The Pool Frog (Pelophylax lessonae) is a freshwater wetlands amphibian in the Ranidae family of water frogs.
The Pool Frog is green, olive or brown. On its back is a green line that runs from head to tail. There are small warts on its back. Its underbelly is creamy-white. It has a plump body with long hind (back) legs, and no tail. It has large, round, protruding eyes. It has webbed feet.
Continue reading “Pool Frog”
The Majorcan Midwife Toad (Alytes muletensis) is a small freshwater amphibian in the Alytidae family of toads. It is a vulnerable species.
The Majorcan Midwife Toad can be a variety of colours, but it is generally brownish to yellowish or greenish, with several irregular dark spots along its body. It has big, bulging dark eyes, suited to living in the dark. It has long legs with webbed feet that enable it to climb over rocks.
Continue reading “Majorcan Midwife Toad”
The Bush Dog (Speothos venaticus) is a rare canine mammal in the Canidae family of dogs. It is most closely related to the Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) or the African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus).
The Bush Dog has soft, long, brown-tan fur with a lighter reddish colour on its head, neck, back, and tail. It has a bushy tail. It has short legs. It has a short snout (nose) and small ears. It has 38 teeth. It has partially webbed toes, which enables it to swim.
Continue reading “CREATURE FEATURE: Bush Dog”
The Mexican Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is a freshwater amphibian in the Ambystomatidae family of salamanders. Toads, frogs, newts, salamanders, and axolotl are amphibians, living partly in water and partly on land.
Unlike other amphibians, the Mexican Axolotl never leaves the water – it remains aquatic and never goes on land.
Continue reading “Mexican Axolotl and Webbed Feet”
The Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) is a semi-aquatic mammal in the Mustelidae family of weasels and otters. It is also known as the European Otter, Common Otter, Old World Otter, and Eurasian River Otter.
The Eurasian Otter has a streamlined, elongated body, and a long, strong, flat tail. It has two layers of dense brown water-repellent fur, and a cream underbelly. It has a short neck, small dark eyes, a black nose, long white whiskers, and small rounded ears. It has five long toes and webbed feet to swim in water, but it needs air to breathe.
Continue reading “CREATURE FEATURE: Eurasian Otter”
The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is a large North American migratory bird of Canada and the northern United States.
The Canada Goose mates for life – a male and female remain partners throughout their whole life.
The female lays 2-9 eggs, and both parents look after the eggs until they hatch after 24-48 days.
The chicks are called goslings. Goslings can walk, swim, and find their own food soon after hatching. They can fly after 6-9 weeks of age.
Continue reading “Canada Goose and Goslings”
The Common Tree Frog (Polypedates leucomystax) is a small amphibian in the Rhacophoridae family of shrub frogs.
The Common Tree Frog is a light-green, slender frog, with a slightly flattened, smooth body. It can also be greyish, yellowish, or dark brown. It has lightly mottled markings, often with four faint lines or distinctive white spots. It has bulging eyes at the side of its head. Its hind feet are webbed with cushioned pads.
Continue reading “Common Tree Frog”
Does the Mexican Walking Fish actually walk?
The Mexican Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is a freshwater amphibian in the salamander family. It is also known as the Mexican Walking Fish, but it is not a fish. Toads, frogs, newts, salamanders and axolotl are amphibians, living partly in water and partly on land.
Unlike other amphibians, the Mexican Axolotl never leaves the water – it remains aquatic and never goes on land, so it does not walk on land.
Continue reading “Does the Mexican Walking Fish actually walk?”
The German Pekin Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a European breed of a domestic bird in the Anatidae family of mallard ducks. It is also known as the White Pekin Duck and related to the American Pekin Duck.
The German Pekin Duck has an upright, broad, heavy body with thick layers of creamy-white feathers with a yellowish tinge. Its beak is short and orange. Its eyes are small and dark. It has orange webbed feet.
Continue reading “German Pekin Duck”
The North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis) is a freshwater, semi-aquatic mammal in the Lutrinae sub-family of the Mustelidae family of weasels. It is a mustelid. It is also known as the Northern River Otter or the Common Otter.
The North American River Otter has a long, slender body, which is streamlined for swimming. Its fur is short, thick and water-repellent. It has short legs with webbed feet for swimming, but it can also walk on land. It varies in colour from light-brown to black, with a greyish chest, neck, and throat. It has a short nose, flat head, round ears, and a nose pad (like a dog). It has long whiskers, called vibrissae. It has a long, tapered tail.
Continue reading “North American River Otter”
The Pallas’s Gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) is a sea bird in the seagull family. It is also known as the Great Black-Headed Gull.
The Pallas’s Gull is white with a black head. It has grey wings and a grey back, with white ‘mirrors’ at the wing tips. Its legs are yellow, with webbed feet. Its beak is orange-yellow with a red tip. Its eyes are small and dark.
Continue reading “Pallas’s Gull”
The Upland Goose (Chloephaga picta) is a large bird in the Anatidae sub-family of sheldgoose birds, that includes ducks, geese, and swans. It is also called the Magellan Goose.
The male has a white head and white chest, with a grey back and black wing feathers. The male has a great beak and grey legs. The female is brown with black striped wings and yellow feet. The male and female have webbed feet.
Continue reading “Upland Goose”The False Tomato Frog (Dyscophus guineti) is a freshwater amphibian in the Microhylidae family.
The False Tomato Frog is bright red or orange-red with black spots on its throat. Its underbelly is yellowish. The male is not as brightly coloured as the female.
Continue reading “False Tomato Frog”
The African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) is an aquatic, freshwater amphibian in the Pipidae family of tongueless frogs. It is also known as the African Clawed Toad or the African Claw-Toed Frog.
The African Clawed Frog is greenish-grey with olive-green markings, but albino (white) frogs are common. It has smooth, slippery skin. Its underbelly is creamy-white. It has three short claws on each hind (back) foot. It has webbed feet only on its back feet. Its back legs are very powerful. It front legs have long fingers. It has eyes, with red pupils, on the top of its head. It has a curved, flat nose.
Continue reading “African Clawed Frog”
The Perez’s Frog (Pelophylax perezi) is a freshwater wetlands amphibian in the Ranidae family of water frogs. It is also known as the Iberian Waterfrog, the Iberian Green Frog, or the Coruna Frog.
The Perez’s Frog is green, olive or brown. On its back is a green line that runs from head to tail. There are small warts on its back. Its underbelly is creamy-white. It has a slender body with long hind (back) legs, and no tail. It has protruding eyes with vertical pupils. It has webbed feet.
Continue reading “Perez’s Frog”
The Common Parsley Frog (Pelodytes punctatus) is a wetlands amphibian.
The Caucasian Parsley Frog is green, olive or brown. On its back are irregular green patches that look like parsley leaves. There are also warts on its back. Its underbelly is creamy-white. It has a slender body with long hind (back) legs, and no tail. It has protruding eyes with vertical pupils. It has webbed feet.
Continue reading “Common Parsley Frog”
The Matamata Turtle (Chelus fimbriata) is a large, freshwater reptile.
The Matamata Turtle has a brown or black upper shell, called a carapace, that looks like the bark of a tree. Its lower shell, called the plastron, is creamy-yellow or brown, narrow, and without a hinge.
It has a large, triangular-shaped, flattened grey-brown head, with spiky, ridged scales called tubercles. It has flaps of loose skin. It has a horn-like structure on its head and a long, tubular snout (nose). There are three barbels (similar to thick whiskers) on its chin and another four barbels at its upper jaw. Its neck, tail, and legs are grey-brown. Its feet have five webbed claws to enable it to walk on land, dig and swim.
Continue reading “Matamata Turtle”
The Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea) is a freshwater bird in the dabbling duck family.
The male Chestnut Teal has an iridescent green-feathered head and a mottled chestnut brown body. The female is grey-brown with white-edged feathers. It has light beige legs with webbed feet. Its beak is light-grey. It has red eyes.
It grows to 40-51 centimetres (16-20 inches) in length, with a wingspan of 65-80 centimetres (26-31 inches). Its beak measures 3-4 centimetres (1-1.5 inches) long.
Continue reading “Chestnut Teal”
What is the difference between the Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and the Smew (Mergellus albellus)?
The Common Goldeneye and the Smew are both medium-sized birds in the family of diving ducks.
The Common Goldeneye has bright golden eyes, whereas the Smew has brown eyes.
Continue reading “What is the difference between the Common Goldeneye and the Smew?”
The Smew (Mergellus albellus) is a medium-sized bird in the wild duck family. It is a diving duck. It is a sea duck, living in marine (saltwater) locations, but it breeds in freshwater lakes. It is also known as the Redhead Smew and the White Nun. It is related to the Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula).
The male and female Smew look different. The male Smew is mostly white, with a black patch around his eye, a black nape, white crest feathers, and a grey rump and sides, with two fine black lines on each side of his chest. Its beak is grey. Its legs and webbed feet are grey.
The female has a rufous-brown (red-brown) head, nape and neck, a white throat and white cheeks, with grey upperparts and a mottled-grey chest. She has brown eyes, grey beak, grey legs, and grey webbed feet. Both the male and the female have a beak with a hooked tip.
Continue reading “Smew”