Beautiful Animals

Good description, osso, and I agree.

A male sandpiper trying to impress the females. Partying round the clock usually takes its toll - unless you happen to be a sex-mad male pectoral sandpiper. The birds avoid sleeping for weeks on end so as not to miss out on mating opportunities. Scientists found they spent up to 95% of their time awake, yet appeared to suffer no ill effects.
Photograph: Wolfgang Forstmeier/PA

Is that a photo or a painting. It just looks too good to be true.

Good eye!

c.i., I'm hard-pressed to think of an animal I don't think is beautiful in some way. They are what they are. There's a purity to them that appeals to me. And a rawness. And there's the beauty part.

Many predatory mammals are beautiful (to my human eyes) because their faces reflect what they are and what they need to be. Two eyes on the front of the face for bifocal vision. A sharpness. An awareness. Some have wonderful colors and markings. Their bodies tend to be well-muscled for the hunt. Tres gawgeous.

Nonpredatory mammals are beautiful in other ways. Sleek. Graceful. Wonderful faces. Great variety. They are gawgeous to me.

Birds are beautiful for a variety of reasons. Certainly their colors are magnificent. But my favorite thing about birds is how beautiful they are in the air. However, I don't discount flightless birds. They are speedy on the ground.

Reptiles in their variety are beautiful for that variety. And how alien they are to mammals. How different. Beautiful in those differences.

Fish may have beautiful colors. Some don't but they are perfect in what they are.

Amphibians can be colorful. But color isn't everything.

Insects are amazing, alien-looking, and magnificent in their variety.

I am the last person you'd like to have with you at a zoo. I can watch for hours. I have to be dragged from one exhibit to the next.

I guess it's an eye of the beholder thing, c.i. To you, fascinating. To me fascinating and gawgeous.

HH, Great pic--snake and bug. I wonder if that snake is a bug eater--or if the bug is a snake eater.

butrflynet, A PC painting. Family togetherness. Lovely. Thanks, kid.

olga, Wonderful shot. What many of those male birds go through to get a mate. Ain't nature something? Gracias.

Baby tapir:

Moonfish (about 9-10 ft. long and about two tons):

That's actually a Sunfish (Mola Mola)

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

Same fish.Just depends on the translation....
"The Dutch-, Portuguese-, French-, Catalan-, Spanish-, Italian-, Russian- and German-language names, respectively maanvis, peixe lua, poisson lune, peix lluna, pez luna, pesce luna, рыба-луна and Mondfisch, mean "moon fish", in reference to its rounded shape."

Wow, is that gigantic fish - thing for real? It almost looks sci-fi.

They're gentle giants snood. In the warm northern waters of Australia's top end it's considered evil to catch them - a bit like albatrosses.

Are those ducklings pigeon toed?

Regardless they'll grow up to be swans...

HH, Very cute ducks.

As long as we're talking about moon/sunfish (same thing), I thought I'd throw in another fish named for a heavenly body. Starfish:

Venus fish:



Titan fish:



Cassiopeia jellyfish:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/08/14/158716311/crayfish-go-on-the-menu-to-restore-lake-tahoes-blue-hue

Afternoon New York.
Black-Footed Cats are small endangered wild felines found in arid grasslands of Africa. ... able to catch hares and hyrax that weigh as much or more than they do....

The spotting on it looks like a cheetah.

Yaktion

Strauss, Thanks for your astronomical contributions. All three are amazing. Never heard of or saw the venus or titan fish. Love learning about new animals. Mercy bow coo.

tsar, Not sure who Ole Bluey is, but he's got a not so good idea about crayfish. Shellfish are tref. Not kosher. OK for a Reform bris or bar mitzvah. Otherwise, no go. I like the look of that crayfish. Great colors.

Hey London, At one time I was trying to post a pic of every wild feline. Thanks for adding to the collection. BTW, many predatory felines can bring down prey that outweigh them. Leopards bring down prey that outweigh them and then carry the prey up a tree. Dem PCs is strong.

HH, Beautiful photo. A doozy. Thanks, kid.

Blue-glassy tiger butterfly:



Tigerfish:



Tiger shark: