The photograph below captures the unique beauty of the venomous blue-ringed octopus. Considered one of the world’s most venomous creatures, the blue-ringed octopus is found in coral reefs all across the Pacific and Indian oceans. Though a beautiful, seemingly harmless specimen, don’t be fooled by its misleading appearance. While tiny, within minutes, the blue-ringed octopus has enough venom in its body capable of killing a whopping 26 adult humans. Indeed, in reality, this minuscule, golf-ball-sized creature is widely known as one of the most toxic creatures on the planet.
This creature’s deadly toxins are packed tight into its venom, which contains the powerful neurotoxin tetrodotoxin, a toxin also infamously carried by the pufferfish. According to experts, the consequences of tetrodotoxin include severe paralysis, an effect which eventually leads to a number of other unpleasant secondary impacts, including slow body shut down, and eventual death from lung failure. So what does one do when encountering this blue and yellow sea creature, one may ask? Do not pet, and quickly back away.
Orangutan Tells Us How He Really Feels
In the below photo, this primate seems to tell us how he really feels. Indeed, give a “primate four fingers and a thumb, and eventually, he’ll flip you off.” All jokes aside, the orangutan is a truly amazing creature. Named after the Malay word for “person of the forest,” these orange-colored, long-haired primates are found only in regions of Sumatra and Borneo. Considered highly intellectual creatures, the Orangutan is known as a close relative of man.
But is this particular orangutan actually mad at the photographer taking the picture? Is he actually telling him or her to “buzz off”? Is he trying to send a message to humans on behalf of the animal kingdom, indicating to us that these animals have had enough of our mindless cruelty in wastefulness? Are they planning to pull a planet of the apes, taking the planet back for the good of their babies and all of the primates’ future generations? The world may never know.
Baby Otters: Very Much Blind, Very Much Toothless
Unable to see upon first entering the world, for newborn otters—born both blind and toothless—life, at first glance, is actually not seen at all. While popularly known for their rambunctiously cheeky, playful nature, as well as for their immense swimming capabilities—an adaptation the otters owe to their webbed feet—following their exit from their mother’s womb, at first, they are not able to witness any of the curiosity and fun had by the baby’s fellow furry, water-loving family members.
As reflected in the above photograph, which captures the first moments of this litter of newborn otters, these adorable little creatures are basically helpless, balls of fur. Following their birth, these baby otters will remain in their mother’s nest for the next few weeks, where they will be carefully guarded under the watchful eye of their mother and relatives.
A Llama in Times Square, 1957
This outgoing llama proves that shows business is not just for people. Llamas want to make it in the big apple too! And that’s just what Linda, the llama below, set out to do. In this photo, taken in 1957, photographer Inge Morah shot this iconic image of Linda casually cruising through Times Square in the backseat of her trainer’s car, on her way home from a gig she had just completed.
A member of the Camelid, more commonly known as the camel family, the ancestors of the llama first migrated to South America approximately 3 million years ago. It wasn’t until 4,000 to 5,000 years ago that the first evidence of llama domestication appeared in the Peruvian highlands. Here, they were used as pack animals. Today, many of the descendants of these ancient Incan peoples still use the llamas for similar purposes.
Whatchu’ Looking at, Blue Footed Booby?
Named after their blue-footed feet, the blue-footed booby bird, known by the scientific name of Sula nebouxii, was named after this bird’s silly, boob-like, foolish and goofy demeanor. This carnivorous bird’s clown-like notoriety is reflected in its clumsiness on land, similar to the awkward movement of many other seabirds on land. Additionally, these odd birds are also known to be unusually trusting of humans.
Of the many weird facts pertaining to the blue-footed booby bird, perhaps the strangest of them all is the birds’ unique mating ritual. Taking great pride in their name, and (more likely) their blue feet, during Blue-footed mating rituals, the males will flaunt their blue feet, displaying them to prospective female mates with a pompous, high-stepping strut movement. The key to finding a successful mate? Blue feet. The bluer the feet, the more attractive the mate.