Beginning at 2:00 am MTN on Christmas Eve, you can track Santa Live as he makes his historical journey around the world!
This is exciting, as Santa travels fast and NORAD Santa Cams take photos of Santa and his reindeer!
NORAD has been tracking Santa and that “nose so bright” for more than 50 years.
Just one night each year, nine tiny magic reindeer pull Santa and his toy-filled sleigh around the world. They are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph, and it’s said that these mythical animals are the only reindeer that can fly.Dr. Perry Barboza is a physiologist at the Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska at Fairbanks, who studies reindeer and their closest cousins, caribou.
He points to the fact that male reindeer shed their thick antlers at the end of mating season in early December. The females also have antlers, but their thinner version stays with them throughout the winter. This means that Rudolph and Santa's team are all females.
What about the non-magical reindeer, the ones which don't fly?
At the start of winter, females may be as much as 50% body fat. The fat, which can be a couple of inches thick on their rumps, insulates them from months of cold -- as low as minus 45° F.
Males go into winter with much lower fat stores than females, as low as 5%, because they use so much energy during the fall mating season. So, losing the weight of their antlers is probably an energy saver.
Reindeer have specially designed coats with hollow hairs that help maintain body heat.
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"Christmas lizards" uploaded by gerad
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"Merry Christmas from Rabi&Marron" uploaded by tomo1203
"SANTA HORSE" uploaded by Mausebärchen
"Santa's new helper" uploaded by lipstickcat
Vacuum cleaners kill fleas just as well as any poison, surprised U.S. researchers found.
They said a standard vacuum cleaner abuses the fleas so much it kills 96 percent of adult fleas and 100 percent of younger fleas.
Glen Needham, associate professor of entomology at Ohio State University, suggested that the vacuum brushes wear away a waxy outer layer on insects called the cuticle. Without it, the fleas, larvae and pupae probably dry up and die, he said.
The findings were so surprising that the researchers ran their experiment several times.
They said a standard vacuum cleaner abuses the fleas so much it kills 96 percent of adult fleas and 100 percent of younger fleas.
Glen Needham, associate professor of entomology at Ohio State University, suggested that the vacuum brushes wear away a waxy outer layer on insects called the cuticle. Without it, the fleas, larvae and pupae probably dry up and die, he said.
The findings were so surprising that the researchers ran their experiment several times.
"Santa Biggie" uploaded by *Kendall*If you like this kind of stuff, don't miss our outstanding collection of
Cats in Hats for Christmas
Cats in Hats for Christmas
A mechanical cow that breaks wind on the hour has become Edinburgh's latest tourist attraction.The bovine backside has been attached to the side of the Rowan Tree pub in the city's historic Old Town.
It lifts its tail and shoots out a cloud of white smoke at passers-by throughout the day.