Beautiful Animals

firefly, those lizards are amazing. I think I remember readingrecently that they've been able to figure out the colors of some dinosaurs because the cells in their skin that produce those colors leave different traces in the fossil record, depending on what color they produce, and it turns out dinos weren't all just greens and browns. Can you imagine a thrity foot dinosaur colored like a kid's plush toy--or one of firefly's lizards? A thirty-foot-tall fluorescent pink and green and purple chameleon? Whoa.

the daily B & O

Bing (the search engine) puts up amazing wildlife photos daily. This is today's offering:

Hermann's Tortoise hatching out of its egg --Christian Heinrich/Photolibrary © (Bing United States)

A turtle puppy!

Today's B & O is particularly great..

firefly, Truly spectacular reptiles. Thanks mucho.

Jack, What a lovely little bird. Wearing a hat. An old-fashioned kinda girl. Thanks.

Francis, Exquisite pic of a bug. Merci.

dj, Especially outstanding O today.

Irish, The tortoise has won my heart. Good luck little guy.

Picasso triggerfish:



Mandarin fish:

Amazing colors on those fishies

Found some bears in the news...

A bear at a Chinese zoo has given birth to an unusually large litter of four, with all of the cubs having survived their first 30 days of life. Keepers at Shanghai Zoo didn't even realise that bear Lei Lei was pregnant. Keeper Xu Xiuqin says: "Lei Lei never misses meal time. However, on that morning I couldn't find her anywhere in the pen." When he went to investigate Xu discovered Lei Lei nursing four newborns. The four cubs, three males and one female, are now a month old and are all healthy.
Picture: QUIRKY CHINA NEWS / REX FEATURES

Thanks, Irish. Tres cute. I mean seriously cute. I'm wondering what kinda bears they are. Are they sun bears? Doesn't matter. They're cute.

And a cute kitteh...

A mischievious kitten who likes hiding in empty jars has become an internet hit. The young Himalayan Cat - called Ksyusha - is pictured hiding in a variety of places, including in the washing machine and under the kitchen table. Owner Yuriy Korotun, 37, who lives in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, said: "She was a special kitten from the beginning - always very playful. I came into the kitchen one day to find her in the jar. I couldn't believe my eyes..."
Picture: Yuriy Korotun. Supplied by Jonathan Hartley/KNS

"...She likes hiding in different places and was full of character. It looks like she would have trouble getting out of the jar but actually her body is not as big as it looks because of her large amount of fur. I took a few photos of her at the start of last year and put them on the internet and have recently had a lot of comments about how cute she is."
Picture: Yuriy Korotun. Supplied by Jonathan Hartley/KNS

Irish, Omigod, you're killing me with cute. That's one weird/cute cat. Thanks mucho, kid.

the daily B & O (videos)

dj, Are those wild bunnies living in a park in a city?

Is that extreeeeemely cute otter someone's pet? Get that guy some water. You think Sydney has enough toys?

i think the bunnies are part of the same group that live on a small island off the coast of japan, they were brought there (for a reason i don't quite remember) some decades ago and have since sort of gone native, apparently the island is a sanctuary and very popular with school groups

i posted a video about the island rabbits awhile back in the B & O

sydney is a very spoiled little otter

Oh, no, where are my keys?

have you checked the otter

dj, Sorry I didn't remember the wabbit post. I have only a vague recollection now that you bring it up. The old gray matter ain't what she used to be.

Florida cracker horse:

Malayan blue coral snake:

no problem, there's been a plethora of bunnies these last few months, can't remember them all

Hola!

Elegant terns nesting on Isla Rasa in the middle of the Sea of Cortez, Mexico -- Michael S. Nolan/age fotostock.