Newest species of iguana

14 July 2014 by admin
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Although a number of new species of small, drab-coloured lizard are discovered and named each year, discoveries of large, conspicuously-coloured lizard species are much rarer. In 2009, however, it was announced that a new species of iguana, rose-pink (rosada) in colour and up to 1.75 m long, had been discovered living on a single volcanic mountain called Volcan Wolf on the island of Isabela in the Galapagos chain. Genetic tests confirmed that it was a very distinctive species, dating back over 5 million years, and Continue reading →

Newest revolutionary airborne surveillance system – Gorgon Stare

14 July 2014 by admin
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In December 2010, the US Air Force deployed its newest, wide area surveillance system in Afghanistan designated Gorgon Stare. Carried by the MQ-9 Reaper UAV, the revolutionary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technology consists of nine video cameras which can send 65 different, live images to different users to track enemy movements on the ground. Whereas current drones shoot video from a single camera and are limited to an area the size of a building or two, the new system can look at a whole city Continue reading →

Newest monkey

14 July 2014 by admin
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Scientifically described and named in summer 2010, the world´s newest species of monkey is the Caquetá titi (Callicebus caquetensis). The size of a cat, it sports reddish-grey fur but lacks the distinctive white bar on its brow that most other allied species of titi possess. Discovered by Dr Thomas Defler, Dr Marta Bueno, and undergraduate student Javier Garcia from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, with support from Conservation International, it inhabits the Colombian Amazon region close to the borders with Peru and Ecuador.

Newest monitor lizard

14 July 2014 by admin
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Over 2 m (6 ft 6 in) long and brightly coloured, the world´s newest species of monitor lizard is the northern Sierra Madre forest monitor (Varanus bitatawa), a tree-dwelling species formally described and named in spring 2010 after a specimen was captured in the north-eastern section of the Philippine island of Luzon by a scientific team in 2009. Whereas monitors are usually carnivorous, this new yellow-and-black species is very unusual in that it is a fruit eater – making it only the third species of Continue reading →

Newest mongoose

14 July 2014 by admin
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The world’s most recently discovered mongoose is a semi-aquatic Madagascan species called Durrell’s vontsira (Salanoia durrelli). The size of a cat and said to resemble ‘a scruffy little ferret’, it first came to scientific attention in 2004 when a single specimen was unexpectedly encountered swimming in a remote lake, but it was not formally recognized as a new, separate species until 2010, when it was named in honour of celebrated conservationist and author Gerald Durrell.

Newest hydrogen powered spy plane prototype – phantom eye

14 July 2014 by admin
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On 12 July 2010, in St Louis, Missouri, the Boeing Company unveiled the newest hydrogen powered spy-plane prototype, the Phantom Eye. Designed for advanced intelligence and reconnaissance missions, it is a high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle that will stay airborne for up to four days at altitudes of around 65,000 feet (19,800 metres). Its first flight is planned for the spring of 2011 at NASA’s Dryden Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California. The Phantom Eye ha a wingspan of 45.7 metres Continue reading →

Newest electric uniforms

14 July 2014 by admin
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Intelligent Textiles Ltd (UK), designers of innovative, electrically active fabrics, or “e-textiles”, have developed a material that is interwoven with passive electronic circuits, allowing for a degree of interconnectivity with electrical systems. In 2009, to showcase their new technology, the Staines-based ITL incorporated their fabric into an Osprey armour carrier vest and were able to demonstrate significant electrical currents in the range 0.1–4.0 amperes, allowing troops to attach electrical equipment to powerpoints on their uniforms. Because the uniform is powered by a central battery pack Continue reading →

Newest test bed for advanced technologies – Phantom Ray

14 July 2014 by admin
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On Monday 13 December 2010, at Lambert Airport, St Louis, USA, the newest and one of the fastest UAVs took to the air on the back of a Boeing 747, originally designed to transport the US Space Shuttle. The new Boeing UAV, the Phantom Ray, is the most advanced test bed for various advanced technologies such as aerial refuelling, electronic attack and strike missions in addition to the normal UAV missions of intelligence and reconnaissance. The flight also demonstrated the adaptability of NASA’s Boeing 747 Continue reading →

Oldest pigeon living

14 July 2014 by admin
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The world’s oldest living pigeon is the former racing pigeon, ‘Old Man’ who was born on 16 Feburary 1980, and is owned by George E. Seagroatt (UK) of Shrivenham, Wiltshire, UK.  Old Man’s ring number is GB80N48102. Still alive as of 23/01/04.

Oldest kinkajou living in captivity

14 July 2014 by admin
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The oldest living kinkajou (Potos flavus) in captivity is Huggy Bear, who turned 27 years 6 months old in January 2004 and belongs to Sonja Pedersen (USA) of Holiday, Florida, USA. Mrs Pedersen bought Huggy Bear from a pet shop in Clearwater, Florida, USA in January 1977 aged 6 months, with the assumed birthday date of 1 August 1976, although the exact date is not known. A kinkanjou’s life span in captivity is usually 23 years. Still with us as of 9/12/04.