Tag: animals

Whose hoo: The Barred Owls of Central Park

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date November 14, 2020

The barrel owl isn’t known to travel outside the woods of the southeastern United States. But in 2020, anything seems possible.

Two owls, presumably boyfriend and girlfriend, have been discovered in New York’s Central Park. The star birds like to hide out in the hidden waters of The Loch.

Manhattan welcomes 270 plus bird species each year. But the rare arrival of the barred owl has brought birding fanatics out to photograph it. Check out some of the snaps.

Barred Owl from tonight's @BirdingBobNYC walk in The Loch in Central Park #birdcp pic.twitter.com/D03BRgrfKu
— Adam Bagun (@AdamBagun) November 6, 2020

@BirdCentralPark Barred Owl in the Central Park Loch today before the rain came. This was taken right before the owl decided to chase around the second Barred Owl in the loch. The second Barred Owl likes to stay high in the trees and is difficult to spot. pic.twitter.com/PwE4YkPA6n
— Justin Bereman (@JustinBereman) November 1, 2020

This BARRED OWL, apparently now one of two in the Central Park Loch, though the only one actually being seen, is snoozing before a big Halloween night of hunting. pic.twitter.com/NL9Rd5lPIu
— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) October 31, 2020

Bonus note: Along with the ability to rotate turning their necks 270 degrees in each direction, these gorgeous raptures can also blend in with their environments.

Tags animals, Nature, owls

The Harpy eagle looks like a human in a Halloween costume

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date November 10, 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 monkey or 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 fabulous bowl haircut of the Gloster Corona Canary

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date October 15, 2020

It looks like someone is having a bad hair day.

The Gloster Corona Crested Canary sports a bowl haircut — often referred to as ‘crests’ — made famous by Ringo and the Three Stooges.

The chubby and cute wig-wearing little bird also dons a dynamic singing voice, much louder to other groups in the canary breed.

As a result of the Gloster Canary’s unique style and charming vocals, the creature has become a popular cage bird. The birds come in both yellow, green, and brown color variations.

Gloster Canary pic.twitter.com/3l2TIXeHsV
— patty (@patty7497) June 21, 2020

Tags animals, birds, Nature

Animals Nature

Lost and Found: The Somali Elephant Shrew is back!

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date September 25, 2020

The Somali Sengi, also known as the Somali Elephant Shrew, is back after a 50-year hiatus. The small insectivorous mammal endemic to Somalia was deemed extinct since the 1970s by the Global Wildlife Conservation’s list of lost species.

But scientists recently rediscovered a thriving population of Somali Sengi in Djibouti.

“Here we report new evidence that the Somali Sengi is currently extant,” says the study.

“These data include voucher specimens, georeferenced occurrence localities, body measurements, habitat parameters, and DNA sequences. While the species is historically documented as endemic to Somalia, these new records are from the neighboring Republic of Djibouti and thus expand the Somali Sengi’s known range in the Horn of Africa.”

FOUND: What is related to an elephant but the size of a mouse, has hindlimbs built like a gazelle, & was lost to science since 1968? The Somali Sengi, an adorable elephant-shrew was recently rediscovered in Djibouti. @DukeLemurCenter https://t.co/xSZYutT0CT pic.twitter.com/NJZs0Kx21g
— Global Wildlife Conservation (@Global_Wildlife) August 18, 2020

The adorable mouse-sized creature features a long snout that allows it to suck up ants into its trunk-like nose. The animal is also known to pick up speeds of 19 miles per hour.

The shrew is neither elephant nor shrew, to be exact, but a distant relative to aardvarks, hyraxes, and manatees.

Lost for half a century and found, let’s hope we never lose sight of the adorable Somali Sengi again.

Tags africa, animals, Nature, Photography, Somalia

Animals Nature

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 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

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 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 Health Travel

Giant teddy bears enforce social distancing in Paris cafe

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date June 30, 2020

While the world remains alert and anxious over the spread of COVID-19, a bookshop owner in Paris has been trying to lighten the mood.

Philippe, owner of the local bookstore, has been buying up giant bears and distributing them to his local neighborhood of Les Gobelins, Paris.

The teddy bears first appeared in cafes, restaurants, and bars but — according to the bears official Facebook page — been seen in front of the Eiffel Tower, riding the metro, and more.

The bears help make social distancing a little more bearable (see what we did there) in Paris.

*Photo: Les nounours des gobelins/Facebook*

Tags animals, bears, COVID-19, Paris