The African wild dog, The Lycaon (Lycaon pictus) (20 Pics)

Lycaon pictus is a canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. The scientific name "Lycaon pictus" is derived from the Greek for "wolf" and the Latin for "painted". It is the only canid species to lack dewclaws on the forelimbs.

The African wild dog lives and hunts in large packs. Like most members of the dog family, it is a cursorial hunter, meaning that it pursues its prey in a long, open chase. Nearly 80% of all wild dog hunts end in a kill; for comparison, the success rate of lions, often viewed as ultimate predators, is only 30%.

After a successful hunt, the hunters will regurgitate meat for those that remained at the den during the hunt including the dominant female, the pups, the sick or injured, the old and infirm, and those who stayed back to guard the pups.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycaon_pictus

Pug,a dog ready for games (14Pics)

The pug is a toy dog with a wrinkly, short-muzzled face and curled tail. The breed has a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, although often black or fawn, and a compact square body with well-developed muscles. Known in ancient China as lo-sze, pugs as breeding animals may have contributed to the English Bulldog, the modern Pekingese and the King Charles Spaniel. Pugs were brought from China to Europe in the seventeenth century and were popularized in Western Europe by the House of Orange of the Netherlands, and the House of Stuart. Pugs remain popular into the twenty-first century, with some famous celebrity owners. A pug was judged Best in Show at the World Dog Show in 2004.

From : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mata mata, mata-mata, or matamata (Chelus fimbriata) is a freshwater turtle found in South America. (17 Pics)

The mata mata, mata-mata, or matamata (Chelus fimbriata) is a freshwater turtle found in South America, primarily in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. It is the only extant species in the genus Chelus.The mata mata is a large, sedentary turtle with a large, triangular, flattened head characterized with many tubercles and flaps of skin, and a "horn" on its long and tubular snout.[8] Three barbels occur on the chin and four additional filamentous barbels at the upper jaw, which is neither hooked nor notched.The mata mata's brown or black, oblong carapace can measure up to 45 cm (18 in) at adult age. The full adult weight is 15 kg (33 lb). The mata mata's plastron is reduced, narrowed, hingeless, shortened towards the front, and deeply notched at the rear with narrow bridges. These may be meant to allow the turtle to resemble a piece of bark, camouflaging it from possible predators.The plastron and bridges are cream to yellow or brown.The mata mata inhabits slow moving, blackwater streams, stagnant pools, marshes, and swamps ranging into northern Bolivia, eastern Peru, Ecuador, eastern Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, and northern and central Brazil. The mata mata is strictly an aquatic species but it prefers standing in shallow water where its snout can reach the surface to breathe.The mata mata is carnivorous, feeding exclusively upon aquatic invertebrates and fish.

from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_mata