#creatureawaits

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #231

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

Continuing our October series.. "Cute…but Deadly" : )

(Beautiful photography by Jeff Lipshitz of the Channel City Camera Club (CC BY 2.0 Deed))

The Leopard Seal

Scientific Name: Hydrurga leptonyx

Region: The Antarctic

Size: About 7.9'-11.5' (~2.4m-3.5m) long & weigh about 440lb-1,320lb (200kg-600kg)

Interesting Notes: Though adorable at a distance, Leopard Seals can definitely be deadly up close. Though attacks on humans are rare, there are recorded instances of these strong and beautiful creatures attacking inflatable boats and biting, and even dragging, explorers and scientists into dangerous icy waters.. However, not all tales of their encounters with humans end in tragedy. One such story, documented in 2006, involved Paul Nicklen, a photographer for National Geographic, who dove among them, capturing their daily life. A female Leopard Seal took notice of Nicklen, and for four days, took pity on him as "a helpless predator" and brought him food. She brought dead penguins at first and then switched to injured ones - thought to be a way to teach him to hunt for himself. Nicklen stated the experience will "stay with him forever."

You can read more on the experience and see his photography on the National Geographic website here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/140311-paul-nicklen-leopard-seal-photographer-viral

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #240

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

(Awesome photograph by Sarah H. Olson and the rest of the team at the Wildlife Conservation Society (CC0 1.0 Deed))

The Hammer-Headed Bat

Scientific Name: Hypsignathus monstrosus

Region: A region of western central Africa

Size: About a 3'4" (~1.0m) wingspan

Interesting Notes: The males of this unique fruit bat species, the largest of continental Africa, have a large resonating chamber in their snout used in producing loud honking noises to attract potential mates. Females of the species look more like other fruit bat species, and weigh roughly half their male counterparts' weight.

[thecreatureawaits]

The Creature Awaits #159:

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry.  Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

Welcome to "Antique Gold Animals" month, where we'll be featuring animals of said beautiful hue.

(Lovely photograph taken by Theo Stikkelman (CC BY 2.0))

The Golden Jackal

Scientific Name: Canis aureus

Region: Northwestern Europe through Southern Asia (Thanks for the correction, @skekteksfurby​! : ) )

Size:  About 16" (~40cm) tall at the shoulder and 37"-43"(~95cm-110cm) long, including the tail

Interesting Notes:  This beautiful canid is actually more closely related to wolves and coyotes than true jackals.  They have an unusual family structure centered around one monogamous adult pair with 1-2 adult "helpers" who do not breed, but stay with the pair for a year to help raise their new litter before moving on.

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #227

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

Today we begin a special series for October.. "Cute…but Deadly" : )

(Brilliant shot taken by Steve Smith (CC BY-NC 2.0 Deed))

The Devil's Flower Mantis

Scientific Name: Idolomantis diabolica

Region: Central eastern Africa

Size: Up to about 5.1" (~13cm) long if female, about 3.9" (~10cm) if male

Interesting Notes: Though not harmful to humans, this gorgeous mantis is quite deadly to any prey lured in by its near-perfect disguise. Possibly the largest floral mimic mantis, this swift and precise hunter stays perfectly motionless until any enticed insect flies close enough to strike at. Once locked in its inescapable grasp, the mantis then uses its powerful mandibles to quickly decapitate and consume it before returning to await its next target.

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #223

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

A special feature for my husband - Hope he has a wonderful birthday this year! ❤️

(Beautiful still taken by brilliant photographer, Frank Fujimoto (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 - cropped for format))

The Antelope Jackrabbit

Scientific Name: Lepus alleni

Region: Southern Arizona southward into Mexico

Size: About 20.5"-22.8" (~52cm-58cm) long, not counting the head and tail

Interesting Notes: This beautiful hare is most active at twilight and throughout the night, but will occasionally be active in the day when there's enough cloud cover to shield them from direct sunlight. (Sounds like someone else I know……….Happy Birthday, Dear! ^^)

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #230

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

Continuing our October series.. "Cute…but Deadly" : )

(An awesome capture by Eric Polk (CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed))

The Bloody-belly Comb Jelly

Scientific Name: Lampocteis cruentiventer

Region: The Northern Pacific Ocean, usually between about 820'-4,921' (~250m-1,500m) deep

Size: About 6" (~16cm) long

Interesting Notes: As a comb jelly, this bizarrely beautiful creature doesn't move like a true jellyfish, but propels itself by rhythmically waving rows of hair-like cilia. Being totally translucent, its stomach's deep red color - one of the hardest colors to see at this ocean depth - stealthily keeps predators from spotting any bioluminescent meals still digesting within its stomach. Like its fellow comb jellies, instead of stinging its prey, it produces an extremely sticky, glue-like substance that holds its prey captive as it's slowly dragged into its mouth.

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #224

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

(Glorious photography by the extremely skilled, Bill Gracey (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

The Ferruginous Hawk

Scientific Name: Buteo regalis

Region: Across western North America from central Mexico through southwestern Canada

Size: About 20"-28" (~51cm-71cm) from head through tail, with a roughly 4'-5'2" (122cm-158cm) wingspan

Interesting Notes: Though the name "ferruginous" infers a rust color like the light-morph pictured above, this gorgeous hawk's dark-morph sports a dark chocolate brown. Thankfully, due a good part to fastidious conservation efforts, as of their reassessment in 2016, neither of these beautiful morphs is considered threatened or endangered anymore. : )

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #226

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

(Endearing capture taken by Paul Korecky (CC BY-SA 2.0))

The Tasselled Wobbegong

Scientific Name: Eucrossorhinus dasypogon

Region: Shallow reefs lining northern Australia, New Guinea, the Aru Islands and Waigeo

Size: Up to 5'10" (~1.8m) long

Interesting Notes: This unique and beautiful carpet shark rests camouflaged against coral reefs along the sea floor with its tail curled under ledges and in caves during the day, although it may ambush unsuspecting passersby should the opportunity arise. At night it more actively hunts its favored prey among crustaceans, cephalopods and fish - luring many to their feasted-on fate by slowly waving the end of its tail like a small fish.