Beautiful Animals

Roberta? That so called flying rodent just wants to give you a flying hug on the noggin. He loves you and everybody! Awwwww!

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RH, I was gonna say that the gazelles can relax. These lions aren't in hunting mode. But then I have to wonder if gazelles can ever relax. If it's not a lion, then it's a cheetah. If not a cheetah, then a leopard. The life of a grazer is no picnic.

aspvenom, You are a good kid. Going back and getting me a picture. What a guy. Dem hyenas, btw, have very strong jaws. Good for biting into and eating bone and great for smiling. Thanks. The peacock is magnificent. What peahen could resist?

tsar, Glad to know that the bat is a sweetie pie. But he can stay the hell away from my head. I got enough tsuris.

Another from Nat Geo. Photographer Tatiana Volger:

Oh! beautiful.

Mutt:

Very good mutt!

From Nat Geo--Arctic wolf:

He seems to have gotten himself between a cold and a freezing place.

Osprey:

A black-tufted marmoset (Callithrix penicillata) monkey walks on electric cables in an urban area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Photograph: Sergio Moraes/Reuters

I keep staring at that monkey, olga. Is something on its back? Hey, monkey. Make sure your feet are dry. Thanks for the pic, olga.

I googled "strange birds" and came up with the maleo. They don't build nests. They lay their eggs in the sand, bury them, and let the sun incubate the eggs. (The way reptiles do.) The hatchlings dig their way up and are on their own from the moment they hatch (like many reptiles). Here's a pic:

Love that Arctic wolf Roberta. Hope he can swim.

Also love that marmoset MsOlga.
Thanks to both of you for the lovely pics.

Longest centipede EVER

So, it seems that the feet don't move individually. Like in a group of, what was that 5 to 8?

Not my area of expertise, but I'd say it's actually a millipede and they have two pairs of legs per segment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millipede

The pattern of movement your seeing must have something to do with what the segments do to move the legs up and across.

'Flight': A Few Million Little Creatures That Could

http://www.npr.org/2012/10/04/161741289/flight-a-few-million-little-creatures-that-could

A good case of "creepy."

HH, Watching the millipede walk is hypnotic. I'm mesmerized. The lizard in the sink is tres cute. Reminds me of one of my late lamented cats.

tsar, A truly stunning photo. Monarchs rule.

Somebody should tell this kid not to suck his thumb: