Florida

Spiders ensnare and hunt bats: The stuff nightmares are made of

As if spiders weren't scary enough, I have just found out that some of them are large enough to ensnare and feed on bats. Folks, this is the stuff nightmares are made of – at least my nightmares. A scientific paper in PLOS ONE reports that more than 50 incidences of bat predation by spiders have been recorded on every continent except Antarctica. Sometimes the bats got tangled up in the webs and died of reasons like starvation and exhaustion.

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The madness is almost over

March may come in like a lion and leave like a lamb in regards to weather, but if you are a sports fan, this isn't true at all. The last days of March, and the first days of April, are some of the most exciting days in sports thanks to the NCAA March Madness tournament. Each year for one month, college hoops takes the center stage. With the playoff system being one giant, hectic, beautiful, single-elimination spectacle, sports fans are on the edge of their seats until the final shot on the second Monday in April.

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Environmental group sues feds over Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act is the single greatest tool in protecting wildlife from extinction and it has always been up to the federal government for enforcement. Recently, the feds decided to give the state of Florida the duties of enforcement and management of the act and that's got environmental groups up in arms.

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What now, Florida?

Believe it or not, sometimes the favorites aren't the teams to root for during post-season action. This is especially true in college hoops. A few years back, everybody remembers George Mason’s huge run in the NCAA tournament. Before Stephan Curry was a near All-Star guard in the NBA, he helped his Alma Mater make an unheralded run at the title that even had King James himself taking notice of the young player. For this year’s NCAA tournament, the Cinderella team is none other than Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles.

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Lightning forms fulgurites in the sands of beaches and deserts

I have to admit, my interest in this topic came less from scientific inquiry and more from watching the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" one too many times. In the movie, lightning strikes the sand, creating beautiful, clear, root-like structures. As it turns out, this is actually fact rather than fiction, but the real-life products, called fulgurites, aren't as pretty. They're still pretty neat, though.

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Giant mosquitos set to invade Florida this summer

Just when you think mosquitoes can't be more annoying, giant versions called 'gallinippers' will be making Florida their home this summer. While not completely new to the state, Psorophora ciliata numbers have jumped since Tropical Storm Debby made her way across the state last year. So, what's the story on these flying, furry-legged pests?

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Super heroes in your amusement parks

Super hero films are huge right now and it was only a matter of time before those who own the rights to said famously named properties decided to capitalize on them and put them into amusement parks. Some names have been around for decades, such as Batman and his place at MagicMountain in Southern California. But this is just a ride or two, not the proper super hero treatment that one wants to see, like the grandeur that is the Harry Potter World in Orlando, Florida. Luckily for

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Florida man swallowed up by sinkhole

A Tampa, Florida man was swallowed up by a sinkhole when his bedroom collapsed on the last day of February 2013. The hole is 30 feet wide and 20 feet deep. Sound and video equipment lowered into the hole detected no signs of life. The man in the sinkhole, Jeffrey Bush, is presumed dead. Unfortunately, rescuers can't retrieve him because of the possibility that the hole is still spreading, possibly ready to collapse at any time. But, what is a sinkhole? Why do they appear?

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Get ready for a new look

These past two seasons have seen a massive relocation of schools and conferences. With the Pac-10 becoming the Pac-12 (or 13), and the Big-12 now becoming the Big-10, which is not the Big East, things are getting a bit confusing. While the previous change of schools was more dependent on football, NCAA basketball powerhouse conference the Big East is starting to make a splash for next season.

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Weeki Wachee State Park, home to Florida's most popular mermaids

It may seem like an odd thing to bill as a tourist attraction, but mermaids play a major part in bringing visitors to see WeekiWacheeState Park in Florida. There are many things to see in the park, but for more than 50 years, it’s been the underwater performances of the park’s “mermaids” that have kept people, including many celebrities, coming back for more.

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