Beautiful Animals

Coolwhip, I'd love to see the photos, but I'd also like to keep this thread on topic. I know I'm being narrow and difficult. Sorry.

Will you post the link here?

I understand, that's why I asked for your permission. I made a new tread instead:

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2810344#2810344

( I hope there isn't such a thread already )

Coolwhip, Thanks for posting the link. It's nice to be reminded that there's beauty in the world.


Speaking of which, here are two hummingbirds.

Brown violet ear:




Green crown brilliant:

Pronghorns (another photo contest winner):





meerkats:

Squid:





Nubian ibex:

i done avatarred them critters --

Persian leopars born this june, their first meeting with a camera.















...see? they're not so bad, it was all a show for the cameras :wink:

Reg, You done avatarred dem but good. Too bad nobody ever uses the avatars you make here. You've done some doozies--blue-tongued skink, cobra, harpy eagle, etc. Maybe they could be entered onto the avatar collection for people to choose from. Of course someone would have to have an in, so to speak, with the moderators. Whadya think?

Coolwhip, Trying to control myself. These leopard cubs are SPECTACULAR. I think I want one. I especialy like this one:

Emu:





Great horn bill:

Thresher shark:





Weasel:

You like them cats, roberta?

LOVE dem cats, Coolwhip. Reminding myself that a leopard really wouldn't work as a pet in a NYC apartment--or anywhere, for that matter. I think having wild animals as pets is a bad idea. But every now and then I want one anyway.

I read an article about a programme that was breeding cats to look exactly like baby tigers, so you could keep them as house pets. The goal of the project was to raise awareness of tigers.

And I don't mean cats with stripes, we're talking about all the tiger characteristics; broad nose and feet etc. They supposedly mixed different cat races to create a domestic cat to look like a tiger.

The article said the programme was to be finished in 2010 and the cats could be sold to private people. I really hope this wasn't a scam 'cause I really want one!

I found the picture taken while I petted a cheetah.

ci,

was it sedated?

Not a scam, Coolwhip. Here's a link to the site

www.toygers.org

And here's photo of the early stages of the efforts.



Right now they look more like tabbies than tigers. Time will tell.


C.I., Thanks for finding the photo. What a treat to touch a cheetah. I'm wondering the same think as Region. Was the animal sedated?

I read recently that so many tourists are following cheetahs that it's making it impossible for them to hunt successfully. You can't apply stealth to prey if three jeeps full of tourists are on your tail. Sigh.

Nicobar pigeon:





Red and yellow barbet:

Thanks for the link, and I was a bit disappointed actually... they didn't have many tiger characteristics.

But now, to present:

The worlds 25 wierdest animals!(an original coolwhip cut-n'-paste job)

Yeti Crab


Tarsiers are primates with enormous eyes and long feet. Their feet have extremely elongated tarsus bones, which is how they were penned their name. Primarily insectivorous, they catch insects by jumping at them. They're also known to prey on birds and snakes. As they jump from tree to tree, tarsiers can catch even birds in motion.

All tarsier species are nocturnal in their habits, but like many nocturnal organisms some individuals may show some activity during the daytime.

Fossils of tarsiers are found in Asia, Europe, North America, with disputed fossils from Africa, but existing tarsiers are restricted to several Southeast Asian islands including the Philippines, Sulawesi, Borneo, and Sumatra.

Tarsiers have never formed successful breeding colonies in captivity, and when caged tarsiers have been known to injure and even kill themselves due to stress.

Tapir
Sun Bear


The Sun Bear is primarily found in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. They stand approximately 4 feet (1.2 meters) in length, and the smallest of the bear family. It's often called the dog bear because of its small stature. The typical Sun Bear weighs less than 145 pounds (65 kilograms).

Primarily nocturnal creatures, the Sun Bear rests during the day on lower limbs not far above the ground, spending much of its time in trees. Hunting of nuisance bears is a major cause for recent decline in population, as well as poaching for its fur and use in Chinese medicine.

Sucker-Footed Bat



The Madagascar Sucker-footed Bat, Old World Sucker-footed Bat, or Sucker-footed Bat is a species of bat in the Myzopodidae family, and prevalent to Madagascar. The Sucker-footed Bat is currently threatened by habitat loss.

Star Nosed Mole


The Star-nosed Mole is a small North American mole found in eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States

It lives in wet lowland areas and eats small invertebrates, aquatic insects, worms and mollusks. As avid swimmers, they forage along the bottoms of streams and ponds. They dig shallow surface tunnels for foraging, and oftentimes the tunnels exit underwater. They remain active in winter, having been observed tunneling through the snow and swimming in ice-covered streams.

The Star-nosed Mole is covered in thick blackish brown water-repellent fur with large scaled feet. The long thick tail appears to function as a fat storage reserve for the spring breeding season. Adults are 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters) in length, weighing about 2 ounces (55 grams). Their most distinctive feature is a circle of 22 mobile, pink, fleshy tentacles at the end of its snout, used to identify food by touch.

Sloth


Sloths are medium-sized mammals that live in Central and South America, mainly in Cecropia trees.

Sloths are omnivores, mainly feasting on insects, small lizards and carrion, but their diet consists mostly of buds, tender shoots, and leaves.

As much as two-thirds of a well-fed sloth's body-weight consists of the contents of its stomach, and the digestive process can take as long as a month or more to complete. They have very low metabolic rates (less than half of that expected for a creature of their size), and maintain low body temperatures when active (30 to 34 degrees Celsius or 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit), and even lower temperatures when resting.

Shoebill


The Shoebill is a very large bird related to the storks, deriving its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill.

A very large bird, it averages 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall, 12 pounds (5.5 kilograms) and 8 feet (2.5 meters) across the wings. The adult is mainly grey, while the juveniles are browner. It's found in tropical east Africa in large swamps from Sudan to Zambia. The bird was known to both ancient Egyptians and Arabs.

Shoebills feed in muddy waters, preying on lungfish and similar fish. They nest on the ground, laying 2 eggs.

The population is estimated between 5,000 and 8,000, the majority of which are in Sudan. Bird Life International has classified it as Vulnerable, with its main threats being habitat destruction, disturbance and hunting.

Saki monkey


The White-faced Saki is a type of New World monkey found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. They feed mostly on fruits, but also nuts, seeds, and insects.

Red Panda

Pygmy Marmoset



The Pygmy Marmoset is a monkey native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru. It's one of the smallest primates, with its body length ranging from 5.5 to 6.5 inches (14 to16 centimeters) excluding its 6 to 8 inch tail. Males weigh around 5 ounces (140 grams), and females 4.2 ounces (120 grams).

The Pygmy Marmoset bears a tawny coat and a ringed tail that can be as long as its body. Their claws are specially adapted for climbing trees. Although omnivorous, much of their diet comes from tapping trees for sap. Up to two-thirds of their time is spent gouging tree bark to reach the gummy sap. The Pygmy Marmoset has specialized incisors for gouging holes in bark.

Proboscis Monkey


Pink Fairy Armadillo


The Pink Fairy Armadillo is the smallest of its species. It's about 3.5 to 4.5 inches (90 to115 Milimeters) long excluding the tail, and pale rose or pink in color. It's found in central Argentina inhabiting dry grasslands and sandy plains with thorn bushes and cacti. It has the ability to bury itself completely in a matter of seconds if alarmed.

The Pink Fairy Armadillo burrows small holes near ant colonies in dry dirt where it feeds upon them.

Narwhal
Komondor Dog

The Komondor is a livestock guardian dog breed originally from Hungary


Females are 27 inches (69 centimeters) at the shoulders. Male Komondorok are a minimum of 28 inches at the shoulders, but many are over 30 inches tall. People unfamiliar with the breed are often surprised by how quick and agile they are.

Its long, thick, strikingly corded white coat resembles dreadlocks or a mop. The puppy coat is soft, fluffy and wavy, curling as the puppy matures. A fully mature coat is formed naturally from the soft undercoat and the coarser outer coat combining to form tassels, or cords. Maintenance is required in separating the cords so the dog doesn't become a large matted muddle. The length of the cords increases with time as the coat grows.

Hagfish
Frill-Necked Lizard
Emperor Tamarin


The Emperor Tamarin is a primate supposedly named for its similarity with the German emperor Wilhelm II. The name started as a joke, but stuck and became the official scientific name.

This tamarin is found in the southwest Amazon Basin, east Peru, north Bolivia and in the west Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas. The primate inhabits tropical rain forests, living deep in the forest and in open tree-covered areas.

They're predominantly grey with yellowish speckles on their chest. The hands and feet are black and the tail is brown. The most notable feature is its long white mustache, extending to the sides beyond its shoulders. They reach to a length of 9.5 to 10.5 inches (24 to 26 centimeters), with a 14 inch (35 centimeter) long tail, and weigh approximately 11 to 14 ounces (300 to 400 grams).

Dumbo Octopus
Blobfish


The Blobfish inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it's rarely seen by humans.

Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the Blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; which allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front it.

Aye-Aye


The Aye-aye is native to Madagascar, that combines rodent-like teeth with a long, thin middle finger. Being the world's largest nocturnal primate, It's characterized by its unique method of finding food, tapping on trees to find grubs, then gnawing holes in the wood and inserting its elongated middle finger to pull the grubs out.

The Aye-aye is currently an endangered species. They're the world's largest nocturnal primate, and dwell predominantly in forest canopies, weighing about 5.5 pounds (2.5 kilograms).

Axolotl


The Axolotl is the most widely known of the Mexican mole salamanders. The species originates from the lake underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research for their ability to regenerate body parts. They're commonly kept as pets in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and Japan.

A sexually-mature adult axolotl, at age 18 to 24 months, ranges in length from 6 to18 inches (15 to 45 centimeters) although 9 inches is most common.

Agora Rabbit


The Angora rabbit is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft hair. They're believed to have originated in Turkey, along with the Angora cat and Angora goat. The rabbits made for popular pets with French royalty in the mid 1700s, spreading to other parts of Europe by the end of the century.

Angoras are bred mainly for their soft silky wool. Most are calm and docile but should be handled carefully. Grooming its fur is necessary to prevent the fur from matting and felting on the animal. Prone to hairballs, they require daily grooming.

Alpaca
Platypus


The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.

The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed mammal baffled naturalists when it was first discovered, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.

Until the early 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.

Source

Bravo, Coolwhip. I'd giving you a standing ovation if I weren't too lazy to stand up. Love the pictures and appreciate all the info. Many of the animals you list have been mentioned here. Those that weren't:

Hagfish? I know about them and their copious slime. Just never posted anything about them here. Ew and aah.

Pink fairy armadillo??? Never heard of or saw such a thing. Wonderful!

Dumbo octopus? This animal if of this planet? You're sure about this? Amazing!

Blobfish? Someone is pulling your leg. My leg. Somebody's leg is being pulled. Unbelievable!

Axolotl? That's a word? That's an animal? It looks like a puppet with fuzzy antennae. Holy moley!

Sucker-footed bat? Is this a cross between a bat and a gecko? Astonishing!

Saki monkey? This looks like it could be a monkey. Never saw this animal before. Great!

Truly grateful, Coolwhip. Thank you big time.