Jefferson Davis (June 3, 1808 – December 6, 1889) was thepresident of the Confederate States of America (CSA) from 1861 to 1865. He previously representedMississippi in theUnited States Senate andHouse of Representatives as aDemocrat, and was theU.S. secretary of war from 1853 to 1857. A graduate ofWest Point, Davis served in theU.S. Army, fighting in theMexican–American War. He was a cottonplanter and owned as many as 113 slaves. During theCivil War, Davis served as commander in chief. When the CSA was defeated in 1865, he was captured, accused of involvement in theassassination of Abraham Lincoln and oftreason, and imprisoned atFort Monroe. He was released without trial after two years. Immediately after the war, Davis was often blamed for the CSA's defeat but, after his release from prison, theLost Cause movement deemed him a hero, and he was celebrated in the South. In the 21st century, however, he has been viewed more harshly, and manymemorials to him havebeen removed.(Full article...)
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December 6:Saint Nicholas's Day (Western Christianity);White Ribbon Day in Canada;Independence Day in Finland (1917)
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Curly-tailed lizards (Leiocephalidae) are a family ofiguanian lizards found in the West Indies, with extant species in the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. There are presently 30 known species in this family, all of which are members of the genusLeiocephalus. Curly-tailed lizards vary in size depending on species, but typically are approximately 9 centimetres (3.5 inches) in snout-to-vent length. As implied by the name, most species of this family exhibit a curling of the tail. This is done both when a potential predator is present, showing the fitness of the lizard to a would-be predator and – in the case of an attack – drawing attention to the tail, which increases the lizard's chance of escaping. The tail is often also curled when predators are not present, however. Curly-tailed lizards mostly forage on arthropods such as insects, but also commonly consume flowers and fruits. Large individuals can eat small vertebrates, includinganoles. This curly-tailed lizard of the speciesLeiocephalus varius, the Cayman curlytail, was photographed on the coast inGeorge Town on the island ofGrand Cayman. Photograph credit:Charles J. Sharp Recently featured: |
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