Monthly Archives: June 2017
This deadly Australia
Most people in Australia are accustomed to the neighborhood of deadly creatures, perceiving them as familiar everyday life. But actually it’s just amazing how many of the creatures that inhabit the Fifth Continent are poisonous. With snakes, everything is clear, spiders in other parts of the world are poisonous. But fish or shells?
Let’s start with the spiders, however. No one can answer the question of why in Australia they are so incredibly deadly. After all, the dose of that terrible poison that they use when hunting small insects is a weapon of excess power. Until now, by the way, it remains a mystery and why the cute and pretty platypus needs poisonous spurs on its hind legs. Continue reading
In the country of antipodes (part 3)
A curious story of the origin of the name of the kangaroo, possibly mythical. James Cook, who “discovered” Australia a second time, wrote in his diary in 1770 about a “strange creature that gallops on its hind legs like a jumping mouse.” He asked the natives what the name of this strange creature is called. Those answered: “Ken ge roo.” From here came the name of these animals, which became the symbol of Australia. And already modern linguists have established that in the language of the natives this expression meant: “I do not understand you.” Continue reading
