Results tagged “lizard” on Earth Touch Blog
Flickr group: pic of the day – Texas tree lizard Jun 4 2008
Texas tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus), also known as ornate tree lizards, are thorny lizards which feed mostly on insects and insect larvae. They perch on rocks and trees, and are territorial, with a male and female (sometimes two females) occupying an area.
Tags: austin, lizard, north america, ornate tree lizard, photograph, photography, reptile, texas, texas tree lizard, united states, vertebrateFlickr group: pic of the day – plumed basilisk May 8 2008
The plumed basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons) is a species of lizard native to South America. The male of the species has three crests on its head and body, the female has only one small crest on its head.
Tags: crest, flickr, lizard, photograph, photography, plumed basilisk, reptile, south america, vertebrateFlickr group: pic of the day – Iguana Apr 2 2008
The iguana is a genus of lizard from the family Iguanidae. It is mostly found in Central and South America, as well as the Galapagos Islands, some Caribbean islands, Fiji and Madagascar.
Tags: communication, diet, iguana, lizard, madagascar, north america, reptile, sight, visionFledglings prepare for flight Jan 30 2008
Yellow-billed kites (Milvus migrans parasitus) are opportunistic feeders. They glide through the air, scanning the ground for carcasses of dead animals, or for small live prey such as lizards, locusts and frogs.
The adult kite that Earth-Touch has been tracking attends to its chicks’ needs, but soon it will be vital for these young fledglings to learn the ultimate survival skill, flight.
Tags: amphibian, bird, carcasse, chick, fly, frog, glide, kite, kwazulu-natal, lizard, locust, nest, prey, reptile, south africa, wing, yellow-billed kiteWildlife news from around the world
Three new salamander species found Jan 29 2008
Scientists have made a thrilling discovery of three new species of salamander in a remote forest reserve in Costa Rica. Two of the species are nocturnal, belonging to the Bolitoglossa genus, while the third is a dwarf variety from the Nototriton family, growing to little longer than a thumbnail. The three new finds bring the number of Costa Rican salamanders known to science to a total of 43.
“Discovering so many new species in one area is exciting, particularly as this is probably the only place in the world you can find these animals,” said Dr Alex Monro of London’s Natural History Museum, who is leading the project.
Tags: amphibian, bolitoglossa genus, colour, costa rica, gland, invertebrate, lizard, london’s natural history museum, nototriton, salamandar, skin, slug, south america, vertebrae, wormDid you know? Roaches are not that bad Nov 30 2007
Everyone loves to hate cockroaches they are usually considered filthy and are known to cause asthma in children.
But these insects contribute to the earth’s biodiversity; and as omnivores they clean the environment and help in recycling organic litter that would otherwise accumulate.
Tags: amphibian, asia, asthma, bird, cockroach, environmentally friendly, invertebrate, lizard, pest, thailand, thung salaeng luang national parkDid you know? Pit vipers Nov 29 2007
Pit vipers, as their name suggests, have a heat-sensitive pit on either side of their head. These pits are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature, being covered with a temperature sensitive membrane.
These organs can help the pit viper sense the presence of warm-blooded animals, which is ultimately useful at night when these reptiles most often hunt for small animals such as frogs and lizards. They often form ‘S’-shapes with their body, enabling them to strike at any time.
Tags: asia, frog, hunt, lizard, membrane, pit viper, reptile, snake, thailand, thung salaeng luang national park, viper, warm-bloodedDid You Know? Tokay geckos Nov 27 2007
The best way to track down the nocturnal tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) is to listen out for its loud, distinctive “to-kay” call after sunset.
Native to parts of Asia and the Indo-Australian Archipelago, this species also makes a variety of other calls which sound like “gah”, “eck” and, sometimes, a small dog’s bark.
Tags: asia, colour, gecko, lizard, noise, reptile, thailand, throat, thung salaeng luang national park, tokay gecko, tongueWildlife news from around the world
Frogs’ toes inspire sticky tape Oct 16 2007
Materials scientists have created a strong, reusable adhesive tape which can be removed cleanly. Their inspiration: the toe pads of tree frogs, lizards and crickets, which remain sticky without picking up dust particles.
Tags: adhesive, air, amphibian, capillary, cricket, dust, frog, gecko, indian institute of technology, lizard, oil, red-eyed tree frog, toe, vessel
What happened to the skimmers? Oct 10 2007
Much to everyone’s surprise, the migratory African skimmers have already left the sandbank at Nxamaseri in the Okavango Delta, where they were nesting and attempting to raise their chicks. This abrupt departure brings to an end a spectacularly unsuccessful season for the endangered birds.
Did you know? African fish eagle Oct 2 2007
This fairly large eagle is related to the North American bald eagle, and looks quite similar. As its name suggests, the African fish eagle feeds mainly on fish but it has been known to eat the chicks of shore birds or even, rarely, monkeys, frogs and lizards.
Tags: african fish eagle, bird, chick, eagle, frog, lizard, monkey, preyWildlife news from around the world
Nifty adaptation to desert environment Aug 23 2007
Some desert-dwelling lizards, such as the Australian thorny devil (Moloch horridus), have the amazing ability to suck up water and transport it along microscopic channels in between their scales to their mouths for drinking.
After rains, thorny devils will dip their stomachs in puddles. Their ability to soak up the water is detailed in a new paper by American and Australian authors, ScienceNOW Daily News has reported.
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