Hippo vs. Lion [video]

TORNADO - A Natural Disaster

A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. The most intense of all atmospheric phenomena, tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes but are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, whose narrow end touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris and dust. Most tornadoes have wind speeds between 40 mph (64 km/h) and 110 mph (177 km/h), are approximately 250 feet (75 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. The most extreme can attain wind speeds of more than 300 mph (480 km/h), stretch more than a mile (1.6 km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km).

It's very difficult if not impossible to have a film a tornado due to their aggessive and unpredictable behavior. However, here are some of the “almost” close-up view of the tornadoes shot by various photographers few of them are working with National Geographic society.

Bullet Ant

Paraponera is a genus of ant consisting of a single species, the so-called BULLET ANT, named on account of its powerful and potent sting, which is said to be as painful as being shot with a bullet. It is called by the locals "Hormiga Veinticuatro" or "24 (hour) ant", from the 24 hours of pain that follow a stinging. The bullet ant inhabits humid lowland rainforests from Nicaragua south to Paraguay. Workers are 18–25 mm long and resemble stout, reddish-black, wingless wasps.

The pain caused by this insect's sting is purported to be greater than that of any other Hymenopteran, and is ranked as the most painful according to the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. It is described as causing "waves of burning, throbbing, all-consuming pain that continues unabated for up to 24 hours". It is thought that the ant has evolved this way to ward off any predators who would normally unearth them. In some indigenous communities, to enter manhood, a boy has to endure being stung by the ant 20 times without screaming. A paralyzing neurotoxic peptide isolated from the venom is poneratoxin.

Birds of Paradise [Video]

The birds of paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. They are found in eastern Indonesia, Torres Strait Islands, Papua New Guinea, and eastern Australia. There are 40 different species of birds of paradise, each one is more bizarre than the other.