Last year I had the opportunity to visit a very large zoo and was truly astonished at how many different varieties of animals there are. It must be a really uphill battle to be an animal conservationist, because there are so many animals nobody's ever heard of from around the world. It's easy to find the love for superstars like the Northern White Rhino and the Galapagos Turtle, but what about the 8 zillion obscure bird species that are out there? Who will speak for the Southern Bald Ibis? One of my favorite animals is the European Badger, Meles meles. I like it for its industrious nature. FOCUS: What is your favorite animal? Please list genus and species, in italics (of course). Why is it your favorite animal?
I thought you liked it for its athletic prowess and musical proficiency. Focus: I'll admit it, I like a superstar. I can't help it. Everything about the lion - Panthera leo - is very captivating to me. It has something to do with being fiercely territorial and consequently being universally regarded as "king of the jungle." Ever watch a Discovery/NatGeo special on lions? It's mesmerizing. I admire their stoic nature, and the way they carry themselves with a sense of "I run this here motherfucker, see?" And yes, I very much enjoyed The Lion King growing up, if you must ask. As much as I love polar bears, tigers, snakes, owls, seals, walruses, and scarlet macaws...it's the lions' den I look forward to the most when I go to the zoo. 100% of the time. Hate on them for lazing around for 20 hours out of the day, but during the other 4, guess what: Spoiler HOLYFUCKINGSHIT!!!! And you better believe they fucking CAN kick a gorilla's ass...
Many will say that the Peregrine Falcon is the greatest flyer because of it's 200+ mph reverse roll dive, but the Albatross is the greatest flying machine man has ever seen, and my favourite animal is the Southern Royal Albatross. With an airplane-like 12 foot wingspan, it's the largest and most amazing flying animal on earth: To you, they may look like an overgrown seagull. They are anything but. This animals are absolutely unreal. They can: They can contour their wings with the wind, lock them like switchblade and then fly for HUNDREDS of miles without flapping them ONCE while travelling horizontally at speeds near 100 mph (not diving but straight with the land), shredding the air around them. They can also contour their wings so well they can literally hover in mid-air just a couple feet off the ground like an alien spacecraft. They fly millions of miles in their lives. They are usually tame enough to hand-feed and pet. They will fly THOUSANDS of miles to deliver one meal to its chick. They mate for life and live over 70 years, but they only see land more mating purposes. Some will live their nearly their entire lives in the sub-arctic temperatures of the open water, 55 years without seeing land once (and their mating dance is a riot to watch). Go on Youtube and watch videos of these animals. They are astonishing in the air, like no other animal on earth.
'Cause they're awesome: Spoiler Puppies! 'Cause they're delicious: Spoiler Tuna! 'Cause they're beautiful AND delicious: Spoiler Ducks! 'Cause they're CRAAAAAZY: Spoiler ... Plus they really just don't give a shit! Anti-Focus: Spoiler AAAAHHHHHHH!!!
Mainly because it's my Chinese zodiac sign, but also because they are beautiful creatures who will tear your shit up.
I love Lynx's. My friends dad raises them ( has a license to do so) along with skunks, raccoons and bobcats. They've always been a favorite of mine. And when you have a baby lynx climbing on your shirt, you tend to like them too. Spoilered for size and cuteness. NSFW
In the unlikely event that there is a god, there is proof positive that he not only made, but occasionally enjoys marijuana. The platypus is an egg-laying, venomous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal. It's a taxidermist's spare parts bin, and it's fucking real. They hunt by locating the electric fields created by muscle contractions. No that's not bullshit or something out of an 80's sci/fi action/horror movie. it's fucking real. They sweep their heads from side to side to triangulate position based on relative signal strength at the different receptor points in their head. Spoiler
I've never been to Australia, but the Columbus Zoo has a Down Under exhibit that I always enjoyed. There's an entire darkened building with nocturnal animals. Including an entire cage filled with these: Spoiler There's also a walk-about section where you're in a cage with about a dozen kangaroos. They usually just hang out under the trees, but it's still cool to see them 20 feet away without a cage between you and them. Spoiler Also, whatever this thing is:
I absolutely love birds of prey and big cats. To me, birds of prey are some of the most amazing creatures on the Earth. Whether it be an osprey diving into the ocean to collect fish or a hawk diving a mile out of the sky to catch a mouse, these birds' ability to strike with such precision from such an altitude is incredible to me. Plus they look sweet. Spoiler Big cats are just so cool. Just watching them stalk and pounce on their prey is terrifying and awe-inspiring at the same time. Also, it's kinda cool to think that they are capable of possessing the mindset of a house cat, but with much more badassery. Spoiler However, if I had to pick a favorite, it might be have to be bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The like-able traits of dolphins are pretty obvious, but this video alone seals the deal for me. (start at ~1 min) Edited to fix link
Aside from the Tiger and Lion which have already been listed, I have to go with the Haliaeetus leucocephalus (bald eagle) because that is one majestic creature. My favorite animal used to be a monkey (no specific kind, just generic tree climber with a tail) until I discovered my love for big cats. This love probably came from two of my favorite sports teams, the Tigers and Lions.
I'm a huge fan of big cats. The cheetah, (Acinonyx jubatus) however, tops my list. This is a picture I took of a cheetah standing over her kill not long after she ran it down. (Mrs. Noland and I went to Kenya on out honeymoon.) Unfortunately we didn't get to see her take it down, but came across her shortly after. You can't see it, but there is a wildebeest in the grass below her. Spoiler
My favorite is radypus variegatus, also known as the Sloth. These things sleep up to 18 hours per day. According to wikipedia they come down from the trees once every 8 days or so to shit and spend up to 20% of their lifetime in a single tree. They're so lazy and interesting that I can't help but love them. Spoiler
If T. Roosevelt was around he would gladly catch two of every obscure bird species and probably say something cool like "This belongs in a Zoo!" My favorite animal is the Florida panther which is a subspecies of cougar (Puma concolor). I wish I had some cool facts about how it runs at 500mph or something but really I like it because its my state animal and it's endangered (only like 100 left). funfact: they cant roar; just purr and hiss. Spoiler
I love these wily bastards. Spoiler Ringnecked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). The photo shows one in a very natural setting, or at least how I've seen a lot of them- running for their lives in a beaten-up cornfield. No joke I have a lot of respect for them... they withstand abusive climates, mate repeatedly until they have eggs that hatch (fuck pandas), and their iridescent feathers are incredible. But there's also a shit ton of them in the Midwest (transplanted from China) and they happen to be delicious and a ton of fun to hunt so I get to be baffled by their ability to hide and sneak around often. I think anyone who has hunted them can attest to how easy it is to have to kick around and scan a little patch of short grass that one went down in. They aren't little birds and they aren't very dull-colored... but they are masters at hiding or just flying into the next township as soon as you step in the 80-acre plot they're in.
I've always appreciated the African Elephant, Elephantidae loxodonta. Such an enormous and gentle creature, until you piss it off and it tries to stomp the fuck out of you. Gentle: Angry: If I were in that jeep, I would probably shit my pants.