A Study Of Saurian Morphology: Pseudosuchia (part 2)

Breathtaking photo of a very special whale—AT6 Egagutak!

This photo was taken by Teren Photography yesterday (September 19th) in Aialik Bay. Egagutak is one of the 7 remaining AT1 transients. He, unlike the other AT1s, travels alone. To see this whale at all is a blessing. He’s truly one of a kind, and every sighting of him is a gift.

The Mud Dragons of Calvert Island, BC

Shedding light on these mysterious marine creatures.

by Josh Silberg

Spiky headed dragons roam the ocean floor from the poles to the tropics. But these are not winged beasts from the pages of science fiction. These strange creatures are Kinorynchs, aka “mud dragons“, and they are very real.

Roughly the size of a grain of salt, mud dragons are often overlooked, but a team from the Hakai Institute and the University of British Columbia (UBC) hopes to give them the spotlight they deserve.

“Canada has very few reports on these animals. The first step is to know what is there,” says Dr. Maria Herranz, a Hakai post-doctoral scholar and resident mud dragon expert at UBC…

(read more and see video: Hakai)

images by Marria Harranz

Northern Elephant Seals, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, CA, USA

Northern elephant seals were once hunted for their blubber, and were thought to be extinct until a small colony was found in the early 20th century. Since then, thanks to conservation efforts, northern elephant seal populations along the California coast have made an amazing recovery. Now, we continue to work with the public to protect this species and others protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Interested in wildlife watching when you visit sanctuaries? Make sure to give these seals – and all other animals – plenty of space so they can thrive. The future of the world’s wildlife is truly in our hands. Learn more about how you can help at: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/protect/oceanetiquette.html. Photograph: Mike Baird/NOAA

(via: NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries)

Big sister drops to her knees to show affection to newborn Photo by James Irwin

dragon 🐉

Snowshoe hares’ traditional habitat in Wisconsin may not be white enough to provide the animals with cover as the climate changes.

“The snowshoe hare is perfectly modeled for life on snow,” said Jonathan Pauli, a professor of forest and wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a coauthor of a study recently published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, in a release. “They’re adapted to glide on top of the snow and to blend in with the historical colors of the landscape.”

The snow is vital for snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), who rely on it for camouflage from predators. But snow is becoming less common in the southern range of their habitat in Wisconsin…

photo by Gordon E. Robertson

In this short video, augmented reality startup company Magic Leap used their cool technology to make 3D magic happen in a school gym.

It’s a cute little thing though.