Author: Bevis

Paleontologists have identified a new species of titanosaurian dinosaur. The new species is a member of the gigantic, long-necked sauropods. Its fossil remains were recovered from Cretaceous Period (70-100 million years ago) rocks in southwestern Tanzania. Titanosaur skeletons have been found worldwide, but are best known from South America. Fossils in this group are rare in Africa. The new dinosaur is called Shingopana songwensis, derived from the Swahili term “shingopana” for “wide neck”; the fossils were discovered in the Songwe region of the Great Rift Valley in southwestern Tanzania. Part of the Shingopana skeleton was excavated in 2002 by scientists…

A HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE LITTLE BIRD WHO UNLEASHES HIS SECRET WEAPON OF APRICOT-COLORED FEATHERS (USUALLY CONCEALED BENEATH THE WINGS) AND AN IRIDESCENT BLUE THROAT RIGHT WHEN HE NEEDS IT MOST, THE OLIVE-BACKED SUNBIRD! Meet the Olive-backed Sunbird The olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis), also known as the yellow-bellied sunbird is small in size, only around 12 cm long. The male of the species has a bright yellow belly and a back that is dark brown in color. His forehead, throat, and upper breast are dark, metallic blue. He also has apricot-colored feathers, which are usually not visible, except when using them for display as a secret…

A Baby Elephant Is Finally Rescued From A Well After Desperately Trying To Dig Itself Free With Its Trunk More Than One Hour The heɑrtwɑrming moment when ɑ bɑby elephɑnt comes out of the well ɑfter being trɑpped for more thɑn one hour. Becɑme dis.tressed when unɑble to climb out. Residents of Kuttɑmpuzhɑ villɑge in Kerɑlɑ stɑte, Indiɑ, rɑised the ɑlɑrm, ɑnd ɑ rescue teɑm wɑs deployed to sɑve the elephɑnt. The heɑrtwɑrming moment when ɑ bɑby elephɑnt comes out of the well ɑfter being trɑpped for more thɑn one hour. Residents of Kuttɑmpuzhɑ villɑge in Kerɑlɑ stɑte, Indiɑ, rɑised…

AN IMPOSING, MAJESTIC BIRD WITH A LARGE YELLOW BILL, BLACK EYES, AND SWEEPING SIDEWARDS-FACING “HORNS. MEET THE SPOT-BELLIED EAGLE-OWL In Sri Lankan folklore, a woman whose child was murdered by her husband went mad and ran off into the jungle to commit suicide. After her death, the gods transformed her into a creature called the ulama, or devil bird, whose horrible, human-sounding wail in the distance is a portent that something terrible is about to happen [source: Dole]. The spot-bellied eagle-owl (Bubo nipalensis), also known as the forest eagle-owl is a large bird of prey with a pale facial disc with no dark rim…

Look no further than a traveling pride of lions. That crew is one you don’t want to mess with. They look like they mean business and have a zero-tolerance policy for nonsense. According to National Geographic, lions are known as symbols of courage and strength. Their roars can be heard from over five miles away. You can see just how intimidating they look by watching MoMedia’s YouTube video. There are about a dozen of them in the video, who appear to be mostly male because of their manes. They take up an entire road as they are recorded walking toward a…

Anne’s first steps are faltering as, slowly, she shuffles forwards, ƅack legs dragging painfully on the concrete floor, her head ƅoƅƅing nervously up and down, and ƅreath coming in loud, whooshing ƅlasts. Everything aƅout her looks tired and creaky and sore, from her arthritic joints to her dry, wrinkled skin. Her dark ƅrown eyes are weepy, her huge yellow toenails chipped and gnarled. Her tail finishes in a sad, knoƅƅly stump — the feathery end chewed off decades ago. But as she edges further across the lush green grass of her new enclosure, towards a flock of pink flamingos and…

A relatively chunky bird that is almost entirely blue except for a very distinctive, beautifully placed lemon yellow throat. MEET THE PURPLISH-MANTLED TANAGER The purplish-mantled tanager (Iridosornis porphyrocephalus), is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family. Up to 15 cm in length, this bird is mainly purplish-blue, especially on the head, reflecting almost greenish tones in the sunlight. The throat is a standout bright yellow contrasting beautifully against the rest of the body. There is a small black mask from the beak to the eyes with a belly that is a buffy white turning brown toward the tail. The wing coverts have black…

Bright swathes of fiery orange and red stand out in bright contrast against black, white, and blue! MEET THE VENEZUELAN TROUPIAL The Venezuelan troupial (Icterus icterus) is a relatively large bird with a long tail and strong bill. The upper breast area and head are black, with the feathers on the upper breast stick out, marking an uneven line between the black and orange of the bird’s lower breast and belly. Orange is also found on the upper and lower back, separated by black shoulders. The wings are black too with a white streak running the length of the wing when it…

The purple-crowned fairywren is a distinctive bird. It wears a violet-purple crown featured with a dark spot at the center. This unique feature makes these little chubby birds conspicuous whenever they are. Unlike male birds, the females do not have a purple crown on their heads. And their cheeks are brown while these of males are black. Both sexes have a beautiful blue tail that creates a stunning contrast with their light brown plumage. The purple-crowned fairywren is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It’s native to northern Australia. They can be found in the riparian…