Why Flamingos are pink... and more interesting facts learnt

Testudines

Turtles, terrapins and tortoises are all reptiles and belong to the order Testudines.

Tortoise are land-dwelling (terrestrial) subgroup of turtles. They use water for drinking and bathing only. They have high, domed shells and have trunklike legs with stumpy, clawed feet. Testudines found in coastal, brackish waters are called terrapins. They are sometimes called "diamondbacks" due to the unique, angular designs on their shells. They have webbed feet with claws. Other turtles are marine or freshwater dwellers. These aquatic turtles have longer toes that are webbed or limbs that look like flippers to help with swimming, and they typically have a more flattened, streamlined shell. About 70% of all turtles live in freshwater.

FYI A group of turtles is called a bale. The largest turtle living today is the leatherback.

Read more from Itchyfingers.

Source:
Why Flamingos are pink... and 250 other things you should know
by Valeri R. Helterbran


Pygmy Hippopotamus
A rare and endangered species of animal, the pygmy hippopotamus (or 'hippo' for short), has been found in Liberia. Pygmy means smaller than the usual type. And these are nocturnal creatures aka active during the night.

Photo here.

Source: BBC English

Why are flamingos pink?
They prefer to live in the warm, shallow, salty lagoons and lakes of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. One species, however, lives in the cold lakes of the Andes Mountains. One of the most obvious characteristics of flamingos is their reddish or pink coloration. Interestingly, many of the foods that they eat are rich in carotenoid pigment, much like the pigment in carrots. They eat shrimp and other crustaceans, algae, aquatic insects, and plankton. Without this diet, the flamingos' feathers would become grayish white. Zookeepers are careful to supplement flamingo food with special pigments to maintain their birds' beautiful color.

Flamingos have unusual, boomerang-like bills. To eat, the flamingo immerses its bill upside down in the water so that its head is actually facing backward. In that position, it uses its fleshy tongue to pump water through its bill, which acts like a strainer or filter to catch food items.

Here are a few more interesting flamingo facts:
* Flamingos live in large colonies called pats
* What looks like the flamingo's knee is actually its ankle
* Roman emperors considered flamingo tongue to be a delicacy.

Source:
Why Flamingos are pink... and 250 other things you should know
by Valeri R. Helterbran

Komodo Dragon
All reptiles shed their skin (remember snakes), so it is no surprise to see a komodo dragon mouliting.  Except it shed by bits and pieces.  That piece of skin beside the dragon is the best proof!

 Bamboo Chicken
In Central America, where iguana meat is frequently consumed, iguanas are referred to as "bamboo chicken" or "chicken of the trees." Large females are a favourite, because of the availability of eggs. But if everybody vie to eat these females, then how is reproduction going to be successful for this species?