When visiting the Baltic coast, we have the opportunity to meet three species of mammals from the seal family, belonging to three genera. These are: the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) and the ringed seal (Pusa hispida).

Neither a beaver nor a rat, or a Hydromys. World Rat Day is celebrated on April 4, while April 7 is International Beaver Day. The Hydromys does not have its own day, so we will honor it by making it our April object of the month.

Neither a beaver nor a rat, or a Hydromys. World Rat Day is celebrated on April 4, while April 7 is International Beaver Day. The Hydromys does not have its own day, so we will honor it by making it our April object of the month.

Ruby at night, emerald by day...
At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, expeditions were constantly setting off to the Urals to search for natural resources. It was during one such expedition, in 1832, that one of the researchers found gray-green crystals.

Gorillas are the largest modern apes, closely related to humans – we share 98% of our genes with them. Their evolutionary lineage diverged from chimpanzees and Homo sapiens about 10 million years ago. The name "gorilla" comes from the Greek word for "hairy woman" – the first mention is attributed to the Carthaginian navigator Hannoni from the 5th century BC. The species was not scientifically described until the 19th century.