Fascinating animals !

[Patinage]

Psalm 104:24 :

How many your works are, O Jehovah! You have made all of them in wisdom. The earth is full of what you have made.

 

The purpose of this thread is to show and present animals from all over the world, their characteristics, features, qualities, beauty, behavior, interaction with other/within species, … but also heartwarming stories on human-animal bond, via videos or comments.

As far as possible, keep videos short… to keep interest live… My suggestion !

Could you introduce some animal species proper to your region so that we can all learn from each other ?

Thanks to all !

 

 

I'll start with animals found in the Pyrenees mountains, my region.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2018 by Patinage

[Patinage]

 

Dedicated to someone special 🌺

[Stormswift]

Great thread Sister Patricia. Good taste in choosing the kiwi. LOL.

[Patinage]

 

[Qapla]

 

He can be a little hard to see - it is an American Alligator.

 

My daughter saw this one right up the street from our house - she missed getting the picture as he ran across the road and had to settle for after he got in the grass.

 

Of course, this is a really small one.

 

We live in a "wet" area and gators are somewhat common. We do not always see them in the open like this (that tends to be more common down near the Everglades) but we are near quite a number of freshwater lakes - so, gators, big and small, are part of the experience when you go fishing.

 

We actually live between a lake and a swamp area - we can hear the gators at night from time-to-time. The lake across the street is fairly large and deep so, even though if has a good share of gators, it is not as densely populated as some of the other lakes.

 

One of the lakes a few minutes away has a very healthy gator population and if you are fishing as the sun goes down you can hear the gators as they start to their nightly serenades.

Quote

The American alligator can perform specific vocalizations to declare territory, signal distress, threaten competitors, and locate suitable mates. Juvenile American alligators can perform a high-pitched hatchling call (a "yelping" trait common to many crocodilian species' hatchling young)[77] to alert their mothers when they are ready to emerge from the nest. Juveniles also make a distress call to alert their mothers if they are being threatened. Although American alligators have vocal cords, they function differently from those of mammals. Both males and females bellow loudly to attract mates and declare territory by sucking air into their lungs and blowing it out in intermittent, deep-toned roars. The bellowing of the American alligator is distinct from the loud roaring of most crocodilians, and is considered unique. Male American alligators are known to use infrasound during mating bellows. Bellowing is performed in a "head oblique, tail arched" posture. Infrasonic waves from a bellowing male American alligator can cause the surface of the water directly over and to either side of its back to literally "sprinkle", in what is commonly called the "water dance". Large bellowing "choruses" of American alligators during the breeding season are commonly initiated by females and perpetuated by males. Observers of large bellowing choruses have noted they are often felt more than they are heard due to the intense infrasound emitted by males. American alligators bellow in B flat (specifically "B♭1", defined as an audio frequency of 58.27 Hz), and bellowing choruses can be induced by tuba players, sonic booms, and large aircraft. In addition to bellowing, American alligators can growl, hiss, or cough to threaten others and declare territory.

Believe me, you have no difficulty hearing (and feeling) the bellowing of a large male (bull) alligator when he lets loose with a mating call. It is a one-of-a-kind sound that is very loude, very deep and the length of time they can sustain a single call is incredible. Being on a lake with the way sound carries over water, you cannot always tell exactly what direction the critter is - so, you try not to stray into their domain since they are not very social when it come to humans.

 

In Newnans Lake, Florida, adult males averaged 161 lb (73.2 kg)  in mass and measured 8 ft 1 in  (2.47 m) in length while adult females averaged 121 lb  (55.1 kg) and measured 7 ft 3 in  (2.22 m).

 

Newnans Lake is one of the lakes we fish in and it is no fun if you have an alligator take your hook.

 

Of course, we also have this type of Florida Gator in our area also

They also call The Swamp home

[Friends just call me Ross]

Of course I just had to go listen to this bellow.  

In this video, you can hear the roar and see the water dance:

 

Edited August 26, 2018 by Friends just call me Ross

[Patinage]

Thank you for your inputs.

The HowStuffWorks site also explains that

they are cold-blooded reptiles and so their lungs are very small, therefore they get exhausted very rapidly, and they need to rest a long period of time to recover.

They are equipped with skin sensors, very sensitive to vibration, so they can detect anything when in the water.

Eating once a week is sufficient for their survival.

Edited August 26, 2018 by Patinage

[Patinage]

Such a magnificent bird !

 

 

 

[Patinage]

 

Flamingos are wading or shore birds. They wade in order to forage for food.

 

They are gregarious birds, they live in colonies; flock can reach up to a million, they usually live by thousands.

Reasons to such large flocks ? Safety, to protect each other from predators, to maximize food intake, to use nesting sites more efficiently, to take care of the young.

 

They often stand on one leg, why is that? It's not clearly understood:

Can be for regulation of body temperature, or for conservation of energy, or to dry out the legs one at a time, or because it is a comfortable resting position.

Leg height : 30-50" long.

 

The flamingo's flamboyant (flame-colored) coloration comes from its food: red algae is rich in carotenoids. The more they ingest beta carotene, the stronger their pink/reddish color will be. If their diet is blue-green algae, they will be darker in color. They also feed on brine shrimp, larva, small insects, mollusks,...

Interestingly, their color may fade away if not eating the proper diet.

 

Sources: 'Wikipedia', 'Live science', 'Britannica'

[coony77]

12 hours ago, Patinage said:

Such a magnificent bird !

 

 

 

I agree! Saw a beautiful Quetzal in Costa Rica 3 years ago 

[Patinage]

I am sure you have enjoyed your trip a lot. Costa Rica is full of natural beauty.

[Patinage]

About the flamingoes, one of their peculiarities is that their rich coloration may fade away if they don't feed on the proper algae.

The lesson that I learn is this:

 

If we don't nourish ourselves regularly and appropriately by reading and studying the Bible and FDS's publications, our once beautiful qualities, visible to others, may vanish and disappear as well.    

[Patinage]

Let’s talk about dragonflies! They are amazing creatures all in all (eyes, wings, flight…). For some reason, they make me think of the Celestial Chariot.

I’d like to focus on their flying ability. Here what I have found that I’d like to share: 

 

Their aerial acrobatics are so fast that it is sometimes impossible for the eye to follow them. In short bursts, some species can reach a top speed of up to 60 miles [96 km] an hour. They can also hover or fly backward, forward, or sideways at a moment’s notice. Furthermore, when a dragonfly makes a tight turn in the air, scientists calculate, it must withstand a force of up to 2.5 G’s.

Dragonfly wing muscles must be warm to function optimally, and so, if cool, the insect often engages in wing-whirring and basking in the sun to generate heat before taking flight. Dragonflies have two sets of wings with muscles in the thorax that can work each wing independently. This allows them to change the angle of each wing and practice superior agility in the air. 

If they can’t fly, they’ll starve because they only eat prey they catch while flying.  A single dragonfly can eat 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes per day !

 

Sources: Awake magazine 1997, Mother Nature Network, Smithsonian, Britannica.

 

In the video, they admit that dragonflies are complex and rather complicated creatures to imitate :

 

Edited August 30, 2018 by Patinage

[Patinage]

https://www.audubon.org/news/scientists-make-plea-protect-rare-hummingbird-they-just-discovered

 

New hummingbird discovered in Ecuador, called blue-throated hillstar… 

One of the ornithologists commented that 'it was very exciting' to discover that it was a new species.

It makes me think how excited we will be to learn and know more about Jehovah's creation in the new world; we will be in constant awe, every single minute of it. That will be an exciting time for sure!

[ChocoBro]

On 8/25/2018 at 12:11 PM, Patinage said:

How does an owl fly so silently

I was in the Zoo in Munich a few years back watching a bird-show and one flew about one foot over my head. Not even a whiff.

[Patinage]

No words are good enough to describe the striking beauty, elegance and grace of these birds, and their rich vivid showy colors. Just a living piece of art in display for our eyes to enjoy ! Our praise of gratitude and appreciation go to our magnificent God and greatest Artist, Jehovah ! And what an imagination !

 

 

[ChocoBro]

 

[Patinage]

Amazing video including slow-motion and close-up images of hummingbirds, bees, bats, and more...

 

 

 

 

[Patinage]

So beautiful, so powerful, just perfect !

 

 

 

[Patinage]

Happy ending !