The Plains (or Common) zebra is the third of the three zebras species we’ll look at. This zebra lives in large herds and has six subspecies. Its ears are normal-sized compared to the Grevy’s zebra. Let’s look at three simple IKs and the corresponding photos: They can look very different in color and stripe pattern, but their stripes always meet in the center of their bellies. The following photos are all of different subspecies of the Plains zebra: 1st IK*: Overall broad stripes 2nd IK: Broad pattern of stripes on flank are horizontal and change to vertical halfway across the zebras body…about mid-belly. Has underbelly stripes.…
Author: I Spy Animals
Photograph by Natalie Manuel The King of Beasts…the lion. Surveys tell us that most people, though they have trouble naming many other animals shown to them, can identify a male lion. That’s a relief! There are eight subspecies of lion, most of which live in Africa. A small number of Asiatic lions, like the one pictured below, live in the Gir Forest in India: Most lions are varying shades of color, but there are some white lions living wild in Tambavati. White lions are not albino, but leucistic South Africa lions; That means their normal tan coat color is suppressed with the chinchilla gene, but their eyes are…
The largest, longest, heaviest tusks ever recorded are the Kilimanjaro Tusks, pictured above. At over 10 feet in length, the tusks weigh 237 and 225 lbs respectively. That’s amazing, because…
Known as the Pygmy elephant, this guy lives in the rain forests of Borneo. He has the smaller ears and the convex back of the Asian elephant and was once thought to be just a smaller version of that animal. His height? A full three feet shorter than an average African elephant…about 7 feet tall! A Pygmy elephant is unusually gentle, but also in danger of extinction. Why? The Borneo forest is being converted to palm oil plantations…and Pygmy elephants love palm oil like kids love candy! So plantation owners destroy the elephants for eating their palm oil. But one…
The Plains (or Common) zebra is the third of the three zebras species we’ll look at. This zebra lives in large herds and has six subspecies. Its ears are normal-sized compared to the Grevy’s zebra. Let’s look at three simple IKs and the corresponding photos: They can look very different in color and stripe pattern, but their stripes always meet in the center of their bellies. The following photos are all of different subspecies of the Plains zebra: 1st IK*: Overall broad stripes 2nd IK: Broad pattern of stripes on flank are horizontal and change to vertical halfway across the zebras body…about mid-belly. Has underbelly stripes.…
They jump, they twist, they flip, they spin. Small and agile, these dolphins are true acrobats of the ocean. (Watch the video below to see one spin in slow motion)
The King of Beasts…the lion! Most people can identify a male lion with no problem. There are eight subspecies of lion, most of which live in Africa. A small number of Asiatic lions live in the Gir Forest in India: There are also white lions living wild in Tambavati, though many zoos and circuses have them on display. White lions are not albino, but leucistic South Africa lions; That means their normal tan coat color is suppressed with the chinchilla gene, but their eyes are gold-brown, not red like a true albino’s. Lions are the only big cats that…
Here are the ones everyone recognizes…the classic black and white penguins! Didn’t know they are called Brush-tailed penguins, did you? They have long stiff tails that give them their name. These are the most common of all penguins, found in the Antarctica and the islands surrounding. But all of the Brush-tailed penguins require a snow-free nesting area where they build a nest encircled by stones. 1st IK* – Black head, white belly (the Chinstrap penguin has a black top head and a black strap around its chin…like a helmet!) 2nd IK – Long stiff tail 3rd IK – Pink feet…
The Black zebra… Sometimes, a zebra is born with strange stripe patterns and large areas of black. These photos illustrate some of the variety possible in the stripes or, in the top and bottom photo, spots of the zebra! This Grant’s zebra, below, looks like his stripes have been partially erased. And check this out…spots among the stripes; looks like chocolate running down the stripes and mixing them up! God made an amazing world of zebras. To see “White” zebras, check out my blog post “When Zebras Go Pale…” For more info on the incredible “chocolate” zebra at the…
Oriental Turtle Dove making a heart with its wings Awww… doves are so Valentines, aren’t they? Soft, pure symbols of love. And who hasn’t seen the sweet turtle doves nestling together cozily? Doves… …are another name for pigeons. …which have been characterized, not by me, as “rats with wings”! So why do “doves = love” but “pigeons = pests”?
Sprinkled among the wild horses running free in Nevada were mustangs whose fur was….different. It was curly! In the winter, the wild horses’ fur grew longer and thicker to keep them warm. For some horses, that meant their fur got longer and curlier. One day, a rancher noticed these wild curly-coated horses, but didn’t think too much about them. Then a very cold winter set in.