Monday, February 22, 2010

So Totally Bald Uakari

Bald Uakari (Cacajao calvus)
If you happen to see a short tailed, red faced, bald head monkey with a long coat running about it is more than likely a bald uakari.  It is actually a quite bizarre looking creature found in the uppper Amazonian region of western Brazil, eastern Peru, and possibly southern Colombia.  Despite their off-putting appearance they are actually quite intelligent and form large social groups of up to 100 individuals.  Unfortunately their intelligence does not help in their species survival and are currently listed as Near Threatened (NT)...poor little dudes.  The diet of the Bald Uakari mainly consists of seeds, flowers and some small animals.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Dude, that duck is deformed!



Sometimes animals can be borned deformed, this might really suck for them or be a an advantage, but it always looks weird.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Tawny Frogmouth

Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)  
Commonly mistaken for owls, these goofy yellow eyed birds have quite the amusing appearance. Found throughout Southern New Guinea, Tasmania and Austailian mainland perched asleep on branches during the day and out and about at night. Their diet mainly consists of creepy crawlies including but not limited to rats, mice, cicadas, beetles, frogs and other small prey. 

Friday, February 12, 2010

This Is No Ordinary Love

As Valentine's weekend nears, sometimes love and friendship develops between very different creatures.


Thursday, February 11, 2010

Saki Monkey Ain't No Sock Monkey

Saki Monkey (Pithecia)
Generally very shy and cautious animals, many state that this species is very serious looking.  Primarily found in Northern and Central South America from Peru to Columbia and also even Brazil and Bolivia...this tiny creaturs get around.  Small in size, Sakis reach a length of only 30 to 50 cm, with a tail just as long, and can weigh up to 2 kg.  Extremely territorial, this species lives in federations, which is a cliquey group consisting only of a group of parents and their offspring. A diurnal mammal they choose to spend their days living in trees on the rain forests and it is a rare occasion that they will be found walking on land.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The Harmless Thorny Devil

Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus)
The Thorny Devil is a harmless little lizard that will consume between 600-3,000 black ants in a day!  Its camouflaged body of dark desert shades helps this little reptile keep warm during cooler times.  Conical spheres emerging from every inch of the body, and a "false-head" on the back of the neck helps ward off potential predators.  Making a habitat of arid scrub and desert throughout Central Australia, its distribution largely depends on the sandy loam soils in Western Australia.