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My Ghost of Gone Birds, Norfolk Starling which was exhibited in London 2011
New show in Brighton is on now
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Giant Golden Mole - Chrysochloris trevelyani [now Chrysospalax trevelyani]
If there were ever a mammal worthy of being given the common name of “Blorp”, this would be it. But no, they get to be called the “giant golden mole”, despite not being all that giant, or all that golden. I’m still calling them Blorps.
These pudgers are ancient, mostly-desert-dwelling Gondwanan creatures which are remarkably well adapted to climates with significant thermal shifts. During times of extreme heat or cold, their bodies can go into a state of torpor, almost stalling their basal metabolism rate, and completely turning off their internal thermoregulation until the temperature returns to a more amicable range.
The family of golden moles, Chrysochloridae, is not related to the “true moles” (Talpidae), but get their common name from their similar appearance, which developed through convergent evolution. Most scientists agree that the golden moles are more closely related to hedgehogs and shrews than to true moles, though some theories group them with the tenrecs. Until full genetic profiles are established for the Insectivoridae, we probably won’t have a definitive answer.
Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1875.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/56ecf1cb7533c04d7a5c2c61b7a434bd/tumblr_mf8gsmMyHl1qk931ho1_r1_500.jpg)
Giant Golden Mole - Chrysochloris trevelyani [now Chrysospalax trevelyani]
If there were ever a mammal worthy of being given the common name of “Blorp”, this would be it. But no, they get to be called the “giant golden mole”, despite not being all that giant, or all that golden. I’m still calling them Blorps.
These pudgers are ancient, mostly-desert-dwelling Gondwanan creatures which are remarkably well adapted to climates with significant thermal shifts. During times of extreme heat or cold, their bodies can go into a state of torpor, almost stalling their basal metabolism rate, and completely turning off their internal thermoregulation until the temperature returns to a more amicable range.
The family of golden moles, Chrysochloridae, is not related to the “true moles” (Talpidae), but get their common name from their similar appearance, which developed through convergent evolution. Most scientists agree that the golden moles are more closely related to hedgehogs and shrews than to true moles, though some theories group them with the tenrecs. Until full genetic profiles are established for the Insectivoridae, we probably won’t have a definitive answer.
Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1875.
(via mudwerks)
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Marbled Murrelet
I chose to paint the Marbled Murrelet in gouache paints.
This was really a challenge for me because I was not familiar with the medium. I had fun working with the paints though. More people should become aware of how many endangered species there are that aren’t very popular, that disappear unnoticed.Posted on October 30, 2012 via Art with 59 notes
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Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in their preferred nesting habitat in the Pacific Northwest — cool, moist, old-growth forest. Painting by Barry Kent MacKay.
CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
The Obama administration has quietly entered into a sell-out legal agreement with the timber industry that will destroy marbled murrelets’ forest habitat and push these birds toward the brink of extinction.
The marbled murrelet is a small seabird that nests in moss on the branches of ancient trees along the Pacific Northwest coast. In 1996 nearly 4 million acres of forest were protected as nesting habitat for murrelets. Those protections are now in serious danger: The Fish and Wildlife Service just granted a “consent decree” with the timber industry that will strip away murrelets’ “critical habitat” and allow clearcut logging of the old-growth forests the birds need to survive.
Please take action today to urge President Barack Obama to withdraw this bogus agreement and restore “critical habitat” protection for marbled murrelets. -
A great postcard from WildAid, for all you shark geeks out there - Happy Sunday!
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Faces of Lorises
1. Nycticebus tardigradus malayanus (Nycticebus coucang spp.- Sunda slow loris. Note: possibly Nycticebus javanicus - the Javan slow loris)
2. Nycticebus tardigradus hilleri (Nycticebus coucang coucang - the Sunda slow loris, type species)
3. Loris gracilis typicus (Loris lydekkerianus lydekkerianus - Gray slender loris)
4. Loris gracilis zeylanicus (Loris tardigradus - Red slender loris)All lorises are endangered or vulnerable due to the pet trade and their use in traditional “medicine”. While these small and nocturnal critters tend to be much more adaptable when humans encroach upon their habitat than other species of primate (making due in the trees humans transplant as opposed to their native foliage, and dealing with the human presence in stride, for example), they’re still all too often thought to “cure” various ailments with their body parts (especially the slow lorises), and traded as pets throughout their native habitat of Southeast Asia, and when they’re successfully smuggled to the rest of the world.
Seriously, people. Their cuteness is so much cuter in the wild. Lorises are freaking adorable, and the hunting strategies of the various species and subspecies are so varied and fascinating that they deserve to stay in a protected natural habitat. I mean, among other reasons to preserve them, obviously…they’re just such cool little omnivores!
Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1904.
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Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
Can you believe that this incredible nuisance of a bird was once on the verge of extinction - and not in the distant past? Hunting and slaughter by farmers in the late 1800s led to the critical endangerment of the entire Branta canadensis species, until the International Migratory Birds Treaty was passed in 1918.
While the species as a whole began a slow recovery process at that point, several of the subspecies were still on a rapid decline due to habitat loss, and by 1962, both the Aleutian and Giant Canada Goose were believed to be functionally extinct. However, the discovery of a wintering flock of Giant Canada Geese in Rochester, MN, that year, and the discovery of two small Aleutian Canada Geese flocks the next year, kicked off a conservation movement to restore the habitat and flyways for the entire species.
Well, the movement worked, obviously. In less than 40 years, all seven subspecies have been removed from the endangered species list, and the species as a whole is now considered a nuisance bird in many areas.
As they prefer open spaces with water, they’re often present in the same area as humans: around beaches, airports, and golf courses; their toxic droppings (not to mention their big ol’ engine-clogging bodies) have caused many problems over the past decade or so. In fact, they were the cause of the birdstrike that resulted in the “Miracle on the Hudson” a few years back. So far, culling and extermination efforts have only had limited effects on the overall population.
Voegel, aus Asien, Africa, America, und Neuholland in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen. Carl Wilhelm Hahn, 1818.
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A sampling of the endangered species illustrations I’ve been working for Sea Grant and the USFWS. the golden coqui, the mona iguana and an endemic warbler whose name I always forget.
click on each for best view!
-Daniel
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Przewalski’s Horse - Equus prjevalskii [disputed, generally accepted as Equus ferus przewalskii]
The Przewalski’s horse, or takhi, is the only “true” wild horse remaining in the world, and is distinct from Equus ferus ferus, the domesticated horse. Though Przewalski’s horses and domesticated horses can interbreed and produce fertile offspring, the Przewalski’s horse has an extra pair of chromosomes, distinctive dentition, and a convex profile (“Roman nose”) uncommon in most breeds of domestic horse. The subspecies is believed to have diverged from Equus ferus ferus around 125,000 years ago, but the two groups interbred for at least 25,000 years before true geographical isolation began.
The discovery of the takhi in the Mongolian steppes in 1881 was followed by the collection of entire herds through hunting and rounding up to be kept in zoos. The last wild herd was spotted in 1967, and the last individual was spotted in 1969. The most genetically diverse captive herd (living in Askania-Nova in Ukraine) was slaughtered by former German soldiers in the late 1940s for unknown reasons.
Fortunately for conservation efforts, the very few individuals remaining in the world by 1977, when the species was declared “Extinct in the Wild”, proved to be very healthy, at least in terms of genetic vitality. Careful breeding programs started by the Foundation for the Preservation and Protection of the Przewalski’s Horse (FPPPH) in that same year ensured that the genetic diversity remained as strong as possible, given the tiny population. Twelve to fifteen individuals managed to produce small herds in several zoos and preserves, and the population grew at a steady pace for a decade and a half, before the first individuals were re-introduced to the wild, in 1992. Despite
After that first herd of 16 genetically distinct individuals from several zoos was introduced into the Gobi Desert, and successfully formed a herd with numerous healthy foals, Przewalski’s horse was re-classified from “Extinct in the Wild” to “Critically Endangered”. As of 2008, three stable-and-growing herds exist in the wild, in Mongolia and the prohibited-access zone around Chernobyl, Ukraine (a surprisingly good wildlife preserve!). They’re currently considered “Endangered”, and their population outlook is positive, with genetic diversity programs continuing in both zoos and the wild herds.
Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1902.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7s21nEjD11qk931ho1_500.jpg)
Przewalski’s Horse - Equus prjevalskii [disputed, generally accepted as Equus ferus przewalskii]
The Przewalski’s horse, or takhi, is the only “true” wild horse remaining in the world, and is distinct from Equus ferus ferus, the domesticated horse. Though Przewalski’s horses and domesticated horses can interbreed and produce fertile offspring, the Przewalski’s horse has an extra pair of chromosomes, distinctive dentition, and a convex profile (“Roman nose”) uncommon in most breeds of domestic horse. The subspecies is believed to have diverged from Equus ferus ferus around 125,000 years ago, but the two groups interbred for at least 25,000 years before true geographical isolation began.
The discovery of the takhi in the Mongolian steppes in 1881 was followed by the collection of entire herds through hunting and rounding up to be kept in zoos. The last wild herd was spotted in 1967, and the last individual was spotted in 1969. The most genetically diverse captive herd (living in Askania-Nova in Ukraine) was slaughtered by former German soldiers in the late 1940s for unknown reasons.
Fortunately for conservation efforts, the very few individuals remaining in the world by 1977, when the species was declared “Extinct in the Wild”, proved to be very healthy, at least in terms of genetic vitality. Careful breeding programs started by the Foundation for the Preservation and Protection of the Przewalski’s Horse (FPPPH) in that same year ensured that the genetic diversity remained as strong as possible, given the tiny population. Twelve to fifteen individuals managed to produce small herds in several zoos and preserves, and the population grew at a steady pace for a decade and a half, before the first individuals were re-introduced to the wild, in 1992. Despite
After that first herd of 16 genetically distinct individuals from several zoos was introduced into the Gobi Desert, and successfully formed a herd with numerous healthy foals, Przewalski’s horse was re-classified from “Extinct in the Wild” to “Critically Endangered”. As of 2008, three stable-and-growing herds exist in the wild, in Mongolia and the prohibited-access zone around Chernobyl, Ukraine (a surprisingly good wildlife preserve!). They’re currently considered “Endangered”, and their population outlook is positive, with genetic diversity programs continuing in both zoos and the wild herds.
Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1902.
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Fruit bat of the subfamily Pteropodinae
The megabats of the Pteropodinae include the largest bats in the world: the Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox (Acerodon jubatus) and the Large Flying Fox (Pteropus vampyrus), also known as the Malaysian Flying Fox.
The teeth of the family Pteropus, and especially of the subfamily Pteropodinae, are specially designed to rip open and grind up fruits, both juicy and fleshy. The large canines allow them to slash into thick skins, and the dextrous tongue and molars that are good for chewing (but not continued grinding) make an ideal dentition for most South Pacific fruits. Some fruit bats consume vegetation, pollen, or nectar, but Pteropodinae consumes almost exclusively fruit.
Fruit bats lack a tail and the ability to echolocate, like all Old-World bats. They have very good eyesight, and are thought to have split off from microbats (the New-World bats, including all of the carnivorous bats) during the Eocene epoch, around 45 million years ago.
Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur. J.C.D. Schreber, 1774.
