Exotic Animals at the Naples Zoo

 

The Naples Zoo is  housed in the famous Caribbean Gardens. The zoo is a wonderful family visiting spot. They have many exhibits displaying exotic animals as well as shows. http://www.napleszoo.com/

Macaws have a long lifespan living up to 60 to 80 years! They are large and colorful. When it comes to choosing a mate they will stay together for life. Their diet includes ripe and unripe nuts, seeds, fruit, and even insects.

Military Macaws are bright green with red at the front of their heads. They received their name because of their bright green color which quoted by experts “They look like they are ready to march in a parade.” This playful parrot flashed out his head feathers just as I shot the photo.

This pacing “spotted cat” known as the leopard can be a skilled man-eater. It can reach speeds over 60 km! There coats allow them to blend in with surrounding leaves as they approach their pray. They are nocturnal hunters and eat antelope, pigs, and deer.

These Gazelles are a friendly couple. They live from Northern Africa through India Semi-desert. The fact that they can go their whole lives without drinking show how well they have adapted to life in the desert.

The giraffe is the tallest animals in the world. The males can rise up to 19 feet tall and weigh between 2400 and 4250. The females are slightly shorter at 17 feet tall. The giraffe is one of my favorite animals at the zoo. They have around a 100 different plants they eat. When visitors feed the giraffes they quickly slurp up the foliage with their long tongues.

It is nap time for this African Crested Porcupine. This is one of the animals we were able to see at a show. It is the largest and the heaviest of the African rodents. When danger approaches, the porcupine raises its quills and spreads them our. The skills latch onto the skin like fishhooks and are not easy to remove. Fortunately for the porcupine, they do grow back.

The stripes on each zebra is unique as the variety of fingerprints on a human. An interesting fact is that there has been albino zebras in captivity!

The leopard tortoise can live up to 100 years! It is the fourth largest species in the world with adult reaching up to 18-inches. When threatened, they can retract their head and feet into their shell.

I hope you enjoyed my tour of the Naples Zoo. Following this entry, will be a continuation of the Zoo.

Scripture of the week

Songs of Songs 2:2 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is to come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C Part 3 “Birds”

Flamingoes are well know for their beautiful pink color which actually is a result of their diet. They feed on algae, diatoms, and small crustaceans which are rich in carotene pigment. Not exactly appetizing, but amazingly for these birds it is what helped to produce the name flamingo which originated from the Latin word flamma, meaning ‘flame’.

Both mother and father Flamingoes share the responsibility in raising their baby. They work together to pile up mud for building the nest in which the mother Flamingo will lay a single egg. The parents take turns in incubating the egg. After the egg hatches the young chick will have either white or gray plumage like the chick above. I can imagine him crying, “Mama, feed me, feed me!”

Maybe you have thought of your own caption idea for the picture above. If you have I’d love to hear it. You may send me a comment and you may include your website.

This native cardinal appears to have a inquisitive look. I spotted it while looking at one of the bird exhibits.

Red-fan Parrots live in the Amazon Rainforest in the genus Deroptyus. The have exquisite neck feathers that can be raised to form an elaborate and colorful fan. It most likely is a defense device used when threatened. These tropical birds live in trees and stumps. They feed on fruits that are up in the Rainforest’s canopy.

White-faced Whistling Ducks include eight different species in their genus Dendrocygna. They make their home in Costa Rica southwards to Northern Argentina and Uruguay. They live in Southern Africa and south of the Sahara from Senegal to Ethiopia. They even live on the island of Madagacar which is 226,658 sq miles and is the fourth largest island in the world!

This is a Micronesian Kingfisher which sadly is extinct in the wild. As stated in the sign below it was originally found in Guam, Palau islands, and Micronesia. You can click the sign below to read it better.

By looking at the Pygmy Falcon’s beak you can tell he is a predator who preys on insects, reptiles and small animals. Animals, watch out for this falcon cause these birds have a rapid speed and dart through the air with quick bursts of energy.

The Red-crested Cardinal name’s origin is obvious. It has a beautifully colored head which is vibrant red. Despite their name, this species of cardinal is not closely related to true cardinals. Their natural habitat is subtropical and tropical dry shrub land.

Click to enlarge sign.

 

The Roseate Spoonbill like Flamingoes get their pink color from their diet. Their colors range from pale pink to bright magenta. This coloring though depends on the age and location.

The Keel-Billed Toucan is about 25 inches in length. It is a Latin American bird and is the national bird of Belize. The toucan’s bill may appear large, but is actually very light and spongy. The bill is green with a red tip and orange sides. It is a beautiful bird the photograph.

 

Elizabeth’s Traveling Tips: 

If you travel a lot and you’re ready to upgrade from your digital camera to a DSLR, I recommend the EOS Rebel T1i. It takes incredible pictures. I found mine for about $200 dollars cheaper than retail. The kit came with a EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens and the larger lens photographed above.

Scripture for the week

Genesis 7:14-7:16

They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according its kind, everything with wings. Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.