Colourful and endearing frogs from Indonesia. (Click on image for full size.)
Many animals prefer to avoid the icy winter, either by migrating, or by hibernating, but not the river otter, who can often be seen playfully sledding down hills on their stomachs, or playing in the snow. Otters have a special coat of fur with guard hairs to keep out the elements, and wavy underfur to trap in warm air. This special fur, combined with oil to keep out water, acts as a splendid winter coat for the otters. With all the protection from the cold, otters can freely swim and dive through the icy waters, which is very useful as their diet comprises of fish.
When the surface of water bodies freezes over, otters just need to find a way to access the water below. Getting below the ice isn’t a problem for otters, as they’ll mainly stick near rivers or streams, places with flowing water, since the flowing water won’t freeze over like a lake or pond. And should a hole is made in the ice, otters will make sure that the hole doesn't freeze over again!
See also our interesting previous post on otters: zafoid.com/post/view/11139
Yelkouan Shearwaters (Garnija in Maltese, the local language) are seabirds endemic to the Mediterranean, that is endangered, and vulnerable to extinction. The LIFE Arċipelagu Garnija is an ongoing project working hard for the protection of these seabirds, and for securing their future within the Maltese islands, where up to 10% of the species' current population can be found.
Oxpeckers are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, in open habitats, but are absent from the driest deserts and the rainforests. They graze exclusively on the bodies of large mammals, feeding on ectoparasites, particularly ticks, as well as on insects infesting wounds present in their hosts. The impala is their preferred host, probably because of their heavy tick load as well as the social nature of that species. Can you spot the oxpeckers in these images?
Synchronous fireflies glow yellow, illuminating the night at the forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.
Meerkat in a zoo, Botswana
Adorable, solitary meerkat stands tall atop a hollow log in his habitat enclosure, standing guard over his den.
