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Join us as we explore the wilderness and share the beautiful scenery of nature! For all questions: @magellanvs
Danaus plexippus - The Monarch Butterfly
One of the most famous butterflies in North America.
In the 19th century, this species was introduced to New Zealand and Australia. In Europe, they can be found on the Canary Islands and Madeira.
Monarch butterflies are known for their annual migrations from southern Canada and the northern US states to Florida, California, and Mexico from August until the first frosts, traveling up to 3-4,000 km. After wintering in the mountains of Mexico, these butterflies embark on their journey back north.
This is the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in the Mexican state of Michoacán, and a hummingbird robot used to observe them. 🦋🌳
Fun Fact: Monarch butterflies can live up to nine months, much longer than other butterflies, due to their long migration journey. 🌟
Fun Fact: The prehensile-tailed porcupine uses its tail like a fifth limb, helping it to grasp and balance in the trees! 🌳🐾
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Himalayan Monal-Pheasant (Tragopan satyra)
The Himalayan Monal-Pheasant, or Tragopan satyra, is a member of the pheasant family and inhabits the Himalayas across India, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and Southern China.
The entire genus of tragopans, also known as horned pheasants, is named after the ancient goat-footed god Pan for their distinctive "horns" and "beard." The species name "satyra" is also derived from ancient mythology, referring to the same "horns."
These birds prefer damp, mountainous forests with dense undergrowth of rhododendrons and bamboo. They can also be found along riverbanks and streams overgrown with thick shrubs and diverse vegetation.
Fun Fact: The Himalayan Monal-Pheasant is the national bird of Nepal and is known for its striking and vibrant plumage, especially during mating season.
Sadly, their population is threatened by poaching and increasing tourism, which leads to habitat loss and disturbance.
Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) is a pheasant and the national bird of Nepal.
Females are brown, while males are a riot of colors with iridescent plumage and a green crest with white tips.
They fly well but reluctantly, like many other game birds. The monal has a strong, slightly downward-curved beak and primarily feeds on seeds and plant parts, but also eats insects.
They emerge from their daytime hiding spots in the bushes to feed on more open slopes, usually in the morning and evening. In summer, they ascend to the mountains for feeding, up to the level of eternal snow. You can typically see small groups of these birds, consisting of one male and several females.
Fun Fact: The Himalayan Monal is known for its stunning display during mating season, where the male's colors become even more vibrant as it performs a dazzling dance to attract a mate.
American Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) grooming a Capybara
Did you know? The American Black Vulture, also called the Black Vulture or Urubu, is a scavenger found in the southern U.S., all of Central America, and most of South America. They feed on carrion and can be spotted near dumps, slaughterhouses, sewers, and highways. Occasionally, they hunt for young herons, domestic ducklings, and their eggs. They may also attack newborn calves, small birds, and small mammals like raccoons, opossums, and young turtles. They're not picky eaters and sometimes consume ripe or rotten fruits and vegetables.
Watch as this Urubu picks ticks off a Capybara, who, as always, remains unperturbed and laid-back! 🦅🐾
Fun fact: The bird-of-paradise's elaborate courtship dance is one of the most complex in the animal kingdom, involving intricate movements, vocalizations, and displays of their vibrant plumage.
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Spotted Owlet (Indian Cuckoo) Centropus sinensis - one of the cuckoos that doesn't lay its eggs in other birds' nests but raises its chicks itself.
We wrote about another such cuckoo, the California cuckoo, here.
This bird got its name from the long spur on its hind toe. It's a rather large bird, the size of a crow: its body length reaches 50 cm. The large, wide, rounded tail makes up about half of its total length.
This cuckoo is found in India and Sri Lanka. It nests on tree branches, always among dense and thorny bushes, usually not far from the ground.
Externally, the nest is a roughly spherical structure with a roof, relatively small in size compared to the bird itself. The structure has a side entrance, from which the bird's tail sticks out when it's incubating the clutch or warming the chicks. 🐦🌿
Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise (Cicinnurus magnificus) prepares a stage for its mating dance, clearing away anything that might obstruct the performance.
Who could resist such a charming display?
This small bird (up to 26 cm in length) boasts incredibly complex and vibrant plumage. The male has shiny yellow wings, iridescent green breast feathers, blue feet and beak, and a high yellow collar of feathers around its neck. Its tail features two long, curved blue-green feathers. The female, in contrast, is quite dull, with greenish-brown feathers.
The Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise inhabits the lush rainforests of Western New Guinea (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea, primarily feeding on fruits.
Fun Fact: The male's elaborate dance involves crouching, hopping, and swaying, all while making unique vocalizations to attract a mate.
Nara - the city where deer roam freely.
Nara is a center of Buddhist culture and an ancient capital of Japan. From 710 to 784, it was home to the imperial court, and today it's a popular tourist destination.
Every year, 14 million people visit Nara to see the giant bronze Buddha, the world's largest wooden building, and the adorable deer that wander the city streets.
According to Japanese legend, the god of thunder and swords, Takemikazuchi, arrived in Nara on a white deer to protect the newly built capital. Since then, locals have considered deer divine creatures that safeguard their city. As a result, the animals are protected and feel safe.
Around 1,200 deer live in Nara Park. Entry is free, and under the trees, vendors usually sell special deer crackers. A pack of ten costs 150 yen (about $1.30). The treats sell out quickly.
Fun fact: The deer in Nara are known to bow their heads when they want food, a gesture they've learned from tourists! 🦌🍪
Real Sawflies (Tenthredinidae) - Tiny, Harmless Insects
These small insects, ranging from 5 to 20 mm, are completely harmless. However, their ravenous larvae are quite fascinating!
Watch how they move to new food sources:
The upper larvae ride on the backs of the lower ones, increasing their speed!
Lower larvae move at a normal pace, while those on the second level move faster, adding their speed to that of the lower ones. When the upper larvae reach the front of the column, they move to the lower row.
Interesting Fact: This cooperative movement allows the group to travel faster than individual larvae. Sawfly larvae are known for their unique behavior and are often seen in gardens and forests, munching on leaves.
Did You Know? Sawflies are not actually flies but are related to bees and ants. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem by serving as food for birds and other insects.
Their songs can last up to 5 minutes and consist of a variety of sounds, including screams, barks, and hoots. 🎶🌳
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European Fallow Deer (Dama dama) - a medium-sized deer native to Europe and the Near East (this one was spotted in Poland).
Larger than a roe deer but smaller than a red deer, the European subspecies reaches lengths of 130 to 175 cm and stands 80 to 105 cm tall at the shoulder.
Before you is a melanistic individual, much darker than other members of this species.
For clarity, a typical example of melanism is the black panther, which is not a separate species but a dark-colored individual of a leopard or jaguar.
Thus, this deer could indeed be called a panther among the hoofed animals! 🦌🐆
The Bush Dog (Speothos venaticus) - one of the most unusual dogs, as it resembles an otter or another semi-aquatic animal.
With a bear-like face, webbed feet, and a peculiar short tail... It's hard to believe these dogs are actually dogs. Moreover, they hunt exclusively in water!
Their size is small: body length 55-75 cm, tail 12-15 cm, height at the shoulder 25-30 cm, and weight 5-7 kg. These dogs live in Panama, Venezuela, Peru, eastern Bolivia, and northern Paraguay, in the extreme northeast of Argentina, and in Brazil. An isolated population exists in Ecuador and Colombia, west of the Andes.
Interesting Fact: Despite their wide range, bush dogs are very rare. They were initially thought to be extinct, known only from fossil remains found in Brazil. 🐾🌊
To survive among enemies, you need to be as fast as they are. And the jerboa Dipodidae is exactly that.
Watch in slow motion as it dodges a snake—and even fights back sometimes, fending off the attack with its tiny paws!
Fun fact: Jerboas are among the fastest mammals on Earth, capable of reaching speeds of up to 24 km/h (15 mph) despite their small size. Their powerful hind legs allow them to leap great distances, making them incredibly agile and difficult to catch.
Bluebird Luscinia svecica belongs to the family of flycatchers, a close relative of the nightingale. In size, it is no larger than a sparrow but is more slender and elegant.
The length of this bird's body is 15 cm with a weight of about 15-20 g. Gracefulness is given by elongated legs, and the bright coloration of males delights the observer.
As far back as the 18th century, the famous systematist Carl Linnaeus described the bluerbird, calling it the Swedish nightingale.
The name "bluebird" comes from the Old Russian word "varakat'", meaning "to talk nonsense, mimic, tease."
In our forests, it is hard to meet such an attractive and brightly colored bird, marked by refined elegance.
The most attractive part of the male's plumage is the blue bib, edged with brown and reddish stripes. In the center of the bib, there is a reddish spot, which is white in the western subspecies of these birds.
Stork and the Doomed Chick
Nature isn't cruel, it's practical. Feeling that she can't feed three chicks, the mother stork chooses the weakest one and pushes it out of the nest, so the remaining chicks get more food.
The unlucky chick will most likely perish, but there's a chance that a human will find and raise it. And then, those of you who are currently scolding the stork will cry over the poor stork living with humans: "Aaaah, the bird should live in the wild!" Because you can't please everyone 🤷♂️
Interesting Fact: Storks are known for their long migrations. The black stork, for example, can fly up to 7,000 km from its breeding grounds to its wintering grounds!
The Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) is found in tropical forests from Colombia and Venezuela in the south to northern Argentina.
This arboreal creature rarely descends to the ground, except for drinking water. It moves easily but slowly on land and is active at night. During the day, it sleeps high up in the trees, typically between 6-10 meters. Prehensile-tailed porcupines live in small groups. Their easily detachable quills serve as an effective defense against predators.
When captured, the animal curls up into a ball. It feeds on leaves, buds, and fruits. Occasionally, it raids guava, corn, and banana plantations.
This small animal has a body length of up to 65 cm and weighs up to 5 kg. Its quills are short, thick, and three-colored: pale yellow on top and bottom, with a black center. The back is black, the belly is gray. The tail is prehensile, usually without quills, and measures 30–50 cm in length.
Desman (Desmana moschata) is not a rodent, as it may seem, but a mole relative.
This curious creature has a body length of 18-22 cm, a tail of the same length, and weighs up to 500 g. The Desman has a thick, velvety, and very strong fur. Its fur is unique: the hairs widen towards the top and narrow towards the root.
The Desman leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Most of the year, they live in burrows with one entrance each, which opens underwater. Desmans require a large amount of food. An adult can eat an amount of food equal to its weight in just one day.
During the summer, the Desman mainly eats benthic fauna, such as caddisfly larvae, leeches, gastropods, and other similar creatures. In winter, their diet also includes various plant foods and even small fish.
Fun Fact: The Desman's fur is so strong and water-resistant that it was once used to make fur coats and hats! 🐾
Madagascar's Hedgehog-like Tenrec Takes a Dust Bath!
The Madagascar Hedgehog Tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus) is enjoying a dust bath, rubbing aromatic dust into its quills.
Keepers provide the tenrecs with scented dust to encourage their natural behavior. In the wild, tenrecs use this dust for camouflage and to deter parasites.
Fun Fact: Tenrecs are unique to Madagascar and are part of the tenrec family, which includes 33 species! They are not closely related to hedgehogs, despite their similar appearance.
Scene of a Stoat Hunting a Hare
A clever hare used his last chance: he ran under the protection of a human.
Fun Fact: Stoats, also known as short-tailed weasels, are known for their agility and speed. They can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour and are excellent climbers, often chasing prey up trees. Their hunting techniques are so effective that they can even take down prey larger than themselves! 🐾🐇
Deep in the forests of New Guinea lives the bird-of-paradise Parotia carolae, whose male puts on a spectacular show to attract a mate!
Just look at how he dismisses a dry leaf that's disrupting his performance... Make sure to watch until the end, this dance is truly something special!
This bird is found on the islands of West New Guinea and Papua New Guinea (Indonesia). Males, like all individuals of the male sex in the genus Parotia, have dark plumage. They have six decorative feathers on their heads, earning them the name six-wired bird-of-paradise.
Around their necks, they have a collar of fan-shaped feathers that resembles a dancer's skirt during the breeding season. Unlike other subspecies of parotias, Parotia carolae has white feathers on the edges, a golden and white crest, golden sideburns, and eyebrows. The feathers on their throat and chest shimmer. Females are completely brown, with only the feathers on their bellies having a grayish tone.
Wolverine (Gulo gulo) vs. Wolf
A beautiful scene, even if it involves an unlucky turtle...
A mother wolverine, hiding her cub, defends against a hungry, thin, and battered wolf trying to reach it.
Fun Fact: Wolverines are known for their incredible strength and ferocity. Despite their small size, they can take down prey much larger than themselves!
Did you know? Wolverines have a unique adaptation—they can delay implantation of fertilized eggs, allowing them to time births for the most favorable conditions.
We all know about warthogs. But what about other African pigs?
The bushpig (Potamochoerus porcus) inhabits Western and Central Africa, its range extends from Senegal to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It can be found in forests, savannas, and marshy areas, avoiding only excessively arid landscapes.
Bushpigs are active at night, spending the day in burrows hidden in dense vegetation. This species lives in family groups of 2 to 15 individuals, led by a mature male.
Bushpigs have their own territories, which they mark with special secretions or leave claw marks on tree trunks. In case of danger, they quickly flee. Sometimes bushpigs actively defend themselves, attacking their enemies (usually representatives of the cat family or hyenas).
Fun fact: Bushpigs have a unique way of cooling down. They wallow in mud, which not only cools their bodies but also protects their skin from parasites and sunburn. 🐗💦
Many people think that lions can't climb trees. Well, I can't speak for the males, but lionesses can!
You can see this for yourself in this video: a lioness attacks a leopard. The smaller cat managed to escape, but it was likely not the main target.
The lioness was probably drawn to the remains of the leopard's prey, hanging from a tree branch.
Fun fact: Lionesses are the primary hunters in a pride, using teamwork and stealth to take down prey. Their ability to climb trees can give them an advantage in certain situations, allowing them to ambush or retrieve food.
Jaguar hunts a caiman.
South American jaguars (Panthera onca) are not only excellent swimmers but can also catch small caimans for dinner!
Their diet includes at least 87 species, primarily capybaras, caimans, and peccaries. When possible, they hunt deer, anteaters, and tapirs, and catch snakes (including anacondas), waterfowl, and fish.
Jaguars also feed on monkeys, foxes, iguanas, opossums, otters, rodents, coatis, and other small animals. They hunt freshwater turtles and armadillos too— their powerful jaws can overcome their defenses.
Unlike cougars, jaguars frequently attack livestock, especially cattle. However, Asian water buffalo, offered to South American farmers as a profitable alternative to cows, prove to be an unattainable prey for them.
Fun Fact: Jaguars have the strongest bite force of all big cats, allowing them to crush turtle shells and caiman skulls with ease! 🐆💪
Siaman (Symphalangus syndactylus) - the largest and heaviest gibbon, with a height of 75-90 cm and a weight of 8-13 kg.
These monkeys have a throat sac that acts as a resonator when singing. Thanks to this, the siamangs' singing can be heard up to 3-4 km away.
Siamangs live in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula and on the island of Sumatra. They are active during the day and inhabit dense tropical forests, spending most of their time in the trees. With their long arms, siamangs acrobatically swing from branch to branch. They are also excellent swimmers, a rare trait among gibbons.
Like all gibbons, they live monogamously. Each pair lives in its own territory, which they fiercely defend from intruders. Siamangs primarily feed on leaves and fruits, but they also occasionally eat bird eggs and small vertebrates.
Fun Fact: Siamangs are known for their loud and complex songs, which are used for long-distance communication and to mark their territory.
Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) performs a mating dance.
This bird belongs to the pheasant family and is the national symbol of Nepal.
The male's plumage shimmers with green, red, purple, and blue hues. It has a white rump, a copper-colored tail with a black underside, and a golden crest. The female's plumage is brown with light stripes and brown-to-black cross-lines, with a white throat. Both sexes have a blue eye-ring.
Males reach up to 70 cm in length, with 23 cm being the tail, while females are slightly smaller and lack the crest.
Fun Fact: The Himalayan Monal is known for its dramatic mating dances, where males perform elaborate displays to attract females. These dances include wing spreading, tail fanning, and vibrant color displays. The bird's stunning colors are a result of structural coloration, where light is refracted and reflected in unique ways, creating a mesmerizing effect. 🌈🐦
Nectar Bat
The tongue of the tube-nosed bat (Anoura fistulata) is nearly 8.5 cm long, 1.5 times longer than its body! This is a record among mammals and second only to chameleons among vertebrates.
With such a long tongue, it reaches the nectar of the Centropogon nigrican flower, which has an equally impressive corolla.
Fun fact: These bats play a crucial role in pollination, helping to maintain the biodiversity of their ecosystems. 🌸🦇
Fun Fact: The bluerbird is known for its beautiful and melodious song, which is often described as a series of clear, flute-like notes.
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Meet the Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium passerinum) – tiny birds with a big hunting prowess, capable of taking down prey even larger than themselves! 🦉
These clever birds have a unique trick: two false eye spots on the back of their heads, making it nearly impossible to distinguish from their real eyes.
In this video, the owl is so active that both its real eyes and the decoy spots are clearly visible. This clever adaptation likely serves as a warning to potential attackers from behind – "I see you, so don't even try!" 👀
Fun fact: Pygmy Owls are known to mimic the calls of other birds to lure them within striking distance. Nature's tiny hunters! 🌿