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  • At Urnes Stave Church, Norway, Viking Age animal art meets Christian architecture..Urnes stavkirke (or stavkyrkje), the oldest Stave Church in Norway, stands at Ornes farm on Lustrafjord in Luster municipality, Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The church was built around 1135 AD and links Christian architecture with animal-ornamentation of the Viking Age. In 1979, Urnes Stave Church was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Fortidsminneforeningen (Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments) has owned it since 1881.
    11NOR-3644.jpg
  • The Saturday animal market bustles in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1409_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Saturday animal market bustles in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09EQUCIMG_2844_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Saturday animal market bustles in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1425_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • The black-tailed jackrabbit or desert hare (Lepus californicus) is a common animal in the western United States and Mexico.
    11AZ1-2053.jpg
  • The black-tailed jackrabbit or desert hare (Lepus californicus) is a common animal in the western United States and Mexico.
    11AZ1-2052.jpg
  • This animal art carving in wood was copied exactly from a wall of Urnes Stave Church and displayed at Borgund Stave Church visitor center in Lærdal municipality, Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. At Urnes Stave Church, Viking Age animal art meets Christian architecture..Urnes stavkirke (or stavkyrkje), the oldest Stave Church in Norway (built around 1135 AD), stands at Ornes farm on Lustrafjord in Luster municipality, Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. In 1979, Urnes Stave Church was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
    11NOR2-048.jpg
  • Animal pelts, locked moose antlers, snowshoes, traps at George Johnston Museum, Alaska Highway, Teslin, Yukon, Canada. The Alaska Highway was built as a military road during World War II in just 9 months in 1942, to link existing airfields via Canada to the territory of Alaska. The ALCAN Highway (a military acronym for Alaska-Canada) opened to the public in 1948. It begins in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and runs via Whitehorse, Yukon to Delta Junction, Alaska. The "Alaskan Highway" is comprised of British Columbia Highway 97, Yukon Highway 1 and Alaska Route 2. While the ALCAN measured 2700 kilometers (1700 mi) upon completion in 1942, by 2012 it was rerouted and shortened to 2232 km (1387 mi). Once legendary for being a rough, challenging drive, the highway is now paved over its entire length. Delta Junction, at the end of the highway, claims "Historic Milepost 1422" where the Alaska Highway meets the Richardson Highway, which continues 96 mi (155 km) to the city of Fairbanks at Historic Milepost 1520, often (but unofficially) regarded as the northern portion of the Alaska Highway (although its Mileposts are measured from Valdez).
    1906AKH-1016.jpg
  • A sea lily (crinoid) animal fossil at Redwall Cavern in Marble Canyon at River Mile 33.3, seen on day 2 of 16 days rafting 226 miles down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA. Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea, one of the classes of the phylum Echinodermata, which also includes the starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Those crinoids which, in their adult form, are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk (shown here) are commonly called sea lilies, while the unstalked forms are called feather stars or comatulids, being members of the largest crinoid order, Comatulida.
    2103SW-B0035.jpg
  • A woman with purple head covering sells a cow at the bustling Saturday animal market in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1416_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • A caged turkey is sold at the Saturday animal market in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1389_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Baby ducks are sold at Saturday animal market, Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1387_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Black baby chicks are sold at the Saturday animal market in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1388_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • A Galápagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis) rests at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Their numbers have been wiped out by human-caused disturbance, and only 150 mating pairs of this rare hawk exist. As the most recent natural animal arrival on the Galápagos archipelago 300,000 years ago, and as the only original predator, this endemic raptor is known for its fearlessness towards humans and authority over other birds. Females are noticeably larger than males as in many species of birds of prey. Mature adults are generally a sooty brownish black with a slightly darker crown. Pale brown, grey, or buff feathers line the edge of the mantle, and the tail is a silvery grey. Their grayish black bill contrasts with a yellow cere, legs and feet. Juveniles are a blackish brown, mottled with buff and white and a black streak extending from the corners of their mouth. Unlike adults, juveniles’ bills are blue-grey at the base, their cere a grey-green (a soft, fleshy swelling found on the beak), and their feet a pale yellow-green.
    09ECU-5183_Galapagos.jpg
  • A hippopotamus or hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius scientific name; from the Greek hippopotamos, hippos meaning horse and potamus meaning river), is a large, mostly plant-eating African mammal, one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other being the Pygmy Hippopotamus). The hippo is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers and lakes in sub-Saharan Africa in groups of 5-30 hippos. During the day they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river. They emerge at dusk to graze on grass. While hippos rest near each other in territories in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, their closest living relatives are cetaceans (whales, porpoise, etc.). The common ancestor of whales and hippos split from other even-toed ungulates around 60 million years ago. The earliest known hippopotamus fossils, belonging to the genus Kenyapotamus in Africa, date to around 16 million years ago. The hippopotamus is recognizable for its barrel-shaped torso, enormous mouth and teeth, hairless body, stubby legs and tremendous size. Hippos have been clocked at 30 mph (48 km/h) while running short distances, faster than an Olympic sprinter. The hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive animals in the world, and are often regarded as the most dangerous animal in Africa. There are an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 hippos remaining throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, of which Zambia (40,000) and Tanzania (20,000-30,000) have the largest populations. They are still threatened by poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth, and by habitat loss. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington.
    0809ZOO-226.jpg
  • Cuy (guinea pigs) feast on greens in a home in Peru. Cuy is the animal and meat of a guinea pig in the Andean regions of South America and is a traditional food of Peruvian, Colombian, and Ecuadorian Andean people. Cuy (Scientific classification Cavia porcellus) are a domesticated species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Guinea pigs do not exist naturally in the wild and were likely domesticated as early as 5000 BC from the wild species Cavia tschudii native to the Andes. European traders spread the pet to Europe in the 1500s. Use as a model organism in the 1800s and 1900s originated the epithet "guinea pig" for a test subject. These animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea.
    03PER-11-28_cuy-guinea-pigs.jpg
  • Marmots are large ground squirrels in the genus Marmota. This animal lives atop Alpe di Seceda, in the Geisler/Odle Group, above Ortisei, in South Tyrol, the Dolomites, Italy, Europe. The beautiful ski resort of Selva di Val Gardena (German: Wolkenstein in Gröden; Ladin: Sëlva Gherdëine) makes a great hiking base in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy. For our favorite hike in the Dolomiti, start from Selva with the first morning bus to Ortisei, take the Seceda lift, admire great views up at the cross on the edge of Val di Funes (Villnöss), then walk 12 miles (2000 feet up, 5000 feet down) via the steep pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) to beautiful Vallunga (trail #2 to 16), finishing where you started in Selva. The hike traverses the Geisler/Odle and Puez Groups from verdant pastures to alpine wonders, all preserved in a vast Nature Park: Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles), including the deeply glaciated U-shaped valley of Vallunga (Langental). UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-20934_marmot_Dolomites.jpg
  • At the Chonchi Rodeo on Chiloé Island, Huasos (Chilean cowboys, skilled horsemen) try to pin a bull against a fence between two flags then reverse the animal, three times. Alli, alli, alli! Good and bad points (bueno y malo) are awarded for their efforts. Huasos are found all over Central and Southern Chile (but the Magellanes Region sheep raisers are called gauchos). A country woman skilled with horses is a huasa, and the wife or sweetheart of a huaso is called a china. Founded in 1767, Chonchi is a town of 12,500 people (as of 2002) on Isla de Chiloé, the largest island in Chile. Huasos typically wear a straw hat called a chupalla and a poncho (called a manta or a chamanto) over a short Andalusian waist jacket. Photo is from 1993 in Chonchi, Chiloé Island, Los Lagos Region, Zona Austral, Chile, South America.
    93CHI-12-11_Huasos_Chonchi-Rodeo_Chi...jpg
  • At the Chonchi Rodeo on Chiloé Island, Huasos (Chilean cowboys, skilled horsemen) try to pin a bull against a fence between two flags then reverse the animal, three times. Alli, alli, alli! Good and bad points (bueno y malo) are awarded for their efforts. Huasos are found all over Central and Southern Chile (but the Magellanes Region sheep raisers are called gauchos). A country woman skilled with horses is a huasa, and the wife or sweetheart of a huaso is called a china. Founded in 1767, Chonchi is a town of 12,500 people (as of 2002) on Isla de Chiloé, the largest island in Chile. Huasos typically wear a straw hat called a chupalla and a poncho (called a manta or a chamanto) over a short Andalusian waist jacket. Photo is from 1993 in Chonchi, Chiloé Island, Los Lagos Region, Zona Austral, Chile, South America.
    93CHI-12-08_Huasos_Chonchi-Rodeo_Chi...jpg
  • The crown jelly (scientific name Cephea cephea, Spanish: Medusa coronada) lives in Indo-Pacific oceans and has a purple bell above lacy mouth-arms. Exhibited at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1235.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08ORC-330_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • The crown jelly (scientific name Cephea cephea, Spanish: Medusa coronada) lives in Indo-Pacific oceans and has a purple bell above lacy mouth-arms. Exhibited at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CAC-1103.jpg
  • The crown jelly (scientific name Cephea cephea, Spanish: Medusa coronada) lives in Indo-Pacific oceans and has a purple bell above lacy mouth-arms. Exhibited at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1243.jpg
  • The blubber jelly (scientific name: Catostylus mosaicus; Spanish: Medusa rolliza) comes in shades of blue, chalky white, or plum purple and ranges from Southeast Asia to Australia.  Exhibited at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1214.jpg
  • The crown jelly (scientific name Cephea cephea, Spanish: Medusa coronada) lives in Indo-Pacific oceans and has a purple bell above lacy mouth-arms. Exhibited at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1225.jpg
  • The crown jelly (scientific name Cephea cephea, Spanish: Medusa coronada) lives in Indo-Pacific oceans and has a purple bell above lacy mouth-arms. Exhibited at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1221.jpg
  • The blubber jelly (scientific name: Catostylus mosaicus; Spanish: Medusa rolliza) comes in shades of blue, chalky white, or plum purple and ranges from Southeast Asia to Australia.  Exhibited at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1209.jpg
  • A jellyfish in the Chrysaora genus, at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1195.jpg
  • A jellyfish in the Chrysaora genus, at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1198.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1115.jpg
  • Spotted jelly (Spanish: Medusa moteada, scientific: Mastigias papua), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1156.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1125.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1111.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1110.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1085.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1081.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1080.jpg
  • At the Chonchi Rodeo on Chiloé Island, Huasos (Chilean cowboys, skilled horsemen) try to pin a bull against a fence between two flags then reverse the animal, three times. Alli, alli, alli! Good and bad points (bueno y malo) are awarded for their efforts. Huasos are found all over Central and Southern Chile (but the Magellanes Region sheep raisers are called gauchos). A country woman skilled with horses is a huasa, and the wife or sweetheart of a huaso is called a china. Founded in 1767, Chonchi is a town of 12,500 people (as of 2002) on Isla de Chiloé, the largest island in Chile. Huasos typically wear a straw hat called a chupalla and a poncho (called a manta or a chamanto) over a short Andalusian waist jacket. Photo is from 1993 in Chonchi, Chiloé Island, Los Lagos Region, Zona Austral, Chile, South America.
    93CHI-12-31_Huasos_Chonchi-Rodeo_Chi...jpg
  • At the Chonchi Rodeo on Chiloé Island, Huasos (Chilean cowboys, skilled horsemen) try to pin a bull against a fence between two flags then reverse the animal, three times. Alli, alli, alli! Good and bad points (bueno y malo) are awarded for their efforts. Huasos are found all over Central and Southern Chile (but the Magellanes Region sheep raisers are called gauchos). A country woman skilled with horses is a huasa, and the wife or sweetheart of a huaso is called a china. Founded in 1767, Chonchi is a town of 12,500 people (as of 2002) on Isla de Chiloé, the largest island in Chile. Huasos typically wear a straw hat called a chupalla and a poncho (called a manta or a chamanto) over a short Andalusian waist jacket. Photo is from 1993 in Chonchi, Chiloé Island, Los Lagos Region, Zona Austral, Chile, South America.
    93CHI-12-23_Huasos_Chonchi-Rodeo_Chi...jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth.
    08ORC-315_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • The crown jelly (scientific name Cephea cephea, Spanish: Medusa coronada) lives in Indo-Pacific oceans and has a purple bell above lacy mouth-arms. Exhibited at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1238.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1114.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1112.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1099.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1095.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1082.jpg
  • Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument, Utah, USA. The cliffs that enclose the upper end of Indian Creek Canyon are covered by hundreds of ancient Indian petroglyphs (rock carvings), one of the largest, best preserved and accessible groups in the Southwest USA. The petroglyphs have a mixture of human (feet, figures), animal (deer, pronghorn, buffalo, horse), abstract and material forms of uncertain meaning. Starting about 2000 years ago, humans have chipped away the dark natural desert varnish to reveal lighter colored Wingate sandstone beneath.
    06UT_3083-Newspaper_Rock.jpg
  • Auto care in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal: a man sacrifices a duck in hopes to ward off car problems in the coming year. Dasain Festival (or Durga Puja) is Nepal's biggest annual festival, a 15-day family affair with the biggest animal sacrifice of the year. Durga Puja celebrates the victory of the bloodthirsty goddess Durga over the forces of evil personified in the buffalo demon Mahisasura.  Outside of the city, country dwellers erect swings and makeshift ferris wheels.
    07NEP-1298.jpg
  • Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Denali National Park, Alaska, USA. The red fox is one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, found across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, North America and Eurasia. It comes in many colorings and sub-species. This versatile animal has colonized many suburban and urban areas.
    1906AKH-2318.jpg
  • Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), West Dawson, Yukon, Canada. The red fox is one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, found across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, North America and Eurasia. It comes in many colorings and sub-species. This versatile animal has colonized many suburban and urban areas.
    1906AKH-1403.jpg
  • Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), West Dawson, Yukon, Canada. The red fox is one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, found across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, North America and Eurasia. It comes in many colorings and sub-species. This versatile animal has colonized many suburban and urban areas.
    1906AKH-1405.jpg
  • Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), West Dawson, Yukon, Canada. The red fox is one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, found across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, North America and Eurasia. It comes in many colorings and sub-species. This versatile animal has colonized many suburban and urban areas.
    1906AKH-1401.jpg
  • Displayed at Quarry Exhibit Hall in Dinosaur National Monument, this Allosaurus fragilis skeleton is cast from bones of the Jurassic Period (149 million years ago) dug from the Cleveland-Lloyed Quarry in east-central Utah, USA. Allosaurus was the most common predatory animal in the Morrison Formation's ancient ecosystem. The theropod (meaning "beast-footed") dinosaurs are a diverse group of bipedal saurischian ("lizard-hipped") dinosaurs. Therapods include the largest carnivores ever to have walked the earth. Not all dinosaurs are extinct, since birds are actually the descendants of small nonflying theropods.
    1503SW-2229_Allosaurus-cast-skeleton.jpg
  • The Vicuña is the wild ancestor of domesticated alpacas, which are in the camel family. The animal is in Cuyoc Valley, on Day 5 of 9 days trekking around the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Andes Mountains, Peru, South America.
    14PER-4300_Vicuna_Peru.jpg
  • Displayed at Quarry Exhibit Hall in Dinosaur National Monument, this Allosaurus fragilis skeleton is cast from bones of the Jurassic Period (149 million years ago) dug from the Cleveland-Lloyed Quarry in east-central Utah, USA. Allosaurus was the most common predatory animal in the Morrison Formation's ancient ecosystem.
    1503SW-2230_Allosaurus-cast-skeleton.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08ORC-330_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • The Golden-breasted Starling, Cosmopsarus regius also known as Royal Starling, "the most beautiful starling in the world", is a medium-sized, up to 35cm long, passerine in the starling family. The adult has a metallic green head and upperback, bright golden yellow breast and belly, dark bill and legs, white iris and metallic violet blue on wings, back, neck and its long tail feathers. Both sexes are similar. The young is duller than adult. The Golden-breasted Starling is distributed to the grassland, savanna and shrubland of northeast Africa, from Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Golden-breasted Starling is a social animal, living in groups of three to twelve individuals. Its diet consists mainly of insects and termites. The female usually lays between three to five pale green eggs with red speckles. The nest is made in tree holes, using leaves, roots and other vegetation. Widespread throughout its habitat range, the Golden-breasted Starling is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA.
    0809ZOO-219.jpg
  • The Golden-breasted Starling, Cosmopsarus regius also known as Royal Starling, "the most beautiful starling in the world", is a medium-sized, up to 35cm long, passerine in the starling family. The adult has a metallic green head and upperback, bright golden yellow breast and belly, dark bill and legs, white iris and metallic violet blue on wings, back, neck and its long tail feathers. Both sexes are similar. The young is duller than adult. The Golden-breasted Starling is distributed to the grassland, savanna and shrubland of northeast Africa, from Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Golden-breasted Starling is a social animal, living in groups of three to twelve individuals. Its diet consists mainly of insects and termites. The female usually lays between three to five pale green eggs with red speckles. The nest is made in tree holes, using leaves, roots and other vegetation. Widespread throughout its habitat range, the Golden-breasted Starling is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington.
    0809ZOO-214.jpg
  • The Komodo dragon (or Komodo monitor, Varanus komodoensis) is the world's largest lizard, and a powerful, intelligent meat-eater, endangered, living on a few islands in the South Pacific. Komodo Island residents call this animal ora. Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA.
    0809ZOO-108.jpg
  • The Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), also known as the Silvertip Bear, is a subspecies of brown bear (Ursus arctos) that lives in the uplands of western North America. Grizzlies are normally a solitary active animal, but in coastal areas the grizzly congregates alongside streams, lakes, and rivers during the salmon spawn. Every other year, females (sows) produce one to four young (most commonly two) which are small and weigh only about 500 grams (one pound). The species Ursus arctos is found across northern Eurasia (including Russia and Scandinavia) and North America and is an omnivorous mammal of the order Carnivora. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington.
    0809ZOO-008.jpg
  • The Red Panda, Firefox, Fire Cat, or Lesser Panda, or Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat"), is a mostly herbivorous mammal, specialized as a bamboo feeder. The most recent molecular-systematic DNA research places the Red Panda into its own independent family Ailuridae. Ailuridae are in turn part of a trichotomy within the broad superfamily Musteloidea (Flynn et al., 2001) that also includes the Mephitidae (skunks) and the Procyonidae (raccoons) + Mustelidae (weasels). Unlike the Giant Panda, it is not a bear (Ursidae). The Red Panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat (40 - 60 cm long, 3 - 6 kg weight), and is endemic to the Himalayas in Bhutan, southern China, India, Laos, Nepal, and Burma. Red Panda is the state animal in the Indian state of Sikkim, and also the mascot of the Darjeeling international festivals. There is an estimated population of fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. Their population continues to decline due to habitat fragmentation. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington.
    0809ZOO-188.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth.
    08ORC-337_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth.
    08ORC-334_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth.
    08ORC-286_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth.
    08ORC-231_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth.
    08ORC-356_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth.
    08ORC-312_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • The Fossil Cliffs in Maria Island National Park (Tasmania, Australia) are one of the best examples in the world of fossils from the Permian and Triassic. A former limestone quarry reveals animal shells immortalized in rock for nearly 300 million years. The grey limestone is studded with thousands of mussel-like shells (Eurydesma), sea fans, coral-like creatures, scallop shells, and sea lilies. The dense deposits in what was a cold polar sea mark one of the biggest extinctions since the Cambrian. Amongst the fossils are large granite and quartzite rocks, drop stones transported by floating then melting ice. A hand picks up an ancient fossil.
    04AUS-30054_Fossil-cliffs_Maria-Isla...jpg
  • The Fossil Cliffs in Maria Island National Park (Tasmania, Australia) are one of the best examples in the world of fossils from the Permian and Triassic. A former limestone quarry reveals animal shells immortalized in rock for nearly 300 million years. The grey limestone is studded with thousands of mussel-like shells (Eurydesma), sea fans, coral-like creatures, scallop shells, and sea lilies. The dense deposits in what was a cold polar sea mark one of the biggest extinctions since the Cambrian. Amongst the fossils are large granite and quartzite rocks, drop stones transported by floating then melting ice.
    04AUS-30053_Fossil-cliffs_Maria-Isla...jpg
  • A foot bridge with animal cut outs crosses a channel in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (the capital of the Galápagos archipelago), on Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island, Ecuador, South America), which is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically. Nearby tourism sites include: the Cerro Tijeretas (Frigatebird Hill), a nesting colony for Frigate birds; and a statue of Charles Darwin, marking the original site where he first disembarked in the Galápagos Islands on 16 September 1835, during the voyage of the Beagle. The Spanish name for San Cristóbal comes from the Patron Saint of seafarers, "St. Christopher." Its older English name of Chatham is that of William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. The highest point on the island rises to 730 meters.
    09ECU-5557_Galapagos.jpg
  • A lava lizard rests on the toothy grinning head of a dead Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) carcass drying on Punta (Point) Espinoza on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Collectively known as lava lizards, seven ground lizard species of the reptile genus Tropidurus are endemic to the Galápagos Islands (and commonly placed in the genus Microlophus). All seven most likely evolved from a single ancestral species, demonstrating the principal of adaptive radiation that is typical of the inhabitants of the Galapagos archipelago. One lava lizard species occurs on all the central and western islands, which were perhaps connected during periods of lower sea levels, while one species each occurs on six other more peripheral islands. Males and females of all Tropidurus species are marked differently. The male is usually much larger than the female, and its body is more brightly colored and distinctly patterned. Markings vary considerably, even within an individual species. Animals living mainly on dark lava are darker than ones which live in lighter, sandy environments. Like many lizards, they show changes of color with mood and temperature. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3547_Galapagos.jpg
  • Deer cross Kolob Terrace Road at entrance to Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah, USA. The North Fork of the Virgin River carved spectacular Zion Canyon through reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone up to half a mile (800 m) deep and 15 miles (24 km) long. Uplift associated with the creation of the Colorado Plateaus lifted the region 10,000 feet (3000 m) starting 13 million years ago. Zion and Kolob canyon geology includes 9 formations covering 150 million years of mostly Mesozoic-aged sedimentation, from warm, shallow seas, streams, lakes, vast deserts, and dry near-shore environments. Mormons discovered the canyon in 1858 and settled in the early 1860s. U.S. President Taft declared it Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909. In 1918, the name changed to Zion (an ancient Hebrew name for Jerusalem), which became a National Park in 1919. The Kolob section (a 1937 National Monument) was added to Zion National Park in 1956. Unusually diverse plants and animals congregate here where the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert meet.
    1303UT-1118.jpg
  • A captive male reindeer sports antlers in the Christmas themed town of North Pole, Alaska, USA. Reindeer and caribou look different, but they are probably the same species of deer (Rangifer tarandus) which are well adapted to Arctic and Subarctic regions. Both sexes grow antlers, which are typically larger in males. Reindeer are well known from the Christmas myth where flying reindeer pull Santa Claus's sleigh, as popularized since the early 1800s in America. Caribou are large, wild, elk-like animals which live on lichen and vegetation above tree-line in arctic North America and Greenland. Reindeer are slightly smaller and were domesticated in northern Eurasia about 2000 years ago. Today, reindeer are herded by many Arctic peoples in Europe and Asia including the Sami in Scandinavia and the Nenets, Chukchi, and others in Russia. Reindeer and caribou have unique hairs which trap air for excellent insulation and flotation for swimming cold rivers.
    06AK_3221-reindeer_domestic-caribou.jpg
  • New Zealand Tuatara (Genus: Sphenodon), Taronga Zoo, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order Sphenodontia, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Although sometimes called "living fossils," they have changed significantly since the Mesozoic era. Tuatara share a common ancestor with the squamates (lizards and snakes) and are of great interest in the study of the evolution of lizards, snakes, and diapsids (dinosaurs, birds, and crocodiles). Tuatara are greenish brown, and measure up to 80 cm (31 in) from head to tail-tip and weigh up to 1.3 kilograms (2.9 lb) with a spiny crest along the back, especially pronounced in males. Their dentition, in which two rows of teeth in the upper jaw overlap one row on the lower jaw, is unique among living species. They have an unusual photo-receptive "third eye," can hear without an external ear, and have skeletal features apparently evolved from fish. Tuatara, like many of New Zealand's native animals, are threatened by habitat loss and introduced predators like the Polynesian Rat.
    04AUS-10172_New-Zealand-Tuatara-livi...jpg
  • A rhinoceros beetle is attracted by night lights in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. The rhinoceros beetles or rhino beetle are a subfamily (Dynastinae) of beetles in the family of scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae). Among the largest of beetles, their common name refers to the characteristic horns borne by the males of most species in the group. The males use their horns in mating battles against other males. Their larval stage is long, several years in some species. The larvae feed on rotten wood while the adults feed on nectar, plant sap and fruit. Rhinoceros beetle larvae are sometimes fried and eaten as a bush delicacy. Rhinoceros beetles are popular pets in Asia. They are clean, easy to maintain, and safe to handle. In Asian countries, male beetles are also used for gambling fights since they naturally compete for female beetles with the winner knocking the other off a log. Rhinoceros beetles are also the strongest animals on the planet in relation to their own size. They can lift up to 850 times their own weight.
    09ECU-1842_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A Swallow-tailed Gull (Creagrus furcatus) lands at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands (formed 3 million years ago), a province of Ecuador, South America. Española is becoming a rocky, barren land with little or no vegetation, with large bays, sand and soft shingle which attracts a healthy number of Galapagos Sea Lions. The English named it Hood Island after Viscount Samuel Hood. Tourists come to see the Waved Albatross and the mating dances of blue-footed boobies. Two spots are especially popular with visitors: Bahía Gardner, which has a lovely beach; and Punta Suárez, of interest because of its varied bird-life. This island has its own species of animals, such as the Española Mockingbird, which has a longer and more curved beak than the one on the central islands; the Española lava lizard; the Marine Iguana, which has red markings on its back; and others. Boobies, Swallow-tailed Gulls and other tropical birds live here.
    09ECU-5254_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Swallow-tailed Gull (Creagrus furcatus) lands at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands (formed 3 million years ago), a province of Ecuador, South America. Española is becoming a rocky, barren land with little or no vegetation, with large bays, sand and soft shingle which attracts a healthy number of Galapagos Sea Lions. The English named it Hood Island after Viscount Samuel Hood. Tourists come to see the Waved Albatross and the mating dances of blue-footed boobies. Two spots are especially popular with visitors: Bahía Gardner, which has a lovely beach; and Punta Suárez, of interest because of its varied bird-life. This island has its own species of animals, such as the Española Mockingbird, which has a longer and more curved beak than the one on the central islands; the Española lava lizard; the Marine Iguana, which has red markings on its back; and others. Boobies, Swallow-tailed Gulls and other tropical birds live here.
    09ECU-5251_Galapagos.jpg
  • The least chipmunk (Neotamias minimus) is the smallest and most widespread species of chipmunk in North America. Photographed in Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho, USA. Chipmunks are small, striped squirrels, which are rodents in the family Sciuridae. All species of chipmunks are found in North America, except for the Siberian chipmunk of Asia. The least chipmunk lives across north-central and western United States and from British Columbia and southern Yukon to western Quebec in Canada, in habitats including mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, boreal forest, and sagebrush plains. They have three dark lines with white in between along their face and five black stripes with brown edges with white in between along their back. They are grey and reddish-brown on the sides and greyish white on their underparts. Their tail is orange-brown. These animals are active during the day and eat seeds, berries, nuts, fruits and insects. They breed in early spring. Females produce one litter usually of 5 or 6 young. They store food in an underground burrow, where they spend the winter. They go into a state of torpor for extended periods, but do not hibernate. Chipmunks have facial stripes, whereas golden-mantled ground squirrels lack facial stripes.
    07SAW-0246.jpg
  • "WE LIVE HERE TOO [kangaroo, koala, and echidna animals]. PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY 10 Km/h" is warned on a highway sign in Tasmania, Australia.
    04AUS-30148_sign-kangaroo-echidna-ko...jpg
  • Sally Lightfoot or red lava crab (Grapsus grapsus) at Puerto Egas on Santiago (or San Salvador, or James) Island, in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. Grapsus grapsus is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of South America, and can also be seen along the entire coast of Central America and Mexico and nearby islands. This crab has five pairs of legs, the front two bearing small, blocky, symmetrical chelae. The other legs are broad and flat, with only the tips touching down. The crab's round, flat carapace is just over 8 cm (3 inches) in length. Young crabs are black or dark brown in color and camouflage well on the black lava coasts of volcanic islands. Adults are quite variable in color. Some are muted brownish-red, some mottled or spotted brown, pink, or yellow. The ones seen on photographs of tropical island fauna are often bright orange or red with stripes or spots dorsally, blue and green ventrally, and sporting red claws and pink or blue eyes. This crab lives amongst the rocks at the often turbulent, windy shore, just above the limit of the seaspray. It feeds on algae primarily, sometimes sampling plant matter and dead animals. It is a quick-moving and agile crab, and hard to catch, but not considered very edible by humans. It is used as bait by fishermen. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-4287_Galapagos.jpg
  • A female lava lizard sheds skin on Santiago (or San Salvador, or James) Island, in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador. Collectively known as lava lizards, seven ground lizard species of the reptile genus Tropidurus are endemic to the Galápagos Islands (and commonly placed in the genus Microlophus). All seven most likely evolved from a single ancestral species, demonstrating the principal of adaptive radiation that is typical of the inhabitants of the Galapagos archipelago. One lava lizard species occurs on all the central and western islands, which were perhaps connected during periods of lower sea levels, while one species each occurs on six other more peripheral islands. Males and females of all Tropidurus species are marked differently. The male is usually much larger than the female, and its body is more brightly colored and distinctly patterned. Markings vary considerably, even within an individual species. Animals living mainly on dark lava are darker than ones which live in lighter, sandy environments. Like many lizards, they show changes of color with mood and temperature. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. Santiago Island has a maximum altitude of 907 metres (2976 feet). Human-introduced pigs and goats caused great harm to the endemic species, but have been subsequently eradicated (pigs in 2002; goats almost all eliminated).
    09ECU-4158_Galapagos.jpg
  • Sally Lightfoot or red lava crab (Grapsus grapsus) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Grapsus grapsus is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of South America, and can also be seen along the entire coast of Central America and Mexico and nearby islands. This crab has five pairs of legs, the front two bearing small, blocky, symmetrical chelae. The other legs are broad and flat, with only the tips touching down. The crab's round, flat carapace is just over 8 cm (3 inches) in length. Young crabs are black or dark brown in color and camouflage well on the black lava coasts of volcanic islands. Adults are quite variable in color. Some are muted brownish-red, some mottled or spotted brown, pink, or yellow. The ones seen on photographs of tropical island fauna are often bright orange or red with stripes or spots dorsally, blue and green ventrally, and sporting red claws and pink or blue eyes. This crab lives amongst the rocks at the often turbulent, windy shore, just above the limit of the seaspray. It feeds on algae primarily, sometimes sampling plant matter and dead animals. It is a quick-moving and agile crab, and hard to catch, but not considered very edible by humans. It is used as bait by fishermen.
    09ECU-3674_Galapagos.jpg
  • Starfish come in red, orange, purple and magenta colors at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington. Starfish or sea stars are any echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The "star fish" usually hunt for shelled animals such as oysters and clams. They have two stomachs, one used for digestion, and the other stomach can be extended outward to engulf and digest prey much larger than its mouth. Most starfish have 5 arms, which can be regenerated if lost.
    0803AQU-27.jpg
  • Starfish at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington. Starfish or sea stars are any echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The "star fish" usually hunt for shelled animals such as oysters and clams. They have two stomachs, one used for digestion, and the other stomach can be extended outward to engulf and digest prey much larger than its mouth. Most starfish have 5 arms, which can be regenerated if lost.
    0803AQU-09.jpg
  • Colorful rooster. Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum, near Brienz, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, Europe. Founded in 1978, Ballenberg displays traditional buildings and architecture from all over the country, making it a Swiss heritage site of national significance. Over 100 original buildings have been transported from their original sites. Over 100 original buildings have been transported from their original sites. Farmyard animals are raised, and some of the  buildings give live demonstrations of traditional rural crafts, techniques, and cheesemaking.
    22ALP-12296.jpg
  • Horse drawn carriage ride. Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum, near Brienz, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, Europe. Founded in 1978, Ballenberg displays traditional buildings and architecture from all over the country, making it a Swiss heritage site of national significance. Over 100 original buildings have been transported from their original sites. Some of the industrial and crafting buildings give demonstrations of traditional rural crafts, techniques and cheesemaking, and farmyard animals are raised.
    22ALP-12272.jpg
  • Horse drawn carriage ride. Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum, near Brienz, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, Europe. Founded in 1978, Ballenberg displays traditional buildings and architecture from all over the country, making it a Swiss heritage site of national significance. Over 100 original buildings have been transported from their original sites. Over 100 original buildings have been transported from their original sites. Over 100 original buildings have been transported from their original sites. Farmyard animals are raised, and some of the  buildings give live demonstrations of traditional rural crafts, techniques, and cheesemaking.
    22ALP-12264.jpg
  • Sinbad is a life-sized replica skeleton of a Columbian mammoth at the Mammoth Site, a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. The Mammoth Site is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling.
    2109SD-035.jpg
  • This is the most complete Columbian mammoth skeleton found so far at The Mammoth Site, which is a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. It is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling.
    2109SD-023.jpg
  • The Mammoth Site is a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. It is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of Pleistocene animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped around 140,000 years ago, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling.
    2109SD-017.jpg
  • The Mammoth Site is a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. It is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling. The Pleistocene, often referred to as the Ice Age, is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. The most recent glaciation period reached peak conditions some 18,000 years ago before yielding to the interglacial Holocene epoch 11,700 years ago.
    2109SD-015.jpg
  • Mammoth tusks at the slippery shallow end of the natural sinkhole mammoth trap. The Mammoth Site is a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. It is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling. The Pleistocene, often referred to as the Ice Age, is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. The most recent glaciation period reached peak conditions some 18,000 years ago before yielding to the interglacial Holocene epoch 11,700 years ago.
    2109SD-053.jpg
  • The Mammoth Site is a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. It is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling.
    2109SD-047.jpg
  • A Columbian mammoth skull lies precisely where it was uncovered, at The Mammoth Site, a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. The Mammoth Site is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling.
    2109SD-045.jpg
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, this funny sign in the Mammoth Site says "Remember! Keep a tusk-length apart!" The Mammoth Site is a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. It is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling. The Pleistocene, often referred to as the Ice Age, is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. The most recent glaciation period reached peak conditions some 18,000 years ago before yielding to the interglacial Holocene epoch 11,700 years ago.
    2109SD-019.jpg
  • Molar teeth of a mammoth. The Mammoth Site is a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. It is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of Pleistocene animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped around 140,000 years ago, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling.
    2109SD-080.jpg
  • The American Scimitar Cat (Homotherium serum) lived in the Yukon and Beringia 80,000–20,000 years ago, and other areas on earth from 4 million–12,000 years ago. (The Scimitar Cat's fangs, or maxillary canine teeth, are shorter than those of the head shown below of a Sabre-toothed Cat, a close relative which has never been found in Beringia.) Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, in Whitehorse, capital and largest city of the Yukon, Canada. During the ice ages, Beringia's climate alternated between warm interglacial and cold glacial periods. During glacial periods, sea levels dropped 120 meters, exposing a land bridge that was up to 1000 kilometers (620 miles) wide. Beringia, like most of Siberia and all of North and Northeast China, was a grassland steppe. Fossils found on both sides of the Bering Land Bridge show that since the time of the dinosaurs, it was a major route for the exchange of plants and animals between Asia and North America. Swedish botanist Eric Hultén coined the term Beringia in 1937. Beringia is the land and ocean area bounded on the west by the Lena River in Russia; on the east by the Mackenzie River in Canada; on the north by 72 degrees north latitude in the Chukchi Sea; and on the south by the tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. It includes the Chukchi Sea, the Bering Sea, the Bering Strait, the Chukchi and Kamchatka Peninsulas in Russia plus Alaska in the United States.
    1906AKH-1125.jpg
  • The giant short-faced bear (Arctodus sumus) was the largest land carnivore in North America during the Ice Age. See this full-scale skeleton in the the Mammoth Site, a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. The Pleistocene, often referred to as the Ice Age, is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. The most recent glaciation period reached peak conditions some 18,000 years ago before yielding to the interglacial Holocene epoch 11,700 years ago.
    2109SD-078.jpg
  • Picture medallions (1508-1516) decorate the net-like pattern of the original wood ceiling in the Abbot's Lower Chambers in the David Building. The medallions refer to the Physiologus, an early Christian (100-300s AD) book that described plants, stones and animals and allegories of salvation through Christ. St. George's Abbey (Kloster Sankt Georgen) was founded around 1007 as a Benedictine monastery in Stein am Rhein village, on the banks of the Rhine at the western end of Lake Constance. The fascinating Klostermuseum is one of Switzerland's most important historic buildings from the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, built in the 1300s to 1500s.
    16SWI-0350.jpg
  • Carancho, or southern caracara (Caracara plancus, in the family Falconidae), at Pampa Linda, in Nahuel Huapi National Park, in the southern Andes, near Bariloche, in the Lake District of Argentina, in the Patagonia region of South America. A bold, opportunistic raptor, the carancho is often seen walking around on the ground looking for food. It mainly feeds on carcasses of dead animals, but will steal food from other raptors, raid bird nests, and take live prey such as insects.
    2002PAT-0023.jpg
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