recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven grew up in Bonn, Germany in a very unhappy home. He was forced to practice the piano by his father, an abusive alcoholic who would punish him mercilessly when he made mistakes. By the time he was twelve, he was earning a living for his family by playing organ and composing. He was eventually known as the greatest pianist of his time. One of Beethoven's favorite foods was macaroni and cheese. He also loved strong coffee - exactly 60 coffee beans to one cup.

Beethoven never married even though he proposed to plenty of women who rejected him (he wasn't very attractive and he had a rather nasty temper). Yet in spite of his unpleasant personality, Beethoven is best defined by his music.

His first two symphonies are very much in the same style and form as those of composers that came before him, most notably Franz Joseph Haydn, his teacher. But Beethoven's writing - as seen in his third symphony - had developed beyond that of his teacher. Named *Eroica*, his Third Symphony was so different from the ones that had come before that it changed music forever. Its originality and innovation even inspired others to change the way that they composed. It was originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte. But when Beethoven heard that Napoleon had proclaimed himself Emperor, he went into a rage and destroyed the title page.

Although Beethoven gradually lost his hearing, he continued composing.  He composed many of the most famous musical works of all time, such as his Ninth Symphony, after he had become totally deaf.
Ice Cream

A frozen dessert made from milk or cream, sugar and various flavors. United States food regulations require that any product labeled “ice cream” contain a minimum of 10% milk fat and 20% milk solids.

One of the earliest precursors to ice cream was created in Rome when Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar ordered his runners to go to the mountains and retrieve snow to be flavored with honey, juices and fruit pulp. Stories about its history abound – of Marco Polo returning to Europe from his travels in China with a sherbet-like recipe around the year 1400; Catherina de Medici bringing recipes for ice cream when she arrived in France to marry the future king in 1533; and Charles I of England bribing his private chef to keep the recipe secret because he was so entranced with the frozen treat. Some of these facts have more substantiation than others.

Ice cream does appear to have made its way to the United States around the year 1744, when Maryland’s governor Thomas Bladen served it to guests. In attendance was William Black of Virginia who wrote the following: “We had dessert no less curious; among the rarities of which it was compos’d was some fine iced cream which, with the strawberries and milk, eat most deliciously.” The first U.S. ice cream shop opened in New York in 1770, where Italian emigrant Giovanni Bosio sold the frozen treat, and indeed many of the first ice cream vendors were of Italian descent.

By the turn of the 19th century, Philadelphia was well known for the dessert due to large number of parlors, and also because of a style that was developed in the state that was not egg custard-based. The lack of egg allows Philadelphia-style ice cream to have a very fresh, clean taste.

According to the USDA 1.53 billion gallons of ice cream and related frozen desserts were produced in 2011. It represents a $10 billion industry with the great majority (almost 68%) coming from take-home ice cream sales. Vanilla remains the most popular flavor, with mint chocolate chip and cookies-and-cream coming close behind, according to a 2012 IDFA (**International Dairy Foods Association**) study.

Premium ice cream (such as Haagan Daz and Ben & Jerry’s) has a higher fat content and less aeration, resulting in a denser, richer product. Premium ice creams are more expensive but they are also considered the most popular (IDFA, 2012).

## Baking Tips

There is a wide range of ice cream machines to choose from. Some commercial brands make ice cream in seconds; other home units require pre-freezing an insulated container that, along with a paddle, chills and churns your ice cream mixture. There are versions available with their own compressors, as well as old-fashioned hand-crank options and even an ice cream “ball” that you essentially play kick-ball with. It is pre-chilled, and then kicking it around provides the agitation. Work off some calories before you eat!
Broccoli

As far as vegetables are concerned, broccoli is a bit divisive–people either love it or hate it, but its history as a preferred source of food and nutrition has existed since the Roman Empire.

Like the artichoke, broccoli is essentially a large edible flower. The stalks and flower florets are eaten both raw and cooked and have a flavor reminiscent of cabbage, though broccoli is also related to kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

Although some cooks do enjoy them prepared in the manner of chard or kale, the bitter leaves are usually discarded in preparing broccoli for a meal. Depending on which type of broccoli you get, though, their taste can range from mild to extremely bitter.

## From Discovery to Commercial Farming

Broccoli, botanically known as *Brassica oleracea italica,* is native to the Mediterranean. It was engineered from a cabbage relative by the Etruscans—an ancient Italian civilization who lived in what is now Tuscany—who were considered to be horticultural geniuses. Its English name, broccoli, is derived from the Italian word *broccolo,* which means "the flowering crest of a cabbage," and the Latin *brachium* meaning arm, branch, or shoot.

Broccoli has been considered a very valuable food by the Italians since the Roman Empire, but when first introduced in England in the mid-18th century, broccoli was referred to as "Italian asparagus."

There are records of Thomas Jefferson, who was an avid gardener, experimenting with broccoli seeds brought over from Italy in the late 1700s, but although commercial cultivation of broccoli dates back to the 1500s, it did not become a popular foodstuff in the United States until Southern Italian immigrants brought it over in the early 1920s.

Due to the many ways it can be cooked, as well as all of the health benefits, broccoli has tripled in consumption over the past 30 years.

## Varieties and Nutritional Contents of Broccoli

The large head and thick stalk broccoli we are most familiar with is Calabrese broccoli (named after Calabria, Italy), although it is typically labeled simply as broccoli. Even though it is available in stores year-round, it is a cold-weather crop. There is another variety that features several thin stalks and heads called sprouting broccoli, and you may also come across Romanesco broccoli, which is tightly packed in a cone shape and is bright green in color.

If you like broccoli, you may want to try broccolini, also called baby broccoli, which is a cross between broccoli and kale, or you might find broccoflower, a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, an appealing snack if you're a fan of both of these flowering vegetables.

No matter which variety you get, broccoli is rich in calcium and has antioxidant properties which help prevent some forms of cancer. The same sulfur that can cause gas from over-cooked broccoli also has beneficial antiviral and antibiotic properties.
Cockatoo

## Getting to know you

With their perky crest and natural curiosity, cockatoos are among the most well-known and loved members of the parrot family. They are found in Australia and the smaller island countries to the north and west, and they live in forested areas of all types, from eucalyptus groves to pine forests to rain forests.

## Two-stepping

Like all parrots, cockatoos are zygodactyl. This gives them the ability to use their feet much like we use our hands and helps make them terrific climbers! Having the ability to climb is a necessity for birds that live and nest in thick forests. That's because it's hard to fly through dense, leafy branches, and even tougher to get to the fruit or nuts that are their primary foods. Because they can climb through tree branches so well, cockatoos can easily get to the treats that they want. They are also able to hold their food in one foot while balancing on the other!

## In black and white

Cockatoos differ from other parrots not only because of their crest but also because they are mostly black or white (with a few notable exceptions, such as the gray and pink galah). This is caused by the lack of a special texture in their feathers. In other parrots, the presence of this texture produces color by the way it reflects light.

Cockatoos also do not have oil glands, but they do produce a fine powder that is the result of the breakdown of special downy feathers. The powder helps to protect their feathers and keep them clean.

## Let’s all eat together!

Cockatoos gather in large, noisy flocks—which sometimes include two or three different cockatoo species—to feed on berries, seeds, nuts, and roots. It is not uncommon to find cockatoos eating the seeds of grasses and cultivated crops; because of this, farmers consider them pests in some areas.

At the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, our cockatoos are offered a commercial pellet made for parrots, and fruits and veggies such as apples, papayas, carrots, and yams. They are also fed a variety of seeds and nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, and pecans, all with shells still on so the birds can crack them open, just like they would in the wild.

## LOUD mouths!

Cockatoos are LOUD and noisy! They are arguably the loudest of all the parrots and scream to communicate with one another or just for the sheer joy of making noise. Their loud voice is a great adaptation for living in thick, dark forests, helping them communicate with one another over long distances even though they are out of sight.

One of the benefits of living in a large, noisy flock is that there is always another bird close by to watch your back! When feeding, cockatoos depend on fellow cockatoo "sentinels" that sit close to the feeding flock and keep an eye open for potential danger. Should a predator or some sort of threat arise, the sentinel birds send out a loud alarm call, and the entire flock takes flight, squawking and screaming.

## Strong bonds

Some cockatoo species form long-lasting pair bonds. Pairs nest in tree hollows; in many cases, both sexes incubate the eggs and care for the chicks. Cockatoos often stay with the flock they were raised in.
Dugong

These enormous vegetarians can be found in warm coastal waters from East Africa to Australia, including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific.

Dugongs are related to manatees and are similar in appearance and behavior - though the dugong's tail is fluked like a whale's. Both are related to the elephant, although the giant land animal is not at all similar in appearance or behavior.

## Underwater Behavior

Dugongs graze on underwater grasses day and night, rooting for them with their bristled, sensitive snouts and chomping them with their rough lips.

These mammals can stay underwater for six minutes before surfacing. They sometimes breathe by “standing” on their tail with their heads above water.

Dugongs spend much of their time alone or in pairs, though they are sometimes seen gathered in large herds of a hundred animals.

## Reproduction and Conservation

Female dugongs have one calf after a yearlong pregnancy, and the mother helps her young reach the surface and take its first breath. A young dugong remains close to its mother for about 18 months, sometimes catching a ride on her broad back.

These languid animals make an easy target for coastal hunters, and they were long sought for their meat, oil, skin, bones, and teeth. Dugongs are now legally protected throughout their range, but their populations are still in a tenuous state.

Some believe that dugongs were the inspiration for ancient seafaring tales of mermaids and sirens.
American Bison

Bison, symbolic animals of the Great Plains, are often mistakenly called buffaloes. By any name, they are formidable beasts and the heaviest land animals in North America.

## Size and Diet

Bison stand some 5 to 6.5 feet (1.5 to 2 meters) tall at the shoulder and can tip the scales at over a ton (907 kilograms). Despite their massive size, bison are quick on their feet. When the need arises, they can run at speeds up to 40 miles (65 kilometers) an hour. They sport curved, sharp horns that may grow to be two feet (61 centimeters) long.

These large grazers feed on plains grasses, herbs, shrubs, and twigs. They regurgitate their food and chew it as cud before final digestion.

## Herd Behavior

Females (cows) and adult males (bulls) generally live in small, separate bands and come together in very large herds during the summer mating season. Males battle for mating primacy, but such contests rarely turn dangerous. Females give birth to one calf after a nine-month pregnancy.

## Cultural Importance

Bison once covered the Great Plains and much of North America and were critically important to Plains Indian societies. During the 19th century, settlers killed some 50 million bison for food, sport, and to deprive Native Americans of their most important natural asset. The once enormous herds were reduced to only a few hundred animals. Today, bison numbers have rebounded somewhat, and about 200,000 bison live on preserves and ranches where they are raised for their meat.
Sand Tiger Shark

Sand tiger sharks, also known as gray nurse sharks, have a deceivingly ferocious look. They are large-bodied and display a mouthful of sharp teeth that protrude in all directions, even when the mouth is shut. Despite this, they are a docile, non-aggressive species, known to attack humans only when bothered first.

## Characteristics

Sand tiger sharks are brownish-gray with rust-colored spots on top and white underneath. They have a flattened, cone-shaped snout and a distinctive, oblong tail with a notched, upper lobe that is significantly longer than the lobe below. Individuals range in size from 6.5 to 10.5 feet in length.

## Habitat

Their name comes from their tendency toward shoreline habitats, and they are often seen trolling the ocean floor in the surf zone, very close to shore. They are found in warm or temperate waters throughout the world's oceans, except the eastern Pacific.

## Behavior and Hunting

Sand tigers are the only shark known to come to the surface and gulp air. They store the air in their stomachs, which allows them to float motionless in the water, seeking prey. They are voracious predators, feeding at night and generally staying close to the bottom. Their staple is small fish, but they will eat crustaceans and squid as well. They occasionally hunt in groups, and have even been known to attack full fishing nets.

## Population

Although this species is widespread and is not widely fished for food, it has one of the lowest reproduction rates of all sharks and is susceptible to even minimal population pressure. For this reason, it is listed as vulnerable and is protected in much of its range.
Elephant Seal

There are two species of elephant seals, the northern and southern.

## Northern Elephant Seals

Northern elephant seals (*Mirounga angustirostris*) can be found in California and Baja California, though they prefer to frequent offshore islands rather than the North American mainland.

## Southern Elephant Seals

Southern elephant seals (*Mirounga leonina*) live in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters that feature brutally cold conditions but are rich in the fish, squid, and other marine foods these seals enjoy. Southern elephant seals breed on land but spend their winters in the frigid Antarctic waters near the Antarctic pack ice.

Southern elephants are the largest of all seals. Males can be over 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds. But these massive pinnipeds aren't called elephant seals because of their size. They take their name from their trunklike inflatable snouts.

## Mating Battles and Reproduction

When breeding season arrives, male elephant seals define and defend territories. They collect a harem of 40 to 50 females, which are much smaller than their enormous mates. Males battle each other for mating dominance. Some encounters end with roaring and aggressive posturing, but many others turn into violent and bloody battles.

Sea elephants, as these seals are sometimes called, give birth in late winter to a single pup and nurse it for approximately a month. While suckling their young, females do not eat - both mother and child live off the energy stored in ample reserves of her blubber. Females give birth to a single pup each year after an 11-month pregnancy.

## Migration

Elephant seals migrate in search of food, spending months at sea and often diving deep to forage. They return to their rookeries in winter to breed and give birth. Though both male and female elephant seals spend time at sea, their migration routes and feeding habits differ: Males follow a more consistent route while females vary their routes in pursuit of moving prey.

Elephant seals were aggressively hunted for their oil, and their numbers were once reduced to the brink of extinction. Fortunately, populations have rebounded under legal protections.
American Crocodile

The American crocodile is considered at-risk in nearly all parts of its North, Central, and South American range. Survey data, except in the United States, is poor or nonexistent, but conservationists agree that illegal hunting and habitat depletion has reduced populations of this wide-ranging reptile to critical levels.

## Range and Habitat

A small, remnant population lives in southern Florida, but most are found in southern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Their habitat of choice is the fresh or brackish water of river estuaries, coastal lagoons, and mangrove swamps.

## Crocodiles vs. Alligators

A prehistoric-looking creature, it is distinguishable from its cousin, the American alligator, by its longer, thinner snout, its lighter color, and two long teeth on the lower jaw that are visible when its mouth is closed.

## Size

    This species is among the largest of the world's crocodiles, with Central and South American males reaching lengths of up to 20 feet. Males in the U.S. population rarely exceed 13 feet, however.

## Diet

Their diet consists mainly of small mammals, birds, fish, crabs, insects, snails, frogs, and occasionally carrion. They have been known to attack people, but are far more likely to flee at the sight of humans.

## Conservation

Most countries in the American crocodile's range have passed protection laws, but unfortunately, few governments provide adequate enforcement.
North American River Otter

The playful North American river otter is equally at home in the water and on land. It makes its home in a burrow near the water's edge, and can thrive in river, lake, swamp, or estuary ecosystems. Otter abodes feature numerous tunnels - one of which usually allows them to come and go from the water.

## Swimming Abilities

These otters swim by propelling themselves with their powerful tails and flexing their long bodies. They also have webbed feet, water repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. They remain active in winter, using ice holes to surface and breathe. They can hold their breath underwater for some eight minutes.

River otters, members of the weasel family, hunt at night and feed on whatever might be available. Fish are a favorite food, but they also eat amphibians, turtles, and crayfish.

## Life on Land

On land, river otters can bound and run quite well, if not quite as effectively as they swim. They love to playfully slide down snow-covered, icy, or muddy hills - often ending with a splash in the water. Otter families of mother and children can be seen enjoying such fun, which also teaches survival skills.

## Otter Parenting

Males do not help raise young otters. Females retreat to their underground dens to deliver litters of one to six young. When the young are only about two months old, they get an advanced swimming lesson - their mother pushes them into the water. Otters are natural swimmers and, with parental supervision, they soon get the hang of it.

## Threats to Survival

These otters' range has been greatly reduced by habitat loss, though they exist in such numbers that they are trapped in some locales. Otters are also very sensitive to environmental pollution.
Albatross

An albatross aloft can be a spectacular sight. These feathered giants have the longest wingspan of any bird—up to 11 feet! The wandering albatross is the biggest of some two dozen different species. Albatrosses use their formidable wingspans to ride the ocean winds and sometimes to glide for hours without rest or even a flap of their wings. They also float on the sea's surface, though the position makes them vulnerable to aquatic predators. Albatrosses drink salt water, as do some other sea birds.

## Breeding

These long-lived birds have reached a documented 50 years of age. They are rarely seen on land and gather only to breed, at which time they form large colonies on remote islands. Mating pairs produce a single egg and take turns caring for it. Young albatrosses may fly within three to ten months, depending on the species, but then leave the land behind for some five to ten years until they themselves reach sexual maturity. Some species appear to mate for life.

## Diet

Albatrosses feed primarily on squid or schooling fish, but are familiar to mariners because they sometimes follow ships in hopes of dining on handouts or garbage. Albatrosses have a special place in maritime lore and superstition, most memorably evoked in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's *The Rime of the Ancient Mariner*.

## Relationship with Humans

Some albatross species were heavily hunted for feathers that were used as down and in the manufacture of women's hats. The Laysan albatross was important to the indigenous hunters of the northern seas. Excavations of Aleut and Eskimo settlements reveal many albatross bones and suggest that the birds were an important part of human diet in the region.
Chipmunk

Lively and speedy critters, chipmunks are small members of the squirrel family. Their pudgy cheeks, large, glossy eyes, stripes, and bushy tails have made them a favorite among animators, and landed them a series of starring roles in Hollywood.

## Chipmunk Species

Of the 25 species of chipmunks, all but one, Asia’s *Eutamias sibiricus*, is found in North America. Ranging from Canada to Mexico, they are generally seen scampering through the undergrowth of a variety of environments from alpine forests to shrubby deserts. Some dig burrows to live in, complete with tunnels and chambers, while others make their homes in nests, bushes, or logs.

Depending on species, chipmunks can be gray to reddish-brown in color with contrasting dark and light stripes on the sides of their face and across their back and tail. They range in size from the least chipmunk, which, at 7.2 to 8.5 inches and 1.1 to 1.8 ounces, is the smallest chipmunk, to the eastern chipmunk, which grows up to 11 inches and weighs as much as 4.4 ounces.

## Behavior

Chipmunks generally gather food on the ground in areas with underbrush, rocks, and logs, where they can hide from predators like hawks, foxes, coyotes, weasels, and snakes. They feed on insects, nuts, berries, seeds, fruit, and grain which they stuff into their generous cheek pouches and carry to their burrow or nest to store. Chipmunks hibernate, but instead of storing fat, they periodically dip into their cache of nuts and seeds throughout the winter.

Their shrill, repeated, birdlike chirp is usually made upon sensing a threat but is also thought to be used as a mating call by females. Chipmunks are solitary creatures and normally ignore one another except during the spring, when mating takes place. After a 30-day gestation, a litter of two to eight is born. The young stay with their parents for two months before they begin to gather their own provisions for the winter ahead.

For the most part, chipmunks, although susceptible to forest fragmentation, are not currently at-risk.
Ankylosaurus

These dinosaurs were the prehistoric tanks of their time. *Ankylosaurus magniventris* was covered with hard, bony plates that offered superb protection from its most formidable predator - *T. rex*. Rows of spikes ran along *Anklyosaurus*'s body, and small horns adorned its head to complete an impressive defense array.

Predators would have had to flip the squat, four-legged animal over, exposing its unprotected underbelly, to find a weak spot.

*Ankylosaurus*'s distinctive plates did more than deflect blows - they could also be used as weapons. At the end of the animal's tail, a series of plates were fused together and held aloft by tail vertebra fused together. This clublike tail likely delivered a powerful blow and served as a serious deterrent to would-be predators.

*Ankylosaurus* had a beak and small teeth, which it used to browse the large quantities of plants necessary to sustain a three-to-four ton body. *Ankylosaurus magniventris* was the biggest and heaviest of the several ankylosaurid species and grew up to 33 feet (10 meters) long.
Rivers, Lakes and Wetlands

## What kind of habitats are rivers, lakes, and wetlands?

Rivers are flowing water habitats, which can vary from an icy mountain stream to a huge tropical river. Lakes are still-water habitats, ranging from tiny rain pools to giant lakes many thousands of feet (meters) deep. Each of these habitats has its own types of plants and animals, depending on factors such as how fast the water moves and is replaced, the nature of the rocks and soil, and the chemical make-up of the water itself.

## Water supports life

Rivers and lakes are usually freshwater habitats that support many forms of life, from algae and plankton to insects and fish to larger animals. The food chain and the interdependence of the plants and animals in these habitats can be disrupted by pollution, pesticides, and erosion.

## Water, water everywhere!

Wetland habitats are complex and found all over the planet, from the polar regions to the tropics. They include marshes, swamps, bogs, and lagoons, and they are constantly changing, based on the seasons, water levels, tides, and migrations of birds and mammals. Wetlands may have areas of permanent standing water, although that may change with rainy and dry seasons, or they may be areas of damp, muddy, waterlogged soil. Wetlands support a variety of animals, but they are perhaps best known as seasonal or permanent homes for hundreds of bird species, from herons and storks to eagles, kingfishers, and ibises.
Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Hawksbill turtles are found throughout the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They avoid deep waters, preferring coastlines where sponges are abundant and sandy nesting sites are within reach.

## Distinctive Features

Not particularly large compared with other sea turtles, hawksbills grow up to about 45 inches in shell length and 150 pounds in weight. While young, their carapace, or upper shell, is heart-shaped, and as they mature it elongates. Their strikingly colored carapace is serrated and has overlapping scutes, or thick bony plates. Their tapered heads end in a sharp point resembling a bird’s beak, hence their name. A further distinctive feature is a pair of claws adorning each flipper. Male hawksbills have longer claws, thicker tails, and somewhat brighter coloring than females.

## Diet and Predators

They are normally found near reefs rich in the sponges they like to feed on. Hawksbills are omnivorous and will also eat mollusks, marine algae, crustaceans, sea urchins, fish, and jellyfish. Their hard shells protect them from many predators, but they still fall prey to large fish, sharks, crocodiles, octopuses, and humans.

## Reproduction

Like other sea turtles, hawksbills make incredible migrations in order to move from feeding sites to nesting grounds, normally on tropical beaches. Mating occurs every two to three years and normally takes place in shallow waters close to the shore. The nesting procedure begins when the turtles leave the sea to choose an area to lay their eggs. A pit is dug in the sand, filled with eggs, and then covered. At this stage the turtles retreat to the sea, leaving the eggs, which will hatch in about 60 days. The most dangerous time of their lives comes when hatchlings make the journey from their nests to the sea. Crabs and flocks of gulls voraciously prey on the young turtles during this short scamper.

## Threats to Survival

Like many sea turtles, hawksbills are a critically endangered species due mostly to human impact. Hawksbill eggs are still eaten around the world despite the turtle’s international protected status, and they are often killed for their flesh and their stunning shells. These graceful sea turtles are also threatened by accidental capture in fishing nets.
Giant Clam

The giant clam gets only one chance to find a nice home. Once it fastens itself to a spot on a reef, there it sits for the rest of its life.

## Size and Range

These bottom-dwelling behemoths are the largest mollusks on Earth, capable of reaching 4 feet in length and weighing more than 500 pounds. They live in the warm waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.

## Diet

Giant clams achieve their enormous proportions by consuming the sugars and proteins produced by the billions of algae that live in their tissues. In exchange, they offer the algae a safe home and regular access to sunlight for photosynthesis, basking by day below the water's surface with their fluted shells open and their multi-colored mantles exposed. They also use a siphon to draw in water to filter and consume passing plankton.

## "Man-Eater" Myths

Giant clams have a wildly undeserved reputation as man-eaters, with South Pacific legends describing clams that lie in wait to trap unsuspecting swimmers or swallow them whole. No account of a human death by giant clam has ever been substantiated, and scientists say its adductor muscles, used to close the shell, move far too slowly to take a swimmer by surprise. Even the largest specimen would simply retreat into its shell rather than attempt to sample human prey.

## Threats to Survival

The adductor muscle of the giant clam is actually considered a delicacy, and overharvesting of the species for food, shells, and the aquarium trade have landed it on at least one group's "vulnerable" list.
Moon

The regular daily and monthly rhythms of Earth's only natural satellite, the Moon, have guided timekeepers for thousands of years. Its influence on Earth's cycles, notably tides, has also been charted by many cultures in many ages. More than 70 spacecraft have been sent to the Moon; 12 astronauts have walked upon its surface and brought back 382 kg (842 pounds) of lunar rock and soil to Earth.

The presence of the Moon stabilizes Earth's wobble. This has led to a much more stable climate over billions of years, which may have affected the course of the development and growth of life on Earth.

How did the Moon come to be? The leading theory is that a Mars-sized body once hit Earth and the resulting debris (from both Earth and the impacting body) accumulated to form the Moon. Scientists believe that the Moon was formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago (the age of the oldest collected lunar rocks). When the Moon formed, its outer layers melted under very high temperatures, forming the lunar crust, probably from a global "magma ocean."

From Earth, we see the same face of the Moon all the time because the Moon rotates just once on its own axis in very nearly the same time that it travels once around Earth. This is known as "synchronous rotation." Patterns of dark and light features on the nearside have given rise to the fanciful "Man in the Moon" description. The light areas are lunar highlands. The dark features, called maria, are impact basins that were filled with dark lava between 4 and 2.5 billion years ago.

After this time of volcanism, the Moon cooled down, and has since been nearly unchanged, except for a steady rain of "hits" by meteorites and comets. The Moon's surface is charcoal gray and sandy, with much fine soil. This powdery blanket is called the lunar regolith, a term for mechanically produced debris layers on planetary surfaces. The regolith is thin, ranging from about 2 meters on the youngest maria to perhaps 20 meters on the oldest surfaces in the highlands.

Unlike Earth, the Moon does not have moving crustal plates or active volcanoes. However, seismometers planted by the Apollo astronauts in the 1970s have recorded small quakes at depths of several hundred kilometers. The quakes are probably triggered by tides resulting from Earth's gravitational pull. Small eruptions of gas from some craters, such as Aristarchus, have also been reported. Local magnetic areas have been detected around craters, but the Moon does not have a magnetic field resembling Earth's.

A surprising discovery from the tracking of the Lunar Orbiter spacecraft in the 1960s revealed strong areas of high gravitational acceleration located over the circular maria. These mass concentrations (mas-cons) may be caused by layers of denser, basaltic lavas that fill the mare basins.

In 1998, the Lunar Prospector spacecraft team reported finding water ice at both poles. Comet impacts deposited water on the Moon. Some of it migrated to very dark, very cold areas at the poles.

Much remains to be learned about our Moon. Researchers continue to study the samples and data returned by Apollo and other missions, as well as lunar meteorites.
Temperate Forest and Taiga

## What are temperate forests and taiga?

### Temperate Forest

Here there is enough rainfall to allow trees, shrubs, flowers, ferns, and mosses to flourish, while also following the rhythm of the seasons: sun and warm temperatures in the summer, and snow and cold temperatures in the winter. Most temperate forests are made up of a mix of deciduous trees like oak, beech, maple, ash, hazel, and birch, along with some evergreens and conifers like pine, redwood, hemlock, and cedar. Some areas of forest have dense stands of very old trees, while other areas that have been affected by storms, drought, landslides, or fire contain younger trees and more open areas like glades or small meadows. Very few of the Earth’s temperate forests have remained untouched by humans, and vast areas that used to be covered by ancient, “old growth” forests are now occupied by cities and farmland.

### Taiga

This type of forest habitat is sometimes called a boreal forest, but it is much colder and can remain under ice and snow for more than six months of the year. The forest trees here are mostly conifers and evergreens, like spruce, pine, fir, and larch.

## The diversity of life

The interactions between the trees, shrubs, and undergrowth of temperate forests and taiga are complex and dynamic, as they respond to changes in soil, water, seasons, and climate. This creates a diverse ecosystem containing several types of woodland communities. The rich soil, leaf litter, fallen trees, and living forest provide homes and food sources for a wide variety of animals and insects.
Sea Otter

This aquatic member of the weasel family is found along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The sea otter spends most of its time in the water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest. Sea otters have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water.

## Floating Behavior

Sea otters often float at the water's surface, lying on their backs in a posture of serene repose. They sleep this way, often gathered in groups. Otters sometimes float in forests of kelp, or giant seaweed, in which they entangle themselves to provide anchorage in the swirling sea.

These aquatic otters do more than sleep while floating on their backs. They are often seen with a clam or mussel and a rock that has been deftly snared from the ocean floor. Otters will place the rock on their chests, and repeatedly smash the shellfish against it until it breaks open to reveal the tasty meal inside. They also dine on such aquatic creatures as sea urchins, crabs, squid, octopuses, and fish.

Sea otters are the only otters to give birth in the water. Mothers nurture their young while floating on their backs. They hold infants on their chests to nurse them, and quickly teach them to swim and hunt.

## Sea Otter Coats

Sea otters are meticulously clean. After eating, they wash themselves in the ocean, cleaning their coat with their teeth and paws. They have good reason to take care of their coats - it helps them to remain waterproof and insulated against the cold. Sea otters have thick underfur that traps air to form an insulating layer against the chilly waters (they have no insulating fat). This coat is invaluable to otters, but it has worth to some humans as well.

Sea otters were hunted for their fur to the point of near extinction. Early in the 20th century only 1,000 to 2,000 animals remained. Today, sea otters are protected by law.
Oviraptor

Early fossil hunters were probably quite curious to know exactly what they found when they stumbled upon a crushed skull and a few bones that would later become known as the Oviraptor philoceratops. This 1932 discovery by scientists from Mongolia and the American Museum of Natural History and other finds by paleontologists during the 50 years that followed allowed for a more complete picture of this small, birdlike creature first dubbed "the egg thief."

As it turns out, the Oviraptor's nickname may be inaccurate. The prehistoric beast may not have stolen unhatched eggs from other nests, as has been suggested. In fact, the opposite may be true: In 1995, the American Museum of Natural History announced the discovery of a fossil of an ostrich-sized Oviraptor covering its own nest of unhatched eggs in a seemingly protective stance.

Oviraptors did not look like your typical coloring book dinosaur - more like a strange science experiment where a bird and dinosaur enter the chamber from the movie *The Fly*. Its most distinctive feature was the rooster-like crest that attached to nostril passages on its beak. Its skull was small with large eye sockets, and its deep jaws were toothless. An adult Oviraptor may have measured about 3 feet tall and around 6 feet long.

So, how did small the Oviraptor survive in the Mongolian desert with predators like the mighty Carcharodontosaurus lumbering around the neighborhood - especially with a powerful, but small, beak that served as more of a nutcracker than a predatory asset? This has been a topic of debate in the paleontological community. Some scientists say the Oviraptor was a carnivore scavenger that mostly dined on scraps from others’ kills. Others say it was an omnivorous animal that feasted on eggs, fruit, insects and hunted shellfish. Most seem to agree that the animal was an agile runner. We also know this: The two, bony spikes on the roof of its mouth leads us to believe the Oviraptor crushed its food to make it digestible.
Moose

Moose are the largest of all the deer species. Males are immediately recognizable by their huge antlers, which can spread 6 feet from end to end. Moose have long faces and muzzles that dangle over their chins. A flap of skin known as a bell sway beneath each moose's throat.

## Behavior in Summer and Winter

Moose are so tall that they prefer to browse higher grasses and shrubs because lowering their heads to ground level can be difficult. In winter they eat shrubs and pinecones, but they also scrape snow with their large hooves to clear areas for browsing on mosses and lichens. These hooves also act as snowshoes to support the heavy animals in soft snow and in muddy or marshy ground.

In summer, food is far more plentiful in the northern regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. When the ice melts, moose are often seen in lakes, rivers, or wetlands, feeding on aquatic plants both at and below the surface. Moose are at home in the water and, despite their staggering bulk, are good swimmers. They have been seen paddling several miles at a time, and will even submerge completely, staying under for 30 seconds or more.

Moose are similarly nimble on land. They can run up to 35 miles an hour over short distances, and trot steadily at 20 miles an hour.

## Breeding

Males, called bulls, bellow loudly to attract mates each September and October. The usually solitary bulls may come together at this time to battle with their antlers for mating supremacy. After mating, the two sexes go their separate ways until the following year. Though they may occasionally feed in the same grounds, they tend to ignore each other.

Females give birth to one or two calves in the spring—each weighing some 30 pounds. These calves grow quickly and can outrun a person by the time they are just five days old. Young moose stay with their mothers until the following mating season.
Muscular System

At the simplest level, muscles allow us to move. Smooth muscle and cardiac muscle move to facilitate body functions like heartbeats and digestion. The movement of these muscles is directed by the autonomic part of the nervous system—those are the nerves that control organs. Skeletal muscles move our bodies in space. They take direct instruction from the specific nerves that innervate each muscle. Want to learn more about the muscles in the human body? Here are five other facts to keep in mind about the muscular system.

## Over 600 Skeletal Muscles Account for about Half of Our Body Weight

The muscles that move the human skeleton vary greatly in shape and size and extend to every part of our bodies. The muscular system contains over 600 skeletal muscles alone, which make up about 40% of our mass. Blood vessels and nerves run to every muscle, helping control and regulate each muscle’s function.

## Skeletal Muscles Attach to Bones

In the muscular system, skeletal muscles are connected to the skeleton, either to bone or to connective tissues such as ligaments. Muscles are always attached at two or more places. When the muscle contracts, the attachment points are pulled closer together; when it relaxes, the attachment points move apart.

## Muscles Pull on Bones to Move the Body

Muscles contract and relax to move bones. The elbow joint bends (flexes) when muscles pull on the radius and ulna of the arm. Muscles contract when messages travel from nerves to muscles and trigger chemical reactions. These reactions change the internal structures of muscle fiber cells, a process that shortens the muscle. The muscle fibers relax when the nervous system signal is no longer present, thus reversing the shortening.

## Muscles Make Up the Walls of Many Organs

Not all muscle tissue is skeletal muscle. Smooth muscle tissue is in the walls of many human body organs and helps those organs move to facilitate body functions. The alimentary canal (esophagus, stomach, and intestines) includes muscle tissue that contracts and relaxes to move nutrients through the digestion process. The urinary bladder also includes muscle tissue that contracts and relaxes to hold and release urine. Heartbeats are the result of the contraction and relaxation of muscle tissue in the heart wall. Smooth muscles in the walls of arteries help move blood through the body.

## Somatic Motor Signals Move Skeletal Muscles

How do skeletal muscles move? It happens when the muscular system and the nervous system work together: Somatic signals are sent from the cerebral cortex to nerves associated with specific skeletal muscles. Most signals travel through spinal nerves that connect with nerves that innervate skeletal muscles throughout the body. Want to flex an elbow joint? Your cerebral cortex sends a signal through your spinal nerve to the nerves that innervate muscles around the elbow joint. When that signal reaches the muscle tissue its cells reorganize, causing a contraction that bends the elbow joint!
Fennec Fox

The fennec fox is the smallest of all the world's foxes, but its large ears, measuring 6 inches, appear to be on loan from a bigger relative.

## Desert Adaptations

Fennec foxes dwell in the sandy Sahara and elsewhere in North Africa. Their nocturnal habits help them deal with the searing heat of the desert environment, and some physical adaptations help as well.

Their distinctive, batlike ears radiate body heat and help keep the foxes cool. They also have long, thick hair that insulates them during cold nights and protects them from hot sun during the day. Even the fox's feet are hairy, which helps them perform like snowshoes and protects them from extremely hot sand. The fox's feet are also effective shovels for frequent digging—fennec foxes live in underground dens.

## Diet and Behavior

These foxes dwell in small communities, each inhabited by perhaps ten individuals. Like other canids, male fennecs mark their territory with urine and become aggressive competitors when mating season arrives each year.

Fennec foxes are opportunistic eaters. They forage for plants but also eat rodents, eggs, reptiles, and insects. Like most desert dwellers, the fennec fox has developed the ability to go for long periods without water.

These foxes are cream-colored with black-tipped tails. Their adorable appearance makes them favorites of the captive pet trade, and local peoples also hunt the fennec fox for its fur. Little is known about the status of wild fennec fox populations.
Germany

Prepare for a roller coaster of feasts, treats and temptations as you take in Germany's soul-stirring scenery, spirit-lifting culture, big-city beauties, romantic palaces and half-timbered towns.

## Bewitching Scenery

Few countries have had as much impact on the world as Germany, which has given us the printing press, the automobile, aspirin and MP3 technology. This is the birthplace of Martin Luther, Albert Einstein and Karl Marx, of Goethe, Beethoven, the Brothers Grimm and other heavyweights who, each in their own way, have left their mark on human history.

As you travel the country, you'll have plenty of brushes with genius, but Germany's storybook landscapes will likely leave an even bigger imprint on your memories. There's something undeniably artistic in the way the scenery unfolds – the corrugated, dune-fringed coasts of the north, the moody forests, romantic river valleys and vast vineyards of central Germany's backbone, and the off-the-charts splendour of the Alps, carved into rugged glory by glaciers and the elements. All are integral parts of a magical natural matrix that's bound to give your camera batteries a workout. As much fun as it may be to rev up the engines on the autobahn, getting off the highway lets you soak up the epic scenery that makes each delicious, slow, winding mile so precious.

## Gastro Delights

Eating well is as important to a memorable journey as captivating scenery and great architecture. And you'll quickly discover that German food is so much more than sausages and pretzels, schnitzel and roast pork accompanied by big mugs of foamy beer. Beyond the clichés awaits a a cornucopia of regional and seasonal palate teasers. Share the German peoples' obsession with white asparagus in springtime, chanterelle mushrooms in summer and game in autumn. Indulge in Black Forest cake, doner kebab, Spaetzle or Michelin-starred haute cuisine. Sample not just famous beer but also world-class wines, most notably the noble Riesling, while exploring ancient cellars. Experiencing the country through its food and drink will add a rich layer to your memories (and possibly your belly!).

## Pleasures of Civilisation

You'll encounter history in towns where streets were laid out long before Columbus set sail and in castles that loom above prim, half-timbered villages where flower boxes billow with crimson geraniums. The great cities – Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Leipzig among them – come in more flavours than a jar of jelly beans but will all wow you with a cultural kaleidoscope that spans the arc from art museums and high-brow opera to naughty cabaret and underground clubs. And wherever you go, Romanesque, Gothic and baroque classics rub rafters with architectural creations from modern masters like Daniel Libeskind, David Chipperfield and Frank Gehry.