During an early morning game drive in Tanzania, we were fortunate to observe this Cheetah dragging a fresh kill back into the bush. It took the Cheetah several minutes to drag the animal, which probably weighed as much as the Cheetah.

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The cheetah is the fastest land animal on the planet. Known for their breathtaking speed, agility, and spotted coat.

The East African Cheetah can be found in the grasslands and savannas of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia.

The word “cheetah” ultimately comes from the Sanskrit word (“Chita”) which means “spotted one.”

For thousands of years, cheetahs have made grand “house” pets. Historically, emperors, kings, and pharaohs kept them as a sign of wealth. Their history with humans can be dated as far back as 3200 BCE. Although they were never technically domesticated, the cheetah is comparable to today’s domestic cat in many ways.

The cheetah is the only member of the cat family that doesn’t possess the capability to fully retract its claws. Cheetahs evolved to have semi-retractable claws to give them a good grip on the ground while chasing fast-moving prey. Other felines and big cats retract their claws in order to sneak up on prey. For the cheetah who relies more on speed, its claws are adapted for fast running.

Cheetahs have long, black lines that run down their face from their eyes to their mouth, called “malar stripes.” Malar stripes are an adaptation for deflecting the brightest sunlight off the horizon or the wide-open savannas, allowing them to see better in the daylight. They help the cheetah focus on their prey when they are hunting.

Cheetahs are considered crepuscular hunters, meaning they hunt at dawn and dusk. Most often cheetahs can be found hunting between 6:00 and 10:00 in the morning and 4:00 and 6:00 in the evening.

(Nikon Z8, 100-400/5.6, @ 360 mm, 1/2000 @ f/5.6, ISO 360, processed to taste)

Bittern - Botaurus Stellaris

Norfolk

The bittern is a thickset heron with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. A secretive bird, very difficult to see, as it moves silently through reeds at water's edge, looking for fish. The males make a remarkable far-carrying, booming sound in spring. It's very small, reedbed-dependent population make it an Amber List species.

It is also a Schedule 1 species.

Unlike the similar storks, ibises, and spoonbills, herons, egrets, pelicans, and bitterns fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.

Eurasian bitterns feed on fish, small mammals, amphibians and invertebrates, hunting along the reed margins in shallow water. British records include eels up to 35 cm (14 in) and other fish, mice and voles, small birds and fledglings, frogs, newts, crabs, shrimps, molluscs, spiders and insects. In continental Europe, members of over twenty families of beetle are eaten, as well as dragonflies, bees, grasshoppers and earwigs. Some vegetable matter such as aquatic plants is also consumed.

Males are polygamous, mating with up to five females. The nest is built in the previous year's standing reeds and consists of an untidy platform some 30 cm (12 in) across. It may be on a tussock surrounded by water or on matted roots close to water and is built by the female using bits of reed, sedges and grass stalks, with a lining of finer fragments. Four to six eggs are laid in late March and April and incubated by the female for about twenty-six days. After hatching, the chicks spend about two weeks in the nest before leaving to swim amongst the reeds. The female rears them without help from the male, regurgitating food into the nest from her crop, the young seizing her bill and pulling it down. They become fully fledged at about eight weeks.

The Eurasian bittern has a very wide range and a large total population, estimated to be 110,000 to 340,000 individuals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its overall conservation status as being of "least concern because although the population trend is downward, the rate of decline is insufficient to justify rating it in a more threatened category. The chief threat the bird faces is destruction of reed beds and drainage and disturbance of its wetland habitats. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The southern race has suffered catastrophic decline during the 20th century due to wetland degradation and, unlike the northern race, is of high conservation concern.

In the United Kingdom, the main areas in which the Eurasian bittern breeds have been Lancashire and East Anglia with an estimated 44 breeding pairs in total in 2007. However, the Lancashire population at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve has declined in recent decades, while bitterns have been attracted to new reed beds in the West Country. In Ireland, it died out as a breeding species in the mid-19th century, but in 2011 a single bird was spotted in County Wexford and there have been a number of subsequent sightings. In the 21st century, bitterns are regular winter visitors to the London Wetland Centre, enabling city dwellers to view these scarce birds.

Population:

UK breeding:

80 males

UK wintering:

600 birds

Europe:

21 - 29,000 pairs

Grey Heron - Ardea Cinerea

The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.

The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.

In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially-prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, four hundred herons were served to the guests.

The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks.

Fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a water rail. It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very fast.

Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed, or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, or killed by having its neck snapped with the heron's beak, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates pellets of indigestible material such as fur, bones and the chitinous remains of insects. The main periods of hunting are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.

Population:

UK breeding:

13,000 nests

UK wintering:

63,000 birds

Bittern - Botaurus Stellaris

Norfolk

The bittern is a thickset heron with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. A secretive bird, very difficult to see, as it moves silently through reeds at water's edge, looking for fish. The males make a remarkable far-carrying, booming sound in spring. It's very small, reedbed-dependent population make it an Amber List species.

It is also a Schedule 1 species.

Unlike the similar storks, ibises, and spoonbills, herons, egrets, pelicans, and bitterns fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.

Eurasian bitterns feed on fish, small mammals, amphibians and invertebrates, hunting along the reed margins in shallow water. British records include eels up to 35 cm (14 in) and other fish, mice and voles, small birds and fledglings, frogs, newts, crabs, shrimps, molluscs, spiders and insects. In continental Europe, members of over twenty families of beetle are eaten, as well as dragonflies, bees, grasshoppers and earwigs. Some vegetable matter such as aquatic plants is also consumed.

Males are polygamous, mating with up to five females. The nest is built in the previous year's standing reeds and consists of an untidy platform some 30 cm (12 in) across. It may be on a tussock surrounded by water or on matted roots close to water and is built by the female using bits of reed, sedges and grass stalks, with a lining of finer fragments. Four to six eggs are laid in late March and April and incubated by the female for about twenty-six days. After hatching, the chicks spend about two weeks in the nest before leaving to swim amongst the reeds. The female rears them without help from the male, regurgitating food into the nest from her crop, the young seizing her bill and pulling it down. They become fully fledged at about eight weeks.

The Eurasian bittern has a very wide range and a large total population, estimated to be 110,000 to 340,000 individuals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its overall conservation status as being of "least concern because although the population trend is downward, the rate of decline is insufficient to justify rating it in a more threatened category. The chief threat the bird faces is destruction of reed beds and drainage and disturbance of its wetland habitats. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The southern race has suffered catastrophic decline during the 20th century due to wetland degradation and, unlike the northern race, is of high conservation concern.

In the United Kingdom, the main areas in which the Eurasian bittern breeds have been Lancashire and East Anglia with an estimated 44 breeding pairs in total in 2007. However, the Lancashire population at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve has declined in recent decades, while bitterns have been attracted to new reed beds in the West Country. In Ireland, it died out as a breeding species in the mid-19th century, but in 2011 a single bird was spotted in County Wexford and there have been a number of subsequent sightings. In the 21st century, bitterns are regular winter visitors to the London Wetland Centre, enabling city dwellers to view these scarce birds.

Population:

UK breeding:

80 males

UK wintering:

600 birds

Europe:

21 - 29,000 pairs

Grey Heron - Ardea Cinerea

The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.

The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.

In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially-prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, four hundred herons were served to the guests.

The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks.

Fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a water rail. It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very fast.

Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed, or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, or killed by having its neck snapped with the heron's beak, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates pellets of indigestible material such as fur, bones and the chitinous remains of insects. The main periods of hunting are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.

Population:

UK breeding:

13,000 nests

UK wintering:

63,000 birds

The Grey Heron is the most common heron species in Central Europe. It can be found in various habitats, but it is probably most often seen in the shallow water zones of lakes or in meadows lying in wait for its prey. Its typical flight silhouette can be distinguished from the crane and the stork mainly by the retracted head. A striking feature on the otherwise predominantly grey and white plumage are the slightly elongated black crest feathers.

Der Graureiher, auch Fischreiher genannt, ist eine Vogelart aus der Ordnung Pelecaniformes. Er ist in Eurasien und Afrika weit verbreitet und häufig. Weltweit werden vier Unterarten unterschieden. In Mitteleuropa ist er mit der Nominatform Ardea cinerea cinerea vertreten.

Wikipedia

Click to view Larger.

Like all hummingbirds, the Anna’s spends much of its life in overdrive. When flying, their hearts, no bigger than an infant’s fingernail, beat 1,200 times a minute. Every 60 seconds they breathe 250 times. In a typical day they will visit hundreds of flowers, dining every 15 minutes. It’s not an idle pursuit — they must consume twice their body weight in insects and nectar on a daily basis just to survive. They drink the nectar with tubular tongues that work like pumps and are so long that, when retracted, coil up inside the birds’ heads, around their skulls and eyes. The nectar, which is 26 per cent sugar, acts like rocket fuel, powering their high-octane lifestyle.

Bittern - Botaurinae

Interesting Bitterns fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.

A rare visitor to Ireland. Large, long-bodied, with a long narrow red bill ending in a hook. Swimming birds often retract their long necks. Adult males largely white with glossy green-black neck and head. Back largely black. Females with dark red-brown head, though with a white throat patch, greyish body.

A relatively small stork species with a grayish to white body and black wings and tail with a hint of gloss. The Asian Openbill gets its name from a distinctive gap in the dull grayish yellow bill. Note the pinkish legs. Asian Openbills inhabit wetland habitats including shallow marshes, flooded agricultural fields, and lakes. From a distance they could be confused with herons, but they can be clearly distinguished from herons by their feeding habits—wading slowly through shallow water. Soars frequently, often in large dense flocks; note extended neck, unlike retracted neck of herons and egrets. (eBird)

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I glanced up and saw what I initially thought was a murmuration of starlings, but no! A huge flock of at least 200 Asian Openbill storks lazily soaring above us, sometimes circling, sometimes moving forward. An astonishing sight on our first day of birding in Singapore.

Selected as cover photo for Marshbirds & Allies of the World - Rails, Bitterns, & More! on June 13, 2024.

Pasir Ris Park, Singapore. March 2024.

Birding Singapore.

Khao Lak Center: During the 26 December 2004 “Boxing Day” Tsunami, Khao Lak was one of the regions hit hardest by the natural disaster. Thailand lived one of the darkest episodes in its history. The Police Boat 813 is a stark reminder of this tragedy.

On that same day, the Police Boat 813 “Buretpadungkit” was at anchor about 1 nautical mile off the coast of Khao Lak. Her Royal Highness Ubonrat Rajakanya Siriwaddhana Phannawaddee was staying at the La Flora Resort with her daughters when the Andaman sea started to retract. Her son, the grandson of the King, was jet-skiing in front of Khao Lak at the time the tsunami hit. Over 4000 locals, including the grandson of the King, and tourists lost their life but unofficial numbers top the 10,000, which include many undocumented Burmese workers that were not recognized and neglected by the government.

At that time Khao Lak was in development with resorts and restaurants under construction. Most of the beach resorts and restaurants were completely washed away by the tremendous force of nature.

When the tsunami hit Khao Lak, the Police Boat 813 ended up 2 kilometers inland, in Bang Niang, where it remains today as a stark reminder of the tragedy that happened that day.

www.khaolakcenter.com/tsunami-boat-813-bang-niang/

274) Great Egret

Great Egret, Ardea alba, Bangau Besar

The great egret is a large heron with all-white plumage. Standing up to 1 m tall. It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, ibises, and spoonbills, which extend their necks in flight. The great egret walks with its neck extended and wings held close. The great egret feeds in shallow water or drier habitats, feeding mainly on fish, frogs, small mammals, and occasionally small reptiles and insects, spearing them with its long, sharp bill most of the time by standing still and allowing the prey to come within its striking distance of its bill which it uses as a spear. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim.

Bangau Besar lazimnya kelihatan di kawasan cetek atau ketika air surut di muara sungai mencari makan di dalam selut sambil bergerak perlahan atau berdiri tidak bergerak menunggu mangsa.

Click to view Larger.

Like all hummingbirds, the Anna’s spends much of its life in overdrive. When flying, their hearts, no bigger than an infant’s fingernail, beat 1,200 times a minute. Every 60 seconds they breathe 250 times. In a typical day they will visit hundreds of flowers, dining every 15 minutes. It’s not an idle pursuit — they must consume twice their body weight in insects and nectar on a daily basis just to survive. They drink the nectar with tubular tongues that work like pumps and are so long that, when retracted, coil up inside the birds’ heads, around their skulls and eyes. The nectar, which is 26 per cent sugar, acts like rocket fuel, powering their high-octane lifestyle.

Hummingbirds burn energy faster than any creature except flying insects. An average-sized male human burns between 2,500 and 3,000 calories a day. If a similar-sized hummingbird existed, it would burn more than 150,000 calories a day. American ornithologist Crawford Greene Walt once calculated that if we used energy at that rate that hummingbirds do, our skin would heat up to 400 C. Hummingbirds don’t overheat largely because they have so much exterior and so little interior; no part of them is far enough from the surface to trap much heat. These flying furnaces do cool down at night, however, when they enter torpor and slow their heart rate from a fluttery resting pulse of 21 beats per second to little more than one beat every two seconds.

The ability to slip into a type of hibernation on chilly nights helps the Anna’s survive our cold and rainy winters. The other factor is the abundance of backyard feeders and ornamental flowers found throughout the city, which provide them with a year-round food supply, in addition to the insects, spiders and tree sap they also feed upon.

an island has voted to retract itself in a delusional moment of invoking former British glory from times of the Empire and believing the obviously false promises of these two morons: Farage and Johnson who have already started retracting on their promises and those who are still celebrating the "Day when Britain got its Independence back" will soon will the hammer when Britain' economy lies in shambles. Imagine that only the first day the break in of markets did cost Britain more than ten year worth of net contribution to the EU, money they were claiming was nothing doing any good for them. Well the loss in the markets most certainly does nothing for Britain.

I have been living in the UK for the last nine years as a resident foreigner but I fear I cannot follow them into this nationalist madness and isolation :(

(Un)happy Sliders Sunday! :(

Vintage American-LaFrance apparatus in an apple orchard - Esopus, NY

These Green Anoles are a common lizard in Florida. I spent a couple enjoyable hours stalking and photographing them in my sister's yard and garden.

Much like frogs, these lizards have sticky and lightning-fast tongues to catch their unsuspecting prey, then retract them and gulp down the insect.

Summer of 2019, Jacksonville, Florida

The Grey Heron is the most common heron species in Central Europe. It can be found in various habitats, but it is probably most often seen in the shallow water zones of lakes or in meadows lying in wait for its prey. Its typical flight silhouette can be distinguished from the crane and the stork mainly by the retracted head. A striking feature on the otherwise predominantly grey and white plumage are the slightly elongated black crest feathers.

Der Graureiher, auch Fischreiher genannt, ist eine Vogelart aus der Ordnung Pelecaniformes. Er ist in Eurasien und Afrika weit verbreitet und häufig. Weltweit werden vier Unterarten unterschieden. In Mitteleuropa ist er mit der Nominatform Ardea cinerea cinerea vertreten.

Wikipedia

What3Words

///retract.weekends.highlighted

The weathered corrugated iron roof over the kitchen in my father's house where I grew up.

There are two layers of overlapping corrugated iron with a very cool mechanism for retracting the top layer to let the sun in.

16th July 2017 - Aero L-159 ALCA '6060' of the Czech Air Force retracting the landing gear on take off at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

The vernacular name "cheetah" is derived from Hindustani Urdu: چیتا‎ and Hindi: चीता (ćītā). This in turn comes from Sanskrit: चित्रय (kitra-ya) meaning 'variegated', 'adorned' or 'painted'. In the past, the cheetah was often called "hunting leopard" because they could be tamed and used for coursing. The generic name Acinonyx probably derives from the combination of two Greek words: ἁκινητος (akinitos) meaning 'unmoved' or 'motionless', and ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning 'nail' or 'hoof'. A rough translation is "immobile nails", a reference to the cheetah's limited ability to retract its claws. A similar meaning can be obtained by the combination of the Greek prefix a– (implying a lack of) and κῑνέω (kīnéō) meaning 'to move' or 'to set in motion'. The specific name jubatus is Latin for 'crested, having a mane'.

A few old generic names such as Cynailurus and Cynofelis allude to the similarities between the cheetah and canids.

A l'écart du marché de Noël, un personnage masqué (appelons ce personnage "Scarlet") consulte son smartphone, alors que son reflet et celui d'un potelet rétractable semblent me flasher à l'oeil comme mille soleils !

The Grey Heron is the most common heron species in Central Europe. It can be found in various habitats, but it is probably most often seen in the shallow water zones of lakes or in meadows lying in wait for its prey. Its typical flight silhouette can be distinguished from the crane and the stork mainly by the retracted head. A striking feature on the otherwise predominantly grey and white plumage are the slightly elongated black crest feathers.

Der Graureiher, auch Fischreiher genannt, ist eine Vogelart aus der Ordnung Pelecaniformes. Er ist in Eurasien und Afrika weit verbreitet und häufig. Weltweit werden vier Unterarten unterschieden. In Mitteleuropa ist er mit der Nominatform Ardea cinerea cinerea vertreten.

Wikipedia

Franz Weitlaner was a surgeon who practiced in rural Austria. Often alone he needed help retracting tissue so he invented this contraption. The teeth spread outward holding tissue apart during surgery. He published an article describing it in 1905. This photo was made out of 9 shots and focus stacked.

Mallard Drake (Anas platyrhynchos) incoming.

An Asian Openbill clicked in flight at the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. Since this bird is from the Stork family, it flies with its neck extended, unlike the Egrets that retract their necks in a characteristic "S" shape during flight. Also while the Egrets fly with a slow, deliberate, low-energy wing beat; the Storks reply on gliding and soaring, which conserves energy. Storks often migrate long distances and so this style of flying helps them glide or soar on thermals.

Merci à R.S. aus W. (Croti + Famille) qui a détecté une erreur dans mon identification..... d’où ce nouveau texte

Gracias a R.S. aus W. (Croti + Familia) que detectó un error en mi identificación..... de ahí este nuevo texto

🇫🇷 othriechis schlegelii, la Vipère de Schlegel ou Vipère à cils, est une espèce de serpents de la famille des Viperidae.

Son habitat s'étend du Belize et du sud du Mexique, sur le côté sud-est du versant Atlantique et les plaines qui parcourent l'Amérique centrale, jusqu'au nord de l'

Elle préfère des altitudes plutôt basses, des régions humides et tropicales au feuillage dense, en général à proximité d'une source d'eau permanente.

Cette espèce relativement petite dépasse rarement 75 cm de long ; les femelles sont plus grandes que les mâles. Ces vipères ont une tête large, de forme triangulaire et des yeux aux pupilles verticales. elles possèdent dans la mâchoire supérieure de grands crochets à venin semblables à des aiguilles hypodermiques. Ces crochets se rétractent quand elles ne s'en servent pas. De plus, les représentants de cette espèce sont dotés d'organes sensibles à la chaleur, placés de chaque côté de la tête entre l’œil et la narine.

Leur principale caractéristique est un ensemble d'écailles modifiées sur les yeux, qui ressemblent beaucoup à des cils. Bothriechis schlegelii se rencontre avec une large gamme de couleurs, y compris le rouge, le jaune, le marron, le vert, voire le rose, parfois combinées. Elles ont souvent des mouchetures noires ou marron sur la couleur de base.

🇬🇧 othriechis schlegelii, Schlegel's Viper or Eyelash Viper, is a species of snake in the Viperidae family.

Its habitat extends from Belize and southern Mexico, on the south-eastern side of the Atlantic slope and the plains that run through Central America, to the north of Spain.

It prefers fairly low altitudes and humid, tropical areas with dense foliage, usually close to a permanent water source.

This relatively small species rarely exceeds 75 cm in length; females are larger than males. These vipers have a broad, triangular head and eyes with vertical pupils. They have large, hypodermic needle-like venom hooks in the upper jaw. These hooks retract when not in use. They also have heat-sensitive organs on either side of the head between the eye and the nostril.

Their main characteristic is a set of modified scales on the eyes, which closely resemble eyelashes. Bothriechis schlegelii are found in a wide range of colours, including red, yellow, brown, green and even pink, sometimes in combination. They often have black or brown flecks on the base colour.

🇪🇸 othriechis schlegelii, víbora de Schlegel o víbora de las pestañas, es una especie de serpiente de la familia Viperidae.

Su hábitat se extiende desde Belice y el sur de México, en el sureste de la vertiente atlántica y las llanuras que atraviesan Centroamérica, hasta el norte de España.

Prefiere altitudes bastante bajas y zonas tropicales húmedas con follaje denso, normalmente cerca de una fuente de agua permanente.

Esta especie relativamente pequeña rara vez supera los 75 cm de longitud; las hembras son más grandes que los machos. Estas víboras tienen una cabeza ancha y triangular, ojos con pupilas verticales y grandes ganchos venenosos en forma de aguja hipodérmica en la mandíbula superior. Estos ganchos se retraen cuando no están en uso. También tienen órganos sensibles al calor a ambos lados de la cabeza, entre el ojo y la fosa nasal.

Su principal característica es un conjunto de escamas modificadas en los ojos, que se asemejan mucho a las pestañas. Las Bothriechis schlegelii presentan una amplia gama de colores: rojo, amarillo, marrón, verde e incluso rosa, a veces combinados. A menudo tienen motas negras o marrones sobre el color base.

🇩🇪 othriechis schlegelii, die Schlegel-Viper oder Wimpernviper, ist eine Schlangenart aus der Familie der Viperidae.

Ihr Lebensraum erstreckt sich von Belize und Südmexiko an der Südostseite des Atlantikhangs und den Ebenen, die sich durch Mittelamerika ziehen, bis in den Norden des Landes.

Sie bevorzugt eher niedrige Höhenlagen, feuchte und tropische Regionen mit dichtem Blattwerk, meist in der Nähe einer ständigen Wasserquelle.

Diese relativ kleine Art wird selten länger als 75 cm; die Weibchen sind größer als die Männchen. Diese Vipern haben einen breiten, dreieckigen Kopf und Augen mit vertikalen Pupillen. Im Oberkiefer besitzen sie große Gifthaken, die hypodermischen Nadeln ähneln. Diese Haken ziehen sich zurück, wenn sie nicht benutzt werden. Außerdem verfügen die Vertreter dieser Art über wärmeempfindliche Organe, die sich auf beiden Seiten des Kopfes zwischen Auge und Nasenloch befinden.

Ihr Hauptmerkmal ist eine Reihe von veränderten Schuppen auf den Augen, die Wimpern sehr ähnlich sind. Bothriechis schlegelii kommen in einer breiten Palette von Farben vor, darunter rot, gelb, braun, grün und sogar rosa, manchmal auch in Kombination. Sie haben oft schwarze oder braune Sprenkel auf der Grundfarbe.

🇮🇹 othriechis schlegelii, Vipera di Schlegel o Vipera dalle ciglia, è una specie di serpente della famiglia dei Viperidae .

Il suo habitat si estende dal Belize e dal Messico meridionale, sul versante sud-orientale del versante atlantico e delle pianure che attraversano l'America centrale, fino al nord della Spagna.

Predilige altitudini piuttosto basse e aree tropicali umide con fitto fogliame, di solito in prossimità di una fonte d'acqua permanente.

Questa specie relativamente piccola raramente supera i 75 cm di lunghezza; le femmine sono più grandi dei maschi. Queste vipere hanno una testa larga e triangolare, occhi con pupille verticali e grandi uncini veleniferi simili ad aghi ipodermici nella mascella superiore. Questi uncini si ritraggono quando non vengono utilizzati. Hanno anche organi sensibili al calore su entrambi i lati della testa, tra l'occhio e la narice.

La loro caratteristica principale è una serie di squame modificate sugli occhi, che assomigliano molto alle ciglia. I Bothriechis schlegelii sono presenti in un'ampia gamma di colori, tra cui rosso, giallo, marrone, verde e persino rosa, a volte in combinazione tra loro. Spesso presentano macchie nere o marroni sul colore di base.

Gaining altitude after takeoff, landing gear not yet retracted.

G-BRYC : DHC-7 Dash Seven : Brymon Airways

Delivered on 4th August, Brymon's first Dash-7 on a training flight.

Note the nosewheel is fully stowed away before the main wheels are halfway retracted.

Male juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird caught with it's long tongue out. When they retract their long tongue back into their beak, it coils up inside their head, wrapping around their skull. My backyard. Central Bucks PA.

Iraqi Airways (الخطوط الجوية العراقية‎) Airbus A320-214 (YI-ARD) retracting the landing gear after takeoff from runway 08R. Destination is Erbil (أربيل) (EBL, ORER), flight IA298.

(I did not know that Erbil has the 10th longest runways of the commercial airports worldwide...)

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

A trail of brake dust caused by applying brake to the wheels before being retracted.

Auf diesem Foto sieht die Möwe ziemlich kompakt oder sogar etwas gedrungen aus. Dieser Anblick unterscheidet sich von dem, den die Möwe bietet, wenn sie am Strand herumläuft. Die "Formveränderung" muß also Vorteile beim Fliegen mit sich bringen. Was man auch als Laie erkennt ist, dass durch das einziehen des Halses der Schwerpunkt mehr zur Körpermitte wandert und der Kopf dadurch "leichter" wird. Jeder, der schon einmal versucht hat einen Kasten Bier mit ausgestreckten Armen zu tragen, weiß was ich meine.

In this photo, the gull looks rather compact or even somewhat squat. This appearance differs from that of the gull when it is walking around on the beach. This ‘change in shape’ must therefore have advantages when flying. What even a layman can see is that by retracting the neck the centre of gravity moves more towards the middle of the body and the head becomes ‘lighter’ as a result. Anyone who has ever tried to carry a crate of beer with outstretched arms knows what I mean.

Fentes de dessiccation liées à la rétractation de boues argileuses lors de leur assèchement. Elles appartiennent à la formation des ruffes du Salagou.

Merci beaucoup à tous pour vos gentils commentaires et favoris!!

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Thanks to the group Administrators

At first I thought it was a snowy egret but then he does not have a long black bill but a yellow bill!

It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, ibises, and spoonbills, which extend their necks in flight. The great egret walks with its neck extended and wings held close. The great egret is not normally a vocal bird; it gives a low hoarse croak when disturbed, and at breeding colonies, it often gives a loud croaking cuk cuk cuk and higher-pitched squawks. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_egret

The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 64 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus are referred to as bitterns, and, together with the zigzag heron, or zigzag bittern, in the monotypic genus Zebrilus, form a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from the herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or have decorative plumes in breeding plumage. Herons, by evolutionary adaptation, have long beaks. Although herons resemble birds in some other families, such as the storks, ibises, spoonbills, and cranes, they differ from these in flying with their necks retracted, not outstretched. They are also one of the bird groups that have powder down. Some members of this group nest colonially in trees, while others, notably the bitterns, use reed beds.The herons are medium- to large-sized birds with long legs and necks. The herons are a widespread family with a cosmopolitan distribution. They exist on all continents. 54291

The western side of the Furka Pass (2429m), seen from the road up Grimsel Pass (2164m).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furka_Pass

Up left lies the Rhône Glacier, or what remains of it. This is the source of the river Rhône.

Wikipedia shows pictures of how the Rhône Glacier has retracted the last 140 years.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rh%C3%B4ne_Glacier

HDR + Lightroom

P1060898_899_900_901_902_903_904_easyHDR-vivid-colors-1

Ukraine-Russia War - Stop The War And Cling To Peace

Cling to Peace

Cling to peace for peace is supreme

peace is existence

peace is humanity's allotment.

Sway with compassion

sway with respect for human lives

for, war yields unworthy disharmony and devastation

war wields hatred and hostilities,

war destroys world peace and unity.

Retract the steps of vengeance

retract the arms of pursuits and plunder

for, human life is more precious than a diamond

if a diamond is lost, you can find another

but if one human life is lost, it is lost forever.

Give back the right of existence to people

give back the serenity that belongs to a nation

for, when every hour a bomb explodes

and a gun shot fired, a life gets lost

an apartment or a house gets damaged or demolished

it makes families homeless or makes them flee in fear

when the country, the patriotism, the land, the water

the vivacity belongs of that nation belongs to them.

So stop the war and cling to peace

sway with compassion and let survival prevail

retract from the war and respect safety of people

give back to your nations the peace they deserve.

by Bernedita Rosinha Pinto Monday, March 7, 2022

This Great Blue Heron lands in the marsh after a short flight, wings just beginning to retract from a full brake stop and the tail feathers straight out behind the bird. And interesting perspective on this bird ;)

Taken 19 July 2023 at Huntley Meadows, Virginia.

Another from my hoverfly on wild chicory series. I like the pose on this one - tongue extended and rear legs retracted and dusted with pollen. HFDF everyone!

Hoverfly - Syrphidae

allograpta obliqua

Coal Creek Trail

Lafayette, CO

Sunrise departure from 34L Sydney Airport (SYD/YSSY) for Adelaide (ADL/YPAD) as Jetstar 762, VH-VWW just beginning to get ready to retract its landing gear…

Satay by the Bay, Singapore

Grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks. It flies with slow wing-beats and sometimes glides for short distances. The birds often perch in trees, but spend much time on the ground, striding about or standing still for long periods with an upright stance, often on a single leg.

source: Wikipedia

Note the retracting wheels are still spinning after the take-off run

Le Pic Epeiche tambourine avec son bec. Cette action a remplacé le chant. Sa langue se rétracte autour du cerveau afin de le protéger lors des tambourinages.

The Great Spotted Woodpecker drums with its beak. This action has replaced singing. Its tongue retracts around the brain to protect it when drumming.

Marvel of Peru (Mirabilis jalapa) stamens and style retracting into the flower in the morning while there is still dew on the flower. More tangled than normal.

Yes, a crank like gizmo on this magnificently restored 1909 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud with all of it's bright metal accoutrement shining brightly in the Connecticut overhead light, and there was plenty of polished brass and stainless sparkling on this classic. Then, there was this one, a crank like item, attached at the very back of the car near, or seemingly connected to the canvas roof on the rear of the car. Was it a "power roof" retractor, and, of course, that would be muscle power? Or, was it a rear, back seat driver ejection seat, maybe used to crank out the cranky, pesky mother-in-law? There was no one there to ask, but I'll assume it's the former.

More of the car here: flic.kr/p/2qcLytm

G-OOOB : Boeing 757-28A : Air 2000

Starting to retract the undercarriage in the climbout from runway 23.

This beautiful iceberg migrated probably from on of the huge glaciers of Greenland into the Lancaster Sound of Nunavut, Canada. In the background one can observe one of the melting glaciers of the mountains of Devon Island. Already 10 years ago thse were heavily retracting and I wonder how they would loolk today, In combination with the iceberg a picture that freezes a moment in time, a moment that never will be the same.