Earth-Touch.com showcases the best wildlife and environmental stories from around the world, in High Definition video within 24 hours of it being filmed.
Coming soon to Earth-Touch Jun 19 2008
So here’s the plan, we’re going to be merging the blog into our main site http://www.earth-touch.com
What we’ve found over the past few months is that our users are really interested in all the stuff that we do, not just the videos or the behind the scenes stuff, and moving between the blog and the site was just making things a bit too complicated. Our developers are currently locked up in their offices wrestling with bits of code and drinking lots of coffee in order to have this job done in the next 2 weeks.
So until then blog publishing will be a bit thin - but soon we should be able to give you the complete Earth-Touch experience over on our main site.
If you have any suggestions or feedback while we’re doing the build - please drop us a comment.
Tags: blog, siteWildlife news from around the world
Squid eyes under the knife Jun 11 2008
What has eyes the size of dinner plates, fearsome suckers that cling to its prey, razor-sharp hooks to shred its victims and two beaks to crush the remains? It’s the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) – an elusive “killing machine” from the dark depths of Antarctic seas.
A recent dissection has shown these squids to have the biggest eyes ever recorded in the animal kingdom. Read the full BBC report here.
“In the collapsed state we see here, they [the eyes] measure 25cm [almost 10in] across, but in the living animal they are probably larger, up to around 30cm [close to 12in],” said Professor Eric Warrant, an expert on animal vision at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa in Wellington. The pupils alone are about 8cm (3in) across.
The giant eyes are thought to help the fearsome species locate prey in the dark Southern Ocean depths.
The 10m-long (34ft) specimen caught, weighing in at about 495kg (half a ton), has also turned out to be female, surprising the scientific team, which initially thought the catch was male. This sheds new light on how big the creatures can grow. Females are thought to be larger – so if this had been a 10m male, one would assume there were far bigger specimens lurking in the ocean depths.
Very little is known about colossal squid – only about 10 have ever been caught and brought to shore – but the creature’s reputation has been entangled in sea lore since the 1700s. An alleged encounter between a ferocious, man-eating squid and a French naval vessel was vividly described in Jules Verne’s book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which was published in 1870.
Scientists hope the latest dissection will yield new information about where and how colossal squid live and breed.
The find has also enabled researchers to study the colossal squid’s swivelling barbed clubs at the end of its tentacles. “It’s endowed with a killer arsenal: the hooks, the beak, everything about it,” said Steve O’Shea of the University of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand.
Large squid and sperm whales have been known to engage in lethal battle – evidenced by the scars, caused by the squid’s serrated hooks, found on the heads of sperm whales.
But Professor Paul Rodhouse, head of biological sciences at the British Antarctic Survey, is more concerned about the future of the colossal squid than the fate of creatures that may encounter one. He is particularly worried about the recent flood of fishing vessels into Antarctic waters targeting Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), which is a major prey species for colossal squid.
“Toothfish and these squid form part of a deepwater ecosystem that we know virtually nothing about, yet are already exploiting it through commercial fishing,” Rodhouse added.
At least the colossal squid isn’t likely to join toothfish on the seafood menu. Calamari as big as car tyres might sound tasty, but jumbo-sized squid usually contain high levels of ammonia and their meat is said to taste like floor cleaner!
Images of squid eye lens and dissection courtesy Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
References:
Black, R 2008, ‘Colossal squid’s big eye revealed’, BBC News. Retrieved 6 May, 2008, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7374297.stm
Owen, J 2003, ‘Colossal squid revives legends of sea monsters’, National Geographic News. Retrieved 13 May, 2008, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0423_030423_seamonsters.html.
Shears, R 2003, ‘Colossus of the deep’, Daily Mail, London. Retrieved 13 May, 2008, from http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/deepsea/2003-April/000588.html.
Flickr group: pic of the day – Nile crocodile Jun 10 2008
Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) are freshwater reptiles, closely related to alligators. According to the World Conservation Union, they are found widely in Africa.
They are the largest of African crocodilians, measuring between 3.3 and 5m (11 and 16ft), although they have been known to reach to 6m (20ft). Adult males weigh in at around 500kg (1 100lb), but can also reach up to 909kg (2 000lb).
This photo was taken by our Earth-Touch Flickr group member Jonas van de Voorde, using a Canon EOS 350D, in Pendjari National Park in Benin, West Africa.
It is our Earth-Touch Flickr group “picture of the day”.
Image © Jonas Van de Voorde 2008
Tags: africa, crocodile, flickr, nile crocodile, photograph, photography, reptile, vertebrate
Earth-Touch podcasts chosen as award finalist Jun 10 2008
There’s great excitement in the Earth-Touch camp this week, with the news that Earth-Touch weekly podcasts have been selected as a finalist for a prestigious film award.
The podcasts are competing in the Panda Awards section of Wildscreen 2008, an international wildlife and environmental film festival being held in the UK. They are one of three finalists in the ARKive New Media category.
Earth-Touch editor Brenda Spaan, who submitted the entries, was thrilled to receive the good news. “This is so amazing for Earth-Touch. Wildscreen is like the Oscars of wildlife awards,” she said.
The New Media award “will be given to the project that best explores the interactive potential of digital technology including websites, podcasts, internet TV, DVD special features, mobile technology etc to raise awareness and understanding of the natural world.”
The podcasts entered were Week 39-40 (2007), Week 45-46 (2007), Week 49-50 (2007) and Week 3 (2008). The footage in these packages includes swimming with a southern right whale, wildlife in Ecuador, a flock of colourful bee-eaters in Botswana, African wild dogs, snakes in Thailand, a turtle laying eggs on a beach in Mozambique, dung beetles, sharks, elephants, coral reefs and much more.
The Earth-Touch podcast is a package of digital media automatically sent to subscribers at no cost, showing highlights of the website’s content that week. You can play this selection of top-quality stories on a portable media player or on your computer. The podcast is available in three formats: HD (high definition), SD (standard definition) and iPod. You can subscribe from this page or from the Earth-Touch home page, where the latest weekly selection is featured.
With a record number of 440 entries received from 43 countries, the 2008 Wildscreen event promises top-quality winners.
Film entries have increased dramatically this year, with a wide variety of wildlife films being submitted. The inclusion of two new categories, Environment and People & Animals, has generated added interest.
The Wildscreen awards have replaced the former One Planet Awards, giving filmmakers the opportunity to enter their work in more specific categories.
The full list of finalists in various categories is on the Wildscreen website.
Wildscreen 2008 takes place in Bristol in the UK from 19-24 October. Winners will be announced at the awards on 22 October.
Image © Earth-Touch 2008
Tags: award, environment, film, nature, podcast, wildlife, wildscreen
Flickr group: pic of the day – capybara Jun 9 2008
The capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris) is the world’s largest living rodent. Adult capybaras can grow up to 130cm (4.3ft), and weigh up to 65kg (140lb). They are herbivores, living on grasses and aquatic plants.
According to the World Conservation Union, capybaras are native to Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
This photo was taken by our Earth-Touch Flickr group member Luansol, using a Canon Rebel XTi, Canon Zoom Lens EF 75-300mm.
It is our Earth-Touch Flickr group “picture of the day”.
Image © Luansol 2008
Tags: capybara, flickr, mammal, photograph, photography, rodent, south america, vertebrateWarthog chases cheetahs away Jun 9 2008
The Earth-Touch crew witnessed an unusual encounter in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, in South Africa, recently. They were filming a group of cheetahs resting in the bush, when a family of warthogs arrived on the scene and the female warthog proceeded to chase the cheetahs away.
You can watch the story unfold in the clip, Warthog sow chases off cheetahs.
On another occasion in the same game reserve, the crew themselves were checked out by a female warthog while the rest of the group foraged. For a close-up view of these creatures (Phacochoerus africanus), watch the clip Curious warthogs venture close.
When warthogs run, their tails are held erect, like little radio aerials, which can be seen by the rest of the family when they’re fleeing from danger.
You can also see them in these clips:
Warthogs lounge at a pool
Hot day drives animals to shade and mud
Warthogs and rhino wallow in mud pan
Animals gather on Imfolozi floodplains
Elephant digs up roots
Image © Earth-Touch 2008
Tags: africa, chase, cheetah, feed, forage, hluhluwe, imfolozi, mammal, south africa, vertebrate, warthog
The week’s most viewed stories Jun 6 2008
The most popular stories on Earth-Touch in the past week (from Friday 30 May to Thursday 05 June 2008) were:
Number 1
Dolphins appear out of the blue
Out in the bay where the waves break, a pod of these marine mammals emerges from deeper water.
Number 2
Bottom-dwelling Scorpaenidae species use camouflage and guile to trap unsuspecting prey.
Number 3
Male lions defend territory by roaring in the night
We believe that Gochathebe, the island in the Okavango Delta in Botswana where we are currently based, is an overlapping territory for different lion prides.
Images © Earth-Touch 2008
Tags: africa, botswana, coral, cub, dive, dolphin, fish, indian, isimangaliso, kill, lion, mammal, manta, marine, moremi, ocean, okavango, reef, scuba, sodwana, south africa, sponge, swim, vertebrateFlickr group: pic of the day – leopard Jun 6 2008
Leopards (Panthera pardus), according to the World Conservation Union, are found widely in Africa, as well as parts of Asia and the Middle East. They are the smallest of the cats of the Panthera genus, which includes lions, tigers and jaguars.
They are classified as belonging to the “Least Concern” category, despite widespread loss of habitat. This is attributed to their adaptable nature and opportunistic hunting nature. They live in a wide range of habitats, from sub-tropical forest to desert.
This photo was taken by our Earth-Touch Flickr group member Colin (AKA Fotomaker123), using a Canon EOS 20D, in the Masai Mara, Kenya.
It is our Earth-Touch Flickr group “picture of the day”.
Image © Colin / Fotomaker 123 2008
Tags: africa, cat, flickr, kenya, leopard, mammal, photograph, photography, vertebrate
Flickr group: pic of the day – southern yellow-billed hornbill Jun 5 2008
Southern yellow-billed hornbills (Tockus leucomelas) are medium-sized birds, with distinctive large yellow bills and red skin around their eyes.
Their diet consists of seeds, small insects, spiders and scorpions, which they forage from the ground. According to the World Conservation Union, they are native to Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
This photo was taken by our Earth-Touch Flickr group member Ian Baxter (AKA Mozambique-Moments), using a Panasonic Lumix FZ 20, at Nkulu picnic site in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
It is our Earth-Touch Flickr group “picture of the day”.
Image © Ian Baxter / Mozambique-Moments 2008
Tags: africa, bird, hornbill, photograph, photography, southern yellow-billed hornbill, vertebrate
World Environment Day Jun 5 2008
Today is the United Nations Environment Programme’s World Environment Day – a good opportunity to reflect on the mission and achievements of Earth-Touch.
Earth-Touch is both a company and a concept. We aim to film quality wildlife footage in high definition from the most spectacular locations around the world, and to bring it to our users as soon thereafter as possible. We want to show people the truth and beauty of nature and inspire them to look after the precious yet dwindling natural resources of our planet.
Life on Earth is not a documentary. The Earth is a living organism that responds to each day with a different subtlety. At any moment in time, a complex natural cycle is playing out somewhere on this planet. Earth-Touch strives to capture the best of this activity every day.
We are committed to respecting the environment and we avoid harming or disturbing our subjects or their habitats.
Visit our main website to see the powerful images, sounds and activities we have been privileged to bring you from four continents so far.
The diversity of creatures and habitats in our footage is extraordinary. Here are just a few examples:
Dolphins swimming in the rhythm of the Indian Ocean swell, on South Africa’s coast
Lionesses in Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve setting off to hunt, leaving their cubs with the male
A pack of African wild dogs moving through the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa
A male hornbill feeding its nesting mate in a park in Thailand
Elk in the Grand Teton National Park, in the USA
A giant anteater in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands
The amazing adaptations of creatures on a South African coral reef
The beauty of a dry Namibian landscape
Image © Earth-Touch 2008
Tags: animals, earth, environment, habitat, nature, wildlife, world
Weekly Highlights
