Category: Animals

The cute and scary Venezuelan Poodle Moth

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date September 16, 2020

Some call it adorable. Others call it the devil.

Brace yourself for the Venezuelan Poodle Moth, a fluffy one-inch insect that looks like a cross between a poodle and an alien.

The tiny hard chitin scales that create the moth’s fluff help disguise it from bats while also keeping it warm.

Zoologist Dr. Arthur Anker captured the new species in the Gran Sabana region of Venezuela’s Canaima National Park in 2009.

Poodle moth (Artace sp, perhaps A. cribaria), Venezuela

The poodle moth bears a strong resemblance to the Muslin Moth, a neotropical moth of the family Erebidae.

However, the internet continues to debate the reality of its existence due to the creature’s scarcity — not many others have identified the bizarre critter.

Tags animals, Moth, Nature, Venezuela

Animals Nature

The Harpy eagle looks like a human in a Halloween costume

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date August 28, 2020

The Harpy eagle looks like a human in a costume — Photo: Twitter/@OrgPhysics

The Harpy Eagle is one of the largest species of eagles in the world, even bigger than the Bald Eagle.

Named after the Greek mythology monsters, the extremely rare animal is found through Central America and South America rainforests, particularly Brazil, where it’s known as the Royal Hawk. The magical creature even inspired the design of Fawkes the Phoenix in the Harry Potter films.

The bird has a wingspan of over 7 feet and nearly the identical claw size of a grizzly bear. So massive, some people think it looks like a human in a costume.

But this powerful raptor is not your worst nightmare, even if the animal can snatch a sloth out of a tree for dinner (see video after the jump).

Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)🐦🦜🕊️🦅🎵🐤❤️🐤 pic.twitter.com/hKmjAslc3c
— World birds (@worldbirds32) August 9, 2020

Tags animals, birds, Eagles, Nature

Animals Nature

The strange but fabulous Shoebill Stork

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date August 27, 2020

The Shoebill Stork is your new favorite bird.

Amazingly huge, the Shoebill Stork (Balaeniceps rex) may be one of the most prehistoric dinosaur looking birds alive (note: the cassowary might be the other).

An ambush predator with a height up to 5 feet, the bird stands for long periods before engaging in a vicious attack on pray. It is known to use its bulbous shoe-shaped bill to attack crocodiles when provoked.

However, the big bird is docile with humans — it is quite common to get into staring contest with them.

The bird is endangered, however, with only 5,000 – 8,000 left in the world in the swamps of East-Central Africa.

Witness the bird in all its hugeness below.

Shoebill Stork looks like something out of Jurassic park pic.twitter.com/oUepjw6L9y
— Pet Animals (@CutePetAnimal) July 14, 2020

Tags africa, animals, Nature, Shoebill Stork

Animals Nature

The Tasmanian Giant Crab is the king of crabs

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date August 19, 2020

Add the Tasmanian Giant Crab (Pseudocarcinus gigas) to one of the animals you’ll want to see in person one day.

Weighing up to 39lbs with a shell length up to 18 inches, the Tasmanian Giant Crab is the fifth largest crab species. Its wild geometry makes it claws appear more massive than its body.

This monstrous “king” of crabs resides in the deep ocean of Southern Australia. Unfortunately, the crab is a prize catch among fishers where’s it’s been fished in Tasmanian waters since 1992.

Tags animals, australia, crabs, Nature

Animals Nature

Cosmic caterpillar of the Pacific fruit piercing moth

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date August 10, 2020

See the universe in the marvelous googly-eyed cosmic caterpillar of the Pacific fruite piercing moth, and you’ll never be the same.

This dazzling caterpillar is the larva of the common Pacific fruit-piercing moth (Eudocima phalonia) from India. It is truly an alien among us.

The photographer, Arabinda Pal, captured the shot on his smartphone in West Bengal, India. “It is one of the major pests of fruits in Asia,” he said on Instagram. “It causes huge damage to fruit.”

Amazingly, Pal also snapped a picture of the moth in its advanced larva stage.

Here’s what the gorgeous little insect looks like as an adult moth. It can even do an incredible leaf mimic.

Fruit Piercing Moth (Eudocima cf. aurantia, Calpinae, Erebidae) — Photo: Flickr/itchydogimages

Tags animal, Caterpillar, India, Nature

Animals Nature

The incredible (and slender) Ranzania Laevis is shaped like a Dorito

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date August 8, 2020

One of the more peculiar fish you’ll ever see, the slender sunfish (Ranzania laevis) looks like a fish that’s been cut in half.

Yes, this Dorito-shaped fish is in its complete form!

The Ranzania laevis is a species of mola mola and is primarily found in the world’s tropical waters. In fact, the fish was originally discovered off the coast of Adelaide, Australia, in 1944.

Interestingly, the slender sunfish can give off the impression of a shark from its side view which allows it to scare off would-be predators.

Tags animals, fish, Nature, Ocean

Animals

The cassowary is living proof that birds are living dinosaurs

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date July 9, 2020

The cassowary is further proof that birds are living dinosaurs.

Native to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia, the flightless Cassowary bird can grow up to a whopping 7 feet tall and weigh as much as 120 pounds. It’s the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird.

But even more dinosauric are the cassowary’s razor-sharp talons that it uses to defend itself. Known as the world’s most dangerous bird, the cassowary can quickly kill a human with one strike of its dagger-like feet.

Interestingly, the cassowary also lay bright green and pale green-blue eggs during the breeding season. That’s almost as fascinating as the bird’s turquoise neck and glossy feathers — such a neat-colored creature!

Holding the claws of a male southern cassowary… Just in case any of your friends still need convinced that 🐦 = 🦖! #gradschool #PhDlife #Paleontology #dinosaurs #birdsaredinosaurs pic.twitter.com/L6vYwyXmyx
— Sarah Davis (@PaleoFeathers) January 15, 2019

Tags animals, birds, cassowary

Animals Travel

Say hello to the swimming pigs of the Bahamas

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date July 5, 2020

The uninhabited island of Big Major Cay in the Bahamas is populated entirely by swimming pigs.

Known as the Swimming Pigs of Exuma, Bahamas, the feral pigs there swim freely in the clear-water ocean and play amongst themselves on the beach.

Pig Beach, Bahamas 🐷🌊⛱️💕 pic.twitter.com/p6a2kv5KNn
— Violet (@Roxykkk) January 9, 2020

How the wild pigs got to the Bahamas

How the pigs got on the island is still a mystery. Some believe that they were dropped off by hungry sailors who never returned — others think the pigs survived nearby ship wrecks.

You may have already swum with dolphins but what about the ever-elusive pig on this beautiful beach?

Prepare to check off this excursion from your bucket list.

Tags animals, Bahamas, Pigs, Travel

Animals

The giant crowned flying fox is a human size bat from the Philippines

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date July 3, 2020

Here’s a creature that will stop you in your tracks.

Endemic to the Philippines, the giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) grows as large as 3 feet with a wingspan of 5-6 feet.

It is one of the largest bats in the world.

You’d think that the megabat the size of a 6-year-old kid would be a threat but it’s actually harmless — it’s vegetarian and primarily munches on fruit. As pollinators, the bats even help spread seeds.

Unfortunately, the species is endangered and facing extinction due to poaching in the forest.

Tags animals, bats, Philippines

Animals Nature

A ripped Beluga whale shows its six pack

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date July 1, 2020

Beluga whales can get ripped.

Photographer David Merron caught this muscular male off the coast of Canada flashing his six-pack.

Recounted Merron: ‘It looks like this whale has put in a lot of days at the gym!’

A ripped Beluga whale shows its six pack — Picture: David Merron/Caters

The beach body must have paid off. The spiffed up whale soon cozied up to a female companion for a kiss.

Known for their blubber, it must be extremely rare to find a whale that flexes like Arnold Schwarzenegger with abs of steel.

“I’d been watching whales every day for weeks, and I hadn’t notice any of the whales with particularly ripped bods – so I was fairly shocked,” said Merron who took the photos at the Cunningham River in Somerset Island, Canada.

“When you think of a whale, covered in blubber, you don’t think of toned abdominals – especially the beluga whales, who spend their lives in the coldest of waters and have blubber 10-15cm thick to keep them warm,” he added.

The beluga whale is also known to have facial muscle that help it smile.

Tags animal, Nature, whale