The maned wolf is the largest canine species in South America and closely resembles a red fox on stilts because of its long legs. It is neither a wolf, fox, coyote, or dog but rather a member of its own Chrysocyon genus, making it a truly unique animal. They possess a mane that runs from the back of the head to the shoulders which can be erected to intimidate other animals when displaying aggression or when they feel threatened.
Unlike other wolves that live in packs, maned wolves do not form or hunt in packs but prefer to live alone. Maned wolf is considered as the last surviving species of the Pleistocene Extinction, which wiped out all other large canids from the continent.
Bubbles the elephant and Bella the labrador are fast friends. The two orphans live and play together happily at the Myrtle Beach Safari in California. Bubbles was rescued in Africa after ivory poachers killed her parents. Bella was abandoned at the park as a puppy by the contractor who built Bubble’s swimming pool. The two formed a strong bond through their shared love of swimming and Bubbles has even learned to throw a ball for Bella during a spirited game of ‘fetch’.
A #lion at the Houston Zoo shows off his incredible #canines and rough tongue after sniffing something stinky the #zookeepers scattered around his habitat. This funny face is called a #flehmenresponse - it allows #cats to pull air (and the funky smells it carries) to a specialized organ at the roof of their mouth. While normally a behavior used to detect chemical stimuli, all species of cats will happily use this adaptation to investigate all sorts of interesting scents. #bigcat #bigcats #lions #catbehavior #catbiology #wildcats #zooanimals (at Houston Zoo) https://www.instagram.com/p/Btj5QcWhmLt/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1925vi49hpj4v
