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Comment by Minque Paw on July 26, 2017 at 12:36pm

Comment by SunKat on November 16, 2016 at 6:32pm

Comment by SunKat on November 16, 2016 at 6:31pm

Comment by Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland on July 13, 2016 at 2:08pm

The basilisk is a lizard in the rainforest that people call the Jesus Christ Lizard. They call it this because it walks on top of the water. The Jesus Christ Lizard can be up to 3 feet long and they can weigh up to 12 ounces. Their feet are tremendously large to provide a big air cavity to help them to walk on water. There are flaps on each toe to help in the process. The Basilisk eats insects, shrimp, scorpions, other lizards, snakes, fish, small mammals, birds, flowers and fruit. Its predators are raptors, opossums, and snakes. The Basilisk survives by walking on water away from predators. When they glide across the water, it puzzles the predator, which usually goes away. They also survive by sleeping on vegetation and being very alert. If the vegetation moves, then it springs off of it so it doesn't get hurt. The Jesus Christ Lizard is only found in the Costa Rican Rainforest.

Comment by Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland on July 13, 2016 at 1:58pm

Kinkajous live in the tropical forests of Central and South America, where they spend most of their time in the trees. They are able to turn their feet backwards to run easily in either direction along branches or up and down trunks. The kinkajou also has a prehensile (gripping) tail that it uses much like another arm. Kinkajous often hang from this incredible tail, which also aids their balance and serves as a cozy blanket while the animal sleeps high in the canopy.

Though many of its features and traits sound like those of a primate, the kinkajou is actually related to the raccoon.

Kinkajous are sometimes called honey bears because they raid bees' nests. They use their long, skinny tongues to slurp honey from a hive, and also to remove insects like termites from their nests. Kinkajous also eat fruit and small mammals, which they snare with their nimble front paws and sharp claws. They roam and eat at night, and return each morning to sleep in previously used tree holes.

Kinkajous form treetop groups and share social interactions such as reciprocal grooming. They are vocal animals—though seldom seen, they are often heard screeching and barking in the tropical forest canopy.

Female kinkajous give birth to one offspring in spring or summer. The baby is born with its eyes shut and cannot see for a month. It develops quickly, however, and by the end of the second month, it is already able to hang upside down from its tail.

Comment by Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland on July 13, 2016 at 1:52pm

One nocturnal animal is the Marbled Cat. The Marbled Cat is just slightly bigger than your average house cat. It is named for all the spots all over its back and can retract all claws. Because it has fur and breathes air, it is a mammal. The Marbled Cat preys upon smaller mammals, birds, lizards and frogs. This makes the Marbled Cats carnivores. They live in the Asian part of the rainforest because that is where most of their prey is found. The Marbled Cat can sometimes be found in mountains, but very rarely. They are dangerously close to extinction and they are afraid of people. Scientists have a hard time helping them or putting them in zoos to regrow the population. The Marbled Cat spends most of its time in trees, and it's an excellent climber because of its retractable claws. The Marbled Cat is able to mate all year round, and lives for about 12 years.

Comment by Zephonith Serpent Woman on November 5, 2014 at 8:28am

We have at least 50 species of jumping spider, wolf spiders, whip scorpions and a large spider which looks almost the same as the one in the picture except it gets to about 20cm across and has fine, silvery hairs and huge fangs. Simply adorable! They all stay in the house, except everyone insists that I take the biggest outdoors. The chances are that you will never get bitten by one, so secretly I assure everyone that the spider is far away in the garden and I release them into my room.

So needless to say, there are no cockroaches at all in the house, and those which are around are very very frightened cockroaches.

I catch the spiders with the old paper and cup/container trick.

My love for spiders began a long while ago when a tarantula became my friend. I was sitting alone in the bush near the river when I felt a slow, tingling and faintly prickly sensation on my neck and saw out of the corner of my eye that it was something quite large and hairy, moving slowly but steadily from my neck to my shoulder.

As the spider came into view, my reaction was not to panic as I recognized the species and knew that it hardly ever bites people unless severely provoked and only in self-defence, as all wild animals do as a last resort.

Winnie climbed over my shoulder and onto my hand, slowly and cautiously at first, and then more confidently as our energies harmonized smoothly. We really connected and out of pure curiosity more than anything else, Winnie pleaded with me to take her to my place so that she could see more of the world of humans.

So Winnie the tarantula lived with me for a while and we had a great time  together. She loved sitting on my head under a hat with peepholes and going out shopping; and craved the attention of people who saw her emerge from my sleeves and either had a near apoplexy or were fascinated by her.

A more docile, peaceful and majestic beast could hardly be found (though anything smaller than a large mouse would disagree) A year later I released her back into the wild. 

Comment by Zephonith Serpent Woman on February 7, 2013 at 1:59am

Why the Camel Doesn't Have Horns

A Teaching from Rabbi Gershon Winkler, PhD

[Adapted from the Ancient Jewish Tradition]

 

Listen. Animals who have horns have them because they are missing teeth up front with which to bite  predators. So the horns are there to compensate for the missing teeth. General rule: All animals that are missing teeth in their mouths -- that is, those animals who chew their cud -- have been compensated with horns on their heads.

Except for one.

The camel. The camel chews its cud and was never issued horns.

This occurred to Camel one day, our ancestors tell us, and so Camel embarked on a long journey to find horns. But not just any old horns. Eventually, Camel met Gazelle, and noticed how beautiful Gazelle's horns were, how regal he appeared with those graceful, curvy horns. Camel, you see, had a negative image of himself because of his humped back, and so, noticing the beauty of Gazelle, Camel had found his forte and decided right then and there he was going for the Gazelle look.

Camel wasted no time in asking Gazelle what it would take to sport a pair of horns like those of the gazelle. Gazelle examined Camel and said: "You'll have to lose your ears to make room for our kind of horns." Camel grew worried. "If you remove my ears, how will I be able to listen-out for possible predators? Isn't there any other option?"

Gazelle paraded around Camel a few times, examining every inch of him, and finally said: "The eyelids, then. Your eyelids take up too much space on your head. If we can reduce the size of...."

"My eyelids?!" Camel interrupted. "Don't you realize how badly I need those eyelids for the sand storms?!"

Gazelle thought for a moment and exclaimed: "Your hump! If we remove the hump off your back, we can probably fashion out of it a set of horns far taller and more attractive than even mine!"

Again Camel protested: "My hump? I need my hump. It is the only way I can survive for days in the desert until I find the next water hole!"

"How about those sharp teeth you have in your mouth? We can remove those, plant them on your head, and with time they will grow into beautiful horns like mine!"

"No," Camel protested. "I need those sharp teeth to pry thorns and hard-to-pluck vegetation in the desert, or I would starve!"

Gazelle gave Camel a friendly poke with his horns and said: "Don't you see how well-equipped you are? How blessed you are with so many means of survival? You ought to be proud of yourself. You have everything you need, including a pair of sharp tusk-like teeth with which you can bite anyone trying to attack you. You don't need horns. You need to feel privileged to have been gifted with all that you already have."

Camel nodded. Gazelle was right. He had everything he needed and then some. Thanking Gazelle, Camel walked off toward his home in the distant desert.

And that is why, to this day, camels walk with their heads held high in pride, proud of all the many faculties with which they were endowed like no other creature on Earth. 

And the same goes for each of us.

Comment by Zephonith Serpent Woman on February 5, 2013 at 8:05am

I couldn't agree more with what Mr Koala has to say there, Lisa.

Humans as the dominant species on the planet, need to return to an ethos of custodianship rather than "dominion over" animals and Nature if life is to carry on as we know it.

Beautiful pictures...how sweet! I love Koalas - and I believe that they are also now under threat as a result of the destruction of the Eucalypts which are their only food. Shame - can't people plant more trees and give them a space to live, too?

This feline is a Caracal or Desert Lynx.

They get their name from the Turkish words for Black ear ~ Kara Kul - and I have seen them using the tuft on the ear to lure birds in and catch them by leaping vertically in the air. Their colour is the same as veld grass and so they are almost invisible when on the prowl.

The Caracal has adapted to human pressures on the land and natural resources far better than Lions or Tigers have.

There are also black Caracals although i have yet to see one as they are very rare .

The Caracal is wary of humankind yet manages to survive and thrive, even quite close to urbanised areas.

They prey on smaller animals such as hares, tortoise, guineafowl and even small/medium antelope such as Impala or Duiker.

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