(via travelthisworld)
Pearls are the most valuable of all organic gemstones, and have been prized for 6000 years. Pearls chemical makeup varies by region and environmental factors, but the basic formula is CaCO3. Pearls form through irritants entering specific species of mollusks (oysters, clams, muscles, etc), while the irritant can be a grain of sand or a parasite, the process is the same for pearls. The irritant is coated in CaCO3(mother of pearl) to make it less irritating to the mollusk. Pearls can range in many colours and shapes, and value depends on their shape and colour.
(via geologyrocks)
Julian Finn, Museum Victoria, The Malacological Society of London
Argonaut
Our No. 1 weirdest animal penis goes to the argonaut octopus, a type of nautilus. This tentacle animal swims around in the ocean, but while it’s busy looking for food and checking out the sights, the argonaut’s penis simply detaches itself and swims away to look for ladyparts. When scientists first encountered the disembodied penis, they thought it was a parasitic worm. It was only years later that they discovered the swimming organ was actually a zombielike sperm bomb.
(via allcreatures)
Two Little Owls (Athene noctua) were spotted getting affectionate as they prepared to start their mating season. Wildlife photographer Roy Mangersnes captured the romantic scene outside Lleida, in the Catalonia region of Spain. He explains: “There were some lovely shows of affection; when the female approached the male he would seem to gently “kiss” her forehead.
(via allcreatures)
Ash Above the Clouds
An aerial view shows the Grímsvötn volcano erupting on May 21. In addition to Grimsvoten, six more volcanoes lie underneath Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest ice cap—and most of them are active, according to National Geographic magazine.
(via: National Geo)
(via picture-perfect-world)
