limestone

Hi Q and J --

I've been thinking about a new topic to learn about (if you tell me what you want to learn about I can do some research).

One of the things I think is interesting is how geography shapes culture?  If you live in Alaska you have a different culture than if you live in the desert -- what you pray to? the foods and cultures of eating? and most likely social values and rituals?  How do you think the culture of Boulder is shaped by where it is next to the mountains? The culture of New Mexico?

So the Yucatan is very, very flat.  That's because it is a big hunk of limestone. (Wait -- what is limestone?)

 Here are a couple links about the geography. How do you think the geography has shaped the culture of the Mayans? and of the world today?

Geology of the Yucatan

There is a cool experiment on this page you can do at home to think about how cenotes formed from limestone.

We leave in 4.5 weeks!

He's Such a Ham

Can you imagine trying to rescue a crocodile? here is a place in belize that does exactly that.  (can you find belize on the map?) Sometimes when they write about the crocs they sound like they are talking about puppies?  The person who runs this place says at the video "he's such a ham". This croc is 13 feet. If joe stood on my shoulders, (or I stood on his) we still wouldn't be as big as that crocodile.

Here is another video where they are force feeding a little croc that was living in polluted waters. It's amazing they have to use plyers to open his mouth.

A bit more about crocodiles.

  I think we should learn how to tell a crocodile and an alligator apart. One of the things I learned is:

All alligators are crocodiles, but not all crocodiles are alligators. Sound confusing? It's really not once you look at the taxonomy. Both alligators and crocodiles are members of the reptilian order Crocodylia. But the families they belong to, Alligatoridae and Crocodylidae respectively, differ. Often, when people use the word "crocodile" what they really mean is "crocodilian." This term encompasses not just the common alligators and crocodiles you might already know, but also the lesser known Gavialidae family that contains the lone gavial, or gharial. All told, there are 23 species of crocodilians.

 We are going to have to study the scientific classification to understand that. We can all try to understand together...it is really confusing.


 I wonder how they are different. Let's make a chart. This website can help us

                      Crocodile         |    Alligator
Color

Size

Habitation

Reproduction

Life Span

How else might they differ? 

One thing I learned is that the American Crocodile is endangered. Thank goodness for those crazy people in belize rescuing them. (Yes I can respect them and appreciate them and think they are totally crazy. Crazy can be good sometimes)

Here is a bit more about the american croc:

• American crocodiles inhabit both freshwater and saltwater habitats, such as mangrove swamps, brackish creeks, and coastal canals. They are most commonly found in tropical wetlands such as mangrove-lined saltwater estuaries and lagoons.

• In the United States, they are only found in salt and brackish water in the southern tip of Florida mainland and the Florida keys.

•  They are known to construct long burrows or dens near their nesting sites, usually three to nine meters into creek banks, with the entrance at or below the water.

• Diet consists of fish and other small marine animals. Larger crocodiles may feed on small mammals, birds, and turtles. In Florida, they are known to eat bass, tarpon, and mullet. There are very few reports of the species attacking humans.

•  They prefer to nest in the dry season, and females lay as many as 40 eggs, and the eggs hatch after about 90 days. Only the female guards the nest and assists with hatching, but both parents guard the young after they hatch.

hey -- do crocs stay with the same mate all their life like ospreys and geese?

Coco

American crocodile, Cocodrilo americano, Crocodile d'Amérique, Caimán de Aguja, Central American alligator, Cocodrilo de Rio, Crocodile à museau pointu, Lagarto Amarillo, Lagarto Real, Llaman Caimán, South American alligator, American saltwater crocodile 

Those are all the names of Crocodylus acutus. 
They are pretty interesting...listen to this...they change their nesting patterns based on the conditions. AND they have up to 60 eggs. Can you imagine watching 60 eggs hatching and little crocs with those little team coming at you.  

Populations adapt their breeding strategy to suit the environment. This species is mainly a hole nester, but populations without access to suitable nest sites which can be excavated (relatively well drained) will build mound nests using whatever nesting materials are available.

 Flooding creates high mortality. Nesting occurs during the dry season (to minimise flooding, especially in hole nests which are in danger of falling below the water table after heavy rains), following an extended courtship period which can last up to two months.

The minimum number of eggs laid in the nest can be around 20 in some populations, but is usually between 30 and 60, the mean being around 38. Nests are often found which contain eggs from two separate females. Hatching, after around 90 days, coincides with the beginning of the annual rains. 

 

67 bows

Wow...the things one stumbles upon when looking up information on flamingos.

This isn't about the yucatan at all...yet i thought it was so powerful.

What do you think about after watching this video? (same as youtube below but slightly different experience)

What do you think the artist was trying to communicate?

Pink I Think

Why oh why are flamingos (and roseate spoonbills ) sooooo pink?

This is a really cool website...tells you about flamingos and so much more...

• Flamingos are social birds, and tens of thousands can live together in a single colony. 
• Flamingos are one of the oldest species of birds, with fossil remains dating back 30 to 50 million years
• Flamingos are generally non-migratory birds, but a colony may relocate under the pressures of climate or water level changes
• Flamingos are filter feeders, living off algae and tiny animals such as shrimp, mollusks, and insect larvae that live in the mud at the bottom of shallow pools
• The flamingos’ feathers, legs, and face are colored by their diet, which is rich in alpha and beta carotenoid pigments. Carotenoids in crustaceans such as those in the flamingo diet are frequently linked to protein molecules, and may be blue or green. After being digested, the carotenoid pigments dissolve in fats and are deposited in the growing feathers, becoming orange or pink. The same effect is seen when shrimp change color during cooking.

Check out the website...it explains lots of things related to color...