SOUTHERN TAMANDUA
Tamandua tetradactyla
© nagashimaTamandua tetradactyla is found in South America from Venezuela and Trinidad to northern Argentina, southern Brazil, and Uruguay at elevations to 2000 m.
They live in forests and grasslands, are semi-arboreal, and possess partially prehensile tails. They mainly eat ants and termites, but they occasionally eat bees, beetles, and insect larvae. They have no teeth and depend on their powerful gizzard to break down their food.
Tamanduas grow to be 535 mm (21.1 in) to 880 mm (31.5 in) and tail length from 400 mm (15.7 in) to 590 mm (23.2 in). They weigh between 2 and 7 kg and live up to 9 years.
The tamandua is thought to nest during the day in hollow tree trunks or in the burrows of other animals. Research shows that this type of anteater spends 13-64% of its time in trees. In fact, they are very clumsy on the ground unlike their cousin, the giant anteater. To avoid puncturing their palms with their sharp claws, they walk on the outsides of their “hands.”
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamandua
Other posts:
GREEN SEA TURTLE being cleaned by YELLOW TANGs
Chelonia mydas and Zebrasoma flavescens
©reeflectionsGreen sea turtles are reptiles whose ancestors evolved on land and took to the sea to live about 150 million years ago. They are one of the few species so ancient that they watched the dinosaurs evolve and become extinct.
In this photo - This Green Sea Turtle is getting cleaned by Yellow Tangs. Like most surgeonfish, yellow tangs are algae eaters. This works well for the turtles that are unable to wash their own backs. Yellow tangs are the number one fish caught here in Hawaii for export to the aquarium market and are becoming very rare on some the Islands. Please don’t buy any wild fish for your aquariums. You will make the turtles very happy. Source & other images for sale here: http://reeflections.smugmug.com
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The green turtle is a large sea turtle that inhabits tropical and subtropical coastal waters around the world. Occasionally seen sunbathing, it is one of the few marine turtles known to leave the water other than at nesting times.
It is named not for the color of its shell, which is normally brown or olive depending on its habitat, but for the greenish color of its skin.
Weighing up to 700 pounds (317.5 kilograms) green turtles are among the largest sea turtles in the world. Their proportionally small head is non-retractable and extends from a heart-shaped carapace that measures up to 5 feet (1.5 meters). Males are slightly larger than females and have a longer tail. Both have flippers that resemble paddles, which make them powerful and graceful swimmers.
Unlike most sea turtles, adult green turtles are herbivores, feeding on sea grasses and algae. Juveniles, however, will also eat invertebrates like crabs, jellyfish, and sponges.
Source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/green-turtle.html
Other “cleaning” posts:
(via wagamamaya)
Two Little Owls (Athene noctua) were spotted getting affectionate as they prepared to start their mating season. Wildlife photographer Roy Mangersnes captured the romantic scene outside Lleida, in the Catalonia region of Spain. He explains: “There were some lovely shows of affection; when the female approached the male he would seem to gently “kiss” her forehead.
RHESUS MACQUE or RHESUS MONKEY Mom and Baby (Macaca mulatta)
From the series “Clever Monkeys” on KUED.org
- The Rhesus Macaque, also called the Rhesus Monkey, is one of the best known species of Old World monkeys.
- It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and its tolerance of a broad range of habitats
- They are regular swimmers.
- Babies as young as a few days old can swim, and adults are known to swim over a half mile between islands, but are often found drowned in small groups where their drinking waters lie.
- Rhesus macaques are noted for their tendency to move from rural to urban areas, coming to rely on handouts or refuse from humans.
- They have become a pest in some areas, perceived as a possible risk to public health and safety.
- The Rhesus macaque is well known to science owing to its relatively easy upkeep in captivity, and has been used extensively in medical and biological research.
- It has given its name to the Rhesus factor, one of the elements of a person’s blood group (Rh Positive or Negative)
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhesus_Macaque
Other Photos you might like:
Squirrel Monkeys Riding a Capybara
Red Titi Monkey
Nursing Japanese Macaque/Snow Monkey
DeBrazza Monkey & Baby
