Critter News

APRIL 12, 2010

Tags: reptiles indonesia lizards crocodile endangered species.

Reptiles 100

Reptiles Indonesia Endangered Species PETA 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 12, 2023

One step away from swifts are hummingbirds, and at least 13 species of these winged jewels flutter about from sunrise to sunset. White-necked Jacobin A sizeable vervain/verbena attracts several species to the main entrance, including Blue-chinned Sapphire , Ruby-topaz Hummingbird , and Tufted Coquette. Interesting.

Trinidad 233

Trinidad Barn Owls Owls Reptiles 233

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

In the same location, a Blue Rock Thrush benefits from the liberal Chinese use of concrete, which seems to be a sufficient substitute for rock for the species. Nature’s little tragedies were apparent in this poor limp Common Greenshank. Will it survive the winter? Maybe a cold-blooded bird?

China 181

China Reptiles Birds Sparrows 181

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

The lodge’s unique geotopographic positioning among the foothills that join the Caribbean lowlands to the cloud forests of Monteverde helps create important connectivity for the dispersal of several plant and animal species. This also makes the Arenal Observatory Lodge an ideal location for wildlife observation in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 154

Costa Rica Reptiles Mammals Research 154

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

This species loves to sing while high up in pine trees. But I was delighted to see a Black-chinned Sparrow near the shore; this is only my eighth sighting of this species. Sometimes it is a flower (of which there were oodles), a reptile (lizards, and a small snake), or an insect. Mexican Violetears have such beautiful colors!

2020 270

2020 Reptiles South America Birds 270

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2021

With that logic those trees, if left to grow, should produce something of use to at least one or two species of birds. It’s been some years since I’ve seen any Short-tailed Hawks as the entire valley is now overrun with concrete – but I’m trying my best to create some sort of oasis for any species.

Opossums 264

Opossums Barn Owls Reptiles Hunting 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2017

Birds of Kruger National Park covers the 259 species most frequently seen in the park, about half of the total number of birds documented there. This still leaves the user flipping through sections, looking for the species in question, though I don’t think there are many species with this habitat overlap.

Ecuador 175

Ecuador Wildlife Reptiles Mammals 175

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2016

Agonizing quandaries concerning invasive species are well-known to wildlife biologists. The relevant numbers involving cats, the people that cherish them, and the birds (and small mammals and reptiles) that they kill are all too large to mean much; you might as well use the funny word “gazillions.”

Feral Cats 260

Feral Cats Cats Tnr Trap Neuter Return 260

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2014

Seeing as Plumb Beach is a known stopover area for large numbers of shorebirds, a known breeding area for a variety of saltmarsh species, including Clapper Rails , and habitat for a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, insects, and other bird species, this is a long overdue move.

Feral Cats 263

Feral Cats Feral Cats Reptiles 263

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2012

The death of Lonesome George has robbed the world of not only a (sub)species (albeit one that has been functionally extinct for a long time since) but of one of the few celebrity reptiles. For this reason, I’d like to take a break from my bird recital and talk for a minute about the truly marvelous reptiles I saw in Spain.

Reptiles 172

Reptiles Spain Monkeys Cows 172

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Three Chestnut Bulbuls seem to winter on Tianmashan this year – somewhat surprising given that the HBW calls the species a year-round resident in an area at least several hundred kilometers south of Shanghai. The Rufous-tailed Robin seen at Tianmashan is another species that one would not necessarily expect here in January.

China 147

China Birds Reptiles Killing 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2022

Not bad given that the 5 families in the inner circle of the laughingthrush family have a combined number of about 68 species. The Hainan version is sometimes considered a separate species, in which case it is classified as Near Threatened. 36, if my counting is right and there has been no very recent split or lump.

San Diego 210

San Diego Malaysia China Zoos 210

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2015

This is perhaps almost entirely due to the Common Starling , a species that is, over much of its range, an introduced pest. Starlings and mynas are adaptable, attractive and clever species. Starlings have a bad rap. And they have done well for themselves.

Ostriches 147

Ostriches South Africa Africa Reptiles 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 18, 2019

Uganda boasts a checklist of well over one thousand species of birds and host of mammals, reptiles, and interesting insects. On a trip as long as ours it’s not unusual for people to see five-hundred-plus species of bird so we will likely have a hard time surviving this one.

Uganda 158

Uganda Africa Gorillas Reptiles 158

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2022

The Common Pochard is listed as Vulnerable – not because it is particularly rare, but because of the rapid decline in its numbers (a decline of 50% within 10 years means a species is listed as Vulnerable – and a 50% loss in 10 years sounds quite dramatic and frightening indeed). And it does not even live in reeds.

Raccoons 219

Raccoons Birds Oregon China 219

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Some birds, reptiles, and sharks have nictitating membranes as well as a few mammals. Some species look particularly creepy when their nictitating membrane is closed. If anyone out there knows of any species that lack a nictitating membrane please let me know in the comments!

Sharks 204

Sharks Mammals Reptiles Florida 204

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2022

I saw two Pitta species at Hongbenghe, both among the slightly less glamourous among the pitta family: The Blue-naped Pitta … … and the closely related Rusty-naped Pitta. It seems that this is another species for which the standard phrase of scientists anywhere, “more research needed”, applies.

Myanmar 147

Myanmar Birds China Chicago 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2022

There are quite a few raptor species around Skukuza. Most likely, the devil, not god created this species. African Spoonbills seem unfazed by large reptiles. While some bustards are the largest bird species capable of flight, the Black-bellied Bustard is only mid-sized. I guess you just get used to them with time.

Africa 147

Africa Eagles Birds Barn Owls 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2013

The Red-backed Kingfisher hunts large insects and small reptiles and can often be seen perched on open dead trees. On a recent visit to an inland area not far from the township of Broome we were lucky enough to not only observe this species, but also take some photographs from a close distance.

Reptiles 175

Reptiles Australia Hunting Family 175

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2015

The feature distinguishes birds from other species; All birds have them, no other species do. Beaks vary across different kinds of birds, and this great diversity in beaks is part of the great diversity of the 10,000+ species of birds that exist today; Beaks thus facilitated the diversification of birds.

Alligators 216

Alligators Chickens Research Reptiles 216

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2011

On a single trip I have seen four species of turtle, which must be my all time high in one day. Unfortunately, I have not managed a decent photograph of a Snapping Turtle in New Jersey yet, so you will have to be happy with shots of only three of the species I have spotted. They are also easily my favorite species of turtle.

Turtles 185

Turtles Terrapins New Jersey Reptiles 185

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2015

Another species of Python, the African Python ( Python sebae ) has established a small population in the 2,877-acre Bird Drive Area (BDA) in South Florida. Photo Credit: Invasive and Exotic Species of North America (www.invasive.org). Reptiles' All methods used to capture pythons have had little success.

Pythons 182

Pythons Florida Mammals Reptiles 182

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2021

High school graduates would not only know birds, but would also be more aware of the native plants, insects, fish, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that inhabit the woodlots, grassy fields, sea cliffs, and other habitats around their homes. They would know the local streams, lakes, and marshes.

2018 264

2018 Agenda Science Massachusetts 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2016

Every time I travel into a new area, I try to do my due diligence and have a pretty good idea of what bird species I might expect to find. A few weeks ago, when we traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, I researched the many different species, especially the hummingbirds. Their food consists of insects, small reptiles, and fruit.

Mexico 105

Mexico Reptiles Dogs Eggs 105

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2013

This park protects the largest remaining tract of dry deciduous forest in the west of India, offering visitors 37 species of reptiles, 38 species of mammals and, not to be forgotten – almost 300 bird species. The largest reptile is the Indian Mugger Crocodile. Three Indian Jackals are walking through a sunset.

Lions 229

Lions India Mammals Boars 229

Critter News

SEPTEMBER 21, 2009

He was caught at an airport with about 70 live animals, including at least three different endangered species and eight inch-long Caiman crocodiles. Tags: wildlife smuggling wildlife crime reptiles crocodile south africa endangered species. The article says most are okay , but in varying stages of health. Very cruel.

South Africa 100

South Africa Endangered Species Reptiles Africa 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2012

And, I started daydreaming about encountering something a little different, maybe a Horned Frog, Ceratophrys cornuta, a large, squat green and brown frog of South America, with a wide mouth large enough to eat other frogs as well as reptiles. A book about all the frogs and toads of the world is an ambitious undertaking.

Reptiles 186

Reptiles Madagascar Family New York City 186

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 9, 2017

One of those pooie reptiles: Green Iguana by Niklas Aronsson. Or even those pooie reptiles. But why would someone look for that, an easy and common one among the 920+ bird species of Costa Rica? And if the amount is taken into consideration, I guess this has to be a much better omen. Or a mammal.

Costa Rica 141

Costa Rica Reptiles Farming Mississippi 141

10,000 Birds

MAY 30, 2011

Our northern winters and highly developed landscape make New York City inhospitable to most species of lizard and it is no surprise that the two species that do occur in the Big Apple have their strongholds in the outer boroughs.* The range of the species extends as far south as Florida and as far west as Mexico and Texas.

New York City 222

New York City New York Reptiles New Jersey 222

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2012

In trying to identify it, I learned that this species has many different patterns in a wide variety of colours. If you liked this post and want to see more great images of birds, mammals, reptiles and insects, make sure to check out 10,000 Clicks , our big (and growing) page of galleries here at 10,000 Birds.

Singapore 110

Singapore Reptiles Asia Mammals 110

10,000 Birds

APRIL 23, 2013

It is easy to know when the boat is nearing its destination because the skies start filling with ever-increasing numbers of Heerman’s Gulls , various booby species, Red-billed Tropicbirds and the ubiquitous Magnificent Frigatebirds. The frigates are by far the most numerous and evident of the island’s nesting species.

Whaling 263

Whaling Whales Sharks Marine Life 263

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

We were able to identify several warblers, Great Horned Owls, Zone-tailed, Coopers and Redtailed Hawks, Osprey, Common Ground Doves, Cactus and Canyon Wrens, Black-throated Sparrows, Great Blue Heron, Common Nighthawks, Lazuli Buntings, House Finch, Gray Thrashers, and several species of Sparrows.

Coyotes 133

Coyotes Rodents Reptiles Fox 133

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Walking along a dirt track next to a prairie, my friend and I were on the look-out for different sparrow species when a large bird suddenly darted into the clearing. Rattlesnakes are fair game, as are other reptiles, scorpions, frogs, birds, and insects. I saw my first real Greater Roadrunner on a cold winter day in the Southwest.

New Mexico 101

New Mexico Mexico Coyotes Rattlesnake 101

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

The majority are clearly Mallards , followed by Garganeys , with one and possibly more Green-winged Teals , also Ferruginous Ducks … Surprises among them are one Common Shelduck , a species that most likely breeds some 15 mi from here (and my first shelduck of the year) and an even greater surprise: two Eurasian Wigeons.

Serbia 170

Serbia Eagles Protection Ducks 170

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2012

The fourteen identification chapters cover: geology and constellations; habitats; wildflowers; trees; shrubs, vines, and ground cover (grasses, sedges, rushes); primitive plants, lichens, and fungi; mammals; birds; reptiles and amphibians; fishes; butterflies and moths; other insects; other invertebrates (spiders, leeches); beach and tidepool life.

Massachusetts 209

Massachusetts Rhode Island North America Reptiles 209

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2017

” Kricher delineates the many types of bird families and species you are likely to encounter in the Neotropics, emphasizing habitat and behavior (especially feeding behavior, and particularly fruit eaters; fruit is an important element when it comes to tropical ecology). This is where fruit comes into play. Oilbirds eat fruit.

South America 154

South America Ecuador Reptiles America 154

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 24, 2014

Add 315 bird species, 42 species of mammals – including Vulnerable Irrawaddy and Endangered Ganges River Dolphins , 61 amphibians and reptiles – including Estuarine Crocodile , at least 150 species of commercially important fish and 334 plant species to the picture. And tell me now – don’t you share my dream?

Bangladesh 186

Bangladesh Dolphins Cambodia Cooking 186