MEXICAN PLATEAU HORNED LIZARD - shoots blood from its eyes
Phrynosoma orbiculare
© Raymond Mendez/Animalsanimals/OSF
The Mexican Plateau Horned Lizard is sometimes mistakenly called “horned toad” because of their spiky, but toad-like, build. These lizards are revered by some cultures as totems of strength, and they are sung about during healing rituals.
Mexican Plateau Horned Lizards are only found in Mexico, they are most often found in pine and oak forests with open grasslands.
These lizards are called torito de la Virgen by the native people of Mexico. This translates to “the Virgin’s little bull”, which is given to them because of their spines and as at least four species are able to squirt an aimed stream of blood (Autohaemorrhaging) from the corners of the eyes for a distance of up to five feet.
Given their small mouth structure, their primary food source is ants.
Mexican Plateau Horned Lizard gives birth to live animals. With no parental care, baby lizards must be able to survive and hunt on their own after only minutes. Lizards may breed twice a year, and the number of offspring depends food availability.
Their numbers are in decline, because of capture for trade and the pet industry and because of clearing of their native habitat. More here.
Fact Source: http://www.mexicanfauna.com/plateauhornedlizard.php
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OAK TREEHOPPER (adult and two larval stages)
Platycotis vittata
©musicarver Paul Hueber
The oak treehopper is fairly common on deciduous and evergreen oaks, Quercus spp. and is distributed throughout Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Vancouver Island, Canada.
Oak treehoppers are large, heavy-bodied, triangularly-shaped insects often marked with stripes and usually, but not always, bearing a frontal horn. The length is 8 to 9 mm not counting the horn; with the horn the length varies form 10 to 13 mm. This species is highly variable in color and in the size of the horn.
Beamer (1930) observed maternal instinct in females of P. vittata on oak in California. Females were observed to “stand sentinel” between their respective colonies of nymphs and the body of the tree. A female would allow herself to be picked up rather than fly away from her perch. Beamer watched one female repulse a small vespid wasp approximately a dozen times from her colony of nymphs. After the vespid apparently grew discouraged and flew away, “…the membracid flew to her young, crawled over the spot where the vespid had alighted, apparently examined to see that they were uninjured; then making sure all was well again flew to the twig just below the nest, turned her head toward her young and stood immobile.”
Fact Source: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/orn/oak_treehopper.htm
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kabutomushii: Oak Treehopper (Platycotis vittata) adult and two larval stages (by Paul Hueber)
DOT LINE WHITE MOTH
Artace cribraria
©Modo Frodo’s Cabinet of Curiosities Mathew Taft
This looks like a galloping horse.
CRIBRARIA: from the Latin “cribrum” (a sieve); probably refers to the dots on the forewing, resembling holes in a sieve. It is one of two species in this genus in North America. It is common in south; uncommon to rare northwardFact Source: http://bugguide.net/node/view/4295
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BLUE BELLIED ROLLER
Coracias cyanogaster
©Frans Vandewalle
The Blue-bellied Roller is a member of the roller family of birds which breeds across Africa in a narrow belt from Senegal to northeast Zaire. It is a large bird, nearly the size of a Jackdaw at 28-30 cm.
Blue-bellied Roller is striking in its strong direct flight, with the brilliant blues of the wings contrasting with the dark back and white head, and the tail streamers trailing behind.
This is a common bird of warm open country with some trees. These rollers often perch prominently on trees, posts or overhead wires, like giant shrikes, whilst watching for the grasshoppers and other large insects on which they feed.
The display of this bird is a lapwing-like display, with the twists and turns that give this species its English name. It nests in a hole in a tree cavity.
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-bellied_Roller
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Blue-bellied Roller (Coracias cyanogaster) by Frans Vandewalle :)
MALAYSIAN ORCHID MANTIS - 1st Instar
Hymenopus coronatus
©Scott Thompson
Hymenopus coronatus is from Malaysia, Indonesian, and Sumatran rain forests. They thrive in humid south Asian rain forests. They can be found on papaya trees, orchids, or frangipani trees with flowers. Adults will eat anything they can catch; including small lizards, bees without stingers, house flies, butterflies, moths and other non-venomous flying insects.
This species is characterized by brilliant and beautiful coloring and unusual structure; their four walking legs resemble flower petals, and the coloration of the bodies tends to match the environment in which they were raised.
Young nymphs resemble ants with orange and black bodies. As the mantis grows in its environment, its color comes to more closely match the coloration of its surroundings with each passing molt. It has been theorized that humidity and intensity of light play a large role in the final coloration of the adult.
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymenopus_coronatus
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Malasian Flower Mantis - adult
PYGMY MARSUPIAL FROG female carrying tadpoles
Flectonotus pygmaeus
©Michael & Patricia Fogden
The Ranita Marsupial Pigmea (Flectonotus pygmaeus) is a species of frog in the Hemiphractidae family. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
They have an unusual breeding method - The female has a brood pouch. After the female lays her eggs, the male catches them, pops a little fertilizer in there, and then, USING HIS TOES he places the eggs gently inside her dorsal brood pouch. The eggs are kept in contact with the female’s vascular tissue, which provides them with a source of oxygen. When the eggs turn into tadpoles they squirm outta the momma frog and she places them into some water.
Fact Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranita_Marsupial_Pigmea
http://tinyurl.com/4uo4k28 - FEATURED CREATURE
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Suriname Toad- she has pits on her back for her tadpoles to live in
GRAY HERON (Ardea cinerea) nabs a
BLACK RABBIT (Oryctologus cuniculus)
© Ad Spring / BARCROFT MEDIA
At first I thought this was a photoshopped image, but there are an entire series of photos posted here of the heron catching, drowning, then eating the rabbit.
I know that heron are smart hunters - they have been recorded dropping pebbles into water to attact curious fish, which makes their hunting easier, and like most animals they are advantageous eaters, but I thought a rabbit would be out of their league. Perhaps the influx of Gray Cranes in Holland
Here’s what Wikipedia says about heron eating habits:
They feed in shallow water, catching fish, frogs, and insects with its long bill. Herons will also take small mammals, reptiles and occasionally warbler nestlings, plovers, young and adult snipes, takes ducklings and tern chicks and other small birds. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim.
In the Netherlands, the Grey Heron has become a very common species in recent decades by moving into urban environments in great numbers.
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ASIAN GOOSE
Anser indicus
© Darlyne A. Murawski, National Geographic
World’s Highest Flying Bird Can Scale Himalayas
The world’s highest flying bird is an Asian goose that can fly up and over the Himalaya in only about eight hours, a new study finds. The Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) is “very pretty, but I guess it doesn’t look like a superathlete,” said study co-author Lucy Hawkes, a biologist at Bangor University in the United Kingdom.
In 2009, Hawkes and an international team of researchers tagged 25 bar-headed geese in India with GPS transmitters. Shortly thereafter, the birds left on their annual spring migration to Mongolia and surrounding areas to breed. To get there, the geese have to fly over the Himalaya—the world’s tallest mountain range and home to the tallest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest, which rises to 29,035 feet (8,850 meters)…
(read more: National Geo)
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SAILFIN PLECOSTOMUS or LEOPARD PLECOSTOMUS
Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps (Loricariidae)
©Ron’s Aquarium photos
A species of freshwater fish found throughout river basins in the Amazon region of South America with a large dorsal fin with more than nine rays, prominent nasal flares and a prominent hump or crest anterior to the dorsal fin as well as a substantial base to the dorsal fin. Adult fish attain 20 cm in length and can live for more than 20 years.
Typical patterning consists of irregular largish brown spots on a yellowish background giving a honeycombed like appearance. As the fish grows the spots get smaller.
This species is primarily vegetarian though will eat dead animals.
In the wild these fish are found in shoals in sluggish rivers of the Amazon and Orinoco, they also occupy flooded land during the wet season. During the dry season they aestivate in burrows around 1 metre long dug into mud banks along the length of a river, egg rearing is also presumed to take place in burrow.
Named for the Latin gibbus—hump and Greek cep—head, a reference to the centrally located ridge. Common names include ‘gibbys’, leopard sailfin catfish and clown plecs—the juveniles have a comical appearance due to the large and obvious spots.
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterygoplichthys_gibbiceps
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SHOEBILL STORK
Balaeniceps rex
©Avi_Abrams
The Shoebill, also known as Whalehead, is a very large stork-like bird. It derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill.
The adult bird is:
115–150 cm (4-5 feet) tall
100–140 cm (40–55 in) long
230–260 cm (9-10 feet) across the wings
4 to 7 kg (8.8-15.5 lbs) in weight
The Shoebill lives in tropical east Africa in large swamps from Sudan to Zambia. They feed in muddy waters, preying on fish, frogs, reptiles such as baby crocodiles, and small mammals. They nest on the ground and lay 2 eggs.
This species was only classified in the 19th century when some skins were brought to Europe. It was not until years later that live specimens reached the scientific community. However, the bird was known to both ancient Egyptians and Arabs. There are Egyptian images depicting the Shoebill, while the Arabs referred to the bird as abu markub, which means one with a shoe, a reference to the bird’s distinctive bill.
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoebill
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Another weird-looking stork - the Hammerhead
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1 (via Avi_Abrams)
SEVEN SPOTTED LADYBIRD (Coccinella septempunctata) guarding a Parasitic BRACONID WASP cocoon (Dinocampus coccinellae)
© hedgerowmobile
This is amazing! This Brancoid wasp, Dinocampus coccinellae, is a body-snatcher, or perhaps a “bodyguard-snatcher”. She hunts for a seven-spotted ladybird. When she finds one, she stings it and lays an egg inside its body, then leaves. Her grub hatches inside the ladybug and starts eating the ladybird alive. Around three weeks later, the grub burrows out of its host.
A lot of parasitic wasps sting insects and leave their offspring to feed to adulthood on their host, but the Dinocampus coccinellae takes the process one step further.
The grub emerges from the still partially paralyzed ladybird and spins a silken cocoon between the ladybird’s legs (shown above). Since the ladybird can’t move, it remains in place and unwittingly protects the cocoon (for a week or so), as it transforms into an adult.
The ladybirds warning colors, of red and black, help to deter would-be predators, and it twitches erratically if threats draw near.
The drama ends when the adult wasp emerges from the cocoon and flies away leaving its host to die of starvation—or not.
That’s right, even though the ladybird has been stung and partially paralyzed, had a wasp grub had eat many of its internal organs — then forcibly pushed its way out of its body. Then stood guard for a week or more without any food. Even then, a quarter of the ladybugs survive.
Fact Source: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com
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Lacewing Larvae - canny camouflage and Australian Lacewing Larvae
BORNEO PYGMY ELEPHANT
Elephas maximus borneensis
© WWF-Canon / A. Christy WILLIAMS
I know Pygmy Elephant seems like an oxymoron, kinda like Jumbo Shrimp. However, these are a smaller Asian elephants and as the name implies, found only in Borneo. Oh, and by smaller I mean that instead of being 11 feet tall, they are only 7 feet tall. Still big, but not as big.
In 2002, a new sub species of Elephant was found on Borneo. It was called the Borneo Pygmy Elephant, it is smaller and tamer than any other Asian elephants. The origin of the Borneo elephant has raised some controversy as there are 2 main hypothesis at the moment of how they came to be there. There are less then 1,000 Borneo Pygmy Elephants in existence.
Unlike Sri Lanka Elephants that stand 11 feet/3,5 meters tall, the Pygmy is only 7 feet (2,5 meters) tall.
Fact Source: http://www.elephant-facts.com/the-asian-elephant/
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SAW SCALED CURLY-TAIL LIZARD
Leiocephalus carinatus coryi
©nguyendows
An active, robust lizard, it is mostly terrestrial and will retreat into a burrow or cavity when frightened. It prefers sunny areas with loose rubble and rock. They are an omnivorous feeder, eating such things as flowers, seeds, spiders, roaches, and large quantities of ants. They hold their tails up and curled, even when running and are very common in the Bahamas.
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SHINGLEBACK or BOBTAIL SKINK
Tiliqua rugosaasper
©Dcoetzee
Tiliqua rugosa is a short-tailed, slow moving species of blue-tongued skink found in Australia. Three of the four recognized subspecies are found only in Western Australia, where they are known collectively by the common name bobtail. The name shingleback is also used, especially for T. rugosa asper, the only subspecies native to eastern Australia.
T. rugosa has a heavily armoured body and can be found in various colours, ranging from dark brown to cream. It has a short, wide stumpy tail that resembles its head and may confuse predators. The tail also contains fat reserves, which are drawn upon during hibernation in winter. This skink is an omnivore that eat snails and plants and spends much of its time browsing through vegetation for food. It is often seen sunning itself on roadsides or other paved areas.
Apart from bobtail and shingleback a variety of other common names are used, including stump-tailed skink, bogeye, pinecone lizard and sleepy lizard.
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiliqua_rugosa
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RUFOUS HORNBILL or KALAW
Buceros hydrocorax
©Romy Ocon pbase.com/liquidstone
The Rufous Hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax), also known as Philippine Hornbill and, locally, as Kalaw (pronounced kah-lau) is a large species of hornbill.
It is endemic to the Philippines, where it occurs in primary, mature secondary and disturbed forests on 11 islands: Luzon and Marinduque (race hydrocorax), Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Panaon, Biliran, Calicoan and Buad (race semigaleatus), Dinagat, Siargao, Mindanao (plus Balut, Bucas and Talicud) and Basilan (race mindanensis). It is still common locally, notably in the Sierra Madre of Luzon, but continues to suffer from substantial hunting pressure and widespread loss of habitat.
Fact Source:
http://professorpaulsguidetobirds.blogspot.com/search?q=Penelopides+manillae
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