From Barb Dearden-D'Arpino

Red on yellow, kill a fellow...but what if you're a shrike!

An unforgettable moment on a Florida backroad. From our vehicle we spotted a kestrel and a shrike perched on opposite fence posts with eyes focused in front of them. Then we looked down. A Coral Snake was crossing the dirt road right in front of our car!

While the kestrel bolted the moment we stopped the car, the shrike stood its ground, dove down, and snatched the snake. It flew back to the post (thank you Butcher Bird), pausing just long enough for me to capture a few shots.

Welp, the traditional internet (and hugely-wrong) answer is "elephants," and there actually *is* a wonderful sublemmy if you like "heffalumps": (hahaha, I love how A.A. Milne described them that way in Winnie-the-Pooh )

Yes, it's this! ❤️
![email protected]

https://media.piefed.social/posts/R7/jE/R7jEKz3KAX0LnQG.webp

Now, the reasoning in that fallacious logic is that the Proboscids (ancestors of elephants) and Hyracoids (ancestors of cute little hyraxes) indeed once shared a common ancestor!

Thing is, YES-- they did... around 60-75Myrs ago. Also yes, all others of their relatives didn't survive in to modernity, an incredibly common thing across life & evolution.

Right, I haven't done a deep-dive myself in to that theoretical common ancestor, but maybe:

https://media.springernature.com/lw703/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fnature.2013.12398/MediaObjects/41586_2013_Article_BFnature201312398_Figa_HTML.jpg

Perhaps another way of saying that, despite all the natural branching-points of life on Earth, is that only a tiny fraction of the species that once existed on our Ball o' Fun are still alive today (maybe about ~0.5% as a median estimate?). And... that's just the way the ball bounces, I suppose? :S

Bah, in any case, here's the ACTUAL answer to that question-- "the closest relative to any one hyrax is... their littermates and parents," of course. But in terms of SPECIES? (and here's my whole point:)

In species-scale, the closest relative to a hyrax is... hahaha other hyraxes!!

From Dr Caesar Photography

A sudden turn, and the night scattered into silver.

The giraffe lifted its head from the water, sending a stream of droplets into the darkness. For one fleeting moment, they hung in the air like a constellation-tracing the graceful arc of its movement before falling back to earth.

A quiet sip transformed into a brief shower of stars.

Shompole, Kenya.

From Georgia Wildlife Network

We see and hear new things all the time. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I still think, there isn't much that could surprise us anymore.

And then we get a call about a hawk with the lower jaw of a skull stuck in its mouth.

The finder is also a friend of Blue Ridge Raptors Educational Programs, who graciously guided the finder on how to safely check to see if the skull could easily be removed. The finder handled it like a champ but unfortunately, it was lodged. The hawk was safely contained and taken to VCA Appalachian Animal Hospital for immediate triage. (Edited to add local vet name but PLEASE do not show up at this facility with wildlife without prior approval. They do not always have available staff to intake wildlife and we were protecting their identity for that reason. We are so thankful for everything they did!!)

The bird was sedated, the obstruction was carefully removed, and then one of our volunteers picked him up and gave him a ride to Bells Ferry Veterinary Hospital for continued care.

We saved you from seeing the photo of the skull that was removed. You're welcome.

A HUGE thank you to EVERYONE involved in helping this bird from the finder and Blue Ridge Raptors to the BF veterinary team and our volunteer who transported him.

And we're officially chalking this one up to: "I've never seen THAT before."

Any guess what he swallowed? It was a bit of a surprise, even to me.

The vet responded in the comments to correct everyone, and now that I know, it's much more obvious.

After you take your guess, I'll explain in the spoiler tag.

::: spoiler Mystery Meal Reveal

So, this is not the view of this fuzzy creature we usually see.

You probably guessed a bird, thinking that curved bit was a beak. I know I did. But there are 2 problems with that. I guess that's why we're not radiographers! 😉

Problem one, our image is a little confusing because we're missing the lower jawbone, so we don't have a complete picture of our John Doe.

Problem two, we're not really used to looking at my anatomy which is kinda familiar, just on a much smaller scale. Let's do some CSI zoom and enhance, and see what we really have here.

We've isolated our partial guest. Circled in yellow, we have some rather large incisors, not a beak. Bye, bye, birdie hypothesis.

In green, for sure on the left, and I believe also the right green circle, again, not a radiologist, we've got itty bitty molars!

Big, sharp incisors and some molars, fits in a hawk's mouth...sorta... Have you figured it out?

Let's add our missing pieces, and I know you will get it. Well, maybe not if you're Australian...

Ignore that circled bit and the next picture mark, that's not relevant to us here.

With that lower jaw added back, and the full set of teeth, now we clearly see this is nowhere close to being a bird. Our mystery guest is...a squirrel! It's so obvious now that we know what a squirrel skull really looks like! Much creepier than a fuzzy, living one, eh? No wonder it hurts much more than it looks like it would when they bite me! This guy was born to bite, but that didn't help him out the day he met this hawk. He almost got his revenge though. Unlucky for Mr Nutter Butter, but very lucky for the hawk, someone saw him in distress and got him proper help. Soon he'll be back looking for his next squirrel thanks to some really great people!

:::

From Wild Wings Inc

Flying squirrels are cavity nesters, often using abandoned woodpecker holes or natural tree cavities for shelter. These hidden spaces provide a safe place to rest, raise their young, and escape harsh weather.

I've tried to get some of these guys to release in my yard for 2 years now with no success! They are always claimed before I hear they are ready for setting free. 😔 These guys are crazy, and I'd love to see them enjoying my yard.

From Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital

This whitethroat arrived into care after colliding with a car and sitting stunned in the road.

The finders noticed that the feet were curled and unable to grip (as can be seen on the first photo below), but after some warmth he had perked up since first found!

On arrival to our wildlife hospital, our team created him some shoes to allow the toes to sit and heal in the correct position. The curling could be due to nerve or ligament damage so we will be closely monitoring his progress.

In response to this post.

I tried to post this as a comment over in this post, but it kept giving me an error and it wouldn't post. Since I feel this discussion is important, I tried posting it here, and it works. I will try to share a link in the original post, but here is 2 sides to the story of these photos so you can have more information to decide how to feel. No shade at the original OP of the story, it's not like people try to make this common knowledge.

I hate to be "that person," but since I'm here to try to educate on wildlife...

These seem to be baited photos, not natural behavior.

I won't tell you what to think of the practice, but I will give you a pair of links.

This one takes a neutral to positive stance.

This one is in French, so I will provide a Google translation. To say it is against the practice is an understatement.

::: spoiler Translated article

Wildlife Photography: The Cheat Hidden Behind the Perfect Shot

Photographers wait in hides, sometimes for a fee, for an animal, attracted by fish or carcasses deliberately placed there, to come in front of their camera.

Staged animals, carcasses used as bait... Many wildlife photographers cheat to capture the perfect shot—including some major award winners.

Once upon a time, there was a story of friendship between a bear and a female wolf, hunting side by side in the heart of a peat bog. An "unlikely Romeo and Juliet" brought together by fate. But appearances are deceiving; this tale was entirely fabricated. A few months ago, Pierre Girard wrote to Reporterre to express his astonishment. While in North Karelia—a remote region of Finland—to study bears, this aspiring naturalist caught a glimpse of the surprising reality behind the scenes of wildlife photography: "Big names in the field cheat, and I have proof."

At the other end of the line, agitation and bitterness mingle in the man's voice. He describes a well-oiled system of hides—rented by renowned photographers—situated on the edge of a boreal forest. "An employee arrives on a snowmobile with two pig carcasses in tow. He hangs them from a tree to keep predators from making off with them." Salmon and dog kibble are buried all around to entice wolverines, bears, and wolves to dig up the earth—all positioned, of course, in the perfect line of sight for the camera lenses.

Despite its relative obscurity, this practice appeals to a great many photographers—including some of the most highly acclaimed. From November 16 to 19, the Haute-Marne region hosts the discipline's international festival. Olivier Larrey is the featured artist this year, having designed the poster for this 26th edition. As the event's patron, the Frenchman previously won the competition's Grand Prize in 2021; his masterpiece captured a wolverine fleeing from a pursuing raven in the midst of a storm—an unusual ballet witnessed at the very location described by Pierre Girard.

"Getting a proper shot of this animal takes at least ten years without using gimmicks," reckons Swiss photographer Neil Villard. "It should be a lifelong quest, not a three-day affair." In 2010, he too tried out the Finnish hides. "A guy handed me a bag of kibble and left me to fend for myself." No sooner had he scattered the food than a bear poked its snout out, drawn by the scent. "And that was a shock. I thought to myself: 'Damn, you’ve sold your soul to the devil.' I was sickened; my work had suddenly lost all meaning."

Faced with such accounts, the romanticized image of the wildlife photographer wavers. The rugged adventurer lugging his gear in search of tracks seems a distant memory—as does the dampness of the forest floor seeping into a motionless, camouflaged body huddled at the base of a tree.

So, some keep the behind-the-scenes details of their work under wraps. The day after his big win, Olivier Larrey posted the award-winning image on Instagram—without ever mentioning the baiting setup used. "As soon as I commented on the post, he deleted my message and blocked me," recalls Pierre Girard.

Inside the hunting blinds, beds and sometimes even showers and toilets are made available to customers.

The photographer is far from the only one involved in this ruse. Swedish photographer Staffan Widstrand—an eleven-time winner at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition—employs the same practices, as do Finland’s Niko Laurila (54,600 Instagram followers) and Elias Kalliola (64,600 followers), and photographer Lassi Rautiainen, who also manages the hides in question. And the list goes on.

"It makes me deeply sick," says professional photographer Myriam Dupouy. "If you can't feel admiration, you should at least have respect for wildlife. How do these people dare to exhibit such work, or even submit it to competitions?" In her view, these images are worth little more than those taken in zoos. Having served as a judge in major competitions many times, she notes that debates often become heated when it comes time to choose between entries.

An open secret

So, what do the judges actually know about these questionable methods? The year Olivier Larrey won the award, his counterpart Louis-Marie Préau chaired the committee: "There are certain images I eliminated right off the bat," he confirms—specifically, those taken from paid hides where the subjects are lured with food. "You can often spot them at a glance. And between us, winning an award for a photo where you didn't actually do anything—that’s a problem."

A simple error of judgment or an outright lie? One thing is certain: Olivier Larrey’s work evidently slipped through this screening process. And when this is pointed out to him, the jury president retreats into an awkward silence: "He’s a real pro," he mumbles. "He enjoys genuine freedom out there and can choose his position. There is real artistic vision involved." Without even pleading oversight or a lapse of memory, Louis-Marie Préau thus completely changes his tune: "I’m no zealot. Nowadays, it’s all extremists. I’m not necessarily against baiting. I’ve done it myself."

Christophe Pereira, director of the Montier-en-Der festival, takes the same line. Did he know the circumstances under which the 2021 prize-winning shot was taken? "I don't want to answer that question," he says over the phone. And what about the 2023 festival poster image? All he will say is that he has no regrets about the choice and can look at himself in the mirror: "We aren't the intelligence services. Besides, what's the difference between that and someone putting a nesting box right outside their door to photograph goldfinches?" The guiding principle is clear: "An image is beautiful—period. There's no need for controversy," asserts Christophe Pereira.

As discussions unfolded, the director and the jury president eventually admitted it: both had acted with full awareness. Yet, in its official communications, the international festival presents ethics as an "inseparable part of its identity." In 2021, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the lens manufacturer Tamron developed a Wildlife Photography Charter. Designed as a set of guidelines prioritizing animal welfare, the document urges people "not to feed or bait animals." The festival promoted this initiative.

Salmon live in the meadows.

Olivier Larrey, for his part, opts for honesty. The forty-something believes there is no alternative to supplementary feeding if one wishes to observe these legendary creatures—bears and wolves. Yet, ceasing to photograph them would condemn them to a dangerous invisibility: "If no one cares anymore about the persecution they face, what will become of them? Aphrodisiacs for wealthy Chinese buyers?" he wrote in an email exchange with Pierre Girard that Reporterre was able to review.

"I don't believe at all in keeping nature under a glass bell jar," he explains by phone. "These images play an essential educational role." Olivier Larrey describes the sense of wonder shown by children in schools when they see images of these iconic predators—an emotion capable of sowing seeds and creating future ambassadors for the cause of animal welfare. "Thanks to this, I can talk to them about the wildlife in their own gardens. It’s a gateway to taking an interest in tits, swallows, and hedgehogs."

Pig carcasses—never visible in the award-winning images—are used to lure predators close to the photographers.

Do the ends justify the means?

Certainly not, in the view of Vincenzo Penteriani. A Spanish bear specialist with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), he asserts that providing easy, predictable food sources leads to artificial—and harmful—aggregations of animals.

"The collateral effects are numerous: increased fighting, the spread of disease, and alterations to daily and seasonal activity patterns... even infanticide, if females with cubs encounter adult males during the mating season."

Often, the food provided is unsuitable—such as dog kibble—or of poor quality, involving "farmed salmon laden with chemicals." Furthermore, the cubs learn to rely on these human-sourced foods: "This can have disastrous consequences when they leave their mothers," notes Vincenzo Penteriani. "Especially if they come to believe that salmon live in open meadows."

Another significant issue is habituation to humans, which poses dangers for both parties. For years, Swiss photographer Neil Villard pursued the wild dream of capturing the Siberian tiger on camera. "I spent hours upon hours perched in a tree. The conditions were terrible," he recalls with a smile. "It was a spectacular challenge... and I didn't succeed."

Despite facing some frustrations, the photographer does not regret working without artificial aids: "This species lives far from humans for a good reason: coexistence is impossible. Luring them with bait risks drawing them closer to us. All conservation efforts would be instantly undone... just for a picture."

When asked about this, Olivier Larrey admits he does not know the exact cost of such an intrusion into these mammals' lives. "What I see is that they are escaping something far worse... a gunshot! So, between eating a few scraps given by humans and taking a bullet, I think the choice is clear."

Stolen Stories

To maintain a presence on social media, photographers must play the algorithm game—in other words, publish content daily to stand out amidst growing competition. "And then, the public wants access to everything, right away," laments photographer Camille Poirot. "This consumption pattern drives some toward excessive productivity, even if it means resorting to practices that are the antithesis of what our profession should be."

Beyond the use of baited hides, "there are sort of lynx farms in the Czech Republic," reports YouTuber and cameraman Fabien Wohlschlag. Since the animals are trained to strike a pose on specific rocks, photographers simply have to press the shutter button.

It is a concept also adopted in the United States for cougars: "The worst part of it all is that some people steal—from ethical photographers—the stories of adventure and self-confrontation that they themselves missed out on," he continues. "The public is naive, but how could anyone suspect such a deception?"

Another example of deception occurred in 2017, when Brazilian photographer Marcio Cabral was named the winner of the prestigious international Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. However, following a meticulous investigation a few months later, he was stripped of the award. The anteater shown attacking a glowing termite mound in his night-time shot was, in fact... stuffed.

Southeast Asia excels in the category of tropical frogs striking bizarre poses. Stacked on top of one another, straddling an insect, or using a mushroom as an umbrella—these amphibians display remarkable inventiveness. Or rather, the people who take them out of the freezer do: "If it doesn't kill them, it puts them to sleep long enough for photographers to position them however they like," explains Camille Poirot.

Other professionals turn them into puppets by piercing their webbed toes with wire, notes Myriam Dupouy—techniques also used on mice and butterflies.

Closer to home, photographers are condemning the kingfishers unlucky enough to cross their paths to a near-certain death. In 2015, Scotsman Alan McFadyen captured a stunning image of the small blue-and-rust-colored bird mid-dive, its beak skimming the water’s surface just before snatching a small fish—a unique shot, free of even the slightest splash. It took the artist 4,200 hours and 720,000 attempts to pull off such a feat.

"Now, many people try to imitate him by setting up aquariums at water level to lure the birds," says Fabien Wohlschlag. "The problem is, when they dive straight down, the kingfishers slam into the glass, break their beaks, and crash."

This shift in the discipline—a sad sight to behold—stems largely from the financial difficulties facing some professionals. "Who today can afford to spend ten years working on wolves, only to come away with three or four images? Only the ultra-wealthy photographers," argues Olivier Larrey. "Let’s be pragmatic." It is up to each individual to draw the fine line between ethics and profitability.

:::

Both articles discuss this particular person in the above article, Lassi Rautianen. Interestingly, if you search his name, many sites refer to him as a visual artist or photo tourism person, not a wildlife photographer. Read into that as you will.

From Rick McCulley

Three Black bear cubs was playing around this tree while mom was digging for grubs.

East Tennessee Mountains

Sony a7v and Sony 200-600

We took a vehicle the scenes tour at the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo (near Poughkeepsie, NY) today, and we had quite the number of animal encounters!

The big wins were tracking up some rare boops and licks feeding some treats to a few special guests. The red pandas and the black and white tailed lemur were crazy fun. These are pics of Mrs anon feeding them.

The lemur was very cute, but they could be shockingly loud! Besides having special anatomy to deepen their voices, the guide said they will go deeper into the enclosure to tell to get added reverberations. It was a pretty terrifying noise and I have had no clue it came from them.

Quite friendly though. Great climbers, and very cool feet and hands with tiny fingernails and toenails.

The red panda had been on my wishlist for years now. I wanted to give an ear scritch, but I was forbidden. I already push the limits as it is! 😄

This close one was the male and was very polite for Mrs anon. For me, he was a bit pushier, and was grabbing at my hand with that paw and pulling me to give him more snackies.

That paw was much heavier, stronger, and sturdier than I had pictured in my mind! Those claws are solid! Thankfully not sharp, as he was grabbing me good,and the guide said he was breaking his rules, but they felt much harder than dog nails. More like actual bone, like an antler feels.

Both the panda and lemur licked at me trying to get treats, and both were "accidentally" booped in the course of events. Both have great noses, very soft and squishy, and gentle licks. Both A+ scores on boopability and sweetness.

They also have a coati that I recently learned about, so that was cool to see. A lot like a raccoon, but seems to maneuver better and a good bit larger.

Coati Post

They also had a binturong, which is another raccoonish guy. This is some random photo, I couldn't get a good one of the one on the tour. He's a very old man and was sleeping in a ball in the corner.

The best thing about binturongs that I can't say about any other animal: the smell! Very much like buttered popcorn, his whole little building smelled of it. I wouldn't say exactly like popcorn, more like if it was synthesized popcorn smell like those Jelly Belly popcorn jellybeans. But for an animal smell, it was a really great smell!

Scooter is the river otter. Super sweetheart and she came when the guide called her and she was having the zoomies like crazy. She has a huge aquatic enclosure with a very natural environment, but she loves her black plastic tub the best and she was swimming figure 8s in it, and them flipped the whole thing over with her head and she pounced on her little shed, where I snapped this trouble making look.

She came over and gave my hand some good sniffs, but I was asked not to touch her (bitey) so I deferred. Still a lot of fun to watch.

We had a great time, our guide was great, and they had a lot of neat South American birds and mammals I was mostly unfamiliar with. They also have a lot of wallabies and they breed them as part of an international program for both zoos and release to the wild. Lots of marmosets as well.

From Khushboo Sharma

There are moments in the wild when the distance between observer and animal seems to disappear.

The Pallas's cat is one of the most elusive and secretive cats of the high mountains. Built for camouflage, it can vanish among rocks and shadows so completely that even knowing it is there does not guarantee you will find it.

And then, suddenly, this happened.

At an extraordinarily close distance, this normally shy cat sat quietly among the rocks, looking straight into the lens. For a few precious seconds, there was no hurried movement-just an intense, almost ancient gaze from one of the Himalayas' rarest and most enigmatic cats.

An encounter like this is not simply about getting close. It is about being allowed, for a fleeting moment, into the private world of a creature that spends its life trying not to be seen.

From Anthony Goldman

I cannot start posting from a trip without my favorite bird the Lilac Breasted Roller showing all its colors in great light at Kings Camp in the Timbivati Game Reserve, South Africa in August 2026 and yes I have some flight shots for later!

From Brian Twombly

A capture I made during the herring run in Winchester, Massachusetts.

Osprey with lunch

From Werling Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Center

One of my favorite things about opossums are the way they sleep. Perhaps it's because they look ridiculous. Maybe it's more that they look so darn comfy and I want to live vicariously through them.

I rarely see this age sleeping because usually they are out in pre-release enclosures and can hear me approaching and wake up. The past couple of stormy days inside after the evacuation means I have had more opportunity to watch them and adore them.

The photos aren't great because I have cage bars in the way and was trying to be stealthy, but I wanted to share them because they really brighten my day.

I hope you enjoy this ridiculousness as much as I do. 🥰

Part One:

From Harold Wilion

People are constantly sending me messages all day long asking, "Harold, what does a Green heron's tongue look like?". Well, for all you many hundreds of folks that keep asking, here's my answer. Sorry you asked now? 😁

Part 2:

From Nate Dow

I knew of the peculiarities of the green heron's mouth but this is the first chance I have had to illustrate it. The tongue has two parts, a triangular base with a very thin strip extending from the base. The tubular thing here in the back is actually the bird's throat. When they compress their long necks, it pops up into their mouth. Freaky...

Nikon D780, Sigma 150-600, about 20 yards away.

Part 3:

If that wasn't cool enough for you, check out this article for some more nifty things these long necks can do.

This video may entice you. See just how fast a Green Heron's strike is! Don't worry, it's got a slow motion replay so you can actually see it! 😉

From Loreli Madiuk

Molty Blue Jay with a mouthful! They sure are addicted to their peanuts!

Edmonton ~ Aug 11/26

Birds regrow their feathers, and while most fall out one or two at a time at different spots, losing the head feathers doesn't negatively impact their flight, so they can be molted all at once... too often entertaining effect! 😁

From Steve Gettle

"Battle Royale" - Hippopotamus - Luango National Park, Zambia

This was one of the most epic battles I have ever witnessed in the natural world. It simply amazes me the power it took to lift the 3,000 lb bull off the ground like that. These two went at it hard for about a half hour, they were a bloody mess at the end.

Good Luck and Good Light! Steve

Image: Hippopotamus - Luango National Park, Zambia Nikon Z9, 600mm TC, 1/1000 @ f10, ISO 640, Image cropped 20% for final composition

From Mat Custer

A juvenile green heron just figuring life out. While perched at the waters edge, it debates on attempting to do some fishing. Young Green herons rely on easy pickings like slugs and insects before they master the art of catching fish. They slowly learn through a mix of natural instinct along with trial and error. I identified this as a juvenile because of the streaked neck and chest along with the grey hairs on it's crown, I shared a photo of a full grown adult in the comments for a comparison!

From The Wonderful World of Animals

The Blue Tree Monitor (Varanus macraei) is a strikingly vibrant lizard renowned for its electric blue and black patterning. First described by science in 2001, it is considered one of the most beautiful and intelligent members of the monitor family.

Appearance: Its black body is covered in turquoise-blue "ocelli" (eye-like spots). It has a long, slender neck and a prehensile tail that is nearly twice its body length, used like a fifth limb for climbing.

Size: They can reach a total length of about 3.5 feet (1.1 meters), with males being slightly larger and more "muscular" than females.

Native Habitat: This species is found exclusively on the island of Batanta in Indonesia, a tiny area of only 450 km².

Intelligence: Highly alert and capable of problem- solving, these lizards have been observed using "puzzle boxes" in captivity to retrieve food.

Here's a photo of a baby in a more flattering light.