Nature and wildlife

2016, Mainland France Selection, Underwater Pictures from France, Underwater Wildlife

Spirographe (Spirographis spallanzani), Mediterranean sea

Spirographe (Spirographis spallanzani), Mediterranean seaSpirographe (Spirographis spallanzani), Mediterranean sea

The Spirograph is a sea worm living in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Atlantic Ocean and in the North Sea.
This animal, living and fixed on a rock wall, can be seen up to 40 meters deep in the water. Being able to measure up to 35 centimeters long, this animal deploys from its mouth a feather duster of filaments enabling to catch its food and some air. The stem of this sea flower is in reality a tube made out of mucus and sand by the worm.

2008, Costa Rica Selection, Insects and Arachnids

Leaf-cutting ant

Leaf-cutting ant, Costa Rica

Also known as mushroom ants, the leaf-cutting ants live in tropical regions. These ants mainly feed themselves with a special mushroom they plant inside their anthill. This mushroom grows on substrate composed of leaves collected then chewed by leaf-cutting ants.
The photographed ant brings some pieces of leaves to the anthill. The ant is capable of lifting hundred times its own weight, so the illegal passengers who climbed up the leaf should not be a problem for the ant.

2016, Maldives Selection, Underwater Pictures from Maldives, Underwater Wildlife

Tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus), Maldives

Tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus), Maldives

Nocturnal in habits, the tawny nurse shark tends to spend the day resting in piles of two dozen or more individuals inside caves or under ledges. At night, it is an active-swimming predator that uses a powerful suction force to extract prey from inside holes and crevices. The diet of this species consists mainly of octopus, crustaceans such crabs, small fishes.

2016, Brazil Paper, Diving-Paper, Mammals, Paper

Brazil: The Boto, pink dolphin of Amazonia

23 to 7 million years ago, during the Miocene era, Amazonia was partially covered by seawater. Cetaceans were living in this area. When seawater has been definitely out of Amazonia ground, a species would have adapted to continue living in rivers, drawing the Amazonian landscape. This species became the Boto, known also as the biggest pink dolphin of Amazonia.

Continue reading“Brazil: The Boto, pink dolphin of Amazonia”

2008, Costa Rica Selection, Mammals

Hoffmann’s sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)

Hoffmann's sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)Hoffmann’s sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)

The sloth is named like this because of his slowness he puts to perform the simplest actions and its appetite for long naps.
This animal sleeps more than 18 hours a day. When he does not sleep, it is mainly to feed on the leaves he would have chosen meticulously.
Although this animal is very agile while climbing on trees, he is clumsy when it comes to walk on the ground, which places him on the land of his predators: jaguars and snakes. The sloth goes down from the tree once a week in order to defecate and to change the tree, if needed.
Regarding love, the sloth is also taking his time. Very solitary, the male will wait until he is 4 or 5 years old to start looking for a partner. The couple will embrace each other for 48 hours . They will be separated after the coupling, each of them will go back to a solitary life.

2007, Mainland France Selection, Reptils and Amphibians

Common toad (Bufo bufo)

A toad eagerly awaiting in his hole

The bufo bufo is a nocturnal animal. This animal spends the day hidden in a hole he dug, in abandoned burrows or simply under a stone or a dead piece of wood. This hiding place serves also as base for hunting. Indeed, the common toad hunts mainly on the lookout. He stays at the exit of his hole until a prey (fly, caterpillar, slug…) passes nearby. Then, he can catch the prey with his sticky tongue.

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