Out of Sight

Global warming is a threat to coral reefs. When the ocean temperature increases coral bleaching occurs; that is the symbiotic alga inside the polyps die, which causes the polyps to turn white and eventually die. In 1998, coral bleaching affected approximately 90% of the Great Barrier Reef. The coral reefs are endangered by the unprecedented climatic change. The coral ecosystem is bound to get physically damaged if there is an increase in the sea levels and also in the frequency of the tropical storms. Only curbing global warming can prevent the destruction of the coral reef. Australian government and the concerned organizations around the world are trying to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

A few decades ago the Owl butterflies were considered to be members of a now defunct family, the Brassolidae. Following the revisions of Erlich ( 1958 ) and Ackery ( 1984 ), all of the butterflies with only two pairs of walking legs were placed within the Nymphalidae. The Brassolidae were reduced in rank to a subfamily Brassolinae, and then relegated further to become the Brassolini - a tribe within the Morphinae.

The 21 Caligo species are known colloquially as Owl butterflies, due to the owl-like false eyes, and the feathery appearance of the underside wings.

Various theories have been proposed to explain the presence of the huge eyespots that adorn the underside hindwings of all species. The butterflies rest for very long periods on tree trunks and can be quite difficult to spot, but if accidentally disturbed by a bird they take immediate flight and if seen from below with wings fully open could feasibly be mistaken for an owl. When at rest however, only one side of the wings can be seen at a time and the appearance then is not owl-like. Another theory states that the eyespot and surrounding dark areas are mimetic of a species of tree frog that is said to rest on tree trunks where Owl butterflies are seen. It is however difficult to imagine what possible advantage a butterfly might have in resembling a tree frog !

3. Chameleon eyes have a 360-degree arc of vision and can see two directions at once. Chameleons have the most distinctive eyes of any reptile. Their upper and lower eyelids are joined, with only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to see through. They can rotate and focus separately to observe two different objects simultaneously, which lets their eyes move independently from each other.

Chameleons don't live naturally in the United States (or anywhere else in North or South America.) You might find some living "in the wild" in Hawaii, California, and Florida. But they're the offspring of escaped pets that came from other parts of the world.

IT COULD take 20 years or more for the Great Barrier Reef to recover from three kilometres of destruction caused by the grounding of a Chinese coal ship, authorities have revealed.