Durrell's vontsira (Salanoia durrelli) is a Madagascan mammal in the
family Eupleridae of the order Carnivora. It is most closely related to
the brown-tailed mongoose (Salanoia concolor), with which it forms the
genus Salanoia. The two are genetically similar, but morphologically
distinct, leading scientists to recognize them as separate species. The
animal was first known to science after an individual was observed in
2004, and S. durrelli was described as a new species in 2010. A small,
reddish-brown carnivore, Salanoia durrelli is characterized by broad
feet with prominent pads, reddish-buff underparts, and broad, robust
teeth, among other differences from the brown-tailed mongoose. In the
only two weighed specimens, the body masses were 600 and 675 g (21.2
and 23.8 oz). S. durrelli is a marsh-dwelling animal that may feed on
crustaceans and mollusks. It is found only in the Lac Alaotra area, a
threatened ecosystem, and may also be endangered by competition with
introduced species.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durrell%27s_vontsira>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1775:
Thomas Gage, the governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay,
offered a general pardon to colonists who remained loyal to Britain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gage>
1914:
As part of the Ottoman Empire's policies of ethnic cleansing,
Turkish irregulars (examples pictured) began a six-day massacre of the
predominantly Greek town of Phocaea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Phocaea>
1963:
African-American civil-rights activist Medgar Evers was
murdered by Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medgar_Evers>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
tokamak:
(nuclear physics) A torus-shaped chamber used in nuclear fusion research
in which a plasma is magnetically confined.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tokamak>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The heart of a virtuous person has settled down and he does not
rush about at things. A person of little merit is not at peace but walks
about making trouble and is in conflict with all.
--Yamamoto Tsunetomo
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yamamoto_Tsunetomo>
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