….The hyrax Hyraxes may look like rodents but they are actually cousins of the elephant. Elephants, hyraxes, dugongs, and manatees all share a common ancestor. There are several unique physical characteristics that hyraxes and elephants share. Both have tusks formed from their incisors, instead of their canines like other tusked animals. Both have flattened, hoof-likeContinueContinue reading “The elephant’s closest living land relative is ….”
Tag Archives: Wildlife Conservation
Flaming Flamingos
The name “flamingo” comes from Portuguese or Spanish flamengo, meaning “flame-colored” The pink or reddish color of flamingos comes from carotenoids found in the shrimp, plankton, algae and crustaceans they eat. Flamingos have a unique way of eating…upside down. They plunge their head underwater and use their bills like a shovel to scoop up food.ContinueContinue reading “Flaming Flamingos”
Running out of space
Endangered Asian Elephants
The masters of defense
The African crested porcupine. Porcupine means “quill-pigs” in Latin. But don’t be confused porcupines are rodents, not pigs. The African crested porcupine has highly effective defense mechanisms. The first strategy is to appear bigger by raising and fanning out it’s 13 in quills. If this doesn’t scare a predator away the next thing they willContinueContinue reading “The masters of defense”
Flying Foxes!!..?
Spectacled flying-foxes are megabats, also known as fruit bats, that live in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the surrounding islands. They are social animals that live in large groups called camps. These bats are very vocal, often chattering all day. The camp I observed in Australia sounded like a school lunchroom. In February 2019 theContinueContinue reading “Flying Foxes!!..?”
Tiny Turtles
ENDANGERED! The black-breasted leaf turtle is one of the smallest turtles in the world. Adults are a maximum of 5 inches. They can move their brilliant eyes independently, like a chameleon. This is especially useful when they are looking for prey. Leaf turtles are omnivores that eat earthworms, insects, and small fruit. Unlike most turtles,ContinueContinue reading “Tiny Turtles”
A Duck known around the World
Fulvous whistling ducks are one of the most widespread ducks in the world. They live on four continents, South and North America, Africa, and Asia. These ducks live in freshwater marshes with tall grasses and vegetation. They forage, often at night, eating mainly seeds from aquatic plants. As you might have guessed by the name theseContinueContinue reading “A Duck known around the World”
Flying Monkeys
White-faced sakis are nicknamed “flying monkeys” because of their impressive leaps between trees. They can leap up to 33 ft in a single bound. Only the males have a white face, the females have a black/gray face. These monkeys live in the northern part of South America. Their diet consists of fruit, seeds, leaves, andContinueContinue reading “Flying Monkeys”
On one island
The San Esteban Chuckwalla is an endangered species. These lizards live only on the small Mexican island of San Esteban in the Gulf of California. Chuckwallas are mainly herbivores that occasionally eat insects. They don’t drink water, instead, they get water from the plants they eat. Instead of urinating chuckwallas have a unique way ofContinueContinue reading “On one island”
One tough Cookie
Bactrian camels are built to survive in one of the most hostile regions on earth, The Gobi Dessert. They are one of the few mammals that can eat snow as a way to quench their thirst. They are the only land mammals capable of drinking brackish/salty water with no negative effects. It is a commonContinueContinue reading “One tough Cookie”
Eye of the Wild Photography 