Beautiful Animals

That was a grouper, I think my head could fit in its mouth!

I had to rescue another black racer snake this morning. The dogs had the poor thing cornered, the snake was snapping in every direction trying desperately to get away. I turned it loose in Gilberts backyard.

It would have stumped me for sure - I learned the hard way, cutting my arm on one while scuba diving in the Seychelles (Mahe, the main island, is the oldest granite on earth, the other islands are mostly sandy reefs) and finding out after 2 months that the damn thing kept growing under my skin; had to go to a hospital to get them to cut it out completely. Should have paid attention to 20 questions. Oh, and about the sub - the real luxe models go for $80 million.....

And you probably were with some underworld spy or the husband of a close friend, right, HS?

More coral, this time from the Great Barrier Reef, and an unbelievably beautiful fish that the website couldn't identify

http://www.csmonitor.com/Photo-Galleries/In-Pictures/Animal-of-the-day/%28photo%29/458085

jc, You are a very good kid (highest praise from my father) for saving that snake. Thanks for the pic.

High Seas, Coral growing under your skin. Ouch! Another good one in Twenty Questions is pearls. And they don't bite. Gawgeous fish. If I had time, I'd go hunting around to see if I could find out what it is. Thanks for posting it.

JTT, You're so vain, you probably think this thread is about you. Great connection, kid.

tsar, Not gonna thud. Not gonna thud.

Thud!

Whew. Managed to keep from cracking my head open. Wonderful photo. Dem polar bear cubs is mighty cute.

Hey, that's my horse!

I am glad you liked the picture. When I was there and saw the jaguar, I thought of you. It made me smile

Found it!!

Bluestripe clownfish
http://www.aquariumdomain.com/viewSpeciesMarine.php?id=32

A Sulawesi wrinkled hornbilll (Aceros cassidix) in the Birds Park in Walsrode, northern Germany.
Photograph: Focke Strangmann/AP

A newborn clouded leopard cub is handfed at a zoo Tacoma, Washington. An endangered clouded leopard gave birth to two healthy cubs, a male and a female, this week. Zoo staff will handraise the cubs and invite the public to name them later. Photograph: AP

Fox Living High Life In Crow's Nest At UPEI
CBC News Posted: Mar 19, 2012 10:40 AM ET



A fox has assumed ownership of a crow's nest at UPEI. (UPEI)


A fox has taken over a crow's nest behind the utility building at the University of Prince Edward Island.

The fox has nested there for about two weeks, said university staff.

The tree is slanted, so the fox can walk up the tree and into the nest, which is almost two storeys high.

"I think it's kind of cool actually," said Sandy Smith, who works in the UPEI garage.

"I've never heard of a fox climbing trees, but there he is."

Crows in the area aren't too pleased about the takeover, and every morning there's a standoff between the fox and the crows, said staff.

The fox has been around campus for the last two years, and is comfortable enough with people that he's known to walk right up to them, said Smith.

"We think it's pretty special, said Greg Clayton, director of facilities management.

"I think he's probably enjoying the sunshine up there."

It's not the first time a mammal has taken over the nest. Last fall, squirrels made it their home.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2012/03/19/pei-fox-crows-nest.html?cmp=rss

Thank you! Somewhere I had read an explanation for why tropical fish have all these beautiful colors and the ones in colder waters tend to be monochromatic but I can't remember it exactly; probably it was to camouflage themselves against predators. The ones we get up north might be considered pretty by their mothers but by nobody else: anglerfish, Lofoten Islands, Norway.

This one is aptly named "hatchetfish"; lives in deep (and dark) waters and has bioluminescent organs to confuse predators... amazing:
http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/photos/strange-looking-sea-creatures/#/unusual-looking08-argyropelecus_23812_600x450.jpg

Photograph by Klaus Nigge
From "Flamingos," National Geographic, April 2012

When chicks are a few weeks old, parents leave them in a crèche and go in search of food, taking turns returning day and night to feed them. Though watched by a few adults, babies are vulnerable to predators such as dogs and jaguars.

Hi gang, Too tired and busy to go back for individual comments. Sorry. Great pics. You guys is da best. Thanks.

Baby chimp with an opinion:

Spring sowers: Mike Bergeron and Bogey finish planting a 308-acre field of spring wheat north of Fisher, Minn. It's the earliest planting start Bergeron has ever had. Bogey mostly supervises.
Photo: Eric Hylden / Associated Press / sfgate




Daffodil dreams: Seven-year-old Ryler Zawada and Chloe nap in the grass in LaPorte, Ind.
Photo: Bob Wellinski / Associated Press / sfgate




Gopher's-eye view: Released from their stables for the first time since winter began, cows run into a field in Delfgauw, Netherlands, nearly trampling a photographer.
Photo: Koen Van Weel / AFP/Getty Images / via sfgate

apparently the sturgeon have made a return to Lake Erie



note: this pic is labelled russian sturgeon, but it was a nice pic so i grabbed it

Evolution?