World's Strangest Plant Species

Welwitschia mirabilis:World's Most Resistant Plant

     It's not pretty to look at, but Namibia's plant Welwitschia Mirabilis can truly claim to be one of a kind. There really is nothing like it. Welwitschia plant consists of only two leaves and a sturdy stem with roots. That's all! Two leaves continue to grow until they resemble the shaggy mane of some sci-fi alien. The stem thickens, rather than gains in height, and can grow to be almost 2 meters high and 8 meters wide. Their estimated lifespan is 400 to 1500 years. It can survive up to five years with no rain. The plant is said to be very tasty either raw or baked in hot ashes, and this is how it got its other name, Onyanga, which means onion of the desert. 

Dionaea muscipula: the Venus Fly Trap

     The Venus Fly Trap is the most famous of all carnivorous plants due to the active and efficient nature of its unique traps. It may be famous, but it's also threatened. The plant's two hinged leaves are covered in ultra sensitive fine hairs that detect the presence of everything from ants to arachnids. Trigger the hairs and snap! The trap will shut in less than a second. 

Rafflesia arnoldii: World's Largest Flower

     There is one exotic and rare plant you wouldn't likely want to grow anywhere near your landscape no matter how famous it would make you for doing so. That would be growing the largest flower in the world. This exotic, very rare, speckled, though not particularly pretty, rust colored flower is called Rafflesia Arnoldii. 

     Rafflesia Arnoldii, recently assigned to the Euphorbiaceae family, is the biggest individually produced flower in the world. It gets to be 3 feet across and weighing a whopping 15- 24 pounds. That's pretty darn big but still you would not like this flower in your perennial bed. Why is that? If you could mimic a rainforest type environment for this plant, it gives off a most offensive odor when in bloom. This scent is somewhat like rotting meat. This is why it is often called the Corpse Plant by some natives of Indonesia where it originates. 

     Its blossoms only last three days to a week. But in those few days it needs a miracle or two just for survival. This hideous smell it produces attracts pollinating insects to it to help perpetuate the species. But even when this happens only 10-20 percent of the tiny seedlings make it. With any luck in nine months it blooms.

Desmodium gyrans: the Dancing Plant

     Darwin called the plant Hedysarum; modern botanists call it either Desmodium Gyrans, or more correctly these days, Codariocalyx Motorius. Its common name is Dancing Grass or Telegraph Plant or Semaphore Plant -- after the leaf movements, which resemble semaphore signals. For all of its uses this plant is easy to grow, dancing happily on a sunny windowsill and watered when dry. Some say it dances best to the "Greatful Dead!"

Euphorbia obesa: the Baseball Plant

     Euphorbia Obesa, also known as the Baseball Plant, is endemic to the Great Karoo region of South Africa.

     Unsustainable harvesting by plant collectors who value Euphorbia obesa for its interesting and curious appearance has severely impacted wild populations. 

Consequently, national and international legislation have been enacted to protect remaining populations. 

     While Euphorbia obesa remains endangered in its native habitat, it has become very common in cultivation. 

     By growing large numbers of Euphorbia obesa, nurseries and botanical gardens have been working to ensure that specimens being traded and sold among plant collectors are not obtained from the wild.

Amorphophallus titanum: the Corpse Flower

     A flower taller than a man, stinking strongly of putrefying roadkill and colored deep burgundy to mimic rotting flesh, sounds like something from a low-budget science fiction movie.

     But Indonesia's titan arum—or "corpse flower," as known by locals—is a real, if rare, phenomenon, pollinated in the wild by carrion-seeking insects. 

     This Indonesian plant, called titan arum or amorphophallus titanium, has the world's biggest inflorescence.

     Due to its fragrance, which is reminiscent of the smell of a decomposing mammal, the Titan Arum is also known as a carrion flower, the "Corpse flower", or "Corpse plant".

Baobab: the Bottle Tree

     Baobab is the common name of a genus (Adansonia) containing eight species of trees, native to Madagascar, mainland Africa and Australia. 

     Also known as the Bottle Tree, not only do they look like bottles, but the trees typically store around 300 liters of water! 

No wonder why they often live over 500 years!

Dracaena cinnabari: the Dragon Blood Tree

Dracaena Cinnabari is a Dragon Tree native to the Socotra archipelago. It is also referred to as the Dragon Blood Tree and Socotra Dragon Tree.

It is one of the most striking of Socotra's plants, a strange-looking, umbrella-shaped tree. It was first formally described by Isaac Bayley Balfour in 1882. 

A miniature Icon of this tree is in Windows as Network-Icon. 

Its red sap was the dragon's blood of the ancients, sought after as a medicine and a dye. 

Mimosa púdica: the Shy Plant

     Mimosa Pudica (pudica = shy), or the Sensitive Plant, has a curiosity value: 

the compound leaves fold inward and droop when touched or shaken, re-opening within minutes. 

     The species is native to South America and Central America, but is now a pantropical weed. Who would know that plants have feelings too? 

Selaginella lepidophylla: the Resurrection Plant

     Also known as Rose of Jericho, the Selaginella Lepidophylla is a species of desert plant noted for its ability to survive almost complete desiccation; during dry weather in its native habitat, its stems curl into a tight ball and uncurl when exposed to moisture.It is native to the Chihuahuan Desert. 

Finaly

Some beautiful pictures for you 

Posted by Zaffar Iqbal Durrani

10 Pairs of Commonly Confused Animals

     It’s a situation familiar to almost everybody: the slowly creeping doubt that sets in when, for example, the gift left by a cat on the doorstep could be either a frog or a toad—or when the animal devouring your little brother looks like a cheetah, but seems to be acting like a leopard.

     At moments like these, we’ll usually find ourselves in the company of someone who claims to know the difference. That someone is clearly wrong—but we’d be hard-pressed to say exactly why we think so. Until now:

10:African/Asian Elephants

     African elephants are slightly larger and slightly heavier than their Asian cousins. But size won’t really help you to identify one from the other unless they’re side by side. To identify a lone elephant, there are two main features to look for: Firstly, an Asian elephant will have two domes on its head while the African will only have one. Secondly, the African elephant’s trunk will have two fingers at its end, whereas the Asian will only have one.

     There has only been one recorded instance of the two types breeding. That was in 1978, and the baby, Motty, was a mix of the above characteristics. Unfortunately, Motty died after two weeks.

9:Alligators/Crocodiles

Although both alligators and crocodiles are classified as “crocodylian,” they are two different species with many distinct features. For starters, crocodiles have u-shaped snouts, with the large fourth upper tooth sticking out visibly. Alligators, on the other hand, have v-shaped snouts. 

Alligators are found in the Americas and China; crocodiles are found in the Americas, Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia. Crocodiles can also lift their bodies off the ground, unlike their cousins.

8:Turtles/Tortoises

This one is quite easy to remember once you know the difference. Turtles spend almost all of their lives in the water, and therefore have fins instead of stumps. Sea turtles live almost exclusively in the water, only occasionally venturing onto the sand to lay eggs. Freshwater turtles will sometimes climb onto rocks or banks near their rivers or ponds in order to soak up the sun. 

Tortoises, on the other hand, are exclusively land dwelling—they can’t swim at all. They have stubby feet, live in hot and dry places, and dig burrows. Turtles and tortoises cannot mate.

7:Cheetahs/Leopards

There are many differences between cheetahs and leopards—both in their behavior and in their appearance. The easiest physical difference to spot is that cheetahs have solid, black round spots, while leopards have black patterns shaped like broken rings. 

Cheetahs (the fastest land animals on the planet) are twice as fast as leopards—and they hunt during the day. Leopards prefer to hunt at night, and usually drag their prey into treetops. Neither animal is particularly social, but male cheetahs will sometimes form groups of two or three. It is unknown whether or not these animals can cross-breed—and given their dwindling numbers, scientists are unlikely to force them.

6:Frogs/Toads

     There are more than four hundred different species of frog, and three hundred types of toad, so it’s quite difficult to provide any surefire way of telling the difference.

     Generally, frogs are smaller than toads, with bulging eyes, strong legs for jumping, and webbed feet for swimming. Toads’ legs, on the other hand, are more adapted to walking. Frogs have smooth, slimy skin; toads have dry skin covered in warts. Some kinds of frog and toad can mate with one another.

5:Alpacas/Llamas

     Llamas are about twice the size of alpacas, and the two look so similar it would be easy to confuse an alpaca for a young llama. Despite being so much larger, llamas actually produce far less fleece than alpacas, which have been bred over thousands of years to provide luxurious fiber. 

     Llamas, rather than being kept for their fleece (which is much rougher than that of Alpacas), are actually bred to be used as a form of transport. The two animals are often seen together, since llamas can be used to guard alpacas and other animals. The two can breed, but this is generally not desirable, since the offspring would be too small for a pack animal and too rough to provide any wool.

4:Seals / Sea Lions

     The main difference between seals and sea lions are their flippers. Seals are better suited to traveling in water, while sea lions have adapted to life on land. Seals can dive much deeper than sea lions, but when they reach land they’re unable to hold themselves very well, and have to shimmy along like a caterpillar. Sea lions, on the other hand, can walk and run using their flippers. The two animals don’t interbreed.

3:Dolphins/Porpoises

     While the difference between these two is clearer than some of the other entries on this list, porpoises are not nearly as familiar or common as dolphins, which means that a lot of people would mistake porpoises for an odd-looking dolphin.

     The most visible difference is that dolphins have long snouts protruding from their faces, as opposed to the rounder face of the porpoise, which resembles that of a whale. Another easy-to-spot difference is that porpoises have a solid, triangular dorsal fin, while dolphins have one that is curved like a hook. It is unknown if dolphins and porpoises can breed. Some believe that they are genetically capable, but that they dislike the idea.

2:Salamanders/Lizards

     The biggest observable difference between salamanders and lizards is their skin. Lizards have scales, but salamanders have smooth, slimy-looking skin. This is because they are amphibians, and spend a lot of time in water—unlike lizards, which are terrestrial. Lizards also have external ears.

     Both lizards and salamanders lay eggs, but only lizard eggs have hard shells, and only lizard hatchlings look like a smaller version of the adults, while young salamanders resemble tadpoles.

1:Donkeys/Mules

     In terms of physical appearance, donkeys and mules are quite similar. Mules have smaller, more horse like ears, and the tail of a horse (long hair coming from a small stump), while donkeys have a tail that more closely resembles that of a cow (a long, continuous muscle, with a small tuft of hair at the end). 

     But the main difference between donkeys and mules is that mules are sterile—and they’re born by breeding male donkeys with female horses. They are said to be stronger, calmer and more capable workers than donkeys, and even have an extra chromosome.

Posted by Zaffar Iqbal Durrani

What Is Facebook Username, How To Change And Customize It

When you create an account at Facebook, it automatically assigns you a unique username based on your Full Name and availability. Using that username, your friends can easily search for you on Facebook and can add you, they can also type it in the browser's address bar and can see your Facebook updates directly 

(e.g: www.facebook.com/username).

Facebook gives you an option to make your own custom username and change it for one time only. Means, after changing your username, you cannot change it again (so be careful).

Why To Change Facebook Username

1. Most of us login to the Facebook using our complete email address. What you don't know is that we can also login to the Facebook using our Facebook Username. So if we change it and make it more simple, it will be easy for us to quickly login to our Facebook accounts.

2. Most of the time, Facebook add randomly generated numbers in your username which makes it more complicated. That's why it's a good practice to change your username by making it more simple.

3. Facebook also assign you a unique e-mail address based on your username. So whatever your username will be, your Facebook e-mail address will also begin with the same name, eg: username@facebook.com

Things To Remember Before Creating A Facebook Username

These are the guidelines which Facebook has asked to remember before making a custom Username : 

You can't claim a username someone else is already using. 

Your username should be as close as possible to your true name (ex: ZiDurrani or Zaffar.Durrani). 

Choose a username you'll be happy with for the long term. Usernames are not transferable and you can only change your username once. 

Usernames can only contain alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9) or a period ("."). 

Periods (".") and capitalization don't count as a part of a username. 

For example, durrani55, zaffar.durrani55 and zaffar.durrani.55 are all considered the same username. 

Usernames must be at least 5 characters long and can't contain generic terms.. 

Your username must adhere to Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.

How To Change Facebook Username

1. Click the small gear icon at the top right of your Facebook page and select Account Settings.

2. At the General Account Settings page, you can see your default username. Click the Edit button to change it.

3. If you have enough friends on Facebook (more than 25), than Facebook will show you the following screen in order to change your Username. (If it ask you to verify your account using your Mobile number, than see first see the details at Step no. 8)

4. Type the Username which you want in the Username box. Facebook will immediately check the availability of it and will let you know.

5. Once you find your desired Username, enter the password and click Save Changes.

6. You can see that your new username has been changed at the General Account Settings Page.

7. If you try to edit your username once again by clicking the Edit button, it will show you the details of your Username without any option for further changing it.

8. If you just have created your Facebook account or don't have enough friends on Facebook, than it will ask you to verify your account using Mobile number. Click verify via mobile phone link to confirm your account.

9. It will ask you to Re-enter your Facebook account password.

10. Now, select your country code, enter your mobile number and than click Continue button.

11. Depending on the country you live and Mobile service provider, it may take few seconds to 10 minutes to receive the code. 

Note: May be your mobile service provider doesn't support mobile number verification from Facebook, that's why their is a possibility that you don't receive the code. If that's the case than try to enter some other mobile number of different mobile service provider.

12. Once you receive the code, enter it in the Confirmation box.

13. Facebook will save that number immediately and will ask your permission if you want to receive Facebook notifications via sms and whether you want to share this number with your friends or not. Make the changes and than click Save Settings button.

14. Refresh your General Account Settings page and try to change the Username now by clicking the Edit button. This time it will show you the option where you can change your username (as already explained above)

Last Words

Using this Username, you can login to your Facebook account and can also share your Facebook new email address with everyone. You can also share your Facebook news feed web address (e.g: www.facebook.com/username) with your friends, using which they can visit your Facebook updates page directly.

Follow above steps and than share your comments

Posted by Zaffar Iqbal Durrani

10 Animals You Can Find In Unexpected Places

     Everyone knows that lions can be found in Africa, buffalo in North America, kangaroos in Australia, and so on. They are native to these territories, and are common sights. This list, however, sets out to destroy some misconceptions: a few well-known animals are found in places you wouldn't have expected to see them.

     These animals are more than just escaped pets; they’re thriving, growing into ever-expanding colonies. Next time someone swears they saw a foreign creature hop across the road at night, don’t be so quick to discount them. They may be right!

10. Camels in Australia

     Traditionally found in Africa and parts of Asia, Australia has a feral camel population of 1 million. The colony reproduces at an incredible rate, doubling in size every 9 years. The camels were introduced in 1822 by Conrad Multe-Brun, who needed the hearty creatures to explore the desolate Australian deserts. Since their introduction, the creatures have become a major pest, eating leafy greens and destroying infrastructure in their search for water. In some instances, camels have been known to charge into houses to drink from the toilet. Hunters are therefore encouraged to kill the animals – but the large colony is still expanding.

09. Zebras in Texas

     There is a ranch in Texas that allows hunters to stalk and kill zebras, for a steep fee. Humans introduced the zebras to Texas, and the species thrived. There is no human interaction with the colony aside from the hunt. They are not fed by the ranch-hands or forced to breed; they are an entirely wild colony. The temperature and environment of Texas is similar to that of Africa, allowing the creatures to reproduce and live healthy lives.

08. Hippos in Colombia

In the 1980s, notorious drug lord/billionaire Pablo Escobar built a zoo in his backyard. One of his favorite types of animal in the zoo were his four hippopotamuses, originally found in Africa. Upon his death, authorities concluded the animals were simply too big and dangerous to repossess, and as such left them to die. Instead, the animals managed to escape into the wild, where they remain to this day. As of 2007, the colony had grown to 16, dwelling in the Magdalena River. Surely, when Escobar thought about leaving a last legacy he did not imagine this.

07. Parrots in San Francisco

Parrots are commonly found in the jungles of South America, and are prized as pets for their beautiful colors. In San Francisco, a number of parrots escaped from pet owners. Unlike many escaped pets, the parrots survived and mated, taking residence in Telegraph Hill. The famous Parrots of Telegraph Hill are now a tourist attraction, with their flock nearing 100 birds. The beautiful green and red birds are friendly and approachable, and enjoy being fed by their many fans.

06. Monkeys in Florida

The continental United States has no recognized natural primates (other than humans). There is, however, a colony of Rhesus Macaques flourishing in the humid swamps of Florida, particularly the Silver River State Park. In 1938, a tour boat operator released the Macaques in an attempt to attract more business. More than 60 years later, the already-established colony received a boost in the form of Hurricane Andrew. The powerful storm destroyed animal testing labs in Florida, releasing more Macaques into the wild. Despite their friendly appearance, the creatures are violent and strong, and tourists are advised not to approach the animals.

05. Panthers in England

Although not recognized by any official government agency, it is a widely held belief that there are a number of big cats residing in England, as there are an average of 4 sightings a day. Residents who sight the animals describe the cats as being large and black, resembling a panther. There are a variety of possible explanations for the animals, with the leading theory involving the Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976. When the act took effect, stiff penalties were enacted against owners of dangerous animals. Many owners therefore released their pets into the wild – panthers included.

04. Penguins in South Africa

Penguins conjure up images of frozen wastelands and floating glaciers. In truth, there are a variety of penguins, including the Black-footed, or African, penguin. Unlike the chilly climate Emperor Penguins prefer, these flightless birds inhabit the warm beaches of South Africa in large numbers. Traditionally found in the open sea, they occasionally venture onto land. Lucky beach-goers often enjoy frolicking in the crystal clear water alongside these docile creatures.

03. Sharks in Land-Locked Lakes

Bull sharks are perhaps the most widely known freshwater sharks, often found in rivers and bays. In rare circumstances, flooding may carry the sharks over land, depositing them in land-locked lakes. The aforementioned circumstance took place in Australia in 2007, depositing 10 large bull sharks into a lake on a golf course. Months passed, and the sharks remained, growing in size and number. Despite the inherent dangers, course players grew to like the sharks, and the owners did too, as it discouraged local children from coming to the lake in an attempt to take lost golf balls.

02. Emus in Texas

Once again, Texas finds itself housing another unusual animal colony – this time, it’s made up of emus. In the early 1990s, some farmers in Texas believed emus would be the next cash-cow. When these investments never came to fruition, many Emus were left to fend for themselves in the desert. Given that their natural habitat in the Australian outback is very similar to that found in Texas, the Emus flourished – and today their flock contains hundreds of the large, flightless birds.

01. Tarantulas in England

English readers, beware! As if being stalked by panthers wasn’t bad enough, you have Chilean Rose Tarantulas to fear as well. Growing up to 10 inches in length, these spiders arrive in shipping containers from their homeland in Central America. During particularly hot and humid months, the spiders may breed. Although a widespread colony has not yet been discovered, a handful have been found over a number of years. If found, do not approach the creature; when threatened, the spider uses its hind legs to flick small barbs at any predators, causing extreme pain and even blindness. Just do what most others do when they see a massive spider, and run the hell away

Posted by Zaffar Iqbal Durrani