10 Adorable Baby Animals

 

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but some baby animals aren’t conventionally cute. At any Hallmark gift shop there are hundreds of cards with images of cute puppies, but not many with wrinkly aardvarks. All baby creatures have a certain charm though. Some, like the hippo perhaps, lose a little of it as they grow to full-size, but others, like the panda, can look forward to a whole lifetime of cuteness. Of course this is all just in the eyes of us humans, who tend to anthropomorphize all baby animals and think of them in terms of human babies. But its hard to resist.These guys are just so darn cute!

Baby Aardvarks

(image via: zooborns)

Well he may not be conventionally handsome but this wrinkly baby aardvark is seriously sweet. The aardvark’s name derives from the Afrikaans word “earth pig.” In Africa magicians make a charm from the heart, skin, forehead, and nails of the aardvark, which they then pound together with the root of a certain tree. Wrapped in a piece of skin and worn on the chest the charm is said to give the owner the ability to pass through walls or roofs at night. It is used by burglars and those seeking to visit young girls without their parents’ permission. Very handy unless you happen to be an aardvark.

Baby Francois Langur

(image via: boston)

Look at those lovely big eyes. That’s a characteristic we seem to like in baby animals, perhaps because it reminds us of human babies. This little fellow is quite rare and one of the lutung species of monkey from China and Vietnam. There are believed to be less than 500 left in Vietnam and 1,400-1,650 in China, with only about 60 langurs in captivity in North American zoos. This particular 5 day old charmer is called Elke, from Taronga Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital in Sydney, where her keepers have decided to hand-raise the monkey after she was rejected by her mother.

Baby Gorillas

(image via: boston)

One of the things humans warm to in animals is evidence of the mother-child bond and this can be seen very strongly with gorillas. Not surprising since their DNS is 98-99% identical to humans and they are our next closest relative after two chimpanzee species. They are the largest of the living primates and, despite their fearsome appearance, predominantly herbivorous . They live in the forests of Central Africa. The baby gorilla in the picture is Kiburi from Duisburg zoo in Germany and, like all adorable babies, she needs lots of sleep.

Baby Hedgehogs




(image via: darkroastedblend)

The little guy looks like an upside-down hairbrush and he will only get more prickly as he grows older. Hedgehogs are native to Europe, Asia and Africa but not North America or Australia. The species hasn’t changed much for the last 15 million years but the name ‘hedgehog’ came into use more recently , around 1450. It was derived from the English ‘hegge’ (hedge) and ‘hogge’ (pig) because I suppose of their pig-like snout and the fact they were often found in hedgerows. Makes sense. Hedgehogs feature in many children’s stories and perhaps for that reason are generally regarded with affection as benign creatures.

Baby Pandas

(image via: zooborns)

Pandas are born cute and stay cute all their lives. They’re the clowns of the animal world, delighting people in zoos with their antics and appearing like great big funny stuffed toys. This just shows that looks can be deceptive. It was recently reported that a zoo-goer who decided to give one of these cuddly creatures a hug had their arm ripped off in the process. Pandas are very definitely wild animals, however sweet they may look. They are extremely valuable wild animals too, since they are an endangered species and are highly prized by the worlds zoos.

Domestic Cats

(image via: thundafunda)

Although they’re not rare or exotic, kittens are common favorites amongst the ‘adorable baby animals’ . The huge eyes, oversized pointy ears and playful nature all combine to put them near the top of every child’s wish list when it comes to pets. People have had a love affair going on with cats for at least the last 9,500 years. They were revered as gods in ancient Egypt and a study in 2007 found that the lines of descent of all house cats probably run back to as few as five self-domesticating African wildcats around 8,000BC. So it looks like cats originally just decided to move in with us because they felt like it and they’ve been our house-guests ever since. Typical of cats.

Baby Hippopotamus

(image via: photographyfineart)

I suppose a hippo isn’t the first thing you think of in connection with ‘adorable babies’ but they are irresistibly cute. They look so precious trotting along beside their huge mothers and when you see them in the water, where buoyancy counteracts their weight, they’re like chubby little ballet dancers. Baby hippos grow up into the third-largest land mammal by weight (1.5–3.5 tons), behind the white rhino and the elephant, but despite their bulk and short legs they can easily outrun a human. Hippos have been clocked at 18 mph (29 km/h) over short distances, which is pretty impressive. They have a combination of speed and bulk that seems not unlike sumo-wrestlers. They are also one of the most aggressive creatures in the world, often regarded as the most ferocious animal in Africa so if you’re ever tempted to pet a baby hippo, watch out for mom.

Baby Meerkats

(image via: zooborns)

A meerkat is a small mammal, a bit like a mongoose, from the Kalahari desert of South Africa. They live in groups called a ‘mob’ or a ‘clan’ with about 20 members. Meerkats forage in these groups with one “sentry” on guard watching for predators while the others search for food. Sentry duty is usually about an hour long. Baby meerkats do not start foraging for food until they are about 1 month old, and do so by following an older member of the group who acts as the pup’s tutor. If you watch video of meercats one of their most striking characteristics is their habit of standing up on their hind legs so they can see further over the desert.

Baby Rhinoceros

(image via: zooborns)

Cute as baby rhinos undoubtedly are, you wouldn’t want to take one home because when they grow up they weigh well over a ton. They look like creatures from the prehistoric past, with their thick hides and huge horns, but generally they are peaceful herbivores. Unfortunately they are often killed for their horn which some mistakenly think is an aphrodisiac. The collective name for a group of rhinos is a ‘crash’ which, given their lumbering bulk and generally poor eye-sight, seems particularly apt.

Human Babies

(image via: theonion)

Its not really possible to leave the subject of ‘adorable baby animals’ without including a mention of human babies. People jokingly say that nature makes them appealing so their parents don’t murder them when the sleepless nights and smelly diapers become too much. Certainly babies have the facial proportions that studies say we humans find attractive and its probably not an accident from an evolutionary perspective because even after a lengthy nine months of pregnancy, and unlike many species who can look after themselves fairly quickly, human offspring require care and attention for a long time. Ask the mother of any teenager and she’ll tell you it can be a very long time indeed. However there’s no denying, babies are adorable. Its just as well.

Gerri L Elder

High Nature: Amazing Mountain Wildlife

 

(images via claude74, itsnature, gravitydude99)

Mountains are some of the most inhospitable places on earth.  Thin air, lack of vegetation and harsh weather highlight that fact.  But some creatures have adapted to mountain life.  For them, negotiating rocky terrain, breathing thin air, and finding food in such a scarce environment is second nature.

Snow Leopard

(image via newagecrap)

Snow Leopards are at home in South and Central Asia.  They are an especially stocky cat, weighing up to 120 pounds.  Despite their ferocity (snow leopards have been known to kill animals three-times their size), they are endangered, with the worldwide population estimated around 10,000.

Indian Rhino and Yak

(images via Wonker and thomaswanhoff)

The Indian Rhinoceros is one of the most unusual mountain creatures.  They thrive in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains in Northeastern India and Nepal.  They can weight more than 3 tons, easily the largest mountain animal on earth.

The yak is a woolly, strong creature that has made life possible to humans in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau for centuries.  They have larger hearts and lungs than their other bovine cousins and can survive at up to 18,000 feet above sea-level.

Mountain Goat

(image via mikefats)

There are actually several species that are often tagged as Mountain Goats.  The shaggy, sure-footed Rocky Mountain Goat is frequently sighted in Colorado and Wyoming.  Other species are equally sure-footed and able to survive by eating whatever the mountains have to offer.

Himalayan Griffon, Andean Condor, and Tibetan Snowcock

(images via reurinkjan, Ester Inbar and Otto Plantema)

The Himalayan Griffon Vulture is a scavenger that can often be seen soaring over the mountains of South Asia.  With a wingspan that approaches 10 feet, this is one of the largest birds to be found at high altitudes.

The Andean Condor is the Griffon’s Western Hemisphere cousin.  It has a similar size.  This South American species can live up to 50 years.

The Tibetan Snowcock is not as large as the two scavengers above, but it is arguably as tough, carving out an existence high on the Tibetan Plateau.

Alpine Marmot

(images via leo-seta)

Alpine Marmots are the largest relative of the squirrel.   They have an ideal set of skills for life in Central Europe’s mountains.  They are able to dig through hard, rocky ground with ease and can escape harsh conditions by hibernating (sometimes up to nine months per year).

Vicuna and Llama

(images via Rico Hubner and eschipul)

The rare Vicuna is a cousin of South America’s most famous domesticated animal, the llama.  It thrives in the same high-altitude conditions, but is considerably harder to find.  At one point, there were only about 10,000 left in the wild.  Protection has brought the number back to more than 100,000.

The Llama has become of necessity of life for people living in the high Andes.  These relatives of the camel have are used for labor, for their thick wool, and even for food.

Alpine Ibex

(image via Earth explorer)

This species of goat is easily recognized by its long, curving horns (which can be more than three feet long).  Despite the menacing appearance this gives them, the horns are mainly used for protection against predators.  Like most other goats, the ibex is strictly a herbivore, surviving on sometimes scarce mountain foliage.

Water-holding Cabbage

(image via Esculapio)

This unique plant species is one of the many unique ones that grow high on Mount Kilimanjaro.  The flowering tops make it seem top-heavy and completely alien.

Bharal and Deer Mice

(images via reurinkjan and kwantlen park)

The Bharal is yet another goat-like animal that thrives in sparse, rocky terrain.  Its sure footing and ability to ingest anything that is vaguely edible make it an ideal mountain dweller.  Bharal are a major food source for another animal on this list, Snow Leopards.

Deer Mice are found high on many of the world’s mountains.  These creatures can adapt easily to a number of environments, including the extreme cold of the Andes Mountains.

Josh

Animals help us in many hidden ways and lessen the difficulties of our days : )

 

(images via charliejb, eldiablosledge, and tambako the jaguar)

Animals have been domesticated and put to work for centuries.  Some, like certain species of dog, have been bred with a specific task in mind.  However, there are other species that retain some or all of their wildness while still performing tasks that benefit humans.  These creatures – pest killers, food producers and cleaners – are simply being themselves.  The benefit that people reap is no more than a happy side effect of these natural habits.

Barn Owls: Deadly Rodent Hunters

(images via Stevie-B, Seabamirum, and Richard.Fisher)

Some farms in Europe and North America have installed nesting areas in their barns for these nocturnal predators.  That is because they are prolific hunters of rodents.  It is a mutually beneficial relationship, the birds eat their fill and live in safety while the farm’s pest population is kept under control.

Spiders: Snagging Pests

(image via Benimoto)

Though they are often tagged as the most ugly and menacing creatures in the bug world, spiders actually catch and eat more harmful insects.  Mosquitoes, termites and bees find their way into webs more often than they end up on the business end of a fly-swatter.

Bats, Cormorants, and Dragonflies

(images via mikebaird, Jessicajil, and _PaulS_)

Bats and dragon flies are two more animals whose diets consist of mosquitoes.  Certain species of bats can consume hundreds of the disease-carrying insects per night.  Though dragonflies are not as prolific, they can help control a mosquito population, especially during summer months.

In the past, cormorants have been used by fisherman to catch fish on China’s Lijiang River.  Though the practice is less popular now, some birds can still be seen catching fish with great skill.

Striped Hyena: Canine Garbage Disposal

(image via Just chaos)

Unlike its more predatory kin, the spotted hyena, this subspecies does not often kill its own meat.  Rather, it feasts on the decaying flesh of animals that have already been killed or died naturally.  This helps prevent the spread of disease and disease carrying insects.

Coconut-Picking Monkeys

(image via apes_abroad)

Monkeys in Thailand and Malaysia are used to help farmers collect coconuts.  The domesticated macaques are at home in the trees and can pick 10 times more coconuts than a human laborer – sometimes more than 1,000 per day.

King Snake: Farmer’s Slithering Helper

(images via tkksummers and Just chaos)

The King Snake is a constrictor, but its colorfully patterned body sometimes leads people to mistake it for a poisonous species.  Because it is immune to many types of venom, this serpent is a natural predator of poisonous snakes.  It also consumes rodents and other pests that sometimes harm farmers’ crops.  In addition, King Snakes are quite sociable and make good pets when domesticated.

Civet Cat and Earthworm:

(images via denn, benketaro, and pfly)

Sometimes, animals can be helpful by simply digesting.  Earthworms are a welcome species in many organic gardens because the help aerate the soil and their waste is beneficial as a fertilizer.

Luwak coffee is considered a delicacy.   The beans for this coffee are fermented in the digestive system of the civet cat.  The beans are collected from the cat’s waste and sold for high prices.

Falcons and Passenger Pigeon

(images via Stevie-B and Ryan Somma)

Falconry is a traditional method of hunting that is not often used today, except as a sport.  These naturally swift, sharp-eyed predators have been trained to take their kill back to their owner.

Another traditionally used bird is the passenger pigeon.  Before the advent of more advanced communication devices, pigeons were used to send messages over long distances.  Like falconry, this is mainly a hobby today.

Bacteria that Eat Garbage

(image via Next Nature)

Certain species of microscopic bacteria have been used in garbage dumps, compost sites and sewage treatment plants because of their ability to consume these types of waste and change them from harmful to harmless (or at least less harmful).  Scientists are even studying ways that the bacteria’s waste can be used for energy.

Elephants: Muscle and Meat

(images via TheLizardQueen, belgianchocolate, and exfordy)

Elephants have been trained to do heavy lifting in Southeast and South Asia, as well as in some places in Africa.  These creatures are the largest domesticated animal on earth.  Unfortunately their wild kin are often being hunted in poorer parts of Africa, not for their ivory, but for their meat.

Algae: Oil Producer of the Future

(image via ArthurJohnPicton)

Algae cells have been found to produce extremely high amounts of oil.  These tiny organisms may hold the key to a renewable energy revolution.  Scientists and energy companies are studying this type of energy as a viable alternative to gas and diesel.

Josh