Blue headed Parrots (Pionus menstruus)

In South America, the Blue-headed Parrot is mainly an Amazonian species, including in the southeast the neighboring Araguaia-Tocantins River system as its eastern limit; a disjunct population lives southeastwards on Brazil's South Atlantic coast, a coastal strip from Pernambuco in the north to Espírito Santo state in the south, about 1500 km long. In northwest South America the range continues into Central American Panama to Costa Rica. It avoids the northern Andes cordillera spine, and a smaller contiguous area of central Venezuela and northern Colombia. A Pacific Ocean coastal strip continues the range, from southern Ecuador, north to Caribbean areas of northwestern Colombia and western Venezuela.
LINK

Shocking Facts You Did Not Know A Minute Ago

How about that China is the world's biggest english-speaking nation? Or that India has more people with IQ's over 120 than the total population of the USA? Or that a home computer in 2049 will have more computing power than the total human species of 2008?
LINK: Youtube
Remember these facts were back in 2008, wonder what they would be at the current time???

Lonesome George Dead

image credit
Staff at the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador say Lonesome George, a giant tortoise believed to be the last of its subspecies, has died. Scientists estimate he was about 100 years old. Lonesome George, a giant tortoise, was believed to be the last of his subspecies. With no offspring and no known individuals from his subspecies left, Lonesome George became known as the rarest creature in the world. For decades, environmentalists unsuccessfully tried to get the Pinta Island tortoise to reproduce with females from a similar subspecies on the Galapagos Islands. Park officials said the tortoise was found dead in his corral by his keeper.
LINK: The presurfer

Steven Pinker: A brief history of violence

Steven Pinker charts the decline of violence from Biblical times to the present, and argues that, though it may seem illogical and even obscene, given Iraq and Darfur, we are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence. LINK: Youtube

AquaDom – The Tallest cylindrical aquarium in the world

AquaDom is the tallest cylindrical aquarium in the world, its an 25 meter tall aquarium cylinder with acrylic glass and it has in built transparent elevator. Aquadom is located at The Radisson Blu hotel in Berlin, Germany. Aquadom complex has offices, restaurant, and the aquarium Sea Life Centre. The construction cost of the Aquadom was about 12.8 million euros, and it was opened in May 2004. Aquarium was built by International Concept Management and acrylic glass cylinder was constructed by Reynolds Polymer Technology. Aquadom is now the central attraction of the Berlin Sea Life Centre. aquarium tank contains 5,000,000 liters of seawater and it contains over 1,500 fish of 50 different species. Everyday 3-4 divers jump into aquarium, to feed the fish and clean the fish tank. the fish in aquarium the need 8 kg of fish food daily. Such moments invariably attract many viewers in the hotel. LINK

Frontal Courtship of a Tragopan Satyra

“What can you say but; WOW WOW WOW!” LINK: Youtube

New Animal Species Found In Papua New Guinea

“A tube-nosed fruit bat with an appearance reminiscent of the Star Wars Jedi Master Yoda has been discovered in a remote rainforest. The bat, along with an orange spider and a yellow-spotted frog are among a host of new species found in a region of Papua New Guinea. More than 200 animals and plants were revealed for the first time after two months of surveying in the rugged and little-explored Nakanai and Muller mountain ranges last year. The findings included two mammals, 24 species of frog, nine plants, nearly 100 new insects including damselflies, crickets and ants, and around 100 spiders.” w/ photos. Via: UniqueDaily

Honey Badger-The Most Fearless Animal on Earth

Guinness Book of World Records have named this specie the most fearless animal on earth. Just watch this video to see why. This unbelievable animal can take on the deadliest animals on earth without fear. Amazing animal. LINK: Youtube

INDIAN GIANT SQUIRREL

Whoever gave the Indian Giant Squirrel its name was not joking. It makes the European and North American squirrel look like dormice in comparison. This is no ordinary squirrel – secretive and shy, it is indeed a giant among its kind… Known also as the Malabar Giant Squirrel, Ratufa indica is easily distinguishable from its smaller relatives, having a very conspicuous color scheme which can be either two or three-toned. The head and body of this gorgeous looking animal is up to sixteen inches in length, compared to the ten of the Eastern Gray found in the US.” w/ photos. LINK, Via: Youtube



The Indian giant squirrel is an upper-canopy dwelling species. It is endemic to deciduous, mixed deciduous and moist evergreen forests of Peninsular India, reaching as far North as Satpura ranges in Central India.

Jellyfish Everlasting

The turritopsis nutricula species of jellyfish may be the only animal in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth.
Since it is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may be no natural limit to its life span. Scientists say the hydrozoan jellyfish is the only known animal that can repeatedly turn back the hands of time and revert to its polyp state (its first stage of life).

Link – Via: Clusterflock. Via: Neatorama

Return Of The Wandering Warblers

image credit

Each Spring the woodlands of America resound to the birdsong of returning visitors. Warblers - fifty three species of them all in all - arrive and right now is the best time to see them as they migrate.

Their arrival heralds a dazzling dash of color as the greenness of American forests is peppered as if with the ravishing hues of thousands of tiny precious stones. LINK: The Presurfer

The Liger visits London

Ligers are giants because of "hybrid vigor", in which they gain the strengths and attributes of both parents. Ligers live long, healthy lives, are very smart and show great resistance to illness and disease.

Ligers are incredibly social animals and are comfortable living with both lions and tigers. They also display genuine affection for their human handler's and trainers.

Contrary to popular belief, ligers are not a "man-made" creation. Similar to pizzlies (polar bear / grizzly bear hybrids) and wolphins (whale / dolphin hybrids), ligers have existed in the wild for thousands of years. Due to the recent decline in both lion and tiger populations, however, their territories no longer overlap.

While some people do not consider ligers as "zoologically significant", their true importance is in getting people's attention and helping to convey the importance of global biodiversity and conservation. Obviously it works. . . . . after all, you are watching the video and reading this statement.

To find out more about conservation visit:
http://www.RareSpeciesFund.org
http://www.Myrtle Beach Safari.com, Via: Youtube

7 Cat Species Found in 1 Forest

The Wildlife Conservation Society took a two-year survey of wildlife biodiversity in the Jeypore-Dehing rain forest in India, and found seven different cat species in a 354-square-mile area. This is the highest diversity of cats ever found in a single area. Camera traps in the rain forest have captures pictures of leopards, the clouded leopard (pictured), the leopard cat, the Asiatic golden cat, the jungle cat, tigers, and the marbled cat. Link, -Via: Digg, Via: Neatorama

(image credit: Kashmira Kakati)

Fix You by Coldplay, Tiger Awareness Video

This is a slideshow I put together to aware people about the endangerment of tigers. They are the third most endangered species of animals and we need to do something about it.
The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.) is educating people about animals and rescuing endangered animals. They are a great organization that does so much to help the earth.
In Myrtle Beach they have a reservation and a preservation station. The preservation station is a free live tiger exhibit which was made to fund raise for the Golden Tabby Tiger, the rarest cat on earth. LINK: Youtube

New Sundaland leopard species seen on video for first time

Video footage of a big cat species caught on camera in the wild in Borneo has been made public for the first time.

Scientists came across the Sundaland clouded leopard while working in the Dermakot Forest Reserve in Malaysia.

The elusive species, discovered to be a distinct type of big cat only two years ago, is one of the least known in the world. It is thought to have been filmed only once before although the footage has never been released.

In 2008 the Sundaland clouded leopard, known as Neofelis diardi borneensis on Borneo and Neofelis diardi diardi on Sumatra, was classified as a separate species from its close continental cousin Neofelis nebulosa, because of significant genetic differences between the two. Both Bornean and Sumatran subspecies are classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. LINK, Via: LiveLeak

Meet the Wonder Berries!

We eat them raw, we have them in pies but rarely do we think of the health benefits of many of the berries that we eat. Well, they're so small! However, as Papaleng demonstrates below, there is rather more to these small juicy fruit than meets the eye. Will you find your favourite berry in this long and beautifully illustrated list?

From the article:

Found throughout North America, blueberries grow abundantly in mountain regions and in forested areas. These flowering plants varies in size from 10 cm tall to 4 m tall. In commercial production, two species stand out namely: “lowbush blueberries” (smaller species) and the “highbush blueberries”(larger species).


READ MORE

Written by Papaleng

Image Credit, Via: Webphemera

25 Big Cat Pictures

Learn about the different species of big cats as you enjoy photographs by zoo photographer and “cat whisperer” Akishin Vyacheslav. Shown is a leopard with startling blue eyes. Link -Via: Digg, Via: Neatorama, Via: Youtube

Venomous Catfish Species Uncovered

“Some catfish species have been known to be venomous — including a few dangerous enough to kill a human. But scientists knew little about how common venomous catfish are or how the fish produce and deliver their venom. Turns out, the ability is more widespread than anyone realized extending to about half of the more than 3,000 known catfish species, according to a new report. For the study, biologist Jeremy Wright studied the venom and microscopic tissue structures of 158 catfish species. Based on known relationships among those species, the University of Michigan graduate student concluded that at least 1,250 to 1,625 catfish species are likely venomous. The explosion in known venomous catfish species, however, doesn’t mean you have anything to fear, even if you’re an inveterate noodler — especially in North America.” LINK

Plight of the Polar Bear in 32 Pictures

"Human-like"
Not everyone sees the polar bear as a species that has some human-like tendencies. Perhaps they are sticking out their tongue at humans, thinking we had better get our act together before their kind is lost? Two bears are moving as if waltzing together. LINK, Via: Youtube



If you still can’t see it, then look at this bummed out polar bear acting like we do when going to work on a lazy Monday.

Giant Otters Up Close

Otters are fascinating species and the giant otter is no exception. These endangered critters are in serious danger of extinction, but veterinarian Lucy Spelman and other scientists are working to protect them. The process of rescuing these adorable animals is detailed on the Adventures in Climate Change website.

Link, Via: Discovery News Image by Lucy Spelman, Via: Neatorama