Dragonfly

  Dragonfly is a generic term, referring to a group of insects with large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of transparent wings and an elongated abdomen. Dragonflies are not to be confused with damsel flies. Although dragonflies have six legs they do not walk well, preferring to hover instead. They are some of the fastest insects in the world. They are predators preying on small insects such as mosquitoes, flies, bees, ants, and very rarely, butterflies.
  They are usually found near lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds as their larvae, nymphs, are aquatic. In general, large dragonflies have a maximum speed of 10-15 meters per second or 22-34 miles per hour. They have an average cruising speed of 4.5 meters per second or 10 miles per hour.

Leopard Seal

  The leopard seal is the second largest seal in the Antarctic. It is most common along the coast of Antarctica and sub-Antarctic islands but they can also be found along southern Australia, New Zealand and other such areas. The leopard seal is quite large, the male generally around 17 feet or 5 meters and weighing around 454 kilograms or a 1000 pounds. It has a lifespan of twenty-six years, possibly more. Killer whales and large sharks are the only natural predators of this formidable seal.
  The leopard seal has an unusual jaw that opens to 160 degrees and allows it to bite large animals. The leopard seal is a curious predator, sometimes playing with penguins that it does not intend to eat. Smaller leopard seals feed on squids and fish while larger ones may prey on penguins, and much less frequently other seals such as carbeater and elephant seals. Sea birds have also been found in leopard seal scat.
  Leopard seals are potentially dangerous towards humans but attacks are rarely reported.

Shetland Sheepdog/Sheltie

  The Shetland Sheepdog, sometimes shortened to Sheltie, is a domestic breed of excitable, and energetic herding dog. They are partly derived from the dogs used in Shetland for protecting and herding sheep. They are small to medium and come in a variety of colors, such as tri-color, blue Merle, sable/white and so on.

  They are small, most often 250-200 millimeters or 8-10 inches in height. They weigh on average 7-9 kilograms or 16-20 pounds.  They have a litter size of 4-6 puppies and a lifespan of 12-15 years.
  Shelties have a high level of intelligence, according to Dr. Stanley Coren, an expert on animal intelligence, Shelties rank 6th out of the 132 breeds tested.
  In their size group, this breed is excellent at dog agility competitions. They also excel at competitive obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking and herding.

Wildlife Photo Gallery

                                                                          Young ocelot

                                                                      Robin on a branch

                                                                             Meerkat

                                                                          Elephant

                                                                         Frog on a leaf

Liger

  The liger is a cross between a male lion and a tigress. It is different from the similar hybrid tiglon. The liger is the largest of all known felines. Ligers enjoy swimming, a charecteristic of tigers and, much like the lion are very social. Ligers exist only in captivity because the habitat of the parental species don't overlap.
  Ligers are the largest cat in the world due to imprinted genes. It is erroneously believed that ligers continue to grow throughout their lives because of hormonal issues. Female ligers may also attain massive sizes, weighing around 320 kilograms or 705 pounds and reaching 3.05 meters or 10 feet. On a somewhat unrelated note, pumapards, a cross between a puma and leopards tend to show dwarfism. Ligers are the same size as the extinct American lion.

Blue-ringed Octopus

  The blue-ringed octopus is one of three or four species of octopus that live in tidal pools in the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Australia. They are currently recognized as one of the world's most venomous animals. They are quite small and docile, however when agitated or threatened, they will show a display of distinctive blue rings, hence their name. Generally, they hunt small crabs, shrimp as well as small fish if possible.
  They will pounce on their prey, paralyze them with venom and use their beaks to tear off pieces. They then suck out the flesh from a crustacean exoskeleton if necessary.
  The blue-ringed octopus is 12-20 centimeters or 5-8 inches but has a venom powerful enough to kill humans. There is no available antivenom. The venom of the octopus contains tetrodotoxin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, hyaluronidase, tyramine, histamine, tryptamine, octopamine, taurine, acetylcholine, and dopamine. The main component is tetrodoxin, a toxin 10,000 more poisonous than cyanide.

First Multicellular Organisms Found to Live an Oxygen-Free Life

  Researchers in the Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona, Italy have found three new species in the oxygen-free pits of the Mediterranean Sea. Before this astounding discovery, the only organisms known to be capable of living without oxygen were bacteria an viruses.
  Unlike all previously discovered species, these strange creatures don`t use mitochondria, the cellular organelle than converts sugar and oxygen into water, CO2 and energy to power their cells. These organisms use an organelle much like the hydrogenosome, a cellular component used by certain microbes to produce energy using complex enzymatic reactions.
  These unnamed organisms all belong to the phylum Loricifera are less than 0.04 inches long. This is not the first time scientists have discovered organisms in anoxic environment, but previous discoveries needed to surface for oxygen while these creatures do not. How these creatures evolved and what else is down there remains to be seen.