Also known as the Rock Dove, the Rock Pigeon is a bird whose species includes the domestic pigeon as well as escaped domestic pigeons known as feral pigeons. There are 12 different types of sub-species, and they are: Columba livia livia – most common pigeon species in western and southern Europe, north Africa, and western
Northern Pike or simply Pike (Esox Lucius) is perhaps one of the most widely hunted fish in the world. For its masterful ambushes it has obtained the nickname “freshwater shark”. Their range of distribution goes through most parts of Europe, stretching as far east as the Pacific Ocean, as well as parts of North America.
The Brushtail Possum is one of the most widely known Australian marsupials, that is – a mammal with a pouch. Initially, they lived only in Australia, but in 1858 they were also introduced to New Zealand, where their numbers have grown to 25 million. These small mammals live in the trees and in the past
Bateleur (Terathopius Ecaudatus) is an eagle that lives in the sub-desert areas of the African continent. The most distinctive feature of this bird is that it has a very short tail. (Ecaudatus in Latin means tail-less). Despite the short tail the bird is a very agile flier and often performs flips and other acrobatic figures.
Red necked Wallabies or Macropus Rufogriseus is a kind of kangaroo. It has very thick fur that is red on the neck and the back and they usually are 70-90 centimeters (2.3 – 3 ft) long and weigh about 20 kilos (44 lb). Fun fact: the Latin family name Macropodidae roughly translates to ‘that with
The Kea is a species of parrot endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. The bird has obtained its name from the screeching call “kea” which is used when the bird feels endangered. In the past, it was thought that these parrots kill sheep and the government issued a reward for each bird killed.
The Vulturine Guineafowl is the largest species of Guineafowl and is excellently adapted to living in dry African regions, being able to live for a long time without water, obtaining all the necessary fluid from its food. The name “Guineafowl” indicates that these species come from the Gulf of Guinea. The spectacular Vulturine Guineafowl is
The Zebra Spider is widespread in almost all the territories North of equator. They have massive bodies suited for their hunting technique – instead of catching victims in their web, they swiftly jump it. They have earned their name for the white stripes that stretch across the stomach. A Zebra Spider Zebra Spiders are active
Since the beginning of time, Desert Locusts have been a subject to hatred and fear. Their habits are simple – they reproduce at lightning speeds, and when the population has reached its peak, they move to a new area, leaving destroyed crop fields behind them. An adult Desert Locust The largest population of these animals
The Long-tailed Weasel is the most widespread mustelid in America. This small animal is sympathized by farmers, because the Weasel hunts on small rodents, thus protecting crop. Sometimes, though, misinformed farmers kill it, thinking that the animal is a threat to fowl, although in reality, Weasels don’t eat birds. These Weasels are medium-sized, reaching a
Every March an unusual view can be observed near the shores of South California – thousands of squids emerge from the water to mate in the moonlight. Those are the Opalescent Inshore Squids, who look extremely beautiful when the light of the moon shines through their partly translucent bodies. Being able to change their colour,
Although there are two distinct species of large beaked whales, they are termed collectively as just Giant Beaked Whales as they are quite similar to each other. These two species are: Berardius arnuxii – Arnoux’s Beaked Whale, also known as the Southern Four-toothed Whale, Southern Beaked Whale, New Zealand Beaked Whale, Southern Giant Bottlenose Whale,
The Himalayan Tahr looks like a cross between a sheep and a goat. The steep hill-sides and edges of the abyss are no obstacles for this agile mountain animal. The history of these animals stretches back far into history, as wall paintings inside caves in France show that up to the last ice age the
The most widely distributed out of all of the beaked whales in the world is Curvier’s Beaked Whale. It is the only member of its genus and is also commonly known as the Goose-beaked Whale because its head looks like a goose’s beak. It is so perculiar, that during the Middle Ages, it was thought
Once considered the world’s rarest cetacean, the Tropical Bottlenose Whale, also known as Longman’s Beaked Whale or the Indo-Pacific Beaked Whale, has a long history full of being misidentified as other types of whales. Fortunately now, most of these issues have been resolved. Drawing of this rare whale The reason why is has been misidentified
