Awesome Galore

The Most Awesome Men's Entertainment Site On The Internet

Nature

Picture of the Day

death cap mushroom

(photo: Alicja)

The Death Cap Mushroom, amanita phalloides, a deadly fungus, commonly mistaken for edible mushrooms. Ingesting one death cap mushroom is enough to kill a healthy adult and there is no antidote.

All parts of the mushroom are poisonous; cooking or peeling does not make the mushroom safe to eat. There is no way to remove the poison from the mushroom. The poisonous compounds are extremely stable. You cannot remove them by soaking, cooking or drying. The poisons are found throughout the cap, gills, stem and spores.

Death by death cap typically begins with severe vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that comes on about 6-24 hours after ingestion.

[Read more…] about Picture of the Day

Picture of the Day

oldest tree in the world

(photo: “Methuselah, White Mountain, California” by Desires Photo)

Methuselah, the Great Basin bristlecone tree located high up in the White Mountains in California is recognized as the oldest non-clonal tree in the world and is 4,852 years old.

Named after the Biblical figure that lived for 969 years, the Methuselah Tree grows in the Methuselah Grove, which is in Inyo National Forest’s “Forest of Ancients,” where it is surrounded by other ancient trees. The exact location of the tree, though, is kept secret to protect it against vandalism.

It is estimated that the tree germinated in 2832 BCE, making Methuselah one of the oldest known living trees and non-clonal organism in the entire world. A germination date of 2832 BCE makes Methuselah older even than the Egyptian Pyramids.

Picture of the Day

mandrill alpha male

In the mandrill species, if a beta male wins a fight, then it gradually transforms into an alpha male – gaining larger testicles, more colorful skin, and the ability to produce offspring with females. If an alpha male loses a fight, then the reverse happens.

Adult male mandrills with alpha status display vivid colouration on their skin, while those with beta status are more dull in colour. Both types of males engage in mating, but only the dominant alpha males have the ability to produce offspring. Male mandrills sometimes fight for breeding rights which results in dominance. Though conflicts are rare, they can be deadly. Gaining dominance, that is becoming the alpha male, results in an "increased testicular volume, reddening of sexual skin on the face and genitalia, and heightened secretion of the sternal cutaneous gland". When a male loses dominance or its alpha status, the reverse happens, although the blue ridges remain brightened. There is also a fall in its reproductive success. This effect is gradual and takes place over a few years. When beta males mate-guard a female, the competition between them allows the alpha males to have a greater chance of producing offspring, since betas outnumber alphas 21 to 1.