The twisted curl in the bison horn makes it easier for their horns to lock in combat, as each bull attempts to flip the other. The bull that can complete the largest number of turns in the air and still land on his feet wins control of the herd for the rest of the year.
Young members of the deer family have white spots to help them blend in to the undergrowth when hiding from predators that don’t have an “Aaawwwwwww!” response to the rest of them.
Because some of you need a supportive post today.
WPA2 and ROCA making for a bad Monday?
At least you’re not fleeing for your life … from a zookeeper with a rake (not pictured).
Trying to decide whether to leave tonight or live and die this way.
Some hippos are on discount for a reason.
The spines interlock, so you can stack the mice a lot higher.
Japanese macaques are native to Japan (obviously) and, as of 1972, to Texas where 150 of them were relocated to the South Texas Primate Observatory. While none of the accounts I’ve found have bothered explained why anyone thought this was a good idea, they all confirm that several monkeys died after the move. It seemsthe climate of South Texas is somewhat different from what they were used to. However, they adapted and the troop thrived and grew to over 600. Then, being monkeys, they started to pick locks, climb fences, and otherwise escape into wider Texas.
Texas, being Texas, decided that monkey hunting season should be a thing because while the monkeys were a protected species, they weren’t native to Texas and could be shot. This decision was later reversed under the clarification that it’s not okay to shoot someone else’s animals even if they were trespassing … even though it seems to be okay in non-monkey circumstances.
Basically, the only way this makes sense is if the monkeys are now considered Texas natives, so the protection list applies.
It’s hard to get good photos of cloud rats because they’re nocturnal and like to hide. I was lucky to stop by at feeding time.
If the emperor had made a Death Seal, Luke would have had to make a choice.
Wikipedia claims that these dolphins have “a form of sonar known as echolocation.”
I had thought that all types of sonar use echolocation, so I looked it up. Apparently only *active* sonar is known as echolocation. There is also a passive type of sonar.
Granted, most people call passive sonar “listening”, but whatever. I’m not going to fight about it.
I’ve been trying to years to get a good photo of a kangaroo hopping, from the side. Thus far, this is the best I can do. Straight ahead, you don’t have to track them and if you take several shots at once while adjusting focus, some of them turn out. When they’re moving side to side, they move so fast that by the time you get them in frame and focused, they’ve usually stopped hopping or the timing works out that it looks like they’re just standing on the ground.
In a zoo environment, you can’t really get a nice long shot from which to select particular animals. That’s how they do it in Australia which, alas, is not where I am.
My hope is that the upcoming Nikon d850 will be just enough faster that the shots I want will become a bit more feasible.
Even in infrared, the hippo is the most dangerous animal in Africa.
It’s always good to support your friends.
When shade is hard to come by.
Maybe I’m jaded, but I don’t think elephant bonsai will ever catch on.
You can’t go home again
Next time someone asks you “what’s up?”, you can answer “elephant trunk” without telling a lie.
Foxes don’t worry about getting their noses dirty.
Red wolves are so-named due to the colour they glow as they plummet from the sky, cratering into the ground.