Animals page13

Incredible Melanistic (All Black) Animals (11 photo)

01 mar 2013 07:46

Melanism is an undue development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or its appendages and is the opposite of albinism. The word ‘melanism’ is deduced from a Greek word that means black pigment. Pseudo-melanism, also called abundism, is another variant of pigmentation, characterized by dark spots or enlarged stripes, which cover a large part of the body of the animal making it appear melanistic. Melanism related to the process of adaptation is called adaptive. Most commonly, dark individuals become fitter to survive and reproduce in their environment as they are better camouflaged. This makes some species less conspicuous to predators, while others such as black panthers use it as a foraging advantage during night hunting. Typically adaptive melanism is heritable: A dominant gene, which is entirely or nearly entirely expressed in the phenotype is responsible for the excessive amount of melanin. Adaptive melanism has been shown to occur in a variety of animals, including mammals such as squirrels, many felines and canids, and coral snakes. Below you will find a fascinating gallery of ten melanistic (all black) animals. If you know of other melanistic animals, please post in the comments below!

Melanism is an undue development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or its appendages and is the opposite of albinism. The word ‘melanism’ is deduced from a Greek word that means black pigment.

Roller Legs for a Paralyzed Dog (8 photo)

Helen

01 mar 2013 03:57

Abayed, a herding dog from Jordan, who was paralyzed by a bullet, gets roller legs. Now Abayed is doing his job again.

Whatever happens, don’t say Awwww! (18 photo)

Veggie

28 feb 2013 23:35

Go ahead. I dare you. Make it to the end of this series with out saying: awwwww!! And if you make it to the end and you are silent, then you simply have no soul.

Adorable Portraits of People and Their Pets (14 photo)

Helen

28 feb 2013 10:17

Your Pet and You is an ongoing series by Hamburg, Germany-based photographer Tobias Lang that juxtaposes pictures of people with portraits of their precious pets. They say that pets tend to look like their owners and Lang's series shows us just how true that statement is. From the typical pets like cats and dogs to the more exotic breeds of owned animals like snakes and owls, the photographer's images offer a diverse selection of subjects accompanied by their human counterparts. The dual subjects within each composed frame complement each other, almost echoing each other's exact mood and personality.

Your Pet and You is an ongoing series by Hamburg, Germany-based photographer Tobias Lang that juxtaposes pictures of people with portraits of their precious pets.

Five Stars Dog Hotel (15 photo)

Helen

28 feb 2013 08:09

Deluxe class hotel for pets "The Barkley" is located in Los Angeles at the "human" Hotel Four Seasons. While owners relax in their rooms in the usual "human" hotel dogs get pampered in all thinkable ways: breakfast in bed, massage, swimming pool,... :D What was that about dog's life, eh?

Deluxe class hotel for pets "The Barkley" is located in Los Angeles at the "human" Hotel Four Seasons.

Every Kitten Becomes A Cat (15 photo)

Helen

28 feb 2013 08:06

No matter how cute they were when you accepted them in your home, you will eventually have to bear with the harsh reality ... they'll have to grow up sometime.

The Bear Love (4 photo)

Helen

28 feb 2013 08:04

Usually male bears have no interest in life of their offspring and leave their mothers to do all the parenting. But this bear named Ballou, who lives in a zoo in Russia, refers to his baby with love and sometimes even doesn't let it's mother to come near the child.

Usually male bears have no interest in life of their offspring and leave their mothers to do all the parenting.

The Sloths are Coming! (3 video)

Veggie

27 feb 2013 13:39

One of the cutest video trends we are starting to see are cute sloths just doing their thing! See what we mean below

Dog shoots owner in the leg (4 photo + 2 video)

Jesse Harms

27 feb 2013 13:22

Gregory Dale Lanier was driving his car with his dog when something unusual happened. The Dog (Unnamed at this point) Happened to kick a gun which Lanier had thought was Unloaded. It Wasn't. The Gun went off shooting Lanier in the leg. In Case Your wondering the dog was not arrested by the Police and Lanier is doing just fine. For Such a strange story this isn't the first time this happened. There have been several dog owner shootings in the past couple years. Just last year in fact while on a hunting trip a dog got excited and jumped up on his owner with a gun in his hand the dogs paw hit the trigger and the mans hand had to be amputated. Its amazing how often these stories occur. Maybe next time you should leave the gun or dog at home, together they can make for a dangerous combo.

Gregory Dale Lanier was driving his car with his dog when something unusual happened. The Dog (Unnamed at this point) Happened to kick a gun which Lanier had thought was Unloaded. It Wasn't.

Meet Sam, The Cat With Eyebrows (11 photo)

Helen

27 feb 2013 10:37

Turns out a cat doesn’t necessarily have to be grumpy to become and Internet sensation: meet Sam, the ever-surprised kitten, whose eyebrows made him an Internet hit overnight! Black markings over his eyes make the cat look as if he has eyebrows going through the roof. Sam’s pictures went viral instantly, and he now has over 10.000 followers on Instagram.

Turns out a cat doesn’t necessarily have to be grumpy to become and Internet sensation: meet Sam, the ever-surprised kitten, whose eyebrows made him an Internet hit overnight!

Cats Play with Dogs (14 photo)

Helen

27 feb 2013 10:34

Cats and dog are cute, but they are even more adorable, when they play together... Here is a compilation that will prove it) Enjoy)

Massive Bird Nests on Telephone Poles (8 photo)

Helen

27 feb 2013 09:35

In the Kalahari Desert, South Africa, a native bird called the Sociable Weaver Bird constructs massive nests that, from a distance, looks like a giant haystack that's fallen into a tree. The foundation of these nests are often trees or a utility pole such as the ones that carry telephone wires. Over these the birds create a frame with larger sticks and then build walls from dry grasses to form individual rooms, and line each chamber of the nest with softer grasses and fibers. Sharp spikes of straw protect the entrance tunnels from predators. These nests are the largest built by any bird, and are large enough to house over a hundred pairs of birds. Some sociable weaver nests have remained occupied for several generations spanning over 100 years.

In the Kalahari Desert, South Africa, a native bird called the Sociable Weaver Bird constructs massive nests that, from a distance, looks like a giant haystack that's fallen into a tree.

Polar Bear Visits Dentist (10 photo)

Helen

27 feb 2013 07:33

Boris the polar bear gets root canal treatment in U.S. after being rescued from Mexican circus.

Taxidermy Gone Wrong (18 photo)

Jesse Harms

26 feb 2013 12:58

Here are a few examples of when Taxidermy Goes terribly Wrong. There are before pictures and then after pictures. How these Taxidermists keep there jobs I have no idea.