Beautiful Animals

osso, Love dem red pandas. They are rare beauties and cute simultaneously.

HH, Just recovered from the baby bird thud. Sigh. They are wonderful. The beaver ain't bad either. But the baby boid with the tiny wings touched me. (I'm such a pushover.) Is that a real deer? It looks strange to me. Of course, I had to look up canola. Yup, that's what canola looks like. (I don't know much about flora. My flora ignorance is almost boundless.)

olga, I'm worried about all those cold animals. If the monkey is at a zoo, why don't they let it go inside?

In my neighborhood, most of the dogs are wearing coats and sweaters. Finely attired. Look at this basenji.



(I love dem basenjis.)

Yeah, poor things.

I think the monkey might be inside, Roberta, snuggled up against the radiator ...
but it's obviously not warm enough. Or it certainly looks like it isn't.

That is a very smartly-dressed-for-the-cold dog , Roberta.
A very alert looking, handsome critter, too!

Dexter, the baby tapir born at Paignton Zoo in Devon. Photograph: Tim Ireland/PA

Article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/12/baby-tapir-born-devon-zoo

a quote -
"The tapir's short, fleshy, trunk-like nose helps the animal to sniff its way through the forest and is a sensitive finger used to pluck leaves and shoots. It also makes a great snorkel when the tapirs are bathing – they love water and are excellent swimmers."

Brace yourself - you think this sponge is ugly, think again: seems that's the earliest known animal, potentially the original grandparent of all the rest of us:

It does have a beautiful name, though, Otavia antiqua.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/120207-oldest-animals-sponges-earliest-science-evolution/

Oh look - it's got your eyes!

olga, The canine outwear in my neighborhood leaves lots of humans looking shlumpy. Tres chic. As for basenjis. I met a couple one day. Couldn't resist saying hello. What wonderful animals. Great, sharp look. They're known as the barkless dogs. They're not silent. They just don't say woof, woof.

That's one cute tapir, osso. Tapir babies are thudworthy.

High Seas, I think it's an eye of the beholder thing. I'm disinclined to say that any animal is ugly. It is what it is.

HH, Your post is inaccessible. What is it? This inquiring mind wants to know.

Rainbow shield bug:

catching up on B's & O's

watched a documentary series about British rail journeys, one of the segments told about the Suffolk Punch, a horse breed from Suffolk who apart from regular farm work, also worked in the rail yards moving cars around



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffolk_Punch

the daily B & O

Now that's a pensive otter..

dj, I was in serious need of a B&O fix. Thanks and sigh. Also thanks for the wonderful horses.

Golden yellow glasswing butterfly:

Captain Crunch, winner of the herding group last night at Westminster. Trying not to drool all over the keyboard. I LOVE dem Goiman shepherds.

I'm drooling too, gorgeous dog there.

I don't think I have ever seen a horse like this one. Or maybe it's just the way this one is photographed.

Great pic.My Dad always had shepherds.

Tiny chameleon ranks among smallest reptiles:
A newly discovered species of chameleon perches on a scientist's fingertip. The miniaturised lizard was discovered on the African island nation of Madagascar, and measures just tens of millimetres from head to tail.
Source: ABC News

osso, Sorry to say that the German Shepherd didn't win. A Pekingese took home the grand prize.

edgar, That horse is an Akhal-Teke. This is a desert breed. They are so spectacularly gorgeous that I'm falling off my chair. Stumbled upon the breed and the picture by accident. Now I want one. I checked out google images for Akhal-Teke. Give it a look-see, if you're interested.

olga, That's one teeny weeny chameleon. Small though it may be, it looks like any other chameleon. If the finger wasn't there to provide scale, who would know?

Barry, I envy your father. Sigh. And you for having access to those wonderful dogs.