I Spy Animals

Jellies You'll Never Find in Your Fridge

2025-05-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

Jellyfish!

They aren't fish, so their name has been changed...

...to Sea Jellies

Which I like better than their old name.

A sea jelly is made of the top part, called the umbrella, and the bottom part, called the bell.

Many live upside down, looking like plants on the ocean floor.

But there is so much amazing beauty in a sea jelly, that you need to see more right now!

Oooh, I love that snowflake jelly. And the little spaceship one.

Well, that's what I call them, but they do have real names...look at the photos above and see if you can pick these out:

Egg Yolk Jelly

Flower Hat Jelly

Red Lantern Jelly

White Spotted Jelly

Below, the first one is called a By-The-Wind-Sailor!

He's not a true sea jelly, but he's amazing!

I'd name the bottom left guy the Kite Jelly.
And the bottom right one...Firecracker Jelly!

Some jellies are so small, you need a microscope to see them.
But some are gigantic!

That's a Lion's Mane Jelly.
Uh, I don't think I'd swim that close...

So what eats the Jellies?

Other Jellies!

So do sea turtles, and...

those luscious little sea slugs, nudibranchs. Remember them?

Got questions? Leave me a comment!

And check out Shedd Aquarium's site for more amazing Sea Jellies.

That Creature Sitting Next to You

2025-05-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

That Creature Sitting Next to You

You swing onto the Portland train one rainy morning, find a seat and sit down. You look across the aisle, and there. There is a wild dog of some sort staring back at you.

Quite a shock.

It looks very like a fox, or a coyote. Maybe.... a wolf?

You know that if it's a wolf, you better back away as quietly as possible, with your umbrella at the ready.

But if it's a fox or coyote, you can probably safely leave him alone.

But how will you know what to do?

Identifying the creature sitting next to you is crucial. If only you know what to look for...

Let me help

First, take a look at the differences in size, below:

But unless a wolf, a coyote, and a fox are all sitting together on your train, (not likely), comparing their sizes is not going to work.

Color? well, no. Coloring of the three animals can look very similar, so that's not good either.

Okay, ears. That's a good start, because coyote and fox ears are fairly large and pointy. But wolf ears are smaller and have rounded tips.

And snouts? Yes! Coyotes and foxes have narrow snouts, wolves' snouts are broad, like a dog's.

Well, wonderful. Let's take a closer peek at our train companion:

Hmmm, slim snout and pointy ears. Whew! So it's not a wolf.

Then it's got to be a coyote or fox. Now what?

Eyes...are a dead giveaway. Did you know that the pupils in a fox's eye are slit like a cat's? But coyotes have round pupils like a dog does.

And tails! Fox tails are so long that they can drag on the ground, while coyote tails only reach their back hocks.

Let's test these facts on our companion. The train photo doesn't reveal much about the eyes...but I think that tail is short, or it would be wrapped around the body more.

Sooo.....coyote!

Also known as the Prairie wolf, and the American jackal, and even the Brush wolf.

Whoa, lots of names for this clever guy.

He lives almost everywhere in North America; even, as we've seen, in the cities.

And now we know how to identify him!

How about I make up a little chart...visuals really work for me when I'm trying to learn something:

Got it? Good. Because, uh, there's a little test...

See if you can identify these animals as wolf, coyote, or fox:

How was it? As scary as sitting next to a coyote on a train?

Let's see how you did.

Check out the answers below:

If you did well, you could easily be certified to ride the trains in Portland without any negative affect. Congratulations!

But now...what about that creature in the public bathroom?

Camo! Or...How To Look Like What You're Sitting On

2025-05-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

When it comes to camouflage, animals have mastered it.

Camo allows animals to blend in, either by color or shape.

A leopard's spots and a tiger's stripes break up their outline to hide them from prey.

Here are some animals that hide using their colors:

And some that use their color and shape:

Now, let's see if you can spot the camouflaged creature

in the photo below

and if you can't, here's a biiiig hint...just scroll a bit!

Pretty amazing, right?

The Skunk World: It's Not All Black & White

2025-05-12T19:07:00.001-07:00

The Skunk World

It's Not All Black and White

This little guy looks like a regular skunk...black with a two white stripes down its back.

But not all skunks look like this. Not by a long shot!

Skunks actually have morphs...patterns or colors that are different from the usual.

Do you see the leash on that skunk?

It's a pet skunk. And when you get into pet skunks, the colors go wild!

Pet skunks are de-scented so they can't spray...a very nice feature.

And people who have these pretty skunks can take them on walks and even enter them in a Skunk Show, like the one below.

Not all states allow you to own a skunk, however. But if yours does, and you find a breeder, you might have to decide which skunk color you like the best!

Which color is your favorite?

Want to know more about skunks? Click here - Skunks Can Be Fun!

Polar Bear Sleds...and Their Sled Dogs

2021-12-09T14:52:00.001-08:00

I do have a thing for Polar bears.

They look so furry and white...like the bear pulling the sled below.

Visitor North by Duncan Robert

Or this cuddly and tame-looking bear...

toosox @ deviantart.com

But if I'M going to ride in a sled pulled by bears, I want it to look impressive, like the bears pulling the White Witch's sled in Narnia.

Illustration by the Justin Sweet

That's more like it...bears with teeth!

But that harness....it looks like the bears will slip it off over their heads any minute. A thought as scary as that woman's hair!

Maybe riding a Polar bear would be better, like the girl in the Golden Compass:

Cool ride...but also, Brrrr!

Maybe I'd want to ride my polar bear in a warmer setting. Like in a Western?

Much warmer...but the saddle just isn't as fun as real polar bear armor!

But when it comes to Polar bears and being transported by them, my all-time favorite vision is the one below:

Illustration by the great Frank Frazetta

Oh yes. Bears with no visible harnesses 'pulling' a medieval... uh....snowmobile? I guess if the bears get too fractious, the armored guy can just fire up the engine and take off without them!

Seriously though, Polar bears can't be tamed enough to pull a sled; they're much too unpredictable. And around dogs...well, you'd normally have to watch out; bears and dogs do NOT get along.

Illustration by the great Greg Manchess

But in one single spot on earth....that's not true.

Check out the first photo on this page, and the following video, of wild Polar bears actually playing with sled dogs...it's amazing!

So, what's your preferred way to ride a Polar bear?

The Colors of Tigers

2021-02-23T04:30:00.002-08:00

Did you know that tigers aren't just yellow and black?

Let's take a look at different colors they can be.

White tigers have white fur instead of yellow, with stripes of different colors...like black, brown, and gold.

So the two tigers in the first photo are a white tiger with a regular tiger.

Black tigers have yellow fur, but lots of wide black stripes. Take a look at this one:

But there is another tiger color people have reported through the years. The blue tiger!

Could there be a tiger out there that looks like this?

I certainly hope so! :)

The Colors of Tigers

2021-02-23T04:30:00.001-08:00

Did you know that tigers aren't just yellow and black?

Let's take a look at different colors they can be.

White tigers have white fur instead of yellow, with stripes of different colors...like black, brown, and gold.

So the two tigers in the first photo are a white tiger with a regular tiger.

Black tigers have yellow fur, but lots of wide black stripes. Take a look at this one:

But there is another tiger color people have reported through the years. The blue tiger!

Could there be a tiger out there that looks like this?

I certainly hope so! :)

Fish You Can Walk On

2021-02-10T10:03:00.002-08:00

Ever think about what you've got on your feet?

Here are some fishy shoes that I think are just lovely.

I love the little googly eyes on these...and they're actually sold on Amazon!

The Fishy Floppies below have a tiny fish on the strap! You can get these on wish.com

I love these Fish Flops...which I don't think you can actually buy anywhere!

And that's sad.. because these are the ones I would want on my feet!

Fish You Can Walk On

2021-02-10T10:03:00.001-08:00

Ever think about what you've got on your feet?

Here are some fishy shoes that I think are just lovely.

I love the little googly eyes on these...and they're actually sold on Amazon!

The Fishy Floppies below have a tiny fish on the strap! You can get these on wish.com

I love these Fish Flops...which I don't think you can actually buy anywhere!

And that's sad.. because these are the ones I would want on my feet!

Do You See What I See? Color Camo!

2021-02-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

Do you see this man? He's not easy to spot. He's wearing certain colors to camouflage himself in a tree.

Color camo makes the shape of his body hard to see.

Some Animals have color camo built right into their bodies! I'll show you!

The leopard is circled, just to get you used to looking for animals in color camo.

On a leaf.

Okay, this would be some scary mud!

This is a bit harder to spot...look for
its closed eye

A Master at color and shape camo!

It's upside down

Even larger unspotted animals use their color camo:

Rocks hide animals, too.

And this big guy...who would have thought his colors keep him camouflaged?

Now I have a little camo photo that has an animal in it....but it's sooo hard to find!

twitter/sssnakeysci

If you can't find it, scroll on down....the creature is circled below:

I couldn't find it, either!

When You Look Like a Werewolf...

2020-05-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

...you can be hard to love. And maybe a bit scary.

And certainly rare.

Nicknames for this strange-looking guy?
Horsehair Wolf
Skunk Wolf
Matted Wolf
Great Fox
and my personal favorite, Red-Fox-on-Stilts

Funny thing is, he's not a wolf OR a fox. So what is he?

He's called a Maned wolf and he's a type of wild dog...and..

there's no other wild dog like him on earth!

He's the tallest at 42" high...a bit taller than a countertop.

And he has the longest legs of all dogs...take a look, below:

He does look like he's on stilts!

He has a strange roar-bark, but is very shy of people.

Because the Maned wolf lives in South America, he eats some pretty strange stuff.

In fact, half his diet is fruit and vegetables.

And you have to see the Maned wolf pup. He's born completely black, with big floppy ears!

So cute!

You can hear a Maned wolf roar-barking, below:

The Maned wolf is one of my favorite animals...what about you?

The Tiniest Horses in the World

2020-04-29T04:40:00.000-07:00

They're very hard to spot because:

-they blend in with the coral

- and they're small

They are as small as your fingernail.

So you swim by, never seeing the little gems that clutch the coral...

They are Pygmy seahorses!

How many times did I miss them in my dives around Bonaire and Tahiti? Could there have been dozens of Pygmy seahorses, all watching me?

Let's look at what I might have seen if I had looked closely:

They look more like little candies than real seahorses!

Now let's have a bit of I Spy fun! How hard is it to spot the Pygmy seahorses in the photos below?

Woohoo, that last one is a doozy to see! Did you spot him?

And here's the newest Pygmy seahorse discovered...so new, it's not even named yet.

I like the little star shapes all over him. I would name him the Star seahorse...what would you name him?

And here is a two-minute Nat Geo video of these seahorses; each the size of a grain of rice...or the top part of this exclamation point!

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/08/tiny-pygmy-seahorse-discovered-japan-news/

Animals that Drag People Around

2020-04-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

While a team of Saber-tooth tigers would be a fun ride, I don't happen to own any Saber-tooths at the moment.

I DO have a sheltie, though. So my style is probably more like this:

Okay, I had to post this gorgeous photo of REAL dog sledding. Dogs can sled 90 miles in one day!

Dogs pulling people around is as old as time, but you have to check out these other animals that pull, or even carry, people!

Riding a buffalo!Who knew you could do that?

Did you know you can ride the Texas Longhorn?

Now, wait! People can actually ride a moose?
Ha ha, I didn't know that.

A really good reason for riding animals is racing them, and there are some interesting races going on in the world...

Believe it or not, England has both ostrich AND zebra racing!

In winter, it's fun to race reindeer:

And no, the reindeer aren't in distress...they tend to run with their tongues out :)

In the hotter parts of the world, look for camel racing!

What fun! There is also yak riding and elephant riding.

But I had to dig deep in the archives to find improbable animals pulling carts. Take a look at these old photos!

Pigs pulling a milk cart! And just where was the mother of those kids in the lion cart?

Then there's this:

What kind of animal do you want to ride? Leave me a comment!

Creatures In Your Easter Basket

2020-04-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not talking about poodles that look like cotton candy...though they're really cute, aren't they?

I'm talking about real creatures. Made by God.

That look like candy!

How can this be real? Look at that fuzzy yellow fur. And pink and yellow wings.

Let's see if his face is just as sweet:

Awww!

But what kind of candy is he like? I'm thinking those marshmallow "Peeps"... like maybe this guy belongs in your Easter basket. Let's see what that would look like:

See him in there? It could happen!

Below, you see the Candy Betta fish... and they definitely look good enough to eat!

So these colors must help the Candy Betta fish hide in... jelly beans? Maybe the speckled jellybeans you might find in your Easter basket.

Aha! The Candy Betta fish hides in jelly beans!

Then there's the Jewel Caterpillar...

I know, I know, it looks like a gummy!

What if there were Easter candy gummies out there?

There are...little bunny gummies. And the perfect place for our Jewel caterpillar to hide in. Can you see him?

Okay, we need one last candy-looking creature for our basket.

The Chocolate bunny!

by Mesa Terasita

Yes! It's all coming together!

There are four different candy-looking creatures hiding in the basket above.
So check your Easter basket carefully... and say a friendly "Hello" to anything unusual in there!

The Wild Pig That Never Was

2020-04-09T05:12:00.000-07:00

What animal sweats pink,

...has skin that cracks easily in the sun,

...only comes out at night,

...and is only 30 inches tall?

The Pygmy hippo!

Hippos in general are just silly-looking, don't you think? Those constantly flicking ears, the rounded noses and squat bodies.

And just seeing all those hippo eyes in a lake is funny.

THE COMMON HIPPO - Photo by elosoenpersona

But hippos are actually no laughing matter...like the rhino, they are in the top 10 for most dangerous animal in the world.

They can attack at any time, overturn vehicles, gore with their tusks, and trample things underfoot. Yikes!

So be careful of hippos. Even Pygmy ones have some serious tusks like the Pygmy hippo below.

PYGMY HIPPOS - Photo by PA

Early explorers didn't know Pygmy hippos were hippos; they saw short, round, tusked creatures in the forest and thought, "Mmmm, wild pig." They were a favorite of hunters because these "wild pigs" tasted much better than other wild pigs!

In the late 1800s, however, scientists finally identified these creatures as hippos.

Today, Pygmy hippos are rare, living in the forests of West Africa. They hide in the rivers during the day, sometimes under river banks or large burrows, then come out to find fruit and fern leaves at night.

Photo by mariellewagner

So really, you'll never see a bunch of Pygmy hippo eyes looking at you from a river or lake, because, unlike their huge cousins, Pygmies like to live alone.

Let's compare a regular-sized hippo to a Pygmy hippo:

Photo by pink_emmie_bat

Did you know it would take 10 Pygmy hippos to make a common hippo?

There are only about 3,000 Pygmy hippos in the world today. They're losing their forest habitats quickly, so growing the population in zoos is important. But for some reason, males are born way less often than females.

PYGMY HIPPOS - Photo by PA

Now take a look at this little guy...very important to recovering the Pygmy hippo population.

So, grammatically, which do you think is correct, hippopotamuses or hippopotami?

Ha ha...they're both correct :) But if you want to sound really smart, just call them by their family name; hippopotamids!

Jelly You'd Never Find in the Fridge

2020-04-08T04:31:00.000-07:00

They aren't fish, so their name has been changed...
›
...to Sea Jellies

Which I like better than their old name... Jellyfish.

A sea jelly is made of the top part, called the umbrella, and the bottom part, called the bell.

Many live upside down, looking like plants on the ocean floor.

But there is so much amazing beauty in a sea jelly, that you need to see more right now!

Oooh, I love that snowflake jelly. And the little spaceship one.

Well, that's what I call them, but they do have real names...look at the photos above and see if you can pick these out:

Egg Yolk Jelly

Flower Hat Jelly

Red Lantern Jelly

White Spotted Jelly

and below, the first one is called a

By-The-Wind-Sailor! I am not joking.

He's not a true sea jelly, but he's amazing!

I'd name the bottom left guy the Kite Jelly.

And the bottom right one...Firecracker Jelly!

Some jellies are so small, you need a microscope to see them.

But some are gigantic!

That's a Lion's Mane Jelly.

Uh, I don't think I'd swim that close...

So what eats the Jellies?

Other Jellies!

So do sea turtles, and...

those luscious little sea slugs, nudibranchs. Remember them?

Got questions? Leave me a comment!

And check out Shedd Aquarium's site for more amazing Sea Jellies.

Does this Fur Make Me Look Fat?

2020-04-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

The answer is... um... yeah. You look fat, kitty.

But that's not your fault. You have the heaviest coat of any cat, because you live in some of the coldest places on earth; Mongolia and Siberia. Brrrrr.

In Mongolia temperatures can fall to -57 degrees and kill millions of livestock animals.

But cold doesn't kill Pallas' cat.

Photo credit: Terry Whittaker

Though the size of a house cat, this cat is made for winter. It is stocky, small-eared, and fuzzy. And its tail is thick enough to be a muff, sheltering its face from the icy blasts.

So what does the Pallas' cat find to eat out in those snowy wastelands?

But it's a bit strange-looking. I mean, check out this picture below... there's a little bit of monkey in that face, don't you think?

Can you pinpoint why it doesn't look quite like a cat?

Let's compare face to face:

The ears are small, roundish, and way low on its head
And check out the eyes...the Pallas' cat's pupils are round, not slits like in a regular cat.
And where's that cute little line that goes from the nose down to the mouth?

Want to see Pallas' cats in action?

They don't make good pets...think of the vacuuming! But check out exotic cats that do make good pets here.

The Mane Thing About Lions...

2020-04-02T04:49:00.000-07:00

Photograph by Natalie Manuel

The King of the Jungle...the lion.

Surveys tell us that most people, though they have trouble naming many other animals shown to them, can identify a male lion.

That's a relief!

There are eight types of lion, most of which live in Africa.

Asiatic lions, like the ones pictured below, live in the Gir Forest in India:

Most lions are varying shades of color, but there are some white lions living wild in Tambavati.

White lions are not albino, but leucistic; their normal tan coat color is suppressed with the chinchilla gene, but their eyes are gold-brown, not red like a true albino's.

And that big lion mane? Lions are the only big cats where it's easy to tell the males from the females.

Except in Tsavo, where the Maneless lions live.

Did you know that some maneless lions are man-eaters? Check those out those bad boys here.

As for lions WITH manes, let's take a look at the different colors their manes can be:

Amazing variety, isn't there? You know, I bet Simba was a black-maned lion from Kenya...like the one on the bottom left. There's a resemblance, right? :)

Can female lions grow manes, you ask?

Well, it's rare, but they can! Look at this couple in Botswana:

You can read more about this crazy pride of lions here:

https://roaring.earth/lionesses-grow-manes/

Got something to say about this? Leave me a comment!

Strange Cattle You Never Knew Existed

2020-03-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

You see them by country roads; in dairies and grazing in the fields. They all look the same.

They're just COWS

But I bet you haven't seen some of the hardiest, strangest cattle in the world.

Let's take a look:

Cattle in Africa have to be sturdy and heat-resistant.

And give milk as well as meat. The Ankole Watusi fills the bill perfectly.

I love Longhorns! Did you know that there are English longhorns as well as Texas ones like the above? Below is an English longhorn:

Record holder for the longest horns in the world?

Poncho Via, a Texas Longhorn in Alabama, currently has horns 10 feet, 7 inches...and they'll just keep getting longer!

Then there's the very shaggy Highland cow, below, which can now be found in Australia as well as in other climates much colder than Scotland.

Above, the Schwarzenegger of all cattle, the Belgian Blue! It has double the muscle of other breeds. Belgian Blues weigh one ton... about 700 pounds more than most other breeds.

Thought to be descended from the extinct Aurochs, the Zebu, above, is essential in tropical countries for meat, milk, and as a draft animal. Zebu makes me think of the Veggie Tales song :)

Mini-cattle? Actually, these little guys are much cheaper and easier to raise than the big ones... kind of makes you want to put one or two in your backyard, doesn't it?

So which of all these amazing cattle is your favorite?

Me? I kind of lean toward the Belgian Blue... always hoping, of course, that he won't lean back! :)

Rhinos Only Live in Africa, Right?

2020-03-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Did you know there are rhinoceros that don't live in Africa?

The Black rhino and the White rhino, the ones we are most familiar with, live in Africa.

White rhinos have square lips for eating grass, and Black rhinos have hooked lips for grabbing branches, bushes, and fruits.

Can you guess which one is being fed at the top of the post? :)

But the island rhinos live in Java and Sumatra...islands in Indonesia!

And there's the Indian rhino, who lives in...India :)

If you're like me, you want to see how big are all these rhinos are, so..

...I've made an image, below, that shows you how big each type of rhino is compared to a six-foot tall man!

These are some big beasts, aren't they?

Want to learn more about rhinos? Go here:

https://rhinos.org/

What Do Lobsters and Rainbows Have In Common?

2020-03-20T15:52:00.001-07:00

What's huge, rare, and has a shell of many colors?

Lobsters.

You weren't expecting that, were you?

Because lobsters are.....red?

Not if they're Giant Rainbow Lobsters! Take a look!

So how BIG are Giant Rainbow Lobsters?

Okay, that's pretty big.

But even smaller lobsters can have pretty amazing colors:

So now that you've seen all these lobsters, can you figure out why the lobster below CAN'T be real?

Lions Who Are Man-Eaters

2020-02-29T04:00:00.002-08:00

In certain areas, male lions delay growing manes until they are much older than other lions. These are known as maneless lions.

And strangely enough, three of the most notorious man-eating lions were maneless!

The largest man eating lion on record, the Man-Eater of Mfuwe, measured 5 feet from floor to his ears and 10 feet 6 inches long. He was a maneless lion.

This lion killed six people in two months. It was shot in 1991 in Zambia.

Most famous, though, are the Ghosts of Tsavo. During a nine-month period in 1898, two maneless male lions, thought to be brothers, killed between 35 and 145 men who were building a railroad in Tsavo, Kenya.

These three famous man-eaters are on display in The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

Maneless lions have been reported in Senegal and in Tsavo, Kenya. The first ever white lion, discovered in Timbavati, was also maneless!

Pretty cool!

For more information on these man-eaters, go here.

For a good theory on why some lions become man-eaters, go here

For more information about maneless lions, go here: How Stuff Works.

Grolar Bears and Pizzlies, Oh My!

2019-04-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

Grolar Bears and Pizzlies, Oh My!

You must know by now that I love Polar bears.

What you don't know is that I feel the opposite about Grizzlies.

Grizzly bears, to me, are frightening and huge and unpredictable; which really, Polar bears are, too...but Polar bears look cuter while doing it! :)

Polar bears live at the top of the world, in the arctic regions. Grizzly bears live near streams and trees. But as the icepack gets smaller, more grizzlies venture farther north.

So far north that they meet up with....Polar bears!

Now look closely at the pictures of these two bears...besides the difference in their fur color, they have differently shaped heads and backs.

Even the setting of their ears is different.

In 2006, a hunter killed a very strange-looking polar bear. It was white, with some brown in the fur and around the eyes. And it had a hump!

Tests showed that this bear had a polar bear mother and a grizzly father. Now, in one zoo, a grizzly and a polar bear had produced offspring...but this was the first Grolar bear seen in the wild!

Here's another one...

Why Grolar bear? In hybrids, the animal that's the father gets his name in the front. So if the father's a Grizzly...Grolar bear!

These cubs above are Pizzly bears, which, you guessed it...is the product of a Polar bear dad, Grizzly mom.

So what would the offspring of a father Narwhal and mother Beluga be? Yep...a Narluga. No such thing, you say?

Check it out here!

And learn about how polar bears befriend sled dogs, here!

If You Invite a Giraffe to Breakfast....

2019-04-22T15:52:00.001-07:00

If You Invite a Giraffe to Breakfast....

Don't be surprised if he shows up.

Especially if you are in Kenya, Africa. That's because giraffes at breakfast-time are an everyday occurrence at the Giraffe Manor* there!

Take a look at the possibilities...

The dinner bell must have rung....

Here they are, answering the breakfast bell. Amazing. But what are they eating? Eggs and bacon? Nope. They eat molasses snacks made for them by the host!

Looks like fun! Wouldn't you love to have a giraffe at your table?

And notice the blue tongue... Yep! Giraffes are one of five animals that have blue tongues.

Here they all are:

And did you know there are nine types of giraffes?

Then...you've got to see the giraffe hand art, below. It took me a second to figure out how this was done...and kind of makes me want to try it. :)

And...who would've guessed? Frogs that have giraffe spots!

The world is an amazing place, isn't it? Don't miss any of it! :)

*For more on Giraffe Manor, go here: http://www.giraffemanor.com/

"Stranger Things" in the Cow World

2019-04-15T17:39:00.002-07:00

You see them by country roads; in dairies, and grazing in the fields. They all look the same.

They're just cows....

But I bet you haven't seen some of the strangest cattle in the world.

Let's take a look:

Cattle in Africa have to be sturdy and heat-resistant.

And be dual-purpose; giving milk as well as meat. The Ankole Watusi fills the bill perfectly.

I love Longhorns! Here's me sitting on the amazing Weeds, a longhorn from Texas.

Photo courtesy of Sandra Stevens

But wait! Some ranchers are breeding Longhorns with Watusis. Here's one...and look at those horns!

Did you know that there are English longhorns as well as Texas ones? Below is an English longhorn.

Below is the record holder for the longest horns in the world: JR, a Texas Longhorn living in Australia, currently has horns 9 feet, 1 inch...and they'll just keep getting longer!

Then there's the very shaggy Highland cow, which can now be found in Australia as well as in other climates much colder than Scotland.

Above, the Schwarzenegger of all cattle, the Belgian Blue! Double muscling just means that each muscle is more developed than normally found in cattle. Belgian Blues weigh 2,000 pounds, about 700 pounds more than most other breeds.

Thought to be descended from the extinct Aurochs, the Zebu is essential in tropical countries for meat, milk, and as a draft animal.

Mini-cattle? Actually, these little guys are easier to raise than the big ones, and even give more meat!

Kind of makes you want to put one or two in your backyard, doesn't it?

So which of all these amazing cattle is your favorite?

Me? I kind of lean toward the Belgian Blue... always hoping, of course, that he won't lean back! :)

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What Do Lobsters and Rainbows Have In Common?

Okay, that's pretty big. But even smaller lobsters can have pretty amazing colors:

Lions Who Are Man-Eaters

Grolar Bears and Pizzlies, Oh My!

If You Invite a Giraffe to Breakfast....

"Stranger Things" in the Cow World

Okay, that's pretty big.

But even smaller lobsters can have pretty amazing colors: