passionately curious

fyanimaldiversity:

Mutations in Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)

1. Nicknamed Marble, this zebra has an area of small scrambled stripes on it’s back, giving it a marbled look. [x]
2. A reconstructed quagga-like animal, it’s legs clean, and it’s rump and belly nearly free of markings. The stripes it does have are fairly narrow for a plains zebra. It’s tail and mane are much lighter, and has a faint brown wash along it’s back.[x]
3. Two reduced striped animals, the middle with a few stray stripes on it’s rump and legs, the one on the right has a nearly all white body and legs. Both have a fewer number of facial markings as well.[x]
4. A diluted, brown striped adult zebra. Zebra foals are born brown and white, but this one didn’t seem to lose it’s baby colors. [x]
5. An erythristic, gingery-brown striped beauty. [x]
6. Blonde is a term applied to leucistic zebras. Albino is sometimes used for the really light animals, like this blue eyed and creamy tan striped one, however I keep reading that true albinism has not been recorded in equines, so I’m hesitant to use that term.[x]
7. This abundistic has stripes that thicken and meld together on it’s back and neck, forming white spots.[x]
8. Dotted and dashed with white on a black background, this heavily abundistic zebra has a very unique and striking look.[x]
9. The back of this abundistic Burchell’s (E.q. burchellii) is so densely marked, it’s a nearly solid blanket of color ticked with a bit of white. The rest of it’s stripes and brown shadow stripes are jagged and messy.[x] 
10. Unfortunately, without the help of the naturally camouflaged striped coat, this extremely dark abundistic foal was an easier target for predators and didn’t make it into adulthood. Still in it’s dark brown baby coat, it probably would look very similar to number 8 but with a darker face, smaller spots, and wider white stripes on it’s rump.[x]

hwael:

Baird’s and Arnoux’s Beaked Whales

by Brett Jarrett

astronomy-to-zoology:

Kultarr (Antechinomys laniger)

Also known as the Marsupial Jerboa, Wuhl-wuhl, Pitchi-pitchi or the Jerboa Pouched mouse, the Kultarr is a species of carnivorous marsupial native to Central and Southern Australia. Like most Dasyuromorphians the Kultarr is a solitary carnivore and will feed on small invertebrates like insects and spiders. Kultarrs are often found in arid regions like deserts, plains and woodlands, but some populations have thrived in salt marshes. They nest in abandoned burrows or soil cracks.

Phylogeny

Animalia-Chordata-Mammalia-Marsupialia-Dasyuromorphia-Dasyuridae-Sminthopsinae-Sminthopsini-Antechinomys-laniger

Image Source(s)

that’s pretty cute

linalovesdrawing:

Got super discouraged by people calling animals the wrong name today, so I decided it was about time to post this little gem I’ve been sitting on for a while.