The Toco Toucan is only at home in the tropical rain forest of South America, living no where else in the world, yet it is known and loved by nearly everyone on every continent. The Toucan has been made popular in television and advertising, its huge over sized bill, with its bright array of colors
Kitti’s Hog nosed bat is also known as the Bumble bee bat and is the smallest known bat species today. Weighing in at about 2 grams, (roughly the weight of a dime) and attaining an adult length of only 30 to 40 mm, it is the only species to be found in this genus and
The view of an albatross in flight is more than spectacular, looking like a gliding plane. The Albatross is a feathered giant, with a wing span that is longer than any other bird alive, up to 12 feet across. There are about twenty five species of Albatross, with the wandering albatross being the largest of
Skua’s are sometimes called Avian pirates because they are so very aggressive and live at sea. This nick name is more than well earned. The Skua steals a great deal of its food from terns, puffins, and other birds that are carrying fish or other food items back to their nests and young. The Arctic
The Blue Footed Booby, is named, quite appropriately, for his huge blue feet. The males take great pride in them, and during the mating rituals, will show off their feet by doing a strut that is high stepping and designed to show the blue feet to the prospective mate. The more blue their feet are,
Dragonflies are insects that belong to a group called ODanata. This order of insect is classified by their huge multi faceted eyes. They have two pairs of wings which are transparent and very strong, and are attached to a body about one to three inches long. Dragon Flies eat mosquitos, small insects such as flies
Lightning Bugs are in the beetle family. They are commonly called fireflies and are actually attempting to call a mate when they blink. The technical name for their blinking is bioluminescence. I think I’d rather call it blinking, it’s easier to pronounce. Fireflies make what is called cold light. That means it has no ultraviolet
A bogong moth will range in color from a very pale tan to black. They have a wingspan of about an inch or more, and like most moths, have four distinct wings. On each of its wings there is a darker arrow shaped mark with a small spot in the middle of it. The wings
Since bats can fly, there are those who think they are birds. While being birdlike, they have very few similarities actually to birds. Bats are mammalian. They have hairy bodies and feed their young milk. Bats are in fact the only flying mammal that exists. They are nocturnal creatures with their peak activity time just
The Northern flying squirrel is one of the only two species of flying squirrel to be found in North America. It’s range is from as far south as North Carolina across the northern part of the U.S. From Nova Scotia to Alaska, and to the west coast. They have very thick fur of a light
Myths and legends from all over the world portray bats as blood-sucking demons. Vampire bats really do exist, but only three species in Central and South America. The vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) have a wingspan of about eight inches and a body about the size of an adult’s thumb. If not for their diet, people
Azure-Winged Magpies live in a variety of temperate locations including Japan, China, Portugal, and Western Europe, keeping themselves to gardens, hedges, wooded areas and local parks. In these locations the magpie can enjoy their traditional seeds and fruit but also some other small creatures like tree frogs. They are currently not on the endangered species
This pigeon is among the largest of all Pigeons. Typically living in New Guinea lowland forests, they have received their name thanks to a crown of feathers propped on top of the bird’s head, which also makes for a lovely creature. Crowned Pigeon The Crowned Pigeon grows to what could be considered a young turkey’s
The cactus wren is the largest wren in the US, being about 9 inches long. Both sexes have a dull rust colored head and a back which is streaked with color. They have a very spotted breast and tan colored sides and belly. Their wings are black and white barred. They have a very long
The anhinga is a water living bird that lacks an oil gland for waterproofing its feathers such as most birds that live in water do. When it goes swimming the feathers are well doused with water. This is not all bad as it helps the bird dive well and chase under water prey with feathers
