Meet the Himalayan Monal 🐦

The Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) is a member of the pheasant family and the national symbol of Nepal. 🇳🇵

Colorful Plumage 🌟
Females have dull brown feathers, while males shimmer in all colors of the rainbow with glossy feathers and a green crest on their head, adorned with long feathers with white tips.

Flight and Diet 🍃
Monals are capable fliers, but prefer not to. They have a strong, curved beak and primarily eat seeds, green plant parts, and insects.

Habitat and Behavior 🏔️
They hide in shrubs during the day and emerge to feed on open slopes, usually in the morning and evening. In summer, they migrate to higher mountains, up to the level of perpetual snow. Typically, small groups of birds are seen, consisting of a male and several females.

🐾 Meet the Desmana moschata, a curious creature that's often mistaken for a rodent, but actually belongs to the mole family! 🐾

This little animal has a 18-22 cm long body, a tail of the same length, and weighs up to 500g. Its fur is thick, velvety, and very strong, with hairs that broaden at the top and narrow at the root. 🌿

The Desmana moschata leads a semi-aquatic life, spending most of the year in burrows with a single underwater entrance. They need a lot of food, with adults consuming their own body weight in food every day! 🍔

In the summer, they mainly eat bottom-dwelling creatures like insect larvae, leeches, and snails. In the winter, they add plant-based foods and even small fish to their diet. 🐟 Interesting fact: The Desmana moschata's unique fur helps to reduce water resistance, making it a great swimmer! 🏊‍♀️

Meet the Satyr Tragopan 🐓

The Satyr Tragopan (Tragopan satyra) is a species of pheasant that inhabits the Himalayas in India, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and Southern China.

Unique Name 🤔
The name "Tragopan" comes from the ancient Greek god Pan, known for his goat-like horns and beard. The species name "satyra" also originates from ancient mythology, referencing the horn-like features.

Habitat 🌳
These birds prefer humid, mountainous forests with dense undergrowth of rhododendrons and bamboo. They can also be found along riverbanks and streams with thick shrubs and diverse vegetation.

Conservation Status 🚨
Unfortunately, the Satyr Tragopan population is declining due to poaching and the rapid growth of tourism, leading to habitat loss and disturbance. However, they thrive in captivity and are successfully bred in many zoos and sanctuaries.

🌟 Meet the Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine! 🦔

Found in tropical forests from Colombia and Venezuela to northern Argentina, this little guy is a tree-dwelling expert. It rarely descends to the ground, except for a drink. When it does, it moves slowly but easily. 🌳

Nocturnal and social, they live in small groups and have a unique defense mechanism: easily detachable quills that deter predators. When threatened, they curl up into a ball. 🤯

Their diet consists of leaves, buds, and fruits. They occasionally raid guava, corn, and banana plantations. 🍌🌽

This small animal has a body length of up to 65 cm and weighs up to 5 kg. Its short, thick quills are tricolored: pale yellow on top and bottom, with a black center. Its back is black, belly is gray, and its prehensile tail is 30-50 cm long. 🦊

Interesting fact: The Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine is one of the few porcupine species that can climb trees! 🌲

Stork's tough love 🐦

Nature isn't cruel, it's practical. Feeling that she can't feed three chicks, the mother stork chooses the weakest and throws it out of the nest, so the remaining ones get more food.

The unlucky chick will likely die, but there's a chance a person will find and raise it. Then, those who now scold the stork will cry over the poor bird living with humans: "A bird should live free!" You can't please everyone 🤷‍♂️

Monarch Butterfly: A Migratory Marvel 🦋

The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is one of North America's most iconic butterflies. 🌟

In the 19th century, they were introduced to New Zealand and Australia. Today, they can be found in Europe on the Canary Islands and Madeira. 🌍

Incredible Migration Journey 🗺️

Monarchs are famous for their annual migrations from southern Canada and the northern US to Florida, California, and Mexico, traveling up to 3,000 miles (4,800 km) each way! 🚀 They overwinter in Mexico's mountains and return north in the spring.

Mariposa Monarca Biosphere Reserve 🌳

This protected area in Mexico's Michoacán state is a vital habitat for monarch butterflies. 🌟 A hummingbird robot helps monitor these magnificent creatures. 🤖

🦔 Meet the Madagascar tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus) taking a dust bath and rubbing in a new scent! 🌿

Zookeepers provide tenrecs with new scented dust to stimulate their natural behavior. In the wild, tenrecs use scent as camouflage and to repel parasites. 🐜💡

Did you know? Tenrecs are one of the few mammals that use scent marking to communicate. They have scent glands near their front legs, which they use to leave chemical signals for other tenrecs. 📢👀

🦅 Crowned Crane's Mating Dance 💃

Meet the majestic Crowned Crane (Balearica pavonina), a resident bird in Western and Eastern Africa. 🌟 This stunning bird has a distinctive red throat pouch under its chin, similar to a rooster's or turkey's, which can inflate. 🔥

Found in savannas south of the Sahara, and in East Africa, including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, and Ethiopia. 🌍 They inhabit open spaces, from wetlands to dry areas, but prefer freshwater marshes, floodplains, or lake shores. 🌿

You can also spot them in rice fields or other water-loving crops. 🌾 Often, their habitats feature acacia trees or other trees where they roost at night. 🌳 The Crowned Crane is fearless around humans and often settles near human settlements. 🏠

Interesting fact: The Crowned Crane is known for its impressive mating dance, which involves jumping, bowing, and spreading its colorful wings. 💃🕺

🐦 Meet the Palm Cockatoo, one of the few bird species that use tools to create sound! 🎵

Males build nests in specific tree cavities to impress picky females, then use sticks to drum and lure them in for a nest inspection. 🏠👀

This large parrot measures 70-80 cm in length and inhabits northern Australia, Cape York Peninsula, New Guinea, and nearby islands. 🌴 Did you know that the Palm Cockatoo is the oldest cockatoo species in Australia, and was the first to inhabit the continent's north? 🌟

These birds can live up to 90 years, giving them plenty of time to master complex skills! 🤓

Meet the Majestic Saturniidae Moths! 🦋

The Saturniidae family includes some of the largest moth species, characterized by heavy bodies covered in velvety hair-like scales, broad wings with two pairs of eyespots, and small heads.

Newly Emerged! 🌟 This is a freshly hatched Saturnia pavoniella (Small Emperor Moth), preparing its wings for its first flight. 🦉

🐨 Meet the Long-nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus), a cute marsupial native to Eastern Australia and Tasmania.

They live on the ground, are active at night, and sometimes bask in the sun on early mornings. Their days are spent in shallow burrows, usually dug at the base of grassy tussocks. No complex tunnels for them! 🌿

Potoroos feed on grassy plants, roots, and fungi. From May to June, over 70% of their diet consists of mushrooms! 🍄 They also snack on insects, especially in summer.

Watch how they sniff the ground, moving side to side, and start digging with their front paws when they find a potential food source using their keen sense of smell! 👃

Meet the African Black-Bellied Pangolin! 🦰

This fascinating creature, Phataginus tetradactyla, feeds almost exclusively on ants, making it the only known pangolin species that doesn't rely on termites for food. 🐜

Also known as long-tailed pangolins, they inhabit the forests of western and central Africa. This pangolin has discovered a nest of tree ants! 🌳

Interestingly, the name "pangolin" comes from the Malay word "pengguling," meaning "rolling into a ball." Pangolins can be found not only in Africa but also in Asia, including China, Java, and Malaysia. 🌟

Ant hills serve as both a food source and a unique "cleaning station" for pangolins. The animal sits near a swarm of angry ants, spreading its scales, allowing the insects to crawl underneath and bite, covering its skin in ant acid. Despite the pain, the pangolin endures this process! 😳