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The African wild dog, also known as the painted wolf, is a highly social and endangered carnivore native to sub-Saharan Africa. Known for their striking patchwork coat of black, yellow, and white, these dogs are expert hunters and play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
National Geographic
Sweet moments with dolphin mom and baby 💞
National Geographic
Males have large, branching antlers, increasing in size as they get older. These impressive antlers can measure up to one metre in breadth and weigh as much as 15kg. During the autumnal breeding season, known as the ‘rut’, males bellow to proclaim their territory and will fight over the females, sometimes injuring each other with their sharp antlers.
National Geographic
Isn't this snow egret beautiful? Well, lots of people would agree - especially in the 1800s! Egret populations were decimated in previous centuries by plume hunters, where the beautiful feathers were collected for the clothing industry. They were especially popular in ladies hats. Luckily for us and these birds, protections were brought in and the populations have recovered!
National Geographic
Over 150 species of chameleons exist, ranging from the size of your thumbnail to that of a house cat. Some species of chameleon (such as the tiger chameleon) are endangered, but others (like the Drakensberg dwarf chameleon) are not. No matter their differences, all chameleons have a prize pair of eyes. Their peepers can move in two different directions at once, giving the lizards a panoramic view of their surroundings.
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It is also suggested that the strange jerky movements they make aids in camouflage, mimicking foliage in the wind.
National Geographic
When you've been holding a side plank for a bit too long...🦭
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When not at sea, common seals are found around sheltered shores and estuaries, where they haul out on sandbanks and beaches. When out of the water, they sometimes hold their body in a curved banana position, with their head and tail both in the air at the same time. Like grey seals, they feed on fish, but also eat squid, whelks, crabs and mussels. Common seal pups are born during the summer and can swim when they are only a few hours old!
National Geographic
This is one cat that doesn’t need any help getting down from a tree. The leopard is so comfortable up there that it often stalks prey and even hauls its kills up into the branches. Unlike lions, leopards are solitary creatures. Males are almost entirely solitary and females only break their solitude when they are raising cubs.
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Leopard cubs are born with barely visible spots. The mother hides her cubs and moves them from one safe location to the next until they are old enough to begin playing and learning to hunt. When the cubs are about two years old, they live on their own. But the maternal bonds are strong, and offspring sometimes have reunions with their mothers.🌿
National Geographic
Xenia 🪸
They are fascinating creatures that exhibit a very unique behavior. The pulsing movement you see in Xenia corals is actually their way of pumping water through their tissues. This rhythmic pulsing motion helps them to circulate water and obtain essential nutrients and oxygen.
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One theory suggests that Xenia corals pulse to increase their exposure to light. By moving their polyps, they can position themselves in areas where they can absorb more sunlight for photosynthesis, which is vital for their survival.
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Another possibility is that pulsing helps Xenia corals remove any debris or sediment that may settle on their surfaces. This constant motion helps them to stay clean and maintain optimal conditions for growth.
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Overall, the pulsing behavior of Xenia corals remains somewhat of a mystery, but it is undoubtedly a captivating and mesmerizing sight to witness.
National Geographic
This bear must have a great hair care regime!
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Brown bears can climb trees to eat or escape predators, especially when they are cubs! As they grow up, they become too heavy and lose from the ability to climb trees.
National Geographic
Elephant with sun protection in Etosha National Park! 🐘
Etosha means the ”great white area” and refers to the huge salt pan. This is an impressive sight because it’s certainly the biggest salt pan in Africa. This soil supports very little plant life except for the blue-green algae that gives Etosha its characteristic coloring. In the areas where the soil does get wet elephants can be found wallowing, covering their bodies in the mud that forms. This mud then dries into a light white coat.
National Geographic
We all know that capybaras are extremely cute—but what else do you know about them? From their love of baths to eating their own poop, here are five facts you might not have known about the adorable rodents.
National Geographic
Hummingbirds are tiny, quick, and persistent—apparently ❤️
National Geographic
Three sleepy little squirrels snuggled up, lost in dreams 🐿
National Geographic
Stay innocent, stay kind, and stay beautiful...✨
National Geographic
Baby Meerkats at sunset 🥹
The Kalahari - Botswana
National Geographic
Bison, symbolic animals of the Great Plains, are often mistakenly called buffaloes. By any name, they are formidable beasts and the heaviest land animals in North America.
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Bison stand some 5 to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulder, and can tip the scales at over a ton. Despite their massive size, bison are quick on their feet. When the need arises they can run at speeds up to 40 miles an hour. They sport curved, sharp horns that may grow to be two feet long.
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National Geographic
Lynxes are medium-size, solitary wildcats that roam the forests of North America, Europe, and Asia. While their name comes from a Greek word meaning “to shine”—because of their reflective eyes—their defining features are the prominent tufts of hair above their ears, and their short, stubby tails.
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Their tufted ears may function like antennae to help them hear, detect movement above their head, or simply to keep their ears warm—but scientists have yet to discover the exact reason.
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National Geographic
Apparently, these marmots are also called 'whistle pigs'.....I wonder why!
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When hibernating yellow-bellied marmots emerge in spring, they are the same age, biologically speaking, as when they first curled up in their dens eight months ago. The new study, published last month in Nature Ecology and Evolution, could help scientists find the key to slowing the aging process in humans.
The marmots' anti-aging abilities may be linked to metabolic changes in their bodies that occur as they undergo deep hibernation.
National Geographic
Nicknamed “sea parrots” – and sometimes “clowns of the sea“! – Atlantic puffins have black and white feathers and a large parrot-like beak. They are small seabirds measuring around 25cm in length.
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A puffin’s beak (or bill) changes colour during the year. In winter, the beak has a dull grey colour, but in spring it blooms with an outrageous orange! It’s thought that the bright colour helps puffins assess potential mates.
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When starting a puffin family, they dig out a burrow using their sharp claws and beak, usually in a grassy bank or rocky crevice. At the back of their burrow home, they build a nest lined with feathers and grass where the female lays her egg. Both parents take it in turn to incubate the egg for the next 36-45 days before the baby “puffling” hatches!
National Geographic
The female brown bear enters her den pregnant with one (sometimes two or three) baby bears. The tiny bear, about the size of a chipmunk, is just strong enough to crawl into a position where it settles in to nurse. A female brown bear's milk is very rich in fat and calories, so the cub grows quickly.
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By the time the adult bear wakes up in the spring, her baby (or babies in this case!) is strong enough to follow her out of the den. Cubs live with their mothers for up to three years, and then they're usually ready to face life on their own.
National Geographic
The name hummingbird comes from the humming sound their wings make as they fly. These birds' flexible shoulder joints allow their wings to rotate 180 degrees, which enables backward flight and stationary hovering. Most hummingbirds beat their wings 60 to 80 times per second!
National Geographic
Elephants eat grasses, leaves, shrubs, fruits and roots depending on the season and their habitat. When it’s particularly dry, elephants will eat more woody parts of trees and shrubs like twigs, branches and barks. They need to eat up to 150kg of food per day – that's around 375 tins of baked beans – although half of this may leave the body undigested.
National Geographic
Bush vipers are a small group of African vipers comprising the Atheris genus. The Green Bush Viper, Atheris squamigera, is found in forested regions of West and Central Africa. Envenomations (bites injecting venom) are reported, and few detailed accounts exist but fatalities have been attributed to this species.
National Geographic
Tigers have soft toe pads which help them walk silently through their habitat. A tiger will typically travel 6-12 miles during a night’s hunting. During the day, a tiger’s stripes can act as camouflage, allowing it to blend in with its surroundings for stalking and ambushing its prey. Around 3,000 of the world's wild tigers are in India. Over the last 150 years, the tigers' range has shrunk by nearly 95%. There are estimated to be around 3,900 tigers left in the wild.
National Geographic
This looks like a dream 😍😍😍
National Geographic
Simply magical to see how caring wild animal parents are with their young - a touching insight into the natural bond between parents and child ❤️
National Geographic
Mara river crossings at sunrise🦒
National Geographic
A perfect tree bed for a panda 😍🐼
National Geographic