HomesickAlien Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 23 November 2014Sunday Kagu The Kagu is a flightless bird native to New Caledonia with grey plumage; its pale colouring has led to the name of 'ghost of the forest' by local people. The sexes are similar in appearance, with mainly ash-grey plumage apart from black barring on the wings that is only visible when they are out-stretched. There is a prominent crest of feathers on the back of the head, which may be erected in display, and the legs and bill are orange in colour. Kagu pairs occupy territories that are 10 to 28 hectares in size. They are active during the day, sleeping on nests at night. A single chick is raised each year, although in particularly dry years even this may not be possible. Kagus feed on a variety of invertebrates such as worms and snails and even some small vertebrates such as lizards. The loss of much of New Caledonia's native forests has caused the numbers of kagus to decline. Forests have been cleared for timber and to make way for agriculture, and these birds have also traditionally been hunted for their meat. Kagus are island birds that have evolved in isolation and in the absence of terrestrial predators; when Europeans first arrived on New Caledonia they brought with them rats, cats and dogs, and these flightless birds represented easy prey. Today, dogs may represent the most important threat to the survival of this species; in 1993, dogs killed 17 out of 21 radio-collared birds within the reserve of Pic Nigua alone. http://i.imgur.com/FQiUSmM.jpg http://i.imgur.com/040jzQs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ObOaiLs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/8rjPjWs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/xHN5BaC.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/6yso4Go.gifhttp://i.imgur.com/4roG3HG.jpg 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 24 November 2014Monday Rock Hyrax Rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) are found throughout sub-Saharan and north-east Africa, and prefer – as their name suggests – rocky outcrops and cliffs, inhabiting abandoned burrows and crevices they use as shelter. Despite looking like rodents, rock hyraxes are actually more closely related to the elephant – based on similarities with their primitive ungulate ancestors from the Eocene era, like teeth and bone structure. Regardless, it is so unique that it’s classified in an order of its own, along with its other subspecies. Rock hyraxes look like oversized guinea pigs without tails and rounder ears, with thick brown/grey fur and weigh around 4 kilograms. They have short legs with three toes on their back feet and four on the front. On the bottom of their feet, they have thick, rubbery pads, making it easier to move over rocky substrates. The have long, tusk-like incisors, used for biting off large quantities of vegetation. The iris of hyraxes slightly protrudes over the pupil of their eyes, which decreases the amount of sunlight to their eye. Rock hyraxes live in colonies of about 50, with territorial males dominating over harems of a few related females and their offspring. These males are constantly on the lookout for predators and rivals. These hyraxes have unusually long pregnancies for animals of their size, and have a gestation period of seven or eight months, new-borns being so developed that they are able to jump and run only two days after birth. They bear between two or three infants at a time. http://i.imgur.com/xtmOldb.jpg http://i.imgur.com/9OSn60O.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/i84hsed.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/XweZTEf.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/pFJUU8W.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/cwU94Ys.jpg http://i.imgur.com/HxNccJq.jpg Range: http://i.imgur.com/YebGJ5h.png 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 23 November 2014Sunday Kagu The Kagu is a flightless bird native to New Caledonia with grey plumage; its pale colouring has led to the name of 'ghost of the forest' by local people. The sexes are similar in appearance, with mainly ash-grey plumage apart from black barring on the wings that is only visible when they are out-stretched. There is a prominent crest of feathers on the back of the head, which may be erected in display, and the legs and bill are orange in colour. Kagu pairs occupy territories that are 10 to 28 hectares in size. They are active during the day, sleeping on nests at night. A single chick is raised each year, although in particularly dry years even this may not be possible. Kagus feed on a variety of invertebrates such as worms and snails and even some small vertebrates such as lizards. The loss of much of New Caledonia's native forests has caused the numbers of kagus to decline. Forests have been cleared for timber and to make way for agriculture, and these birds have also traditionally been hunted for their meat. Kagus are island birds that have evolved in isolation and in the absence of terrestrial predators; when Europeans first arrived on New Caledonia they brought with them rats, cats and dogs, and these flightless birds represented easy prey. Today, dogs may represent the most important threat to the survival of this species; in 1993, dogs killed 17 out of 21 radio-collared birds within the reserve of Pic Nigua alone. http://i.imgur.com/FQiUSmM.jpg http://i.imgur.com/040jzQs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ObOaiLs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/8rjPjWs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/xHN5BaC.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/6yso4Go.gifhttp://i.imgur.com/4roG3HG.jpg Love the crest feathers! Sounds like those poor birds are facing a hard time :( 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 24 November 2014Monday Rock Hyrax Rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) are found throughout sub-Saharan and north-east Africa, and prefer – as their name suggests – rocky outcrops and cliffs, inhabiting abandoned burrows and crevices they use as shelter. Despite looking like rodents, rock hyraxes are actually more closely related to the elephant – based on similarities with their primitive ungulate ancestors from the Eocene era, like teeth and bone structure. Regardless, it is so unique that it’s classified in an order of its own, along with its other subspecies. Rock hyraxes look like oversized guinea pigs without tails and rounder ears, with thick brown/grey fur and weigh around 4 kilograms. They have short legs with three toes on their back feet and four on the front. On the bottom of their feet, they have thick, rubbery pads, making it easier to move over rocky substrates. The have long, tusk-like incisors, used for biting off large quantities of vegetation. The iris of hyraxes slightly protrudes over the pupil of their eyes, which decreases the amount of sunlight to their eye. Rock hyraxes live in colonies of about 50, with territorial males dominating over harems of a few related females and their offspring. These males are constantly on the lookout for predators and rivals. These hyraxes have unusually long pregnancies for animals of their size, and have a gestation period of seven or eight months, new-borns being so developed that they are able to jump and run only two days after birth. They bear between two or three infants at a time. http://i.imgur.com/xtmOldb.jpg http://i.imgur.com/9OSn60O.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/i84hsed.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/XweZTEf.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/pFJUU8W.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/cwU94Ys.jpg http://i.imgur.com/HxNccJq.jpg Range: http://i.imgur.com/YebGJ5h.png Cute. Specially the 2nd pic with all the young gathered together. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 25 November 2014Tuesday SPECIAL CRYPTOZOOLOGY EDITION :eyeroll: Nandi Bear Is the Nandi Bear a living chalicothere? http://i.imgur.com/4BiWXvL.jpg The year was 1925. A six-year-old girl had been mysteriously abducted from her village in the Nandi region of Kenya by a greatly-feared monster known locally as the chimiset, and Captain William Hichens of the Intelligence and Administrative Services of East Africa had been instructed by the Kenyan government to investigate. Science did not - and still does not - recognise the existence of the chimiset, but it is an all-too-familiar creature to the native Nandi people, and also to European settlers here, who call it the Nandi bear on account of its bear-like head. Consequently, Hichens took the matter seriously, and set up camp near to a small forest-clad kopje (boulder hill) from where the chimiset reputedly emerged periodically. One night, Hichens was asleep in his tent, with his mongrel hunting dog, Mbwambi, tied to a pole outside, when suddenly: "...the whole tent rocked; the pole to which Mbwambi was tied flew out and let down the ridge-pole, enveloping me in flapping canvas. At the same moment the most awful howl I have ever heard split the night. The sheer demoniac horror of it froze me still...I heard my pi-dog yelp just once. There was a crashing of branches in the bush, and then thud, thud, thud, of some huge beast making off. But that howl! I have heard half a dozen lions roaring in a stampede-chorus not twenty yards away; I have heard a maddened cow-elephant trumpeting; I have heard a trapped leopard make the silent night miles a rocking agony with screaming, snarling roars. But never have I heard, nor do I wish to hear again, such a howl as that of the chimiset. A trail of red spots on the sand showed where my pi-dog had gone. Beside that trail were huge footprints, four times as big as a man's, showing the imprint of three huge clawed toes, with trefoil marks like a lion's pad where the sole of the foot pressed down. But no lion ever boasted such a paw as that of the monster which had made that terrifying spoor." Although Hichens pursued these tracks, which did indeed lead to the kopje, and spent at least a week searching the forest for whatever had made them, he did not succeed in his quest. The Nandi bear may well comprise more than one type of animal. As revealed by cryptozoologist Dr Bernard Heuvelmans in his pioneering book On the Track of Unknown Animals (1958), accounts of several wholly distinct animals appear to have been erroneously assigned by earlier authors at one time or another to this formidable mystery beast - involving spotted hyaenas, unusually large baboons, honey badgers, aardvarks, even the occasional murderous witchdoctor. However, there may also be one or two genuinely unknown species involved. Some Nandi bear reports describe hyaena-like beasts, but far larger than any known to exist today, and sporting a dark shaggy pelage quite unlike that of the spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), which is the world's largest modern-day hyaena species. Also, the Nandi bear is far more aggressive than typical contemporary hyaenas. Prior to the close of the Pleistocene epoch, a mere 10,000 years ago, however, Africa was known to harbour a terrifying species called the short-faced hyaena (Procrocuta brevirostris). Although related to the small modern-day brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea), it was characterised by its enormous lion-sized stature, and also by its short bear-like muzzle and active hunting behaviour (in marked contrast to the carrion-sustaining lifestyle typifying today's hyaenas). If such a creature as this has persisted into the present day within the dense little-explored forests of Kenya's Nandi region, we may not need to seek further for the Nandi bear's identity. Moreover, Pleistocene Africa was also home to a bizarre type of ungulate known as a chalicothere, which resembled a horse-sized hyaena in general outline, and possessed sharp claws instead of hooves typical of other ungulates. Although chalicotheres were herbivores, a brief sighting of such a creature could well convince a native hunter or anyone else not well-versed in zoological taxonomy that they had encountered a giant hyaena. Accordingly, several zoologists have seriously entertained the idea that perhaps a species of African chalicothere survived beyond the Pleistocene into modern times, giving rise to reports of Nandi bears. One intriguing item of Nandi bear lore that supports this identity is the claim by Kenyan residents that this mystery beast was once quite common here but was almost exterminated in the 1890s by a plague of rinderpest that swept across most of Africa, devastating livestock and wild buffaloes. Rinderpest, of course, principally kills ungulates, not carnivores - a fact cited by sceptical scientists as evidence that the Nandi bear is a native fantasy. Yet if this animal is a species of chalicothere, it could indeed be susceptible to rinderpest. And if, like some other ungulates, including bull elephants, hippos, Cape buffaloes, and peccaries, chalicotheres display bouts of savage unpredictable aggression (vegetarian lifestyle notwithstanding), we can easily comprehend why the Nandi bear is so greatly feared. http://i.imgur.com/NnR7WKu.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/DnR0XlU.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/gdjOLlW.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/N9wyDZ1.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/mGSlx0d.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/9atSf5O.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 (edited) Cryptozoology? This thread has officially lost all credibility! Had a good 50 page run... Edited November 25, 2014 by Mr. Not 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 Cryptozoology? This thread has officially lost all credibility! Had a good 50 page run... Soon to become a regular feature. http://i.imgur.com/8h1DrOW.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 Cryptozoology? This thread has officially lost all credibility! Had a good 50 page run... Soon to become a regular feature. http://i.imgur.com/8h1DrOW.jpg http://youtu.be/1hTCyPAEzMI 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 27 November 2014Thursday Honey Badger A stocky, robust and rather ferocious animal, the honey badger, which is the only species within the Mellivora genus, has very distinct markings. Most of the body is covered in straight, coarse black or dark brown hairs, but a wide strip of wiry grey and white hairs, known as the mantle, runs from the crown of the head to the base of the tail in adults. On some individuals, a pure white band separates the mantle, which becomes darker with age, from the black underparts. The tail is bushy and covered in the same straight, coarse hairs of the body, and ends in a grey or white tip. The muscular, stocky neck and shoulders, together with the broad forefeet and large powerful claws, make light work of digging for small prey. The hind feet are much slighter with smaller claw. Named for its apparent taste for honey, the honey badger is often seen raiding African honey bee nests, although it is in fact also after the juicy developing grubs of the bees and not just the honey. This species is also known as the ‘ratel’, an Afrikaans word for ‘rattle’, as it is known to make a rattle-like cry. The honey badger is typically a solitary forager with a varied, mostly carnivorous diet. Small mammals make up the majority of prey, but honey badgers have also been known to eat reptiles, including venomous snakes, and small birds. Insect grubs, insects, and scorpions are also an important part of a honey badger’s diet at certain times of the year, and roots, bulbs, berries and fruits may also be consumed. The contents of bee hives are also a major food source, which the honey badger reportedly tackles by using its anal glands to fumigate the bees, causing them to either flee or become inactive, and then its powerful claws to break up the hive. Unlike closely related species, male honey badgers have huge home ranges that overlap and include the smaller home ranges of up to thirteen females. This behaviour relates to its polygynous mating system, where one male will mate with multiple females. The honey badger is widely distributed throughout Africa south of the Sahara, the Arabian Peninsula, Western Asia and the Indian Peninsula. In some areas the honey badger is being trapped and snared by poachers, small livestock farmers, and, due to the damage it can inflict on bee hives, bee farmers. The skin and claws are also used in traditional medicine, as they are believed to confer the fearlessness and ferocity of the honey badger. http://i.imgur.com/lhvHA8h.jpg http://i.imgur.com/53ANyE7.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/M40Di8S.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/VOp2cLn.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/RHb2I69.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/jKMuidC.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/S33rgdg.jpg Range: http://i.imgur.com/HwTidGk.png Honey Badger http://i.imgur.com/RbURa8z.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 25 November 2014Tuesday SPECIAL CRYPTOZOOLOGY EDITION :eyeroll: Nandi Bear Is the Nandi Bear a living chalicothere? http://i.imgur.com/4BiWXvL.jpg The year was 1925. A six-year-old girl had been mysteriously abducted from her village in the Nandi region of Kenya by a greatly-feared monster known locally as the chimiset, and Captain William Hichens of the Intelligence and Administrative Services of East Africa had been instructed by the Kenyan government to investigate. Science did not - and still does not - recognise the existence of the chimiset, but it is an all-too-familiar creature to the native Nandi people, and also to European settlers here, who call it the Nandi bear on account of its bear-like head. Consequently, Hichens took the matter seriously, and set up camp near to a small forest-clad kopje (boulder hill) from where the chimiset reputedly emerged periodically. One night, Hichens was asleep in his tent, with his mongrel hunting dog, Mbwambi, tied to a pole outside, when suddenly: "...the whole tent rocked; the pole to which Mbwambi was tied flew out and let down the ridge-pole, enveloping me in flapping canvas. At the same moment the most awful howl I have ever heard split the night. The sheer demoniac horror of it froze me still...I heard my pi-dog yelp just once. There was a crashing of branches in the bush, and then thud, thud, thud, of some huge beast making off. But that howl! I have heard half a dozen lions roaring in a stampede-chorus not twenty yards away; I have heard a maddened cow-elephant trumpeting; I have heard a trapped leopard make the silent night miles a rocking agony with screaming, snarling roars. But never have I heard, nor do I wish to hear again, such a howl as that of the chimiset. A trail of red spots on the sand showed where my pi-dog had gone. Beside that trail were huge footprints, four times as big as a man's, showing the imprint of three huge clawed toes, with trefoil marks like a lion's pad where the sole of the foot pressed down. But no lion ever boasted such a paw as that of the monster which had made that terrifying spoor." Although Hichens pursued these tracks, which did indeed lead to the kopje, and spent at least a week searching the forest for whatever had made them, he did not succeed in his quest. The Nandi bear may well comprise more than one type of animal. As revealed by cryptozoologist Dr Bernard Heuvelmans in his pioneering book On the Track of Unknown Animals (1958), accounts of several wholly distinct animals appear to have been erroneously assigned by earlier authors at one time or another to this formidable mystery beast - involving spotted hyaenas, unusually large baboons, honey badgers, aardvarks, even the occasional murderous witchdoctor. However, there may also be one or two genuinely unknown species involved. Some Nandi bear reports describe hyaena-like beasts, but far larger than any known to exist today, and sporting a dark shaggy pelage quite unlike that of the spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), which is the world's largest modern-day hyaena species. Also, the Nandi bear is far more aggressive than typical contemporary hyaenas. Prior to the close of the Pleistocene epoch, a mere 10,000 years ago, however, Africa was known to harbour a terrifying species called the short-faced hyaena (Procrocuta brevirostris). Although related to the small modern-day brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea), it was characterised by its enormous lion-sized stature, and also by its short bear-like muzzle and active hunting behaviour (in marked contrast to the carrion-sustaining lifestyle typifying today's hyaenas). If such a creature as this has persisted into the present day within the dense little-explored forests of Kenya's Nandi region, we may not need to seek further for the Nandi bear's identity. Moreover, Pleistocene Africa was also home to a bizarre type of ungulate known as a chalicothere, which resembled a horse-sized hyaena in general outline, and possessed sharp claws instead of hooves typical of other ungulates. Although chalicotheres were herbivores, a brief sighting of such a creature could well convince a native hunter or anyone else not well-versed in zoological taxonomy that they had encountered a giant hyaena. Accordingly, several zoologists have seriously entertained the idea that perhaps a species of African chalicothere survived beyond the Pleistocene into modern times, giving rise to reports of Nandi bears. One intriguing item of Nandi bear lore that supports this identity is the claim by Kenyan residents that this mystery beast was once quite common here but was almost exterminated in the 1890s by a plague of rinderpest that swept across most of Africa, devastating livestock and wild buffaloes. Rinderpest, of course, principally kills ungulates, not carnivores - a fact cited by sceptical scientists as evidence that the Nandi bear is a native fantasy. Yet if this animal is a species of chalicothere, it could indeed be susceptible to rinderpest. And if, like some other ungulates, including bull elephants, hippos, Cape buffaloes, and peccaries, chalicotheres display bouts of savage unpredictable aggression (vegetarian lifestyle notwithstanding), we can easily comprehend why the Nandi bear is so greatly feared. http://i.imgur.com/NnR7WKu.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/DnR0XlU.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/gdjOLlW.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/N9wyDZ1.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/mGSlx0d.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/9atSf5O.jpgInteresting.And congrats on 50 pages :cheers: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 27 November 2014Thursday Honey Badger A stocky, robust and rather ferocious animal, the honey badger, which is the only species within the Mellivora genus, has very distinct markings. Most of the body is covered in straight, coarse black or dark brown hairs, but a wide strip of wiry grey and white hairs, known as the mantle, runs from the crown of the head to the base of the tail in adults. On some individuals, a pure white band separates the mantle, which becomes darker with age, from the black underparts. The tail is bushy and covered in the same straight, coarse hairs of the body, and ends in a grey or white tip. The muscular, stocky neck and shoulders, together with the broad forefeet and large powerful claws, make light work of digging for small prey. The hind feet are much slighter with smaller claw. Named for its apparent taste for honey, the honey badger is often seen raiding African honey bee nests, although it is in fact also after the juicy developing grubs of the bees and not just the honey. This species is also known as the ‘ratel’, an Afrikaans word for ‘rattle’, as it is known to make a rattle-like cry. The honey badger is typically a solitary forager with a varied, mostly carnivorous diet. Small mammals make up the majority of prey, but honey badgers have also been known to eat reptiles, including venomous snakes, and small birds. Insect grubs, insects, and scorpions are also an important part of a honey badger’s diet at certain times of the year, and roots, bulbs, berries and fruits may also be consumed. The contents of bee hives are also a major food source, which the honey badger reportedly tackles by using its anal glands to fumigate the bees, causing them to either flee or become inactive, and then its powerful claws to break up the hive. Unlike closely related species, male honey badgers have huge home ranges that overlap and include the smaller home ranges of up to thirteen females. This behaviour relates to its polygynous mating system, where one male will mate with multiple females. The honey badger is widely distributed throughout Africa south of the Sahara, the Arabian Peninsula, Western Asia and the Indian Peninsula. In some areas the honey badger is being trapped and snared by poachers, small livestock farmers, and, due to the damage it can inflict on bee hives, bee farmers. The skin and claws are also used in traditional medicine, as they are believed to confer the fearlessness and ferocity of the honey badger. http://i.imgur.com/lhvHA8h.jpg http://i.imgur.com/53ANyE7.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/M40Di8S.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/VOp2cLn.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/RHb2I69.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/jKMuidC.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/S33rgdg.jpg Range: http://i.imgur.com/HwTidGk.png Honey Badger http://i.imgur.com/RbURa8z.jpgKinda cute faces...but look at that one standing up to the Lion way to go, little fella 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 23 November 2014Sunday Kagu The Kagu is a flightless bird native to New Caledonia with grey plumage; its pale colouring has led to the name of 'ghost of the forest' by local people. The sexes are similar in appearance, with mainly ash-grey plumage apart from black barring on the wings that is only visible when they are out-stretched. There is a prominent crest of feathers on the back of the head, which may be erected in display, and the legs and bill are orange in colour. Kagu pairs occupy territories that are 10 to 28 hectares in size. They are active during the day, sleeping on nests at night. A single chick is raised each year, although in particularly dry years even this may not be possible. Kagus feed on a variety of invertebrates such as worms and snails and even some small vertebrates such as lizards. The loss of much of New Caledonia's native forests has caused the numbers of kagus to decline. Forests have been cleared for timber and to make way for agriculture, and these birds have also traditionally been hunted for their meat. Kagus are island birds that have evolved in isolation and in the absence of terrestrial predators; when Europeans first arrived on New Caledonia they brought with them rats, cats and dogs, and these flightless birds represented easy prey. Today, dogs may represent the most important threat to the survival of this species; in 1993, dogs killed 17 out of 21 radio-collared birds within the reserve of Pic Nigua alone. http://i.imgur.com/FQiUSmM.jpg http://i.imgur.com/040jzQs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ObOaiLs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/8rjPjWs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/xHN5BaC.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/6yso4Go.gifhttp://i.imgur.com/4roG3HG.jpg Incredible head feathers! Cutest chick I've ever seen! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 24 November 2014Monday Rock Hyrax Rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) are found throughout sub-Saharan and north-east Africa, and prefer – as their name suggests – rocky outcrops and cliffs, inhabiting abandoned burrows and crevices they use as shelter. Despite looking like rodents, rock hyraxes are actually more closely related to the elephant – based on similarities with their primitive ungulate ancestors from the Eocene era, like teeth and bone structure. Regardless, it is so unique that it’s classified in an order of its own, along with its other subspecies. Rock hyraxes look like oversized guinea pigs without tails and rounder ears, with thick brown/grey fur and weigh around 4 kilograms. They have short legs with three toes on their back feet and four on the front. On the bottom of their feet, they have thick, rubbery pads, making it easier to move over rocky substrates. The have long, tusk-like incisors, used for biting off large quantities of vegetation. The iris of hyraxes slightly protrudes over the pupil of their eyes, which decreases the amount of sunlight to their eye. Rock hyraxes live in colonies of about 50, with territorial males dominating over harems of a few related females and their offspring. These males are constantly on the lookout for predators and rivals. These hyraxes have unusually long pregnancies for animals of their size, and have a gestation period of seven or eight months, new-borns being so developed that they are able to jump and run only two days after birth. They bear between two or three infants at a time. http://i.imgur.com/xtmOldb.jpg http://i.imgur.com/9OSn60O.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/i84hsed.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/XweZTEf.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/pFJUU8W.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/cwU94Ys.jpg http://i.imgur.com/HxNccJq.jpg Range: http://i.imgur.com/YebGJ5h.png Those babies! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 25 November 2014Tuesday SPECIAL CRYPTOZOOLOGY EDITION :eyeroll: Nandi Bear Is the Nandi Bear a living chalicothere? http://i.imgur.com/4BiWXvL.jpg The year was 1925. A six-year-old girl had been mysteriously abducted from her village in the Nandi region of Kenya by a greatly-feared monster known locally as the chimiset, and Captain William Hichens of the Intelligence and Administrative Services of East Africa had been instructed by the Kenyan government to investigate. Science did not - and still does not - recognise the existence of the chimiset, but it is an all-too-familiar creature to the native Nandi people, and also to European settlers here, who call it the Nandi bear on account of its bear-like head. Consequently, Hichens took the matter seriously, and set up camp near to a small forest-clad kopje (boulder hill) from where the chimiset reputedly emerged periodically. One night, Hichens was asleep in his tent, with his mongrel hunting dog, Mbwambi, tied to a pole outside, when suddenly: "...the whole tent rocked; the pole to which Mbwambi was tied flew out and let down the ridge-pole, enveloping me in flapping canvas. At the same moment the most awful howl I have ever heard split the night. The sheer demoniac horror of it froze me still...I heard my pi-dog yelp just once. There was a crashing of branches in the bush, and then thud, thud, thud, of some huge beast making off. But that howl! I have heard half a dozen lions roaring in a stampede-chorus not twenty yards away; I have heard a maddened cow-elephant trumpeting; I have heard a trapped leopard make the silent night miles a rocking agony with screaming, snarling roars. But never have I heard, nor do I wish to hear again, such a howl as that of the chimiset. A trail of red spots on the sand showed where my pi-dog had gone. Beside that trail were huge footprints, four times as big as a man's, showing the imprint of three huge clawed toes, with trefoil marks like a lion's pad where the sole of the foot pressed down. But no lion ever boasted such a paw as that of the monster which had made that terrifying spoor." Although Hichens pursued these tracks, which did indeed lead to the kopje, and spent at least a week searching the forest for whatever had made them, he did not succeed in his quest. The Nandi bear may well comprise more than one type of animal. As revealed by cryptozoologist Dr Bernard Heuvelmans in his pioneering book On the Track of Unknown Animals (1958), accounts of several wholly distinct animals appear to have been erroneously assigned by earlier authors at one time or another to this formidable mystery beast - involving spotted hyaenas, unusually large baboons, honey badgers, aardvarks, even the occasional murderous witchdoctor. However, there may also be one or two genuinely unknown species involved. Some Nandi bear reports describe hyaena-like beasts, but far larger than any known to exist today, and sporting a dark shaggy pelage quite unlike that of the spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), which is the world's largest modern-day hyaena species. Also, the Nandi bear is far more aggressive than typical contemporary hyaenas. Prior to the close of the Pleistocene epoch, a mere 10,000 years ago, however, Africa was known to harbour a terrifying species called the short-faced hyaena (Procrocuta brevirostris). Although related to the small modern-day brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea), it was characterised by its enormous lion-sized stature, and also by its short bear-like muzzle and active hunting behaviour (in marked contrast to the carrion-sustaining lifestyle typifying today's hyaenas). If such a creature as this has persisted into the present day within the dense little-explored forests of Kenya's Nandi region, we may not need to seek further for the Nandi bear's identity. Moreover, Pleistocene Africa was also home to a bizarre type of ungulate known as a chalicothere, which resembled a horse-sized hyaena in general outline, and possessed sharp claws instead of hooves typical of other ungulates. Although chalicotheres were herbivores, a brief sighting of such a creature could well convince a native hunter or anyone else not well-versed in zoological taxonomy that they had encountered a giant hyaena. Accordingly, several zoologists have seriously entertained the idea that perhaps a species of African chalicothere survived beyond the Pleistocene into modern times, giving rise to reports of Nandi bears. One intriguing item of Nandi bear lore that supports this identity is the claim by Kenyan residents that this mystery beast was once quite common here but was almost exterminated in the 1890s by a plague of rinderpest that swept across most of Africa, devastating livestock and wild buffaloes. Rinderpest, of course, principally kills ungulates, not carnivores - a fact cited by sceptical scientists as evidence that the Nandi bear is a native fantasy. Yet if this animal is a species of chalicothere, it could indeed be susceptible to rinderpest. And if, like some other ungulates, including bull elephants, hippos, Cape buffaloes, and peccaries, chalicotheres display bouts of savage unpredictable aggression (vegetarian lifestyle notwithstanding), we can easily comprehend why the Nandi bear is so greatly feared. http://i.imgur.com/NnR7WKu.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/DnR0XlU.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/gdjOLlW.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/N9wyDZ1.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/mGSlx0d.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/9atSf5O.jpg Quite the rare bear. Reading that made me shiver. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 28 November 2014 FLORA FRIDAY Living Stones (Lithops) Lithops is a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are native to southern Africa. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words λίθος (lithos), meaning "stone," and ὄψ (ops), meaning "face," referring to the stone-like appearance of the plants. They avoid being eaten by blending in with surrounding rocks and are often known as pebble plants or living stones. Individual Lithops plants consist of one or more pairs of bulbous, almost fused leaves opposite to each other and hardly any stem. The slit between the leaves contains the meristem and produces flowers and new leaves. The leaves of Lithops are mostly buried below the surface of the soil, with a partially or completely translucent top surface known as a leaf window which allows light to enter the interior of the leaves for photosynthesis. During winter a new leaf pair, or occasionally more than one, grows inside the existing fused leaf pair. In spring the old leaf pair parts to reveal the new leaves and the old leaves will then dry up. Lithops leaves may shrink and disappear below ground level during drought. Lithops in habitat almost never have more than one leaf pair per head, the environment is just too arid to support this. Yellow or white flowers emerge from the fissure between the leaves after the new leaf pair has fully matured, one per leaf pair. Lithops occur naturally across wide areas of Namibia and South Africa, as well as small bordering areas in Botswana and possibly Angola, from sea level to high mountains. Nearly a thousand individual populations are documented, each covering just a small area of dry grassland, veld, or bare rocky ground. Different Lithops species are preferentially found in particular environments, usually restricted to a particular type of rock. Lithops have not naturalised outside this region. Rainfall in Lithops habitats ranges from approximately 700 mm/year to near zero. Rainfall patterns range from exclusively summer rain to exclusively winter rain, with a few species relying almost entirely on dew formation for moisture. http://i.imgur.com/fb0XS42.jpg http://i.imgur.com/5u47A4U.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/PL5b7c4.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1nOQjqj.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/5CIZUJK.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/C7lxMYJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/uErtZO9.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ittW6Nt.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/04Rnsmu.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/NK89amR.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/hhjehX0.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x1yyz Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 28 November 2014 FLORA FRIDAY Living Stones (Lithops) Lithops is a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are native to southern Africa. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words λίθος (lithos), meaning "stone," and ὄψ (ops), meaning "face," referring to the stone-like appearance of the plants. They avoid being eaten by blending in with surrounding rocks and are often known as pebble plants or living stones. Individual Lithops plants consist of one or more pairs of bulbous, almost fused leaves opposite to each other and hardly any stem. The slit between the leaves contains the meristem and produces flowers and new leaves. The leaves of Lithops are mostly buried below the surface of the soil, with a partially or completely translucent top surface known as a leaf window which allows light to enter the interior of the leaves for photosynthesis. During winter a new leaf pair, or occasionally more than one, grows inside the existing fused leaf pair. In spring the old leaf pair parts to reveal the new leaves and the old leaves will then dry up. Lithops leaves may shrink and disappear below ground level during drought. Lithops in habitat almost never have more than one leaf pair per head, the environment is just too arid to support this. Yellow or white flowers emerge from the fissure between the leaves after the new leaf pair has fully matured, one per leaf pair. Lithops occur naturally across wide areas of Namibia and South Africa, as well as small bordering areas in Botswana and possibly Angola, from sea level to high mountains. Nearly a thousand individual populations are documented, each covering just a small area of dry grassland, veld, or bare rocky ground. Different Lithops species are preferentially found in particular environments, usually restricted to a particular type of rock. Lithops have not naturalised outside this region. Rainfall in Lithops habitats ranges from approximately 700 mm/year to near zero. Rainfall patterns range from exclusively summer rain to exclusively winter rain, with a few species relying almost entirely on dew formation for moisture. http://i.imgur.com/fb0XS42.jpg http://i.imgur.com/5u47A4U.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/PL5b7c4.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1nOQjqj.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/5CIZUJK.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/C7lxMYJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/uErtZO9.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ittW6Nt.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/04Rnsmu.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/NK89amR.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/hhjehX0.jpg These are really neat, but they also remind me of brains and butts 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 28 November 2014 FLORA FRIDAY Living Stones (Lithops) Lithops is a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are native to southern Africa. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words λίθος (lithos), meaning "stone," and ὄψ (ops), meaning "face," referring to the stone-like appearance of the plants. They avoid being eaten by blending in with surrounding rocks and are often known as pebble plants or living stones. Individual Lithops plants consist of one or more pairs of bulbous, almost fused leaves opposite to each other and hardly any stem. The slit between the leaves contains the meristem and produces flowers and new leaves. The leaves of Lithops are mostly buried below the surface of the soil, with a partially or completely translucent top surface known as a leaf window which allows light to enter the interior of the leaves for photosynthesis. During winter a new leaf pair, or occasionally more than one, grows inside the existing fused leaf pair. In spring the old leaf pair parts to reveal the new leaves and the old leaves will then dry up. Lithops leaves may shrink and disappear below ground level during drought. Lithops in habitat almost never have more than one leaf pair per head, the environment is just too arid to support this. Yellow or white flowers emerge from the fissure between the leaves after the new leaf pair has fully matured, one per leaf pair. Lithops occur naturally across wide areas of Namibia and South Africa, as well as small bordering areas in Botswana and possibly Angola, from sea level to high mountains. Nearly a thousand individual populations are documented, each covering just a small area of dry grassland, veld, or bare rocky ground. Different Lithops species are preferentially found in particular environments, usually restricted to a particular type of rock. Lithops have not naturalised outside this region. Rainfall in Lithops habitats ranges from approximately 700 mm/year to near zero. Rainfall patterns range from exclusively summer rain to exclusively winter rain, with a few species relying almost entirely on dew formation for moisture. http://i.imgur.com/fb0XS42.jpg http://i.imgur.com/5u47A4U.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/PL5b7c4.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1nOQjqj.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/5CIZUJK.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/C7lxMYJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/uErtZO9.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ittW6Nt.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/04Rnsmu.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/NK89amR.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/hhjehX0.jpgVery cool. I agree with x1yyz about the brains / butts resemblance 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 27 November 2014Thursday Honey Badger A stocky, robust and rather ferocious animal, the honey badger, which is the only species within the Mellivora genus, has very distinct markings. Most of the body is covered in straight, coarse black or dark brown hairs, but a wide strip of wiry grey and white hairs, known as the mantle, runs from the crown of the head to the base of the tail in adults. On some individuals, a pure white band separates the mantle, which becomes darker with age, from the black underparts. The tail is bushy and covered in the same straight, coarse hairs of the body, and ends in a grey or white tip. The muscular, stocky neck and shoulders, together with the broad forefeet and large powerful claws, make light work of digging for small prey. The hind feet are much slighter with smaller claw. Named for its apparent taste for honey, the honey badger is often seen raiding African honey bee nests, although it is in fact also after the juicy developing grubs of the bees and not just the honey. This species is also known as the ‘ratel’, an Afrikaans word for ‘rattle’, as it is known to make a rattle-like cry. The honey badger is typically a solitary forager with a varied, mostly carnivorous diet. Small mammals make up the majority of prey, but honey badgers have also been known to eat reptiles, including venomous snakes, and small birds. Insect grubs, insects, and scorpions are also an important part of a honey badger’s diet at certain times of the year, and roots, bulbs, berries and fruits may also be consumed. The contents of bee hives are also a major food source, which the honey badger reportedly tackles by using its anal glands to fumigate the bees, causing them to either flee or become inactive, and then its powerful claws to break up the hive. Unlike closely related species, male honey badgers have huge home ranges that overlap and include the smaller home ranges of up to thirteen females. This behaviour relates to its polygynous mating system, where one male will mate with multiple females. The honey badger is widely distributed throughout Africa south of the Sahara, the Arabian Peninsula, Western Asia and the Indian Peninsula. In some areas the honey badger is being trapped and snared by poachers, small livestock farmers, and, due to the damage it can inflict on bee hives, bee farmers. The skin and claws are also used in traditional medicine, as they are believed to confer the fearlessness and ferocity of the honey badger. http://i.imgur.com/lhvHA8h.jpg http://i.imgur.com/53ANyE7.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/M40Di8S.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/VOp2cLn.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/RHb2I69.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/jKMuidC.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/S33rgdg.jpg Range: http://i.imgur.com/HwTidGk.png Honey Badger http://i.imgur.com/RbURa8z.jpg That little tiny baby! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 28 November 2014 FLORA FRIDAY Living Stones (Lithops) Lithops is a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are native to southern Africa. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words λίθος (lithos), meaning "stone," and ὄψ (ops), meaning "face," referring to the stone-like appearance of the plants. They avoid being eaten by blending in with surrounding rocks and are often known as pebble plants or living stones. Individual Lithops plants consist of one or more pairs of bulbous, almost fused leaves opposite to each other and hardly any stem. The slit between the leaves contains the meristem and produces flowers and new leaves. The leaves of Lithops are mostly buried below the surface of the soil, with a partially or completely translucent top surface known as a leaf window which allows light to enter the interior of the leaves for photosynthesis. During winter a new leaf pair, or occasionally more than one, grows inside the existing fused leaf pair. In spring the old leaf pair parts to reveal the new leaves and the old leaves will then dry up. Lithops leaves may shrink and disappear below ground level during drought. Lithops in habitat almost never have more than one leaf pair per head, the environment is just too arid to support this. Yellow or white flowers emerge from the fissure between the leaves after the new leaf pair has fully matured, one per leaf pair. Lithops occur naturally across wide areas of Namibia and South Africa, as well as small bordering areas in Botswana and possibly Angola, from sea level to high mountains. Nearly a thousand individual populations are documented, each covering just a small area of dry grassland, veld, or bare rocky ground. Different Lithops species are preferentially found in particular environments, usually restricted to a particular type of rock. Lithops have not naturalised outside this region. Rainfall in Lithops habitats ranges from approximately 700 mm/year to near zero. Rainfall patterns range from exclusively summer rain to exclusively winter rain, with a few species relying almost entirely on dew formation for moisture. http://i.imgur.com/fb0XS42.jpg http://i.imgur.com/5u47A4U.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/PL5b7c4.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1nOQjqj.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/5CIZUJK.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/C7lxMYJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/uErtZO9.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ittW6Nt.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/04Rnsmu.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/NK89amR.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/hhjehX0.jpg Brains and butts..! :LMAO: Seriously - cool pics! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 30 November 2014Sunday Malagasy Giant Rat The Malagasy giant rat is no ordinary rat and bears little resemblance to its better known cousins, having been isolated on the island of Madagascar for much of its evolutionary history. About the size of a rabbit, this rotund rodent is by far the largest on Madagascar and, much like a rabbit, possesses long, pointed, conspicuous ears. Also known as the Malagasy giant jumping rat, this unusual species has elongated hindlegs and large hind feet that allow it to leap almost a metre into the air. However, contrary to this common name, these ‘jumping rats’ rarely jump, unless startled or to avoid predators. Like rabbits, Malagasy giant rats live in burrows, which typically consist of a network of tunnels, each around 45 centimetres in diameter and up to five metres long. These are occupied by a family group consisting of a monogamous pair, their current offspring and their female offspring from the previous year. Families maintain and defend a territory covering three to four hectares. Territory borders are marked with urine, faeces and scent gland deposits. The burrows are not only used for raising offspring, but also for protection against predation and heat during the day, and heavy rain during the night. This nocturnal rodent spends the day within its burrows, emerging at dusk to forage either alone or in pairs on the forest floor. The rats are primarily herbivorous, feeding on fallen fruit, seeds and leaves, digging for roots and tubers and stripping bark from saplings, although in captivity some have also been observed eating invertebrates. This species is found only in a small area of western Madagascar called Menabe, northeast of Morondava. A village splits the habitat in two, isolating a northern population from one further south. http://i.imgur.com/68iyEUf.png Like many of Madagascar’s unique species, the Malagasy giant rat is thought to have become highly endangered due to habitat loss and disturbance, and predation by and competition with introduced species. http://i.imgur.com/bBvk6cV.jpg http://i.imgur.com/AYlAXIP.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/eOrqaub.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/41KkizZ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/3CcLu96.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/sc6gjam.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Gestating here with all of the other rats; nurse said that my skin will need a graft.I'm of pockmarked shapes, the vermin you need to loathe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 30 November 2014Sunday Malagasy Giant Rat The Malagasy giant rat is no ordinary rat and bears little resemblance to its better known cousins, having been isolated on the island of Madagascar for much of its evolutionary history. About the size of a rabbit, this rotund rodent is by far the largest on Madagascar and, much like a rabbit, possesses long, pointed, conspicuous ears. Also known as the Malagasy giant jumping rat, this unusual species has elongated hindlegs and large hind feet that allow it to leap almost a metre into the air. However, contrary to this common name, these ‘jumping rats’ rarely jump, unless startled or to avoid predators. Like rabbits, Malagasy giant rats live in burrows, which typically consist of a network of tunnels, each around 45 centimetres in diameter and up to five metres long. These are occupied by a family group consisting of a monogamous pair, their current offspring and their female offspring from the previous year. Families maintain and defend a territory covering three to four hectares. Territory borders are marked with urine, faeces and scent gland deposits. The burrows are not only used for raising offspring, but also for protection against predation and heat during the day, and heavy rain during the night. This nocturnal rodent spends the day within its burrows, emerging at dusk to forage either alone or in pairs on the forest floor. The rats are primarily herbivorous, feeding on fallen fruit, seeds and leaves, digging for roots and tubers and stripping bark from saplings, although in captivity some have also been observed eating invertebrates. This species is found only in a small area of western Madagascar called Menabe, northeast of Morondava. A village splits the habitat in two, isolating a northern population from one further south. http://i.imgur.com/68iyEUf.png Like many of Madagascar’s unique species, the Malagasy giant rat is thought to have become highly endangered due to habitat loss and disturbance, and predation by and competition with introduced species. http://i.imgur.com/bBvk6cV.jpg http://i.imgur.com/AYlAXIP.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/eOrqaub.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/41KkizZ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/3CcLu96.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/sc6gjam.jpg Big mouse! :o 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your_Lion Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 30 November 2014Sunday Malagasy Giant Rat The Malagasy giant rat is no ordinary rat and bears little resemblance to its better known cousins, having been isolated on the island of Madagascar for much of its evolutionary history. About the size of a rabbit, this rotund rodent is by far the largest on Madagascar and, much like a rabbit, possesses long, pointed, conspicuous ears. Also known as the Malagasy giant jumping rat, this unusual species has elongated hindlegs and large hind feet that allow it to leap almost a metre into the air. However, contrary to this common name, these ‘jumping rats’ rarely jump, unless startled or to avoid predators. Like rabbits, Malagasy giant rats live in burrows, which typically consist of a network of tunnels, each around 45 centimetres in diameter and up to five metres long. These are occupied by a family group consisting of a monogamous pair, their current offspring and their female offspring from the previous year. Families maintain and defend a territory covering three to four hectares. Territory borders are marked with urine, faeces and scent gland deposits. The burrows are not only used for raising offspring, but also for protection against predation and heat during the day, and heavy rain during the night. This nocturnal rodent spends the day within its burrows, emerging at dusk to forage either alone or in pairs on the forest floor. The rats are primarily herbivorous, feeding on fallen fruit, seeds and leaves, digging for roots and tubers and stripping bark from saplings, although in captivity some have also been observed eating invertebrates. This species is found only in a small area of western Madagascar called Menabe, northeast of Morondava. A village splits the habitat in two, isolating a northern population from one further south. http://i.imgur.com/68iyEUf.png Like many of Madagascar’s unique species, the Malagasy giant rat is thought to have become highly endangered due to habitat loss and disturbance, and predation by and competition with introduced species. http://i.imgur.com/bBvk6cV.jpg http://i.imgur.com/AYlAXIP.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/eOrqaub.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/41KkizZ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/3CcLu96.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/sc6gjam.jpgVery cuddly, for a rat...probably due to the resemblance it has to a rabbit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted December 1, 2014 Author Share Posted December 1, 2014 Very cuddly, for a rat... http://youtu.be/K_q4S7lZeik 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesickAlien Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 02 December 2014Tuesday Galah An attractive and unmistakable species of cockatoo, the galah (Cacatua roseicapilla) is a familiar sight across much of Australia. The galah can easily be distinguished from other cockatoo species by its distinctive pink and grey plumage. A highly sociable species, the galah is frequently seen in large flocks that may number up to 1,000 individuals. Huge flocks come together to roost, often performing noisy acrobatics before settling down for the night, and outside of the breeding season large groups may gather to feed. These groups often mix with other cockatoo species . The galah typically feeds on the ground, where it gathers a range of seeds, from cereals to grasses. It also takes a range of other foods, including berries, buds, flowers and insect larvae. Although this species may potentially help to control certain weeds, it can also do considerable damage to crops. In hot weather, flocks of galahs may spend much of the day sheltering among trees and shrubs. This small cockatoo is well adapted to the hot, arid conditions of inland Australia, being able to tolerate high temperatures and considerable periods of dehydration. The galah produces concentrated urine to minimise water loss, and is also able to rehydrate by drinking salty water. Galahs mate for life, and the male displays to the female by strutting towards her, bobbing and waving his head and raising his crest while giving soft calls and clicking his bill. The male may also perform acrobatics in the air. In the north of its range, the galah typically breeds between February and June or July, but in other areas it usually breeds from July to December, or even to February. The female galah lays between two and six white eggs in a hollow in a tree, usually a eucalypt. The galah has a habit of stripping bark away from around the entrance to the nest, and is the only species of cockatoo known to line its nest with leaves. This species may also sometimes nest on cliff ledges. Many pairs of galahs often nest close together. http://i.imgur.com/CJJndl5.jpg http://i.imgur.com/dWppAEp.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/FCChMMk.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/sw7uM9z.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/7UsvqMG.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/LwW5Qje.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/KWSo5fg.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/i3X8u3E.jpg 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now