SATURDY CRITTERS

This is a small Green Snake found in one of my friends’ garden at Botanica.  Pretty harmless (I am told).

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SATURDAY CRITTERS

The first snake is called A Brown Tree Snake and the second one is a Python, both found in residents gardens at Botanica.

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SATURDAY CRITTERS

 These 3 photographs were taken on Mother’s Day at the Osprey Bech hotel, near Port Douglas, Australia.

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 I hope you enjoyed this post today.

SATURDAY CRITTERS

This photograph was taken by a lady who lives in Australia and was to go birding with me in Northern Ireland this year however due to circumstances, that did not take place however we have kept in contact and she has kindly sent me some Australian critter images and has given me permission to share them with you.  This one is a Python Carpet Snake.

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Thank you Rose for sharing your image with us.

TiI hope you enjoyed this post today.

I appreciate your visit and comments.

SATURDAY CRITTERS -Bill Guiller - Deer, Otters and Snake

Thanks to Ben Guiller for giving me permission to share these photographs of the Deer, Snake and Otter that he shot on Jura Island last year.  

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Although I will be publishing scheduled posts, I will NOT be commenting on blogs until after 31 July as my family are home from Malawi.

Hopefully you will find time to read some of the posts during this time and I hope to read as many of your as time premits.

Thank you for visiting and also to Ben for sharing his photgraphs with us.

Many thanks for all who leave comments.

SUNDAY THOUGHT - Snake on Jura Island

We should not test Christ, as some of them did—

and were killed by snakes.

1 Corinthians 10:9

Photographed on Jura Island

2015

With permission from Bill Guiller.

Many thanks for visiting also to Bill and 

all those who leave comments.

SATURDAY CRITTERS - CHALLENGE -what is this animal?

For those that do not know, I am in Africa, so what animal is this for Eileen’s meme today?  I am linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS.

Yesterday, the gardener found a poisonous snake in the garden and of course I went out to photograph it.   He had killed it.  It was not very big and the first shots are its front and the rest are its underside.  

The  other day I had gone on to scrub land as I knew there were small birds there and when I got home Judith told me about the snakes that were around so, even though I want to see and photograph birds, I am not going to be that foolish to get bitten and die!!!

Thank you for visiting and I am sure most have guessed correctly what animal the first shots was however I will give the answer on tomorrow’s post.

Many thanks for all the comments left on any of my posts.

Spectacled Owl - Pulsatrix perspicillata

I called into Castle Espie WWT some time ago and Karl Hamilton from Mantella Evironmental Education  CLICK HERE was showing people the Spectacled Owl. Pulsatrix perspicillata, a large tropical Owl.  It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico and Trinidad, through Central America, south to southern Brazil, Paraguay and northwestern Argentina.  There are six subspecies.  This Owl below is called Ralph and is 6 years old.

The Spectacled Owl can range from 17 to 20 in in length. Mass in males can range from 0.999 to 1.543 lb, where as females can weigh from 1.50 to 2.20 lb.  It is unmistakable with brown upperparts, head and upper breast, white facial markings and whitish to yellowish-ochre underparts. The eyes are yellow and the beak is pale. 

The juvenile is even more distinctive than the adult, being completely white apart from a chocolate brown facial disc. Of the six subspecies, only the nominate and P. p. saturata are well described. P. p. saturata differs from the typical Spectacled Owl only in that it is black on the head and the back, with black barring on the sides.

The primary sound made by the Spectacled Owl consists of knocking or tapping sounds with a popping effect: PUP-pup-pup-pup-po or BOO Boo boo boo boo. Each progressive note becomes weaker but faster as the call continues. Females also make a hawk-like scream, ker-WHEEER, which has often been compared to a steam-whistle.

The Spectacled Owl is primarily a bird of tropical rain forests, being found mostly in areas where dense, old-growth forest is profuse. However, it may enter secondary habitats, such as forest edges, especially while hunting. On occasion, they have been found in dry forests, treed savanna plains, plantations and semi-open areas with trees.

This species is largely nocturnal, starting activity right around the time of last light at dusk and usually being back on their roosts for the day around first light. It is a solitary, unsocial bird, usually roosting singly each day and only peaceable associating with others of their own species for reproductive purposes.

The Spectacled Owl is typical the largest and most dominant owl in its range, with the larger Great Horned Owl rarely venturing into true rainforest habitats. Most hunting starts with the owl perched on a branch and scanning the area, then dropping with a quick pounce when prey is located. It preys principally on a wide array of mammals, eating almost anything type that is nocturnally active. Various rodents may be primary but other mammals preyed on have included opossums and skunks.  Prey species can be heavier than the predating owl, weigh over 3.3 lb as in Didelphis opossums, and even the much larger three-toed sloth has been reported to have been killed.  Invertebrates are eaten regularly as well, mainly caterpillars, but also crabs, snails, large insects and spiders. Insects may be gleaned directly from foliage while the large owls actively forage. Birds are also taken, including species, such as jays and pigeons, which are taken off of their nocturnal perches and smaller types of owl.

In Costa Rica, eggs are laid variously in the dry season (November–May), or at the start of the wet season (June–July). This owl typically nests in an unlined tree cavity. Spectacled Owls lay 1-2 eggs, which are incubated by the female for about 5 weeks. Chicks leave the nest for surrounding branches at about 5–6 weeks, well before they can fly, but depend on their parents for up to a year once fledged. Often, only one of the chicks will survive.

He also showed us a Tarantula.

Then we saw a Scorpion.

At last it was the turn of Darium, a 16 year old Carpet Python which of course I had to hold him!

While I was holding Darium, Carl shot a short video of him.

It can be access at

http://youtu.be/JsPcM8ExEJg

If there is a black space below, click it and the video will appear.

Thanks you for visiting and I hope you enjoyed it.

Many thanks for comment left on any of my posts.

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