Want to see baby animals cuddling with their moms? We've got you covered.
What is family to a seabird who soars alone over the open ocean, or to a primate who clings to its mother for years? Do animals have siblings, aunties, or cousins? Can they survive without any family at all?
Bearing and rearing young are central to the life cycle of nearly all creatures, whether done the way of the giant clam—by releasing half a billion eggs into the vast sea, full stop—or the koala, who provides long stretches of intense care. Parents of the animal kingdom are endlessly imaginative in how they feed, shelter, and teach their youngsters. There is no one way, they might counsel us, to raise a tadpole or an owlet. Female gazelles, like this Soemmerring's gazelle, roam the grasslands and scrublands of the Horn of Africa in herds of 15 to 20 other females. They typically give birth to one calf a year.
Females often assume the primary parenting duties, but there are exceptions. The male Darwin's rhea, a large, flightless bird of South America, for instance, is a do-it-all dad. He builds a nest and incubates up to 30 eggs laid by different females, then raises the chicks to adulthood, teaching them survival skills and protecting them from predators. More than half of the world's crayfish species—like this marbled crayfish—live in North America. A female crayfish carrying eggs is sometimes called 'in berry' because the eggs look like clusters of berries affixed to her abdomen. Pygmy hippopotamus females give birth on land to a single calf and leave it parked in an out-of-the-way pool of water, returning periodically to nurse the baby. After three to five months, the young start moving around and following their mom.
At the other end of the caregiving spectrum are young Komodo dragons. They spend their first year of life in trees to avoid their massive landbound parents, who have a nasty inclination to eat their young. A female endangered white-bellied tree pangolin and her pup (Phataginus tricuspis) at the Pangolin Conservation in St. Augustine, Florida. This juvenile is only 70 days old. She is the first of her species to be bred in captivity. Pangolins are one of the most trafficked animal species due to high demand for their scales.
Siblings, other relatives, and adults in the community are sometimes on the scene for companionship or care. They fill a need for babysitting or socialization and, like the pelagic cormorants who help arrange nest material for their future siblings, provide a hand (or beak). A collaborative behavior known as alloparenting allows some adult animals to leave their little ones in the care of other grown-ups while they set out to find food: Some penguin species form nursery systems for their chicks because both parents often go to sea together for a day or more to catch fish. But other families, like that of the solitary clouded leopard, make it work without any help at all. Quail chicks can fly at four weeks, but they often stay with their parents until the next nesting season. Males develop distinctive adult plumage: blue breast, chestnut belly, blackand-white throat. As langurs mature, their fur darkens. Within a year, the brilliant color of young langurs will have turned black—except for a distinctive strip of white along their cheeks.
Family can be loving and sweet. Our hearts flip at a flotilla of ducklings paddling furiously behind their mom, or orphaned orangutans in a tight embrace, holding fast to the only family they know. Zebras, like these Chapman's zebras, live in small family groups composed of a stallion, several mares, and their foals. If a hyena or wild dog approaches, the stallion may attack, while the rest of the family clusters together to protect their young.
Family ties are the key to survival—not just for the babies, but also for the species. With so much at stake, many adult animals muster their fiercest behavior to defend their young. When a wolf or bear draws near a muskox herd, the adult oxen turn head-on to show their sharp horns to the intruders. There on the Arctic tundra, they form a defensive circle around their babies, who huddle together inside the furry fortress, safe for another day. From scuba diving to set-jetting
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Darwin Loved Worms. They May Have Just Proved Him Wrong About Evolution.
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Miami Herald
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Colorful sea creatures with ‘spectacular' blue fins turn out to be new species
Swimming through the crystal blue waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands, divers watched the hubbub of life on the coral reef. A 'large,' colorful sea creature with 'spectacular' blue fins caught their attention. The 'painted' animal had been misidentified for over 180 years — until now. When Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador in 1835, he collected several fish with wing-like fins later described as a new species of sea robin. Ever since, scientists 'generally assumed that all' of the islands' sea robins were the ones Darwin found, Benjamin Victor wrote in a study published June 5 in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. But that changed when Victor and other researchers with the East Pacific Corridor Alliance started analyzing the DNA of these colorful fish. The 'surprising' result suggested Darwin's sea robins were being lumped together with other genetically distinct sea robins. Stunned, the team started combing the archives, sought out new specimens and took a closer look at fish guidebooks for the Galapagos Islands. They realized 'that among the more than 100 underwater photographs of sea robins taken in the archipelago, all but a handful are not the species collected by Darwin, but a different-looking species.' The team had accidentally discovered a new species: Prionotus pictus, or the painted sea robin. Painted sea robins are considered 'large,' reaching almost 8 inches in length, the study said. They have 'stout' and 'elongate' bodies. Their 'large' heads have a 'sharply rising, duck-billed' snout, 'protruding' eyes and a 'small' mouth with a teeth-covered tongue. The new species has 'a variety of colorful and contrasting patterns,' Victor wrote. 'A common color palette is basic brown with bright orange tints' and side fins with a 'thick bright-blue' edge, which look 'spectacular when fanned out.' Other painted sea robins have 'bright red and orange' bodies or 'washed-out tan or pale' hues or a 'mostly black-and-white' pattern, the study said. Still, all painted sea robins have white markings on their heads and bodies 'in a unique individual pattern (like a fingerprint),' the study said. Victor said he named the new species after the Latin word for 'painted' because of these patterns, colors and 'white markings as if splashed with paint.' So far, painted sea robins have only been found in the Galapagos Islands, an archipelago off the western coast of Ecuador, the study said. The fish live in rocky areas, reefs and 'sandy patches' and are often seen by scuba divers. In an over 180-year-long case of mistaken identity, 'photo guidebooks and most divers mistook (the new species of sea robin) for Darwin's species,' Victor wrote. 'Thus, a large, conspicuous, and relatively common new species of fish, endemic (native) to the Galapagos Archipelago, has eluded recognition until now.' The new species was identified by its DNA, fin shape, head and snout shape, color pattern, lips, head spines and other subtle physical features, the study said.
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Elusive, endangered predator spotted on trail camera in Chile, photos show
An elusive and endangered predator was recently spotted in Chile, delighting conservation officials. The creature — known as a Darwin's fox — was recorded by a camera trap in the Cutipay Wetland Nature Sanctuary, about 500 miles south of Santiago, according to a May 22 news release from the Ministry of Environment. While reviewing footage from the camera in April, officials noticed three images, dated to Dec. 30, that showed a dark-colored animal trudging through the undergrowth. After officials consulted with experts, it was confirmed to be a Darwin's fox, described as a one-of-a-kind and notoriously hard to spot inhabitant of the South American nation. Iconic and elusive species Distinguished by its dark fur, pointed ears and solitary behavior, the animal has intrigued scientists for generations. The vulpine creature was first described by Charles Darwin in 1834 on Chile's Chiloé Island. According to his notes, he noticed a fox sitting on rocks near the shore, observing nearby officers. 'I was able, by quietly walking up behind, to knock him on the head with my geological hammer,' the famous naturalist wrote, according to The Lancet. The specimen was later displayed in a museum. But, in the decades that followed, the animal was believed to be a subspecies of the South American gray fox. It wasn't until 1996 — after biologists studied its DNA — that Darwin's fox was determined to be its own distinct species, according to The New York Times. Nowadays, it is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. And, the vast majority of the species' population is believed to live on Chiloé, where Darwin encountered his specimen. The populations on the mainland are significantly smaller and more dispersed. But, the recent sighting in Cutipay — a poorly studied region — expands the species' territory. In fact, the area could play a pivotal role in connecting various populations and facilitating the species' movement, officials said. Environment Minister Maisa Rojas applauded the discovery, saying it shows the importance of conservation policies. That said, the recent images of the fox also bring to light new threats that the species could face in the area. The primary threat is the existence of domestic dogs, which could attack the endangered foxes and potentially transmit diseases. Invasive animals — such as mink — as well as deforestation, forest fires and unregulated construction could also negatively impact the species. With this in mind, Alberto Tacon, a regional environmental official, emphasized the need to protect the forests in Cutipay and the animals that inhabit them. Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Chilean Ministry of Environment.
