Nature's Mighty Pictures

I've got you under my skin

2016-10-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Just amazing

Mockingbird

2015-02-23T14:46:00.001-08:00

Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the Mimidae family. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly and in rapid succession.

There are about 17 species in three genera. These do not appear to form a monophyletic lineage: Mimus and Nesomimus are quite closely related; their closest living relatives appear to be some thrashers, such as the sage thrasher. Melanotis is more distinct; it seems to represent a very ancient basal lineage of Mimidae.

The only mockingbird commonly found in North America is the northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos). The Greek word polyglottos means multiple languages.

The song of the mockingbird is actually a medley of the calls of many other birds. Each imitation is repeated two or three times before another song is initiated. A given bird may have 30, 40 or even 200 songs in its repertoire, including other bird songs, insect and amphibian sounds, and even the occasional mechanical noise.

Part of the mockingbird’s advantage over other avians is physical; it uses more of the muscles in its vocal organ, the syrinx, than most other passerines do, many more than non-passerines like raptors or waterfowl. But the mockingbird also has a mind for music. It’s been theorized that this species has more brain matter devoted to song memory than most other birds do. Why does the mockingbird sing? The vocal mimicry trait seems to indicate that lyrical flow is an especially potent aphrodisiac in mockingbird circles, although some lonely males warble and whine the whole night through when unable to find a mate.

There is also amazing Lyrebird, magnificient mimicker of other birds and noises and you can find it on this LINK.

New Born Baby Bat

2013-09-15T15:09:00.003-07:00

New born baby bat

Draco Volans, Flying Lizard

2013-02-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

Draco volans, or the Flying Dragon, is a member of the genus of gliding lizards Draco. It can spread out folds of skin attached to its movable ribs to form "wings" that it uses to glide from tree to tree over distances upwards of 8 metres (26 ft); however, like all modern reptiles, it lacks the ability to sustain powered flight, and is capable only of gliding.

Its wings are brightly coloured with orange, red and blue spots and stripes, and they provide camouflage when folded. The flying dragon can reach up to 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in length. It feeds on arboreal ants and termites.

Smart Horse, Mariska

2013-01-27T06:15:00.001-08:00

Friesian Mare Mariska, is very good at opening her stall doors, and anything else that might have food in it.

Emperor Tamarin

2012-12-30T12:23:00.001-08:00

The Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator) is a tamarin allegedly named for its similarity with the German emperor Wilhelm II. The name was first intended as a joke, but has become the official scientific name.

This tamarin lives in the southwest Amazon Basin, in east Peru, north Bolivia and in the west Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas.

The fur of the Emperor Tamarin is predominantly grey colored, with yellowish speckles on its chest. The hands and feet are black and the tail is brown. Outstanding is its long, white mustache, which extends to both sides beyond the shoulders. The animal reaches a length of 24 to 26 cm, plus a 35 cm long tail. It weighs approximately 300 to 400 g.

This primate inhabits tropical rain forests, living deep in the forest and also in open tree-covered areas. It is a diurnal animal, spending the majority of its days in the trees with quick, safe movements and broad jumps among the limbs.

Snow Leopard

2012-12-29T08:02:00.001-08:00

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia) is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. The classification of this species has been subject to change and is still classified as Uncia uncia by MSW3 as of 2000 and CITES Appendix I. However with more recent genetic studies, the snow leopard is now generally considered as Panthera uncia and classified as such by IUCN. Classically, two subspecies have been attributed but genetic differences between the two have not been settled. The snow leopard remains on the endangered species list classified as C1.

Snow leopards occupy alpine and subalpine areas generally 3,350 and 6,700 metres (10,990 and 22,000 ft) above sea level in Central Asia. The Snow Leopard Survival Strategy (McCarthy et al. 2003, Table II) compiled national snow leopard population estimates, updating the work of Fox (1994). Many of the estimates are acknowledged to be rough and out of date, but the total estimated population is 4,080–6,590. However, the global snow leopard effective population size (those likely to reproduce) is suspected to be fewer than 2,500 (50% of the total population, or 2,040–3,295).

There are numerous agencies working to conserve the snow leopard and its threatened mountain ecosystems. These include the Snow Leopard Trust, the Snow Leopard Conservancy, the Snow Leopard Network, the Cat Specialist Group and the Panthera Corporation. These groups and numerous national governments from the snow leopard’s range, non-profits and donors from around the world recently worked together at the 10th International Snow Leopard Conference in Beijing. Their focus on research, community programs in snow leopard regions and education programs are aimed at understanding the cat's needs as well as the needs of the villagers and herder communities affecting snow leopards' lives and habitat.

You can also see some cute leopard cubs from Berlin zoo HERE.

Christmas Animals 2012

2012-12-27T08:58:00.002-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

Golden Eagle Snatches Kid

2012-12-19T05:36:00.001-08:00

Scary!

Real Disney Animals

2012-12-12T06:06:00.002-08:00

This is really nice collection of Disney characters found in the real world.

Orda Cave

2012-12-07T12:32:00.001-08:00

Russian divers working on Orda Cave Awareness Project have revealed a set of unseen pictures of the world’s longest underwater cave.

Located near Orda village in Perm region, Ural, Orda Cave is also the biggest underwater gypsum crystal cave in the world and second in Eurasia in terms of volumes of its galleries that stretch up to five kilometers. Famous underwater photographer, journalist and dive-instructor Victor Lyagushkin led the team of cave divers and took stunning images of the cave at less than zero degree temperature.

“There is extremely low water temperature, about 3C and 20C below zero on surface. Under these circumstances shooting became very challenging,” Lyagushkin said.

The location of the cave in Ural region, which is known for rich mineral deposits in Russia, may be linked to the gypsum content in Orda Cave, which has transparent water because of the mineral.

A water wonder, a natural wonder and a natural monument of Russia, Orda Cave has been the focus of cave excursions recently.

Hurricane Sandy, Amazing Storm

2012-10-30T06:41:00.001-07:00

Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic tropical system on record, is a late-season tropical cyclone that has affected Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the eastern seaboard of the United States, reaching to the area south of the Great Lakes Region of the United States, and Eastern Canada. The 18th tropical cyclone, 18th named storm, and 10th hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, Sandy developed from an elongated tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22. It became a tropical depression, quickly strengthened, and was upgraded to a tropical storm six hours later. Sandy moved slowly northward toward the Greater Antilles and gradually strengthened.

On October 24, Sandy was upgraded to a hurricane, shortly before making landfall in Jamaica. Upon moving farther north, Sandy re-entered water and made its second landfall in Cuba during the early morning of October 25 as a Category 2 hurricane. During the late evening of October 25, Sandy weakened to Category 1 strength; in the early hours of October 26, it headed north through the Bahamas. Sandy briefly weakened to a tropical storm in the early morning hours of October 27, then restrengthened to a Category 1 hurricane later that morning.

Just before 8 a.m. on October 29, Sandy turned to the north-northwest and started to make its expected approach towards the U.S. coast, still maintaining Category 1 strength. Although the National Hurricane Center has not officially confirmed the location, at 5:46 PM local time, Accuweather announced it had come ashore in between Avalon and Sea Isle City in Cape May County, New Jersey. NOAA announced officially that the storm had come ashore at approximately 8:00 p.m. EDT 5 miles southwest of Atlantic City, New Jersey. On October 29, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. EDT, Sandy was declared a post-tropical cyclone.

Sandy's impact on the United States stretched from North Carolina to New England with tropical storm force winds stretching far inland and significant mountain snows in West Virginia. The cyclone brought a record-breaking storm surge to New York City on the evening of October 29, with numerous streets and tunnels flooded in Lower Manhattan and other areas of the city.

The Calgary Zoo's Gorillas Entertained by Caterpillar

2012-09-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

The Calgary Zoo's Gorillas take a inquisitive interest in a Caterpillar that was making a trip across a door in their enclosure.

There's Always A Bigger Fish

2012-09-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

"There's always a bigger fish" - Qui-Gon

Bulldog And Trampoline

2012-09-20T05:24:00.003-07:00

The happiest dog in the whole WORLD!!

Glaucus atlanticus, The Blue Dragon

2012-09-17T03:37:00.000-07:00

Glaucus atlanticus (common names sea swallow, blue glaucus, blue dragon, blue sea slug and blue ocean slug) is a species of small-sized blue sea slug, a pelagic aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Glaucidae. This is the only species in the genus Glaucus, but is closely related to Glaucilla marginata, which sometimes is included in Glaucus.

The normal size of this species is up to 3 cm. It is silvery grey on its dorsal side and dark and pale blue ventrally. It has dark blue stripes along the edge of its foot. It has a tapering body which is flattened and has six appendages which branch out into rayed cerata. Its radular teeth bear serrated teeth on their blades.

Glaucus is a hermaphrodite, containing both male and female reproductive organs. Unlike most nudibranchs, which mate with their right sides facing, sea swallows mate with ventral sides facing. After mating, both animals produce egg strings.

Fisherman

2012-08-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

Fisher man by Saravut Whanset

Legzira Beach

2012-08-25T02:34:00.000-07:00

Legzira Beach ( southern Morocco ) taken at sunset.

Smart Monkey And Stupid Man

2012-08-04T02:29:00.000-07:00

Monkey want's a cracker and man fails to understand that. Monkey facepalm! :D

Svartifoss

2012-07-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

Photograph by Giacomo Ciangottini

Svartifoss (Black Fall) is surrounded by the dark lava columns that gave rise to its name. The hexagonal columns were formed inside a lava flow that cooled extremely slowly, giving rise to crystallization.

Skaftafell National Park, Iceland.

Underwater Colour Art

2012-06-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Water + paint = art! :)

Animals As People

2012-06-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Below are some amusing photos of animals acting as human beings.

Running Baby Duck

2012-06-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

That little duck can certainly run! His name is Charlie and his tiny legs are not as long, and so he had to run as fast as he could to keep up!

Scary Jaws

2012-06-24T17:48:00.001-07:00

Can you guess what animal these jaws belong to?

Yup, it's simple leatherback sea turtle.

Swimming Giraffe

2012-06-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

I'm so jealous of this giraffe.