GIANT PANDA (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
The Scientific name literally means “black and white cat-foot”
The giant panda, or panda is a bear native to central-western and south western China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body.
Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the panda’s diet is 99% bamboo. Pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents or carrion.
The panda is a conservation reliant endangered species. A 2007 report shows 239 pandas living in captivity inside China and another 27 outside the country. Wild population estimates vary; one estimate shows that there are about 1,590 individuals living in the wild, while a 2006 study via DNA analysis estimated that this figure could be as high as 2,000 to 3,000. Some reports also show that the number of pandas in the wild is on the rise. However, the IUCN does not believe there is enough certainty yet to reclassify the species from Endangered to Vulnerable.
While the dragon has historically served as China’s national emblem, in recent decades the panda has also served as an emblem for the country. Its image appears on a large number of modern Chinese commemorative silver, gold, and platinum coins. Though the panda is often assumed to be docile, it has been known to attack humans, presumably out of irritation rather than predation.
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_panda
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giant panda and baby panda bear (by china roamer) :)
NAMIBIAN AARDWOLF (Proteles cristata) ©Alan and Joan Root/www.osfimages.com
Aardwolf Eating habits - by request
The aardwolf lives on open, dry plains and bushland, while avoiding mountainous areas. Due to its specific food requirements, the animal is only found in regions where termites of the family Hodotermitidae occur. Termites of this family depend on dead and withered grass and are most populous in heavily grazed grasslands and savannas, including farmland. For most of the year, aardwolves spend time in shared territories consisting of up to a dozen dens which are occupied for six weeks at a time.
Aardwolves are shy and nocturnal, sleeping in underground burrows by day. They usually use existing burrows of aardvarks, Old World porcupines or springhares, despite being capable of creating their own. By night, an aardwolf can consume up to 200,000 harvester termites using its sticky, long tongue. They take special care not to destroy the termite mound or consume the entire colony, which ensures that the termites can rebuild and provide a continuous supply of food. They will often memorise and return to nests to save the trouble of finding a new one. They are also known to feed on other insects, larvae, and eggs, and occasionally small mammals and birds. Unlike other hyenas, aardwolves do not scavenge or kill larger animals.
Fact Source: http://www.carnivoraforum.com/index.cgi?board=ursidae&action=display&thread=2961#ixzz1Mo7L5yeD
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BUTIKAW or NORTHERN SIERRA MADRE FOREST MONTIOR LIZARD
(Varanus bitatawa) ©Joseph Brown
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New Giant Lizard Discovery “an Unprecedented Surprise”: Human-size lizard hid from science high in the trees
It has a double penis, is as long as a tall human, and lives in a heavily populated area of the Philippines. Yet somehow the giant lizard Varanus bitatawa has gone undetected by science until now.
Long known to Filipino tribal hunters, the monitor lizard was identified as a new species in 2009 via its DNA, scale pattern, size, and peculiar penis, a new study says. At about six and a half feet (two meters) long, the new lizard species is closely related to the world’s largest living lizard, the Komodo dragon. Unlike the Komodo, though, Varanus bitatawa has evolved to be a vegetarian…
(read more: National Geo)
PARSON’S GIANT CHAMELEON - (Calumma parsonii)
© JialiangGao www.peace-on-earth.org
The Parson’s chameleon is a very large species of chameleon endemic to isolated pockets of humid primary forest in eastern and northern Madagascar. As with the majority of chameleon species from Madagascar, it is illegal to import Parson’s chameleons from their native country.
The widespread Calumma p. parsonii reaches up to 68 cm (27 in) in length (about the size of a cat) and has no dorsal crest. Several colour variants are known within the range typically included in the nominate subspecies, but it is unclear if they are best considered morphs or different subspecies (at present, most consider them morphs). This includes “orange eye” aka “white-lipped” (generally consider typical of the nominate subspecies) where the male is relatively small and mainly green or turquoise but with yellow or orange eyelids (shown)
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calumma_parsonii
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KING CHEETAH (Acinonyx jubatus) ©Cheetah Princess
The king cheetah is a rare mutation of cheetah characterized by a distinct fur pattern. It was first noted in what was then Southern Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe) in 1926. In 1927, the naturalist Reginald Innes Pocock declared it a separate species, but reversed this decision in 1939 due to lack of evidence.
In 1928, a skin purchased by Walter Rothschild was found to be intermediate in pattern between the king cheetah and the standard spotted cheetah.
Twenty-two such skins were collected between 1926 and 1974 and the king cheetah was reported five more times in the wild. Although strangely marked skins had come from Africa, a live king cheetah was not photographed until 1974 (in South Africa’s Kruger National Park) by Cryptozoologists Paul and Lena Bottriell. They also managed to obtain stuffed specimens. The King Cheetah appeared larger than a spotted cheetah and its fur had a different texture.
Its species status was resolved in 1981 when king cheetahs were born at the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre in South Africa. In May, two spotted sisters gave birth there and each litter contained one king cheetah. The sisters had both mated with a wild-caught male from the Transvaal area (where king cheetahs had been recorded). Further king cheetahs were later born at the Centre. A recessive gene must be inherited from both parents for this pattern to appear, which is one reason why it is so rare.
FACT SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah
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(via thewildlifekingdom)
Solar Powered SEA SLUG (Elysia chlorotica) ©PNAS
Elysia chlorotica is a lurid green sea slug, with a gelatinous leaf-shaped body, that lives along the Atlantic seaboard of the US. What sets it apart from most other sea slugs is its ability to run on solar power. What this means is that starting a few weeks after birth, it eats only infrequently and get most of it’s energy from the sun.
Mary Rumpho of the University of Maine, is an expert on E. chlorotica and has now discovered how the sea slug gets this ability: it photosynthesizes with genes “stolen” from the algae it eats.
In their latest experiments, Rumpho and colleagues sequenced the chloroplast genes of Vaucheria litorea, the alga that is the sea slug’s favourite snack. They confirmed that if the sea slug used the algal chloroplasts alone, it would not have all the genes needed to photosynthesise.
They then turned their attention to the sea slug’s own DNA and found one of the vital algal genes was present. Its sequence was identical to the algal version, indicating that the slug had probably stolen the gene from its food.
“We do not know how this is possible and can only postulate on it,” says Rumpho, who says that the phenomenon of stealing is known as kleptoplasty.
Fact Source:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16124-solarpowered-sea-slug-harnesses-stolen-plant-genes.html
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The Beautiful Blue-tipped Nudibranch
Our Local beauties - Spanish Shawl Nudibranch
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My thanks to @mikeneyk for the link!
A TIGER MOTH OF BELIEZE (Idalus herois) ©jjrestrepoa(busy)
Tiger moths belong to the family Arctiidae which is a large and diverse family of moths with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neotropical species.
The most distinctive feature of the family is a tymbal organ on the metathorax. This organ has membranes which are vibrated to produce ultrasonic sounds. They also have thoracic tympanal organs for hearing, a trait which has a fairly broad distribution in the Lepidoptera, but the location and structure is distinctive to the family. Other distinctive traits are particular setae (‘hairs’) on the larvae, wing venation, and a pair of glands near the ovipositor. The sounds are used in mating and for defense against predators.
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctiidae
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Polilla coloreada / Colorful moth (Idalus herois) (by jjrestrepoa(busy))
Hybridized “FLOWERHORN” CICHLID posted by pantherlax
Flowerhorn cichlids are ornamental aquarium fish noted for their vivid colors and the distinctively shaped heads for which they are named. Their head protuberance, or kok, is formally termed a “nuchal hump.” Like blood parrot cichlids, they are man-made hybrids that do not exist in nature. First developed in Malaysia and Taiwan, they are now kept by fish hobbyists worldwide. Some critics have questioned the impact of flowerhorn breeding programs.
As of 1999, there were four strains of flowerhorn available in the American market: regular flowerhorns, pearl scale flowerhorns (wite spots shown), golden flowerhorns, and faders. Commercial breeders proliferated, and fish were selected for appearance with little regard for terminology. Consequently, names became confusing and parentage became difficult to track.
Around 2000–2001, the Kamfa variety appeared. These hybrids of flowerhorn crossed with any species of the genus Vieja or with any parrot cichlid. These brought in some new traits, such as short mouths, wrapped tails, sunken eyes, and increasingly larger head bumps. Seeing this, those who bred the Zhen Zhus began line breeding their fish to develop faster and become more colorful, in order to compete with the Kamfa strains.
2010 Many states have started their own breeding organizations. Minnesota stands out as one of the leaders in flowerhorn breeding in the United States due to so many hobbyists importing fish regularly.
More plus a gallery of breeds here and here
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowerhorn_cichlid
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PREDATORY CTENOPHORES (Beroe abyssicola) ©Alexander Semenov
Beroid ctenophores are a remarkable group that preys voraciously on other comb jellies. Unlike their cydippid relatives, Beroe lack tentacles throughout the life cycle. The body resembles a swimming sac, with a large forward directed mouth. Instead of sticky tentacles or large oral lobes, the cavernous mouth is used to engulf prey whole. Small Beroe use modified mouth cilia (the macrocilia) to bite off pieces of comb jelly prey; larger individuals also use the macrocilia to grab and swallow whole prey. Using the eight comb rows for propulsion, Beroe are relatively strong swimmers. They swim constantly in search of prey, which are encountered blindly. Following a heavy meal, the meridional digestive canals (lying just below the comb rows) are readily visible - those in Beroe abyssicola branch but do not connect, while those in Beroe forskalii form a network of connected branches.
Beroe abyssicola is more of a deep water species, where it has an attractive rose coloration. This coloration tends to be lost when it visits surface waters, but the distinctive dark color of the pharynx often remains. Like other comb jellies, these Beroe have bioluminescent areas of the body.
Fact Source:http://jellieszone.com/beroe.htm
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PLATE FISH OR PEACOCK FLOUNDER - master of disguise (Bothus lunatus)
©Chuck Savall
The Peacock Flounder, Bothus lunatus, also known as Plate Fish, or known simply as Flounder, is a marine fish widely distributed in coastal waters of the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic, throughout the wide area including Bermuda, the Bahamas and Florida, Tobago, south to Fernando de Noronha off the Brazilian coast, and southern Mexico. They are very common throughout the Caribbean Sea.
Like all flounders, peacock flounders are masters of camouflage. They use cryptic coloration to avoid being detected by both prey and predators. Whenever possible rather than swim they crawl on their fins along the bottom while constantly changing colors and patterns. In a study, peacock flounders demonstrated the ability to change colors in just eight seconds. They were even able to match the pattern of a checkerboard they were placed on. The changing of the colors is an extremely complex and not well understood process. It involves the flounder’s vision and hormones. The flounders match the colors of the surface by releasing different pigments to the surface of the skin cells while leaving some of the cells white by suppressing those pigments.
If one of the flounder’s eyes is damaged or covered by sand, the flounders have difficulties in matching their colors to their surroundings. Whenever hunting or hiding from predators, the flounders bury themselves into the sand leaving only the eyes protruding.
Fact Source: http://www.allfishingbuy.com/Fish-Species/Peacock-Flounder.htm
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COMMON REED FROG (Hyperolius viridiflavus) ©Nick Hobgood)
Common Reed Frog (Hyperolius viridiflavus) from Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo - This individual was found near Lake Karavia on the outskirts of the city of Lubumbashi. - (photo: Nick Hobgood)
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… Individual Hyperolius viridiflavus frogs have been observed to change their sex organs from female to male. This likely occurs when the population does not have enough males to allow procreation and is accomplished when a chemical trigger activates the sex gene to disintegrate the female organs and develop the male ones…
(read more: Wikipedia)
Pied INDIA BLUE PEACOCK (Pavo cristatus)
The India Blue Peacock throws white color morphs, here is a good example of a mix — showing both the white and the blue color.
Pavo Cristatus resident breeder in South Asia. The peacock is designated as the national bird of India and the provincial bird of the Punjab.
Other photos you may like:
India Blue - classic blue coloring
India Blue - Spaulding Bronze (brown coloring)
Jade Green - the other species, Pavo muticus
Jade Green - from behind wings closed
Cousin - Congo Peafowl (Afropavo congensis)
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The blue-white Peacock, by chiliu
CLOWN BUG - 4th or 5th instar (Amorbus robustus) © terraincognita96
There are many common names for the Clown Bugs or Australia. They are also known as Coreid Bugs, Gum Tree Bugs, Sap Sucking Bugs or Squash Bugs. The adults are reddish brown in colour, with strong and spiny hind legs. There are many veins on their forewings, with orange yellow on the wing covers and a sharp angle on each shoulder. Their antennae are four segmented. Their abdomen are long and thin with greenish-yellow to brown colour on the bottom, bright orange black banded on the top, covered by wing-covers. They are slow moving. When disturbed, they move to other side of the leaf. The bug may eject smelly liquid as defense. This is the most common Amorbus species in Brisbane. As do all other bugs in this genus, they feed on shoots of Eucalyptus trees. Males have shorter hind femora and spiny hind legs. The nymphs are variable mixed bright colours.
Nymphs can be found feeding in clusters on young shoots. After hatching from eggs, the 1st instars all stay at the new shoot of the gum tree and start feeding. They have powerful sucking mouthparts, or stylets, which they insert into the plant to suck the sap.
Fact Source: http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_bugs/ClownBugs.htm
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MANY PLUMED MOTH (Alucita hexadactyla) ©JavaBurst
The Alucitidae or many-plumed moths are a family of moths with unusually modified wings. This is a small family, with about 130 worldwide species having been described to date mostly from temperate and warm regions (not tropical); sometimes the roughly 20 Tineodidae species are merged herein, making the Alucitoidea superfamily monotypic.
Both fore- and hind-wings consist of about six rigid spines, from which radiate flexible bristles creating a structure similar to a bird’s feather. Both in Great Britain and North America only one species is found - Alucita hexadactyla. This smallish moth can often be found fluttering in the evening twilight or resting with its ‘wings’ outstretched. Its larvae feed on honeysuckle (Lonicera).
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many-plumed_moth
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(via fuckyeahmoths)
YELLOW CROWNED NIGHT HERON (Nyctanassa violacea) ©thundafunda.com
We saw these in Bimini.
Adults are about 61 cm long and weigh 625 g. They have a white crown and back with the remainder of the body grayish, red eyes and short yellow legs. They have a white stripe below the eye.
These birds stalk their prey or wait in ambush at the water’s edge, mainly at night. They mainly eat crustaceans, mollusks, frogs, aquatic insects and small fish.
Their breeding habitat is swamps and marshes from the eastern United States to north-eastern South America. They often nest in colonies, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. They lay 3–5 pale blue-green eggs.
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-crowned_Night_Heron
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