In a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.
The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother’s cubs, perhaps she would improve.
After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only orphans” that could be found quickly, were a litter of weaner pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger.
Habitat: eastern U.S. and Canada
So, this little guy is called a Peacock Fly (Callopistromyia annulipes)! He’s from a spices of “picture-winged flies.” As of now I think they are either herbivores or saprophagous (feeding on dead or decaying animal matter).
I like that he lives in the US! It’s about time we find something cool.
Habitat: Madagascar
Status: Near Threatened
This gentalmen is a Schlegel Asity (Philepitta schlegeli). This is a very rare bird of Madagascar that keeps to subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
That face is pretty amazing, huh?
Habitat: equatorial Africa
Status: Least Concern
Ok, so I know it’s not cute or beautiful like you might expect from me, BUT! Iv’e never seen anyting like this before!
Say hello to, the Hammer-headed Fruit Bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus). It has a wingspan of 686 to 970 millimeters and males are much larger than females, averaging 400 grams while females average only 275 grams (largest bat in Africa).
The enormous head and snout is found only on the males. They produce loud honking noises by creating a sort of resonating chamber out of their big schnozes, wich makes me giggle! The females don’t even look like the males at all, resembling instead the typical “flying fox” fruit bat.
Habitat: Chile & Peru
Status: Near Threatened
The Inca Tern (Larosterna inca) is the only member of the genus Larosterna, which makes sense since there really isn’t any other bird (that I’m aware of) that resembles this magnificent bird.
It’s easily distinguishable by its grey plumage, red beak lined with yellow skin, and most importantly its prominent white mustache! Immature birds don’t aren’t born with the sexy look from the get-go though. Nope, they’re actually purple-brown and then gradually develop the sweet ‘stache.
Habitat: Gambia
Status: No conservation issues
This is the Gambian Spotted-eye Flower Mantis (Pseudoharpax virescens).
They’re really tiny - only growing to about 1 inch! Despite their small size, however, they’re apparently easy to raise in captivity. They are extremly beatuiful with their eye catching rainbow wings laid over their white bodies. Don’t forget their spectacular rainbow eyes!
Hundreds of moon jellyfish babies have been born at the Weymouth Sealife centre in Dorset. Aquarists say they have never seen so many jelly babies of all shapes, sizes and colours from many different species at one time - but even though they may look cute many of them are highly poisonous as well. Picture: Peter Willows/BNPS
Habitat: Cuba
Status: No conservation concerns
Are these not the most breathtakingly beautiful snails you’ve ever seen?? They’re called Painted Snails or Cuban Land Snails (Polymita picta) and so they are appropriately found in Cuba. All of these stunning photos were taked by Flickr user Adrián González Guillén.
Habitat: South America
Status: No conservation concerns
Today we have some beautiful pictures of the Amazon Milk Frogs (Trachycephalus resinifictrix).
The Amazon Milk Frog has a very odd and rather mean (in my opinion) breeding strategy: The male will find a comfy-cozy water-filled hollow in a tree or bromeliad where he sits patiently and calls for female. She hops on over and lays a clutch of about 2000 eggs which he then fertilizes. He watches over these eggs but also calls another female to come on over. He doesn’t fertilize these eggs however, but instead leaves them as food for the tadpoles which hatch from the first eggs! How rude right?? That poor lady just leaves her genes to be eaten for breakfast.
Oh, and you might have also pondered, “Hmm, wonder where the name Amazon Milk Frog came from?” If you said something along the lines of maybe because the coloration of the frog resembles blotchy “milk” like patches… you’d also be wrong. (You’re really striking out here today, sorry). The “milk” part of the name actually comes from the milky, poisonous substance the frog produces when it feels threatened.
