Clipmarks | michellezm's 'fauna' clips

Socotra Island

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:10:47 GMT

clipped by: milmufmas

geographically isolated from mainland Africa for the last 6 or 7 million years. Like the Galapagos Islands, this island is teeming with 700 endemic species of flora and fauna, a full 1/3 of which are found nowhere else on Earth

The climate is harsh, hot and dry, and yet - the most amazing plant life thrives there. Situated in the Indian Ocean 250 km from Somalia and 340 km from Yemen, the wide sandy beaches rise to limestone plateaus full of caves (some 7 kilometers in length) and mountains up to 1525 meters high.

The name Socotra is derived from a Sanscrit name, meaning "The Island of Bliss"... Is it the beaches? The isolation and quiet? or the strange and crazy botanical allure?

40,000 inhabitants, the Yemeni govenment put in the first roads just 2 years ago - after negotiations with UNESCO, which has declared this island a World Natural Heritage Site

140 different species of birds; 10 of which are not found anywhere else in the world

socotra

Art Déco

Thu, 01 May 2008 13:31:40 GMT

clipped by: Lubaska

Clip Source: www.decopix.com

Its likely that most people got their first look at Art Deco at the movies or in pictures from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industrials Modernes (Paris, 1925). This event set the stylistic tone of early Art Deco; buildings based on earlier neo-classical styles but with the application of exotic motifs such as flora and fauna, fountains and chevrons, typically arranged in geometric patterns. Luxurious, elegant and dramatic, Art Deco had it all, while still being accessible to ordinary folk (and usually derided by architectural critics).

The Art Deco skyscraper made its debut in lower Manhattan in 1923.

Clip Source: www.decopix.com

Tags: art deco, architecture, murals

Wildlife of Madagascar - pics

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:35:14 GMT

clipped by: righthand
clipper's remarks: 2 Avahi occidentalis A western woolly lemur. Scientists have used specially developed software to create detailed maps of how species are distributed on the island down to a per kilometre level

3 Avahi laniger An eastern woolly lemur. Data was collected on the exact locations of more than 2,300 Malagasy species from six major groups: lemurs, butterflies, frogs, geckos, ants and plants

4 Daubentonia madagascariensis An aye-aye. The world's largest nocturnal primate is found only in Madagascar and well known for its unique method of finding food: it taps on trees to find grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood and inserts its elongated middle finger to pull the grubs out

5 The Indri indri, one of the largest lemurs. The scientists say the Madagascar model could be used for other biodiversity hot spots around the world by helping scientists to predict where species might go for refuge when habitats are endangered by climate change

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa, is a renowned biodiversity "hot spot" where 80% of its 30,000 known species such as this dwarf lemur (Allocebus trichotis) are endemic – that is, they are found nowhere else on the planet

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Avahi occidentalis A western woolly lemur

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Avahi laniger An eastern woolly lemur.

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Daubentonia madagascariensis An aye-aye.

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Indri indri, one of the largest lemurs

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Adansonia grandidieri Madagascar has many unique species of flora as well as fauna, such as this distinctive baobab tree

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Like other biodiversity hotspots, such as the Amazon, pressures from economics and climate change are increasing the threat of habitat loss

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Deforestation

is causing habitat loss for a wide range of species

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The survey mapped the habitats and distribution of the six species of ant that inhabit Madagascar

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Boophis phyrrus, a tree frog

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Boophis albilabris, the eastern white-lipped tree frog.

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

12 /

Boophis andohahela, a rare endemic tree frog

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tags: animals, madagascar, photos

Mother whale cuddles her calf

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:23:49 GMT

clipped by: michellezm

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

She is 40 years old, weighs 40 tons and has a heart the size of seven men. But as a mother, Mara the whale seems almost human.

Tenderly, she tucks her calf under her giant fin and guides it gently forward.

This 50ft humpback whale mother has had her baby inside her for a year and she will keep it by her for another year.

Motherly: Mara holds her calf Kell to her chest in a tender pose that looks almost human

She will lose a quarter of her body weight in feeding it the rich milk it needs to grow strong enough to fend for itself.

This baby was born in the shallow waters of Polynesia, where these uniquely intimate pictures were taken during the making of a television documentary, Ocean Voyagers, to be shown on the Animal Planet channel on Sunday (Dec 16, 6pm).

The male baby, Kell, was born as white as ivory before, at four weeks, growing into his humpback colours – and putting on 100lbs a day.

Humpback whales sleep vertically – but with one eye always open.

Tags: whales, mammals, marine biology, animals, creatures, fauna

Rodent with ears bigger than its head is caught on camera for first time

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:19:07 GMT

clipped by: michellezm
clipper's remarks: What a gorgeous little 'critter'

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

A bizarre-looking rodent described as "the Mickey Mouse of the desert" has been turned into an unwitting movie star to try to ensure its survival.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) today released the first known footage of the long-ear jerboa, which looks like a mouse-sized kangaroo with enormous ears.

The little jumping Mongolian rodent was filmed hopping about in its natural habitat in the Gobi desert by the scientists from the ZSL's Edge programme, which focuses its efforts on animals which are "evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered".

The jerboa, found in the deserts of Mongolia and China, is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.

It is threatened by disturbance of its habitat - with the domestic cat emerging as a newly-introduced predator into the rodent's range.

All the Edge species are highly distinct genetically, with few close relatives, but are extremely endangered and need immediate action to save them from becoming extinct.

Tags: jerboa, rodent, mongolia, animal, creature, fauna

Death by chocolate: More dogs at risk this Christmas, warn vets

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:44:28 GMT

clipped by: michellezm

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

A record number of dogs could be killed this year by their owners feeding them chocolate, vets warned yesterday.

Many pet owners do not realise that chocolate is highly toxic to dogs.

But it contains theobromine, a naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean, which affects the central nervous system as well as the heart muscle.

Christmas is a peak time for potential poisonings because dogs steal chocolate ornaments from the tree, wolf down boxes of the treats or are fed by unsuspecting owners.

Humans, and cats, have the metabolism to cope with theobromine but dogs' digestive systems-cannot.

Symptoms include hyperactivity, agitation, breathlessness, vomiting, diarrhoea and increased urination.

The danger to the dog depends on its size and the type of chocolate.

Darker and more expensive chocolate contains higher levels of theobromine - the lethal dosage is between 250 and 500 milligrammes per kilogramme of body weight.

poisonings have,

been reported

after eating smaller amounts.

Tags: dogs, canines, chocolate, poison, animals, fauna, creatures, medical

Dolphins woo their partners by offering algae carried between their teeth

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 06:57:41 GMT

clipped by: michellezm

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Researchers have discovered that the male of the species gathers gifts from his submarine environment to present to a potential mate. It could be just a stick, or a lump of debris.

The findings come from a three-year study in the Brazilian Amazon. Hundreds of males were observed carrying objects in their snouts, and there was convincing evidence that the practice was linked to mating rituals.

Fascinatingly, DNA tests on adults and calves revealed that the males who carried the most objects were the most successful fathers.

Only a few species of animal have culture and most are apes and monkeys.

A second study of bottlenosedolphins in Australia offered further evidence of cultural behaviour.

Some of the creatures were found to break off pieces of marine sponge and hold them over their snouts to protect themselves when probing the ocean floor.

Tags: dolphins, mammals, animals, creatures, zoology, fauna

Abandoned baby hedgehogs are too weak to hibernate

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:49:47 GMT

clipped by: michellezm

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

These lame baby hedgehogs are casualties of the chaotic weather.

They should be asleep for the winter - but instead they are nursing their broken bones at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

The RSPCA says its rescue centres are looking after hundreds of abandoned hedgehogs born during the exceptionally mild autumn and who are too small or weak to hibernate.

The odd weather has also led to a shortage of their favourite grubs, beetles, slugs and caterpillars.

RSPCA wildlife scientist Adam Grogan said: "They need to gain weight before they can hibernate."

Weak hedgehogs like the one above have broken bones and are being nursed back to health

Tags: hedgehogs, animals, creatures, fauna

The gigantic bull set to steak a claim in the record books as the biggest ever

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:46:48 GMT

clipped by: michellezm

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Farmer Arthur Duckett has a soft spot for his young bullock. Hopefully, the feeling is mutual - because The Field Marshal towers over him at 6ft 3in and weighs 3,000lb.

The six-year-old Charolais, pictured with 5ft 8in Mr Duckett, boasts vital statistics that put him way above the common herd and on course for the record books.

A load of bull: At 6ft3 and 3,000lb, this bull is set to become the biggest ever in the UK

He is expected to pile on another 650lb in the next year alone.

That will take him past the current British record-holder, his former stablemate The Colonel, who stood 6ft 5in tall and weighed 3,500lb. He died in 2005.

The Field Marshal, who is still the bullock equivalent of a late teenager, will not be fully grown until he is eight.

Mr Duckett, 78, bought him two years ago and decided to keep him as a pet when he realised he was a one-off.

"But he likes me and I like him and I wouldn't want to break up that relationship by selling him."

Tags: cattle, bovine, bull, animal, creature, fauna

South China tiger cub born in South Africa

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:36:23 GMT

clipped by: michellezm

Clip Source: news.xinhuanet.com

BEIJING, Nov. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- A male South China tiger cub was born at a wildlife conservation reserve in the Free State province, South Africa, on Friday, the first time the animal has been born outside China, the Save China's Tigers organization announced on Sunday.

"Although his eyes have not yet opened, he (the cub) is already quite vocal, especially at feeding time," the statement said.

It is the first cub born to the female tiger, Cathay and the male tiger, TigerWoods, who are both undergoing rewilding training at the Laohu Valley Reserve in South Africa.

After the birth, Cathay showed her motherly instincts by cleaning and licking her cub, but un-seasonally cold weather left the reserve's staff no choice but to remove the cub to prevent it from dying from exposure.

The organization said the cub was being hand-reared and would be taught to hunt for itself.

Tags: china, tigers, animals, endangered species, fauna, creatures, south africa

Art : Mammals and birds

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:59:27 GMT

clipped by: michellezm

Clip Source: www.linkinn.com

Tags: art, animals, creatures, fauna

Exquisite Butterflies

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:29:43 GMT

clipped by: michellezm
clipper's remarks: I have always wanted to collect specimens of butterflies but simply don't have the heart to kill these perfect little jewels. (A couple of pictures are of moths and not butterflies)

Clip Source: www.butterflyutopia.com

Sparkling Cherub
(Doxocopa cherubina)

Clip Source: www.butterflyutopia.com

Pink Glasswing
(Cithaeria aurora / merolina)

Clip Source: www.butterflyutopia.com

Purple Spotted Swallowtail
(Graphium weiskei)

Clip Source: www.butterflyutopia.com

Silver Salamis (Salamis duprei)

Clip Source: www.butterflyutopia.com

Pink Dotted Appollonia
(Lyropteryx apollonia)

Clip Source: www.butterflyutopia.com

Red Glider
(Cymothoe sangaris)