Today we travel to South America! And if I thought limiting myself to only a few pictures for North America was hard, South America- with both utterly gorgeous and very cute animals- was way harder. Still, here are some species of animals that I haven't featured before. Are any of them new to you?

( South American animals, including the spider! )

Today we travel to South America! And if I thought limiting myself to only a few pictures for North America was hard, South America- with both utterly gorgeous and very cute animals- was way harder. Still, here are some species of animals that I haven't featured before. Are any of them new to you? <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2218/2226098571_0dc6a196e2.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/81608891@N00/2226098571">collared peccary</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2793/4193396304_9dc97cdda8.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/colombia_birding_diego/4193396304/">brown-eared wooly opossum</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2306/2462851730_cfac3f793e.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26042632@N03/2462851730/">fat-tailed mouse opossum</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3629/3322701798_56c9fd7f48.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/el_montero/3322701798/">monito del monte</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6911119622_7ccbd7fd4b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10047837@N07/6911119622">hairy armadillo</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/7796152326_ffc5e82b72.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46956042@N00/7796152326">three-sriped night monkey</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4034/4440716705_217442bcab.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31635293@N06/4440716705">pygmy marmoset</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3530/3460469416_a7dfa1442c.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/67307569@N00/3460469416">emperor tamarin</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6087/6071471190_631760f271.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51042753@N04/6071471190">squirrel monkey</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3575/3570339120_cb9ca1638f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14025208@N05/3570339120/">brazilian porcupine</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2173/1860247358_9d88f771aa.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80125969@N00/1860247358">mountain viscacha</a></small> <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7567917574_b2d5b94372.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82342971@N08/7567917574/">caatinga vesper mouse</a></small> And as for the spider... Of course I had to feature these! <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5302/5629422576_7a4713b4b3.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11311418@N00/5629422576">source</a></small> This is the Brazilian red and white tarantula. That name's a bit of a mouthful, but you could also call it <i>Nhandu chromatus</i>. Interestingly enough, both sexes of this spider look identical until they grow up, when teh females turn out to be brighter coloured. They're somewhat skittish of people, prefering to hide and generally not very good for handling compared to species like the far more commmon and extremely popular <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_rose_tarantula">rose hair tarantula</a>, also a South American spider. <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5181/5761055106_99ee3341a0.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61383319@N04/5761055106">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3085/2683997979_0afd3e6756.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11403562@N07/2683997979">source</a></small>

North American animals today! And boy, not going on and on forever was a bit tricky. Here are some cute animals that are from the continent now. As it's America, not all these animals might actually be native- some are found in other countries, some immigrated over. Still, they all can be found there today. (Though perhaps not easily found, in some cases.)

( American animals and a very familiar spider! )

North American animals today! And boy, not going on and on forever was a bit tricky. Here are some cute animals that are from the continent now. As it's America, not all these animals might actually be native- some are found in other countries, some immigrated over. Still, they all can be found there today. (Though perhaps not easily found, in some cases.) <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2624/3982944872_ef93109e94.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7177050@N04/3982944872">coyote</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5346/7414536114_01c229e592.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/smalleraperture/7414536114/">medow jumping mouse</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3282/5795475680_a0b624004f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/44150996@N06/5795475680">little pocket mouse</a></small> <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7714181274_ac2503412c.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52851774@N00/7714181274">pocket gopher</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3272/2640707219_f7694b75f8.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035751904@N01/2640707219">kangaroo rat</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4066/4340773395_c375bd236d.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20058054@N00/4340773395">ground squirrel</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4097/4737475214_121a5a6d29.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38449720@N04/4737475214">meadow vole</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3054/2910542186_56fa086953.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58096907@N00/2910542186">big-eared woodrat</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/57/215861775_67bd8788dd.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/85652910@N00/215861775">jackrabbit</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5168/5380413861_7b4e6c6b61.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46943561@N04/5380413861">white-nosed coati</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3106/3128129372_ec65ac0616.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56398280@N00/3128129372">bobcat</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/141/327727338_86aab0bfe5.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/64593957@N00/327727338">prarie dogpile</a></small> And a spider too! Here it is: <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3075/2914038202_68728db344.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7539598@N04/2914038202"></a></small> I'm sure a lot of people have seen this pic before. Now you can find out its name! This is <i>Phidippus mystaceus</i>, and if that sounds a lot like moustache, well, that's why it's the moustache jumping spider. This one here is an adult female, and she's got a pretty interesting expression on, and the two below are both boys. Fun to look at, aren't they? THe adult females are only about a centimeter or so in length, so you can probably see a good deal of the detail that they display if you're looking closely. <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1435/5108328833_90711d1e51.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7539598@N04/5108328833"></a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6053/6299301488_79820a19b2.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7539598@N04/6299301488"></a></small>

Aussie animals today! Again, I'm trying to feature all new species. That means (sadly) no kangaroos, koalas, or wombats. I really wish I could do all wombats one day, wombats are hilarious, but for now, well- enjoy the marsupials, I hope!

( Many marsupials, mice, birds and a spider. )

And we make a trip down south to Antarctica today! I've featured penguins before, I know, but some are just too cute and could use another feature. Most of these animals should be new, though!

The thing about Antarctica, though... well, there just aren't any spiders there (so arachnophobes, if you don't mind cold, there's a place you can go). That doesn't mean the daily spider pictures aren't going up, though. Instead, I've put in a picture of a spider from the next continent we're taking a look at- they certainly have more than enough to go around, too.

( Lots of seals! And birds, and other things, and a spider. )

And we make a trip down south to Antarctica today! I've featured penguins before, I know, but some are just too cute and could use another feature. Most of these animals should be new, though! The thing about Antarctica, though... well, there just aren't any spiders there (so arachnophobes, if you don't mind cold, there's a place you can go). That doesn't mean the daily spider pictures aren't going up, though. Instead, I've put in a picture of a spider from the next continent we're taking a look at- they certainly have more than enough to go around, too. <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3396/5717344835_c48b086f72.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/liamq/5717344835/">antarctic fur seal</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6418783809_d085749f4b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41284654@N00/6418783809">weddell seal</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5181/5553103699_c9f7b7faec.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12308893@N07/5553103699">leopard seal</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5259/5570362639_c6bc11a736.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12308893@N07/5570362639">crabeater seals</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6914442507_57b7ed35e4.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marybom/6914442507/">southern elephant seal</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/107/299591756_906f9126c6.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/97882683@N00/299591756">arctic tern</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6804026902_1085f5fda7.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/askop/6804026902/">snow petrel</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5294/5477220284_ac03ca66f8.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lexsample/5477220284/">blue eyed shag</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4077/4878736076_a439011283.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52884147@N07/4878736076">south polar skua</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5135/5420009512_88e02c5b5d.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40086822@N07/5420009512">gentoo penguin</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3370/3185134675_636e042b67.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35034350921@N01/3185134675">adelie penguin</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5210/5361055999_5a3ee05581.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41710899@N08/5361055999">chinstrap penguins</a></small> And as for the spider, well... Can you see it in the picture? <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2778/4499017811_9b09e2178f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/forgetmenot10/4499017811/"></a></small> It should be no surprise that this spider is called the leaf curling spider. If you're in Australia and you spot a leaf like this in a web, there's a pretty good chance it was the spider's on doing! These little orbweavers tuck themselves up in a leaf (or just any leaf like thing they can grab) so that they can hide themselves safely away from predators. You can also make an estimate at how old the spider is from the type of leaf in the web. Younger spiders tend to curl smaller, softer green leaves, while older spiders use large dead ones that they can hoist up from the ground at night. They're not really dangerous to people at all, and much prefer hiding away as much as they can. <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3245/2408995799_d5f9b9ca7f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamrad/2408995799/"></a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7063/6925424183_80f67ac614.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66385874@N02/6925424183/"></a></small>

Hello, sup! Been a while since we've had any themes, so for the next few days we're going on a merry romp across the globe, taking a look at animals from each continent. I'm going to try to showcase animals I haven't shown before, which is why today there aren't any elephants or lions or giraffes or hippos, as cute as they can be. And if that wasn't obvious enough, well- it's time for Africa!

( Lots of antelopes, but that's not all. Also, a spider and its web! )

Hello, sup! Been a while since we've had any themes, so for the next few days we're going on a merry romp across the globe, taking a look at animals from each continent. I'm going to try to showcase animals I haven't shown before, which is why today there aren't any elephants or lions or giraffes or hippos, as cute as they can be. And if that wasn't obvious enough, well- it's time for Africa! <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5100/5517486974_e98fe4fba0.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51710461@N07/5517486974">secretary bird</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1193/4727325561_24f98b9e20.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28560980@N07/4727325561">blue cranes</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5260/5475024072_1373897af1.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48989890@N04/5475024072">cape sugarbird</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3623/3573582930_90b31e5ac7.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35110249@N05/3573582930">meerkats</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4042/5145588214_3f4255335f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/44325212@N08/5145588214">kudu</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4012/4213787269_35481f6604.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33683295@N04/4213787269">puku</a></small> <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8012/7431915086_4bfbae6729.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24832955@N02/7431915086">bongo</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/173/419792594_72e277b5ca.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/15745225@N00/419792594">duiker</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2266/2241641748_e7fd1f029c.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/94137765@N00/2241641748">blesbuck</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1049/4603754058_477138a94b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8484743@N02/4603754058">vervet monkeys</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5127/5234900823_76d71837fc.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24565602@N07/5234900823">striped field mouse</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3653/3595935290_ebaf94fa21.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14665136@N00/3595935290">southern african spiny mouse</a></small> And... An african spider! <img src="http://i.imgur.com/Mz3An.png"> <small><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin's_bark_spider">source</a></small> This is the Darwin's Bark Spider, or <i>Caerostris darwini</i>. If you've ever wondered just how big spiders can make their webs, then this is the spider that you'll be looking for. These orb weavers produce some of the largest webs in the world. The webs alone can go up to 28,000 centimeters squared in area, and their anchor lines can be up to 25 meters in length (or 82 feet, for those of you more comfortable with those units). As for why they'd need such incredible webs, well, that's because they build their homes right across rivers or lakes. They're pretty much the only spiders that really do this, which is definitely a little crazy. Still, it's very impressive! <img src="http://i.imgur.com/V3s8Z.png"> <small><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/strong-materials.html">source</a></small>

Even more gifs today! There sure were a lot I had around. As always, the source links go to the videos they were originally from.

( More gifs! More cats! More dogs! More cute! More spider. )

Even more gifs today! There sure were a lot I had around. As always, the source links go to the videos they were originally from. <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyfso9TgJR1r65mfio1_500.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glii-kazad8">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m45bm3icMI1qbw75zo1_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m45bm3icMI1qbw75zo4_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m45bm3icMI1qbw75zo2_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m45bm3icMI1qbw75zo3_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SLdbnonNXM">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzprpvz2Sb1qfjjglo1_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzprpvz2Sb1qfjjglo2_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fwXeBCMrT4">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8e7ofMYcx1qfjjglo1_r1_500.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW_9pUOFecI">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7gvictjuR1qm8fzgo1_500.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p2lZ3XNmd4">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4o7hdb4LU1r12bnzo1_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4o7hdb4LU1r12bnzo2_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4o7hdb4LU1r12bnzo5_r1_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4o7hdb4LU1r12bnzo6_r1_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjFepCUx5Us">source</a></small> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7woe31NIf1qzrlhgo2_500.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7woe31NIf1qzrlhgo3_500.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXhvp6Ifdt8">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m739i3MxHR1r3jvgyo2_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m739i3MxHR1r3jvgyo3_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m739i3MxHR1r3jvgyo4_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m739i3MxHR1r3jvgyo5_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpywlDonp9U">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7a41mSQDu1qzrlhgo1_r1_500.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7a41mSQDu1qzrlhgo2_500.gif"> <small><a href="http://youtu.be/Z9PEGSQdL6U">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m70nyysqiW1qc2gifo1_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m70nyysqiW1qc2gifo2_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m70nyysqiW1qc2gifo3_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m70nyysqiW1qc2gifo4_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KphBM5W6R8c">source</a></small> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6sycqVBwj1qcjbb8o1_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6sycqVBwj1qcjbb8o2_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTjeCYeKASA">source</a></small> It's the Mexican Red Knee Tarantula! While the Chilean Rose Haired Tarantula might beat it out in terms of pure docility and how easy it is to handle, this spider is also pretty good with people and will comfortably hang out on your hand like a giant somewhat friendly thing with huge pipe cleaners for legs, I suppose. <img src="http://i.imgur.com/s3vNF.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fmVy7EFMxc">source</a></small>

If a picture paints a thousand words, then what about a moving picture? What about lots and ltos of gifs? Because that's what's on today's menu!

( Everything is gifs! Puppies, kittens, owls and more! And spider. )

If a picture paints a thousand words, then what about a moving picture? What about lots and ltos of gifs? Because that's what's on today's menu! <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5u339vB651r3ulxeo1_r2_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5u339vB651r3ulxeo2_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5u339vB651r3ulxeo3_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5u339vB651r3ulxeo4_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5u339vB651r3ulxeo5_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5u339vB651r3ulxeo6_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5u339vB651r3ulxeo7_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5u339vB651r3ulxeo8_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGJLaFK2DgY">source</a></small> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2g21rVfCj1r2wrwho1_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2g21rVfCj1r2wrwho2_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2g21rVfCj1r2wrwho5_r1_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2g21rVfCj1r2wrwho6_r1_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://youtu.be/8TL8pSFd-hQ">source</a></small> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9kws0I5gl1rqsyz6o1_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9kws0I5gl1rqsyz6o2_r1_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9kws0I5gl1rqsyz6o3_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9kws0I5gl1rqsyz6o4_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHKLtpCH2zA">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6a7p8MUo21qzizmho2_r1_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6a7p8MUo21qzizmho3_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6a7p8MUo21qzizmho1_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6a7p8MUo21qzizmho4_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJNC410Qrw0">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3xcaiOF9P1qzcv7no1_r1_500.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3xcaiOF9P1qzcv7no2_500.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPixXv3xp2A">source</a></small> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m99qgvtIpL1qzizmho1_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m99qgvtIpL1qzizmho2_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m99qgvtIpL1qzizmho3_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m99qgvtIpL1qzizmho4_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LViwmsowPU4">source</a></small> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1a38iKHXl1qgcr5yo1_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1a38iKHXl1qgcr5yo2_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1a38iKHXl1qgcr5yo3_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1a38iKHXl1qgcr5yo4_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enz1nlpxe-Y">source</a></small> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m71cm43fKf1qc2gifo1_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m71cm43fKf1qc2gifo2_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m71cm43fKf1qc2gifo3_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m71cm43fKf1qc2gifo4_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpMwAHmnbS8">source</a></small> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8rk8vzgeW1qj8xp7o1_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8rk8vzgeW1qj8xp7o2_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8rk8vzgeW1qj8xp7o3_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8rk8vzgeW1qj8xp7o4_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8rk8vzgeW1qj8xp7o5_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8rk8vzgeW1qj8xp7o6_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNpeTCEPrRk">source</a></small> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8bza4meLn1qbyxr0o1_r1_500.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm18504518">source</a></small> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m830esQJQ51rqsyz6o1_250.gif"> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m830esQJQ51rqsyz6o2_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m830esQJQ51rqsyz6o3_250.gif"> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m830esQJQ51rqsyz6o4_250.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SqBdS0XkV4">source</a></small> And just one spider gif! Here we are, a dashing little fellow. <img src="http://i.imgur.com/kWIOd.gif"> <small><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTbHpV_zFjE">source</a></small> I'd suggest watching this- sadly there's no sound, but it's still a hilarious dance and well worth the view. He tries very hard!

Squirrels today! There are actually a lot of rodents that qualify as squirrels. The ones in the following picture are from all over. Although I've mostly focused on squirrels that people are familiar with, like the grey squirrel and red squirrel, you should know that animals such as marmots, ground squirrels, prairie dogs and chimpunks are all in the same family. Still, if I was featuring those, they'd definitely get their own post.

( Squirrels! And a strange looking spider. )

Squirrels today! There are actually a lot of rodents that qualify as squirrels. The ones in the following picture are from all over. Although I've mostly focused on squirrels that people are familiar with, like the grey squirrel and red squirrel, you should know that animals such as marmots, ground squirrels, prairie dogs and chimpunks are all in the same family. Still, if I was featuring those, they'd definitely get their own post. <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5005/5228680221_b531acba77.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49036575@N02/5228680221">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1084/769746354_9767ee10b1.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/78128495@N00/769746354">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5248/5296371187_76b644c4bf.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/44861801@N07/5296371187">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2234/2324065607_1b23fd5a2e.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16854222@N05/2324065607">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2623/4053123799_2a3bae0789.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7200854@N05/4053123799">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2692/4116775743_68658979b6.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14762914@N02/4116775743">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6141/6021432072_b857f4f5f8.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82484300@N00/6021432072">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/226/480551100_c5f65b2f3e.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51288948@N00/480551100">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/159/358236376_a563ae8e24.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42436115@N00/358236376">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2506/4010254733_27b0914752.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42539413@N07/4010254733">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6184/6028452439_3e96c52153.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41520324@N06/6028452439">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4027/4660105209_8a508125c6.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39994764@N06/4660105209">source</a></small> And as for the spider: Here it is! <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7458586256_185133a9a3.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/opoterser/7458586256/">source</a></small> This is <i>Habronattus Virgulatus</i>, and there's not much information about it avaliable. I can tell you it lives in the US, generally around the South, and isn't a very well photographed spider (which is a real shame, it's strangely pretty!). The ones in the pictures you see here are all males, too. <img src="http://i.imgur.com/K2UOE.png"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8463947@N08/5066014180/">source</a></small> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/DhtYJ.png"> <small><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Habronattus_virgulatus">source</a></small>

Sugar gliders today! They're fairly common and I think most people have heard of them, but here's a bit of infromation anyway. These adorable critters are native to Australia and New Guinea, and they're actually a type of possum. The flaps of skin on the sides of their bodies allow them to glide through the air from three to tree, and they tend to live aboreal lives. You'll also note that many of the pictures in this set have sugar gliders being held in hands. That's because they're a very popular domestic pet. Even so, trade in the pets isn't always legal, and while keeping them as pets might be common, so is taking them directly from wild habitats, sadly. Even in Australia itself, it's not legal to have them as pets in every part of the country.

( Sugar gliders and just one spider picture! )

Sugar gliders today! They're fairly common and I think most people have heard of them, but here's a bit of infromation anyway. These adorable critters are native to Australia and New Guinea, and they're actually a type of possum. The flaps of skin on the sides of their bodies allow them to glide through the air from three to tree, and they tend to live aboreal lives. You'll also note that many of the pictures in this set have sugar gliders being held in hands. That's because they're a very popular domestic pet. Even so, trade in the pets isn't always legal, and while keeping them as pets might be common, so is taking them directly from wild habitats, sadly. Even in Australia itself, it's not legal to have them as pets in every part of the country. <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4023/4261296068_afaf47a82c.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/expresso-2222/4261296068/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3202/2928358689_0fb68a8e94.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31151141@N05/2928358689/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2102/2431693918_df9f11ae34.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/denniswoo/2431693918/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4095/4797914234_2a460eec6b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkkpolka/4797914234/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/44/135634676_ee75b197e2.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyborgsuzy/135634676/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6228/6271060949_3b06c08d20.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/through-the-lenz/6271060949/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1170/1368585293_a38606121f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/azbeachbum/1368585293/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3620/3298540005_79cfa7ee3d.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/1sock/3298540005/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1186/1477967189_69e941b288.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/photomatekitt/1477967189/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3603/3464052214_14a18a9b1a.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32834218@N00/3464052214/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1289/5182662252_7fc63ced4a.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27229185@N05/5182662252/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6046/6278578646_77c65886eb.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristphotography/6278578646/">source</a></small> And the obligatory spider- Here it is! <img src="http://i.imgur.com/iQZBc.png"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46812401@N07/5056857996">source</a></small> In case you can't tell, this is a juvenile huntsman spider. Jumping spiders aren't the only ones that can balance drops of water on their head! Is this little spider's attempt at doing that any good, in your opinion?

Cats and friends today! Yes, I've featured all of these before in individual posts before, but it's not as if animals aren't friends with each other, right? And that sort of thing totally deserves a post of its own, too!

Here are some more links if you just want more:
Cat licking a puppy
Dog licking a cat
Kitten befriending rats
Cat hanging out with rat
Cat hanging out with rabbit

And if that's not enough, have this, a dog, a cat and a rat hanging out on top of each other and being bros.

( Cats and friends, and ant-like spiders! )

Cats and friends today! Yes, I've featured all of these before in individual posts before, but it's not as if animals aren't friends with each other, right? And that sort of thing totally deserves a post of its own, too! Here are some more links if you just want more: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21610555@N05/6155989606">Cat licking a puppy</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q9AKLyD_dE">Dog licking a cat</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytzs4zNFyI8">Kitten befriending rats</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrDq0sF3S04">Cat hanging out with rat</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHKLtpCH2zA">Cat hanging out with rabbit</a> And if <i>that's</i> not enough, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D85yrIgA4Nk">have this</a>, a dog, a cat and a rat hanging out on top of each other and being bros. <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/8/9079179_781bb2abcd.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035611977@N01/9079179">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2121/2110239972_dd9608e062.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21002313@N02/2110239972">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/42/76709777_9818ba5b88.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/88603584@N00/76709777">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/27/47665706_4e0edd2cb0.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31376098@N00/47665706h">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3389/3623831334_cd2d1a7050.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46653945@N00/3623831334">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3499/3309375084_3a711793dc.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31322082@N08/3309375084">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3207/2775681141_4d0217a570.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46653945@N00/2775681141">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2444/3608923616_ecfbc3ed30.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthew_moore/3608923616/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/47/163208918_bb382f0bc5.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66155701@N00/163208918">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1097/1400594318_a82e576038.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/78019347@N00/1400594318">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3456/3404415886_6000f8075c.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20776494@N00/3404415886">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5150/5573765138_3d89c57540.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36943025@N07/5573765138">source</a></small> And on to the spiders. Here we are! Bit of a funny faced one, this time. <img src="http://i.imgur.com/Uey2t.png"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22587916@N05/4678893958">source</a></small> Meet <i>Myrmarachne plataleoides</i>. This is a jumping spider, and it's really beter known as the Kerengga Ant-like Jumper. They're found around the jungles of South and Southeast Asia, mostly, and are very small- ant sized, which rather makes sense, considering what they look like. The one on top is a male, but the one that actually looks way more like an ant would be the female. As you can see from the picture below, the male spider's all bumpy and has bits and pieces sticking out all over like extra legs. They're generally thought to resemble not one ant, but two! If you squint, they do kind of look like one ant carrying another along. These spiders are one of the most harmless species around- they don't bite people at all and are in fact mostly frightened of them, which makes getting a good look at them in the wild pretty hard. Believe it or not, they're <i>less</I> aggressive and dangerous than the ants they immitate, and the immitation is really more for the spider's own protection than anything else, since weaver ants have a pretty nasty reputation. While they might immitate and live around the ants, they don't really associate with them that much. <img src="http://i.imgur.com/7Dpbi.png"> <small><a href="https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/12120445">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8161/7375497984_46cb423741.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10567324@N03/7375497984">source</a></small>

Poison dart frogs for today! Bit tired though, so it's just the pics- and a bit of a note. Most if not all of the frogs you see here are actually only about the size of a single fingernail. Despite this, they're very poisonous, and can easily take out a person if you're not careful. If you're going into an area that has these guys around, do watch out!

( Poison dart frogs and a tiny spider! )

Poison dart frogs for today! Bit tired though, so it's just the pics- and a bit of a note. Most if not all of the frogs you see here are actually only about the size of a single fingernail. Despite this, they're very poisonous, and can easily take out a person if you're not careful. If you're going into an area that has these guys around, do watch out! <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2505/3773993336_2e0183347b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37224219@N05/3773993336">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2531/4119839186_a4d39d4791.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20973954@N07/4119839186">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3105/2788898310_ab153d8485.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80125969@N00/2788898310">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/88/256403017_d6cb0924cc.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80125969@N00/256403017">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3526/3781840810_d376de682f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35515847@N03/3781840810">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3186/2619554739_e61b4cee8a.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28110584@N04/2619554739">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2630/3675577049_60efbd231e.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/98946320@N00/3675577049">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3574/5752231990_bc970cfac0.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46888452@N06/5752231990">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4070/4687461125_6ac52a0ea8.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/50873760@N02/4687461125">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2788/4469099301_6613bbbeda.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35019735@N06/4469099301">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4093/4786438340_496288a4e2.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54934521@N00/4786438340">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7209/6950331579_2505bb7f2b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54092274@N06/6950331579">source</a></small> And as for the spider... Here's a pretty one! <img src="http://i.imgur.com/bnvQX.png"> <small><a href="http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php? t=1089362">source</a></small> This is <i>Orsima ichneumon</i>, a spider that is said to be mimicking the face of a wasp on its back so as to frighten off predators. Do you think it'd work? <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6772956445_bc9d4e6205.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/artour_a/6772956445/">source</a></small> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/ZslaD.png"> <small><a href="http://orionmystery.blogspot.sg/2012/01/tropical-spiders.html">source</a></small>

Yet another species feature today! Things that are cute are very often generally small bodied and large-eyed. These guys definitely fit into that category. Meet the galagos- but you might know them as bush babies. They're primates, which means they do have thumbs, but like lemurs, their thumbs are psuedo-opposable as opposed to fully opposable. What this means is that their thumbs can move, but the thumb pad (or pulp surface, if we're being a bit fussy here) can't touch the pads on their other fingers but can turn inward to help grip on things. Galagos have tiny little hands and it might be a bit hard to see, so here's a picture of a lemur's hand with the thumb turned inwards to show you what I mean.

Because of their large eyes, they've got brilliant night vision. This, along with sharp hearing and flexible tails, makes them quite the terror of the jungle trees. They can and have been kept as pets before, but doing as such is defnitely not adviced and quite probably illegal, depending on where you are. They're very nimble and can climb up anything and jump to where they can't climb, and also live easily for upwards of a decade. Furthermore, there's always a concern that if brought into a domestic environment, the potential that a galago might be carrying diseases that could be transferred across species might be there.

In any case, they're still without a doubt on of the cutest wild animals around. You're unlikely to ever see them active during the daytime in their natural habitat, but if you ever find yourself in Africa for whatever reason, do keep a look out! Who knows what you might find.

(Also, someone asked me if I might do a Halloween special with orange and black things and if yesterday's- or even today's- spiders might make an appearance. I certainly wouldn't mind! However, chances are cuteanimalpics will likely be back by then, and taking back their rightful spot. Still, I might pop by, so who knows.)

( Big eyed bushbabies and tiger rump tarantulas! )

Yet another species feature today! Things that are cute are very often generally small bodied and large-eyed. These guys definitely fit into that category. Meet the galagos- but you might know them as bush babies. They're primates, which means they do have thumbs, but like lemurs, their thumbs are psuedo-opposable as opposed to fully opposable. What this means is that their thumbs can move, but the thumb pad (or pulp surface, if we're being a bit fussy here) can't touch the pads on their other fingers but can turn inward to help grip on things. Galagos have tiny little hands and it might be a bit hard to see, so <a href="http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/IMG_5994.jpg">here's</a> a picture of a lemur's hand with the thumb turned inwards to show you what I mean. Because of their large eyes, they've got brilliant night vision. This, along with sharp hearing and flexible tails, makes them quite the terror of the jungle trees. They can and have been kept as pets before, but doing as such is defnitely not adviced and quite probably illegal, depending on where you are. They're very nimble and can climb up anything and jump to where they can't climb, and also live easily for upwards of a decade. Furthermore, there's always a concern that if brought into a domestic environment, the potential that a galago might be carrying diseases that could be transferred across species might be there. In any case, they're still without a doubt on of the cutest wild animals around. You're unlikely to ever see them active during the daytime in their natural habitat, but if you ever find yourself in Africa for whatever reason, do keep a look out! Who knows what you might find. (Also, someone asked me if I might do a Halloween special with orange and black things and if yesterday's- or even today's- spiders might make an appearance. I certainly wouldn't mind! However, chances are <lj user=cuteanimalpics> will likely be back by then, and taking back their rightful spot. Still, I might pop by, so who knows.) <img src="http://www.zooborns.com/.a/6a010535647bf3970b015438d8e14b970c-500wi"> <img src="http://www.zooborns.com/.a/6a010535647bf3970b01675f4e9c38970b-500wi"> <img src="http://www.zooborns.com/.a/6a010535647bf3970b01675f4e9b41970b-500wi"> <small><a href="http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2011/12/bush-baby-hat-trick-for-prague-zoo.html">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2510/4113758487_5ae2ac7309.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/74743437@N00/4113758487">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2569/4114527722_fe0e4b7308.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/74743437@N00/4114527722">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6206/6077772456_bb73566fb4.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/74743437@N00/6077772456">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3265/2708671453_0b4d6b4143.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidyuweb/2708671453/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3051/2708671691_67eabe5c8b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidyuweb/2708671691/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5180/5581796747_0fd48501c1.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_sue_b/5581796747/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3339/3269729598_4723688f6d.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35040514@N07/3269729598/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5166/5253252842_f7b23d0650.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshadelman/5253252842/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/54/151140927_561d679290.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38391690@N00/151140927/">source</a></small> And the spider of the day goes to... This guy! <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/6925473684_856fec5c00.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29471389@N06/6925473684">source</a></small> This is <i>Cyclosternum fasciatum</i>, but that's a name that definitely doesn't roll of the tongue as easily as 'the Costa Rican Tiger Rump'. If you can't already tell, it's got that name from its stripey bright orange and black abdomen. These guys start out small, like every other spider out there does, but can grow to about four to five inches across in length. For a tarantula, that's not that big, but it's one of the largest in its family. If kept as a pet, though, that stunning abdomen might not be on display that often- this is one tarantula that really likes to burrow. Of course, it doesn't spend all its time underground, but when it's not poking about it goes right back to hiding itself underneath a bit of earth. They're not the friendliest of tarantulas either, and there are far more docile species out there. While they definitely are kept as display pets, these tarantulas are not for the first time owner. <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4117/4772782519_736ccd1fa3.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38025524@N08/4772782519">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3161/2710759617_d1a4eddce1.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/93673214@N00/2710759617">source</a></small>

Meant to post this yesterday but I'm afraid I accidentally saved over it, so it was kittens and puppies and cute birds instead- which I know is not exactly a bad thing, but still! I'm sorry about that. In any case, here's the post, or as much as I remember of it. Today's feature are quetzals, birds that live in tropical America. Their name basically refers to the long, very impressive tail feathers that the male birds spot, and if it sounds familiar to you, then you're probably thinking of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. As odd as it may seem, these birds are actually surprisingly difficult to spot in their normal habitat despite- or perhaps because- of the iridescent green feathers they have. While in any other setting they would stand out, in the jungle, such displays blend in very well.

( Sparkly quetzals and brightly coloured spiders! )

Meant to post this yesterday but I'm afraid I accidentally saved over it, so it was kittens and puppies and cute birds instead- which I know is not exactly a bad thing, but still! I'm sorry about that. In any case, here's the post, or as much as I remember of it. Today's feature are quetzals, birds that live in tropical America. Their name basically refers to the long, very impressive tail feathers that the male birds spot, and if it sounds familiar to you, then you're probably thinking of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. As odd as it may seem, these birds are actually surprisingly difficult to spot in their normal habitat despite- or perhaps because- of the iridescent green feathers they have. While in any other setting they would stand out, in the jungle, such displays blend in very well. <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4109/5016517963_5e1ace5ef2.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34681486@N03/5016517963">source</a></small> <img src="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28451642@N03/2696304887"> <small><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3077/2696304887_442e7a3dd4.jpg">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6131/6009393697_3f0c4a107f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46699407@N02/6009393697">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2690/4479617244_7f2d1253ba.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25237885@N02/4479617244">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4035/4704925373_0a72d8aeee.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29164382@N03/4704925373">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3077/2696304887_442e7a3dd4.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28451642@N03/2696304887">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5241/5195402123_61d63ffa66.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41186811@N00/5195402123">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4037/4201337032_81b514f884.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26175334@N02/4201337032">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5223/5643665935_71dc86f64a.jpg"> <small><a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/28925359@N04/5643665935"">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4048/4485627003_0e8f354a33.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29164382@N03/4485627003">source</a></small> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/Y9T0K.png"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82722966@N00/4273624378">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5140/5586998367_b4462c8023.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58575431@N00/5586998367">source</a></small> And the spider of the day- Meet <i>Chrysilla lauta</i>! <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7101587211_107620b3c5.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hirzi/7101587211/">source</a></small> <i>C. lauta</i> is more commonly known as the elegant golden jumping spider, and I think you can see why. The three pictures here are, like most of the pictures of the quetzals, all of male spiders, which is where the species got their name from. They're definitely very beautiful animals. They can be found in rainforests, and are spread all over Southeast Asia and a good way into China. <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/7101586753_62632f39bb.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hirzi/7101586753/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/6955517570_99fcf60c8c.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hirzi/6955517570/">source</a></small>

Really sorry for the late post! I swear I had one fully done up, but then forgot to actually save it and then when I tried searching for it, it was gone. ): I can remember all the pics I got, though, but unfortunately because I'm a bit busy right now, that'll have to wait until tomorrow. For now, here's a brief interlude with KITTENS AND PUPPIES AND CUTE BIRDS.

...Those are always ok, right?

( Sorry, messed up a bit! In return, cute pics! And spider. )

Really sorry for the late post! I swear I had one fully done up, but then forgot to actually save it and then when I tried searching for it, it was gone. ): I can remember all the pics I got, though, but unfortunately because I'm a bit busy right now, that'll have to wait until tomorrow. For now, here's a brief interlude with KITTENS AND PUPPIES AND CUTE BIRDS. ...Those are always ok, right? <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3055/2287792473_a0330522d1.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/86147323@N00/2287792473">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3032/2742225170_390f609b69.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22654157@N05/2742225170">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6062/6053280237_c757a1bea0.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/55421238@N02/6053280237">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/94/241564661_78abaadedf.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54613626@N00/241564661">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3061/2972295812_b023029769.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25094599@N00/2972295812">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/5/9724483_c0196739e3.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/73567305@N00/9724483">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/154/373305469_ef7441b07b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37809637@N00/373305469">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/85/246642987_df591a5a33.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60494604@N00/246642987">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2057/5805808536_13fd039b83.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36040418@N08/5805808536">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3572/3433399505_9224e8b82c.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59303791@N00/3433399505">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3077/3103600987_8658e72ee7.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12559612@N00/3103600987">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7671522292_9c11e8b893.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36040418@N08/7671522292">source</a></small> Coming right up! <i>Ballus chalybeius</i>! <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6186/6127634880_c3296e1543.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjkent_sub-acct/6127634880/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/7088365871_2a4a33e1d3.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/65206184@N08/7088365871">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7157639882_d160be2eab.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/springspinnen/7157639882/">source</a></small>

More tiny birds! If I could do two whole days of ducks, then I can certainly give a day to these little wonders. Someone requested hummingbirds, and of course I'm happy to provide. These are all very tiny things- in fact, the smallest bird in the world happens to be one of them! That'd be the bee hummingbird, which is in the first pic here, and the real life version of it is even smaller than what it looks like on the screen.

The humming part of their name comes from the characteristic sound that their wings make when they go as fast as that, and watching them in flight is a real treat! They can go up, down, backwards, sideways- basically they're tiny nectar drinking helicopters, with a lot of emphasis on the nectar drinking part. Because of how fast they move, their metabolism is intense- so much so that they end up having to take in more than their own weight in food every single day, and can only survive overnight with what they do store up before it all repeats again.

Here's one last fact for you for today: hummingbirds very often use bits of spider silk to reinforce and bind their nests together, to make the structure stronger than it is. This unique building material also allows the nests of the birds to expand a little as the chicks grow. Neat, isn't it?

( More tiny (humming) birds, and a bold little spider. )

More tiny birds! If I could do two whole days of ducks, then I can certainly give a day to these little wonders. Someone requested hummingbirds, and of course I'm happy to provide. These are all very tiny things- in fact, the smallest bird in the world happens to be one of them! That'd be the bee hummingbird, which is in the first pic here, and the real life version of it is even smaller than what it looks like on the screen. The humming part of their name comes from the characteristic sound that their wings make when they go as fast as that, and watching them in flight is a real treat! They can go up, down, backwards, sideways- basically they're tiny nectar drinking helicopters, with a lot of emphasis on the nectar drinking part. Because of how fast they move, their metabolism is intense- so much so that they end up having to take in more than their own weight in food every single day, and can only survive overnight with what they do store up before it all repeats again. Here's one last fact for you for today: hummingbirds very often use bits of spider silk to reinforce and bind their nests together, to make the structure stronger than it is. This unique building material also allows the nests of the birds to expand a little as the chicks grow. Neat, isn't it? <img src="http://i.imgur.com/ctLZb.png"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/universityofreading/5201332538/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4004/4698958232_e7c2d53168.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32614064@N03/4698958232">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4138/4862410552_5a16bc3548.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32614064@N03/4862410552">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4085/4837550833_6c921ed02b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32614064@N03/4837550833">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/253/447876990_1f3cabdfec.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66238250@N00/447876990">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3252/2738879721_23839e5a80.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7818331@N02/2738879721">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3463/3958955046_8a4bca37d8.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70938611@N00/3958955046">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3110/3126197310_a8ee957207.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11168597@N07/3126197310">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3129/2633824567_93e28fbed3.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11168597@N07/2633824567">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1143/1441590310_32be687e38.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70938611@N00/1441590310">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2042/1751968367_9ee380e63a.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11168597@N07/1751968367">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/196/495033773_3f0ec456b4.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23084352@N00/495033773">source</a></small> And as for the spider... Here it is! <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4154/5042513747_7cbf8429fd.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/65987396@N00/5042513747">source</a></small> This is really quite a bold spider- which is what it's called. That, or the daring jumping spider. <i>Phidippus audax</i> is one of the most common jumpers that can be found in America and southern Canada, and generally like roaming around flat surfaces- which includes decks and the insides of buildings. As far as jumping spiders go, they're pretty big, usually larger than a centimeter, and can actually go up to two centimeters in length at their very largest. Like the regal jumping spider from the other day to which it's related, they also have irridiscent chelicerae; bright metallic greenish-blue chelicerae, in this case. If you ever see one in real life, congrats! Take a photograph of it or something- and don't worry too much if it hops on you for a bit. Like their name, they can be curious, but would never bite humans unless threatened (like if you accidentally roll on one, for instance). Even if they did, though, the absolute worst that would happen would be a small bit of pain and slightly reddish skin. These really aren't very nasty at all. <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/5075199182_565c1629a6.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/65987396@N00/5075200474">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3650/5790477031_5a7d00cf5f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8047442@N06/5790477031">source</a></small>

You know what we're looking at today? That's right, more birds. Only this time they're tiny ones that you can probably fit in your hands. Not that it's a good idea to try to fit these into your hands- cute as they might undoubtedly be, wild animals are still wild animals. General protocol if you see baby birds (or just baby animals) is to leave well alone for at least a day or so if they don't look unhurt and just keep an eye on things, even if their parent isn't in sight. If you do handle them though, don't worry! Their parents will take them back. The whole thing about animal moms not taking back their kids if humans handle them is honestly very bunk, and mostly there so that children don't handle animals. I'm assuming you're all not children, so.

Anyway, that's all for today's pre picture natter, so on with the cute!

( Tiny birds and a pretty spotted spider! )

You know what we're looking at today? That's right, <i>more birds</i>. Only this time they're tiny ones that you can probably fit in your hands. Not that it's a good idea to try to fit these into your hands- cute as they might undoubtedly be, wild animals are still wild animals. General protocol if you see baby birds (or just baby animals) is to leave well alone for at least a day or so if they don't look unhurt and just keep an eye on things, even if their parent isn't in sight. If you do handle them though, don't worry! Their parents will take them back. The whole thing about animal moms not taking back their kids if humans handle them is honestly <a href="http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/babybird.asp">very bunk</a>, and mostly there so that children don't handle animals. I'm assuming you're all not children, so. Anyway, that's all for today's pre picture natter, so on with the cute! <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5015/5427576161_51b4b8277c.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34517255@N00/5427576161">ruby crowned kinglet</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/169/437084214_93a8321a02.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60572205@N00/437084214">golden crowned kinglet</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4006/4638445649_b8fdbb37b9.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45105372@N08/4638445649">variegated fairywren</a></small> <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8163/7282973326_da9c5b5555.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25027666@N02/7282973326">superb fairywren</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5249/5273058307_f9a6f94cca.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53196512@N07/5273058307">robin</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/170/474685182_2afed5568f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/18347350@N00/474685182">ruby throated hummingbird</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2061/2419059438_8a740b3dda.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janinerussell/2419059438/">anna's hummingbird</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2129/2052861036_22e350ca59.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22823317@N00/2052861036">gouldian finch</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1341/1353993093_57128dd3ab.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14867000@N00/1353993093">doubled barred finches</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1287/4665597904_ef7cf68ecb.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32797340@N07/4665597904">painted bunting</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6808705629_f236dfa934.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31178543@N08/6808705629">snow buntings</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4009/4292254977_017020f95b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/44574634@N03/4292254977">song sparrow</a></small> And today's spider, wait for it... Here it is! <img src="http://i.imgur.com/dEDVQ.png"> <small><a href="http://forum.index.hu/Article/showArticle?go=99453226&t=9123424"></a></small> This is <i>Araneus quadratus</i>, which is really mostly just called the four-spot orb weaver. It's actually one of the most common spiders around Europe and Asia and isn't very big, at their very largest, the females might only ever get up to... well, just under 2 centimeters. You might note from these pictures that they all look a little different, apart from the four white sports. That's because a) they do actually come in different colours and b) they can <i>change</i> their colours over several days. It's pretty impressive, isn't it? Like other orb weavers, they build their nests to catch insects that come by. Unlike other orb weavers, they tend to prefer lower web building sites, so you won't see these high up in trees. Rather, they'll construct their homes closer to the ground or between lower bushes so as to catch insects that jump around on the ground when they take wrong jumps into their webs. Here are two more pictures of these pretty ladies: <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7334127396_d7de959a10.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70662753@N06/7334127396"></a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6100/6332736122_10e7a49dd7.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59784391@N08/6332736122"></a></small>

Today we're taking a look at insects! But for those of you who don't normally like insects, please don't worry- these are probably some of the least scary insects ever, and I doubt pictures of them would make anyone frightened... that is, unless you're partial to being frightened of small leaves.

The insects in this post are all from the family Phylliidae, but it's much easier to just refer to them as leaf insects. If you've never seen one before, that's because they live around the tropics, with their natural habitat stretching from South Asia all the way to Australia. As their name might tell you, they look- and act- a lot like leaves. If you're ever lucky enough to see one in real life, try blowing on it a little! Not too hard, but just enough to make it seem like there's a breeze going. These little guys will actually move back and forth, just like a real leaf would do in the wind. And if that sounds pretty unbelievable, then just check out this video of a small one rocking back and forth.

( Leaves and tree stumps! Or rather, insects and spiders. )

Today we're taking a look at insects! But for those of you who don't normally like insects, please don't worry- these are probably some of the least scary insects ever, and I doubt pictures of them would make anyone frightened... that is, unless you're partial to being frightened of small leaves. The insects in this post are all from the family <i>Phylliidae</i>, but it's much easier to just refer to them as leaf insects. If you've never seen one before, that's because they live around the tropics, with their natural habitat stretching from South Asia all the way to Australia. As their name might tell you, they look- and act- a lot like leaves. If you're ever lucky enough to see one in real life, try blowing on it a little! Not too hard, but just enough to make it seem like there's a breeze going. These little guys will actually move back and forth, just like a real leaf would do in the wind. And if that sounds pretty unbelievable, then just check out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjgIZzuZ-s">this</a> video of a small one rocking back and forth. <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6457312717_ab7129eb11.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frogdr/6457312717/in/photostream/">source</a></small> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/tATrt.png"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8392573@N07/4622851606">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5241/5358409894_6c5e3a754e.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57171180@N08/5358409894">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5091/5392329076_c691ef3fab.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48076832@N02/5392329076/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6001/5983856286_4c6657e889.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63288875@N04/5983856286/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5174/5517813041_1bcea688a3.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanschijndeljan/5517813041/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6195/6127125439_9a5df5784e.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cameratrap/6127125439/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5019/5498482863_f89b2e939b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sergethellier86/5498482863/">source</a></small> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/kOYHK.png"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57276901@N08/5290701160/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3533/4561593520_f273ee5f2f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmns/4561593520/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6857636739_43b1bdeb5a.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashadujaimi/6857636739/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5175/5399139281_23f607fc31.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58847482@N03/5399139281/">source</a></small> But wait, there's more! In line with today's theme of disguised animals, allow me to present... <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4054/4716365039_1ee0f09e9c.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shark_spin/4716365039/">source</a></small> <i>Poltys illepidus</i>. Which is a bit of a mouthful, honestly, and it's much more likely to be recognized simply as the tree stump orb weaver. As you can see, all it has to do to not be noticed is to find a nice bit of bark and then sit down and stay still. In case you weren't sure where exactly the tree stump ends andn the spider begins, take a look at the picture below! The reason why it doesn't look much like a normal spider is because it curls up its legs to cover its face, only having its eyes peeking out, so that it looks more like part of the tree. They're honestly very tiny and hard to spot in the wild, being only about a centimeter or so in lenght (for the females) and much, much smaller for males (i.e. less than half a centimeter, at best). As you can guess, they're commonly found on barks and twigs. I think the way they blend into bits of wood is more funny than anything else, but that could just be me. <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4016/4716382506_1bac1c7a89.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shark_spin/4716382506/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4122/4741882597_f9fa556c5f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/numnumballz/4741882597/">source</a></small>

Yesterday we took a look at baby ducks, so today we're taking a look at adult ones! You might be wondering why- a duck's a duck, isn't it? But there are way more types of ducks than just the common mallard and mandarin, and many of them have specifically been bred for some purpose, be it to serve as ornamental ducks or for meat or eggs. Some ducks might've originally been farmed, but then been supplanted by more popular breeds and are now kept mostly as pets.

They also show a wide range of behaviour- the Indian Runner duck, as seen below, is particularly notable because it stands upright and instead of waddling, runs. You can take a look at some of them in a video here, and why they're surprisingly useful to have around if you've got a large garden.

And because this is still about cute- here's a video of some tiny ducks trying very hard to get over a step that's larger than they are. Determinded little birds.

( More ducks! And a burrowing spider, to boot. )

Yesterday we took a look at baby ducks, so today we're taking a look at adult ones! You might be wondering why- a duck's a duck, isn't it? But there are way more types of ducks than just the common mallard and mandarin, and many of them have specifically been bred for some purpose, be it to serve as ornamental ducks or for meat or eggs. Some ducks might've originally been farmed, but then been supplanted by more popular breeds and are now kept mostly as pets. They also show a wide range of behaviour- the Indian Runner duck, as seen below, is particularly notable because it stands upright and instead of waddling, runs. You can take a look at some of them in a video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMty_DRAHq8">here</a>, and why they're surprisingly useful to have around if you've got a large garden. And because this is still about cute- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgRJWkiIyLs">here's</a> a video of some tiny ducks trying very hard to get over a step that's larger than they are. Determinded little birds. <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7196/6965533451_aeeb611dee.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/67184449@N05/6965533451">mallard duck</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2248/2313806984_8f9ee2c4ea.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70938611@N00/2313806984">muscovy duck</a></small> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/6RZN6.png"> <small><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muscovy_Duck_SMTC.jpg">wild muscovy duck</a></small> <img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6170/6177116949_cdbe0a6435.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63707433@N04/6177116949">crested duck</a></small> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/zQzjh.png"> <small><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wood_Duck_2,_St_James%27s_Park,_London_-_April_2012.jpg">wood duck</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4154/5172154735_0d65f7b67a.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janharteman/5172154735/">dutch hookbill</a></small> <img src="http://www.3neshaneh.com/userfiles/image/-1998-2012-05/21~30/sabke-zendegi/wrong/11.jpg"> <small><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hausente.jpg">pekin duck</a></small> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/HGZCh.png"> <small><a href="http://watching-bingley-birds.blogspot.sg/2011/06/blue-swedish-ducks-babies.html">swedish blue duck</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3329/4558819488_1375eb66c7.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24908638@N03/4558819488">khaki campbell</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4078/4889580436_bc17780325.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9216709@N04/4889580436/">magpie duck</a></small> <img src="http://www.leonardo-apo.de/fileadmin/bilder/voegel/laufente_500.jpg"> <small><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Runner-ducks.jpg">indian runner duck</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5300/5535048350_cf0dec3ed8.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39050685@N02/5535048350">mandarin duck</a></small> And as for today's spider- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtXPmWJcuZY">Here's</a> a video of it in action, scooching around to make itself comfortable. As the video says it's known as <i>Sicarius terrosus</i>, and belongs to the genus of assassin spiders. <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5066/5632991632_36914579e1.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/44876624@N07/5632991632">source</a></small> They're very speedy and lie in wait for their prey, and are generally known for the whole YAY SAND herp sand behaviour. Despite being pretty venomous, they don't really bite humans much at all- mostly this is because they just don't come into contact with humans at all, what with the whole living in the desert thing. Also, unlike the more commonly featured jumping spiders, these guys only have six eyes, but are no less sensitive. They might be a little scary, but chances are they won't ever pose much danger to you. Here are a few more pictures of them: <img src="http://i.imgur.com/5HxBD.png"> <small><a href="http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:Sicarius_terrosus_in_sand.jpg">source</a></small> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/CBsCM.png"> <small><a href="http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?111187-Leucorchestris-arenicola-and-Sicarius-terrosus">source</a></small>

Know what we're taking a look at today? Ducklings! Why? Because they're cute little fuzzybutts, that's why. Not that adult ducks are bad to look at (and we might certainly be going down that road too) but the tiny ones- well, why not? And if pictures aren't enough for you, here's a video of a duckling valiantly doing its best to run along.

Speaking of videos, someone asked yesterday about sizes of munchkin cats. here's a kitten that's making a lot of noise. Some way in, an older cat also walks past. As you can see, the kitten's not very big, but that's standard for kittens, most of them are tiny and yowl-y. They're actually more or less the same size as normal cats, just with short legs, is all.

( DUCKLINGS and a regal little spider. )

Know what we're taking a look at today? Ducklings! Why? Because they're cute little fuzzybutts, that's why. Not that adult ducks are bad to look at (and we might certainly be going down that road too) but the tiny ones- well, why not? And if pictures aren't enough for you, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWgbmgIzoT8">here's</a> a video of a duckling valiantly doing its best to run along. Speaking of videos, someone asked yesterday about sizes of munchkin cats. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZs3EADi2pQ">here's</a> a kitten that's making a lot of noise. Some way in, an older cat also walks past. As you can see, the kitten's not very big, but that's standard for kittens, most of them are tiny and yowl-y. They're actually more or less the same size as normal cats, just with short legs, is all. <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7347439968_c530f22a52.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ben124/7347439968/in/photostream/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4077/5432626573_62a49d490d.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43229691@N08/5432626573">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5148/5648397383_b84a0ce629.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41321016@N05/5648397383">source</a></small> <img src="http://i49.tinypic.com/9fw502.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21549678@N08/4377197911">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5323/6939822716_fcc43d9fff.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63360909@N02/6939822716">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/182/485266884_8c79550203.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61779926@N00/485266884">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7051/7084959567_f5683e7c22.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63857808@N04/7084959567">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2047/2461463916_a0d4483e94.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/77931884@N00/2461463916">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3188/2560171802_ba766bc936.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12177886@N07/2560171802">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6496861773_b6483832d6.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12803988@N04/6496861773">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4032/4362115027_4047a0a5f9.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37626043@N00/4362115027">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7314619924_85deeb9a96.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10446679@N08/7314619924">source</a></small> And as ever- <img src="http://i.imgur.com/E7RWQ.png"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10139466@N05/2096007481">source</a></small> Here's a tiny spider for you! This queenly little lady is <i>P. regius</i>, or the Regal Jumping Spider. We know she's a girl because of her bright orange colouration and colourful mouth parts (or if we're being technical, chelicerae). Males in this species are black with white patterns and a stunning frontpiece, so they're pretty easy to tell apart. Below are closeups of a male and a female. As you can see, for the females, their colours can vary a lot! <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4130/5068582578_bd529a7562.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24523579@N03/5068582578">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1045/5169949508_988dc66d79.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fourmis/5169949508/">source</a></small>

Cats and dogs today! But both the cats and the dogs have something in common. I'm sure it'll be pretty obvious once you take a look at the pictures. The cats are known as Munchkins, for obvious reasons, and the dogs? Well, of course they're dachshunds!

Munchkins are a fairly new breed, and haven't been around for very long. They're not actually recognized by all cat associations, due to controversy surrounding their health. However, so far the problems documented in the breed appear to be not due to their short stature but rather normal issues that can crop up from time to time with cats. An interesting thing about munchkins is that usually when they're bred, they'll be bred with another cat that doesn't have the gene for short legs. When this happens, there's a 50% chance for the children to turn out with short legs. The munchkin gene is a dominant one, so as long as there's one copy of it in the cat, it'll work. There can also only be one copy, since kittens with two don't survive- and that's why it's a really bad idea to breed two munchkins together.

In the case of dachshunds, their small size was for work related reasons- that is, they were bred that way so that they could assist hunters in going into barrows and chasing out prey. They can come with different coat hairs and coat colours, and are generally recognized not by their looks but due to their shape. Because of their history, they tend to be very stubborn and active- a difficult but rewarding combination to handle. Sadly, they also run a high risk of developing spinal and knee problems in their old age.

( Small cats, small dogs, and very small spiders! )

Cats and dogs today! But both the cats and the dogs have something in common. I'm sure it'll be pretty obvious once you take a look at the pictures. The cats are known as Munchkins, for obvious reasons, and the dogs? Well, of course they're dachshunds! Munchkins are a fairly new breed, and haven't been around for very long. They're not actually recognized by all cat associations, due to controversy surrounding their health. However, so far the problems documented in the breed appear to be not due to their short stature but rather normal issues that can crop up from time to time with cats. An interesting thing about munchkins is that usually when they're bred, they'll be bred with another cat that doesn't have the gene for short legs. When this happens, there's a 50% chance for the children to turn out with short legs. The munchkin gene is a dominant one, so as long as there's one copy of it in the cat, it'll work. There can also only be one copy, since kittens with two don't survive- and that's why it's a really bad idea to breed two munchkins together. In the case of dachshunds, their small size was for work related reasons- that is, they were bred that way so that they could assist hunters in going into barrows and chasing out prey. They can come with different coat hairs and coat colours, and are generally recognized not by their looks but due to their shape. Because of their history, they tend to be very stubborn and active- a difficult but rewarding combination to handle. Sadly, they also run a high risk of developing spinal and knee problems in their old age. <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8007/6974744808_6b174a7d4d.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/73334033@N06/6974744808/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5463/7043470697_7d96632b9f.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicc/7043470697/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3575/3351140604_c72562b536.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36325197@N06/3351140604/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/208/457106083_989c848c9c.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7738741@N03/457106083/">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/174/486051349_a5b872494a.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7738741@N03/486051349">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3645/3557306175_6ecab1e298.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14756304@N06/3557306175">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1025/1025691558_32b4e8924b.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11024337@N03/1025691558">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4049/4710647096_d135816723.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27320114@N07/4710647096">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2304/1626733799_452bf5a4e2.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/15425293@N07/1626733799">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4078/4781255018_83d7305e15.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48162894@N04/4781255018">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2579/3875985270_c8e6d7fbd4.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/18894604@N00/3875985270">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5097/5525977125_e7f576a89d.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12012363@N02/5525977125">source</a></small> And now, spiders! <img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/56/176683602_cd6f5533c8.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95836723@N00/176683602">source</a></small> Revisiting another spider I've taken a look at before. Since we do jumping spiders all the time, this seems fair enough. Here's <i>Eresus sandaliatus</i> again, and that tiny one on top is a female. I personally think they're one of the sweetest looking spiders, and the pretty colouring on the male definitely helps. They're all messy little web builders, and while they do use them to trap insects, their webs tend not to be sticky and rather a mess of fibers that their prey gets stuck in. They also don't tend to live more than a year. In terms of spider behaviour, the ladybird mom spiders do tend to their children until their death- but interestingly (and maybe somewhat gruesomely) enough, their death tends to occur via spider suicide. This behaviour is actually fairly common to quite a few types of spiders in the <i>Eresoidea</i> superfamily. What happens is that spidermom eats lots of high-protein food, then dies to help provide essential nutrients for her babies to live on. A little creepy, perhaps, but that's nature for you. <img src="http://www.zoologie.de/grzimek/files/images/Eresus-sandaliatus.preview.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.zoologie.de/grzimek/bild-eresus-sandaliatus-1800.html">source</a></small> <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5067/5889796023_2375869ab1.jpg"> <small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/64666608@N04/5889796023/">source</a></small>