From Gold to Goliath

Look closely at this picture.


See anything astounding?


Yep, there's a gigantic frog on that girl's lap...the Goliath frog.


Now, you may be thinking, "Awww, look at her big ol' froggy pet." And you might be right.  But that big ol' froggy just might be dinner instead...it's the size of a Thanksgiving turkey!



And yes, the Goliath frog is the biggest frog in the world.  I think I'd run screaming into the jungle if I saw one in the wild!

So what's the smallest frog in the world?


The Brazilian Gold frog. For the last 100 years, they were thought to be babies of other frogs. But last year, someone realized these were adult frogs! Amazing!

Okay, I think I'd want to find a Brazilian Gold frog rather than a Goliath in my backyard!  What about you?

From Gold to Goliath

Look closely at this picture.


See anything astounding?


Yep, there's a gigantic frog on that girl's lap...the Goliath frog.


Now, you may be thinking, "Awww, look at her big ol' froggy pet." And you might be right.  But that big ol' froggy just might be dinner instead...it's the size of a Thanksgiving turkey!

Not for the Faint of Heart...

 You've probably seen Glass fish, the see-through kind, at the pet store. But have you ever heard of the Glass frog?


That's him, above. The light under him goes through the leaf, and then shines right through him, turning him into a neon frog!


But there's the under side as well, which is even more amazing.  


And maybe a bit gross.  


So for all you tenderfoots out there, don't scroll down any further!  :)

Okay, here it is!  A great shot of the topside and underbelly of a Glass frog. 

Kinda bizarre.


But if that picture didn't bother you, you've got a good chance of really admiring the colors and transparency of the following one:

And you know, I've been looking for a shirt in that exact turquoise color....

Now let's take a look at the topsides of a few really amazing Glass frogs (you may recognize our old friend, the Hypnotoad, among them).

I personally like the orange-dotted guy, top left.   


The bottom left guy reminds me of some kind of candy you'd want to just pop in your mouth.  Although on second thought....ewwww!


Which frog do you like?  


Or maybe you prefer the really unusual glass frog below:

Ha ha. Got any Glass frog thoughts? 

Not for the Faint of Heart...

 You've probably seen Glass fish, the see-through kind, at the pet store. But have you ever heard of the Glass frog?


That's him, above. The light under him goes through the leaf, and then shines right through him, turning him into a neon frog!


But there's the under side as well, which is even more amazing.  


And maybe a bit gross.  


So for all you tenderfoots out there, don't scroll down any further!  :)

Eye of....Hypno-toad?

Would you have believed it if you hadn't seen it?  This little frog is called a Ghost Glass frog. 

Can he hypnotize with those eyes?

Well, no. But he looks like he could.   :)

I bet you never noticed this, but most frogs DO have strange and beautiful eyes...like colorful gemstones!

 Let's take a look at some:

If you think these eyes are intriguing, wait until you see the frogs themselves. So many colors and patterns. 

And then there's the frog you can see through, really! The Glass frog...coming up next post. 

Don't miss it!

Eye of....Hypno-toad?

Would you have believed it if you hadn't seen it?  This little frog is called a Ghost Glass frog. 

Can he hypnotize with those eyes?

Friday Fun: Boomer and Me

Okay, yes...this is me in younger days. 


I am at a photo shoot at Shambala, the actress Tippi Hedren's ...


amazing big cat sanctuary in Acton, CA.  


With me is Boomer, a leopard free to roam the sanctuary. He followed me around for a bit, then graciously allowed me to touch him. Believe me, touching a live and uncaged leopard is not something you can do every day of your life! 

I remember weighing his tail in my hands.  Even now, I am amazed at how heavy his tail was.  Claws? Who needs claws? I really think he could've injured someone with just one whack of that tail...it was like a thick steel cable!


Shambala exists solely to house abandoned pet cats...but only BIG cats, like tigers, lions, bobcats, even a jungle cat. Shambala provides these animals with a lifelong home, thanks to Tippi, the ROAR Foundation, and generous donations.


So if you're in California sometime, check out Shambala. And if you see Boomer, just remember...don't mess with his tail!  :)

Friday Fun: Boomer and Me

Okay, yes...this is me in younger days. 


I am at a photo shoot at Shambala, the actress Tippi Hedren's ...

Giraffes Have the Strangest Friends

Blue tongue on squirrel!  

Outside of their native wild habitat, it's not so rare for animals of one species to find friendship in another species. There are currently some giraffe friendships going on that will knock your socks off.  

Check it out  [...]

Gerald

 Gerald has amused visitors and staff by making close friends with the zebra family. The family of three Chapmans zebra - named Zebedee, Zara and Zelda - and the giraffes share a spacious paddock in the African continental section of North Somerset's award-winning family park.

Bea

Bea, a three-year-old giraffe, and Wilma, an ostrich, have become the best of friends at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Florida

A Different Gerald

They'll always have a very different outlook on life. But even though Gerald the giraffe is rather lofty and Eddie the goat is more down to earth, they are the perfect pairing. They have formed an unlikely bond after Eddie was placed with 15ft Gerald as a short-term solution to keep the giraffe company at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in Bristol.

Three years on the pair are as close as ever. Keeper Sammi Luxa said: 'They hit it off straight away, and Eddie has proved to be a great companion for Gerald. They bonded from day one and you can always see them running around the enclosure chasing each other.

Pretty cool, huh?   Extra points if you can figure out the subspecies of these giraffes using the pattern samples from my post And You Thought There Was Only One...

Giraffes Have the Strangest Friends

Blue tongue on squirrel!  

Outside of their native wild habitat, it's not so rare for animals of one species to find friendship in another species. There are currently some giraffe friendships going on that will knock your socks off.  

Check it out  [...]

If You Invite a Giraffe to Breakfast...Part 2

Don't be surprised if he shows up!  

Especially if you are in Kenya, because giraffes at breakfast-time are an everyday occurrence at the Giraffe Manor* there!  Take a look at the possibilities...

Notice the blue tongue? Yeah!

Looks like fun!  Wouldn't you love to have a giraffe at your table?

Then...giraffe hand art, below.  It took me a second to figure out how this was done...and kind of makes me want to try it.  :)

And...who would've guessed?  Frogs that look like giraffes!

The world is an amazing place, isn't it?  Don't miss any of it!  :)

*For more on Giraffe Manor, go here: http://www.giraffemanor.com/

If You Invite a Giraffe to Breakfast...Part 2

Don't be surprised if he shows up!  

Especially if you are in Kenya, because giraffes at breakfast-time are an everyday occurrence at the Giraffe Manor* there!  Take a look at the possibilities...

Do Albino Giraffes Exist?

Do Albino Giraffes Exist?

No. At least, no one has ever seen one.


But there are some "white" (leucistic) giraffes around!


Okay, you know me... I love the abnormal colorations in animals. 


So let's take a look, below, at some normal giraffe colors (top)...


and then some leucistic giraffes (bottom):

Pretty cool. 


The bottom left one especially is amazing! A little area of complete black! How did that happen?


The bottom right giraffe has normal-colored legs! Weird. As of this post, he's alive and living wild in Africa, in a herd of normal-colored giraffes. 

He really stands out. But luckily for this guy; giraffes don't get killed by poachers because there's no "market" for giraffe horns, or skins, or meat. AND, they eat leaves off tall trees, and not farmers' crops.


So our "white" wild giraffe may live to a ripe old age! 

Here are some more strangely colored giraffes:

Let me know what you think of "white" giraffes; leave a comment for me!

Do Albino Giraffes Exist?

Do Albino Giraffes Exist?

No. At least, no one has ever seen one.


But there are some "white" (leucistic) giraffes around!


Okay, you know me... I love the abnormal colorations in animals. 


So let's take a look, below, at some normal giraffe colors (top)...


and then some leucistic giraffes (bottom):

Pretty cool. 


The bottom left one especially is amazing! A little area of complete black! How did that happen?


The bottom right giraffe has normal-colored legs! Weird. As of this post, he's alive and living wild in Africa, in a herd of normal-colored giraffes. 

He really stands out. But luckily for this guy; giraffes don't get killed by poachers because there's no "market" for giraffe horns, or skins, or meat. AND, they eat leaves off tall trees, and not farmers' crops.


So our "white" wild giraffe may live to a ripe old age! 

Here are some more strangely colored giraffes:

Let me know what you think of "white" giraffes; leave a comment for me!

Of Cruel Thorns and Blue Tongues

They can deter lions and impale birds.  Acacia thorns...you've seen them as effective wild animal barriers in my post How to Keep Lions Out of Your Garden, and they mean business!

The trouble with Acacia trees is that they have juicy leaves on them that giraffes can't resist. But how can they get to them through those jagged thorns?

With a long long tongue.

That happens to be blue.

See that 18-inch tongue? Add that to the height of the tallest of giraffes, the Masai, and you get an animal that can reach a leaf 23 feet high (over two stories)!


And below is a picture of Jock, a Masai giraffe who, at over 20 feet tall, is one of the tallest giraffes in captivity. Note the man in a white shirt standing next to him in the bushes...amazing!

Here is a picture of the Rhodesian and the tallest giraffe in the world, the Masai giraffe, both considered "oak leaf" patterned giraffes.

Next post, we'll consider giraffes whose patterns are, uh, a bit strange.  Watch for it!

Of Cruel Thorns and Blue Tongues

They can deter lions and impale birds.  Acacia thorns...you've seen them as effective wild animal barriers in my post How to Keep Lions Out of Your Garden, and they mean business!

The trouble with Acacia trees is that they have juicy leaves on them that giraffes can't resist. But how can they get to them through those jagged thorns?

With a long long tongue.

That happens to be blue.

Ever See A Mammal With Three Horns?

If you did, it would look like the Ugandan (Rothschild) giraffe! 


Check out his third horn in the following picture; he's the only giraffe that has it!
I love his droopy lip and bumpy nose.

And speaking of their horns, or more correctly ossicones, there's a way to tell a male from a female giraffe by looking at their horns.  


If the horns have long black hairs on the top, they tend to be female.


If the horns have short black hair and a bald spot on top, it's probably a male; they fight each other with their horns and knock off the long hair.


So do you think the giraffe above is male or female?


And below there's the Kordofan...one of the smaller giraffes. 

Let's compare the two.

They look very different in color, don't they? And the Ugandan has almost a turtle-shell pattern on his back.


Sadly, there are only 445 Ugandan Giraffes left in the wild, and less than 200 of the Kordofan.  Both are seriously in danger of extinction.*


Next post, we'll look at the tallest mammal on earth...my favorite, the Masai (Maaah-siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh) giraffe!


* For more info on this, go to The Giraffe Conservation Foundation

Ever See A Mammal With Three Horns?

If you did, it would look like the Ugandan (Rothschild) giraffe! 


Check out his third horn in the following picture; he's the only giraffe that has it!