ANIMALS

Cute and fluffy killer.

Caterpillars are astonishing creatures, they have adapted and evolved in amazing ways to avoid being pray to other animals. One of the greatest challenges caterpillars face is that they are essentially slow-moving bundles of protein that make for excellent meals for their predators. In order to avoid being eaten, they have developed all kinds of fancy tricks, like stinging hairs as well as their array of looks which work to make them look larger, scarier, hidden, or in order to make them reassemble other animals (such as snakes).

Even if they are cute (and fluffy) like this one, always be careful not to touch them because it may cause you a lot of pain and could potencially be dangerous.

The Blue You See, Is Not Blue

Did you know that the blue you see in bird's feathers isn't actually blue? Blue in nature is extremely hard to find because what you see aren't pigments, but a physical modification of the microscopical structure of the feather, in other words, when the light hits the feather, its structure's purpose is to refract the light in a way that allows us to see as if it were blue.

Trump's Hair

This beautiful caterpillar looks cute and fluffy, doesn't it? If you ever find one of these I recommend you not to take it home. More than that, don't touch it at all. This specie of caterpillar is very venomous, when you touch one of its hairs you feel excruciating pain; some people even say the pain is so strong you feel it to your bones. This amazing specie is easily found in the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon rainforest and after a process of metamorphosis, the caterpillar will become a moth.

Ara Militaris, Is Now Endangered

According to the National Geographic article written by Jonathan Baillie, in order to protect this type of species is fundamental to get people engaged to do so by creating an emotional link between people and these incredible and unique species.
In my opinion, a way to connect humans and nature is by letting people remember the connection we had to the natural world.

Any Harry Potter Fans?

If you're a Harry Potter fan you will definitely recognize this species as the one that was tortured with the cruciatus curse by Barty Crouch Jr. pretending to be Alastor Moody.
They are known as Amblypygi or tailless whip scorpion, these little guys do not produce venom or toxins, nor are they capable of biting, stinging, or injuring a person in any way. Some people even consider them as pets.

I took this photo a couple of years ago and to this day it is one of my favorites. It is interesting to see these two beautiful butterflies mating, it is such a rare sight.

Females are ready to mate immediately after emerging from the pupa, if they don't it is most likely that they never will, although they will live longer and die of natural causes. Males usually mate with females right after the females emerge from their pupa because it is easier for them since the females can't fly yet.

Females mate once in their lifetime and lay up to 100 eggs. They die after laying the eggs. On the other hand, males can live up to 6 weeks.

The Beetle

Did you know that one every four animals on earth is a beetle? Beetles are one of the largest known groups of species on Earth including plants, they can be found everywhere except for the poles and oceans. Beetles are eaten by humans more than any other species of insects and are considered an alternative protein source. Eating insects is an environmentally friendly activity because they release lower quantities of greenhouse emissions, require less water and land than cattle.

Wings on fire.

Cool facts about butterflies that you probably didn't know:

-Butterflies Taste With Their Feet. Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet to help them find their host plants and locate food. A female butterfly lands on different plants, drumming the leaves with her feet until the plant releases its juices. Spines on the back of her legs have chemoreceptors that detect the right match of plant chemicals. When she identifies the right plant, she lays her eggs.

-Butterflies Are Nearsighted but Can See Colors.

-Butterflies Can't Fly If They're Cold. Butterflies need an ideal body temperature of about 85 degrees Fahrenheit to fly. Since they're cold-blooded animals, they can't regulate their own body temperatures.

I was able to see the metamorphosis of this amazing caterpillar.

Some time ago, I found a moth laying her eggs on a wall outside my house and I was able to watch the process from the moment the eggs were layed to the growth and maturing of one of the larvas. This happened on January 28th. At first the eggs were between green and gray, then they got darker and bigger. Eventually the larva came out of the eggs and I was able to catch 2 of them. The eggs were actually transparent and the little caterpillars were actually black and aprox. 2-3 mm. At first they enjoyed Geranium's leaves but later I realized that they liked Rose's leaves better.

Smart And friendly

Have you ever heard that dolphins are very smart? You've probably heard of it at some point, but why are they considered smart? First, dolphins are able to pass down their knowledge from generation to generation the same way humans do. They've learned that hunting in groups is better than hunting alone. Dolphins are able to recognize their own body and thoughts, and can learn other languages and understand what a sign, a sound or a word means and that an action should follow it.

Angelfish.

French angelfish are very curious, territorial, and often travel in pairs. Young French angelfish form symbiotic relationships with bigger fish. They remove parasites from other fish species and receive protection in return. These fish commonly swim at depths of 15 feet, which is one of the reasons I find really sad that animals like this one are kept in captivity in such small places. The fishtank this Angelfish was kept in was approximately 80cm² x 50cm², they should be free in their own habitat where they can live their lives the way they are supposed to without 4 walls to contain them.

Gaby Pérez Linke

Photography

ANIMALS