Wildlife.blog

By-the-wind Sailor

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 01:07:27 +0000

📍 San Diego

By-the-wind Sailor (Velella velella)

Not a jellyfish but a colonial hydrozoan, each Velella is a raft of specialized polyps topped by a chitinous sail that catches the wind.

Mass strandings are common along San Diego beaches in spring and summer when persistent onshore winds push entire flotillas ashore.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Anemone, San Diego

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:55:43 +0000

Aggregating Anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima)

One of the most abundant intertidal animals on the Pacific coast — it reproduces by cloning itself, carpeting rocks with genetically identical colonies that wage slow-motion border wars against neighboring clones.

Extremely common year-round in San Diego tidepools, found from Alaska to Baja California on rocky shorelines exposed at low tide.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Baby Capuchin Clinging to Mom

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:37:42 +0000

📍 Panama Canal

Panamanian White-faced Capuchin (Cebus imitator)

One of the most intelligent New World monkeys, known for using tools and washing food — and for boldly raiding boats and picnic sites along the canal.

A year-round resident of Central American forests from Honduras to Panama, these capuchins thrive in the lush vegetation bordering the Panama Canal and are among the most frequently spotted primates by transiting boaters.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | eBird map (range)

Scarlet Macaw in the Amazon Rainforest

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:32:57 +0000

Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)

One of the largest and most dazzling parrots in the Neotropics, unmistakable with its scarlet body, yellow wing coverts, and long blue-and-red tail that can double its total length.

A year-round resident throughout the Amazon basin, commonly seen in pairs or small flocks flying above the canopy or visiting forest-edge clearings and lodge gardens.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | eBird

Parrot in the Amazon Rainforest

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:32:38 +0000

Yellow-crowned Amazon (Amazona ochrocephala)

A stocky, bright-green parrot with a signature yellow forehead patch and pale eye ring, this one is sheltering under a thatched palapa — a common sight where rainforest meets human settlement.

Widespread and year-round across the Amazon basin, often seen in pairs or small flocks near forest edges and clearings.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | eBird

Cuddle puddle of iguanas

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:32:18 +0000

Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

The only lizard on Earth that forages in the ocean, marine iguanas lose heat rapidly after diving in cold Pacific waters and pile together on land to warm back up — a behavior called “thermoregulatory huddling.”

Endemic to the Galápagos and present on every island year-round, often gathering in dense colonies along the shore.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | IUCN Red List

Angry Crab

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:31:55 +0000

Sally Lightfoot Crab (Grapsus grapsus)

One of the most vibrantly colored crabs in the world, juveniles start jet-black to camouflage against lava rock, then turn blazing red-orange as adults.

Abundant year-round across the Galápagos shoreline, found on virtually every rocky coast in the archipelago.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Crab

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:31:29 +0000

Sally Lightfoot Crab (Grapsus grapsus)

One of the most vivid animals in the Galapagos – adults turn brilliant red-orange after spending their youth camouflaged in black to match the lava.

Year-round residents of the Galapagos shoreline, found on nearly every rocky coast across the archipelago.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Iguana, Galápagos

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:30:55 +0000

Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

The world’s only ocean-foraging lizard, this juvenile is soaking up heat on volcanic rock before its next dive into the cold Cromwell Current to graze on algae.

Endemic to the Galápagos and found on every island in the archipelago, year-round.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | IUCN Red List

Napping iguana

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:30:39 +0000

Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

The world’s only ocean-foraging lizard, diving up to 12 metres to scrape algae off submerged rocks — then hauling out to bask motionless for hours while its body reheats and nasal salt glands purge excess sea salt.

Abundant and year-round throughout the Galápagos archipelago, with the largest concentrations on Isabela and Fernandina.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | Galápagos Conservancy

Blue-Footed Booby and Galápagos Penguin

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:30:23 +0000

Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii)

Famous for its vivid blue feet — the brighter the color, the healthier the bird — which males show off in an elaborate high-stepping courtship dance.

Common throughout the Galápagos Islands year-round, nesting on rocky shores and plunge-diving from height to catch schooling fish.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | eBird

Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)

The world’s only penguin found north of the equator and among the rarest — fewer than 2,000 remain, all endemic to the Galápagos archipelago.

Galápagos Penguins on the Lava Shore

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:30:03 +0000

📍 Isla Isabela, Galápagos Islands

Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)

The only penguin species found north of the equator, and the rarest penguin in the world — fewer than 2,000 remain, all within the Galápagos archipelago.

Year-round residents of Isla Isabela, which hosts the majority of the global population thanks to the cold, nutrient-rich Cromwell Current that sweeps past the island’s western coast.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | eBird

Dozens of iguanas blending into the volcanic rock

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:29:23 +0000

📍 Isla Isabela, Galápagos Islands

Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

The world’s only sea-going lizard, uniquely adapted to dive into cold Pacific currents and graze algae off submerged rocks — then bask on lava to reheat its dark, salt-crusted body.

Abundant and year-round on Isla Isabela, where the island’s vast volcanic coastline provides prime basking and foraging habitat for some of the archipelago’s largest colonies.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | Galápagos Conservancy

Whitetip Reef Shark

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:28:15 +0000

Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)

One of the few shark species that can lie motionless on the bottom, pumping water over its gills instead of needing to swim to breathe.

A year-round resident of the Galápagos archipelago, commonly found resting in caves and on sandy patches during the day before hunting reef fish at night.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Sea Turtle

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:27:22 +0000

📍 Galápagos Islands

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

The largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world, named not for its shell but for the green colour of its body fat — tinted by an adult diet of seagrass and algae.

Resident year-round in the Galápagos, where the archipelago’s nutrient-rich upwelling supports one of the Eastern Pacific’s most important nesting and foraging populations.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | SWOT Map

Blacktip Reef Shark, Galápagos Islands

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:26:25 +0000

Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)

One of the most recognizable reef sharks thanks to the bold black markings on its fin tips, this small, shy species rarely exceeds 1.6 m and is harmless to humans.

Common year-round in the shallow waters around the Galápagos archipelago, often spotted cruising lagoons and reef flats in small groups.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Wild Seahorse Under a Mangrove Tree in Ecuador

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:26:04 +0000

Pacific Seahorse (Hippocampus ingens)

The largest seahorse in the eastern Pacific, growing up to 30 cm — and one of the few species tough enough to thrive in the brackish, silty world beneath mangrove roots.

Found year-round along Ecuador’s coast, but increasingly rare due to bycatch and habitat loss; listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Galápagos Prickly Pear

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:25:22 +0000

Galápagos Prickly Pear (Opuntia echios)

The largest prickly pear in the world, growing tree-sized trunks up to 12 metres tall — an evolutionary arms race with giant tortoises and land iguanas that graze on the lower pads.

Endemic to the Galápagos and found across most of the archipelago; its fruit and pads are a critical food source for tortoises, iguanas, finches, and mockingbirds alike.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Blue-Footed Booby, Los Túneles

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:24:08 +0000

Blue-Footed Booby (Sula nebouxii)

Famous for their vivid turquoise feet — the brighter the blue, the healthier the bird, and mates choose accordingly.

A year-round breeding resident of Isabela Island; Los Túneles is one of the best spots to see them nesting right on the lava.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | eBird

Giant Tortoise, Galápagos Island

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:23:41 +0000

Galápagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis porteri)

The world’s largest living tortoise — dome-shelled adults can top 400 kg and live well past 100 years, and they love a good mud bath to cool down and shed parasites.

Giant tortoises are resident year-round across the Galápagos archipelago; the highland wallows of Santa Cruz Island are one of the easiest places to watch them soak.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Donkeys on the Inca Trail

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:22:55 +0000

Donkey (Equus asinus)

Hardy, sure-footed, and unfazed by thin air — burros have worked Andean trails for centuries, carrying gear so trekkers don’t have to.

Pack donkeys are a common sight year-round on the Inca Trail and throughout the Peruvian highlands, where they remain the preferred transport on paths too narrow or steep for vehicles.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

More Llamas in the Andes

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:22:26 +0000

Llama (Lama glama)

South America’s original beast of burden, domesticated from wild guanacos over 5,000 years ago — llamas carried supplies across the Inca road network and still wander freely among the ruins today.

Llamas are found throughout the Andean highlands of Peru, Bolivia, and beyond, thriving year-round at elevations above 3,000 metres.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Llamas at Machu Picchu

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:21:46 +0000

Llama (Lama glama)

Domesticated from wild guanacos thousands of years ago, llamas were the Inca Empire’s primary pack animal — and a small herd still roams Machu Picchu’s terraces today, keeping the grass trimmed the old-fashioned way.

A resident population lives year-round at the citadel, maintained by Peru’s Ministry of Culture as both a conservation nod and a living link to the site’s history.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Llamas Deep in the Andes

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:21:29 +0000

Llama (Lama glama)

Domesticated over 4,000 years ago in the Peruvian highlands, the llama is South America’s largest camelid and served as the primary pack animal of the Inca Empire.

A small herd is kept year-round on the terraces of Machu Picchu, where they double as living lawnmowers that trim the grass without damaging the ancient stonework.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Yawning Monkey

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:18:33 +0000

Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)

Bold, adaptable, and not shy about showing teeth — yawning is a common stress-relief or dominance signal, but those canines say “keep your distance” all on their own.

Abundant year-round in Hong Kong’s country parks, especially the Kam Shan and Shing Mun areas, where troops have thrived since a 1910s introduction.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

You shall not pass

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:18:10 +0000

Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)

One of the most widespread primates on Earth, equally at home raiding temple offerings and holding ground on a hiking trail.

Abundant year-round in Hong Kong’s country parks, especially the Kam Shan and Shing Mun areas, where troops have thrived since a 1910s introduction.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Grooming Macaques, Kam Shan (金山)

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:17:45 +0000

Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)

One of the most widespread primates on Earth, rhesus macaques are highly social Old World monkeys whose mutual grooming reinforces troop bonds and hierarchy.

Around 1,800 wild rhesus macaques inhabit Hong Kong’s Kam Shan (金山) Country Park year-round, descendants of a population released in the 1910s that has thrived in the forested hills ever since.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Sika Deer, Nara

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:16:13 +0000

Sika Deer (Cervus nippon)

A medium-sized deer native to East Asia, named for the Japanese word for deer — and one of the few deer species that keeps its spots into adulthood.

Over 1,000 sika deer roam freely through Nara Park year-round, protected since 1957 as national natural treasures; they famously bow to tourists in exchange for shika senbei crackers.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Squirrel, New York City

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:15:37 +0000

Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

One of the most adaptable urban mammals in North America, thriving in city parks where it caches thousands of nuts each autumn — and forgets enough of them to plant trees.

Ubiquitous year-round in New York City parks, sidewalks, and backyards; the city’s population is estimated in the tens of thousands.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

White-nosed Coati, Panama City

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:14:54 +0000

White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica)

A raccoon relative with a long, flexible snout it uses to root through leaf litter for invertebrates and fruit — and a banded tail nearly as long as its body.

Common year-round across Panama, especially around parks, forest edges, and urban green spaces where they scavenge boldly from visitors.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Strawberry Poison-dart Frog, Isla Bastimentos

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:14:05 +0000

Strawberry Poison-dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio)

Barely two centimetres long but impossible to miss — this jewel-toned frog wears its toxicity on its skin, sequestering alkaloid poisons from the ants and mites it eats to become one of the most unpalatable animals in the Neotropics.

The Bastimentos red morph, with its vivid scarlet body and black spots, is one of dozens of strikingly different colour forms this species takes across the Bocas del Toro archipelago — making the islands a living laboratory for studying rapid colour evolution.

Sheep, Cliffs of Moher

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:12:41 +0000

Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries)

Black-faced and shaggy-coated, this is likely a Scottish Blackface cross — the breed that has grazed Ireland’s Atlantic cliffs for centuries, bred to handle wet, windy hillsides where other livestock won’t thrive.

Scottish Blackface and their crosses are the most common sheep along the west coast of Ireland, grazing year-round on the exposed karst and cliff-top pastures of County Clare.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Black-headed Gull at Shinobazu Pond, Tokyo

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:08:38 +0000

Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

A small, elegant gull recognized by its dark chocolate-brown breeding hood, red bill, and pinkish-red legs — this individual’s patchy hood marks the transition between winter and summer plumage.

One of Tokyo’s most familiar winter gulls, abundant at Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Park from October through April; the Japanese name ユリカモメ (yurikamome) even lends its name to the city’s waterfront rail line.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | eBird

Chicken in a Tree

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:07:42 +0000

Red Junglefowl / Feral Chicken (Gallus gallus)

Domestic chickens descend from the Red Junglefowl, and feral populations worldwide revert to ancestral habits like roosting in trees — exactly what this rooster is doing.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Mother monkey nursing her baby

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:07:15 +0000

📍 Singapore

Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)

Also called the crab-eating macaque, this adaptable primate thrives in forests, mangroves, and urban edges across Southeast Asia.

One of Singapore’s most commonly encountered wild mammals, long-tailed macaques are resident year-round and especially visible along nature trails like MacRitchie Reservoir and Bukit Timah.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Black Cat, Jersey City

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:04:50 +0000

Domestic Cat (Felis catus)

Solid black coats come from a recessive allele in the agouti gene — only about one in twenty-two cats carries the all-black look.

Free-roaming and feral cats are year-round residents throughout Jersey City, often found near restaurants and waterfronts.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Small Fox on Sandy Hook

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 23:59:00 +0000

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

This juvenile, likely from a spring litter, is out foraging on its own in midsummer — tawny coat not yet turned fully red.

Red foxes are year-round residents of Sandy Hook and common throughout the Gateway National Recreation Area.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Mute Swan on the River

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 23:22:22 +0000

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)

North America’s largest waterfowl — easily mistaken for an enormous goose — identified by its all-white plumage, long S-curved neck, and the orange bill with a distinctive black knob at the base.

Mute Swans are year-round residents along the Hudson River and throughout NYC waterways, introduced from Europe in the 19th century and now firmly established.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | eBird

Black squirrel in a tree

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 23:17:35 +0000

Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

North America’s largest tree squirrel, the fox squirrel carries a recessive melanistic gene that occasionally produces all-black individuals with no brown or gray at all.

San Mateo’s parks host one of California’s densest populations of melanistic fox squirrels, where all-black coats are so common they’re practically the local standard.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | Observations map

Black squirrel hugging a redwood tree

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 23:06:46 +0000

Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

The largest tree squirrel in North America, Bay Area populations frequently express a striking all-black (melanistic) coat that sets them apart from the rusty-orange form seen elsewhere.

San Mateo’s parks and neighborhoods are dense with Eastern Fox Squirrels — a non-native species that spread across the Bay Area after introductions in the early 20th century and now outnumbers native Western Gray Squirrels in many urban areas.