest North American Cat: Mountain Lion (Cougar)

Mountain lions are generally secretive, solitary and elusive. Most people never see this animal in the wild. In fact, both field biologists and outdoor recreationists rarely see mountain lions, even in habitats that support relatively dense populations. That is why it has come to be known as the "Ghost Cat". The fact that this animal is rarely seen by humans in its native habitat gives the false impression that there are very few of them, when quite the opposite is true. The California Department of Fish and Game puts their numbers at about 5,100 adults ranging over a habitat of about 80,000 square miles

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Largest Carnivore on Land - Polar Bear

Polar Bears are Cool

These guys seriously know how to pose for the camera! Not only are they cool in front of the camera, but they live in the coolest places on the planet - literally. Arctic sea ice, water, islands, and continental coastlines around the arctic circle are home to these massive carnivores. The temperatures where these bears live ranges from an average -29°F/-34°C in winter and 32°F/0°C in summer. The coldest area in winter is northeastern Siberia, where the temperature has been recorded as low as -92°F/-69°C. Not so great for people, but fine if you're a polar bear with an extremely dense fur coat.

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Largest Land Animal: African Elephant

The largest African elephant weighed 13.5 tons (27,000 pounds) The world record holder weighed this much and stood 13ft/4m tall at the shoulder. There are other species of elephants, namely the Asian and the Indian, but they are much smaller than the African. The African elephant is the king among the giants on land. No other land animal comes close to the size of these creatures. It would take 165 full-grown men to make up the same weight as the world's record African elephant. The noise of an elephant digesting its food (when its tummy's growling) can be heard up to 600ft/183m away. Elephants actually have control over their digestive processes because they are able to stop the sounds of digestion when they sense danger. Here are some other cool elephant factoids:

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Largest Invertebrate: The Colossal Squid

Scientists have known about the existence of a species of squid that is reported to be significantly larger than the giant squid, but had not seen or collected a complete specimen of the Colossal squid, named Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni. This species of squid was first identified in 1925 after two arms were recovered from a sperm whale's stomach. In 2003 a virtually intact specimen of this never-before-seen colossal squid had been brought up in Antarctic waters from an estimated depth of 2,000 to 2,200 meters. And recently, in February of 2007 a live colossal squid was brought to the surface in Antarctic waters by a New Zealand fishing boat. This time video was taken and the squid was captured for scientific study. This enormous squid, which was determined to be a male of the species, was 10 meters (32.8 feet), and weighed 1,089 pounds, making it the largest squid (the largest invertebrate) ever captured. What was even more astonishing is that, from what scientists know about squid species in general, there is great sexual dimorphism in squids, with females being significantly larger than the males. If that holds true for the Colossal squid, this male specimen that was captured could very well be dwarfed by a much larger female of the species.

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Biggest Mammal: Blue Whale

Big in Every Way

Blue whales are so big they are the biggest creature ever to have lived on earth - even bigger than the biggest dinosaurs! The largest whale ever measured was a female weighing 171,000 kgs and measuring over 90ft./27m long. The longest whale measured in at over 110ft./33m. If you laid him out on the ground he would take up the length of nine family-sized cars! The heart of a blue whale is the size of a car and their blood vessels are so large you could swim through them.

Blue Whales are True Giants

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Fastest Animal on Land: Cheetah

 Cheetahs are, without a doubt, the fastest creatures in the world on land. (There's probably some wickedly fast creatures in the ocean that we still don't even know about). Why would a cheetah need to be able to run so fast? The only animal that comes in a close second to the Cheetah's amazing speed is its favorite prey, the gazelle. In order to catch up with a meal that's as swift as the wind, the cheetah had to develop the ability to run as fast, or faster than the gazelle, or face the alternative - starvation. Pretty strong motivation for practicing their wind sprints. These cats can run 70mph/112kph. Try to picture one running alongside your car the next time you're driving down the freeway!

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Fastest on Earth: Peregrine Falcon

The relationship between Peregrine Falcons and humans goes back thousands of years. Once highly prolific and widespread throughout the world, Peregrine Falcons were commonly used throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East in the practice of Falconry. Peregrines are naturally docile and easily lent themselves to taming by humans who saw the Falcon's hunting prowess as an asset in hunting for food. The Peregrine’s magnificent speed and power also made it the favorite bird for falconers in the Middle Ages. The female, which is slightly larger and more powerful than the male, was preferred, and only she is given the title of “falcon.” A male Peregrine is referred to as a “tiercel” meaning third. Although falconry has fallen out of favor, there are still those who practice it today.

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Fastest in the Sea: Sailfish

The sailfish is related to other "billed" fish, such as Marlin and Swordfish, which are all very fast. But the sailfish has them all beat by clocking in at speeds up to 68mph. Sailfish live in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in warm waters.

Sailfish are a very well-known species of fish (you've probably heard of them, and maybe even seen one mounted) because of their popularity among sport fishermen. They are world-renowned for the challenge they provide even the most experienced anglers. In fact, there isn't much science knows about this species of fish, except what observations fishermen have gathered from encounters with it.

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Deepest Fish - Snailfish

In 2008, a team of researchers exploring the Japan trench with a remotely operated vehicle filmed footage of the deepest-known species of fish. The fish, known as snailfish, had never been seen alive before. Scientists had only five pickled specimens that had been dredged up from the deep and preserved for study. The biologists who discovered these live fish had expected to find fish living at these extreme depths (25,272 ft) to be very slow and sluggish to conserve energy in this extremely low-energy environment. But the video clearly shows a large group of them very actively moving and feeding.

Because the fish live in complete darkness, they use vibration receptors on their snouts to navigate the ocean depths and to locate food. Their eyes appear to be virtually nonexistent. Eyes in most organisms are designed for gathering light in the creature's visual field and transmitting it to the brain - giving it useful information about its environment. In a world where no sunlight ever penetrates there's probably little use for eyes. The researchers on this project have said they expect to find fish living even deeper than these!

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Biggest Ocean Carnivore: Sperm Whale

The winner of the title of the Largest Ocean Carnivore goes to the Sperm whale - the largest of the toothed whale species in the world. Adult males can grow up to 60 feet long and weigh 40 tons (80,000 pounds!). Males are usually about twice as large as the females. They have a pretty long life span, about as long as people, living up to 70 years. Sperm whales have been found living in every ocean in the world.

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A Fungus Among Us

People have known about the "honey mushroom" for some time, but were not aware of how large and invasive this species of fungus could be. The fungus was investigated more closely by researchers when they realized that it was responsible for killing large groves of evergreen trees. When foresters cut into an infected tree they would find spreading white filaments, mycelia, which draw water and carbohydrates from the tree to feed the fungus. Researchers collected samples of the fungus from a widespread area and analyzed the DNA. A large sample of the specimens they collected turned out to be from a single organism.

Humongous Fungus

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Arctic Lion's Mane

As a species jellies have been around for a very long time. They appeared in the oceans about 650 million years ago, before the dinosaurs. They still populate our oceans today in a profusion of sizes and shapes. Jellyfish are incredible creatures - it's amazing that they are living things. Check it out...their bodies are made up of 95% water, they have no bones or cartilage, no heart or blood, and no brain! (Talk about a real 'no-brainer'). They are one of earth's simpler and more primitive life forms. The picture you see at left is a much smaller specimen of a lion's mane jelly. The world-record holder was found dead, washed up on a beach. It had a bell over seven feet across and its tentacles were over 120 feet long. That's even longer than the blue whale.

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Giant Mekong Catfish

It's official! The new world record holder for the biggest freshwater fish is the Giant Mekong catfish (Pangasius gigas). The biggest one ever captured and measured was caught in Thailand in May of 2005. It was 9 feet long and weighed 646 pounds.

The fish in the photo was captured by some fisherman where the species is considered endangered, but can still be caught with special permits. The fish was turned in to the Department of Fisheries where the eggs and sperm are collected from these rare giants and harvested for a captive breeding program to keep the species alive.

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Deadliest Creature: Sea Wasp (Marine Stinger)

What Makes the Sea Wasp so Deadly?

There are many creatures on this earth that are quite deadly to humans. The deadliest of all, of course, being other humans. Perhaps, what poses the greatest threat to our lives are creatures we can't even see - microbes. These are the microorganisms we usually call germs or cooties, the ones that make us sick. By and large, disease-causing germs are responsible for the largest number of human deaths every year. But what we're talking about here are the venomous creatures; those whose bodies manufacture toxins that can be rubbed off, ingested (swallowed), or injected into another, causing severe illness or death. Just to name a few, there's the poison dart frogs of the Costa Rican jungles, stonefish, cone shells, the black mamba snake, and even a tiny octopus that lives in tropical waters. When creatures are rated for the "deadliness factor" there's a couple of measures that are taken into account:

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Biggest Carnivorous Fish: Great White Shark

Solitary Leviathans

Great white sharks are still a mystery, as scientists are still trying to unravel the lifestyle of these denizens of the deep. They are solitary creatures roaming the ocean in constant search of food. Scientists are still unsure how to tell the age of a great white shark or how long they live, how often and where they breed, and how quickly they grow.

The Great White Shark

It is widely held among shark experts that the great whites take a long time to reach the fearsome proportions of record and that over fishing of these incredible creatures has led to a rapid decline in their numbers. No one knows how long it would take for the world's great white shark numbers to rebound if we were to completely halt fishing of this species. We are now beginning to realize the important role they play in their ecosystem, eliminating the weak and the sick from their environment and keeping seal and sea lion numbers in check. Lack of great white sharks to control the sea lion population may be one of the contributing factors to the declining salmon populations along the coast of California and Oregon.

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