animal of the day

Animal of the day: Bat-eared fox! (Otocyon megalotis) The bat-eared fox, also called the motlosi or cape fox, is not a true fox; rather, it is a member of its own genus Otocyon, much like the maned wolves of South America! These small canids are closely related to the raccoon dogs and true foxes! They are actually a basal lineage of canid, which makes them one of the oldest branches of their family tree! In their wild habitat of Africa, bat-eared foxes usually congregate in small family groups, as seen above with a fox and its two kits! Their large ears aid in thermoregulation and allow them to hear their prey rustling through the tall grass with more ease! Image source: https://www.jameswarwick.co.uk/kenya-library/bat-eared-fox-family-nature-wildlife-photography-james-warwick

Animal of the day: Snowberry clearwing hummingbird moth! (Hemaris diffinis) The clearwing hummingbird moth is a North American species of moth, inhabiting Canada and some parts of the United States! It uses its long proboscis to sip sweet nectar from flowers and has a bumblebee-like coloration, leading gardeners to sometimes believe that they are looking at a bumblebee instead of a moth! It even emits an audible humming sound with its wings, much like bees and of course, their namesake, the hummingbirds! The larvae of this species enjoy plants such as honeysuckle and dogbane! Image source: https://www.hummingbirdcentral.com/hummingbird-moth.htm

Animal of the Day has returned once more! Today's animal is the:

Marsh Deer! (Blastocerus dichotomus)

The marsh deer, endemic to South America, is the only known species in its genus! It leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, choosing to inhabit wetland areas and using the membranes between its hoof digits to be able to swim and traverse waterlogged ground! Unlike many other deer species, the marsh deer is mostly solitary, and the largest groups are usually comprised of six individuals!

[If you look closely, in the background of the photo you can actually see a small caiman! Stay safe, marsh deer!]

Image source: https://oncafari.org/en/especie_fauna/marsh-deer/

Animal of the day: Aardwolf! (Proteles cristata) The aardwolf is a member of the Hyaenidae family, which includes the spotted, striped and brown hyenas! Unlike its relatives, it is primarily insectivorous and consumes termites instead of larger animals, the flesh of which the aardwolf actually dislikes! When it is threatened or excited, the long hairs on its back and tail will raise, making the aardwolf seem larger than it really is in order to scare potential threats! Older aardwolves, due to not needing sharp teeth to consume their primary diet of termites and beetles, will often lose their teeth! Image source: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aardwolf

Today's Animal of the Day is dedicated in memoriam of one very special bird. Over the last few days I attempted to heal a bird named Hughie's broken wing. I was unsuccessful and he succumbed to his injuries. May he forever fly free among the spirits. Animal of the day: House sparrow! (Passer domesticus) The house sparrow is one of the most widespread species of bird on the planet! It is closely associated with human settlements and usually prefers living near them! They are highly social and congregate in flocks of up to five hundred individuals! House sparrows commonly subsist on seeds and fruit!

Image source: https://tucsonaudubon.org/bird_profile/house-sparrow/

Animal of the day: Emerald tree boa! (Corallus caninus) The emerald tree boa is native to the jungles of South America! Its striking green coloration helps it to camouflage amongst the leaves, protecting it from predators and keeping it hidden from prey! However, when they are young, these snakes are actually a reddish-orange color with a bright yellow underbelly, as seen in the individual on the right! These fascinating reptiles are not venomous, quite common and frequently kept in zoos the world over! Interestingly, members of this species that are born in or near the Amazon River Basin are more docile and grow quite large! Image sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_tree_boa https://www.reptilesncritters.com/emerald-tree-amazon-basin.php

Animal of the day: Silky sifaka! (Propithecus candidus) This small primate calls the jungles of northeastern Madagascar home! It is named for its long, soft fur, which gives it the appearance of a little cloud drifting among the trees! These lemurs are variably social, living in groups of two to nine individuals at a time! Males have a brown patch on their chests, and as they get older, both sexes lose pigment in their face, sometimes leading to a rather pink face! Silky sifakas primarily feed on seeds and leaves found in their environment, and very rarely soil as well for the minerals contained within it! Rather unfortunately, however, the silky sifaka is critically endangered, with less than 2,000 left in the world. None are currently kept in captivity, and conservation efforts are being made to keep this cute creature from going extinct! Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silky_sifaka

Animal of the day: Imperial tortoise beetle! (Stolas imperialis) This fascinating insect native to Brazil is widely valued for its use in jewelry. Not much is known about the species' specific habits, but it can be discerned that due to being part of the tortoise beetle family, it has similar habits to other, more well-known tortoise beetle species, such as becoming discolored upon death and having a strong maternal instinct (something rare among the beetles). Image source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Entomology/comments/f8wpvg/the_imperial_tortoise_beetle_stolas_imperialis_is/

Animal of the Day is back! Apologies for the extended and unannounced hiatus. Without further ado, have a look at today's animal. Animal of the day: Pacific cleaner shrimp! (Lysmata amboinensis) These small crustaceans get their name from their feeding behavior, where they clean parasites and bits of leftover food from the gills and mouths of fish! They commonly live in pairs, with one having been seen living with a moray eel! Interestingly, captive cleaner shrimp will also clean human hands! Image source: https://reefbuilders.com/2013/06/14/cleaner-shrimp-aquarium-invertebrates/

Animal of the day: African crowned eagle! (Stephanoaetus coronatus) The African crowned eagle is one of the few species of bird that will sometimes hunt humans if given the opportunity! This has been proven by the discovery of human remains in their nests on sporadic and rare occasions. These primate-hunting specialists usually eat Diana monkeys, baboons and occasionally some species of antelope, so there isn't much to worry about! Image source: https://bushlife.co.za/african-crown-eagle/

Animal of the day: Polyphemus moth! (Antheraea polyphemus) This large North American silk moth is named for its eye-like markings on its wings! Much like the actual Polyphemus (or Cyclops) of Greek legend, these eye markings help to intimidate potential threats! They usually lay their eggs on the elm, birch or willow tree. Male polyphemus moths generally have bushier antennae than females; thus, it would be fair to assume that the individual pictured above is indeed a male! Polyphemus moths, like most others in the Saturniidae family, lack mouths and therefore only have enough saved energy to live for a week before laying eggs and dying. Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antheraea_polyphemus

Animal of the day: Red fox! (Vulpes vulpes)

The red fox is considered the world's most successful land mammal after humans! They inhabit all continents excluding Antarctica, and are a common occurrence in or near human settlements! They have many coat color variations, including silver, leucistic, melanistic and cross (both black and orange fur)! There have been attempts to domesticate these elusive animals with limited success, producing the fox breed Vulpes vulpes forma amicus or domesticated silver fox! Image source: https://www.britannica.com/animal/red-fox-mammal

Animal of the day: Southern green anaconda! (Eunectes murinus) The southern green anaconda is the largest, heaviest, and second longest snake alive today! It inhabits the jungles of South America, and interestingly, is considered an invasive species in Florida! These enormous reptiles have an incredibly slow metabolism, allowing them to go weeks without food. When one does catch food, it will coil itself around the prey animal, crushing it and then swallowing it whole! Image source: https://www.britannica.com/animal/green-anaconda

Animal of the day: Orchid mantis! (Hymenopus coronatus)

These insects bear an interesting resemblance to orchid flowers, which they use to hunt and hide from predators! It will sway from side to side to mimic the way plants move in the breeze, making its disguise more convincing to its prey! Like chameleons, the orchid mantis can actually change its color from pink to brown to match the color of the plant it's sitting on! Image source: https://www.better-gro.com/orchid-blogs/the-orchid-mantis-how-cool

Animal of the day: Eastern red-spotted newt! (Notophthalmus viridescens) These small amphibians inhabit the streams and ponds of Eastern North America! They are known for their red eft stage (pictured above) during which they exhibit a bright orange coloration meant to warn predators of their toxicity! They are in fact poisonous, and anything that eats them will subsume their highly potent neurotoxins into its body! Image source: https://mlbs.virginia.edu/organism/notophthalmus_viridescens

Animal of the day: African civet! (Civettictis civetta) Though it may look like a skunk or cat-like creature, this animal is in fact part of its own lineage called the viverrids! It is related to other feliform mammals such as the binturong, mongoose and meerkat! The African civet is mostly nocturnal, coming out at night to feed on fruits, eggs, certain species of insects and carrion! Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_civet

Animal of the day: Sable antelope! (Hippotragus niger) These large antelopes are highly sexually dimorphic; adult males are black while juveniles and females are varying shades of brown! They are classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, making them a fairly common species in their home range. During the winter, they congregate in massive herds! It is also thought that this animal may have been the inspiration for the widely known mythological unicorn!

Image source: https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_sable.html