Above is a Blue dragon, a type of mollusk known as a nudibranch.
It can be found drifting on the surface of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian
oceans in temperate and tropical waters. An air bubble stored in its stomach
keeps the blue dragon afloat. Despite its impressive appearance, it
rarely grows larger than three centimeters long.
Nature is filled with such beautiful wildlife; some are majestic, some colorful,
some bizarre, some cute, but all wonderful in their own way. Along with the more
commonly known, we can find more exotic species, with unique colors, pelts, shapes
and sizes. These exotic creatures are a sight to behold, as you'll see in these
perfect examples of wildlife photography done just right.
Here Are More Breathtaking Nature Photos. Enjoy! :)
Copperband Butterflyfish:
Found in reefs in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
This butterflyfish is one of the three species that
make up the genus Chelmon and all have long beaks.
Cottontop Tamarin:
Found only in northwestern Colombia. Nicknamed the cutest monkeys in South America,
cotton-top tamarins are among the most endangered primates in the world.
Sea Turtles:
Are one of the Earth's most ancient creatures. The seven species
that can be found today have been around for 110 million years, since the time
of the dinosaurs.
Olive-Headed Lorikeet:
Called the perfect lorikeet, it's a species of parrot found in forest, woodland
and cultivated areas on Timor and smaller nearby islands.
Cassaway:
Are flightless birds without a keel on their sternum bone that are native to the
tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands, and northeastern Australia.
Green Iguana:
Also known as the American iguana, is arguably the most common reptile in the pet trade today. It's extensive range
comprises the rain forests of northern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands,
and southern Brazil.
Flamingos:
Or Flamingoes are a type of wading bird. Four flamingo species are in the Americas
and two species are in the Old World.
Pufferfish:
Few fish are cuter than a fully expanded, portly pufferfish - but don't be fooled.
The pufferfish is the second most poisonous vertebrate on the planet. The poison of
a pufferfish, which has no antidote, kills by paralyzing the diaphragm,
causing suffocation. Nearly all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that
makes them taste bad (and sometimes lethal) to fish. One pufferfish has enough toxin
to kill 30 adults.
Leopard:
Graceful and powerful big cats closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. They
live in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China.
However, many of their populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa.
Buffalo:
Is also known as the African buffalo and the cape buffalo. It's found in large herds
across Africa but is more prominent in South Africa.
Bengal Tiger:
Also known as the Royal Bengal Tiger or the Indian tiger, is the subspecies with
the largest population. It is the national animal of India, place where its image
is part of the traditions and the culture. In Bangladesh, it's also the national
animal present even in their bills.
Calotes Versicolor:
The oriental garden lizard, eastern garden lizard or changeable lizard (Calotes versicolor)
is an agamid lizard found widely distributed in indo-Malaya. It has also been
introduced in many other parts of the world.
Mountain Gorilla:
Is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, with only two surviving populations.
One is found in the Virunga Mountains of Central Africa in three bordering national
parks: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda,
and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The other
population is found in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. A count in 2018
put the mountain gorilla population at just over 1000.
Slow Loris:
Are a group of several species of nocturnal strepsirrhine primates. Found in
Southeast Asia and bordering areas. Slow lorises have a toxic bite, a trait
rare among mammals and unique to lorisid primates. It's a deterrent to predators
and the toxin is also applied to the fur during grooming as a form of protection
for their infants.
Mandrill:
Is a primate of the Old World monkey found in southern Cameroon, Gabon,
Equatorial Guinea, and Congo. Mandrills mostly live in tropical rainforests.
Poison Dart Frog:
These frogs are considered one of Earth's most toxic, or poisonous, species.
For example, the golden poison dart frog has enough poison to kill 20,000 mice.
They live in wet, tropical forests in Central and South America where their
diet contributes to the toxins they secrete through their skin.
Red-Eyed Tree Frog:
Is commonly known as the monkey frog for its jumping abilities.
Found in the rainforests of Central and South America, they are a mainly
arboreal amphibian which means that they are tree dwelling frogs.
Ramphastos Toco:
Also known as the common toucan, giant toucan or simply toucan, is the largest
and probably the best known species in the toucan family. It is found in semi-open
habitats throughout a large part of central and eastern South America.
Brown Woolly Monkey:
Is from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil.
Okapi:
Also known as the forest giraffe, congolese giraffe or zebra giraffe, is an
native to the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa.
Although the okapi bears striped markings reminiscent of zebras, it is most
closely related to the giraffe standing about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) tall.
Texas Coral Snake:
Is a of venomous snake found in both the US and Mexico. When grabbed suddenly, or
sometimes just when touched, they may thrash about, swing around and bite.
Sometimes they'll be calm, and then suddenly swing around and bite, for no
apparent reason. They're very unpredictable at times.
Hoatzin:
Also known as the reptile bird, skunk bird, stinkbird, or Canje pheasant, is a
species of tropical bird found in swamps, riparian forests, and mangroves of the
Amazon and the Orinoco basins in South America. It is notable for having chicks
that have claws on two of their wing digits.
Fiery Billed Aracari:
Is a toucan bird that breeds only on the Pacific slopes of southern Costa Rica and
western Panama.
Brazilian Tapir Baby:
Is a relative of the rhinoceros. One of four species of tapir inhabiting the rain
forests of South America. Brazilian Tapir live near water and are capable swimmers
and divers.
Capybara & Squirrel Monkeys:
The capybara is a mammal native to South America. It is the largest living rodent
in the world. The Squirrel Monkey is a small species of New World Monkey that is
natively found in the forests and tropical jungles of Central and South America.
Giant Anteater:
Also known as the ant bear, is a large insectivorous mammal native to Central
and South America. Its sense of smell is 40 times more powerful than ours.
They have no teeth. But their long tongues are more than sufficient to lap
up the 35,000 ants and termites they swallow whole each day. The giant
anteater can reach 7 feet long from the tip of its snout to the end of its
tail.
Rhinoceros Hornbill:
This big, mostly black bird found throughout the Indonesian rainforest has more in
common with dinosaurs than just feathers and fierce, staring eyes. As one of the
largest hornbills, it also has one of the largest and most impressive casques --
a feature they share with hadrosaurids from more than 60 million years ago. A
casque is the large head ornamentation that looks almost like a second bill atop
of both the male and female hornbill's head, and is what inspired the Rhinoceros
Hornbill's common name.
Emperor Tamarin:
Is a small primate named for its characteristic long white moustache, which is
thought to bear a resemblance to the moustache of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany.
It's found within the south-western Amazon region.
Proboscis Monkey:
Or long-nosed monkey, known as the bekantan in Indonesia, is a reddish-brown
arboreal Old World monkey. The male proboscis monkey uses their fleshy, pendulous
noses to attract mates. Scientists think their big noses create an echo
chamber that amplifies the monkey's call, impressing females and intimidating
rival males.
Spoon-Billed Sandpiper:
Is a small wader that breeds in northeastern Russia. There are fewer than 1,000
mature individuals left in the wild.
Harpy Eagle:
Is the largest, most powerful raptor in the Americas, bigger even than the Golden
Eagle. Its name refers to the harpies of Greek mythology, monsters in the form of
a bird with a human face. The species inspired the design of Fawkes the Phoenix
in the Harry Potter series and is the national bird of Panama.
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