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Kaziranga National Park
State Of Assam
India
The Asian or Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus) is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east.
Three subspecies are recognized—Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m. sumatranus from the island of Sumatra. Asian elephants are the largest living land animals in Asia.
Since 1986, E. maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years. Asian elephants are primarily threatened by degradation, fragmentation and loss of habitat, and poaching. In 2003, the wild population was estimated at between 41,410 and 52,345 individuals.
Female captive elephants have lived beyond 60 years when kept in semi-natural surroundings, such as forest camps. In zoos, elephants die at a much younger age and are declining due to a low birth and high death rate.
The genus Elephas originated in Sub-Saharan Africa during the Pliocene and ranged throughout Africa into southern Asia. The earliest indications of captive use of Asian elephants are engravings on seals of the Indus Valley civilization dated to the third millennium BC. – Wikipedia
The Pantanal
Wild Brazil
South America
The marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) is the largest deer species from South America reaching a length of 2 m (6.6 ft) and a shoulder height of 1.2 m (3.9 ft). It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. Formerly found in much of tropical and subtropical South America, it ranged east of the Andes, south from the Amazon rainforest, west of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest and north of the Argentinian Pampa.
Today it is largely reduced to isolated populations at marsh and lagoon zones in the Paraná, Paraguay, Araguaia and Guapore River basins. Small populations also occur in the southern Amazon, including Peru were protected in Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. It is listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN and on appendix I of CITES.
The latter half of its scientific name refers to the forked antlers. Marsh deer resemble the North American mule deer or blacktail deer.
The marsh deer lives only in marsh areas, notably the Pantanal and Chaco, in which the level of water is less than 70 cm (28 in) deep. They are swift swimmers. The marshes with their high vegetation density protect them from predators and provide them with food.
These deer also have a small migratory pattern; they follow the water levels between the dry season and flooding season. With the fluctuation in water levels, they can find new food sources that the water uncovers during the dry season. Some freshwater ponds on the Pantanal Wetland, Brazil reported low densities of individuals dictating that those ponds are not able to support large populations of marsh deer. Wikipedia
This is a flower starting to grow to life. Maybe she is just asleep, waiting for the right time. The time when she'll be ready to see the sun...
Always on the lookout for the classic outback windmill bore shot - this was a wonderful misty sunrise in South Australia's mid north somewhere near Hawker. The sun looked amazingly huge through the mist and the sepia colour was exactly as I saw it.
A little redo of an old favourite.
Costa Rica
Central America
Ctenosaura quinquecarinata, commonly known as the club tail iguana or the five-keeled spiny-tailed iguana is a species of lizard in the Iguanidae family endemic to Central America.
The tail on this species is heavily armored with five rings of spines forming longitudinal ridges. Males of the species grow to a length of 35 centimeters (14 in) whereas females attain 18.5 centimeters (7.3 in). Like most Ctenosaura the iguanas are born a bright green color fading to brown as the animal ages. The females tend to turn a uniform drab brown in color, and males develop tones of black, blue and yellow on their bodies and heads over the brown background.
Total population size is not known, but it is estimated that there may be fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. It is threatened by habitat loss through deforestation, overcollection through unregulated exploitation for the pet trade, and it is even hunted by humans as a food item. – Wikipedia
The Pantanal
Brazil
South America
The yacare caiman (Caiman yacare), also known commonly as the jacare caiman, Spanish 'yacaré', Paraguayan caiman, piranha caiman, red caiman, southern spectacled caiman, , jacaré in Portuguese and îakaré in Old Tupi, is a species of caiman, a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae. The species is endemic to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Brown in color and covered with dark blotches, males grow to a total length (including tail) of 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) and females to 1.4 metres (4.6 ft).
Typical habitats of this caiman include lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Its diet primarily consists of aquatic animals, such as snails, and occasionally land vertebrates.
Mating occurs in the rainy season and eggs hatch in March, with young fending for themselves as soon as they hatch.
The yacare caiman was hunted heavily for its skin to use for leather in the 1980s, which caused its population to decrease significantly. However, trading restrictions placed since have caused its population to increase. Its population in the Pantanal is about 10 million, and it is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.
South Africa
Cape of Good Hope
Southern Africa
HAPPY EASTER to everyone who celebrates the holiday!!!
Agapanthus praecox (common agapanthus, blue lily, African lily, or lily of the Nile) is a popular garden plant around the world, especially in Mediterranean climates. It is native of Natal and Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, local names include agapant, bloulelie, isicakathi and ubani. Most of the cultivated plants of the genus Agapanthus are hybrids or cultivars of this species. It is divided into three subspecies: subsp.praecox, subsp. orientalis and subsp. minimus.
Agapanthus praecox is a variable species with open-faced flowers. It is a perennial plant that can survive up to 75 years. Its evergreen leaves are 2 cm wide and 50 cm long. Its inflorescence is in umbel. The flowers of the agapanthus are blue, purple or white and bloom in the summer. They give capsules filled with fine black seeds (to be kept cool in sand until sowing). Its stem reaches one meter high. Its roots are very powerful and can break concrete.
The plant prefers a well-drained soil, but supports a poor soil. Exposure to full sun is preferable, but it supports partial shade. It does not like to be moved. It can be multiplied by sowing (flowering under 3 to 4 years) or division of tufts. It tolerates drought once well installed, but watering is preferable in case of long dry periods. It overwinters as a stump and therefore completely disappears during the cold months. Contrary to popular belief, this species can withstand wind, frost and cold up to −15 °C provided that the strains are protected for the first two years with mulching. - Wikipedia
San Vito
Costa Rica
Wilson Botanical Garden
Cherrie's tanager (Ramphocelus passerinii costaricensis) is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident breeder in the Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica and western Panama. This bird was formerly known as the scarlet-rumped tanager, but was split as a separate species from the Caribbean form, which was itself renamed as Passerini's tanager, Ramphocelus passerinii.). It was lumped back into the scarlet-rumped tanager in 2018.
Cherrie's tanager is very common from sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) altitude and occurs occasionally up to 1,700 m (5,600 ft). The preferred habitat is semi-open areas including light second growth, woodland edges, gardens and pasture with bushes. The cup nest is built up to 6 m (20 ft) high in a tree. The normal clutch is two pale blue or grey eggs, marked with black, brown or lilac. This species will sometimes raise two broods in a season.
The adult Cherrie's tanager is 16 cm (6.3 in) long and weighs 31 g (1.1 oz). The adult male is mainly black except for a scarlet rump, silvery bill and dark red iris. The female has a grey head, olive upperparts, orange rump, brownish wings and tail, and ochre underparts with a broad orange breast band. The female plumage is the one that differs most from Passerini's tanager. Immatures resemble the adult female, but with a less orange breast.
Cherrie's tanagers occur in pairs, small groups, or as part of a mixed-species feeding flock, and up to a dozen birds may roost together in dense thickets at night. This species feeds on small fruit, usually swallowed whole, insects and spiders.
Cherrie's tanager's call is a sharp wac. Its song consists of a few clear pleasant notes, delivered in longer phrases than that of its Caribbean relative. – Wikipedia
Serengeti National Park
Tanzania
East Africa
Group of wildebeest staring at the people in jeeps who were waiting for them to cross the Mara River in Kenya. We were down by the river for about four hours and were circled on all sides by wildebeest. Finally, a few zebras started to cross but were spooked and returned to shore. After a while longer the crowd of animals broke up and returned to the business of grazing on the grass farther away from the river.
The light is going through the veins of these leaves. This is Spring beauty... Life'll be back again.
Français
... c'était notre "dernier" WE en amoureux (en attendant le bébé) pour fêter notre 1ère année de mariage ...
English
... it was our "last" WE just the two of us for our first wedding anniversary ...
Let me know if you have a page on Facebook, I'll like it :D
Explore :D My first one since almost a year! Thank your all!!!
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh
India
The treepie was so far away, I needed to crop this image heavily. Click on image.
The rufous treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) is a treepie, native to the Indian Subcontinent and adjoining parts of Southeast Asia. It is a member of the crow family, Corvidae. It is long tailed and has loud musical calls making it very conspicuous. It is found commonly in open scrub, agricultural areas, forests as well as urban gardens. Like other corvids it is very adaptable, omnivorous and opportunistic in feeding.
The sexes are alike and the main colour of the body is cinnamon with a black head and the long graduated tail is bluish grey and is tipped in black. The wing has a white patch. The bill is stout with a hooked tip. The underparts and lower back are a warm tawny-brown to orange-brown in colour with white wing coverts and black primaries. The bill, legs and feet are black.
The range of the rufous treepie is quite large, covering Pakistan, India and into Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. It inhabits open forest consisting of scrub, plantations and gardens.
The rufous treepie is primarily an arboreal omnivore feeding on fruits, nectar, seeds, invertebrates, small reptiles and the eggs and young of birds; it has also been known to take flesh from recently killed carcasses. The rufous treepie has a wide repertoire of calls, but a bob-o-link or ko-tree call is most common. – Wikipedia