For any parent who has the extreme displeasure of dealing with the tantrums of his or her baby, this photo of an elephant parent standing next to its clearly upset baby elephant is especially relatable. The largest of all land animals on planet Earth, similar to humans, Elephants are also highly intelligent mammals. In fact, like man’s tendency to be right or left-handed, elephants too can actually be either right-tusked or left-tusked!
Of all the similarities between us and these gentle giants, perhaps the most relatable of these is the often erratic behaviors seen in both young elephants and humans. Indeed, as seen in the above photograph, like human children, young elephants also often have irrational fits of rage, in order to get attention from members of their family.
What’s Cuter Than a Mini Horse? A baby Mini Horse, of Course
What could possibly be cuter than a miniature horse? A baby miniature horse, of course! The lifespan of a mini horse ranges from 25 to 35 years, outliving the full-grown horse by an average of five years. As pictured below, this baby Appaloosa miniature horse won’t grow any taller than 38 inches.
Any taller and this miniature horse ceases to be a mini horse and is instead classified as a Shetland pony. And while this height cut-off is seemingly simple, still there is no unanimous consensus as to when exactly a miniature horse is no longer a miniature horse.
Look Deep Into My Eyes…The absolutely Mesmerizing Eyes of the Ghost Glass Frog
Captivating us in the below photo is the amazing Limon ghost glass frog of Central America. The largest of the glass frogs in Central America, this type of glass frog has a uniquely translucent body, with a mostly opaque, bright emerald green back, and an extremely pale underside. Believe it or not, the inner organs of this frog species can actually be seen through its translucent skin. But what sets this glass frog apart from all other frogs of its kind? Its bulbous, forward-facing eyes, defined by their horizontally slit-like pupils and blue-streaked sclera.
Found in humid foothill forests anywhere from southern Nicaragua, all the way down to northern west Colombia, as well as a small area in northern Ecuador, this species of frog, while presently listed as a “Least Concern” species, similar to a number of other amphibians, faces an extreme threat from habitat loss.
The Pink-necked Green Pigeon of Asia: Not Your Everyday ‘Flying Rat’
The rainbow-colored bird in the photo below is none other than the Pink-necked Green Pigeon. This animal shares lineage with both the pigeon and the dove. A bird of many colors, this bird can be found throughout much of Southeast Asia, especially in forested and terrestrial regions of countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
While the male bird of this species is known for its beautifully bold, pink neck and bright orange breast, in contrast, the coloring of the female is far less bright. Unlike their counterparts, the females of this species do not obtain the pinkish and orange coloring seen on the male bird.
The Late Sudan: the Last Male Northern White Rhino of Its Kind
Here we see a touching photo of a male northern white rhinoceros by the name of Sudan. At the time this photo was taken, Sudan was widely believed to be the very last of all northern white rhinos in existence. Following his passing in March of 2018, his death left his species on the dangerous brink of extinction.
Named after the Greek words, ‘rhino’ (meaning nose), and ‘ceros’ (meaning horn), according to scientists there are only five rhino species still in existence today: the white and black rhino, found in Africa, the Indian rhino, the Javan rhino and finally, the Sumatran rhino, found in southern Asia. Today, the only hope for the white rhino species lies with the modern day technological science of in-vitro fertilization (IVF).