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Roman statuette of a war elephant
Roman statuette of a war elephant

The battle of the Trebia was the first major battle of the Second Punic War, fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and a Roman army under Sempronius Longus on 22 or 23 December 218 BC near modern Piacenza in northern Italy. Each army had a strength of about 40,000 men; the Romans were stronger in infantry, while the Carthaginians were stronger in cavalry and fielded about 30 war elephants (statuette pictured). Hannibal used his Numidian cavalry to lure the Romans out of their camp and onto ground of his choosing. Fresh Carthaginian cavalry routed the outnumbered Roman cavalry, and Carthaginian light infantry outflanked the Roman infantry. A previously hidden Carthaginian force attacked the Roman infantry in the rear. Most of the Roman units then collapsed and most Romans were killed or captured, but 10,000 under Sempronius maintained formation, fought their way out and reached the safety of Piacenza. The following spring the Carthaginians moved south into Roman Italy and operated there for 15 years. (Full article...)

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Dennstaedtia christophelii fossil frond
Dennstaedtia christophelii fossil frond

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December 23: Night of the Radishes in Oaxaca City, Mexico; Festivus

Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
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African fish eagle

The African fish eagle (Icthyophaga vocifer) is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur. It is a generalist species, requiring only open water with sufficient prey and a good perch, as evidenced by the number of habitat types in which this species may be found. Habitats include grasslands, swamps, marshes, tropical rainforests and fynbos, as well as freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. Some are also found close to the coast, both at the mouths of rivers or lagoons and on desert-bordering coastline. The African fish eagle is a large bird, with females having a mass of 3.2 to 3.6 kg (7.1 to 7.9 lb), somewhat larger than the male, at 2.0 to 2.5 kg (4.4 to 5.5 lb). It breeds during the dry season, when water levels are low and it is believed to be a monogamous species. It is the national bird of Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This African fish eagle was photographed at Lake Ziway in Ethiopia.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

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