'/> Amazing Animals: October 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

15 Weird and Amazing Bird Facts Around The World Part Two

These birds really fascinate the imagination of the human mind. From a small songbird down to a gentle penguin, these avian record holders are truly one-of-a-kind.

Here is Part two of 15 Weird and Amazing Bird Facts Around The World. In case you miss the initial post, then go check this link.

High Nests

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The highest tree nest constructed by any bird is that of the Marbled Murrelet (Branchyramphus marmoratus), a small North Pacific member of the auk family of seabirds. Its nests have been discovered as high as 45 m (147ft), usually on moss-covered branches of old conifer trees.

This may explain why the first formally identified nest of this species was not recorded by science until recently as 1961, in Asia; the first North American example was not found until 1974.

Most Bird Songs Recorded

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The Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus), a small New World species of songbird, has been recorded singing 22,197 songs in a 10-hour period, an average of over 2,000 songs per hour!

Shortest Migration

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In stark contrast to the thousands of kilometers flown by certain migrating birds, North America’s Blue Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) descends a mere 300 m (984 ft) from its winter home in the mountainous pine forests to deciduous woodlands in order to feed upon the early crop of seeds and fresh leaves.

Smallest Eggs

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Surprisingly, bearing in mind that it lays the largest eggs of any bird, the bird that lays the smallest eggs relative to body weight is the Ostrich (Struthio camelus). This is because the egg’s weight is only 1.4-1.5% of the ostrich’s total weight. A comparable percentage has also been recorded for the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri).

Longest Bird Tongue

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Relative to body size, the longest tongue of any bird is that of the Wryneck (Jynx torquilla), a European relative of woodpeckers. Its tongue is two-thirds of its 16.5-cm (6.4-in) body length. On a human scale, this would mean you could lick your knees without bending over!

Lowest Nesting Altitude

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The little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) nests at 400 m (1,312 ft) below sea level in the Dead Sea area of the Middle East. This is the lowest nesting altitude recorded for any species of bird.

Check out Part 1 here:

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Best Animal Dads

A list of the best animal dads in terms of child-rearing.

We all know that raising children is mainly the responsibility of mothers, but in the animal kingdom it doesn’t say so. In this article you will be surprised to find out that there are some male animals that are so good in raising their offspring. These fathers show tremendous efforts in providing what is best when it comes to parenting. Below is a list of the 10 best animal father from around the world.

Lion

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Barely making it to our list is the ferocious lion. We all know and perhaps seen some documentary films showing how lazy the king lion is. While the lioness and her gang ambush a prey, he is enjoying a fine sleep. When dinner time is ready, he always gets the first cut. But why did I include the male lion in the list, simply put, he is a steady guardian of the gang when he’s awake. Gifted with an eyesight, five times better than human eyes, he can survey intruders coming into his territory and he will surely fight it out to death just to protect his pride that can include six to seven lioness and a dozen cubs.

Antechinus

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This Australian mouse makes the cut due to his total determination when it comes to making love. He is what we may call “Mr. Gigolo” of the animal kingdom for the simple reason that while other males would die to get a little action, this Antechinus male actually dies when he gets a little action. Well, not a little, more like a lot. For the record, this little fellow can spend up to 12 hours mating! That he forgot to eat, drink and sleep. His partner benefits from it, letting herself be filled with sperm that may last until the end of the breeding season.

Golden Jackal

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The Golden jackal which is native to India and what we may call “Mr. Till Death Do Us Part”, for this skillful scavenger unlike other animals stick it out with a partner for life. Another good thing about this guy, he knows how to budget the food resources of the family. He fed his kids with rehearse food. What an ingenious way, don’t you think so?

Giant Water Bug

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This guy from Japan is a strong and a ferocious predator known for catching its prey by injecting a special toxin. Also, giant water bugs have a unique way in dealing with pregnancy, they treat it as a team effort. Females lay their eggs on the males’ back and the males had to deal with them until they hatch which could take a week. Take note, the male giant water bug carries not just a single egg but 150 eggs! (see photo)

Rhea

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At first glance it seems like that these South American flightless birds have a rather unusual relationship. A polygamous species, the males flirt around females and can keep up to 12 females in one occasion. But before you get mad at these males, take note that these dads know how to share some burdens in rearing children.During mating season, females in an attempt to get some actions from other males have to leave the eggs to its dad. Poor dad, he is tasked to sit it out for two months incubating up to 60 eggs. At times, he has to bear with just two weeks of food supply. The surprising side of this child-rearing task, dad has to take care of his children for nearly two years as a single parent.

Stickleback

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This wily little fish knows how to attract females. He creates a special “love nest” out of a sticky substance produced by its kidneys. Females are trapped and glued once they get nearer to this love nest and mating follows. The male uses this secretion, which is produced by his kidneys, to create a “love nest.” Once built, it’s just a matter of time before the females come a-knocking, but they shouldn’t get too attached. Once the male impregnates a female and she lays her eggs, he leaves her for another mate. But don’t call this dad, irresponsible, he takes care of the eggs, providing them with oxygen-rich and clean air by fanning them at 400 beats per minute for more than half the day—now that’s quite a workout!

Jacana

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This dad can pass as a circus performer, what with its ability to “walk on water” by balancing on lily pads. And when it comes to relationship this dad is fantastic, making love with his mate in a nest he himself build. But the poor guy, his belle after laying her eggs, abandons him for another guy. Meanwhile, dad remains on the nest, watching over the eggs to protect them—sometimes from their own mother! Female jacanas often return and smash their own eggs.

Giant African Bullfrog

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This dad has a very special way of rearing his children, giant African bullfrog is known to eat all that comes his way and can fit his mouth. This ability comes in handy for this dad since he has to take care of over 6,000 eggs. He will swallow them and keeping them all tucked inside his vocal sacs for six weeks. When the hatching period arrives all he has to do is to vomit and presto, his new little ones see daylight.

Emperor Penguin

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Our next dad comes from the coldest place on earth, Antarctica and is included in the list for his endurance. He is tasked to keep the egg warm while it mum takes a two-month feeding adventure. This dad, in order to keep the egg warm in subzero whether has two balanced it on his leg. What a novel way, don’t you think? At times he will have to ask his fellow males to help him warmth the egg until it is hatched. He too has to provide the baby’s first meal until its mother returns with some fish to eat.

Sea Horse

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Topping our list is the sea horse, a monogamous sea creature and a very special sea creature at that. Believe it or not male seahorses are the ones who get pregnant at times carrying in his body up to 1,000 babies at a time! A tall achievement for a small sea creature, but take note, the male sea horse has been known to eat a few of his offspring as well.

Check out:
10 Best Animal Moms

Saturday, October 20, 2012

15 Weird and Amazing Bird Facts Around The World

These birds really fascinate the imagination of the human mind. From a small songbird down to a gentle penguin, these avian record holders are truly one-of-a-kind.

Fastest Birds

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In level flight: The mean estimated speed recorded for a satellite-tagged Grey-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma ) is 127 km/h (78.9 mph) sustained for more than eight hours.

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A Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) was recorded rising to a maximum of 350 km/h (217 mph) at 45.

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The fastest (flightless) bird on land is the ostrich (Struthio camelus), which can reach 72 km/h (45 mph) when running.

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The fastest bird swimmer is the Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), which has a burst of speed of about 27 km/h (17 mph).

Strongest Bird of Prey

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The female Harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) regularly kills and carries away animals equal or superior to its 9 kg (20 lb) weight.

Smallest Birds

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Male Bee hummingbirds (Mellisuga helenae) of Cuba and the Isle of Youth measure 57mm (2.24 in) in total length, half of which is taken up by the bill and tail, and weight just 1.6g (0.056 oz). Females are slightly larger.

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Hummingbirds also have the fastest wing-beat. The Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) can produce a wing-beat rate of 200 beats per second (bps).

Keenest Smell for a Bird

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Few birds have a developed sense of smell, but the Black-footed albatross (Diomedea nigripes) can smell bacon fat poured into the ocean from at least 30 km (18 miles) away.

Hungriest Birds

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The world’s hungriest birds are the hummingbirds (family Trochilidae), which have such high metabolic rates that they need to consume at least half of their total body weight in food every day in order to survive. Their food consists mostly of tiny insects and nectar.

Heaviest Birds

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The heaviest bird of prey is the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), males of which average 9-12 kg (20-27 lb) and have a wing-span of 3 m (10ft). The heaviest flying bird is the kori bustard (Ardeotis kori) of south and east Africa; males can reach 18.2 kg (40 lb). The heaviest (and largest) of all birds is the ratite male ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus). It can grow 2.75m (9 ft) tall and may weigh 156.5 kg (345 lb).

Highest Yolk Content

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The bird eggs with the highest yolk content to egg volume are those of New Zealand’s kiwis (order Apterygiformes). Some 60 % of a kiwi egg’s volume is taken up by yolk (compared with 31 % of a hen’s egg), and contains so much nutrient that the kiwi chick doew not have to eat for several days after hatching.

Smallest Nest

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The nest of the vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) is about half the size of a walnut shell, while the deeper but narrower one of the bee hummingbird (M.helenae) is thimble sized.

Largest Communal Nest

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The Sociable weaver (Philetairus socius) of south-western Africa builds a nest that can be up to 8 m (26 ft) long and 2 m (6ft 6 in) high. Resembling a giant haystack that hangs from a tree or telegrph pole, it contains up to 300 individual nests. Not surprisingly, these enormous communal nests can get so heavy that the tree on which they are built sometimes collapses under the weight!

Check out 15 Weird and Amazing Bird Facts Around The World Part Two here:

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Here Comes the Big Cat!

A list of popular big cats.

Cat species in the genus Panthera that include: tiger, lion, leopard and jaguar are commonly called as big cat. Also in this species are cougar, snow leopard, clouded leopard and cheetah. One main trait these cats have that other smaller cats don’t possess is their ability to roar.

Though big cats may differ in sizes and physical appearances, all exhibit similar behavior. All cats are carnivores or meat-eater and are efficient predators. Big cats are found mostly in Africa, Asia, Europe and America.

Below is a list of the 10 most remarkable big cats.

10. Bobcat

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The Bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a North American cat found mostly in southern Canada, some part of Mexico and the United States. Bobcats come in gray to brown coat, black-tufted ears, whiskered face and males can weigh up 30 lbs, while females average 20 lbs. Adults grow to 15 inches from ground to shoulder in height. Bobcats are seen roaming wooded areas, forest edges and swamplands searching for prey such as rabbits, hares, rodents and small deer. Having a flexible body with legs designed for climbing, pouncing and rapid acceleration, bobcats are efficient predators.

9. Ocelot

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The Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) found mostly in South and Central America, Mexico and in some part of Texas is a wild cat that resembles a domestic cat. A distinct mark of an ocelot is its dark brown fur edged with black on a yellow/tawny background with irregular shaped spots and stripes. They are nocturnal animals and prey on rabbits, rodents, rodents and small reptiles. Ocelots are good tree climbers and also hunt for birds.

Ocelots population dwindled during the late 90’s because people hunt them for their fur. Efforts made by IUCN to preserve its population took on a positive note and as of today, ocelots numbers increase.

8. Caracal Cat

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The Caracal (Caracal caracal), commonly called Persian Lynx or African Lynx, is a medium-built cat. They have long legs tufted black ears and creamy with faded orange spots underbelly. Caracal cats are considered one of the world‘s beautiful cats. They are found throughout South Africa and its habitat includes: dry savannahs, forest edge and mountainous terrain. Adult males can weigh up to 20 kilograms and can reach 2 feet in height. A nocturnal animal, Caracal cat moves with grace and an expert tree climber. They are good hunters of sand rats, squirrels, Rock Hyrax and at times birds.

7. Jaguarundi

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The Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) is found mostly in South America and in some parts of southern Texas. They are medium-sized cats where adults grow to an average of 65 cm, a 45 cm tail and can weigh up to 6 kg. Jaguarundi have short and rounded ears and short legs. They have clear coat and even colors and comes in blackish to brownish gray. They inhabit forested areas and lowland brush areas that are near a water source. They are normally seen in trees spying on possible prey such as: small mammals, birds, reptiles and fish.

6. Marbled Cat

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The Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) looks like a typical domestic cat, but it owns a thicker furred tail that it uses as a counterbalance. They are mostly found in northeast India, Nepal and through southeast Asia. Its habitat includes: woodlands, dry savannah and rugged terrain in mountainous regions.

Marbled cat has thick and soft fur brownish-yellow in color having a marking of large blotches with lighter underparts. Its legs bear black spots and its head and neck also has some black lines. Adults can weigh up to 4.5 kilograms and can reach 53 cm in height. Marbled cat's diet includes: squirrels, rodents, frogs, lizards, insects but mostly birds.

5. Jaguar

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The Jaguar (Panthera onca) is one of the “big cats” that lives in some areas of Mexico, Central America, Argentina and Paraguay. It can be mistaken for a leopard in appearance, but jaguars are much bigger and look sturdier than leopard. They more resemble the tiger in terms of behavioral and habitat characteristics. They live in forest and open terrain, but prefer much dense rainforest. Jaguar works alone in hunting its prey that includes: deer, capybara, tapirs, dogs, foxes, frogs, mice, fish, birds, monkeys and turtles.

The jaguar is a sturdy and well-muscled animal and can weigh up to 96 kilograms and can reach a height of 30 inches tall at the shoulder. The base coat of the jaguar is normally a yellowish-brown, but can adapt a reddish-brown and black coloring. They are covered in rosettes for camouflage in its jungle habitat.

4. Snow Leopard

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The Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) is a big cat local to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. Their range spans from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, Russia, India and China. They come in white, yellowish or soft gray coat and thick fur with ringed spots of black on brown. The average height of an adult is 2 feet from ground to shoulder and can weigh up to 50 kilograms. It can grow up to 3. 5 feet in length that include a 40-inch tail. The Snow leopard's diet includes: Wild sheep and goats and other small animals like rodents, hares and game birds.

3. Lion

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The lion (Panthera leo) is a muscular and powerfully built cat. They have short fur that comes in uniform color ranging from grey to reddish brown. Lions have black or deep brown eyes and tail’s tip. The most distinctive mark of a lion is its mane (ruff of thick, long fur) that adult males exhibit. Its color varies from a light brown to almost black and covers the sides of the face, neck and in some animals extends to the abdomen. Adult males can grow up to 10 feet in body length.

2 Cheetah

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The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest land animal in the world, its slender, long-legged body is built for speed. Cheetahs’ distinctive feature is the black spots all over its tan-colored bodies. They too have small heads, ears and eyes that is marked with “tear stripes” that stretch from the eye's corner.to the side of the nose. Adult males can reach up to 3 feet in height at shoulders, an average of 55 inches in length and can weigh up to 140 pounds. Cheetahs roam freely in open savannah in Africa and some are confined in small isolated populations in Iran. Their diet includes: Gazelles, impalas and smaller hoofed animals.

1. Tiger

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The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest member of the cat family. They are found in China, Russian Far East, South and Southeast Asia. Tigers can grow up to 3.5 feet at the shoulder and can reach a body length of up to 9.2 feet (tail length 2-3 feet). They sport long, thick reddish coats with white bellies and white and black tails. Its distinct mark is its black, brown or gray stripes. Tigers are found in tropical forests, grassland savannah, rocky country, woodlands and grasslands. They hunt at night and feed on deer, wild pigs, water buffalo, antelope, monkeys and hares.

Friday, October 12, 2012

The World’s Most Beautiful and Eye-catching Butterflies

From a drab-colored to the highly sophisticated multicolored ones — each and every species of butterfly has its own beauty to bragged about. But not all possess unique and distinctive features. So taking all these criteria in mind, Here is a list of the world’s most beautiful and eye-catching butterflies. Read on to learn more.

Butterflies are such dainty creatures – its beauty capable of mesmerizing even a stoic heart. Many have been awed at the transformation of a fragile caterpillar into a splendid butterfly! Each and every species of butterfly has its own beauty to bragged about. Picking the most beautiful and eye-catching butterflies is a very hard task to compile assuming one goes with the old saying ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’

Nevertheless, to have a less taxing decision, the author deemed it necessary to add another criteria — picking those species of butterfly with distinctive feature/features. Here goes the author’s list of the world’s most beautiful and eye-catching butterflies.

Blue Morpho Butterfly

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The Blue Morpho Butterfly (Morpho menelaus), is any of about 50 different species of butterfly, known for its metallic blue upper wings with brown patches along the edges. The microscopic structures of its wings reflect light, thus producing bright blue wings. However, the flip side of its wings shows a dull brown color with bronze-colored eyespots. The species is widespread in South and Central America and prefers rainforests as habitat.

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The species is one of the world’s biggest butterfly, with a wingspan that can reach 7.5 to 20 cm (5- 8 inches.) Blue morpho has a short lifespan – lasting only 115 days. The reddish brown colored caterpillar with lime-green patches on the back) chews leaves of plants to survive. Adults sip the juices of rotting fruits using their straw-like proboscis.

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Blue morphos population is severely threatened by habitat caused by dwindling tropical forests. Also, adult butterfly are easy prey to birds such as flycatcher and jacamar.

Goliath Birdwing Butterfly

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The Goliath Birdwing (Ornithoptera goliath) is a large butterfly native to rainforests of New Guinea. The world’s second-largest butterfly, the eye-catching butterfly has a wingspan reaching 28 centimeters (11 in). The species can be identified by its black, yellow and green wings. Females are larger than males.

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During mating season, a male Goliath birdwing flies high up the forest’s canopy in pursuit of females. After it detected its target, the male butterfly folds its wing and nose-dive to tree level to mate.

Peacock Butterfly

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Another eye-catching and beautiful butterfly, the Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io) is widespread in the UK. It got its name from the stunning eye patterns on its wings, similar to the tail feather pattern of the peacock. Peacock butterfly is a very large with wingspans of 64 mm (2.5 inches.) Another distinctive feature of the species is its almost black flip side wings, which serve as an intimidating camouflage against any predator.

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Caterpillars sport black, spine-covered body with patches of white spots. It can reach 4.2 centimeters in length. It feeds primarily on Common (stinging) Nettle. After coming out of hibernation, adults mate. Females lay up to 400 eggs in large, irregular clusters on the undersides of young nettle leaves. Adults can live up to 11 months.

Question Mark Butterfly

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The Question Mark Butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis) is easily recognized by the shiny silver markings on its hindwing, resembling a ‘question mark’. During summer, the question mark is mostly black with a short tail. The butterfly’s upperside is red-orange with black spots while the underside is light brown in color. The wingspan is about 5.7 – 7.6 cm (2 1/4 – 3 inches).

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The largest of all the angelwings, the species is widespread throughout most of the eastern U.S. and southern Canada. Its preferred habitat includes: wooded swamps, stream banks, suburbs, city parks, and fencerows. The male keeps its wings closed vertically while basking on foliage or tree trunks, giving it an appearance of a dried leaf.

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The larvae (caterpillar) of the question mark feed on a variety of host plants including nettles, Japanese hop, elms, and hackberry. Adults feed on rotting fruit, carrion, and tree sap. From spring until the end of May, females lays eggs stacked under leaves of plants. The young larvae must then find their food source to survive. The adults may live for eight months.

Ulysses Butterfly

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The Ulysses Butterfly is any of 16 species of swallowtail butterflies found in tropical rain forests in Australia, Indonesia, and other nearby islands. The species is also known as the Blue Mountain Swallowtail, the Mountain Blue and the Blue Emperor.

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A spectacular and eye-catching butterfly, males are easily recognized by their iridescent blue-green with black edges appearance. Females are more lighter in color. Both have a long “swallowtail” and a wingspan of about 14 cm (5.5 inches.) Males are attracted to most blue objects.

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Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly

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The Zebra Swallowtail (Protographium marcellu), is another beautiful swallowtail butterfly, widespread throughout the eastern United States and southeast Canada. The species prefers deciduous woodlands, prairies, and savannas. It got its name for the long “tails” on its hindwings — resembling the long, pointed tails of swallows (a type of bird).

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The species has characteristic black and white markings and a pair of sword-like tails. The upperside of the wings show black stripes on greenish-white background. Also, the hindwings sport tiny red and blue markings. It has a wingspan of about 6.4 – 10.4 cm (2 1/2 – 4 inches.)

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The caterpillar is normally green in color with imposing black band and rows of yellow stripes. Showing cannibalistic behavior, it will consume its eggshell and then feed on host plants such as pawpaw, hornbeam, spicebush. Adults sip nectar of berries and milkweed.