DESKTOP 3109 - PELICANS

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 2655 - GECKOS

Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 to 60 cm. Most geckos cannot blink, but they often lick their eyes to keep them clean and moist. They have a fixed lens within each iris that enlarges in darkness to let in more light.

 

Geckos are unique among lizards in their vocalisations. They use chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos. They are the most species-rich group of lizards, with about 1,500 different species worldwide. The New Latin gekko and English "gecko" stem from the Indonesian-Malay gēkoq, which is imitative of the sound the animals make. Many species are well known for their specialised toe pads that enable them to climb smooth and vertical surfaces, and even cross indoor ceilings with ease.

 

Geckos are well-known to people who live in warm regions of the world, where several species of geckos make their home inside human habitations. These (for example the house gecko) become part of the indoor menagerie and are often welcomed, as they feed on insects, including mosquitoes. Unlike most lizards, geckos are usually nocturnal.

 

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.
 

DESKTOP 2424 - BULL ANT

Myrmecia is a genus of ants first established by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1804. The genus is a member of the subfamily Myrmeciinae of the family Formicidae. Myrmecia is a large genus of ants, comprising at least 93 species that are found throughout Australia and its coastal islands, while a single species is only known from New Caledonia. One species has been introduced out of its natural distribution and was found in New Zealand in 1940, but the ant was last seen in 1981. These ants are commonly known as "bull ants", "bulldog ants" or "jack jumper" ants, and are also associated with many other common names. They are characterized by their extreme aggressiveness, ferocity, and painful stings. Some species are known for the jumping behavior they exhibit when agitated.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 2347 - TYGER

The Tyger
By William Blake

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand & what dread feet?

What the hammer, what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil, what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 2162 - ZEBRAS

Zebras at the Royal Melbourne Zoo. A zebra is an African wild horse with black-and-white stripes and an erect mane. It belongs to the genus Equus, family Equidae and there are three species, the common zebra (E. burchellii) seen here.

Melbourne Zoo is mindful that the welfare of the world’s wildlife is paramount, so the welfare of the animals in its care is of the utmost importance. The zoo's Animal Welfare Code sets out the zoo's animal welfare commitments and obligations. Zoos Victoria have a life-long duty of care to animals and are committed to ensuring that they are given the very best of care, provided with stimulation and housed in facilities that provide for their natural behaviours.

In association with other zoos around the world and with animal conservation groups, Zoos Victoria takes part in programs that foster animal species under threat of extinction and collaborates such that animal breeding programs in zoos helps to conserve animal diversity and species longevity around the world.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

DESKTOP 740 - FLAMINGOES

This post is part of the Pink Saturday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.