These hermit crabs come in all shapes, sizes, and colors throughout the Caribbean and North Atlantic coastlines! 🏝
The 2 front legs form claws called “chelipeds” and each serve a different purpose. The right claw is much smaller and is used primarily for feeding. The left one is greatly enlarged for fighting off rivals and to block the entrance of its shell when threatened (see 2nd pic). 🐚 If they escape predation, these hermit crabs can live up to 40 yrs in the wild! Sadly, populations are starting to decrease due to high demand in the pet trade. They are very hard to keep in captivity and often only last a few months so it’s best to leave them to scuttle around their natural haunts and observe from afar! 👀 #Hermitcrab #hermitcrabs #hermitcrabsofinstagram #hermitcrabsofig #crustaceans #caribbeanlife #coastalwildlife #wildlifeeducation #wildlifephotography
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Have you heard of the squirrel treefrog? 🤔
Even as adults, these little cuties top out at 1.75 inches. They are quite social froggos and will hibernate for the winter under the bark of fallen trees in groups of 30-40. Like many amphibians, squirrel treefrogs will aestivate as well. This is essentially the opposite of hibernation: they “sleep” for long periods during the hottest and driest times of the year. This minimizes water loss during harsh summers but these resilient hoppers may still lose up to 34% of their body weight during this period. #localwildlife #frog #amphibian #frogsofinstagram #squirreltreefrog #aestivation #hibernation #wildlifephotography #amphibiansofinstagram Did you know antelope can be aquatic?? 🤯
The sitatunga spends most of its time in the water, at home in the swamps of central Africa. These shaggy ungulates are quite competent swimmers and will fully submerge when threatened, leaving only their eyes and nostrils above the water. Sitatunga hooves are very long and easily spread apart, giving them good purchase on top of vegetation and in the heavy mud. They often rest on dry islands or floating mats of vegetation that they trample flat—this is also where they raise their young. #sitatunga #antelope #africawildlife #africanamazing #animalfacts #sitatungas #sitatungaantelope #wildlifeplanet #swamp For anyone that enjoys gardening, you should be very happy to find the silver garden spider standing watch over your plants!!
They are an essential part of a healthy ecosystem and prey upon many insect species that are considered garden pests. This spider’s shiny body reflects UV light, mimicking the tactic flowers use to attract pollinators. Insects approach the spider, thinking it is a flower with nutritious nectar, only to find themselves entangled in the web. Pound for pound, spider silk is 5X stronger than steel and is currently being studied for its uses in improving building materials and bullet proof vests. Many animals may seem scary at first glance, but by learning more about them we can appreciate how fascinating and unique every species is—each one has an important role to play in our diverse world! #spidersofinstagram #spiderweb #arachnid #macrophotography #macro #scicomm #biomimicry #gardening #horticulture Just returned from a research trip working with the largest remaining population of the endangered Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana!!
This species was once found throughout nearly all 200+ islands in the TCI but sadly are now restricted to < 10% of their historic range. Human development and introduction of non-native animals are the leading causes of population declines. With my graduate research, I am hoping to uncover more about the direct human impacts on the mating system and nesting behavior of these iguanas. I had a blast working with this awesome team of scientists and chasing around these little dragon babies. Can’t wait to get back out there and make a difference for these cool critters!! #endangered #iguanas #cyclura #cycluracarinata #islandlife #conservation #herpetology #lizardsofinstagram #turksandcaicos #iguanalove #rockiguana It's an okapi! One of the world’s most secretive mammals, it is only found in the deepest parts of the DRC’s forests.
Like their giraffe cousins, they have long prehensile tongues that they use to pluck goodies from the forest understory (swipe to see it in action!). They are generally solitary creatures but it is thought that mothers may keep in contact with their foraging young using ultrasonic calls that only their enormous ears can detect! Though relatively little is known about okapi behavior in the wild, there is enough data to confirm they are endangered. Checkout @okapiconservation to contribute to their conservation! #okapi #endangered #okapiconservation #africanwildlife #okapiajohnstoni #forestlife #conservation #okapis #okapilove The American Robin is one of the most well known birds in the US—but it is far from ordinary!!
These little birds from the thrush family can fly up to 36 mph and travel as far as 3,000 miles! The robin’s real superpowers lie in their senses though. With supervision they can perch on tree branches and still spot insects and earthworms moving across the soil far below. While on the ground, robins can even hear small particles of dirt and soil being disrupted as a worm digs underfoot! Despite being such a widespread species, even the robins are not untouched by human impacts and are vulnerable to many types of pesticides and poisons. Artificial light and sound pollution from cities also are starting to impact courtship singing behaviors in robins and many other species. Checkout @audubonsociety to learn how you can help save the worlds amazing diversity of birds! #birds #robin #ornithology #birdsofinstagram #instabirds #feathers #birding #savethebirds Happy birthday to the legendary Steve Irwin!!! Easily one of the most influential figures in wildlife conservation. He taught us all so much about animals and I know I am only one of many that he inspired to pursue a career in wildlife conservation. The world could be a much better place if we all strive to have the same love of life and nature that he had. We miss you Steve!! 🐊
PC: @australiazoo #crocodilehunter #wildlifewarrior #crikey #goat The southern cricket frog, at little more than an inch long, can jump up to 3ft vertically and 4ft horizontally (28-37x their body size)!! That’s the equivalent of a human being able to jump over 200ft 😱 These froggos are active in the daytime and can be found at the edges of small ponds, ditches and wetlands. Females lay ~300 eggs, attaching them one at a time to rocks and plants found at the bottom of ponds. #frog #frogs #frogsofinstagram #localwildlife #cricketfrog #cricketfrogs The addax is perfectly at home in one of the harshest places on the planet: the Sahara Desert.
Their many desert adaptions include: broadly widened hooves for traversing the loose sands and white fur that reflects the sun’s radiation. Addax are also highly efficient at conserving water and can extract all they need from the plants they eat. Sadly, these awesome antelope are critically endangered due to poaching, droughts, and oil drilling—only 30-90 are left in the wild! Spread the word and donate to organizations like @sahara_conservation_fund & @sdzsafaripark to help fight for their survival—the addax need our help! #antelope #desert #sahara #wildlifeofinstagram #wildlifeofafrica |
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