Studies of Dwarf Mongoose pups. To my surprise, mongooses are NOT part of the Mustelidae family, despite their somewhat weasel-like appearance. Instead, Mongooses belong to their own family, Herpestidae, which also includes the Meerkat.
The Dwarf Mongoose is Africa’s smallest carnivore.
Source: Referenced from photos taken at Chester Zoo by Stuart Robinson.
Studies of a monitor lizard and little crocodiles.
Studies of lizards while watching the documentary “Lizard Kings: On the Trail of the Monitor Lizards”.
Studies of lizards while watching the documentary “Lizard Kings: On the Trail of the Monitor Lizards”.
A reader noticed that Stella and her Mom both have a dark patch on their muzzles and wondered if it was a trait specific to female polar bears. A good question! The answer is no, it has nothing to do with them being female. Interestingly, underneath all the fur, polar bears actually have black skin (its thought to assist them in staying warm, since black absorbs heat). The fur is thinnest around the nose, so on some polar bears, their muzzles are darker where the skin shows through. Stella takes after her mom, while Nanook has a fuzzier nose. 🙂