The Mandarin Duck
(Aix galericulata) is a perching duck species found in East Asia. It is
medium-sized, at 41–49 cm (16–19 in) long with a 65–75 cm (26–30 in) wingspan.
It is closely related to the North American wood duck, the only other member of
the genus Aix. Aix is an Ancient Greek word used by Aristotle to refer to an
unknown diving bird, and galericulata is the Latin for a wig, derived from
galerum, a cap or bonnet.
Beauty of Nature
Nature is a beautiful place. and guess what? It's everywhere!
Sagittarius Serpentarius (Secretary Bird)
The Secretarybird or Secretary bird
(Sagittarius serpentarius) is a very large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey.
Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of
the sub-Saharan region. Although a member of the order Accipitriformes, which
also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, hawks, vultures, and
harriers, it is given its own family, Sagittariidae.
Pterapogon Kauderni (Banggai Cardinalfish)
The Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon
kauderni) is a small tropical cardinalfish in the family Apogonidae. It is the
only member of its genus. This attractive fish is popular in the aquarium
trade. It is among the relatively few marine fish to have been bred regularly
in captivity, but significant numbers are still captured in the wild and it is
now an endangered species.
Cryptoprocta Ferox (Fossa)
The Fossa (Cryptoprocta
ferox) is a cat-like, carnivorous mammal endemic to Madagascar. It is a member
of the Eupleridae, a family of carnivorans closely related to the mongoose
family (Herpestidae). Its classification has been controversial because its
physical traits resemble those of cats, yet other traits suggest a close
relationship with viverrids (most civets and their relatives). Its
classification, along with that of the other Malagasy carnivores, influenced
hypotheses about how many times mammalian carnivores have colonized Madagascar.
With genetic studies demonstrating that the fossa and all other Malagasy
carnivores are most closely related to each other (forming a clade, recognized
as the family Eupleridae), carnivorans are now thought to have colonized the
island once around 18 to 20 million years ago.
Ailuropoda Melanoleuca (Giant Panda, 大熊猫)
The Giant Panda
(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, literally "black and white cat-foot";
Chinese: 大熊猫; pinyin: dà xióng māo,
literally "big bear cat"), also known as panda bear or simply panda,
is a bear native to south central China.It is easily recognized by the large,
distinctive black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round
body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes used to distinguish it from
the unrelated red panda. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the
giant panda's diet is over 99% bamboo. Giant pandas in the wild will
occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds,
rodents, or carrion. In captivity, they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams,
shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food.
Todus Multicolor (Cuban Tody)
The Cuban tody (Todus multicolor) is a
bird species in the family Todidae that is restricted to Cuba and adjacent
islands. The family Todidae is confined to the Greater Antilles and includes five
species. The genus Todus was split from kingfishers of genus Alcedo and
established in 1760. However, the todies appear to be most closely related to
the motmots, and especially the Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula), a small
solitary bird of humid tropical and subtropical forests.
Melanerpes Pulcher (Beautiful Woodpecker)
The beautiful woodpecker (Melanerpes
pulcher) is a bird species in the woodpecker family (Picidae). It is endemic to
Colombia. Until recently, it was united with the
golden-naped woodpecker (M. chrysauchen) of Central America as subspecies. But
the different appearance and allopatric ranges argue in favor of recognizing
the two as distinct species. According to "Birds of Northern South
America" by Robin Restall the back is barred and the belly and breast are
white, but that appears to be in error based on photos of the birds in
Colombia.
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