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Florida > popular all-time > Sea World Orlando photo
Florida > popular all-time > Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) (October 1, 2006) Guanacos are related to camels, as are vicuñas, llamas, and alpacas - but they live in South America, while camels are found in Africa and Asia. Guanacos and vicuñas are wild animals, but llamas and alpacas have been domesticated, like cats and dogs, and were probably bred from guanacos. When a female guanaco gives birth, her newborn, known as a chulengo, is able to walk immediately. Chulengos can keep up with the herd right away. Guanacos live on land high in the Andes mountains up to 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) above sea level as well as on the lower plateaus, plains, and coastlines of Peru, Chile, and Argentina, where 90% of the population is found. Throughout their range, guanacos occupy lands that tend to be very dry. Guanacos were once overhunted for their thick, warm wool. Now they thrive in areas protected by law.
Florida > popular all-time > Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) (October 1, 2006) The Bactrian Camel is a two-humped camel that lives in the rocky Gobi desert and the grasslands (steppes) of Asia; these habitats get both very hot and very cold. Bactrian camels have a life span of about 40 years. Bactrian camels are large members of the Camelid family. They are often confused with Dromedary camels, who only have one hump and live in hot, desert climates. In contrast, Bactrian camels have two humps and are native to the cold, mountain and high desert climates of Central Asia. Their humps are filled with fat, not water. These fat stores are used by the camel for nourishing the body during times of little water or food. As the fat reserves are burned, the humps lose their rigidity and can actually fall over to the side. The two humps create a saddle in between that humans can sit on to ride these animals. Status: Critically Endangered --> It is in grave danger of extinction. --> The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Florida > popular all-time > Raggiana Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea raggiana) [female] (October 1, 2006)
Florida > popular all-time > Raggiana Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea raggiana) (October 1, 2006)
Florida > popular all-time > Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) (October 1, 2006) The Sacred Ibis is a species of wading bird of the ibis family which breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Iraq. It has also been introduced into France, Italy, Spain and Australia. This species is now extinct in Egypt where it was venerated in ancient times. The ancient Egyptians believed that their god Thoth sometimes came to earth in the form of a Sacred Ibis. Thoth, a scribe of the gods, was the inventor of writing and measurer of time who symbolized wisdom and knowledge. It is depicted in many murals and mummified specimens are common in burial places; over 1.5 million birds were found in one group of tombs. Herodotus, the Greek historian and traveler writing in the fifth century BC., noted that the secular killing of this ibis, whether intentional or not, was punishable by death. The ancient Egyptians knew that this ibis kept bilharzia (a debilitating disease) in check but not how. We now know that a snail, a main food of the ibis, is the host of the bilharzia parasite. Unfortunately, because of extensive swamp drainage and land reclamation over the years, the bird is now extinct in its ancient home and bilharzia is rampant.
Florida > popular all-time > Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) [in center of photo with black beak, head, and neck] and White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) (October 1, 2006)
Florida > popular all-time > Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) (September 3, 2006) Saurus Cranes mate for life. The bond is so strong, these birds are a symbol of marital fidelity in many Asian cultures. As with many other crane species, the Saurus Crane performs a courtship dance mainly during the breeding season. They bow and curtsy, opening up their wings and throwing back their head as they utter their trumpeting call. Found in the wetlands of northern India and Indo China, these birds require large, open, well-watered plains or marshes to breed and survive. Status: Vulnerable Status information found at The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Florida > popular all-time > Chestnut-bellied Partridge (Arborophila javanica) (September 3, 2006)
Sea World Orlando photo
Photo by: SCL • see photo in gallery
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