Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

sea snake

(Encyclopedia)sea snake, name for any of the venomous marine snakes of the family Hydrophidae, found in tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. The sea snake's body is flattened laterally and its oarlike ...

Roraima

(Encyclopedia)Roraima ro͝orīˈmə [key], state (1996 pop. 247,724), 88,843 sq mi (230,103 sq km), NW Brazil, on the border of Venezuela and Guyana. Boa Vista is the capital. Located almost entirely in the Guiana ...

rosewood

(Encyclopedia)rosewood, popular name for the ornamental wood of several species of tropical trees, especially for the heartwood of certain leguminous trees of the genus Dalbergia of the family Leguminosae (pulse fa...

capuchin

(Encyclopedia)capuchin kăpˈyo͞ochĭn [key], name for New World monkeys of the genus Cebus, widely distributed in tropical forests of Central and South America. Medium-sized monkeys, they have a body length of 14...

Psilotophyta

(Encyclopedia)Psilotophyta sīlōˌtŏfˈətə [key], division of vascular plants consisting of only two genera, Psilotum and Tmesipteris, with very few species. These plants are characterized by the lack of roots,...

puffer

(Encyclopedia)puffer or pufferfish, common name for some tropical marine fish of the family Tetraodontidae. The puffers and their allies, including the boxfish, the porcupinefish, the triggerfish, and the marine su...

peccary

(Encyclopedia)peccary pĕkˈərē [key], small wild pig, genus Tayassu, the only pig native to the Americas. Although similar in appearance to Old World pigs, peccaries are classified in a family of their own becau...

Banff National Park

(Encyclopedia)Banff National Park, 2,564 sq mi (6,641 sq km), W Alta., Canada, in the Rocky Mts.; est. 1885. Noted for its mountain scenery and mineral springs, Canada's oldest national park is a year-round resort ...

Buxton

(Encyclopedia)Buxton, town, Derbyshire, central England, on the Wye River in Peak District National Park. It is c.1,000 ft (305 m) high; the “old town” is on a hi...

Sturbridge

(Encyclopedia)Sturbridge, town (1990 pop. 7,775), Worcester co., S Mass.; inc. 1738. Tourism is its major industry; Old Sturbridge Village, a re-creation of an early New England village complete with shops, a gener...