Friday, July 1, 2011

Not a White Caucasian, and not a BLACK CAUCUSian either - a spotted CISCAUCASIAN. The Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica) - WWF maximum cards / maxicards / dorincards from Azerbaijan


"Smile, you're on camera!"

"In Azerbaijan

Leopards are present in the Talysh Mountains in the far southeast, where their habitat is continuous with that on the Iranian side of Talysh Mountains. Only very few individuals survive in the Ilisu State Reserve in the northwest.[9]
Despite occasional sightings, it was not clear whether leopards had been extinct in Azerbaijan by the late 1990s, until a specimen was camera-trapped in March 2007 in the Hirkan State Reserve/Hirkan National Park."


More cool images and info about The Persian Leopard here:

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Other Caucasian news: the likes of Julius (photo below) would not be scared by The Ciscaucasian Leopard.
But that panther is the largest sub-species of leopard!
Ponder that, Julius, next time you charge a feline like that. 
Pardus won't pardon you.

The Guardian

"The Caucasian Shepherd Dog (AzerbaijaniQafqaz ItiGeorgian კავკასიური ნაგაზი"Kavkasiuri nagazi") is a breed of dog that is popular in AzerbaijanGeorgiaArmeniaSouthern Russia and Northern Caucasus."
"Caucasian Shepherds are typically assertive, brave, alert, strong, hardy and courageous to a fault
They are truly second to none in their bellicosity towards strangers. 
Unless properly socialised, they may exhibit unmanageable tendencies. 
They seldom have time for strangers (but will greet family friends warmly) and have extremely powerful guarding instincts. 
Everything and everyone who belongs to the family, including children, cats, other dogs, etc. will be regarded by this dog as part of its family and as such will fall under its guardianship."

What is a Caucasian?

"Race and physical characteristics

Human skin color vary for different populations. 
The leading explanation is that skin colour adapts to sunlight intensities which produce vitamin D deficiency or ultraviolet light damage to folic acid.[36] 
Other hypotheses include protection from ambient temperature, infections, skin cancer or frostbite, an alteration in food, and sexual selection.[37] 
The gene that causes light skin color in Europeans is different from the gene that causes light skin in East Asians. 
Europeans have a different version of the SLC24A5 than East Asians possibly indicating that they evolved light skin independently.[38]
The most widely used human racial categories are based on various combinations of visible traits such as skin color, eye shape and hair texture. 
However, some argue that many of these traits are non-concordant in that they are not necessarily expressed together. 
For example, skin color and hair texture vary independently.[39] 
Some examples of non-concordance include:
  • Skin color varies all over the world in different populations.
  • Epicanthal fold are typically associated with East Asian populations but are found in populations all over the world, including many Native Americans, the Khoisan, the Sami, and even amongst some isolated groups such as the Andamanese.
  • Lighter hair colors are typically associated with Europeans, especially Northern Europeans, but blond hair is found amongst a limited, small number of the dark skinned populations of the south pacific, particularly the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
Others argue that this is just an example of Lewontin's Fallacy
On the contrary, if several traits are looked at the same time, then today forensic anthropologists can classify a person's race with an accuracy close to 100% based on only skeletal remains."
Republic of Azerbaijan
Azərbaycan Respublikası
FlagEmblem
AnthemAzərbaycan marşı
(EnglishMarch of Azerbaijan)

National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan instrumental.ogg
Location of Azerbaijan
Location of Azerbaijan
Capital
(and largest city)
Baku
40°25′N 49°50′E
Official language(s)Azerbaijani
DemonymAzerbaijani
GovernmentPresidential republic
 - PresidentIlham Aliyev
 - Prime MinisterArtur Rasizade
Statehood formation
 - Atabegs of Azerbaijan
1135 
 - Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
28 May 1918 
 - Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
28 April 1920 
 - Independence
from the Soviet Union
Declared
Completed


30 August 1991
18 October 1991 
Area
 - Total86,600 km2 (113th)
33,436 sq mi 
 - Water (%)1.6%
Population
 - 2010 estimate9,122,000[1] (90th)
 - 1999 census7,953,438 
 - Density103/km2 (104th)
264.1/sq m

"Azerbaijan (Listeni /ˌæzərbˈɑːn/ az-ər-by-jahnAzerbaijaniAzərbaycan), officially theRepublic of Azerbaijan (AzerbaijaniAzərbaycan Respublikası) is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe,[4]it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. 
The exclave of Nakhchivan is bounded by Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, while having a short borderline with Turkey to the northwest.

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world,[5][6][7] was established in 1918, but was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920.[8][9]Azerbaijan regained independence in 1991. 
Shortly thereafter, during the Nagorno-Karabakh War, neighboring Armenia occupied Nagorno-Karabakhits surrounding territories and the enclaves of KarkiYukhary AskiparaBarkhudarly and Sofulu
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic continues to be not diplomatically recognized by any nation and is still considered a de jure part of Azerbaijan, but has been de facto independent since the end of the war.[10][11][12][13]
Azerbaijan, a nation with a majority Turkic[14][15] and Shia[16] population, is a secular and a unitary republic with an ancient and historic cultural heritage
Azerbaijan is one of the six independent Turkic states as well as the active members of the Turkic Council and theTÜRKSOY community."

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