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Join us as we explore the wilderness and share the beautiful scenery of nature! For all questions: @magellanvs
🌟 Meet the Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine! 🦔
Found in tropical forests from Colombia and Venezuela to northern Argentina, this little guy is a tree-dwelling expert. It rarely descends to the ground, except for a drink. When it does, it moves slowly but easily. 🌳
Nocturnal and social, they live in small groups and have a unique defense mechanism: easily detachable quills that deter predators. When threatened, they curl up into a ball. 🤯
Their diet consists of leaves, buds, and fruits. They occasionally raid guava, corn, and banana plantations. 🍌🌽
This small animal has a body length of up to 65 cm and weighs up to 5 kg. Its short, thick quills are tricolored: pale yellow on top and bottom, with a black center. Its back is black, belly is gray, and its prehensile tail is 30-50 cm long. 🦊
Interesting fact: The Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine is one of the few porcupine species that can climb trees! 🌲
🐾 Meet the Desmana moschata, a curious creature that's often mistaken for a rodent, but actually belongs to the mole family! 🐾
This little animal has a 18-22 cm long body, a tail of the same length, and weighs up to 500g. Its fur is thick, velvety, and very strong, with hairs that broaden at the top and narrow at the root. 🌿
The Desmana moschata leads a semi-aquatic life, spending most of the year in burrows with a single underwater entrance. They need a lot of food, with adults consuming their own body weight in food every day! 🍔
In the summer, they mainly eat bottom-dwelling creatures like insect larvae, leeches, and snails. In the winter, they add plant-based foods and even small fish to their diet. 🐟 Interesting fact: The Desmana moschata's unique fur helps to reduce water resistance, making it a great swimmer! 🏊♀️
🌟 Meet the Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise, a newly recognized species thanks to its smooth dance moves! 💃
In 2016, researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology joined a multimedia expedition to the remote western region of New Guinea, known as the Bird's Head Peninsula. They stumbled upon a distinctive song, which led them to a remarkable discovery. 🌟
The team found that the local population of Superb Birds-of-Paradise sang a different tune than those in other parts of New Guinea. They set up their equipment to record the courtship dance and were amazed to see the bird slide from side to side, rather than jump, with its feathers fanning out in a crescent shape, rather than an oval. 🌿 Did you know? The Bird-of-Paradise's extravagant dance is a crucial part of its mating ritual, and each species has its unique moves! 💃
🐦 Meet the Anhinga, also known as the "snake bird" due to its long, slender neck that resembles a snake when swimming, with the rest of its body hidden underwater. 🌟
This large bird measures 85 cm in length, with a wingspan of 115 cm and weighs up to 1.35 kg. 📏
The name "Anhinga" comes from the Brazilian Tupi language, meaning "devil bird" or "snake-like bird". 🔥
But how does it swim fully submerged? Unlike ducks, the Anhinga can't make its feathers waterproof using oil from its preen gland, so its feathers can get completely wet, making it barely buoyant. However, this allows it to dive easily and hunt underwater prey like fish and amphibians! 🐟
After several dives, the Anhinga needs to dry its wings for a long time, similar to the cormorant. Interestingly, Anhingas don't have external nostrils and breathe only through their epiglottis! 👀
🐦 Horned Screamer (Anhima cornuta) - a bird living in South America from Colombia to northern Argentina.
It's a semi-aquatic bird, but often grazes on land and rarely swims. Its bill resembles that of a chicken. The legs have barely visible webs between the long toes.
🔪 Two sharp spurs on the wing bend help them fight for territory. Adults reach 85 cm in length and weigh 2-3 kg. Their black-and-white plumage features a 10 cm crest on the forehead.
🗣️ Known for their extremely loud screams, they're called "screamers" in English. They can be tamed and used as guard animals, alerting with a loud call when someone approaches.
🐒 Red-faced Spider Monkey
The Red-faced Spider Monkey (Ateles paniscus) is a primate living in tropical forests in northern South America. Unfortunately, they suffer from hunting and habitat destruction, making them vulnerable, according to the IUCN.
👀 Physical Characteristics
These monkeys have long black fur and a red or pink face, with a few short white hairs. Babies are born with dark faces that turn red as they mature. Their body length is approximately 55 cm, and they weigh around 9 kg. Their tail is prehensile, and their fingers and limbs are long, agile, and strong.
🍔 Diet
Red-faced Spider Monkeys are omnivores, feeding on termites, larvae, soft leaves, flowers, berries, and fruits.
📆 Lifespan
In captivity, they can live up to 33 years.
Interesting fact: Spider monkeys are known for their advanced problem-solving skills and have been observed using tools in the wild! 🤔
Meet the Red Howler Monkey! 🐒
Found in the lush forests of Colombia, Ecuador, and central Bolivia, these slow-moving primates spend their days lounging in the trees, covering a distance of about 400m. 🌳
Active during the day, sleepy at night 🌃
They rest in the trees at night, and their social groups are led by an older male. But don't think it's a peaceful kingdom - other males often challenge the leader for dominance! 💪
Size matters 🤔
Males reach 50-70cm in length and weigh 6.5-8kg, while females are 45-55cm long and weigh 4.5-6.4kg.
What's on the menu? 🍔🌮
Red howler monkeys munch on peanuts, leaves, seeds, fruits, and flowers. Yum! 🍴
Fun fact: Red howler monkeys are known for their loud, thunderous calls, which can be heard up to 3 miles away! 🗣️
🦌 Oryx (Oryx gazella) - a symbol of endurance and humility in East and South Africa.
This incredible creature is featured on Namibia's coat of arms. For centuries, indigenous people used oryx hides for clothing and their long, sharp horns as spear tips. 🌟
Reaching up to 1.5 meters in length, their horns are truly impressive! The oryx itself can grow up to 1.2 meters tall at the shoulder. Its distinctive black and white face mask is a striking feature. 🦌
Oryx inhabit arid regions, including deserts and semi-deserts, but can also be found in savannas. Their range spans from Ethiopia and Somalia to Namibia and South Africa. 🌍
These amazing animals feed on grasses, but can also dig up roots and enjoy wild fruits. Although they occasionally drink water, they can survive without it, getting moisture from their food. 💧
Meet the Eastern Quoll! 🐨
This carnivorous marsupial is about the size of a small cat, with a body length of 45 cm, tail up to 30 cm, and weighing up to 1.5 kg.
Its Latin name, Dasyurus viverrinus, translates to "animal resembling a ferret with a bushy tail". Despite its name, the Eastern Quoll is not related to European ferrets. 🙅♀️
These nocturnal and solitary animals are skilled tree climbers, but usually hunt on the ground, feeding on pest insects. 🐜
Interestingly, after Australia's colonization, Eastern Quolls began to hunt domestic birds, rabbits, rats, and mice, leading farmers to eradicate them for damaging poultry farms. Today, they can only be found in Tasmania. 🌳
Fun fact: Colugos are also known as "flying lemurs," although they don't actually fly and aren't closely related to lemurs! 😊
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The Beautiful Madagascan Comet 🦋
Meet the stunning Madagascan Comet (Lunar Moth) Argema mittrei, a night butterfly from the Saturniidae family. With a wingspan of 140-160 mm, it's one of the largest butterflies in the world. 🌟
This beautiful creature is even featured on a 5000 Malagasy franc banknote (1995 edition). 💸
Sadly, these butterflies have reduced mouthparts and don't feed, living off stored nutrients from their caterpillar stage. Their lifespan is just 4-5 days, during which they must find a mate and leave offspring. ⏰💔
🐒 Night Monkeys (Douroucoulis) Aotus - the only nocturnal monkeys in the New World! 🌃
Found in Central and South America, they live in family groups and feed on fruits. 🍉
These small primates have a body length of 25-35 cm and a tail of 30-40 cm, long and fluffy, with a often black tip. Unlike other New World monkeys, their tail can't be used for grasping. They weigh between 0.7-1.2 kg. ⚖️
During rest, Night Monkeys retreat to tree holes or dense thickets. About 15 minutes after sunset, they emerge and are active until midnight, then rest for 1.5-2 hours before foraging again. Before sunrise, they return to their resting spots. 🌅
Interesting fact: Night Monkeys have a unique adaptation to their nocturnal lifestyle - their eyes are larger than those of other monkeys, allowing them to navigate and find food in the dark! 👀
🐸 Meet the Amazon Milk Frog, also known as the Mission Golden-Eyed Tree Frog! 🌟 This tiny frog has a big reputation, with multiple names and a unique defense mechanism. 💡
When threatened, it releases a toxic white secretion, earning its "milk" nickname. 🥛 Found in the Amazon rainforest, these frogs live over 2 meters above ground, rarely descending to the forest floor. They inhabit vegetation near slow-moving water sources. 🌿
Breeding occurs during the rainy season (Nov-May). Males attract females with loud calls to a water-filled tree cavity, where females lay around 2500 eggs. Tadpoles hatch within a day! 🐟
Fun fact: These frogs have adapted to life in the trees, with some species even using their sticky feet to "glue" themselves to leaves! 😂
Meet the Patagonian Mara! 🐰
The Patagonian Mara (Dolichotis patagonum) belongs to the rodent family and is also known as the Patagonian hare or dillaby. This large herbivorous rodent is found in Argentina, specifically in the Patagonia region. 🌟
Interesting Facts:
* The Mara can weigh up to 18 kg (39 lbs) and reach 75 cm (30 in) in length! 🤯
* Its large head, small ears, and short body make it resemble a rabbit, but its legs are actually more like those of a deer! 🦌
* The Mara moves in a unique, zig-zag pattern, using all four legs to jump and push off the ground. Despite this, it's a slow mover! 🐌
Did you know? The Mara's unusual appearance and movement have led to it being nicknamed the "Patagonian marine"! 🌟
Meet the Long-Tailed Weasel 🐾
You might know weasels as small predators, but some species can be larger than an ermine! 🤯 The Long-Tailed Weasel (Neogale frenata) is found in North and Central America, and northern South America. Its body length reaches 35-42 cm. 🌟
Unlike other weasels, this one has a longer tail (40-70% of its body, 8-15 cm) with a black tip, similar to an ermine's. 🌟 It doesn't dig burrows, instead using rocks, stumps, or other animals' dens as shelters. 🏠
The Long-Tailed Weasel makes various sounds: a high-pitched "yip" when happy or attracting young, a low trill when meeting a mate, a hiss when threatened, and a chirp or squeak when scared or attacking. 🐤💬
Meet the Satyr Tragopan 🐓
The Satyr Tragopan (Tragopan satyra) is a species of pheasant that inhabits the Himalayas in India, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and Southern China.
Unique Name 🤔
The name "Tragopan" comes from the ancient Greek god Pan, known for his goat-like horns and beard. The species name "satyra" also originates from ancient mythology, referencing the horn-like features.
Habitat 🌳
These birds prefer humid, mountainous forests with dense undergrowth of rhododendrons and bamboo. They can also be found along riverbanks and streams with thick shrubs and diverse vegetation.
Conservation Status 🚨
Unfortunately, the Satyr Tragopan population is declining due to poaching and the rapid growth of tourism, leading to habitat loss and disturbance. However, they thrive in captivity and are successfully bred in many zoos and sanctuaries.
Meet the Himalayan Monal 🐦
The Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) is a member of the pheasant family and the national symbol of Nepal. 🇳🇵
Colorful Plumage 🌟
Females have dull brown feathers, while males shimmer in all colors of the rainbow with glossy feathers and a green crest on their head, adorned with long feathers with white tips.
Flight and Diet 🍃
Monals are capable fliers, but prefer not to. They have a strong, curved beak and primarily eat seeds, green plant parts, and insects.
Habitat and Behavior 🏔️
They hide in shrubs during the day and emerge to feed on open slopes, usually in the morning and evening. In summer, they migrate to higher mountains, up to the level of perpetual snow. Typically, small groups of birds are seen, consisting of a male and several females.
Meet the Marmoset's Diet 🐒
The diet of marmosets (Callithrix) consists mainly of tree sap and juice, but they also enjoy fruits, flowers, nectar, and insects. This little marmoset is completely puzzled by a grasshopper, thinking it's a "walking leaf" challenging reality! 🐜
Long Lifespan, High Maintenance 🕰️
Marmosets live up to 15-18 years. Unlike ordinary hamsters, they require more than just a cage, toys, and food. These social butterflies need constant interaction and quality care. You can't just leave them alone - they crave attention! 🐒
Think Twice Before Adopting 🤔
Toys and treats won't compensate for lack of attention. If neglected, marmosets get bored, then unhappy. So, think carefully before deciding to bring one home! 🏠
Meet the Crested Auklet! 🐦
The Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella) is a small seabird that inhabits the northern Pacific Ocean. 🌟
Diet & Habitat
These birds feed on krill and small marine animals, diving into deep waters. They breed in large colonies of up to 1 million individuals. 🌟
Unique Features
Both males and females have colorful feathers, a crest on their forehead, a citrus-like scent, and a loud trumpet call. These traits evolved due to sexual selection. 🌿
Size
They can grow up to 18-27 cm in length, 35-50 cm in wingspan, and weigh 200-330 grams. 📏
Citrus Scent
During breeding season, they emit a social scent, similar to mandarins, which can be detected by humans from 1 km away! 🍊
Meet the Crab-Eating Fox! 🦊
The Crab-Eating Fox (Cerdocyon thous) is a medium-sized, omnivorous mammal that inhabits the savannas and grasslands of South America, from Colombia and Venezuela to Uruguay and northern Argentina.
Physical Characteristics:
* Greyish-brown coat with reddish tints on legs, ears, and face
* Black stripe along the spine, sometimes covering the entire back
* Black tips on tail and ears
* Body length: 60-70 cm, tail length: 30 cm, height: 50 cm
* Weight: 5-8 kg
Hunting Habits:
* Nocturnal hunter, usually solitary or in pairs
* Feeds on small rodents, lizards, frogs, birds, fish, turtle eggs, insects, and crustaceans (hence the name "Crab-Eating Fox")
* Also enjoys fruits, vegetables, and berries: figs, bananas, mangoes
Interesting Fact: The Crab-Eating Fox is known for its adaptability and opportunistic diet, making it a successful species in its habitat. 🌟
Meet the Grison! 🐺
The Grison (Galictis vittata) is a carnivorous mammal that inhabits the Americas, from eastern Mexico to Bolivia, Argentina, and Santa Catarina in Brazil.
Physical Characteristics:
* Body length: 45-55 cm (18-22 in)
* Tail length: 13-19 cm (5-7 in)
* Weight: 1.5-3.8 kg (3.3-8.4 lbs)
* Sleek body with short legs
* Smoky-gray back, black face, neck, and belly
* White stripe on the forehead extends to the shoulders
Defense Mechanism:
When threatened, the Grison emits a warning sound, jumps sideways, raises its tail, and releases a pungent secretion from its anal glands.
Diet and Hunting:
The Grison feeds on small mammals, birds, eggs, lizards, amphibians, and fruits. It hunts alone, in pairs, or in groups, and eats its prey in a designated area.
Interesting Fact:
Grison are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for up to 30 seconds! 🏊♀️ They are primarily ground-dwelling, but can also climb trees and bushes.
🦨 Meet the African Striped Weasel (Ictonyx striatus), the stinkiest animal after the skunk! 🤢 In this video, a pair of weasels hunt a snake.
When threatened, the weasel raises its fur, lifts its tail, and releases a smelly musky secretion from its anal glands. Like skunks, they can aim and "shoot" this secretion over long distances. 🎯
Their smell is not as pungent as the American striped skunk's, but it's still unpleasant and long-lasting. When cornered, the weasel can play dead. 💀
These carnivores mainly eat rodents, hares, large insects, and sometimes bird eggs, snakes, and other animals. In times of hunger, they'll even eat carrion. They're nocturnal, so they do most of their hunting at night. 🌃
Deceptive Orchids and Thynnidae Wasps 🐝💐
Meet the Thynnidae wasps, a family of large, solitary wasps whose larvae parasitize beetle larvae, especially scarabs. Female wasps search for beetle larvae, while males feed on nectar and act as secondary pollinators.
In this video, you'll see how orchids trick male Thynnidae wasps into thinking they're females! The male wasp pounces on the flower, covering himself in pollen, and then flies to another deceptive orchid, repeating the process.
This wasp "Casanova" unknowingly transfers pollen between orchids. What a clever trick! Interestingly, the resemblance between the flower and the wasp is minimal to humans, but wasps see in a different spectrum, making it all the more convincing! 🌟
Meet the Cacomistle 🐾
The Cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti) is a small, cat-like animal with excellent climbing skills. It's a great hunter, feeding on rodents, and was once commonly kept as a pet. Although less popular now, they make gentle and affectionate companions in North America, but their unique voice can take some getting used to.
Interesting Facts 🤔
* The Cacomistle belongs to the raccoon family and grows up to 30-45 cm in length, with a 30-50 cm tail, weighing up to 1.3 kg.
* They're opportunistic eaters, enjoying insects, small and large rodents, rabbits, squirrels, birds, and fruits like persimmons and mistletoe.
* Cacomistles inhabit southern and southwestern US regions, up to 2900 m above sea level, as well as Mexico and Central America. 🌟
🌟 Meet the Malayan Colugo! 🌟
The Malayan Colugo (Galeopterus variegatus) inhabits Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and various islands in the Indonesian archipelago, including Sumatra, Java, and Borneo.
🌴 They thrive in humid jungles, hillside areas, and even coconut and banana plantations.
🌳 These arboreal creatures live in trees and never voluntarily descend to the ground. They're solitary animals, occasionally sharing a tree with a few others.
🕊️ Using gliding flight, they travel between trees without touching the ground, covering distances of up to 50-70m (164-230ft). The longest recorded flight was 136m (446ft)! They're nocturnal, resting in their shelters during the day.
🥗 Herbivores, they feed on flowers, leaves, buds, and fruits.
📏 Their body length is 30-40cm (12-16in), tail 15-20cm (6-8in), limb span 70-120cm (28-47in), and weight 1-1.75kg (2.2-3.9lb).
🚨 Attention! This is not a scorpion! 🚨
Meet Mastigoproctus giganteus, a type of arachnid from the order Thelyphonida. Found in the southern United States and Mexico.
📏 Length: 40-60 mm (not including tail thread). 👀 8 eyes: 3 on each side of the head and 2 in front. But, surprisingly, their vision is weak! 🙅♂️ Like all Thelyphonida, they have a long tail thread instead of a venomous stinger.
⚠️ Although they're non-venomous, they can release airborne secretions from their anal glands when threatened, containing concentrated acetic acid (>80%) that can cause severe irritation to human mucous membranes, especially if it gets in the eyes! 🤯
🦊 Like most arachnids, Thelyphonida are predators. They hunt at night, mainly feeding on insects, centipedes, scorpions, and millipedes, and occasionally on worms, snails, small frogs, and rodents. 🐜🦎
🦔 Meet the Two-Colored Porcupine (Coendou bicolor) found in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.
This nocturnal, tree-dwelling creature leads a secretive life, but adult pairs can live together in tree hollows. It moves slowly, yet quickly climbs trees. Its diet consists of leaves, fruits, seeds, and plant bark.
🌳 The Two-Colored Porcupine has a unique ability to remain still for long periods. Its prehensile tail and adapted legs allow it to easily navigate between branches. It prefers to settle in tree hollows above the ground.
👀 This relatively small porcupine measures 40-55 cm in length and weighs 3-5 kg. Its distinctive features include a bulbous nose, small black eyes, and hidden ears.
🎨 The most striking aspect of this porcupine is its unique coloring, resembling a splash of paint across its fur! 🌟
🐨 Meet the Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps), a small, squirrel-like animal. Its body is 15-21 cm long, with a similar-sized tail, and weighs 95-170 g.
🌟 What makes them special is a membrane that stretches from their front paws to their back paws, allowing them to "glide" through the air for up to 50 meters or more. They control their flight by moving their paws and tail.
🤹♀️ By curling their tail into a spring, they can carry small items like twigs for their nest. Their big, round eyes are perfect for nighttime vision, as they are nocturnal animals.
🍃 They love to eat sweet sap from certain eucalyptus and acacia trees, as well as nectar and fruits. Protein-rich foods like insects, small vertebrates, and invertebrates are also important in their diet.
Albatross Courtship 🐦💕
The Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora) has the largest wingspan of all flying birds (280-320 cm) and weighs up to 8 kg. 🌟
Reaching maturity at 6-10 years, they lay a single white egg. Incubation lasts 80 days, and chick-rearing takes 34-38 days. Mating season is November-December. They nest on islands in the southern Pacific Ocean and southern New Zealand.
Average lifespan: 58 years! Low fertility and slow development are offset by long lifespan and low adult mortality. Only 3 out of 100 albatrosses die annually. 🌟
🌴 Meet the Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise 🌟
The stunning Ptiloris magnificus inhabits tropical forests of New Guinea and northeast Australia. Reaching 34 cm in length, males boast a velvet-black body, with a bright blue-green chest and iridescent sheen. Females have a brownish hue with dark spots and stripes on their belly.
🍉 Their diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods. Did you know that these birds play a vital role in seed dispersal in their ecosystems? 🌱
💃 During mating season, males perform a unique courtship dance: spreading their wings, raising their tail, jumping, and shaking their head to showcase their vibrant chest triangle. If they impress a female, a short-term pair forms. 🕺