There is no greater artist than the Creator

There is no greater artist than the Creator

https://reasonandscience.catsboard.com/t1595-there-is-no-greater-artist-than-the-creator

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What are some of the weirdest looking animals that most people aren't familiar with?


http://news.mongabay.com/2013/1203-reynolds-animal-earth.html

http://arabianarcade.blogspot.com.br/2011/03/underwater-experiments.html

http://www.photographyserved.com/gallery/Another-World-Part-2/2362248

http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2012/07/arctic-sea-creatures/?viewall=true

Astonishing Pictures of Polychaetes (Scale Worms)

Arthur Ankers Photogallery , a must see

Red Sea at night

Feel the force: Tube-nosed bat which bears striking resemblance to Yoda discovered as scientists find hundreds of new species | DailyMail on Facebook

20 Creepiest and Scariest Looking Animals in the World

deepseacreatures

Extremophilephile: loving the unlovable

A natureza está repleta de espécies bizarras

amazing critters

31 fatos insanos sobre os olhos

mitsuhiko imamori minden pictures

great insect collection

Moth and butterflies

Naturecloseups

thefeaturedcreature

Animais bizarros

Scales and fangs

Johnson Lab

Cuteconoisseur

Ryan Photographic - Nature Images from Around the World

Nick Garbutt photogalleries

strange-animals

strange animals 2

Pauls rain forest picture gallery

Deep sea magic

Bats

The fish archive

amazing insects

Jumping spiders wonderful

Madreselva

Brad Wilson

the best collection

Stunning insects

Kelvin Lee, Raja Ampat

Diving4images

Underwater competition photos

Galeria Ricardo Araujo

Coloranddesign

Butterflies and insects, flickr

ocean wide images , fantastic.

Aquatic animals, great

real monstrosities

Weird fishes

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vipinbaliga/with/6793221029/

http://sgmacro.blogspot.com.br/

Tropical spiders

amazing critters flickr gallery

Kurts flickr gallery , amazing insects

Yasuni national park, Ecuador, amazing animals

the best flickr search enginge on the web

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrade

http://tumblr.4gifs.com/post/80148615619/waterbear-extremophile

Tardigrades (also known as waterbears or moss piglets)[2][3] are water-dwelling, segmented micro-animals, with eight legs.[2] They were first described by the German pastor J.A.E. Goeze in 1773. The name Tardigrada (meaning "slow stepper") was given three years later by the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani.[4]

Tardigrades are classified as extremophiles, organisms that can thrive in a physically or geochemically extreme condition that would be detrimental to most life on Earth.[5][6] For example, tardigrades can withstand temperatures from just above absolute zero to well above the boiling point of water, pressures about six times stronger than pressures found in the deepest ocean trenches, ionizing radiation at doses hundreds of times higher than the lethal dose for a person, and the vacuum of outer space. They can go without food or water for more than 10 years, drying out to the point where they are 3% or less water, only to rehydrate, forage, and reproduce.[7][8][9]

Usually, tardigrades are about 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long when they are fully grown.[2] They are short and plump with four pairs of legs, each with four to eight claws also known as "disks".[2] The animals are prevalent in mosses and lichens and feed on plant cells, algae, and small invertebrates. When collected, they may be viewed under a very-low-power microscope, making them accessible to students and amateur scientists.[10]

Tardigrades form the phylum Tardigrada, part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa. It is an ancient group, with fossils dating from 530 million years ago, in the Cambrian period.[11] The first tardigrades were discovered by Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773. Since 1778, over 1,150 tardigrade species have been found.


Meet the miniature water bear: nature's ultimate survivor or an alien from another planet?


http://www.asknature.org/strategy/5647adb99bf90b1c723987c7683ea169#.UyJ6KoVWkZc




"…Tardigrades are known to enter cryptobiosis at any stage of their life cycle, from egg to adult. Cryptobiosis has to be considered a form of quiescence, being directly induced and maintained by the occurrence of adverse conditions for an active life, and promptly broken once the adverse conditions are removed…In tardigrades, there are several forms of cryptobiosis: anhydrobiosis, cryobiosis, anoxybiosis and osmobiosis. Anhydrobiosis is the most studied. Entering anhydrobiosis, tardigrades contract their body into a so-called tun, loosing most of their free and bound water (>95%), synthesizing cell protectants  (e.g., trehalose, glycerol, heat shock proteins…and strongly reducing or suspending their metabolism…" (Bertolani et al. 2004:16)

"Most incredible of all, however, is the virtually indestructible nature of tardigrades while they remain in cryptobiosis. In laboratory experiments, cryptobiotic specimens have been chilled in liquid helium to -457°F (-272°C), which is only marginally above absolute zero. They have also been heated to temperatures exceeding 300°F (149°C), exposed to radiation doses far in excess of the lethal dose for humans, immersed in vats of liquid nitrogen, concentrated carbolic acid, hydrogen sulphide, brine, and pure alcohol, and even bombarded by deadly streams of electrons inside an electron microscope. Yet when removed from all of these incredibly hostile environments - which would have proven fatal for any other form of animal life - and moistened with water, these astounding creatures recovered.

They simply emerge from their cryptobiotic state, rehydrate themselves, and amble away on their four pairs of stubby claw-tipped legs, completely unharmed. Even today, the physiological mysteries behind the tardigrades' unparalleled powers of endurance during cryptobiosis remain unsolved." (Shuker 2001:113)








http://discovermagazine.com/2014/march/01-inside-a-tardigrade#.UyJ7AIVWkZd

The marine tardigrade (Actinarctus doryphorus ocellatus) is also known as a water bear or moss piglet, names that suggest size and heft. But this creature measures less than a millimeter long.

The hardy tardigrades mostly inhabit freshwater environments and can survive in many places, from Antarctica to rainforests.

To determine the animal’s position on the phylogenetic tree of life, researchers at the University of Hamburg-Zoological Museum Hamburg in Germany homed in on its nervous system and musculature, systems that may reflect evolutionary paths. Until this imaging, tardigrades were classified using external characteristics, leaving many questions unanswered.

To get the best view, the team used a confocal laser scanning microscope, which creates sharply defined photographs with a shallow field of focus. Stacking several photographic layers, each assigned a different color, they obtained this well-defined image of the entire animal.

http://fishid.com/marinelifeblog/papua-new-guinea-%E2%80%93-field-notes-december-2008/

http://blog.projectnoah.org/post/27868467596/moths-around-the-world-north-central-america

http://www.thefeaturedcreature.com/2014/02/7-unbeweevably-cool-weevils-that-will-make-you-say-wow.html

http://thefeaturedcreature.thefeaturedcreat.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/antliarhis_zamiae.jpg

More amazingly beautiful birds... and top photography!

Gray-chinned Minivet, taken at DaSyueShan Trail, Taichung County, TAIWAN by John&Fish (https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnfish/) — com Irfan Manzoor.




http://whitinglab.com/?p=3248



When you see the colorful and threatening face above, what response does this evoke? Imagine a lizard predator about to grab a lizard and suddenly it flares it’s cheek flaps and simultaneously presents an angry, gaping mouth. Why do they flare these cheek flaps and could they also play a role in sexual selection? These questions are of great interest to behavioural ecologists interested in animal signals and communication. We organized an international team including Martin Whiting and Daniel Noble from the Lizard Lab (Macquarie Uni.) in Sydney, and Yin Qi from Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to answer these questions and others that relate to the evolution of complex signalling in the toad-headed lizard genus Phrynocephalus. We also had the able assistance of Dr. Feng Xu from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences. We conducted this work in the Tukai Desert just outside Huocheng, Yili, near the bolder between China and Kazakhstan.

We tested several hypotheses on the function of display signals including an anti-predator function where the lizard might try and bluff its size and fighting ability, social function, or that it acts as a flash signal (a different anti-predator function). We conducted a large series of trials using small enclosures we assembled in the field and by also using tethering, where a loosely restrained lizard is presented to a free-ranging individual in the wild. We had never worked with this species before and there is very little published about its behaviour and ecology. Consequently, we conducted a series of pilot studies to work out the best approach in which we would be able to elicit a beahvioural response. We also measured the colour of the flaps using a Jaz optic spectrophotometer and this will allow us to model the conspicuousness of the signal in relation to a bird predators visual system. In the end, we were able to catch 92 lizards which means a rather handy morphological data set to examine variation in colour and sexual dimorphism. Our experiments revealed some surprising results and all will be revealed when we publish this work!

The Tukai Desert was a bit of an oven and this meant a somewhat short activity period for the lizard. Ironically, the days are long and we cant say exactly when the sun came up because we were generally asleep (maybe 6 am?) but the sun only went down at 1045 pm (China standard time)! As you may have gathered from Martin’s previous post, security in Huocheng is tight! The government police, the forest police, and the border police all paid their respects to us, copied our documents, and interviewed me extensively! It seemed they knew our every move! And they thought nothing about ringing me to ask questions mainly about Martin (you cant trust foreigners)!

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on the reptiles of the Tukai Desert. We will also post some photos of the amazing Phrynocephalus in full display mode, with some accompanying video. This is Qi Yin signing out from the Urumqi Airport in northern China where their secrity team just gave us a serious work-over!

http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2013/12/sea-moth.html#more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FgPLSG3Hn4

Long-wattled Umbrellabird

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-wattled_Umbrellabird

This species can be found in a relatively narrow belt along the Pacific slopes of the Chocó of western Colombia and Ecuador.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDPTj6i2_kM

http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2013/06/long-wattled-umbrellabird.html



http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=4522

Justification
A combination of extensive forest loss since 1960, and some pressure from hunting indicate that this species's population is declining rapidly. The population is presumably now small and fragmented in very small subpopulations. It therefore qualifies as Vulnerable.

Taxonomic source(s)
SACC. 2006. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.html.
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
Stotz, D. F.; Fitzpatrick, J. W.; Parker, T. A.; Moskovits, D. K. 1996. Neotropical birds: ecology and conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Identification
51 cm. Large, ornate, black cotinga. Male all black with overhanging crest and long wattle hanging from central chest. Female and immature similar, but wattle much reduced or absent. Voice Generally silent, but displaying males grunt.

Distribution and population
Cephalopterus penduliger occurs on the Pacific slope and adjacent lowlands of south-west Colombia (Chocó to Nariño) and west Ecuador (Esmeraldas to El Oro), as well as in Ecuador's coastal cordillera (Esmeraldas and northern Manabí). In recent decades its distribution in lowland Ecuador has contracted greatly, but a few leks survived at altitudes as low as 80m at least until the early 2000s (O. Jahn in litt. 2007). There are concentrations of records in the far north of the known range in Valle de Cauca (Hilty and Brown 1986, Wege and Long 1995, N. Gómez in litt. 1999), east and west Esmeraldas and adjacent parts of Imbabura and Nariño, although this is likely to be a reflection of observer coverage and the species presumably occurs in suitable habitat between these areas (O. Jahn in litt. 2007). The rapidly declining population (Ridgely and Tudor 1994, Jahn et al. 1999) is currently estimated at 7,290-48,600 mature individuals (O. Jahn in litt. 2007).

Population justification
The population is estimated to number 10,000-19,999 individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size. This is consistent with recorded population density estimates for congeners or close relatives with a similar body size, and the fact that only a proportion of the estimated Extent of Occurrence is likely to be occupied. This estimate is equivalent to 6,667-13,333 mature individuals, rounded here to 6,000-15,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification
A rapid and on-going population decline is suspected owing to rates of habitat loss and hunting pressure.

Ecology
This lekking species is found in humid and wet forest from 80-1,800 m altitude (Ridgely and Tudor 1994, Jahn et al. 1999, Jahn and Mena 2002b). In some areas, it is believed to make seasonal altitudinal movements (Ridgely and Tudor 1994, Hornbuckle et al. 1997, Jahn et al. 1999), although there are records throughout the year from lowland and foothill locations (K. S. Berg in litt. 1999, Jahn et al. 1999). It feeds on palm-nuts, insects, amphibians and reptiles such as lizards Anolis spp (Hornbuckle et al. 1997, K. S. Berg in litt. 1999, Jahn et al. 1999, Karubian et al. 2003, Greeney et al. 2006). Nests have been recorded in June and January, at the top of a tree fern Cyathea sp. 5 m in height and 4.5 m above the ground in a vine tangle, both in secondary forest (Karubian et al. 2003, Greeney et al. 2006). Although it appears somewhat tolerant of degraded habitats and human activity when selecting nest sites, it may prefer mature forest for feeding and lekking (Jahn et al. 1999, Jahn 2001, Jahn and Mena 2002b, Karubian et al. 2003).

The dancing bird

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlIRv6fJ3nU

http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2013/04/badger-bat.html#more

We're looking at Niumbaha superba, the Pied Bat. First discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1939, barely anyone in whole world has seen it since. Until now. It's an international celebrity, now

Veteran bat botherer DeeAnn Reeder from Bucknell University is a frequent visitor to South Sudan; she's been going over there with her bat nets and massive, bat-handling gloves since before South Sudan was South Sudan. Since South Sudan became independent in 2011, that's at least a few years. AT LEAST!

She knew she was onto something when she caught this unusual bat with its evidently peculiar and striking black and white patterns. Very much unlike most bats. Quite different. Obviously.

However, DeeAnn Reeder is a professional, so she did a bunch of science by looking at the bat really, really carefully and consulting the scientifical literatum for mention of flying badgers.

It turned out that her leathery mittens contained just the fifth reported sighting of a bat known as Glauconycteris superba, a member of the genus Glauconycteris, also known as butterfly bats. But DeeAnn Reeder knows her butterfly bats, and after looking really, really carefully she knew... this is no butterfly bat!

"Look at that curvy targus!", she howled.
"Look at that zygomatic breadth!", she bellowed.
"And don't even talk about the ratio between the lengths of the 2nd phalanx of the 3rd digit and the 1st phalanx of the 3rd digit!", she demanded.

Thus, a whole new genus was born: Niumbaha, named after the local Zande word for "rare".

A very cool species of Crocodile Newt has been discovered living in northern Vietnam. It was reported back in March by the Herpetology journal that a specimen found tucked away in Tokyo’s National Museum of Nature and Science.
“I was asked by a curator to identify [the new species] and temporarily identified it as Tylototriton vietnamensis (the Vietnamese crocodile newt). However, the morphology was different from the original description of the Vietnamese crocodile newt,” Kanto Nishikawa with Kyoto University stated.

“Because I have never seen the Vietnamese crocodile newt I could not confirm the specimens in Tokyo are undescribed species. In 2012, I had a chance to visit Vietnam and discussed [the specimen] with co-author, Tao Thien Nguyen, and made a conclusion on its taxonomic status, as new species.”
The species was named Ziegler’s crocodile newt (Tylototriton ziegleri) after Thomas Ziegler of Cologne Zoo who works with reptiles and amphibians in Vietnam. The new species is small, with males measuring 5.4 to 6.8 (2 to 2.6 inches) centimeters and females measuring 7.1 centimeters (2.7 inches).

It almost looks as if the crocodile newt was formed in a volcano somewhere, as its rough skin looks just like hardened magma to me. It’s pretty cool that it’s highlighted with bright orange, too (fresh magma?!). With the tips of its fingers sporting the vibrant hue, too, it looks like its got a rockin’ mani-pedi going on. What a cool new species!


The Reticulated Hillstream Loach (Sewellia lineolat) is an incredible creature that resembles an underwater butterfly. Like other loaches, it’s found in the fast-moving currents of streams where it grips tightly to rocks using its modified pectoral fins. Tiny spines line the underside of each fin ray which improves the fish’s “stickability.” < not a scientific term.  These ‘butterfly fish’ also use their fins to glide through the current for short distances.

The underside of the hillstream loach is practically transparent – giving us a window into the fish’s internal workings. It’s important to note that this fish can be kept in aquariums, if proper setup and care is provided. However, I would highly recommend NOT purchasing a reticulated hillstream loach if you happen upon one. These fish are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN’s list of threatened species. A population decrease of 30% has been documented within the last ten years alone. This is mainly due to overfishing and habitat destruction. My point here is that unless you know your fish was bred in captivity with 100% certainty… it’s not worth fueling the fire of the aquarium pet trade. I’d much rather admire these gorgeous fish in the wild than in someone’s house, wouldn’t you?


If you’re like me you’ve probably thought to yourself at one point or another, “Why can’t animals stay babies forever? They are so much cuter that way!” Now typically when I think this, I’m referring to puppies or kittens. But it looks like my wish has now come true! (sorta).

The Red-eyed Crocodile Skink is like a miniature version of a crocodile, except that it has a beautiful red patch surrounding both of its eyes – which I think is a bonus. They even behave much like crocodiles, preferring to live by water in swampy areas. The Red-eyed Crocodile Skink is one of the only reptiles that will vocalize when in distress. Aww..

I list them as Vulnerable because I found one website that said that but one site usually isn’t very reliable, and I do know that they are sold as pets to experienced reptile keepers. Let me know in the comments if you have any idea what its conservation status is!


You really never know what you’re going to find when you enter the ocean’s depths. This incredible creature was discovered during a 2007 Census of Marine Life expedition which aimed to discover more of the world’s sea creatures. Little did they know that they would dredge up this tiny monster-clawed creature.

They named it Ausubel’s Mighty Claws Lobster and its scientific name, Dinochelus ausubeli, appropriately means “terrible claw.” The lobster was discovered about 300 meters (984 feet) deep but oddly enough it had rather well-developed eyes. Maybe it wants to be able to see exactly how it terrifies the bajeezes out of other sea creatures it encounters. Although, at only 3cm in length, its toothed claws might be the only intimidating thing going for this guy.

Endemic to the Montagne d’Ambre National Park near the northern tip of Madagascar Furcifer timoni. It was only just recently discovered back in 2009 by researchers Glaw, Köhler and Vences. It is only one of 11 new species of chameleon described since 1999.

Both males and females are bright green with blue spots and have an orange-yellowish underside but females can be identified (other than by lifting up their skirts!!… hah… Jurassic Park joke…) by the vivid red patch of skin dotted with blue spots on their heads:

Males, on the other hand, are distinguished from the lack of red but still have those pretty spots, though these are more purple than blue:

Furcifer timoni‘s range extends to 385 square kilometers (149 square miles) at a height of between 750 and 900 meters (2,460 and 3,000 feet) above sea level. What an incredible scaly discovery!

So I know a lot of people have a fear of bats and I can see where that can come from, since the bats that you typically think of probably aren’t the most attractive or friendly. But if you don’t think this little bat is cute then I’m sorry there’s really something much more serious wrong with you.At just 37-47 mm long, this teeny-tiny bat reminds me of those marshmallows you put in your hot cocoa.

These little marshmallows are quite the craftsmen which is why their other name is the Honduran White Tent Bat. They cut the side veins of the Heliconia plant, causing them to fold down and form a large “tent.” They cling to the roof of the tent in small colonies (usually around a dozen) with one male and several females.

This bat really had a “camping theme” going on. Tents. Marshmallows. What a cute animal!

Now I want to go camping in hopes to find them!

This odd creature is called the Elephant Trunk Snake (Acrochordus arafurae) – and for very good reason! It really does look just like an elephant’s truck; you know, except for the fact that it’s a got a forked tongue and lives underwater (among other things). It’s a primitive, non-venemous aquatic snake species and there are 3 recognized species within the Acrochordidae family.

It’s thick, baggy skin looks like it’s almost too big for the snake itself. Females grow larger than males and the maximum size of an individual can reach 8.25 ft (2.5 m) in length! If you notice (click the photo above to enlarge), the snake has a very interesting texture to it, too. Rather than overlapping one another as regular scales would, these are almost like tiny pyramidal projections with sharp points that aid the snake in catching its food.

Elephant Trunk Snakes are ambush predators, meaning they will lie in wait until something delicious swims within its reach. When it finds a fish suitable for a meal, the snake will wrap its body around it very tightly, using the scales to act like grips which dig into the fish’s skin. Even the squirmiest, slipperiest of fish (even those covered in a protective mucous coating) can’t escape from that!

Habitat: Arctic and circumboreal. In northern Europe known from Öresund, Skagerrak, western Norway, Helgoland, Shetland and Wales
Status: Not Listed

This is one of those creatures that took my breath away the first time I saw it. And that usually doesn’t happen when I’m dealing with marine worms. Terrestrial worms, on the other hand, are another story…

This stunning thing is called a Yellow Dragon worm (Phyllodoce citrina) and I’m sure you can see why. This guy looks exactly like the mythological Chinese Dragon, albeit a much smaller version.

These marine worms are members of the class Polychaete which are defined by their segmented body that features a pair of bristle-covered fleshy outgrowths called parapodia on each segment. While it may look like an intimidating specimen, these Chinese dragon look-alikes only grow to about  10 cm (4 in) in length. Still, the resemblance to a golden dragon is uncanny:

http://www.thefeaturedcreature.com/2013/07/fulgorid-hopper-when-stained-glass-meets-seahorse.html

http://www.thefeaturedcreature.com/2011/11/my-new-obsession-leafhopper-nymphs.html

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2012/sep/03/yasuni-unusual-species-in-pictures#/?picture=395574678&index=14



The saw-snouted wax bug, a relative of the cicadas, has a toothy hollow projection on its face whose function is unknown




The extremely curved beak of the sicklebill hummingbird exclusively fits into certain curved flowers where it collects the nectar it feeds upon





http://www.pinterest.com/carolinacaldas7/paix%C3%A3o-beija-flor/





http://www.thefeaturedcreature.com/2011/02/ever-heard-of-short-eared-dog.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/02/110204-new-species-pseudoscorpion-caves-animals-science/





This strange-looking insect which resembles a fuzzy-headed Troll doll toy has got scientists scratching their heads.

The 7mm-long creature has hair-like feelers sticking out of its rear and orange dots on its body.

It was discovered by a team of US-led researchers in the South American rainforest.

http://www.mopays.com/eight-new-shark-species-discovered-in-the-south-of-mauritius/#/

http://www.sljol.info/index.php/TAPRO/article/view/7059/5438