Charlie

From The Carnivores of West Africa, published in 1974, illustrations by Rita Parsons.

1.) Pel’s Genet (Genetta genettoides)

2.) Small-Spotted Genet (Genetta poensis)

Flap-necked chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis) at Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park in South Africa

Bokiboky (Mungotictis decemlineata)

(Photo from Marwell Zoo)

Conservation Status- Endangered

Habitat- Madagascar

Size (Weight/Length)- 750 g; 30 cm

Diet- Insects

Cool Facts- Also called the narrow-striped mongoose, bokiboky are found only in Madagascar. These mongoose live in small family groups. The males and females live in separate groups, only coming together in the breeding season. A singular male group will most likely patrol three or four female groups during the breeding season to further increase their chances of having offspring. Baby bokiboky only have a 28% of survival, usually the dominant female’s offspring will be the only one in the group that manages to survive. Bokiboky make nests in trees. It has been recorded that certain species of lemur will share nests with bokiboky, sleeping together. Like many creatures native to Madagascar, bokiboky are endangered due to deforestation rapidly destroying their home.

Welcome back to Weirdo Wednesday! Today we are talking about…

The Risso’s Dolphin - Grampus griseus

Believe it or not, these weirdos start off gray/olive brown when they are babies. So why do they look white? That is the result of scarring from one of their favorite snacks, an animal that does not go down easy; deep sea squid. They are incredible hunters despite only having 7 pairs of teeth on their bottom jaw and none on the top. While thought to be specialist, studies done by MBARI show that they are more generalist eaters, enjoying fish and crustaceans as well as squid. 

This is a dolphin?

Not all dolphins have the long beak. Risso’s dolphins are the second largest species of dolphin at about 14 feet long (the first being Orcas of course). They are also sometimes grouped in the ‘Blackfish’ category, which includes pilot whales and false killer whales. They’re identified by their round head and their sickle-shaped dorsal fin, but also despite having a wide range, these weirdo’s are not seen very often. I myself was lucky enough to see 2 pods off the coast of Monterey Bay, but this is because they are deep sea dolphins who can dive up to 1000 feet and stay down for 30 minutes!! Another reason may be that they can easily be confused for orcas by locals. 

Threats

The biggest threat to these weirdos is similar to most marine mammals, and that is entanglement. Gillnets, longlines and trawls are their biggest issues. Another issue that most cetaceans face is noise pollution. Whales and dolphins use sound to communicate and find food, and ships are very noisy. Pods that live around highly populated ports have a hard time communicated with each other in the water during dense shipping times. This can lead to damage in their hearing, and even ship strikes. NOAA has reported between 2016-2020, 119 whales were found beached and the cause of death was ship strikes. While that may not seem like a lot, keep in mind scientists don’t get to autopsy whales that don’t get beached and instead sink to the bottom of the seafloor. 

They are performers!

hook billed kite aka false parrot

snail kite aka me before coffee

whistling kite aka arsonist

brahminy kite aka bald eagle

swallow tailed kite aka funky pigeon

pearl kite aka thats a finch

landscape_nightscape Which of these colorful birds is your favorite? 😍 From 1 to 10? 🦜🎨 @glittersleep

𝙽𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙿𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚜:

1. Silver throated Tanager @jeffreypatrickkarnes

2. European Starling @raheel.aazim

3. Mandarin duck @eccentricwildlife

4. Golden-tailed Sapphire @birddetective

5. Strawberry Finch @praharsha_wildlife_stories

6. European Bee-eater @dorugroza

7. Periquito-rico @macrotake

8. Pink Robin @ravi_arora

9. Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher @rahul_belsare

10. Keel billed Toucan @floriankusterwildlife

𝚂𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔: 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙰 𝚆𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝙻𝚘𝚞𝚒𝚜 𝙰𝚛𝚖𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐

thick-billed ravens rank pretty high on the "jesus christ a dinosaur" scale imho

Takahe always give me dinosaur vibes. They're BIG, & something about those thick legs, broad beak, tiny eyes, body shape ... when you see them in real life they just FEEL paleo especially when you see them alongside their sleek little pukeko cousins

Ground hornbills (why is baby dino so baby)

Hornbills in general have great "prehistoric" vibes

Others may not agree, but I think spur-winged geese count

Green tree snail, Leptopoma perlucidum, Cyclophoridae

Found from South Asia to Australia

where do i start?

smew

noisy friarbird

black grasswren

black-and-blue grassquit

musk duck

a collection of owl species called boobooks

jamaican mango

and my personal favorite…the gibber chat

native to south america, the hawk-headed parrot is regarded as a beautiful but mysterious parrot. these parrots are reclusive, and little research has been done on them in the wild. also known as the red-fan parrot, these birds are unique; their body shape does not line up with most parrots. their hawklike head, tail shape, and build is reminiscent of a bird of prey, earning them their name. hawk-heads have a red crest, which scientists presume are used to make them appear bigger.

hawk-headed parrots nest in tree cavities and stumps. babies stay in the nest for around ten weeks before leaving. only two wild nests have been studied, and both contained one egg. the parrots live in small flocks of 3 to 5 - it’s possible larger flocks exist, but they have yet to be observed. these parrots are extremely territorial and are very defensive of their nesting sites.

hawk-headed parrots are known as a tricky parrot to keep in captivity. they are temperamental and are known to suffer from mood swings when they are hormonal more so than other parrots. this can lead to them being labeled ‘bitey’ or ‘aggressive’. in addition, they are rough with their play, which can sometimes be misinterpreted as intentionally harming someone. these qualities make them best for an experienced bird owner. while their popularity has grown in recent years, they aren’t one of the most common pet parrots. they regularly fetch prices around $1,200 - $1,800, putting them out of many’s price range.

the hawk-headed parrot is currently labeled least concern - something that is sadly unusual for many parrots. let’s hope the hawk-headed parrot and the other parrots of south america are around for many future generations!

Bigfoot Splayfoot Salamander - Chiropterotriton magnipes 

Chiropterotriton magnipes (Caudata - Plethodontidae), is a cave dwelling salamander known only from south-eastern San Luis Potosi and eastern Queretaro, Mexico.

These little fellows have a total length of around 80-120 mm, with the tail accounting for slightly less than half of this measurement. The head is flat and wide, with large bulging eyes. This species is unique among the splayfoot salamanders in the fullness of the wedding of its feet and because it has pad-like structures on the tips of its fingers and toes.

The Bigfoot Splayfoot Salamander is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List; it has been seen very rarely in recent years, despite searches.

References: [1] - [2]

Nimble Long-limbed Salamander - Nyctanolis pernix

Endangered and believed to be declining due to deforestation, Nyctanolis pernix (Plethodontidae) is known from only a few localities in the mountains of western and central Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico. This species, the only known member of the genus Nyctanolis and first discovered in 1975, is an example of a phenomenon that is becoming all too common among amphibians: by the time they are described, they are already disappearing. 

References: [1] - [2] - [3]

The Bottlenose Whales

Happy new year everyone! Sorry for the quiet, I’ve been busy finishing two big projects. One of the things I loved about both of them is how many beaked whales I got to paint! I’ve never had much chance to illustrate them, so it was high time to make up for that. And what better way to start off 2022 than with some big, thick, and CHONKY bottlenose whales?

The Northern bottlenose is the biggest - adults can reach almost 10 metres in length and weigh some 6 to 7 tons! While male beaked whales are famous for their tusks, Northern bottlenoses’ are tiny. Their huge, square heads are far more prominent, and indeed this is their choice of weapon: males will use it to headbutt each other in fights. Male Southern bottlenose whales appear quite different. Their melons are smaller and more forward facing - not quite the battering ram the northerners wear - and their bodies are completely covered in rake marks, revealing a different fighting strategy. Theirs is the traditional beaked whale way of going tusk-to-tusk. It’s been said that males can bear so many scars they look almost white from a distance.

And then comes the Longman’s beaked whale - not really a bottlenose whale pur sang, but rather a namesake based on looks. They are a surprisingly recent discovery: they were only identified in the early 2000′s! Before then mysterious tales of Southern bottlenose whales in tropical waters had intrigued scientists. Longman’s beaked whale was already known, but only from two skulls. No one knew what they looked like. It wasn’t until 2003 when two stranded whales were identified through DNA, and the species’ appearance was first described. People turned to the sightings of “tropical bottlenose whales”, and concluded they were one and the same.