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Rougegorge familier ( Erithacus rubecula) en pleine mue, Neuchâtel, Suisse.
Le plumage d'un oiseau va bien entendu lui permettre de voler, mais il va aussi assurer son isolation thermique, sa protection solaire et son imperméabilité. L’oiseau va rester au chaud et au sec dans pratiquement toutes les conditions climatiques et pendant tous ses vols, à toutes les altitudes. Les plumes sont de véritables merveilles technologiques. Elles sont faites de kératine que l'on retrouve chez l'homme dans les cheveux, les poils ou les ongles mais également dans les griffes ou les sabots des animaux. La plume a une tige centrale (le rachis), épaisse, à laquelle sont rattachées latéralement de plus petites tiges (les barbes) comme deux peignes dos à dos. À la loupe, on peut voir que les dents des peignes sont à leur tour reliées entre elles par d'encore plus fins fils (les barbules). C’est tout un système de petits crochets reliant tout cet assemblage, assurant cohésion mais aussi souplesse à l'ensemble. Une plume n'est pas éternelle. Une à deux fois par an, les oiseaux font leur mue. Soit progressivement, soit plus brutalement. Dans ce dernier cas, comme pour certains canards et les oies, l'oiseau devient temporairement incapable de voler et est vulnérable.
Asian rhinos, in contrast to their African counterparts, possess a distinctive and heavily armored appearance, owing to the numerous folds in their skin. These magnificent creatures are herbivores, primarily feeding on a diet consisting of tall grasses, shrubs, leaves, and fruits. As they graze, they play a significant role in shaping and restructuring the landscapes they inhabit. However, the unfortunate truth is that some Asian rhinoceros species are on the brink of extinction.
Vietnam's last Javan rhinos, a critically endangered subspecies, tragically became extinct in 2010. One of the most pressing threats to these remarkable animals is poaching. Rhinoceroses are mercilessly hunted by poachers for their horns, which fetch exorbitant prices on the black market. East Asia, particularly Vietnam, stands out as the largest market for rhino horns.
Rhino horns, despite being composed of keratin, the same protein found in hair and fingernails, are coveted for their supposed therapeutic properties. Some cultures grind these horns into dust and consume it as traditional medicine or use it for ornamental purposes. Astonishingly, the price of rhino horns, when measured by weight, can rival that of gold on the black market.
Among Asian rhino species, both African species and the Sumatran rhinoceros possess two horns, while the Indian and Javan rhinoceros have a single horn. Regrettably, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes the black rhinoceros, Javan rhinoceros, and Sumatran rhinoceros as critically endangered, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect these magnificent creatures from extinction.
Hérisson d’Europe ou commun (Erinaceus europaeus), Neuchâtel, Suisse.
Le hérisson d’Europe appartient au genre des hérissons à petites oreilles. Ils forment un ordre particulier de mammifères, les insectivores. Les hérissons d’Europe mesurent de 22 à 30 cm de longueur. Le pelage est uniformément gris-brun, plus rarement apparaissent des individus plus clairs, voir albinos. Le poids corporel varie, selon l’âge et la saison, entre 300 grammes et 1, 5 kilogrammes au maximum.
Un hérisson adulte présente de 6000 à 8000 piquants rayés beige-noir-blanc. Les piquants sont des poils creux à l’intérieur, dont la couche de kératine s’est transformée en corne. Ces piquants servent de protection contre les prédateurs. En cas de danger, le hérisson se met en boule par la contraction d’un muscle circulaire spécial le long de la limite entre les piquants et les poils et par la contraction des muscles qui dressent à la racine les poils piquants et ainsi transforment le corps du hérisson immobile en une boule de piquants difficile à contourner pour un prédateur.
I heard a commotion behind me and this Red-tailed Hawk was trying to capture a Great Egret. It was a relief that the Egret got away. I noticed the huge beak and wasn't initially clear on which raptor this was. When I mentioned it to a nearby birder she told me the deformed beak was caused by hyperkeratosis. "In birds the leg and foot scales, nails, feathers and beak are composed of keratin. Hyperkeratosis is believed to be caused by a lack of Vitamin A which affects any cellular structures such as skin, feathers, mucus membranes in the mouth and eyes, and internal organs." Source: www.starlingtalk.com/hyperkeratosis.htm "Hyperkeratosis is a sign of a bird lacking in vitamin and its not always the diet the bird is on but the lack of that bird absorbing the necessary vitamins and this can affect just one bird in a flock even if it is on the same diet as the others," Source: theparrotclub.co.uk
Mésange noire ('Periparus ater), Neuchâtel, Suisse.
Le plumage d'un oiseau va bien entendu lui permettre de voler, mais il va aussi assurer son isolation thermique, sa protection solaire et son imperméabilité. L’oiseau va rester au chaud et au sec dans pratiquement toutes les conditions climatiques et pendant tous ses vols, à toutes les altitudes. Les plumes sont de véritables merveilles technologiques. Elles sont faites de kératine que l'on retrouve chez l'homme dans les cheveux, les poils ou les ongles mais également dans les griffes ou les sabots des animaux. La plume a une tige centrale (le rachis), épaisse, à laquelle sont rattachées latéralement de plus petites tiges (les barbes) comme deux peignes dos à dos. À la loupe, on peut voir que les dents des peignes sont à leur tour reliées entre elles par d'encore plus fins «fils» (les barbules). C’est tout un système de petits crochets reliant tout cet assemblage, assurant cohésion mais aussi souplesse à l'ensemble. Une plume n'est pas éternelle. Une à deux fois par an, les oiseaux font leur mue. Soit progressivement, soit plus brutalement. Dans ce dernier cas, comme pour certains canards et les oies, l'oiseau devient temporairement incapable de voler et est vulnérable.
One From the Archives.
Although I wasn’t in Costa Rica for “Birding,” I happened to come across this Toucan at one of the lodges we visited. He was looking for a handout, and I was looking for a photo... so we both benefited from the encounter : )
Toucan, the common name given to numerous species of tropical American forest birds known for their large and strikingly colored bills. The term toucan—derived from tucano, a native Brazilian term for the bird—is used in the common name of about 15 species. The largest toucans, up to 60 cm (24 inches) long, are Ramphastos species
Toucan bills can be one-third of the bird’s total length. Though the bill appears unwieldy, even heavy, it is composed of extremely lightweight bone covered with keratin—the same material as human fingernails. The bill is believed to have a frightening effect on other birds, including hawks. The wings of toucans are short and rounded, and the tail is usually long; these traits, along with the large bill, make toucans ungainly fliers.
In feeding, the toucan obtains food with the saw-edged bill and must toss back its head before swallowing. Although toucans are often considered to be primarily fruit eaters, most species consume a wide variety of food, including insects, snakes, frogs, and occasionally even small mammals.
Toucans are among the noisiest of forest birds; their repertoire includes loud barks, bugling calls, and harsh croaks. Larger species perch high in the canopy and utter loud calls that are accompanied by ritualized movements of the head and bill. The vocalizations act as rallying calls that attract groups of birds to good foraging sites.
Toucans tend to roost somewhat gregariously in treetop bands. They nest high in tree holes but do not excavate their own cavities. Instead, they find old woodpecker nests or natural holes formed by loss of tree branches. Two to four glossy white eggs are deposited in an unlined cavity, where they are incubated in shifts by both parents. Incubation lasts from 16 days to six weeks or more in some species. The naked hatchlings have large pads on their heels and require at least three weeks before their eyes open. They lack the large bill but grow it nearly to completion during their time in the nest. After about 45 days the nestlings begin life on their own. Family groups may remain together for a long time, as small flocks are often seen throughout the year.
(Nikon Z6, 24-200 @ 200 mm, 1/200 @ f/6.3, ISO 320, edited to taste)
La couleur bleue du Martin-pêcheur n’est pas due à un pigment mais à la structure en éponge des cristaux de kératine qui composent les plumes. Ces cristaux réfléchissent les rayonnement de la lumière de petite longueur d’onde ( couleur bleue ) et laissent passer les rayonnements de grande longueur d’onde ( couleur rouge ). Les plumes sont en réalité transparentes !
La couleur orange des plumes est due à des pigments de la famille des caroténoïdes. Ces pigments ne sont pas fabriqués par l’oiseau mais provient de son alimentation.
Next in my horns and antlers set is this Rocky Mountain Bul Elk giving a nice pose during the rut in Rocky Mountain National Park.
A little information about the difference between horns and antlers. From the National Park Service:
Antlers—found on members of the deer family—grow as an extension of the animal’s skull. They are true bone, are a single structure, and, generally, are found only on males.
Horns—found on pronghorn, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and bison—are a two-part structure. An interior portion of bone (an extension of the skull) is covered by an exterior sheath keratin (similar to human fingernails). Horns are usually found on both males and (in a diminutive form) females.
Antlers are shed and regrown yearly while horns are never shed and continue to grow throughout an animal’s life. There is a notable exception to that, which I'll discuss in a future post.
A shy porcupine came to visit. Wouldn't smile for me, kept his back to me most of the time. Handy tho to show the mixed colors of the various sized arsenal on his back. Single quills are interspersed with bristles, underfur, and hair.
"Porcupines' quills, or spines, take on various forms, depending on the species, but all are modified hairs coated with thick plates of keratin, embedded in the skin musculature. Quills are released by contact or may drop out when the porcupine shakes its body. New quills grow to replace lost ones.
Despite what is commonly believed, porcupines do not have the ability to launch their quills at range." wikipedia
That's a good thing.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Last in my horns and antlers series is this Pronghorn buck found in Custer State Park, South Dakota.
Pronghorn bucks' horns are unique in two ways. First, they are the only horn in the animal world that is “pronged”. And secondly it’s the only animal which sheds its horns. Actually, they don’t shed their whole horn. Pronghorn horns are composed of two parts. The inner structure is composed of bone growing from their skull. The outer structure of the horn, called the sheath, is composed of keratin, and it is shed and regrown annually.
The Indian pangolin, thick-tailed pangolin, or scaly anteater (Manis crassicaudata) is a pangolin found on the Indian subcontinent. It is not common anywhere in its range. Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armour. It can also curl itself into a ball as self-defence against predators such as the tiger. The colour of its scales varies depending on the colour of the earth in its surroundings.
It is an insectivore, feeding on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and logs using its long claws, which are as long as its fore limbs. It is nocturnal and rests in deep burrows during the day.
The Indian pangolin is threatened by hunting for its meat and for various body parts used in traditional medicine.
The Indian pangolin is a solitary, shy, slow-moving, nocturnal mammal. It is about 84–122 centimetres (33–48 in) long from head to tail, the tail usually being 33–47 cm long, and weighs 10–16 kg. Females are generally smaller than the males and have one pair of mammae. The pangolin possesses a cone-shaped head with small, dark eyes, and a long muzzle with a nose pad similar in color, or darker than, its pinkish-brown skin. It has powerful limbs, tipped with sharp, clawed digits. It is an almost exclusive insectivore and principally subsists on ants and termites, which it catches with a specially adapted long, sticky tongue.The pangolin has no teeth, but has strong stomach muscles to aid in digestion. The most noticeable characteristic of the pangolin is its massive, scaled armour, which covers its upper face and its whole body with the exception of the belly and the inside of the legs. These protective scales are rigid and made of keratin. It has 160–200 scales in total, about 40–46% of which are located on the tail. Scales can be 6.5–7 cm long, 8.5 cm wide, and weigh 7–10 grams. The skin and scales make up about one-fourth to one-third of the total body mass of this species.
The Indian pangolin has been recorded from various forest types, including Sri Lankan rainforest and plains to middle hill levels. The animal can be found in grasslands and secondary forests, and is well adapted to desert regions as it is believed to have a tolerance to dry areas, but prefers more barren, hilly regions. This pangolin species may also sometimes reach high elevations, and has been sighted in Sri Lanka at 1100 meters and in the Nilgiri mountains in India at 2300 meters. It prefers soft and semi-sandy soil conditions suitable for digging burrows.
Pangolin burrows fall into one of two categories: feeding and living burrows. Feeding burrows are smaller than living burrows (though their sizes vary depending on the abundance of prey) and are created more frequently during the spring, when there is a greater availability of prey. Living burrows are wider, deeper, and more circular, and are occupied for a longer time than feeding burrows, as they are mainly used to sleep and rest during the day. After a few months, the pangolin abandons the burrow and digs a new one close to a food source. However, it is not uncommon for the pangolin to shift back to an old burrow.
Unlike its African counterpart, the Indian pangolin does not climb trees, but it does value the presence of trees, herbs, and shrubs in its habitat because it is easier to dig burrows around them. Features that promote an abundance of ants and termites (grasses, bare grounds, bases of trees, shrubs, roots, leaf litter, fallen logs and elephant feces) are often present in pangolin habitats.
Few details are known about the breeding behaviour of the Indian pangolin. During the animal's mating period, females and males may share the same burrow and show some diurnal activities. Males have testes in a fold of the skin located in their groin areas. The female's embryo develops in one of the uterine horns. The gestation period lasts 65–70 days; the placenta is diffuse and not deciduate. Usually, a single young is born, but twins have been reported in this species. The young weigh 235–400 g at birth and measure roughly 30 cm. The newborn animals have open eyes, and soft scales with protruding hairs between them. The mother pangolin carries her young on her tail. When the mother and young are disturbed, the young pangolin is held against its mother's belly and protected by the mother's tail.
A rhinoceros (/raɪˈnɒsərəs/; from Ancient Greek ῥῑνόκερως (rhīnókerōs) 'nose-horned'; from ῥῑνός (rhīnós) 'nose', and κέρας (kéras) 'horn'), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species of the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea.) Two of the extant species are native to Africa, and three to South and Southeast Asia.
Rhinoceroses are some of the largest remaining megafauna: all weigh at least one tonne in adulthood. They have a herbivorous diet, small brains (400–600 g) for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick (1.5–5 cm), protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter when necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the two African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths; they rely instead on their lips to pluck food.
Rhinoceros are killed by poachers for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market for high prices, leading to most living rhinoceros species being considered endangered. The contemporary market for rhino horn is overwhelmingly driven by China and Vietnam, where it is bought by wealthy consumers to use in traditional Chinese medicine, among other uses. Rhino horns are made of keratin, the same material as hair and fingernails, and there is no good evidence of any health benefits. A market also exists for rhino horn dagger handles in Yemen, which was the major source of demand for rhino horn in the 1970s and 1980s.
eastern bluebird fly by. From the Smithsonian: Red and yellow feathers get their color from actual pigments, called carotenoids, that are in the foods birds eat, blue is different―no bird species can make blue from pigments. The color blue that we see on a bird is created by the way light waves interact with the feathers and their arrangement of protein molecules, called keratin. In other words, blue is a structural color. Different keratin structures reflect light in subtly different ways to produce different shades of what our eyes perceive as the color blue. A blue feather under ultraviolet light might look uniformly gray to human eyes.
The Indian pangolin, thick-tailed pangolin, or scaly anteater (Manis crassicaudata) is a pangolin found on the Indian subcontinent. It is not common anywhere in its range. Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armour. It can also curl itself into a ball as self-defence against predators such as the tiger. The colour of its scales varies depending on the colour of the earth in its surroundings.
It is an insectivore, feeding on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and logs using its long claws, which are as long as its fore limbs. It is nocturnal and rests in deep burrows during the day.
The Indian pangolin is threatened by hunting for its meat and for various body parts used in traditional medicine.
The Indian pangolin is a solitary, shy, slow-moving, nocturnal mammal. It is about 84–122 centimetres (33–48 in) long from head to tail, the tail usually being 33–47 cm long, and weighs 10–16 kg. Females are generally smaller than the males and have one pair of mammae. The pangolin possesses a cone-shaped head with small, dark eyes, and a long muzzle with a nose pad similar in color, or darker than, its pinkish-brown skin. It has powerful limbs, tipped with sharp, clawed digits. It is an almost exclusive insectivore and principally subsists on ants and termites, which it catches with a specially adapted long, sticky tongue.The pangolin has no teeth, but has strong stomach muscles to aid in digestion. The most noticeable characteristic of the pangolin is its massive, scaled armour, which covers its upper face and its whole body with the exception of the belly and the inside of the legs. These protective scales are rigid and made of keratin. It has 160–200 scales in total, about 40–46% of which are located on the tail. Scales can be 6.5–7 cm long, 8.5 cm wide, and weigh 7–10 grams. The skin and scales make up about one-fourth to one-third of the total body mass of this species.
The Indian pangolin has been recorded from various forest types, including Sri Lankan rainforest and plains to middle hill levels. The animal can be found in grasslands and secondary forests, and is well adapted to desert regions as it is believed to have a tolerance to dry areas, but prefers more barren, hilly regions. This pangolin species may also sometimes reach high elevations, and has been sighted in Sri Lanka at 1100 meters and in the Nilgiri mountains in India at 2300 meters. It prefers soft and semi-sandy soil conditions suitable for digging burrows.
Pangolin burrows fall into one of two categories: feeding and living burrows. Feeding burrows are smaller than living burrows (though their sizes vary depending on the abundance of prey) and are created more frequently during the spring, when there is a greater availability of prey. Living burrows are wider, deeper, and more circular, and are occupied for a longer time than feeding burrows, as they are mainly used to sleep and rest during the day. After a few months, the pangolin abandons the burrow and digs a new one close to a food source. However, it is not uncommon for the pangolin to shift back to an old burrow.
Unlike its African counterpart, the Indian pangolin does not climb trees, but it does value the presence of trees, herbs, and shrubs in its habitat because it is easier to dig burrows around them. Features that promote an abundance of ants and termites (grasses, bare grounds, bases of trees, shrubs, roots, leaf litter, fallen logs and elephant feces) are often present in pangolin habitats.
Few details are known about the breeding behaviour of the Indian pangolin. During the animal's mating period, females and males may share the same burrow and show some diurnal activities. Males have testes in a fold of the skin located in their groin areas. The female's embryo develops in one of the uterine horns. The gestation period lasts 65–70 days; the placenta is diffuse and not deciduate. Usually, a single young is born, but twins have been reported in this species. The young weigh 235–400 g at birth and measure roughly 30 cm. The newborn animals have open eyes, and soft scales with protruding hairs between them. The mother pangolin carries her young on her tail. When the mother and young are disturbed, the young pangolin is held against its mother's belly and protected by the mother's tail.
Creatine supplements can contribute to nail health by making them stronger and less prone to splitting and breaking
I did a bit of research yesterday. This sheep often has dark liquid coming from the slit next to the eye. Sheep don't have a lacrimal gland, they have an infraorbital organ, a gland that produces a substance with unknown purpose. There are three theories about this substance. A: the moor substance, the more dominance. This could really be it. This sheep is the boss. B: the substance smells good (from a sheepical point of view) and could be a self-produced perfume. Maybe that's why my sheep look so befuddled. C: The substance is a self-produced skin-care. Sounds unlikely, but sheep have scent glands between their toes and while I thought that those interdigital glands produce a substance to nourish the keratin part of the toes, I read now, that the interdigital gland has a sexual function too. And I guess the feet smell better.
Here is a 3-month-old Baby Rhino that was rescued after being found wandering without its mother in the Serengeti.
The baby rhino’s skin was injured before being rescued necessitating a blanket to protect it from the Sun. The caretakers also cover the baby with dirt to protect it from flies, etc.
The baby will reside in a wildlife animal shelter until old enough to be released back into the wild.
A rhinoceros commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of the odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of the species are native to Africa, and three to South and Southeast Asia.
Rhinoceroses are some of the largest remaining megafauna: all weigh at least one ton in adulthood. They have a herbivorous diet, small brains for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure.
They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter when necessary.
The two African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths; they rely instead on their lips to pluck food.
Rhinoceroses are killed by poachers for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market for high prices, leading to most living rhinoceros species being considered endangered.
A baby rhino is surely one of Africa’s most adorable inhabitants. Seeing one practicing its charge will put a smile on anyone’s face – unless its mother is following suit and heading in your direction!
If a baby rhino survives its early years, it will grow into one of Africa’s largest and toughest animals, with a pair of magnificent horns. But there are still challenges ahead, and its distinguishing feature puts it at risk from poachers.
Mothers of both species give birth to a single calf, after a 15-month (black rhinos) or 16-month (white rhinos) gestation period. A black rhino calf weighs around 35-50 kg, while the larger white rhino gives birth to a 40-65 kg baby.
Like any mammal, a baby rhino needs its mother’s milk to grow big and strong. Rhino milk is quite unusual in that it’s extremely low in fat.
This could be because of the mother’s long lactation period – calves may continue to suckle for a year or more. Therefore, producing calorie and nutrient-dense milk would be too much of a strain.
Before calves are fully weaned, they must prepare their bodies for their adult diet. Specifically, their digestive systems, which lack the bacteria to digest vegetation at birth. How do they get these bacteria? By eating their mother’s dung!
This switch in a baby rhino’s diet doesn’t happen overnight. They must munch on dung for a few months to properly prepare their gut for a lifetime of grazing or browsing.
The young calf relies heavily on its mother for food and protection in its early months and years, while males play no part in the rearing of young. Baby rhinos will stay with their mother for two or three years, during which time she won’t mate with other males.
Rhino calves are born without horns. Look closely, and you can make out the stub from which the horn will grow. It doesn’t take long – within a couple of months it will start to appear, though it will be a long time before it looks anywhere near fully grown.
Rhino horns are not really ‘horns’ at all. They’re made of keratin, the same substance as our fingernails. Once the baby rhino’s horns begin to grow, they will keep growing throughout its life. This happens very slowly, at several centimetres per year.
With a rhino’s long lifespan, it means older individuals can have very long horns indeed. The record for a white rhino is 150 cm!
(Nikon Z, 100-400 @ 200 mm, 1/1600 @ f/5, ISO 800, processed to taste)
Le Martin-pêcheur prend soin de ses plumes au moins 2 heures par jour.
Il les lisses et les imperméabilise afin d'allier vol et nage.
Il utilise ses ailes pour nager et sortir de l'eau. Son plumage gonflé d'air l'aide également a remonter à la surface.
La couleur bleue du Martin-pêcheur n'est pas due a un pigment mais à la structure en éponge des cristaux de kératine qui composent les plumes. Ces cristaux réfléchissent les rayonnement de la lumière de petite longueur d'onde ( couleur bleue ) et laisse passer les rayonnements de grande longueur d'onde ( couleur rouge ).
Les plumes sont en réalités transparentes !
La couleur orange des plumes est due à des pigments de la famille des caroténoïdes. Ces pigments ne sont pas fabriqués par l'oiseau mais proviennent de son alimentation.
Informations apprises lors de ma visite à l'exposition " le roi pêcheur " d'Erwan Balança à la maison du lac à Bouaye.
Let's start the week with an adorable baby white rhino that I was fortunate enough to photograph on my last trip to Africa. I had both baby and mom together for a significant amount of time. They were very comfortable with my presence and the youngster was even curious as to why someone like me was so interested.
Both white and black rhinos are endangered species, largely as a result of the threat of poaching for rhino horn. Rhino horn is made from keratin, something found in both human hair and nails. It has absolutely no medicinal value despite some still believing it does. Thankfully the region where this image was captured is doing a great job in protecting these precious animals.
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Chez le chat, ce que nous appelons des moustaches sont en réalité des vibrisses. Des poils plus longs, plus épais et plus rigides que les autres. Mais des poils tout de même, composés de kératine comme les autres. Ils constituent des organes sensoriels essentiels au chat. À leur base, se trouve en effet un réseau de terminaisons nerveuses particulièrement sensibles.
Comme leur dénomination technique l'indique, les moustaches du chat - que l'on ne trouve pas seulement de part et d'autre de son nez, mais aussi au-dessus de ses yeux et à l'arrière de ses pattes inférieures - sont sensibles aux vibrations. Elles aident donc le félin à repérer tout mouvement de proximité. Elles le renseignent également sur la direction et la force du vent ainsi que sur les odeurs alentour. Et comme elles sont plus longues que la largeur du chat, elles lui permettent de savoir s'il peut se faufiler par une ouverture. Les moustaches servent aussi au chat, qui voit mal de près, à localiser correctement ses proies.
Les chats ont 24 vibrisses hypersensibles qui détectent le moindre courant d'air. Les moustaches sont d'une aide précieuse la nuit même si le chat a une excellente vision nocturne. Elles aident le félin à repérer les proies en renforçant son odorat et son ouïe. Savez-vous que les moustaches sont le troisième organe le plus important de nos petits félins ? Les chats ont conscience de l'importance des vibrisses et c'est pour cette raison que les mères les raccourcissent pour éviter que leurs chatons ne s'éloignent trop loin d'elles.
Les chats ont des moustaches différentes en fonction de leur race mais les fonctions restent les mêmes. Les vibrisses du Peterbald ou Devon Rex sont courtes et ondulées alors que celles de l'American Wirehair sont frisées et plus rêches. Cependant, la plupart des chats ont des moustaches lisses, longues et rigides.
Un grand merci pour vos favoris, commentaires et encouragements toujours très appréciés.
Many thanks for your much appreciated favorites and comments.
Actually it was a sunny day but the words just popped into my head.
Saw this lovely flower at Felbrigg Hall and thought it would look good with a bit of sliding and a texture courtesy of Kerstin Frank: www.flickr.com/photos/kerstinfrank-design/6295672180/in/a...
I'm away for a few days with sketchy internet, will try to catch up a bit later or when back. HSS
This juvenile, first observed 6-26, keeps making appearances daily along with two adult males and another juvenile at the jelly feeder. Its upper mandible seems to have grown longer and more hooked as time passes.
Addendum: September 4 - All orioles, including this one, have migrated from the area as of 8-30, except for one adult male today. Sure hope this “crossbill” survives and returns next spring!
Rhinoceros are some of the most endangered species in the world. There are five living species of rhinoceros. The white rhino was almost wiped out in the late 1800’s but conservation efforts have increased to about 10,000 in South Africa.The white rhino is a grazer; the other four species are browsers. White rhino have two horns that are not attached to their skull but grow from their skin and are made of keratin fibre. African Lion Safari near Cambridge, Ontario has a small herd to help create a breeding program. The only way to see the rhinos is to drive through an area designed to let most of the animals roam free.
Western Bluebird - Something interesting about this image is the beak deformity which is characterized as Avian Keratin Disorder. The beak is made out of the same stuff as our fingernails, and they do continue to grow, however there is evidence that this disorder may have a viral causation that could be environmental. My good Friend Dan Weisz sent me this study on what is becoming a more commonly seen deformity on birds. www.sciencedaily.com/rel.../2016/07/160726123107.htm
©R.C. Clark: Dancing Snake Nature Photography
All rights reserved - Pima County, AZ
#PeaceLoveConservation
A rhino's horn, which is often sold on the black market, is actually made of keratin, the same protein that makes fingernails and hair.
This picture of a rhino resting in the shade of a tree was taken at 600mm and f6.3. The shallow depth of field allowed the rhino's horn to be in focus but the face blurred in the background. We hoped this would create a unique perspective of these amazing animals.
Avian keratin disorder is an emerging disease among wild birds in North America characterized by overgrowth and deformities of beaks. This recently discovered pathology is due to the overproduction of keratin covering the bones of birds' beaks.
The male has a striking reddish-pink crown and gorget, which are strongly iridescent and dependent on the angle of illumination and observation by female or male competitor birds. The iridescence results from large stacks of melanosomes in the feather barbules, occurring as layers separated by keratin.
The barbules reflect incident light in the manner of partially-opened Venetian blinds, enabling the iridescence – which varies the head and gorget coloration with the changing angle of light – as a coloration advantage for courtship attraction and territory defense.
Actually, I had no idea what pin feathers were until I tried to figure out the black/white spikes on the Cardinal's crest. According to AI: A black-and-white, spiked pin feather is a new feather growing in, encased in a protective sheath of keratin. The colors indicate the feather's maturity, while the spiky appearance is normal during the molting process
Adult rhinoceros have no real predators in the wild, other than humans. Young rhinos can however fall prey to big cats, crocodiles, African wild dogs, and hyenas.
Although rhinos are large and have a reputation for being tough, they are very easily poached; they visit water holes daily and can be easily killed while they drink. As of December 2009, poaching increased globally while efforts to protect the rhino are considered increasingly ineffective. The most serious estimate, that only 3% of poachers are successfully countered, is reported of Zimbabwe, while Nepal has largely avoided the crisis.
Rhinoceros horns, unlike those of other horned mammals, (which have a bony core), only consist of keratin, similar to human hair and nails.
The keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. The bird is also known as sulfur-breasted toucan and rainbow-billed toucan
The keel-billed toucan, the national bird of Belize, can be found from Southern Mexico to Venezuela and Colombia.
It roosts in the canopies of tropical, subtropical, and lowland rainforests, up to altitudes of 1,900 m, where it may be seen in loose troops of up to 6 - 12 birds.
The keel-billed toucans ranges in length from 42 to 55 cm, including its famous long beak. Their large and colourful beak is 12 to 15 cm, which is actually a third of its total length. While the bill seems large and cumbersome, it is in fact a spongy, hollow bone covered in keratin, a very light and hard protein.
The bill is mainly yellowish green with a reddish tip and orange sides, and a black band along the base of the bill. The plumage of the keel-billed toucans is mainly black with a yellow neck and chest.
Males and females look identical except that males may be slightly larger than the females.
The toucans usually eat fruits. However, they also eat small birds, small reptiles, insects, and eggs.
De zwavelborsttoekan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) is een opvallende gekleurde vogel uit de familie van de toekans (Ramphastidae) die leeft van Venezuela en Colombia tot Zuid-Mexico.
De zwavelborsttoekan is de nationale vogel van Belize.
Zijn natuurlijke habitat bestaat uit tropisch bos.
De zwavelborsttoekan meet inclusief snavel 42 tot 55 cm.
De snavel apart heeft een lengte van 12 tot 15 cm, wat een derde van de lengte van zijn hele lijf uitmaakt.
Het mannetje weegt gemiddeld 500 gr, het vrouwtje 380 gr.
Hoewel de snavel erg groot is, weegt hij slechts weinig: de snavel is hol en is gemaakt van keratine, een licht, hard eiwit.
Het verenkleed is zwart, met uitzondering van de gele borst en zijkop. De poten hebben een blauwe kleur; de staart heeft aan het uiteinde rode veren. Het grootste deel van de snavel is groen, met aan de zijkant oranje; het uiteinde is paarsrood.
Net als de meeste andere soorten toekans, leven zwavelborsttoekans in kleine familiegroepen van 6 tot 12 dieren.
Ze leven nauwelijks solitair. Een karakteristiek gedragselement is het zich laten voeren van fruit door een andere toekan. Zwavelborsttoekans voeden zich vooral met fruit, maar ook met insecten, eieren, kleine vogels, hagedissen of boomkikkers.
Deze foto is gemaakt in Ouwehands Dierenpark in Rhenen.
( www.ouwehand.nl/ )
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All rights reserved. Copyright © Martien Uiterweerd. All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission.
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In recent years, rhinos have been threatened by poaching, urbanization and pollution, which have left certain rhino species on the brink of extinction while leaving other species severely endangered.
Rhino horns are in great demand in many southeast Asian countries like Vietnam. The Chinese use it as an aphrodisiac and make traditional medicines with it. More than ever, rhinos need care and conservation now. Organisations and non-profit groups across the world are engaging in anti-poaching measures.
The rhinoceros is our planet’s armoured giant. There are five species of rhino – white and black rhinos in Africa, and the greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran rhino species in Asia.
The white rhinoceros or square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is the largest extant species of rhinoceros was busy grazing at sunset. Photographed during a photography safari on a late evening game drive in the open savannah plains of Africa.
I had seen several birds Bill-Wipe for various reasons. Raptors do that to clean their beak after eating food. Smaller birds often do that maybe to hone their bills / beaks. The Baya Weaver wasn't here after a meal, so I guess it was honing the beak, making it strong and keeping it in shape. Without this, it is thought that the Bills (Short Beaks) made up of protein / Keratin can go out of shape.
Thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.
The black rhinoceros, prehensile or hook-lipped rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is a species of rhinoceros. The upper lip of the black rhino is adapted for feeding from trees and shrubs.
Black rhinos are not black. The species probably derives its name as a distinction from the white rhino and/or from the dark-colored local soil that covers its skin after wallowing in mud.
They have two horns, and occasionally a third, small posterior horn.
Populations of black rhino declined dramatically in the 20th century at the hands of European hunters and settlers. Between 1960 and 1995, black rhino numbers dropped by a sobering 98%, to less than 2,500. Since then, the species has made a tremendous comeback from the brink of extinction. Thanks to persistent conservation efforts across Africa, black rhino numbers have doubled from their historic low 20 years ago to around 5,600 today. However, the black rhino is still considered critically endangered, and a lot of work remains to bring the numbers up to even a fraction of what it once was - and to ensure that it stays there. Wildlife crime - in this case, poaching and black-market trafficking of rhino horn - continues to plague the species and threaten its recovery.
This magnificent black rhinoceros was photographed on an early morning game drive in the wild savannah plains of Africa.
I finally obtained a decent image of this juvenile Baltimore oriole with a deformed beak today (avian keratin disorder??) I’ve observed this youngster for about three weeks at our jelly feeders. It seems to function very well with little or no difficulty. I would think preening and overall feather upkeep might be an issue though. It will be interesting to see if this one returns to our feeders next spring!
Cuiaba River
The Pantanal
Wild Brazil
South America
My favorite toucan, the Toco Toucan.
Measuring 63.5 cm (25 in.) in length, the toco toucan is the largest of all toucans. Its black body and white throat are overshadowed by its most recognizable trait: a large colorful beak.
The bright orange beak is about 19 cm (8 in.) long – one third of the bird’s total length. But despite its substantial size, the beak weighs less than you may think. Composed of the protein keratin, the structure of beak incorporates many air pockets allowing for a very low mass.
Furthermore, recent research has concluded that toucans regulate body temperature by adjusting the flow of blood to their beak. More blood flow means more heat is released. When toucans sleep, they tuck their beak under their feathers to keep them warm.
Toco toucans also use their beaks to pluck and peel fruit, their main source of food. In addition, the beak houses a flat tongue of the same length, which helps the toucan catch insects, frogs, and reptiles. Toco toucans also occasionally eat the eggs of other birds.
Although they spend a lot of time in trees, they are not very good at flying. Toucans mainly travel among trees by hopping. When they do take flight, they flap their wings vigorously and glide, traveling only short distances. Toucans nest in the hollows of trees. They often move into cavities created and abandoned by woodpeckers.
Several toucans live together in a single hollow. It is in these hollows that they lay their eggs, generally two to four a year. Both parents incubate the eggs for 16-20 days. Once the chicks hatch, both parents continue to care for the young. Baby toucans are not born with an excessively large beak; the beak grows as the birds develop.
Native to South America, toco toucans inhabit a range of habitats including tropical forests, savannas, and shrubland.
Because toco toucans can live in a variety of habitats, they are not as susceptible to rainforest destruction as other species. Their population has not been determined, but it is thought to be large due to the frequency of sightings within their range. As such, the toco toucan is listed by the IUCN as being of least concern, and there are no specific efforts to protect the species.
A feather is a “dead” structure, analogous to hair or nails in humans and made of the same basic ingredient, the protein keratin. This means that when they get damaged, feathers can’t heal themselves—they have to be completely replaced. This replacement of all or some of the feathers is called molt. In addition to providing a new set of healthy feathers, molts often provide a new look to the bird’s plumage—new colors or patterns that can indicate the bird’s age, sex, or the season of the year.
Observed patterns can vary by species, by individual, from year to year, and by individual feathers on the same bird. Molts can be either complete, in which the bird replaces every one of its feathers over the same molt period; or partial.
(All About BIrds)
Juste derrière chez moi, un brocard (mâle) qu'on reconnaît aisément grâce à ses bois (et non des cornes, car il s'agit de matière osseuse et non de kératine), qui poussent et tombent tous les ans. Sur cette photo, ils sont encore "en velours" : membranes de peau qui recouvrent les bois et permettent leur irrigation sanguine lors de leur croissance.
Curieusement, la photo laisse moins apparaître le bruit que ce que j'aurai pu craindre (même s'il y a du PT), le petit capteur du M43 ne supportant normalement pas la montée en iso.
Browsing my photo cache for the next installment in my horns and antlers series, I came across this bull elk in a rocky setting and decided it made a nice companion shot to the bison on the rocks posted yesterday.
A quick refresher on the difference between horns and antlers. Antlers are grown and shed annually, while horns are permanent structures with a bone core covered by a keratin sheath. Antlers are made of bone tissue and are covered in a soft, velvety skin while growing, but are shed completely each year. Horns are never shed and continue to grow throughout the animal's life, with the keratinous outer layer being added over a permanent bony core.
With its thick grey skin and conspicuous horn on its snout, almost every kid in the globe should be able to recognise this magnificent creature - the rhinoceros. However, it is critically endangered in the wild and is on the verge of extinction unless anything is done to save this species. As a result, World Rhino Day is celebrated on September 22. It aims to make people more aware about rhinos and conserve what is left of these wonderful creatures.
In recent years, rhinos have been threatened by poaching, urbanization and pollution, which have left certain rhino species on the brink of extinction while leaving other species severely endangered.
Rhino horns are in great demand in many southeast Asian countries like Vietnam. The Chinese use it as an aphrodisiac and make traditional medicines with it. More than ever, rhinos need care and conservation now. Organisations and non-profit groups across the world are engaging in anti-poaching measures.
The white rhinoceros or square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is the largest extant species of rhinoceros was busy grazing and was captured during a photography safari on an early morning game drive in the open savannah plains of Africa.
Feathers are made of a protein called keratin so our insectivorous robin will be looking for high protein food. Aphids, swarming ants, caterpillars, and the eggs, larvae and pupae of all kinds of flying insects would be its usual fare at this time of year but this summer’s drought may be making for difficult hunting.
By the autumn, our robins will be wearing their refurbished plumage: sleek and polished with a shiny, new red breast, all ready for Christmas.
World Rhino Day on 22 September celebrates all five species of rhino: Black, white, greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan rhinos.
There is no conclusive explanation of the name "white rhinoceros". A popular idea that "white" is a distortion of either the Afrikaans word wyd or the Dutch word wijd (or its other possible spellings whyde, weit, etc.,), meaning "wide" and referring to the rhino's square lips, is not supported by linguistic studies.
The white rhino has an immense body and large head, a short neck and broad chest. Females weigh 1,600 kg (4,000 lb) and males 2,400 kg (5,000 lb). The head-and-body length is 3.5–4.6 m (11–15 ft) and the shoulder height is 1.8–2 m (5.9–6.6 ft). On its snout it has two horns. The front horn is larger than the other horn and averages 90 cm (35 in) in length and can reach 150 cm (59 in). The white rhinoceros also has a prominent muscular hump that supports its relatively large head. The colour of this animal can range from yellowish brown to slate grey. Most of its body hair is found on the ear fringes and tail bristles, with the rest distributed rather sparsely over the rest of the body. White rhinos have a distinctive flat broad mouth that is used for grazing.
Rhinoceroses are some of the largest remaining megafauna: all weigh at least one tonne in adulthood. They have a herbivorous diet, small brains (400–600 g) for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick (1.5–5 cm), protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter when necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the two African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths; they rely instead on their lips to pluck food.
Rhinoceros are killed by some poachers for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market, and used by people in some cultures for ornaments or traditional medicine. East Asia, specifically Vietnam, is the largest market for rhino horns. By weight, rhino horns cost as much as gold on the black market. People in some cultures believe the horns to have therapeutic properties and they are ground up and the dust consumed. The horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails. Both African species and the Sumatran rhinoceros have two horns, while the Indian and Javan rhinoceros have a single horn.
Pilanesberg National Park & Game Reserve
North West Province
South Africa
Photo prise au petit étang du Loch à Guidel dans le Morbihan à proximité d’un roselière dans une eau saumâtre peu profonde qu’elle affectionne particulièrement !
L’aigrette garzette marche lentement dans l’eau peu profonde ou le long des rives, mais elle reste souvent debout et immobile dans l’eau peu profonde ou à la lisière, attendant qu’une proie passe près de lui pour la harponner avec le bec pointu. Ces proies sont en général avalées entières selon leur taille. Les parties indigestes sont régurgitées sous forme de pelotes contenant les parties dures des différentes proies, telles que griffes, kératine, os et arêtes, plumes…
A savoir : Comme d’autres aigrettes, elle a été persécutée pour le commerce des plumes à la fin du 19ème siècle et au début du 20ème. Les plumes étaient utilisées comme ornements sur les chapeaux des dames, et les oiseaux étaient tués alors qu’ils nourrissaient leurs jeunes qui, abandonnés, mouraient en grands nombres. Aujourd’hui, cette espèce, tout comme d’autres Ardéidés, est menacée par la perte de l’habitat et les changements dans les zones humides, la pollution et les compétitions pour les sites de nidification. Cependant, les populations d’aigrettes ont retrouvé des nombres satisfaisants et une distribution plus étendue grâce à la protection de l’habitat et des oiseaux.
Many species of sunbirds overlap in their environmental niches - they share location and food sources etc. This is possible through the establishment of sensory (here visual) niches, based on the color of the males and strong sexual selection by females. Under such conditions, feather patterns of male members of sunbird species have evolved to balance two differing selective forces: the need to camouflage and the need to attract. Iridescence seems to play an important role there - it is an effect created by the nano-structure of keratin, air and melanin of their feathers, which makes the feather shine under some angles but appear almost black from others.
At the same time, nest-caring females have a strong need to be well-camouflaged, which is supported by a strong sexual dimorphism, in which male members of sunbird species often display a lot of color, while females appear comparatively dull.
This is a picture of the same brown-throated sunbird I posted yesterday, here showing the signature brown throat, which to me seems the least obvious feature. Despite their impressive colors, I still find them hard to spot in the wild.
Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands. A couple of great blue herons at the wetlands had these growths beneath their chins. The best explanation I've gotten is that it's some form of avian keratin disorder. It did not seem to impact the birds' abilities to hunt preen, etc.
World Pangolin Day 2024 is on 17 February, a day to raise awareness of pangolins or scaly anteaters, one of the most unique and endangered mammals on Earth. Their scales are harvested for traditional medicines that see them as cure-alls.
Pangolins are a very rare species and very difficult to see on a safari. One evening, on our way back to camp we happened to see a Temminck's Ground Pangolin.
Pangolins are almost completely covered in overlapping, protective scales, which makes up about 20% of their body weight. The scales are composed of keratin, the same material that forms human hair and fingernails, and give pangolins an appearance similar to a pinecone or artichoke. The underside of a pangolin is not covered with scales, but sparse fur, instead. When threatened, it usually rolls up into a ball, thus protecting its vulnerable belly. Pangolins are 30 to 90 cm long exclusive of the tail and weigh from 5 to 27 kg (Wikipedia).
Seen and admired somewhere in Botswana, Africa
Believed to be the most trafficked animal in the world, the Pangolin is close to extinction thanks to them being considered a high-end delicacy in places like China and Vietnam.
Their scales are boiled off their bodies for misguided Chinese traditional medicine, believed to cure anything from asthma to cancer. This couldn't be further from the truth however, as their scales are made of keratin (the same stuff as our hair).
Statistics suggest that a Pangolin is killed roughly every 8 minutes thanks to this. A truly shocking statistic and one that makes me sick to my stomach.
I was very fortunate to come across this Ground Pangolin while in Namibia. Close to Etosha National Park, there is great work being done by people dedicated to the survival of this beautiful species. I will be posting more on this species soon and ways you and I can help support conservation efforts to protect them. They need all the help they can get.