Elizabeth's Secret Garden

  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. The...

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 o...