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naked mole rat

(Encyclopedia)naked mole rat, name applied to a species (Heterocephalus glaber) of small rodents found in E Africa, whose members—the only hairless rodents—live entirely in underground communities of 80 or more...

Madero, Francisco Indalecio

(Encyclopedia)Madero, Francisco Indalecio fränsēˈskō ēndälāˈsyō mäᵺāˈrō [key], 1873–1913, Mexican statesman and president (1911–13). A champion of democracy and social reform, he established vari...

Karakul sheep

(Encyclopedia)Karakul sheep kărˈəkəl [key], breed native to central Asia. The newborn lambs usually have tightly curled black fur and are skinned before they are three days old to provide the commercial lambski...

Thoroughbred horse

(Encyclopedia)Thoroughbred horse, breed of light horse more properly known as the English running horse. As its name implies, it was the first pedigreed, or “thoroughbred” horse. It originated in England from c...

Wind Cave National Park

(Encyclopedia)Wind Cave National Park, 28,295 acres (11,459 hectares), in the Black Hills, SW S.Dak.; est. 1903. Wind Cave, discovered in 1881, was named for the strong air currents that blow alternately in and out...

Machado de Assis, Joaquim Maria

(Encyclopedia)Machado de Assis, Joaquim Maria zhwäkēmˈ mərēˈə məshäˈdo͝o dĭ əsēzˈ [key], 1839–1908, Brazilian novelist, b. Rio de Janeiro. The grandson of African slaves, he was educated by a pries...

Handy, W. C.

(Encyclopedia)Handy, W. C. (William Christopher Handy), 1873–1958, American songwriter and band leader, b. Florence, Ala. Largely self-taught, Handy began his career as a cornet player in a minstrel show in 1896,...

bee-eater

(Encyclopedia)bee-eater, any of the brightly colored, insect-eating birds of the family Meropidae. They range in length from 6 to 14 in. (15–36 cm). The plumage of many species is predominantly green but usually ...

kinglet

(Encyclopedia)kinglet, common name for members of a subfamily of five species of Old and New World warblers, similar to the thrushes and the Old World flycatchers. Kinglets are small birds (4 in./10 cm) with soft, ...

Clinton, George

(Encyclopedia) Clinton, George, 1941- , American singer, songwriter, producer, and bandleader, b. Kannapolis, N.C. Although born in North Carolina, Clinton was ...