The eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis) is a highly venomous snake
of the family Elapidae, native to eastern and central Australia and
southern New Guinea. Up to 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) long with a slender
build, it has variable upperparts, pale brown to almost black, and a
pale cream-yellow underside, often with orange or grey splotches. It was
first described by André Marie Constant Duméril in 1854. The eastern
brown snake is found in many habitats, though not in dense forests. It
has become more common in farmland and on the outskirts of urban areas,
preying mainly on the introduced house mouse. It is considered the
world's second-most venomous land snake after the inland taipan, based
on the toxicity of its venom in mice; as a genus, brown snakes were
responsible for 15 of the 19 snakebite fatalities in Australia between
2005 and 2015. The venom mainly affects the circulatory system, causing
bleeding, cardiovascular collapse and cardiac arrest.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_brown_snake>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1888:
The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., at the time the
world's tallest building, officially opened to the general public.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Monument>
1913:
Carrying a cargo hold full of highly flammable chemicals, the
ocean liner SS Volturno caught fire in the north Atlantic and sank,
resulting in 136 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Volturno_%281906%29>
1986:
The Phantom of the Opera, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and
currently the longest-running Broadway show in history, opened in
London's West End.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_of_the_Opera_%281986_musical%29>
2019:
Syrian civil war: Turkish forces began an offensive into north-
eastern Syria following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Turkish_offensive_into_north-eastern_Syria>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
style:
1. (transitive) To call or give a name or title to.
2. (transitive) To create for, or give to, someone a style, fashion, or
image, particularly one which is regarded as attractive, tasteful, or
trendy.
3. (intransitive, US, informal) To act in a way which seeks to show that
one possesses style.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/style>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
We are dissipating superstition, ignorance and fear. We are
forging courage, will and knowledge. Every striving toward
enlightenment is welcome. Every prejudice, caused by ignorance, is
exposed.
--Nicholas Roerich
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nicholas_Roerich>