randomanimaloftheday

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Day 69#: Ocellated Lizard

Today's animal of the day is the Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus)!

Photo credit: Bernard Dupont & Jean Nicolas

Also known as the eyed lizard or jeweled lacerta, this species of lizard is native to the dry woodlands and scrublands of southwestern Europe. They are the largest species in the Lacertidae family and typically grow to around 11.79 inches to 1.97 feet long. However, some exceptionally large individuals can reach a length of around 3 feet. These colorful reptiles are usually green or greenish-blue with patches of yellow, black stripes, and bright blue spots. Both males and females are colorful, but males tend to be slightly brighter than females.

Photo credit: Luís Lourenço

These lizards are mostly found in the Iberian Peninsula, but can also be found in parts of North Africa, southern France, and northwestern Italy. They prefer dry temperate areas with a good mix of trees and rocks for them to use as shelter as well as open places for them to bask in. They are omnivores and mostly feed on insects and other invertebrates, such as spiders and snails. Though they do occasionally feed on larger prey such as smaller lizards, snakes, and even small mammals. In addition to meat, they will also forage for berries and other plants to eat. While they spend most of their time on the ground, they are fairly good climbers and will often climb up trees and rocks to find a good spot to bask. When it gets too hot, they've been known to seek shelter in underground burrows. They've been observed both digging their own burrows and taking over abandoned rabbit burrows.

Photo credit: Iván Orois

Because of their beautiful coloration, jeweled lacertas are sometimes kept as pets. They aren't super popular in the pet trade, since they need a fairly large tank and aren't particularly fond of being handled, though they can be trained to tolerate being held. I also hear that it can be somewhat hard to find captive-bred individuals for sale, since most reputable reptile breeders aren't breeding them since there's not too much of a demand for them. Though apparently they aren’t too difficult to breed in captivity and have fairly large clutch sizes. So, it’s not that they’re rare or hard to breed, they’re just kinda obscure so there’s not a high demand for them.

Photo credit: Clint’s Reptiles on YouTube

So, if you do decide that you want one of these lizards as a pet, make sure that you don't accidentally buy one that was wild-caught, since wild-caught animals can have a variety of health problems and are usually unethically obtained. Luckily, even though they're not listed as endangered, a lot of the places where these guys are native to, such as Spain, have laws prohibiting the capture and sale of wild-caught ocellated lizards.

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Day 68#: Northern Kelp Crab

Today's animal of the day is the Northern Kelp Crab (Pugettia producta)!

Photo credit: Sara Thiebaud

This species of crab can be found all along the Pacific coast of North America from southern Alaska all the way down to northern Mexico. Their carapaces tend to be brown or olive in color, which helps them blend in with the kelp and seagrass, but their undersides can come in a variety of different colors, such as yellow, red, or orange. Their bodies have a similar shape to that of a shield or a police badge, hence why they are alternatively called shield-backed kelp crabs.

Photo credit: Steven Krause

The diet of these crabs changes depending on the season. During the summer, they are herbivorous and will feed on algae, kelp, and rockweed. However, in the winter, they are primarily carnivorous and will prey upon mussels, barnacles, and other invertebrates. They are primarily found in relatively shallow waters with lots of kelp and seagrass for them to hide in. They are also commonly seen in tide pools and will often hide under rocks or other such objects when the tide is low.

Photo credit: Wendy Feltham

During the mating season, which usually takes place in the fall, these crabs will migrate to deeper waters (around 246 ft) in order to breed. Females will carry their eggs on their undersides for a few months and can have clutches of anywhere from 34,000 to 84,000 eggs! The eggs will change color as they age, starting out orange, then changing to red, and finally turning a grayish-purple color when they are almost ready to hatch.

Photo credit: Siena McKim

These crabs are eaten by a variety of different marine and coastal predators, such as sculpins, gulls, and sea otters. However, because they don't have a lot of meat and are somewhat difficult to capture, they are not often caught for human consumption.

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Day 67#: Deinotherium giganteum

Today's animal of the day is Deinotherium giganteum!

Image credit: Harrison Keller Pyle

This species of elephant-like proboscidean lived in Europe from the Middle Miocene to the Early Pleistocene epoch. Deinotherium giganteum is currently considered the largest of the three confirmed species of Deinotherium, with adult males being around 11.9-13.1 ft tall and weighing between 9 to 13 tons! However, in 2006, a slightly larger species of Deinotherium (D. thraceiensis) was described, but paleontologists aren't sure whether or not these fossils actually represents a new species or if they are belong to a larger than expected D. giganteum specimen or one of the several other potentially valid/invalid species of European Deinotheriums. Either way, D. giganteum was bigger than D. bozasi in Africa and D. indicum in Asia, which are the other two species of Deinotherium that are formally recognized by paleontologists.

Image credit: cisiopurple on DeviantArt

The genus Deinotherium has an interesting paleontological history. When its remains were first discovered in southeastern France in the year 1613, a French surgeon named Mazurier claimed them to be the bones of "Theutobochus Rex" and put them on display. Theutobochus (real name Teutobod) was the ancient king of the Teuton tribe of northeastern Europe. He led the Teutons, along with the neighboring Cimbri tribe, in the Battle of Arausio where he successfully raided Rome in 105 BC. Several years later, during the Battle of Aquae Sextiae, he was captured and executed by Roman forces led by Gauis Marius. The reason these bones were thought to belong to Teutobod was that centuries after his death, legends surrounding him claimed that he was a giant. A tombstone with "Theutobochus's" name written in Latin, as well as Roman coins, were also allegedly found nearby.

Image credit: Heinrich Harder

So, the public ran with the idea and it wasn't until 21 years later that the hoax was finally revealed, since the coins on display weren't actually Roman coins and it would make no sense for a Germanic leader to have his tombstone be engraved with a language that he didn't speak. The bones were thought to have belonged to either an elephant, tapir, or dugong. It wasn't until centuries later, when similar fossils were found in a turqouise mine, that the alleged bones of "Theutobochus Rex" were identified as Deinotherium.

Image credit: Mark Witton

Deinotherium's most recognizable features are its tusks. Unlike the tusks of modern elephants and many other species of extinct proboscideans, the tusks of Deinotherium grew downward and curved back towards the animal's body instead of away from it. This would have made Deinotherium's tusks useless for digging or competing with each other for resources and mating rights. So, the main theory as to their purpose is that they helped Deinotherium push tree branches out of its way while it was feeding. This is supported by wear and tear found on fossilized Deinotherium tusks. While the tusks moved large branches out of the way, Deinotherium's relatively short trunk would have been used to pull leaves and smaller branches into its mouth.

Image credit: Gabriel N. U.

At the time Deinotherium giganteum lived, Europe would have been mostly covered in warm tropical woodlands that would have provided plenty of food for these giant behemoths. However, climate change eventually caused these European woodlands to be replaced by grasslands during the Early Pleistocene, which caused Deinotherium to go extinct in Europe. However, in other places, such as East Africa, where these warm woodlands remained, other smaller species of Deinotherium were able to persist for a little longer.

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Day 66#: Black Caiman

Today's animal of the day is the Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger)!

Photo credit: Justin Walker

These South American crocodilians typically grow between 16 to 21 ft long and are the largest member of the alligator family (which includes alligators and caimans but not crocodiles) and are the third largest crocodilian native to the Americas. They are named after the greenish-black coloration of the adults, though juveniles often have white or yellow bands, which help them camouflage by breaking up the outline of their bodies, similar to a tiger's stripes.

Photo credit: Sebastián Vizcarra 

These aquatic reptiles inhabit freshwater rivers, lakes, and will also venture into flooded savannahs and grasslands during the rainy season. They are generalists and will feed on whatever animals they can get their jaws around, including both terrestrial and aquatic prey. Most of their hunting is done at night and they have been observed preying upon monkeys, capybaras, peccaries, armadillos, sloths, porcupines, agoutis, dogs, horses, deer, tapirs, river dolphins, turtles, and many other creatures. Adult male black caimans have even been reported eating smaller members of their own species!

Photo credit: ninedom on iNaturalist

Black caimans often share their habitat with giant otters and green anacondas; all three species are considered apex predators. However, since each species fills slightly different niches by eating slightly different prey and living in slightly different parts of the same habitat, they are usually able to avoid competition and co-exist alongside each other. Though all three will prey on smaller members of the other two species if they venture into their territories. Adult black caimans have even been known to ambush cougars and jaguars, though this is rare since both cats tend to avoid bodies of water that they know have adult black caimans. However, jaguars will go into the water to hunt juvenile black caimans, as well as adults of every other species of caiman.

Photo credit: Bruno Padilha

Black caimans are considered conservation dependent, which is in between being classified as near threatened and vulnerable. They used to be considered endangered back in the 1970s after they were heavily hunted for their hides during the 1950s. Luckily, when laws were put in place to protect them and the popularity of caiman leather died down some, the species was able to recover due to their large clutch sizes (around 40 eggs per clutch). However, in their absence, the smaller spectacled caiman took over many of the niches that black caimans used to fill, and the newer generations are unable to compete with them.

Photo credit: Oliver Patrick

This, combined with habitat loss and a population decrease in prey species, has caused some black caimans to venture closer to human-populated areas, which has led to an increase in attacks on livestock. This has also caused them to occassionally attack humans, though cases of human deaths caused by black caimans are poorly documented. But this causes local communities to attempt to cull these animals as revenge, which has put a dent in conservation efforts. To make matters worse, they're fairly rare in captivity, and the only zoo outside of their natural range to be able to breed them is the Aalborg Zoo in Denmark.

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Day 65#: Rubber Eel

Today's animal of the day is the Rubber Eel (Typhlonectes natans)!

Photo credit: Dr. Paddy Ryan

Also known as the Rio Rauca caecilian, this strange species of amphibian is native to the rivers and wetlands of Colombia and Venezuela. Unlike some other species of caecilians, Typhlonectes natans is fully aquatic are rarely ever found on land. However, they will often venture out into flooded grasslands and shrublands during the rainy season. Though they will

Photo credit: Sibylle Stofer

Despite being called rubber eels, they are not fish, and like I said before, they are actually a type of limbless amphibian. They typically grow to around 18 to 22 inches in length and have smooth, dark gray or black skin. While these caecilians do have eyes, they are covered by a layer of skin, making it so they can only detect light and can't actually see what's in front of them. So, they primarily use their sense of smell to locate prey.

Photo credit: AJC1 on iNaturalist

Unlike some other types of amphibians that lay jelly-like eggs, caecilians are ovoviviparous, meaning that their eggs remain inside the female's body and she gives birth to live young! Caecilians also don't go through a tadpole stage, and when they are born, they resemble smaller versions of the adults. However, like all other amphibians, they have very sensitive semi-permeable skin that they breathe through. Though they will occasionally come up to the surface to breathe through their nostrils, but they still mostly breathe through their skin.

Photo credit: Dr. Paddy Ryan

Also, fun fact: many caecilians don't have tails. It might look like they do but that's just because of their long eel-like bodies. There's actually a video on YouTube of a rubber eel giving birth at the Tennessee Aquarium and it looks super weird because the caecilian doesn't have a tail so the babies are just coming out of a hole on what looks like what would be the tip of her "tail". Here's a link if you want to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lAfOTR9tY4

Photo credit: Tennessee Aquarium

Another fun fact about baby rubber eels is that they're born with massive external gills but lose them shortly taking their first breath of air.

Photo credit: Tennessee Aquarium

Rubber eels are commonly kept by aquarists and are often sold as pets. Though commonly they're often mislabeled by pet stores as "fish" instead of amphibians. From what I can tell, they're pretty easy to care for if you have some experience keeping both amphibians and freshwater aquariums. They need a minimum tank size of 55 gallons, though a larger tank is encouraged, and they'll need both a filter and a water heater. You'll need to make sure that you keep their tank fairly clean since the high temperatures and humidity levels that they need can cause a bacterial buildup if you're not careful. They also need plenty of places to hide and the substrate should be deep enough for them to burrow in. The pet trade has also caused these guys to become invasive species in (you guessed it) Florida after enough people released their pets into the wild for there to be a stable breeding population.

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Day 64#: Bullet Ant

Today's animal of the day is the Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata)!

Photo credit: arman_ on iNaturalist

This species of ant inhabits the lowland rainforests of South and Central America and is famous for its incredibly painful sting that has been compared to the pain of being shot, which is how they got their name. Despite this, they are not particularly aggressive towards humans and only sting when defending themselves or their colony. Worker ants are about an inch long and are a reddish-black color, and unlike many ant species, they do not exhibit polymorphism, meaning that the workers are all around the same size and there's no distinct worker or soldier castes. Even the queens aren't that much bigger than the rest of the workers.

Photo credit: Philipp Hoenle

These ants usually build their nests at the base of a tree, and workers will often venture up into the tree canopy to forage for flower nectar and prey insects to bring back for the colony to eat. One of their favorite prey species is the glasswing butterfly, which will actually fight back against the ants by excreting a bad-tasting chemical made from the plants that it ate as a caterpillar!

Photo credit: Jonathan Aguirre Pesantez

Like I said before, these ants have an incredibly painful sting, which they use to deter predators that threaten the colony. This species is ranked the highest on Schmidt's Sting Pain Index with a score of 4.0+. Justin Schmidt, the entomologist who created the index by letting a bunch of invertebrates sting and bite him, described the pain from their sting as "like walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch nail embedded in your heel,". In addition to the extreme pain, bullet ant venom can also cause temporary paralysis and bloody stools.

Photo credit: Hans Hillewaert

Despite the immense pain, bullet ant stings aren't deadly, and to my knowledge, there haven't been any reported deaths caused by these ants. The indigenous Sateré-Mawé people of Brazil actually use these ants in a traditional initiation practice for young men who are reaching adulthood. Around 80 bullet ants are knocked unconscious by submerging them in a herbal solution and are then woven into special gloves made out of palm leaves. When the ants wake up, the person being initiated will repeatedly blow smoke into the gloves to agitate the ants and will then stick their hands into the gloves and will have to keep them in there for around 50 to 10 minutes, if not longer! While unimaginably painful, the only other negative effects of this (at least physically) are hallucinations, temporary paralysis of the arms, and uncontrollable shaking of the hands for a few days after. To fully complete the ritual, this process must be done around 20 times!

Photo credit: Joelma Monteiro de Carvalho

Luckily, this is usually done over the course of several months or years, so the initiator doesn't have to do this back to back. This is an incredible testament to the willpower of these individuals; however, the ritual has also been said to help protect those who undergo it from certain diseases like a vaccine does. Bullet ant venom has been proven to have certain antimicrobial properties, and scientists are currently researching other ways that bullet ant venom can be used as medicine. Sadly, the land that the Sateré-Mawé, as well as many other indigenous groups (plus countless species of plants, animals, and fungi) call home is being taken from them to be used for commercial logging, mining, and cattle ranching.

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Day 63#: Diamond Dove

Today's animal of the day is the Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata)!

Photo credit: Faisal Nayakan

This species of pigeon is native to Australia and can be found in semi-arid environments. They are one of the smallest species of dove found in Australia and typically only grow to about 9 to 11 inches in length. They have white diamond-shaped spots on their wings, which is how they got their name, and their red eyes are surrounded by orange rings. Males and females look very similar; however, females have slightly duller eye rings and a more brownish coloration.

Photo credit: Nicole Brooker

These birds tend to travel in pairs or small groups and will often forage on the ground for seeds and ants to eat. Mated pairs will wait until after it has rained to begin breeding and will weave their nests out of grasses and small twigs. Eggs typically hatch after 13 to 14 days after being laid, and their chicks grow up pretty fast and are ready to fly after just two weeks!

Photo credit: Diego González Dopico

Because of their fast reproductive rate, these birds have a healthy and stable overall population in the wild, unlike some other species of native Australian birds that are threatened by habitat loss and predation from invasive species. Though the state of Victoria does consider them a near-threatened species and closely monitors their population, so I guess their population in that region may be struggling more than other members of their species who live elsewhere. Probably due to the aforementioned habitat loss and invasive species, though I couldn't find any specific reason why Victoria considers them near-threatened.

Photo credit: JJ Harrison

Diamond doves are also commonly kept as pets due to their small size and calm nature. However, unlike domestic rock doves, these captive diamond doves haven't been slectively bred to be friendly towards humans for thousands of years, so they're not affectionate towards their owners. They aren't aggressive or anything, but they're not going to bond with you and want to be around you all the time like a domestic rock dove would. They can be trained to tolerate humans, and individuals that were hand-raised by humans tend to be more trusting, but if you want a pigeon that's going to cuddle with you all the time, I would suggest getting a rock dove instead. If you decide that you still want a diamond dove, it's recommended that you get at least two, so they don't get lonely, and provide them with a more horizontally shaped enclosure with enough room for them to fly and forage on the ground like they would in the wild.

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Day 62#: Hawaiian Monk Seal

Today's animal of the day is the Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi)!

Photo credit: NOAA

Monk seals are a small group of earless seals that belong to the tribe Monachini. They tend to have slender bodies with flatter, broader snouts compared to other seals. They are called "monk" seals because people thought that their appearance resembled a monk wearing a cape and hood when you look at them from behind. There used to be three known species of monk seal: the Caribbean monk seal, the Mediterranean monk seal, and the Hawaiian monk seal. However, the Caribbean monk seal was hunted to extinction by humans, with the last confirmed sighting being in 1952, and the species was officially declared extinct in 2008. The two remaining species also suffered massive population declines due to overhunting, and despite laws put in place to protect both species, the Mediterranean monk seal is considered a vulnerable species and the Hawaiian monk seal is listed as endangered.

Photo credit: April Surgent

As its name suggests, the Hawaiian monk seal is native to the Hawaiian archipelago. They are actually the only seal species native to Hawaii. In fact, they are one of only two species of mammal native to the Hawaiian Islands! The other native mammal species is the Hawaiian hoary bat. Of course, fully marine mammals like whales and dolphins that live in the waters surrounding Hawaii but don't actually come up on land aren't included in that statement. These seals are thought to have arrived in Hawaii between 4-11 million years ago, before the land bridge connecting North and South America formed about 3 million years ago. The name for this seal in the Hawaiian language is ʻīlio holo i ka uaua, which means "dog that runs in rough water".

Photo credit: N3kt0n

Hawaiian monk seals spend most of their time out at sea foraging for fish, squid, octopi, and crustaceans. They prefer to hunt in deeper waters and have been observed holding their breaths for up to 20 minutes and diving 1,800 feet deep in search of prey! However, most of their dives only last around 6 minutes. Ocassionally, they will haul themselves onto land in order to rest, molt, and give birth.

Photo credit: NOAA

Breeding season takes place between June and August, and pups are usually born between March and June, since it takes around nine months for the fetus to develop. Newborn pups can't swim, so their mother will spend about six weeks on land nursing them. During this time she can't go out to sea to feed, so she relies on her fat reserves to help provide her with energy and to keep producing milk for her pup. Female seals will often lose hundreds of pounds during this time! After the six weeks are up, the mother seal will leave her pup and return to the ocean in search of food. This also forces the pup to start looking for food on its own.

Photo credit: Brenda Becker

Sadly, Hawaiian monk seals are endangered, and it is estimated that there are only around 1,400 individuals left. They have almost completely disappeared from the main island of Hawaii, with most remaining colonies being found on the northwestern islands, though a few small groups can still be found on the Big Island. They were heavily hunted by humans in the 19th century for their meat, oil, and skin. The United States military forces stationed in Hawaii also began hunting them during WW2. Even though laws were put in place in 1972 that prohibit the hunting of these seals, they are still at risk due to human activities. Seals often drown after getting tangled in old fishing nets and other debris left by humans. Humans also often overhunt their prey species like crabs and lobsters, which can lead to seals and other predators starving to death. Many of their historic pupping beaches have also been taken over by tourists, who also often harass the seals by getting too close or even trying to pet them! This is not only illegal, but can seriously stress the seals out and cause them to attack. Seal attacks are no joke, by the way! A tourist in 2022 was attacked by a mother monk seal after she swam too close to her and her pup. The tourist survived, but the moral of the story is STAY AWAY FROM WILD ANIMALS!!!!

Photo credit: NOAA/the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program

Another threat to Hawaiian monk seals is the fact that they keep somehow getting eels stuck up their noses! Marine biologists aren't quite sure why or how this keeps happening, but there are a few theories. One is that the seals are regurgitating their food, which they do naturally whenever they swallow too much seawater or sand, and the eels somehow end up coming out of their nostrils. Another theory is that when the seals are hunting, the eels get scared and mistake the seals' nostrils for a place to hide, wriggle on in there, and end up getting stuck. Personally, I think the regurgitating theory is more plausible since seals tend to close their nostrils while swimming underwater. Either way, this can cause trouble for the seal since it can cause breathing problems and having a rotting fish carcass stuck up your nose is a good way to get an infection. Luckily, all the seals who've been sighted with seals stuck up their noses were captured by marine biologists, had the eels successfully removed, and were able to be released back into the wild.

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Day 61#: Halszkaraptor escuilliei

Today's animal of the day is Halszkaraptor escuilliei!

Image credit: Joschua Knüppe

This bizarre species of dromaeosaur lived during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Mongolia. Its fossils are thought to have been discovered in the Djadochta Formation of southern Mongolia; however, they were illegally collected by fossil poachers, so it's hard to determine exactly where and when they were found. Fossil poaching is pretty common in Mongolia since there are a lot of pretty well-preserved specimens out there that private fossil collectors are willing to pay a pretty penny for. Any Deinocheirus fans out there know that this kind of thing happens a lot!

Image credit: Lukas Panzarin & Andrea Cau

Halszkaraptor traveled around the world and was owned by private fossil collectors in Japan, Great Britain, and finally Belgium. Eventually, in 2015, it was obtained by a fossil dealer named François Escuillié, who recognized the fossil's importance and brought it to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, where it was formally described and given its name. Thankfully, its remains have since been returned to the Mongolian authorities and are now housed in the Institute of Paleontology and Geology in the Mongolian Academy of Sciences.

Image credit: PaleoGeekSquared

Halszkaraptor was a small raptor, about the size of a duck, and like ducks, it appears that Halszkaraptor would have been semi-aquatic as well! It had strong legs that would have helped it paddle along in the water, and it's likely that it would have used its wings to help it steer when diving underwater. Halszkaraptor also had a shorter tail and would have held its body in a more upright position than other raptors, which would have made it move awkwardly on land but helped it to be more agile in the water. Additionally, its long neck and backward-curving teeth would have been more useful for catching fish than terrestrial prey. There's even some evidence to suggest that it had special sensory neurons on its snout that could have helped it detect prey in the water!

Image credit: CuriosityStream & NHK (Amazing Dinoworld)

It is thought that Halszkaraptor would have lived a similar lifestyle to modern-day mergansers and would have spent most of their time in the water diving for fish to eat, but would have still come up to land to rest and lay their eggs. Its large eyes would have helped it to see better in low-light environments, such as at night or in murky water. If its remains are actually from the Djadochta Formation, then it would have lived in a warm semi-arid environment with rivers and lakes scattered throughout, which would likely fluctuate in size or even completely dry up depending on whether it was the wet or dry season.

Image credit: Ceri Thomas

It would have lived alongside various species of prehistoric turtles as well as dinosaurs such as Oviraptor, Protoceratops, and famous Velociraptor (which was Halszkaraptor’s very distant cousin)! Unidentified hadrosaur, sauropod, and tyrannosaurid fossils have also been found here, but they seem to represent individuals who were just passing through on their way to a place with more food and water, like the relatively nearby Nemegt Formation, which was more lush and supported a wider variety of large dinosaurs than the Djadochta Formation.

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Day 60#: Baird's Tapir

Today's animal of the day is the Baird's Tapir (Tapirus bairdii)!

Photo credit: Mike Melton

Also known as the Central American tapir, this species of tapir can be found in the forests and swamps of Mexico, Central America, and the northwestern region of South America. They are the largest of the American species of tapir (at least of the three extanct species) and can weigh between 330 to 660 pounds, making them the largest native land mammal in Central and South America. Despite resembling a mix between a pig and an elephant, tapirs are a member of the order perissodactyla, the odd-toed ungulates, and their closest living relatives are horses and rhinos. For those wondering (which is probably no one), pigs are a member of the even-toed ungulates (artiodactyls) and elephants aren't technically considered ungulates, though they do share a common ancestor, which I did not know until I looked it up because I was curious.

Photo credit: gernotkunz on iNaturalist

Anyways, back to tapirs. The Baird's tapir is named after Spencer Fullerton Baird, an American naturalist who in 1843 traveled to Mexico to study these animals. However, another naturalist, W. T. White, was the "first" person to officially document this species. Of course, the indigenous people of the Americas have known about these tapirs for literally thousands of years before European colonists even stepped foot in the Americas, and they have their own various names for this animal. My favorite is cash-i-tzimin, which means "jungle horse" in the Lacandon language.

Photo credit: the Los Angeles Zoo

Baird's tapirs typically inhabit areas with dense vegetation, which not only provides them with plenty of food to eat but also helps them to hide from predators such as jaguars, cougars, spectacled bears, and humans. While they are most active at night, they have been observed foraging for food during any time of day, and will often create zigzagging paths through the forest as they browse. Tapirs spend a lot of time in the water to help cool off, and will use their prehensile snouts as snorkels while swimming!

Photo credit: Rhododendrites

While typically solitary, tapirs have been observed forming small groups while foraging for food to help each other watch out for predators. These groups usually consist of mothers with young calves. Tapirs can mate at any time of the year, but do so most frequently right before the start of the rainy season. Males and females will form temporary monogamous pairs and will often forage for food, defend their territory, and sleep alongside each other in between their mating sessions, which occur fairly often and usually in the water, though not always. Baby tapirs are born with white spots, similar to those of baby deer, which mimic sunlight shining on the forest floor and help the baby to hide from predators. These spots usually disappear when the calf is around 5 or 6 months old.

Photo credit: Armida Madngisa

Like most other large herbivores, tapirs play an important role in their environment. Not only are they an important food source for a variety of predators, but they also help spread seeds throughout the forest by eating fallen fruit and pooping out the seeds elsewhere. This not only helps transport seeds away from their parent plant to avoid competition, but the dung surrounding the seed also provides it with nutritious fertilizer to help it grow. Baird's tapirs also have a symbiotic relationship with yellow-headed caracaras and black vultures. They'll often lie down and allow these birds to remove ticks from their bodies.

Photo credit: Neil Tsutsui

Sadly, the Baird's tapir is considered an endangered species due to habitat loss caused by human development and forest fires. Poaching and pollution also threaten these animals; however, habitat loss is still the biggest threat to their population. One of the ways that conservationists are working to protect this species is by creating wildlife corridors, which are small patches of forests that help connect two or more larger wilderness areas that had previously been separated by human development. This prevents populations from becoming isolated, which can harm genetic diversity. This species also does quite well in captivity and is fairly easy to breed. Though a recent study did show that a portion of the captive population of Baird's tapirs in zoos in North and Central America has unintentionally become inbred, so conservationists are working on creating a new captive breeding program to help protect the gene pool.

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Day 59#: Chilean Dolphin

Today's animal of the day is the Chilean Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia)!

Photo credit: Daniela Diaz

Also known as the black dolphin or the tonina (which means little dolphin), this small species of dolphin can only be found off the coast of Chile. They only grow around 5 ft 7 inches in length, which is pretty small for a cetacean (though they aren't the smallest species of marine mammal). Due to their small size, reduced dorsal fin, and blunt head, they are often mistaken for porpoises, but they are in fact dolphins.

Photo credit: Sebastian Saiter V.

These dolphins tend to live in much smaller pods than other dolphins, with group sizes ranging from two to ten individuals. Though on rare occasions, multiple pods will merge together to form groups of around 50. Like other dolphins, the Chilean dolphin has been observed exhibiting epimeletic behavior, which means that when one member of the pod is sick or injured, the other members of its group will take care of them.

Photo credit: Franciso Castro Carmona

This species can only be found in the relatively shallow waters off the coast of Chile and does not migrate. They seem to prefer areas where rivers and streams connect with the sea, and have been observed temporarily venturing into freshwater environments on occasions. Their diets consist mostly of fish like sardines, anchovies, and salmon, as well as squids and crustaceans. They've also been seen eating algae on occasions, which is pretty cool since most species of dolphins are strictly carnivorous.

Photo credit: Sebastian Saiter V.

The Chilean dolphin is very shy around humans, and doesn't tend to approach boats or divers out of curiosity like other dolphins do. This makes it very hard to study them or get an exact estimate of their population size. However, marine biologists suspect that there are fewer than 5,000 of these dolphins left in the wild. Pods tend to stay in the same general area and don't often interact with other pods, which can pose a threat to the genetic diversity of the species as a whole. Habitat loss and human development also pose a risk to these dolphins, especially since they naturally already have such a small range.

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Day 58#: Lesser Flamingo

Today's animal of the day is the Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)!

Photo credit: Ian Davies

As its name suggests, the lesser flamingo is the smallest species of flamingo. Though you probably wouldn't be able to tell unless they were standing right next to another species of flamingo since they're still a pretty decent-sized bird and have a standing height of around 31 to 35 inches. Though their total body length from beak to tail can be up to 41 inches, since they usually aren't holding their necks fully outstretched. They are also the most common species of flamingo and are often seen throughout sub-Saharan Africa and western India. Occasionally, some individuals can become lost and have been sighted in parts of Europe.

Photo credit: Sumita Roy Dutta

Lesser flamingos tend to congregate in large flocks around alkaline lakes, which are inland bodies of water with high levels of salinity. These salty lakes are prime growing environments for numerous species of algae, which make up the majority of their diet. They also feed on a variety of crustaceans and other small invertebrates in the water, which gives them their pink coloration. Though this species prefers to eat algae, which is why they are a lighter pink compared to some other flamingo species that feed more on crustaceans.

Photo credit: Anup Shah

Adult flamingos have numerous adaptations that help them live in areas that are too extreme for many other animals to survive in. They have the ability to drink saltwater by excreting excess salt through special glands in their nasal passages. They are even able to tolerate standing in water that's near boiling! However, while adult flamingos are capable of surviving in such extreme environments, the chicks aren't as hardy as their parents are. So, soon after hatching, baby flamingos will join a group of other hatchlings, called a creche, and will follow their parents to the nearest source of freshwater. These creches can sometimes have over 100,000 baby flamingos and have been known to walk over 20 miles to reach their destination!

Photo credit: Martyn Sidwell

Even though they are the most common species of flamingo, the lesser flamingo is considered a threatened species due to its feeding and nesting sites being destroyed by human activities. In East Africa, the waters of Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria, which are the two main habitats for the flamingo population in this region, have also become polluted with heavy metals. In South Africa, the main breeding site for the lesser flamingo is also at risk of being destroyed due to human development and pollution.

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Day 57#: Brachiosaurus altithorax

Today's animal of the day is Brachiosaurus altithorax!

Image credit: Blue Meridian (game: Prehistoric Kingdom)

This iconic species of sauropod dinosaur lived during the Late Jurassic period in what is now North America. Brachiosaurus is estimated to have been between 59 to 72 ft long and weighed between 31 to 51 tons! Its genus name means "arm lizard" in reference to the fact that its front limbs were longer than its hind limbs. The longer "arms" of Brachiosaurus allowed it to hold its long neck in a more vertical posture compared to the other sauropods without becoming unbalanced. Though it didn't hold its neck quite as upright as it's often depicted doing in popular media.

Image credit: cisiopurple on Deviantart

The unique neck posture of Brachiosaurus allowed it to reach tree leaves that were too high for even other sauropods to reach, which helped reduce competition over food. Brachiosaurus also had a shorter tail compared to other sauropods, like Apatosaurus or Diplodocus, since it didn't need to rely on it as much to be a counterweight for its long neck, like the other sauropods did. Ironically, its longer front limbs would have also made it impossible for Brachiosaurs to rear up on their hind legs, like some other sauropods could do and like it is seen doing in Jurassic Park.

Image credit: Universal Studios

Speaking of Jurassic Park, I should probably mention that the Brachiosaurus that appears in the classic 1993 film isn't actually Brachiosaurus. In fact, most depictions of Brachiosaurus in popular media aren't actually Brachiosaurus and are instead based on the closely related Giraffatitan brancai. What happened was that the original Brachiosaurus specimen that was discovered in the year 1900 in Colorado was found without a skull. So, no one really knew what its head looked like. Then, in 1906, some fossils found in what is now Tanzania were discovered that were thought to belong to an African species of Brachiosaurus, and this specimen did have a skull. So, the North American species was named Brachiosaurus altithorax and the African species was named Brachiosaurus brancai, and the head reconstructions of both species were based on the skull of the specimen found in Africa.

Brachiosaurus altithorax skull (top) Giraffatitan brancai skull (bottom) Image credit for both images: Etemenanki3

Then, in 1998, a few years after the first Jurassic Park movie came out, a sauropod skull that had originally been discovered in 1883 but was assigned as a Brontosaurus skull was discovered to actually belong to the North American species of Brachiosaurus. This skull looked quite different compared to that of the African species, so further research was done, and it was eventually decided in 2009 that the African species of Brachiosaurus actually belonged to its own separate genus and was renamed Giraffatitan brancai.

Image credit: Universal Studios

To this day, the only two depictions of Brachiosaurus in popular media that don't actually protray Giraffatitan (that I can think of) are Prehistoric Kingdom and Jurassic Park III, but that's the only movie in the Jurassic franchise to depict Brachiosaurus with an accurate skull and all the other movies before and after it give Brachiosaurus the head of Giraffatitan. Technically speaking, I guess you could say that the Jurassic World Evolution games also have Brachiosaurus since there's the Jurassic Park III alternate variant of Brachiosaurus that has the right head shape, but the main variant in those games is still the one based on Giraffatitan.

Image credit: Blue Meridian (game: Prehistoric Kingdom)

Brachiosaurus altithorax was once considered to be one of the largest dinosaurs to have ever lived, and while it has since been dethroned by titans such as Argentinosaurus and Patagotitan, it was still an incredibly large animal. It is estimated to have held its neck about 30 ft off the ground, which, as I said before, would have allowed it to reach high up into the trees while browsing. The Morrison Formation would have been home to a wide array of other large sauropod dinosaurs such as Apatosaurus, Barosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplodocus, and Supersaurus, so it was important for Brachiosaurus to be able to carve out its own niche to avoid competition over food with these other species. Especially since the Morrison Formation is thought to have been a semi-arid environment similar to the modern-day African savannah with distinct wet and dry seasons, which would affect the availability of food and water.

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Day 56#: Pohlsepia mazonensis

Today's animal of the day is Pohlsepia mazonensis!

Photo credit: Isabelle Kruta

This mysterious species of marine organism lived during the Late Carboniferous period, approximately 323.4 to 298.9 million years ago, in what is now Illinois. When it was first discovered, Pohlsepia was thought to be a species of prehistoric cephalopod that was closely related to octopods, the order containing modern-day octopi.. However, paleontologists eventually became suspicious of Pohlsepia's supposed identity since no other octopod fossils appeared until the Mid-Jurassic period, which left a big gap in the fossil record if Pohlsepia was an early octopod. Most other cephalopods during the Carboniferous and for a while afterward also had shells, so it wouldn't make sense for Pohlsepia to be the only one that didn't. Because of this, Pohlsepia mazonensis is no longer considered to be a cephalopod; however, its exact classification is still unknown. It might be a member of the phylum cnidaria, which includes jellyfish and anemones. Some paleontologists have also suggested that it might be related to whatever Tullimonstrum is. It's also possible that Pohlsepia is a member of totally unique group of prehistoric marine animals that hasn't been described by scientists.

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Day 55#: ʻŌmaʻo

Today's animal of the day is the ʻŌmaʻo (Myadestes obscurus)!

Photo credit: Wolfe R

Also sometimes called the Hawaiian thrush, this species of bird can only be found in the southern and eastern rainforests of Hawaii (specifically the Big Island of Hawaii, not the entire Hawaiian Island Chain). Both males and females have grayish-brown heads and underbellies with olive brown wings and backs. They are frugivores, meaning that their diet consists mainly of fruit, though they will eat insects and other invertebrates when given the chance.

Photo credit: Alan Schmierer

These birds used to be found all over the Big Island, but their range has shrunk due to a combination of habitat loss and predation from invasive species such as cats, rats, mongooses, and feral pigs. Invasive plants like banana poka, which is native to South America, often outcompete the native Hawaiian plants that the ʻŌmaʻo relies on, so they tend to avoid areas infested by these plants.

Photo credit: Christian Reynolds

These invasive species were brought to Hawaii by European colonists who cared little about respecting the wildlife and people native to the Hawaiian Islands. Even to this day, a majority of Hawaii's wild places are at risk of being developed by the tourism industry, which also often forcibly displaces native Hawaiians out of their homes to make room for tourists. Let this be a reminder that issues involving conservation and social/racial injustices are often linked.

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Day 54#: Eight-Spotted Forester Moth

Today's animal of the day is the Eight-Spotted Forester Moth (Alypia octomaculata)

Photo credit: John Flannery

This species of moth can be found throughout Canada and the eastern United States, and prefers to live in areas where forests and grasslands meet. Adult moths are mostly black with two spots on each wing. The spots on the forewings are a pale yellow color, while the ones on the hindwings are white. The front and middle legs of these moths are covered in bright orange hair, which helps them collect pollen when visiting flowers. Unlike most other species of moth, the eight-spotted forester is diurnal, meaning that it is more active during the day.

Photo credit: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

The caterpillars of this species are a whitish color with a hint of lavender and black markings. They have orange heads and stripes as well as tiny black bumps, called tubercles, from which long white hairs grow. When threatened, these caterpillars will vomit a foul-tasting orange liquid to deter predators. If that doesn't work, they will produce a silk thread and attach it to their current perch before jumping off to escape danger. They will then use the silk thread to climb back up once the coast is clear.

Photo credit: amelia211 on iNaturalist

As caterpillars, this species mainly feeds on porcelainberry vines, Virginia creepers, and both domestic and wild grapevines. Because of this, they are considered somewhat of a pest in certain areas. However, there's usually enough food available for them in the wild, so they don't tend to cause too much damage to cultivated plants. During the Fall, these caterpillars will spin a cocoon out of silk and decaying plant matter such as leaves, wood, and sometimes even trash.

Photo credit: Rich Stevenson

Like many other moths, this species has the ability to pause their development during the pupal stage. This ability is called diapause, and it is thought to be caused when the pupa senses that the outside conditions are, for some reason, not right for it to emerge. It's currently unknown what the exact conditions are that trigger the pupae to begin development, but this species has been observed waiting as long as four years before emerging!

Photo credit: houndmanager on iNaturalist

As long as the conditions are right, adult moths typically emerge from their cocoons during late Spring (April to June) and feed on flower nectar, particularly that of sweetleaf plants. After mating, they will lay their eggs on the underside of leaves from one of the species that their caterpillars enjoy feeding on. In warmer areas, these moths can sometimes lay two broods in one year.

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Day 53#: Ribbon Seal

Today's animal of the day is the Ribbon Seal (Histriophoca fasciata)

Photo credit: Josh London

This species of seal can be found in the Arctic regions of the North Pacific and can be easily identified by its distinct ribbon-like white markings. Males are typically larger than females and have black fur, while females are a grayish brown color. Ribbon seals have a special air sac inside their bodies, which other seals lack, that is connected to their windpipe. The exact purpose of this air sac is currently unknown, but since it is noticeably larger in males compared to females, some marine biologists suspect that it might be used for underwater mating calls.

Photo credit: Josh London

Ribbon seals are very rarely seen on land or hauled up on an ice flow; however, when they are sighted resting on the sea ice, they seem pretty indifferent to their surroundings and will allow boats to get pretty close to them before retreating back into the water. Despite being rarely seen on the ice, these marine mammals are still heavily reliant on it. They need the sea ice to use as a resting place for when they are breeding, raising their pups, or molting. Molting is when they shed their old fur coat so they can grow a new one before winter. During this time, the seals need to spend time out of the water in order to increase the amount of blood flow to the skin, which helps with hair growth.

Photo credit: J. Jansen

Baby ribbon seals resemble baby harp seals, and are covered in fluffy white fur (called lanugo) which helps keep them warm on land but isn't very good at keeping them well-insulated in the water. Because of this, ribbon seal pups spend most of their time alone on ice flows while their mothers are out foraging for food in the water. However, mothers will return and continue to nurse them with their extremely fat-rich milk until they are between three to five weeks old, at which point they will have shed their fluff and replaced it with their juvenile coat, which is waterproof but is a more grayish color compared to the adults and has much less distinct ribbons. It usually takes about three years before the juveniles get their classic adult patterning.

Photo credit: P. Boveng

Adult ribbon seals are mostly solitary and spend most of their lives in the open ocean hunting for fish, squid, octopi, and crustaceans. Though sometimes they will temporarily form small groups, especially during the spring, which is the pupping and molting season. Unlike the caterpillar-like galumphing, which is how most seals move while on land, ribbon seals have a unique style of moving while on the ice that involves alternating flipper stropes to pull themselves forward while simultaneously moving their bodies side-to-side.

Photo credit: NOAA Fisheries

While this species isn't endangered and their population seems stable, they are at risk since the sea ice that they so heavily rely on is disappearing due to man-made climate change. A study in 2013 showed that if steps aren't taken to reduce the impacts of global warming, then these seals and countless other species will face extinction. Despite this, the United States government still refuses to put these seals on the endangered species list, and that was even before we had the evil cheeto puff in office.