Emerald Labyrinth's Records of Time

Think all zebras are striped? Think again. This International Zebra Day, meet a spotted zebra. This individual, photographed in Africa’s Masai Mara, exhibits darker-than-usual pigmentation and a spotted coat—the result of a rare genetic mutation affecting its melanin production. Zebras like the one pictured here are extremely uncommon. Scientists think that such mutations can hinder an individual’s chance at survival, making hiding from predators much more difficult.

the egyptian vulture is small vulture found from the iberian peninsula to north africa, west asia and india. like many vultures, a large portion of their diet consists of carrion - however, they are opportunistic feeders that eat a variety of found foods, and willing hunters. they predate on small mammals, birds, and reptiles, and are known for their love of feeding on the eggs of other birds. large, thick-shelled eggs are difficult for the vultures to open, and they have been recorded using tools to access the inside of the egg, such as dropping rocks onto the eggs to crack them open. egyptian vultures have also been recorded using tools in other ways - they use twigs in order to roll up found wool to bring back for use in their nests. adult birds’ plumage is white overall, with black flight feathers. they also have notable bright yellow facial skin, which is bare as in other vultures. wild birds often appear brown or rusty in color from contact with iron-rich soil. the egyptian vulture is currently considered endangered by the IUCN. with few natural predators for adult birds, most of the threats to wild populations are human-influenced, such as poisonings (both accidental and intentional), hunting, pesticide accumulation and collisions with power lines.

They feel otherworldly. Like this bird might be sent by one of the gods.