Big Picture
Albinism
12 Oct 2020 04:41 pm
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An albino animal is born without the ability to produce color pigment in its skin, hair, feathers, scales, or eyes. As a result they color ranges from snowy white, pink to an off-white straw color. Being light colored is certainly not an advantage in the wild - animals are more visible to both predators and prey and the lack of melanin negatively affects their vision by affecting development of the eyes in addition to causing extreme photosensitivity making survival even less likely. If you have seen an albino animal in the wild you are lucky, especially if it has matured into an adult; more commonly you will have a chance to see one of these rare creatures in a zoo.
All Aglow
27 Nov 2019 12:00 am
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Glowing rainforest mushrooms, light-generating masses of Fireflies and deep sea fish attracting prey are included in this gallery of fascinating photos. When the sun disappears these species rev up their adaptations to signal potential mates, fish for their dinner and challenge rivals. Did you know that dried sea-fireflies were used as a light source by the Japanese army during World War II to read maps in dim light?
Animals Chanelling RBG
12 Oct 2020 12:00 am
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With the recent passing of our highly respected, long-sitting Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg we want to honor her memory with this gallery of images. Justice Ginsburg was known primarily as a champion of race and gender equality over her years as a lawyer and Supreme Court Justice. Her signature style of statement-making jabots were often made of lace so to celebrate her iconic look we are sharing a selection of similarly garbed creatures! Collared butterflyfish, tuxedo cats and pied herons are included in this collection of animals
Big Ears
27 Nov 2019 12:00 am
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With Easter around the corner we are seeing many images of the long-eared Easter Bunny in stores and on greeting cards. But the bunny isn't the only one with giant ears! Check out this gallery of impressive animals including Jerboas, Fennec Foxes and Bush Babies. You will notice that many of the species are desert animals which use the ears not just to amplify hearing but to dissipate heat in their arid habitat.
Bloodsuckers
12 Oct 2020 04:14 pm
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Hematophagy is the practice of feeding on blood. Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious proteins and lipids that can be taken without great effort, hematophagy is a preferred form of feeding for many small animals such as the familiar mosquito, leech and bedbug. This gallery features some of the expected hungry creatures but some unusual ones as well. A Dracula Ant worker punctures the skin of a larva to sip its trickling blood, Galapagos Vampire Finches feeding on the blood of boobies from wounds the finches have created and parasitic isopods that latch onto fish puncturing their skin and feasting on their blood. Yes, some photos could be considered gross but all animals must survive!
Bubbling?
12 Oct 2020 03:03 pm
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Bubbles have been in the news lately as social units to help endure the covid lock downs. In the animal kingdom creatures use bubbles to their benefit as well - for defense, protection and fun.~~Grasshoppers aerate their bitter blood to create a foamy deterrent from predators; mass mating frogs make a mat of frothy bubbles to protect their fertilized eggs; water spiders fill their aquatic silken nests with a bubble of oxygen making a cozy and inhabitable home.~Humpback whales use bubble nets to corral fish while cooperative feeding. Courtship is another opportunity - check out the impressive display the Ruddy Duck male is putting on for the ladies. Bubbles are for fun too! Belugas and dolphins blow round (toroidal) rings from their blowholes as a source of entertainment.
Father's Day
27 Nov 2019 12:00 am
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A celebration of animal fathers! Jawfish males go hungry while they incubate fertilized eggs in their mouths for up to ten days. Poison Dart Frog fathers carry their tadpole offspring into the rainforest canopy where they will deposit each one in a separate water-filled bromeliad flower to complete their metamorphosis. Southern Cassowary father is the sole caregiver for his chicks - not only does he incubate the eggs for fifty days with nothing to eat or drink but he also monitors the chicks for most of a year to teach them how to survive in the wild. Cheers to Dad!
Hey Buddy
12 Oct 2020 12:00 am
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Friends make life easier! When times are tough a good pal can pull you through. Check out this gallery of animal friends keeping company, having a laugh and giving affection.
Honeybees
12 Oct 2020 03:19 pm
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Dipping deep into the complexities of a honeybee colony Ingo Arndt captures the heirarchy, cooperation and daily hard work of Apis mellifera. Unique behaviors such as bee workers smothering and killing a wasp by overheating it, workers exuding wax scales from their abdomens and bees emerging from brood cells are included in this gallery. As we all know, bee populations worldwide are declining - in this photo essay we see the insects poisoned by pesticides along with their natural threats including mites, wax moths and predatory wasps. Ingo's photography also includes examples of wildflower fields next to cultivated fields as a technique to attract and support pollinators and researchers tracking bees with tiny radio tags to learn about flight patterns.
Keeping Cool
12 Oct 2020 04:34 pm
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When temperatures rise animals have a variety of means to seek relief from the heat. Some head for a nearby waterhole for a soak, seek out chilly snow patches or natural shade while others create their own shade like squirrels that use their bushy tails to screen the sun. Kangaroos lick their forelegs - as the saliva evaporates they cool down. In the desert lizards lift opposing feet so only two are in contact with the ground at a time and some animals like dogs, penguins and crocodiles pant to regulate their temperature.
Little Larry Goes to School
12 Oct 2020 12:00 am
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Little Larry is a young orphaned chimpanzee who doesn't know much about being a chimp. He has to go to his first day at the forest school to learn what chimp life is all about. Nestled in a primate sanctuary in Cameroon, Little Larry and his group of chimp friends go to the school each day to learn how to play, communicate, and climb like they would if they were chimps in the wild. He explores the cacao tree grove and befriends other orphaned chimps. His new friends are quick to practice swinging, jumping and climbing in the trees. The only trouble is, Little Larry doesn't want to learn how to climb. He's perfectly happy on the ground. While he occupies himself exploring the forest floor, finding mushrooms and investigating millipedes his buddies are swinging overhead.~~How will Little Larry find the confidence he needs to learn how to climb? With the teasing help of his friend Daphne and encouragement from the other young chimps Larry slowly conquers his fear of heights to ascend into the canopy! This sweet story by Gerry Ellis is featured in a National Geographic Kids book that has won rave reviews.
Mirror Mirror
12 Oct 2020 02:55 pm
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There is an ongoing debate about whether animals looking into a mirror know they are seeing themselves. Dogs, primates, birds, elephants have all been tested in clinical situations with inconsistent results. What do you think? Check out these photos of animals interacting with mirrors with various reactions - aggression, curiosity and confusion.
Mother's Day
12 Oct 2020 12:00 am
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Friends make life easier! When times are tough a good pal can pull you through. Check out this gallery of animal friends keeping company, having a laugh and giving affection.
Mother's Intuition
12 Oct 2020 03:16 pm
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While tracking a familiar wild leopard with a newborn male cub at Botswana's Tubu Tree Camp our photographer Suzi witnessed a remarkable situation. Suzi had photographed this same female leopard, successfully raising her previous litter of cubs. The big cat considers the safari camp part of her territory and is well acclimated to human activity. If fact, the leopard treats the lodge boardwalks as her personal pathways and the pool as her water bowl!~~Young leopard cubs are frequently left alone while their mothers hunt for food, leaving them vulnerable to predatory lions. Stashing young cubs safely is a tough and never ending job. The leopard's familiarity with the camp, combined with instinct, sparked an idea. The cub would be safe INSIDE the lodge for a little while and her instinct was correct. Tucked away in a dark den-like spot behind the sink, the tiny cub was secure until mom returned. Shortly afterward the mother leopard collected her young offspring and carried him to the next and more typical den- a deep crevice in a tall tree. ~~As Suzi remarks "I feel blessed that I was able witness such a special event. For an animal to feel so safe around people that she would move her cub to camp, in the bathroom no less – is extraordinary and unheard of. Every day we are bombarded with tragic news about wildlife all over the world, this experience was truly a ray of light."
Nap Time
12 Oct 2020 12:00 am
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In the animal kingdom the 8 hours of suggested human sleep doesn't apply to most of our wildlife friends. Giraffes get by on just 30 minutes to 2 hours per day, often broken up into smaller sections. Because getting up from the ground takes them a little time, laying down makes them more vulnerable to predators such as crocodiles and lions. Meanwhile koalas slumber for up to 22 hours in a day since digesting eucalyptus leaves takes a lot of energy! Other napping creatures in this gallery include seals (6 h/day), ducks (11 h/day), sloths (20 h/day) and lemurs (16 h/day). Are these comfortable creatures making you sleepy? Maybe it's time for a nap....
Orange
12 Oct 2020 12:00 am
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Orange you glad it's October? With the beginning of autumn cooler temperatures are on the way and leaves will soon be turning. Check out this variety of nature images featuring the month's signature color. This gallery includes the expected fall foliage along with ocher colored moths, seastars and fungus.
Pretty in Pink
12 Oct 2020 04:40 pm
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Associated with warmth and romance the color pink is considered by some to be the hue of love. Whether these creatures agree with this sentiment we'll never know. Since today is Valentine's Day no doubt you will see a lot of folks wearing pink just like these rosy katydids, blush-toned flamingos and coral colored seahorses who are showing their stuff in this gallery of images.
Rainforest Residents
12 Oct 2020 12:00 am
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With its fearsome appearance, the Spiny Devil (Panacanthus cuspidatus) surely ranks as one of the most impressive of all katydids. Endemic to the upper Amazon Basin, this large insect uses its prickly front legs in self-defense and also to capture prey – it feeds both on vegetation and other insects. Chien Lee brings us a fresh selection of unique rainforest landscapes and denizens. Tree kangaroos munch on leaves, spined ants tend their aphid flocks and perfectly-camouflaged toads disappear into the leaf litter in this gallery of images.
Selfies
12 Oct 2020 04:38 pm
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The selfie craze has spread to our wildlife friends. Check out these images that look like animals have gotten their hands on some critter cams - a crab makes a big reach, a koala mom takes a family portrait and a kangaroo takes a shot with his bestie...
Soaked!
12 Oct 2020 02:57 pm
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There is an ongoing debate about whether animals looking into a mirror know they are seeing themselves. Dogs, primates, birds, elephants have all been tested in clinical situations with inconsistent results. What do you think? Check out these photos of animals interacting with mirrors with various reactions - aggression, curiosity and confusion.
Teaching and Learning
12 Oct 2020 02:41 pm
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With autumn upon us kids are heading back to school - either in person or virtually - as we launch into a new season of teaching and learning. But how do animals learn? By watching. This gallery features images showing young animals observing their family members navigate the wild world. How does a polar bear cub learn how to catch ringed seals? By watching her mother hunt. How does a capuchin monkey know how to use a rock to break open a tasty nut? By sitting beside a wiser relative while they hammer the nuts open. But what if the baby is orphaned? Young animals in rehabilitation facilities must learn life skills from their human attendants. Lessons in dust bathing, climbing, tool use and foraging are taught before the animals can be released into the wild.
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