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North American beaver
North American beaver

Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American (pictured) and Eurasian beaver. Both have stout bodies, large heads, chisel-like incisors, hand-like front feet, webbed back feet and flat, scaly tails. The Eurasian beaver has a longer skull, lighter color and narrower tail. Both are found in freshwater habitats, and are herbivorous, consuming plants and tree bark. They build dams and lodges using tree branches, vegetation, rocks and mud. Their infrastructure has a great impact on the surrounding environment. Adults live in monogamous pairs with their offspring. Beavers are territorial and scent-mark with a secretion called castoreum. Historically, beavers were hunted for their fur, meat and castoreum. Overhunting nearly exterminated both species. With protection, populations have rebounded, and both are listed as least-concern species on the IUCN Red List. The beaver symbolizes industriousness and is Canada's national animal. (Full article...)

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Allegory of Marriage
Allegory of Marriage

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Flags of Finland and NATO
Flags of Finland and NATO

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April 7: National Beer Day in the United States

Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII
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Remains of Radcliffe Tower
Remains of Radcliffe Tower

There are nine castles in Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. They consist of four motte-and-bailey castles, three fortified manor houses, an enclosure castle, and a possible shell keep. Four of Greater Manchester's castles are scheduled monuments: Buckton, Bury, Radcliffe Tower (pictured), and Watch Hill. The purpose of a castle was not simply militaristic, but was also considered to be a stamp of authority over the population of an area and a status symbol. Some would have acted as centres of trade and administration for a manor. The earliest castles in Greater Manchester are Dunham and Watch Hill in Trafford, Ullerwood in Manchester, and Stockport Castle in Stockport. They were first recorded in 1173 as belonging to barons who had rebelled against Henry II. (Full list...)

Crucifixion with the Virgin and St John

The Crucifixion with the Virgin and St John is an oil painting by the Dutch artist Hendrick ter Brugghen, probably painted around 1625 as an altarpiece for a Catholic clandestine church likely located in Utrecht in the Calvinist Dutch United Provinces. The scene is taken from the account of the crucifixion of Jesus in the Gospel of John, and depicts Jesus being mourned by his mother Mary and John the Apostle. At the base of the cross are bones, traditionally identified as those of Adam. The scene is set in an atmosphere of deep dusk with stars visible in the background. The painting was not known until it was discovered in a bombed-out church in South Hackney, London, in 1956. Initially unrecognized, it was identified before an appearance at Sotheby's later that year. It was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it now hangs.

Painting credit: Hendrick ter Brugghen

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