Tag Archives: Wildlife

Nature, Travel, Videos, Wildlife

Ocean Wildlife: A Manatee Migrates To Warm Water

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Despite weighing upward of 1200 pounds, manatee bodies have relatively little fat to protect them from the cold. Anything below 68 degrees is a death sentence. The solution: an annual inland migration, to the warm waters of Florida’s natural springs at Silver Springs State Park.

Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species in the order Sirenia: the Amazonian manatee, the West Indian manatee, and the West African manatee.

Travel, Videos, Views, Wildlife

Wildlife: The ‘Gray Wolves’ Of Yellowstone (Video)

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Watch the majestic wolves of Yellowstone National Park. Videographer: Justin Grubb.

Gray wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995, resulting in a trophic cascade through the entire ecosystem. After the wolves were driven extinct in the region nearly 100 years ago, scientists began to fully understand their role in the food web as a keystone species.

Nature, Travel, Videos, Wilderness, Wildlife

Winter Wildlife: A River Otter Survives In Upper Peninsula Of Michigan

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It takes a special breed of animal to handle the Michigan winter–and the river otter is better prepared than most. But preparation is half the battle–and it starts with a roll in the snow to keep its fur coat insulated. The waters in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan freeze over fast in winter–and river otters need to work just as fast to keep holes open in the ice. If they close, the otters lose access to fish. From America’s Wild Seasons: https://bit.ly/3pikNyY

The Upper Peninsula is a forested region in Michigan bordering 3 of the Great Lakes and extending outward from Wisconsin. It’s connected to Michigan’s Lower Peninsula by the roughly 5-miles-long Mackinac Bridge, which spans the Straits of Mackinac. Sandwiched between the 2 peninsulas is Mackinac Island, a car-free vacation destination with the iconic 1887 Grand Hotel and the Victorian-era Fort Mackinac. 

Nature, Travel, Videos, Views, Wildlife

Nature: ‘Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge’, Valentine, Nebraska

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Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of Nebraska and includes 19,131 acres. The refuge borders the Niobrara National Scenic River on the west and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Travel, Videos, Wildlife

Wildlife: Saving ‘Numbats’ In Australia (BBC Video)

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The numbat – a small and little-known Australian marsupial – is one of the world’s most endangered animals. Conservationists are working hard to save them by building vast, predator-free sanctuaries.

The numbat is an insectivorous marsupial. It is diurnal and its diet consists almost exclusively of termites. It was once widespread across southern Australia, but is now restricted to several small colonies in Western Australia. It is therefore considered an endangered species and protected by conservation programs.

Science, Videos, Wildlife

Wildlife Science: ‘Why Cheetahs Are So Fast’

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Cheetahs are the fastest land animals on Earth. So what’s the secret to their incredible speed?

A cheetah has a short muzzle, small canines, and other features to help reduce the overall weight of its head. All this results in a skull that weighs around 500 grams. That’s just over a pound. Now, cheetahs need this light skull to make space for a large nasal cavity. Because cheetahs need LOTS of oxygen. To help meet this need, they have large nostrils that allow for quick and large intakes of air while the cheetah’s large chest holds its lungs and heart, which work together to help circulate the oxygen throughout its body. And that’s crucial, since a cheetah can take anywhere between 60 to 150 breaths per minute. This is a drastic increase, since at rest, a cheetah takes in about 9 breaths per minute. That means that when these cats really get going, their breathing rate goes up to SIXTEEN TIMES faster. What’s even more fascinating is that while running, you’ll notice that a cheetah’s head doesn’t move. It stays incredible still.

Nature, Travel, Videos, Views, Wildlife

Wildlife Views: Black Bear Steals Acorns From Woodpecker In Big Bend National Park, Texas

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There are many reasons Big Bend is good for bears and this is one of them.

Big Bend National Park is in southwest Texas and includes the entire Chisos mountain range and a large swath of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive leads to the ruins of Sam Nail Ranch, now home to desert wildlife. The Santa Elena Canyon, carved by the Rio Grande, features steep limestone cliffs. Langford Hot Springs, near the Mexican border, has pictographs and the foundations of an old bathhouse.

Landscape, Nature, Travel, Videos, Views, Wildlife

Winter Views: ‘Ten Thousand Islands’ In Southwest Florida

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“Sunday Morning” takes us to Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands. Videographer: Charles Schultz.

The Ten Thousand Islands are a chain of islands and mangrove islets off the coast of southwest Florida, between Cape Romano and the mouth of the Lostmans River. Some of the islands are high spots on a submergent coastline. Others were produced by mangroves growing on oyster bars.