Showing posts with label Wildlife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wildlife. Show all posts

Saturday, November 1, 2008

God's Mistakes pt. 1 - Tree Kangaroos

Yes, I meant that ironically. Did you even know there was such a thing as a Tree Kangaroo? Well there is, and they live in the northern tropical forests of Australia and on some of the islands of the Australasian Archipelago (places like Papua New Guinea). Our friends are a little ungainly.in the trees. If I were to show you one out of habitat, you might not be able to figure that this was an arboreal animal. However, despite our judgment of their grace, they are well adapted enough to make a life in the trees. This is one of those cases of an animal not ideally adapted to its niche (it could have better legs and feet and tail for a life in the trees), but making what it has work for the life it has come to. Clumsy and awkward and utterly adorable; they have come to manners and habits that get through their homes well enough to survive. This is one of the animals that often enters the debates about evolution, because... come on, if you were to design an animal for tree life, you'd have done a better job.

This one is for my friends that view themselves as broken people... people made incorrectly... people who don't really work (as if missing a few requisite parts). You are not broken clocks, my friends. You are Tree Kangaroos... forced to live a life in the trees with your hopping feet that no longer can manage the ground. Maybe people can't change, but they can figure a way to live in the trees with the parts they have.

You know who you are, and I love you all. xxx


GOODFELLOW'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus goodfellowi)












BENNETT'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus bennettianus)






LUMHOLTZ'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus lumholtzi)








GRIZZLED TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus inustus)



TENKILE or SCOTT'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus scottae)
Critically Endangered






DINGISO (Dendrolagus mbaiso)
Recently discovered by Western Science




MATSCHIE'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus matschiei)









Saturday, October 18, 2008

Tentacular Spactacular vol. 6 - CUTTLEFISH

We take a turn with the Cephalopods once more. The most intelligent group invertebrates, these molluscs are easily recognized by their multiple tentacles. This group of the Cephalopods, the Cuttlefish (order Sepiidae)is not as well known as their relatives the squid and octopus. They are predatory on smaller sea creatures, squirt ink, and only live (at most) for 2 years. Here's a gallery of some of my favorite. Enjoy!

Sepia officionalis












FLAMBOYANT CUTTLEFISH (Metasepia pfefferi)












PAJAMA SQUID (Sepioloidea lineolata)... really a cuttlefish!






OTHERS


Sepia latimanus


Sepia latimanus



Sepia pharaonis


Sepia apama


Sepia apama


Sepia apama

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

LAND PLANARIANS (suborder TERRICOLA) for WOLF

You may have noticed, that I'm fond of slimy creatures. Here we have a group of oft overlooked slimy bastards...the Terrestrial Flatworms or Land Planarians. They are in the Phylum Platyhelminthes, along with Aquatic Planaria, Tapeworms, and flukes. The Terricola live in moist and humid environs around the world, as they dry out rather easily. They feed mostly on other small invertebrates, like Earthworms and snails. One of their more endearing qualities is the habit of exuding mucous to stay moist and on which they glide, as well as aiding in capture and digestion of prey. Some of the tropical species of Land Planarians can be fairly gaudy, as we'll see in the photos below. So, lets check out a collection of our slithery friends that lack an anus, a circulatory system, a respiratory system, a skeleton, and facial hair. Enjoy.






Geoplana burmeisteri


Geoplana ladislavi


Polycladus gayi










Bipalium sp., introduced into Europe and the U.S.
from China and SE Asia through potted plants


Bipalium kewense, introduced from China
now considered a pest as it preys on
native Earthworm species.


Bipalium sp. feeding on an Earthworm

Thursday, August 28, 2008

A GALLERY OF CATERPILLARS

i find it interesting that some butterflies spend more time as juveniles (caterpillars) than they do as adults. adult being the reproductive phase of life. eating machines waiting to become something else entirely. imagine changing that much, going into your sleeping bag and emerging as a... rhino, or something.


QUEEN BUTTERFLY


MONARCH


CLOUDLESS SULPHUR


GULF FRITILLARY


PINK STRIPED OAKWORM


ANISE SWALLOWTAIL


BLACK SWALLOWTAIL


GIANT SWALLOWTAIL


SPICEBUSH SWALLOWTAIL


PIPEVINE SWALLOWTAIL


POLYDAMUS SWALLOWTAIL



MILKWEED TUSSOCKMOTH