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Join us as we explore the wilderness and share the beautiful scenery of nature! For all questions: @magellanvs
Flying foxes (Pteropus) trying to drink from a river or cool off, while freshwater Australian crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni) hunt them.
Interesting fact: Unlike bats, flying foxes do not have echolocation. They don't need it, as these vegans feed on nectar, fruit pulp, and flowers. 🦇🍹🐊
Three-coloured Glossy Starling (Superb Starling) Lamprotornis superbus
This stocky, short-tailed starling is native to East Africa, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
It boasts a wide repertoire of whistles and trills, even mimicking the calls of other bird species.
The bird forages on the ground for insects, mollusks, worms, fruits, and seeds. When gathering in flocks, they can cause significant damage to crops. Additionally, they may persistently beg for food in villages and cities.
Their song is characterized by whistles transitioning into trills, constantly changing to create a beautiful, vibrant, and diverse melody.
Fun Fact: The Superb Starling's striking plumage and melodious song have made it a popular subject for birdwatchers and photographers alike.
The Pallas's Cat: A Unique Feline
The Pallas's cat, also known as the manul, is a fascinating creature that has remained in a transitional stage of evolution. Unlike other felines, it hasn't learned to roar like big cats, nor has it become a typical wild cat. It retains a round pupil, much like a lion.
There are three known subspecies of Pallas's cats:
1. Otocolobus manul manul: Found in various regions, including Mongolia and China.
2. Otocolobus manul ferruginea: Inhabits Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Kazakhstan. Its coat is more reddish with reddish stripes.
3. Otocolobus manul nigripecta: Known as the Tibetan Pallas's cat, it lives in Tibet, Kashmir, and Nepal. Its fur is more gray, turning silvery in winter.
Despite its adorable appearance, the Pallas's cat is a tough, ruthless predator. It lives solitary and doesn't tolerate competitors on its large territory.
🐦 Meet the House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 🌟
Found throughout the US, Mexico, southern Canada, and Hawaii, this bird is known for its vibrant colors. Males have a distinctive red head, breast, and back, with a speckled belly and brown wings and tail. Females are more subdued, with a speckled underside and brown upperparts. Young males resemble females in coloration.
💕 House Finches are monogamous, forming pairs in winter before the breeding season. During courtship, males perform a "butterfly flight," soaring 20-30 meters high and then slowly descending while singing loudly. Females prefer males with brighter head colors! 🌟
🐤 Chicks leave the nest after 12-19 days, and the female builds a new nest and lays another clutch. The father continues to feed the young for a while. 🐦
🦎 Meet the Komodo Dragon, one of the most unique animals in the wild! 🌟 This lizard resembles a mythical creature from folklore.
With its impressive appearance, the Komodo Dragon has a sturdy neck, powerful shoulders, but a relatively small head. Its large tail serves as both a support while moving and a weapon to settle disputes with rivals.
Adult males can grow up to 3m in length and weigh between 80-180kg, while females are slightly smaller. 🤯
Despite their seemingly sluggish nature, these lizards can run at speeds of up to 40km/h, sometimes rivaling deer and antelopes. They can even catch up to these hoofed animals while hunting! 🏃♂️
🐦 Meet the Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), a bird with a subtle yet striking appearance. 🌟
This medium-sized bird measures around 56 cm in length and weighs 500-1000 g. Adults have a dark brown plumage with a bronze and green metallic sheen. Young birds are brown without the sheen, with white streaks on their head and neck that fade with age. 🔍
Glossy Ibises inhabit freshwater and brackish wetlands, vast marshes, and shallow waters. They flock together, sometimes in groups of up to 100 birds, and feed on shallow waters with muddy bottoms, often among reeds or on rice fields and damp meadows. They roost in trees at night. 🌳
Interesting fact: Glossy Ibises are known for their unique, curved bills, which they use to probe into the mud for food. They are also skilled migrants, traveling long distances each year to reach their wintering grounds in Africa and southern Asia. 🌏
🌟 Beautiful Dance of Japanese Cranes 🌟
I found a stunning video of Japanese Cranes (Grus japonensis) performing their beautiful dances.
These birds inhabit wet river valleys and small lakes with abundant grasses and reeds. 🌿
The most important event in their lives is choosing a partner, which happens only once. During courtship, they dance, throw back their heads, and make beautiful melodic sounds with their beaks. 🎶
The female modestly folds her wings, while the male spreads his, making smooth and swift movements. 🕺
In ancient Japanese tradition, cranes are considered birds of happiness, symbolizing health and longevity. It's believed that if a crane approaches a person, they'll have great luck and a peaceful life. 🙏
Look at how clever this heron is! 🐦 It's not eating bread, but making a long-term investment to increase its profit - in short, using it to catch fish! 🎣
This appears to be a Striated Heron (Butorides striatus), but that's not the point - similar videos exist with other heron species. We just chose the most beautiful one, with chicks and black swans! 🌟
🦅 At 4-6 years old, Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) reach maturity. They form lifelong pairs. Their courtship involves carefree flights together. 🌟
Flying in tandem allows the future pair to assess each other's condition. A healthy eagle can reach 65 km/h in horizontal flight and 160 km/h in a vertical dive. They soar through the clouds for minutes, and that's the end of the courtship. 💨
Footage from the movie "The Big Year". 🎥
🐦 The Loon (Gavia) - an ancient and beautiful northern waterbird. In northern cultures, there's a legend that flocks of loons, calling to each other in flight, escort the souls of lost sailors.
💦 Their skeleton bones are solid and heavy, unlike other birds, making them perfectly adapted to life in water. They don't even leave the water to sleep!
🌟 Loons, like penguins, hold the record for deepest dives. They've been caught by fishermen at depths of around 230 feet (70 meters).
❄️ Loons prefer cold waters of northern seas and lakes, found in Europe, Asia, and North America. They inhabit tundras, mountains, and forests, as long as there's water nearby. Some only come ashore to mate and lay eggs.
🦦 Meet the Brazilian Giant Otter! 🌟
This isn't your typical cute, European otter. The Brazilian Giant Otter is fearless and terrorizes its surroundings! 😱
Reaching lengths of 130-150 cm (plus a 70 cm tail), this freshwater animal is a force to be reckoned with. 🌟 It has a distinctive white or light-brown spot on its neck.
Unlike its European cousin, the Giant Otter is active during the day and isn't very shy. You can spot them in groups of 5-8 (sometimes up to 20!) along South American riverbanks. They live in large burrows, up to 10 meters long, and each family controls its own territory. 🏠
These otters hunt fish, snakes (including anacondas!), and water birds in the water, and rodents and bird eggs on land. They're truly apex predators! 🦊
🐱 Meet the Sand Cat (Felis margarita), the smallest wild cat species! 🌟 Their body length is 65-90 cm (with 40% being their tail), and they stand 24-30 cm tall at the shoulder. Adult males weigh 2.1-3.4 kg, while females are smaller.
👀 They have a distinctive appearance, with a large, flat head, big ears, and a bushy beard. Their paws are short and strong, with stiff hair on their paws to protect them from hot sand. Their coat is thick and soft, keeping them warm in cold desert nights.
🏠 To escape the scorching desert sun, they take shelter in old fox, mongoose, or porcupine burrows, or even dig their own shallow holes. Their diet consists mainly of small rodents, lizards, and insects. 🐜 Did you know that Sand Cats can survive without water for long periods, getting moisture from their prey? 💦
🦎 Meet the stunning Blue Tree Monitor (Varanus macraei) 🌳, one of the most beautiful and vibrant monitor lizards found only on the island of Batanta in the Indonesian archipelago.
🙏 Named after Duncan MacRae, founder of the Rimba Reptile Park on the island of Bali, these magnificent reptiles thrive in tropical and subtropical forests with temperatures ranging from 25 to 40 °C and humidity levels of 80-100%.
🌟 Did you know? These monitors use their tails like an extra limb, grasping branches and tree trunks to maintain balance. Unlike chameleons, they can quickly wrap and unwrap their tails to adapt to any situation, even using it as a defense mechanism! 🌟
🕷️ Meet the Peacock Spider (Maratus volans) 🦚
This tiny Australian jumping spider is only 5mm long, but its males have a big impact with their vibrant colors (orange, blue, and red) and unique courtship dance. Females are dull gray-brown, but the males' bright abdomens and quirky moves are sure to impress! 💃
To attract a mate, males vibrate their abdomens, unfurl their colorful fans, and lift their legs and bellies up and down, "dancing" from side to side. But beware: if the female isn't interested, she might just catch and eat her suitor! 😳
Did you know that the Peacock Spider's third pair of legs is longer and more colorful than the others, with a fluffy white tuft on the end? When not in use, the males fold up their bright fans and keep them hidden. 🤫
🦌 Meet the Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), a small and adorable creature that's about 50 cm tall and weighs only 9-18 kg! 🌟
Males have distinctive wedge-shaped horns that are about 10 cm long. These antelopes can be found in Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and along the western coast of Namibia and southwestern Angola.
🌱 Klipspringers are picky eaters and feed on evergreen shrubs, grasses, fruits, seeds, flowers, and lichens. They can migrate to areas with better vegetation. 💦 Amazingly, they can go without water for a long time, getting most of it from their food!
💕 Klipspringer pairs are lifelong partners. While the female nurses their young, the male stands guard, protecting her. During dry seasons, they form groups of 6-8 individuals, which disperse when the rainy season begins. 🌟
Bandit Cat: The Striped Linsang
The striped linsang (Prionodon linsang) is a civet-like mammal, not a feline (despite its name!).
Native to the forests of Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo, this elusive creature thrives in dense, tropical environments.
Measuring 35-45 cm in body length and 30-35 cm in tail length, the linsang is a slender, graceful animal. Its coat is light gray or brownish-gray, adorned with 4 or 5 black transverse stripes on its back. Dark spots mark its sides and legs.
A nocturnal animal, the linsang spends most of its time in trees, expertly climbing and leaping among the branches. Yet, it's also agile on the ground.
Its diet includes birds, small mammals, insects, lizards, frogs, and even bird eggs.
Fun Fact: The linsang's name comes from the Thai word "ling-sang," which means "fox" and "wildcat," reflecting its unique, cat-like appearance and fox-like behavior. 🦊🐱
Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) - a fascinating mammal from the raccoon family, thriving in Arizona. Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, this creature is known by many names: Ringtail, Ring-tailed Cat, Miner's Cat, or Bassariscus. The term "Cacomistle" is sometimes used, but it more commonly refers to its close relative, Bassariscus sumichrasti.
Fun Fact: The Ringtail's ankle joint is incredibly flexible, rotating over 180 degrees, making it an agile climber. Its long tail aids in balance while navigating narrow ledges.
Did You Know? Ringtails can ascend narrow passages by pressing all their feet against one wall and their back against the other, or by pressing both right feet against one wall and both left feet against the opposite wall.
Sound Off: Their typical call is a loud, mournful howl. They also produce a variety of sounds, including clicks and chatter, reminiscent of raccoons. 🐾🌵
Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) - A wild cat of Southeast Asia, known for its unique fishing skills and excellent swimming abilities.
Between the toes of its front paws, it has webbing that prevents it from retracting its claws but aids in catching fish. Adults weigh 11-15 kg (males) and 6-7 kg (females), with a body length of 95-120 cm and a shoulder height of about 40 cm. This cat has a sturdy build and impressive strength.
The fishing cat inhabits tropical and subtropical regions of Southeast Asia: southern and eastern India, Indochina, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, and Java. It is primarily found in forests near water bodies, especially swamps, lakes, and slow-moving rivers.
Did you know? This cat mainly feeds on fish. During hunting, it sits by the riverbank, waiting for a passing fish, which it strikes with its clawed paw. Sometimes, it even dives to the riverbed for its prey.
Fun Fact: Fishing cats are excellent swimmers and can stay underwater for up to 30 seconds! 🐾💦
🐦 Meet the Kea (Nestor notabilis), a unique parrot endemic to New Zealand! 🌟 With its falcon-like appearance, large head, and curved beak, this bird is a force to be reckoned with. 💪 Despite its relatively small size (45 cm, 600-1000 g), the Kea is incredibly strong and an agile flyer.
🌿 Its olive-green feathers, with a hint of brown and bright red under its wings, make it a stunning sight. Its grey legs and loud, screeching call ("keeee-aa") complete its distinctive appearance. 🗣️
🤡 Known for their curious nature and clever beak use, Keas are infamous for causing mischief among locals and entertaining tourists. Dubbed the "clowns of the mountains," they love to investigate backpacks and cars, making them a joy to watch! 🎉
🐺 Grey Wolves Love Blueberries! 🫐
Wolves actually crave berries and other fruits. During the growth period, berries can make up to 80% of a wolf pack's diet! 🌿 Did you know that wolves are important seed dispersers in many ecosystems, helping to spread plant species through their droppings? 🌱
🐦 Meet the Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), a small yet stunning bird with a body length of just 60 cm and weighing 400g.
Despite its beauty, this bird hasn't been the subject of many legends or myths. However, its gorgeous white feathers once caused a stir in the fashion world. In the 1880s, it became trendy to adorn women's clothing and hats with Snowy Egret feathers, leading to a massive hunting spree.
The price of one ounce of feathers reached $32, twice the value of gold at the time! The hunt continued for 30 years until it was finally stopped in the US in 1910 due to public pressure. 🌟
Meet the Agami Heron 🐦
Found in Central America, Peru, and Brazil, this stunning bird is also known as the Chestnut Heron or "Hummingbird Heron" in Brazil due to its unique coloring. 🌟
It has short legs and a long, thin beak, with pale blue feathers on its crown, neck, and lower back. Its legs, beak, and face patch are dull yellow, turning reddish during breeding season. 🔥
Despite its striking plumage, this shy bird prefers shade and overhanging vegetation, making it a rare sight. 🌿
Agami Herons hunt fish, frogs, small reptiles, and snails in shallow, shaded water, often standing still or moving very slowly. 🐟 They rarely venture into open water. 🌊
🌴 Magnificent Frigatebird 🌟
Meet the Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), a large, agile seabird with brownish-black feathers, long narrow wings, and a deeply forked tail. Males have a striking red throat pouch that they inflate to attract females. Females are slightly larger, with white bellies and breasts.
🐟 These birds feed on fish, snatching them from the ocean's surface in mid-air (often flying fish). They also engage in "piracy" (kleptoparasitism), attacking other birds to make them regurgitate swallowed fish, which they then catch in flight.
📏 Reaching 90-115 cm in length and 2.15-2.45 m in wingspan, this is the largest frigatebird species. They inhabit tropical and subtropical waters along the coasts of the Americas, from northern Mexico to Peru in the Pacific and from Florida to southern Brazil in the Atlantic. 🌟
🦊 Meet the Tasmanian Devil! 🦊
The largest of all carnivorous marsupials, this stout and compact animal is about the size of a small dog, resembling a miniature bear. 🐻 Its body is 50-80 cm long, with a short and thick tail (23-30 cm) that stores fat reserves. When sick or starving, the tail becomes thin.
🍴 Extremely voracious, the Tasmanian Devil eats 15% of its body weight daily! 🤯 Its diet includes small to medium-sized mammals, birds, insects, snakes, amphibians, edible roots, and plant tubers. Often found near water bodies, it feeds on frogs and crayfish, and on the coast, it eats small sea creatures washed ashore. 🌟
🌟 Meet the Wandering Violin Mantis (Gongylus gongylodes) 🌟
Found in India and Sri Lanka, this unique mantis has extremely thin legs and extensive leaf-like protrusions. 🌱
It's not considered an aggressive species and occasionally sways its body back and forth, mimicking a twig in the wind. 💨
The Violin Mantis specializes in catching flying insects, snatching flies right out of the air! 🐜
They prefer flying prey and tend to leave each other alone, making them one of the few mantis species that can be safely kept in groups. 👫
Interesting fact: This mantis is a master of stealth, using its leaf-like protrusions to blend in with its surroundings, making it a formidable hunter. 🌿
🌟 Meet the Green Vine Snake! 🐍
Found in Central and South America, this stunning snake can grow up to 150-200 cm in length, with a slender body of just 2 cm in diameter. 🌿 Its unique feature? Two large teeth in the back of its mouth that release venom, but only after "chewing" its prey. 💦
Don't worry, its venom isn't deadly to humans! A bite might cause mild numbness or tingling, but can sometimes trigger a serious allergic reaction. 🤕
This tree-dwelling beauty feeds on frogs, lizards, and small birds. Some Green Vine Snakes even specialize in catching hummingbirds, using the element of surprise while they sip nectar from flowers! 🐦💐
🦉 Meet the Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa), one of the largest owl species! 🌟 They can grow up to 80 cm in length, with a wingspan of 1.5m, but weigh only 700-800g (males) to 1kg (females).
📸 This wild, yet friendly owl is "hunting" in the open air near Oulu, Finland, and happily posing for cameras. In this video, it flies to catch a mouse, eats it right in front of the camera, and returns to its tree top perch.
🍔 Their diet consists mainly of small rodents (80-90%), as well as squirrels, small birds, frogs, and large insects. According to Finnish ornithologists, one owl can catch around 700 mice and voles in just 6 summer months! 🐭
☀️ Did you know that Great Grey Owls are sensitive to heat? During hot summer hours, they hide in the shade, spread their wings, lift their legs, and fluff their feathers to "ventilate" themselves. 🌟
🐸 Meet the Desert Rain Frog (Breviceps macrops) 🌟
Found in Namibia and South Africa, this unique frog inhabits a narrow strip of sandy shores between the sea and sand dunes. It's plump, with bulging eyes, a short snout, short limbs, and webbed fingers. Its transparent belly skin reveals its internal organs! 🔍
Unlike most frogs, it develops directly from egg to adult, skipping the tadpole stage. Its sturdy body and small legs make jumping impossible, so it walks on sand instead. 🌀
What's unusual for a frog? It doesn't need water to survive! 🌟 It's nocturnal, spending the day in a 10-20 cm deep burrow where the sand is moist. In the morning, it burrows into the sand, leaving behind a small pile of loose sand. 🌀
Here you see an unsuccessful hunt of Arctic wolves Canis lupus tundrarum on muskoxen 🐺
Only every 10th hunt of the pack is successful - especially since only two wolves participated in this one. Sometimes Arctic wolves go without food for many days, but then eat up to 10 kg of meat at once 🍖️
The Arctic wolf inhabits vast areas of polar regions, even in polar night conditions during winter. To survive, the wolf has adapted to eat any food it can find 🍔
It's well adapted to life in the Arctic: can live for years in subzero temperatures, months without sunlight, and weeks without food ❄️
The Arctic wolf still inhabits its entire historical territory due to low competition with humans 🌎
This large predator measures 130-150 cm in length (without tail), 80-90 cm in height, and weighs up to 85 kg, with females being smaller 📏 Its lifespan is around 7 years 🕰️
🦋 Meet the Achrioptera fallax, a colorful stick insect from Madagascar! 🌴 These insects are harmless to humans and don't bite. They mainly feed on leaves, especially blackberry, raspberry, eucalyptus, and oak. 🌿
👩 Female Achrioptera fallax can grow up to 20-26 cm long, while males reach 14-17 cm. The female's light brown color helps her blend in with dry branches (like the one in this video)! 🌿 Her body is covered in spines, including her chest, legs, and even head. Her short, red wings are quite striking, but unfortunately, both males and females are flightless. 🚫
🔊 When threatened, Achrioptera fallax will use their spiny legs to defend themselves, spread their colorful wings, and make a loud, screeching sound. Males will even drop to the ground to confuse predators! 😲 These insects live for about 9 months. 🕰️