Ghost Orchid Materializes in Florida Park

Ghost orchids (Dendrophylax lindenii) are rare. Not only are they shaped differently from most flowers, they are also endangered. This is why it was a pleasant surprise to find one growing on an old cypress tree in the Corkscrew Swamp Wildlife Sancuary in Naples, Florida. It was spotted with nine magnificent flowers, the size of the hand, by visitors who were on the lookout for owls. It was 45 feet over the ground and had a mass of old root growth which meanth it had been there a long time. Park Manager Ed Carlson says it must have been hidden by leaves since it blooms in June and July when cypresses are leafed out. "We've just never seen it before," he says.

The ghost orchid blooms for only two weeks, so if you want to see it, you'd better get to the sanctuary before it wilts. It is the first ghost orchid discovered in the park in 12 years. The ghost orchid is featured in the movie "Adaptation," which was inspired by the novel "The Orchid Thief."

Learn about the amazing hair cleansing and conditioning properties of the oil from the flower of the shampoo ginger (Zingiber zerumbet) plant. Click here.

Step-by-Step Guide to Increase IQ

Human Encroachment into Wildreness Causes Wildlife to Encroach into Ours

This is a Garter snake which was discovered by artist/animator Roland Mechael Ilagan on his bike at his home in Florida. Scientists speculate that as the natural habitats of wild animals decrease, we may find more of them visiting our homes and even intermingling with with us whether we're aware of it or not. This snake is sending us the message that we should try to understand. As we encroach more into the dwindling wilderness, the wildlife that live there have no choice but to encroach into ours in search of food and shelter. We should be the caretakers of the wilderness and live in harmony with it.

Snakes Proliferate on Florida Island Despite Lack of Fresh Water

Here is a poisonous cottonmouth snake ready to strike with its fangs! This is just one of the dangerous snakes that thrive on Florida's Seahorse Key. About 600 vipers live around the 67-hectare island. Sometimes, there is an average of 22 cottonmouths on every palm tree-covered area! Indeed, it may be the most dangerous island in the region if snakes are the issue. Scientists have long wondered how these snakes live there with no fresh water and too few mammals to feed on. It is theorized that they live on the huge amounts of dead fish that the birds drop, vomit, and excrete every year. Wow, seafood-eating snakes!