Badger! Badger! Badger!
Badger! Badger! Badger!
Badgers are tough little animals. They can run up to 30 km/hour (20 mph) and have been known to fight of animals as large as bears (!). They're found throughout Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa.
I haven't seen references to South American badgers. Has anyone seen one in South America?
Also: a very strange video: http://tr.im/ss
Spider Monkey
The Spider Monkey, of Central and South America. They live & hunt in the high canopy of rain forests, ~30 m above the ground. They're social, living in bands of 20-30 monkeys.
Do you think primates (monkeys, baboons, orangutans etc) deserve more rights & protections than other animals because of their closer relation to humans?
An Imperial Family
An Emperor Penguin and three chicks, photographed in Antarctica...
Weighing up to 37 kb (87 pounds), the Emperor is the largest living penguin species. In the wintertime they trek up to 120 km to reach breeding colonies. They aren't currently endangered, but are highly sensitive to climate change.
The Wolf Spider
The Wolf Spider: A common critter throughout the world.
Their eight eyes (including the two prominent large ones) have excellent vision, which is useful as they're hunters. They rarely bite humans unless provoked. Their bites may itch a bit, but aren't dangerous
Do you like seeing bugs here, or do you prefer mammals & landscapes?
Baby Margay
A baby Margay - a Central American native.
Fully grown, he'll be a bit bigger than a very large house cat. Margays are amazing climbers, and spend most of their lives in the trees. They can jump about 5 meters vertically, and 7 meters horizontally.
Margays are considered to be "Near Threatened" due to habitat destruction.
Acacia and Storm
A lone Acacia tree before a storm in Kenya's Masai Mara reserve.
Acacias can be quite hardy. An Acacia in Niger was once the only tree in a 200 km radius (until a trucker knocked it down in 1973).
Isolated Acacias are central to local ecosystems, being especially symbiotic with insect populations.
The Pine Marten
The Pine Marten - native to Northern Europe. Adults are about 50cm long and weigh 1.5 kg. They love hollow trees, and are great climbers.
Pine Martens have few predators other than humans. Demand for their fur has hurt their population, but they're now protected. The Mammal Society has a good page about them: http://tr.im/sVG0
(PS: if you want to post this image in your own Feed, click "Share". It finally works!)
Llamas Relaxing in the Sun
Two Llamas ignoring a beautiful view of Macchu Picchu in Peru...
Llamas are native to South America, and have four distinct species. Two are raised agriculturally (including the Alpaca) . The Guanaco and Vicuña are wild - and the Vicuña is endangered...
Where have you seen Llamas?
Sleepy Koalas
A baby Koala clutches his Mum...
Koalas are found near Australia's coasts. They're not very active - sleeping up to 18 hours a day!
They aren't endangered, but there's concern about their habitat. Their protection society:http://tr.im/sAuE
In this year's heat wave, many shy Koalas accepted help from humans (very rare!). Video:http://tr.im/sAxk
Lion Sibings
Lion siblings hanging out together.
Lion families endure. Females stay with the prides they're born into for life, and males stay at least until late adolescence.
10,000 years ago, lions were the 2nd most common mammal after humans. By 1950, Africa had about 400,000 living in the wild. Today there are fewer than 50,000
The Capybara, or Carpincho
A young family of Carpinchos, or Capybaras. Also known as the chigüire, or the chigüiro.
Typically about 65 kg as adults, they love the water, and are found throughout South America.
They're herbivores & they're social, usually living in groups of 10-30. They're also very vocal - they can both purr and bark (!), as well as whistle, click, squeal, etc.
Learn how you can take action to help animals like this here: http://tr.im/wwforg
SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2009
Evening Light in Greenland
Icebergs off the coast of Greenland...
Greenland's ice layer alone would raise sea levels by 7 meters if it melts. Antarctica's ice layer is an even bigger risk.
The Arctic ice pack is less of an issue since it doesn't sit on land, and ice takes up more space than water. So sea levels would actually drop if the northern cap alone melted.
But unfortunately, if the Arctic melts, they all melt.
A Happy New Elephant
A baby elephant calls for mama. At 120 Kg, elephants are bigger at birth than most adult humans!
Like people, elephants live years with their families. Males strike off on their own around age 14, and females never do.
Elephants are protected, but the ivory trade has hurt their numbers. Their African population, once millions, is now about 600,000.
Antelope Canyon
A ray of light in Antelope Canyon in Arizona (USA).
This is a "Slot Canyon" - a deep & narrow relic of violent flooding.
The Pyrenees, Jordan's Petra region, & Australia's Blue Mountains all have famous slot canyons. They're beautiful places to hike - but flooding can be a danger!
What's the prettiest place to hike where you live?
