Nurse Sharks – Nurse Shark Pictures – Nurse Shark Facts

The scientific name for the nurse shark sounds like something Bilbo Baggins might have said to summon elves to his rescue: Ginglymostoma cirratum. Actually the name is a mix of Greek and Latin and means “curled, hinged mouth” to describe this shark's somewhat puckered appearance. The origin of the name “nurse shark” is unclear. It…

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Black Vultures, Black Vulture Pictures, Black Vulture Facts

The gregarious black vulture roosts, feeds, and soars in groups, often mixed with turkey vultures. A carrion feeder that will bully a turkey vulture away from a carcass, it occasionally kills smaller live prey. Polytypic (3 ssp.; nominate in North America). Length 25” (64 cm); wingspan 57” (145 cm). Identification Adult: glossy black feathers can…

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Cassin's Finches, Cassin's Finch Pictures, Cassin's Finch Facts

The attractive Cassin’s finch of the montane west is slightly larger and longer winged than the similar purple finch, which it occasionally overlaps with during winter. It is often seen in small flocks, mainly in pine forest, but it is known to occasionally invade into lowland deciduous areas during the winter. It occasionally joins the…

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Gambel’s Quails, Gambel's Quail Pictures, Gambel's Quail Facts

Although a common quail of the desert Southwest, the Gambel’s requires a lot of water. Generally sedentary, it moves short distances in the late summer to form coveys, usually comprising several family groups. It hybridizes with both California and scaled quails where their ranges overlap. Polytypic (2 ssp.; nominate in North America). Length 10" (25…

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Common Loons, Common Loon Pictures, Common Loon Facts

Named for their clumsy, awkward appearance when walking on land, common loons are migratory birds which breed in forested lakes and large ponds in northern North America and parts of Greenland and Iceland. They winter all along North America’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts as well as in Europe and Iceland. Their unusual cries, which vary…

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Pileated Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpecker Pictures, Pileated Woodpecker Facts

The pileated is a crow-size, crested woodpecker of forested areas that feeds largely on carpenter ants and beetles extracted from fallen logs, stumps, and living trees. Foraging birds excavate large, rectangular holes in trunks and logs. Polytypic. Length 16” (42 cm). Identification Mostly black, with a slaty-black bill, white chin, white stripe from bill down…

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Humpback Whale

Humpback whales are known for their magical songs, which travel for great distances through the world's oceans. These sequences of moans, howls, cries, and other noises are quite complex and often continue for hours on end. Scientists are studying these sounds to decipher their meaning. It is most likely that humpbacks sing to communicate with…

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Draco Lizard

For the tiny Draco lizard, moving among the trees in the jungles of Southeast Asia is an essential task—for escaping danger, attracting mates, and finding meals. Scampering across the forest floor, where predators lurk, can be perilous. So over thousands of years, the Draco lizard has taken the ground out of the equation by adapting…

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Gibbons, Gibbon Pictures, Gibbon Facts —

Gibbons are the animals we think of when we picture primates swinging gracefully through the rain forest. These acrobatic mammals, endemic to the dense forests of southern Asia, are perfectly adapted to life in the trees and rarely descend to the ground. They have strong, hook-shaped hands for grasping branches, comically outsize arms for reaching…

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