#docent program

[animalworld]

NICOBAR PIGEON Caloenas nicobarica Photos by ©Laura Quick

The Nicobar pigeon is one of the closest living relatives to the dodo, a bird which is now extinct, and the Victoria Crowned Pigeon, the largest and fanciest of the Pigeons. This pigeon is found on the small islands and coastal regions from the Nicobar Islands in India, UNESCO has declared the Great Nicobar Island as one of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. It has beautiful iridescent feathering. Other posts you might like:

Victoria Crowned Pigeon

Nicobar Pigeon back view

Himalayan Monal

[animalworld]

SERVAL CAT Leptailurus serval ©Laura Quick

I spent 20 minutes trying to get a good photo of this cat as it walked in and out of the doorway, but since I’m shooting through metal mesh at the end of the day, and they all look like they were taken in a sooty alley of a house cat. Oh well, I hope to master the art of photographing through mesh at some point, but until then, I’ll link to some good photos at the end, including one of the stunning melanistic [all black] serval spotted recently in Kenya and Tanzania.

The serval is a lanky wild cat native to Africa. It is rare in North Africa and the Sahel, but widespread in sub-Saharan countries except rainforest regions. On the IUCN Red List it is listed as Least Concern. It was first described by von Schreber in 1776. It is the sole member of the genus Leptailurus.

Other photos you might like:

Melanistic Black Serval

Canadian Lynx

Rusty Spotted Cat

[animalworld]

AMERICAN BLACK BEAR Ursus americanus ©Laura Quick

The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location.

Despite living in North America, American black bears are not closely related to brown bears and polar bears; genetic studies reveal that they split from a common ancestor 5.05 million years ago (mya). American and Asian black bears are considered sister taxa and are more closely related to each other than to the other modern species of bears.According to recent studies, the sun bear is also a relatively recent split from this lineage.

Other posts you might like:

Asian Black Bear

European Brown Bear

Polar Bear

[animalworld]

STRAWBERRY POISON FROG Oophaga pumilio ©Laura Quick

Tiny ~1″ frogs in many colorful colors and patterns, they’re common throughout their range, which extends from eastern central Nicaragua through Costa Rica and northwestern Panama. This species is often found in humid lowlands and premontane forest, but large populations are also found in disturbed areas such as plantations. The strawberry poison frog is perhaps most famous for its widespread variation in coloration, comprising approximately 15–30 color morphs, most of which are presumed to be true-breeding. O. pumilio, while not the most poisonous of the dendrobatids, is the most toxic member of its genus.

Other posts you might like:

Red-Backed Poison Dart Frog

“Blue Jeans” Morph Strawberry Dart Frog

Cayenne Stubfoot Toad - not Poison, just colorful