Ann's Moody Blues (ABC Wednesday) Round 10.

"B Is For "Big Boys" Toys"

2012-01-24T07:00:00.010-06:00

"The Big Boys Toys."

Little Boys like their toy tractors and trucks. But, as the Boys grow into Big Boys, their toys grow Bigger with them!

To view more "B" images click below.

"A" is For "Awesome" Corner.

2012-01-17T10:27:00.005-06:00

Round 10, already? I've decided this time around to share some of my pictures from my little corner of the World, Iowa, USA. Yes, this sign can be found in my part of the World.

To View More "Awesome" Images Click below.

"Z" Is For "Zany, Zebra, Zoo"

2012-01-10T07:54:00.001-06:00

Photo by Rhonda Snyder, Poem by Zany Gigi Ann

I visited the Zoo

On this beautiful hot sunny day.

I wonder who's head is in the way.

I love the cute Zebras eating their hay.

Their spots are so lovely,

Oh! What did I say?

I'm being Zany in my Zanyish way!!

We made it from A-Z and "it was fun to wander through the alphabet with you to tell you what you mean to me." Adios, Au Revior, Auf Wiedersehen....

To view more Z images click below:

"Y" Is For Year, A Road to A New Year"

2012-01-03T09:00:00.018-06:00

Photos & Poem by Gigi Ann

What will I find awaits me

Down the road to a New Year

Blue skies and white clouds,

Or dark ominous clouds should I fear?

To view more Y images click below:

"X" Is For "Xenogeny"

2011-12-27T09:00:00.009-06:00

Photo by JackAZ Photography

Xenogeny: is the supposed production of offspring totally different from the parent.

So bare with me today, I'm using the old typewriter as the parent of the computer, do you follow me? After all "X" words are difficult to come by. I found this one in my "Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary."

"Echoes of My Past."

When I was a youngster in High School

I learnt to type on a typewriter like this.

I spend many an hour typing:

"The quick brown foX jumps over the lazy dog."

There was no correcting mistakes,

eXcept maybe with Whiteout.

Mostly you just started over

until you got it right.

We had no backspacing to correct mistakes.

And definitely no spell check.

Those were the eXciting, and wonderful days of my youth,

1956, 1957, and 1958.

To view more X images click below:

"W" Is For "Window Of Life"

2011-12-20T09:00:00.003-06:00

Thanks to Sean McCormick for the wonderful picture. Poem by Gigi Ann

As I gazed through the Window of life,

What did I see?

A paradise of peace from sea to sea.

There were no wars, crime, violence or fear.

No policemen, or riots in the streets.

There was no more hunger or sickness anywhere to be found.

It was peace and happiness all around.

As I gazed through the Window of life

What did I see?

A paradise ahead for you and for me.

To view more W images click below:

Blue Bell Books

"V" Is For Vertigo"

2011-12-13T09:00:00.006-06:00

Photo by Sean McMornick, poem by Gigi Ann

Vertigo Shower of Stars

Prairie Grass Glowing Hot Pink

Home of a Vertigo Superman.

Talking about Vertigo, 54 years ago today my head was in quite a spin. Why? It was the first date I had with my future husband. I still get a bit of Vertigo just thinking about it. I guess you could say, my head is still spinning. hee, hee.

To view more V images click below:

"U" Is For "Unknown" Highway of Life"

2011-12-06T09:00:00.005-06:00

Photographer ,Feininger, Andreas, 1906-1999. poem by Gigi Ann

Traveling down the Unknown Highway of Life

There will be curves sharp

Some not so nice

Other turns will be a delight

As you travel down the Unknown Highway

Called Life.

There will be girlfriends and boyfriends

To add some Spice to your life

There may come a husband

Or a gorgeous wife.

Steering from the back seat

A bundle of strife

(that some call joy)

As you travel down the Unknown Highway

Called Life.

Put on the Brakes

Slow down and enjoy

The views that are before you

As you round each bend and fork in the road

As you travel down the Unknown Highway

Called Life.

To view more U images click below:

"T" Is For Trail"

2011-11-29T09:00:00.004-06:00

Photo by Charlotte Longfellow, Poem by Gigi Ann

A dusty Trail leading into the unknown,

Into the barren cliffs and gullies.

Sagebrush swaying with the breeze.

As we meander our way back home.

To view more T images click below:

"S Is For "Sunsets" of Yesterdays"

2011-11-22T07:14:00.004-06:00

Photo & Poem by Gigi Ann

Tonight as I gaze

At the sky all ablaze

I'm thinking of you

When our love was new

Our hearts were ablaze

With passion and love

That was long ago

When our love was new

But now our love

Is still ablaze

Even as I gaze

At the Sunsets

Of our Yesterdays.

To view more S images click below:

"R" Is For Raindrops"

2011-11-15T08:32:00.001-06:00

Photo & Poem by Gigi Ann

Raindrops

As the storm clouds drifted by

Raindrops softly dance like fairies on my window

Tapping softly, soothing pitter-pattering

on the roof. Close your eyes and listen.

As you drift off into slumber

The rain fades away quietly.

The sun peeks out

The dance is finished.

To view more R images click below:

"Q" Is For Quietly"

2011-11-07T22:51:00.006-06:00

Photo and poem by Gigi Ann

Quietly sipping my morning cup of tea

The sunrise quietly creeps over the rooftops

Silhouetted trees quietly waving; "Good Morning."

To view more Q images click below.

"P" Is For "Purple" Sunshine"

2011-11-01T06:45:00.004-05:00

Photo and poem by Gigi Ann

Pretty Purple Sunshine

Blowing kisses to the Sun

Fireworks light up the sky.

Petals reaching for the sun

Glowing like lavender ice

Pretty Purple Sunshine.

Singing praises of Summer

Beautiful for all to see

Blowing kisses to the Sun.

Glowing, Blowing, Beautiful

Purple Lavender Ice

Fireworks light up the sky.

To view more P images click below:

Thursday Poet Rally Week 55

"O" Is For "Ocean" Of Blue Sky"

2011-10-25T09:00:00.005-05:00

photo and poem by Gigi Ann

Ocean of Blue Sky

Airplane sailing high

Zooming through the sky

Leaving trails of white vapor waves.

To view more O images click below:

"N" Is For Niagara Falls"

2011-10-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

photo wikipedia, poem by Gigi Ann

Niagara Falls where Lovers Honeymoon

Watching the water falls

Spraying dreams of forever

Watching the mist

Reaching for the sun

Rainbows form...

Dreams of living happily ever after

Niagara Falls where dreams begin

For Happy Honeymoon Lovers!

To view more N images click below:

"M" Is For "Mice"

2011-10-10T15:51:00.000-05:00

photo prompt by rosie hardy, poem by gigi ann

I dropped my head of cabbage.

It rolled right out the door.

It frightened a cute little mouse,

who slid across the kitchen floor.

The cat began to chase him.

The dog just stood around.

And watched that cute little mouse

slide out the kitchen door.

It bounced around and hit the ground,

but didn't make a sound.

But that head of cabbage

just kept rolling 'round and 'round.

While the rest of those cute little mice

found my head to curl around.

To view more M images click below;

"L" Is For "Love" "Your Love"

2011-10-04T08:01:00.000-05:00

This poem by Gigi Ann was inspired by the image "The Arrow Shot" by Claudio Mufarrege, who was featured at One Shoot Sunday. December 19, 2010.

Your Love...

As arrows softly silently flows through the air

Your Love...softly silently flows into my heart

Lifting me higher softly silently carrying me to new heights

Your Love...softly silently floats into eternity.

I will love you forever.

Dedicated to the one I love.

To view more L images click below;

"K" Is For "Kicking"

2011-09-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

photo by KJ Halliday poem by Gigi Ann

Kicking up my heels

Racing down the beach

A waft of wind came sweeping down

The wind roared sweeping over me

Everything red, running, running

Red flames surrounding me

Heart pounding, kicking

I woke up!

To view more K images click below;

"J" Is For "Jumping" Grasshopper"

2011-09-20T00:04:00.002-05:00

Photo & Poem by Gigi Ann

Jumping Grasshoppers leaping from leaf to leaf

Flying through the air

Bodies of green, fragile and small

Rubbing their legs for a penetrating little call.

To view more J images click below;

"I" Is For "Icy" December"

2011-09-12T10:06:00.003-05:00

Photo & Poem by Gigi Ann

Icy December

When the Icy days are short

And the Icy nights are long

In Icy December

Snowflakes softly fall and

Make not a sound

Beautifying all they touch and surround

Dancing on my windowsill

Covering the trees with fairy dust sparkles

My lawn shines like tiny diamonds

As the moon shines down casting its glow

On all the beauty here below

In Icy December.

To view more I images click below;

"H" Is For Homelessness"

2011-09-05T10:01:00.006-05:00

Poem by Gigi Ann Photographer Unknown

I set alone in my little nest

No worries, no joy, I've lost my zest

My days are long they're not the best

My nights are cold as I try to rest.

I've walked the highway of no success

I long for more but always have less

My life wasn't always such a mess

I worked, I played, and then one day...

The darkness ate away at my brain

and wrapped me in a blanket of despair.

I realize this is a sad poem, but life isn't always happily ever after either.

To view more H images click below;

"G" Is For "Gertrude Recalls"

2011-08-29T20:14:00.003-05:00

Photo by a friend, poem by Gigi Ann

Gertrude recalls

that she was among

the first ones;

to dance,

to dip,

to do the

grapevine slip,

or was it the slide?

The electric

was the slide

the grapevine

has no slip or slide

the grapevine goes

from side to side

along the hall, as

Gertrude recalls.

To view more G images click below;

"F" Is For My "Favorite" Tree."

2011-08-23T07:56:00.000-05:00

photo & poem by Gigi Ann

My favorite tree

Shivering in the breezes

My heart longs for summer.

For more F images click below:

"E" Is For "Edge" Of Tomorrow"

2011-08-16T07:05:00.006-05:00

photo by Katherine Forbes poem by Gigi Ann

Standing on the Edge of tomorrow

We kissed after we said our I do's

He whispered, I do, I really do love you

As we stood on the Edge of tomorrow.

Now that tomorrow is here

We are remembering all the years

And as he kissed me he whispered

After all these years

I do, I really do love you.

Click below to view more E images:

"D" Is For Day" A Day I'll Remember..."

2011-08-09T07:08:00.004-05:00

Photo by Trent Chau, poem by gigi ann

A "Day" I'll remember forever

Climbing that mountain of Dreams

Viewing the awesome breathtaking canyon.

Watching the river winding through it

The smoky haze Drifting by

A Day I'll remember forever.

A chill fills the air

As I stand near you there

Climbing that mountain of Dreams

A magnificent sight

As you held me tight

Viewing the awesome breathtaking canyon.

To view more D images click below:

"C" Is For Closed"

2011-08-01T07:40:00.002-05:00

photo by Jacob F. Lucas, poem by Gigi Ann

"Closed For The Season"

The fat lady sang

The play is over for now

Closed for the season.

The curtain went up again

The music began to play

The fat lady sang.

The lights began to dim

The music fated away

The play is over for now.

The seats are all empty

The doors are all shut

Closed for the season.

To view more C images click below:

"B" Is For Blue Sky"

2011-07-26T07:09:00.003-05:00

photo & poem by Gigi Ann

Ocean of blue sky

White wave of cloud drifting by

Airplane flying high.

Branches of the tree

Swaying in the breeze

Ocean of Blue Sky.

Airplane leaves a trail

Zooming through the sky

White wave of cloud drifting by.

Floating, flying, swaying

Branches reaching for the sky

Airplane flying high.

Click below to view more B images:

To view more "Blue" images click below:

"A" Is For "Adorable" & "Alone"

2011-07-18T19:08:00.016-05:00

Photo taken by my ADORABLE Granddaughter Renee

My baby Girls, Rhonda and Jill,
sorry everyone, but, to me they ARE "ADORABLE"

Here is A song for the beginning of the new ROUND 9 ABC WEDNESDAY...From me to ALL you "ADORABLE" players.

To enjoy more "A" images click below on the ADORABLE picture of my ADORABLE Great-Granddaughter, Madyson, and her ADORABLE AUNT Shelly.

ABC Wednesday Round 9

"ALONE"

photo by Andy Ilachinski poem by Gigi Ann

Alone

I saw the storm form

The sun in the sky was red

Clouds, stormy, torrent heaven

Lightning awakened the mountains

And the thunder rolled

As I waited for you my love

Alone.

"Z" Is For "Zorse"

2011-07-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

The Zorse is the result of cross-breeding a generally male Zebra (stallion) with a female Horse (mare) to produce an animal that looks more like a Horse than a Zebra, but one that has stripes. The Zebra part also gives the Zorse resistance to certain pests and diseases that normally affect both Horses and Donkeys, meaning that they are not only sturdy but also very hardy animals.

To View More "Z" images click below...

"Y" Is For Yellow-eyed Penguin"

2011-07-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

The yellow-eyed penguin is one of the few penguin species found north of the Antarctic Ocean, and as it's name suggests, this species of penguin is easily idenitfied by it's yellow coloured eyes and bright yellow band that runs from it's eyes round the back of the yellow-eyed penguin's head.

The yellow-eyed penguin is found off the coast of the south island of New Zealand where this species gathers in colonies along the beaches and boulder fields. The yellow-eyed penguin is also found on a few of the islands of the main island including Stewart, Auckland and the Campbell Islands.Today, the yellow-eyed penguin is listed as an endangered animal with an estimated wild population of less than 4,000 individuals. It is now the rarest penguin in the world due to deforestation and the introduction of mammalian predators.

To view more Y images click below...

"X" Is For X-Ray Tetra"

2011-06-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

The X-Ray Tetra is a small species of schooling Fishthat is naturally found in the Amazon River's coastal waters in South America. The X-Ray Tetra is also known as the Golden Pristella Tetra and the Water Goldfinch due to the faint golden colouration of their translucent skin. They were first described by Ulrey in 1894 and have since become one of the most popular freshwater Fish kept in artificial aquariums today. Although the X-RayTetra is the only known species in it's genus, it is closely related to other small and colourful South American Fish, including the nearly 100 other Tetra species.

To View more X images click below.

"W" Is For Wallaby"

2011-06-20T09:00:00.004-05:00

The wallaby is a small to medium sized marsupial found on the Australian continent and its surrounding islands. Today there are a number of wild wallaby populations inhabiting other areas around the world where the wallaby has been introduced by humans.

The wallaby is most closely related to Australia's largest marsupial, the kangaroo. The wallaby is generally smaller than a kangaroo although some wallaby individuals have been known to reach 6ft tall.

To View more Wonderful "W" images click below...

"V" Is For Vervet Monkey"

2011-06-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Vervet Monkey grows to an average of 50cm tall, with a tail that is often longer than the body itself and has a black tip. Their fur tends to be grey or olive in colour (depending on the species) and is lighter on their underside. The hands and feet of the Vervet Monkey are black, along with their ears and face which has a white band above it and is also framed by white cheek tufts. The Vervet Monkey has long arms and legs which are about the same length to allow this species to walk on all fours when on the ground with ease, and actually makes them quite speedy when running. Males tend to be larger than females.

To view more "V" images click below....

"U" Is For Uguisu"

2011-06-06T07:14:00.001-05:00

The Uguisu is a small species of bird that is natively found throughout Japan, China and Taiwan, along with a number of other regions of the far east. The Uguisu is also commonly known as the Japanese Bush-Warbler, as it is named for it's beautifully distinctive song. The Uguisu is most closely related to other small songbirds including Bushtits and Nightingales which they are similar in appearance too, although the Uguisu is generally very slightly larger. Although they do not sing at night, the beauty of the Uguisu's song is said to have led to them also being known as the Japanese Nightingale. The Uguisu was first described as a documented species by Heinrich von Kittlitz in 1830.

To view more "U" images click below...

"T" Is For Tarsier"

2011-05-30T09:32:00.001-05:00

The tarsier is a small primate was once found in Asia, Europe, and North America, and possibly Africa. Today the tarsier is only found on several Southeast Asian islands including the Philippines, Sulawesi, Borneo, and Sumatra.

Tarsiers are small animals with enormous eyes with each eyeball of the tarsier measuring approximately 16 mm in diameter which is as large as their entire brain. Tarsiers also have very long hind limbs and the feet of the tarsier have extremely elongated tarsus bones, from which the animals get their name.

The head and body of the tarsier range from 10 to 15 cm in length, but the hind limbs are about twice this long (including the feet). The tarsier also has a slender tail from 20 to 25 cm long. The fingers of the tarsier are also elongated, with the third finger being about the same length as the upper arm (in a similar way to the Aye Aye found in Madagascar). Most of the digits have nails, but the second and third toes of the hind feet bare claws instead, which are used for grooming.

Tarsiers have very soft, velvety fur, which is generally brown or beige in colour. The elongated fingers of the tarsier are a dark brown colour and almost twig like in appearance.

To view more T images click below....

"S" Is For Swan"

2011-05-23T21:22:00.003-05:00

Love Overflows

photo by Silviu Ivana poem by Gigi Ann

Sometimes when you're blue

My heart longs to hold you

I feel your pain

And my love overflows.

To view more "S" images click below.

"R" Is For Roseate Spoonbill"

2011-05-16T18:37:00.003-05:00

Roseate Spoonbill Interesting Facts and Features
Despite it's very distinctive appearance, the Roseate Spoonbill is often mistaken for other Birds like the Flamingo, particularly when in flight, even though they are generally smaller in size and have a longer, wider beak than these pinker Birds. Not only is their distinctive spoon-like bill useful for catching food through, but there are also very sensitive nerves at the end, which causes the Roseate Spoonbill's beak to snap shut quickly when it comes into contact with small aquatic organisms. It is widely believed that the reason for the bright pink plumage of the Roseate Spoonbill, is due to the algae eaten by the Crustaceans that these Birds consume (in a similar way to the Flamingo but not quite as bright).

To enjoy more "R" images click below. And as always I look forward to reading Rambling Rogers Post for R day. I wonder what Roger will Reminiscence about this week.

"Q" Is For Quokka"

2011-05-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Quokka is a small marsupial that is natively found in parts of the south-west of Australia and on only two islands off the south-west coast. The Quokka is one of the smallest Wallaby species in the world, and most distinctively differs from other Wallabies with their short and barely-furred tail and small hind legs. Out of the roughly 50 known Kangaroo and Wallaby (and other marsupial) species on the continent however, the Quokka is one of three whose ancestry is still fairly hazy today. The fact that the Quokka browses for food rather than simply grazing makes it quite different to other species, but despite all this, many agree that they are most closely related to the Rock Wallaby.

To view more Q images click below.

"P" Is For Pademelon"

2011-05-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

The pademelon is a small to medium sized marsupial found inhabiting the forests of Australia and a number of it's surrounding islands.The pademelon is most closely related to the wallaby and the kangaroo.

The pademelon is a marsupial meaning that the female pademelon has a pouch on her belly where she nurses her young. After mating the infant pademelon will be born just 30 days later, when it has to make its own way into it's mother's pouch.

Baby pademelon then spend the next 6 months or so growing growing and developing inside the pouch and eventually begin to venture out into the outside world.

To view more P images click below.

"O" Is For Okapi"

2011-04-25T04:25:00.000-05:00

The okapi is one of the last remaining ancestors of the common giraffe, despite the fact that the striking markings of the okapi can give the okapi almost zebra like appearance.

The okapi is a herbivorous animal that spends its time rummaging for tasty treats to munch on. The okapi eats more than 100 different types of plants which includes leaves, grasses, buds, shoots, fruits and even fungi. Many of the plants that the okapi feed on would be poisonous if ingested by humans.

The okapi has a red-brown coloured coat of fur with horizontal white striped markings, that are found on the legs of the okapi. The okapi develop these extraordinary markings at a young age, as the white stripes of the okapi are thought to give the okapi good camouflage from predators in the dense African jungle.

The okapi has large ears which enables the okapi to detect approaching predators with enough time for the okapi to get away and hide. The okapi also has an impressively long tongue, with the okapi being one of the few animals in the world that is able to lick its own ear!

To view more O images click below.

"N" Is For Numbat"

2011-04-18T09:00:00.004-05:00

The Numbat is a small-sized marsupial that is found in Western Australia. The Numbat has long, colourful fur and despite being a marsupial, the female Numbat does not have a pouch on her belly.

The Numbat was once found across Southern Australia, but today the Numbat is considered to be an endangered species as there are only a few small Numbat colonies found in Western Australia today. It has been estimated that there are only 1,500 Numbat individuals left in the wild.

Numbats inhabit forests and woodland, particularly those that are mainly made up of eucalyptus trees. Numbats have also been found in grasslands that are relatively close to water.

Numbats are solitary animals with large home ranges, which they spend the daylight hours hunting for termites and in the dark nights in hollow logs and burrows. Numbats have strong front claws and long tongues which they use to get termites out of their nests.

To View More "N" images click below.

"M" Is For Margay"

2011-04-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

The margay is a rare cat, closely resembling the ocelot and found in the rainforests of Mexico and Central and South America east of the Andes mountains. Its fur is grayish to cinnamon in color and covered with dark brown spots. The head is rounded and short, and the eyes are very large.

The margay is a very skilled jumper and climber and is sometimes called the "tree ocelot." It is the only cat species that can climb down a tree head first like a squirrel. This is achieved by rotating the ankles around 180 degrees while heading down the tree toward the forest floor. Margays are also known to hang from tree branches with only their hind feet.

For more "M" images click below.

"L" Is For Liger"

2011-04-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Liger is a big cat born from the breeding of a male lion and a female tiger. This combination produces an offspring with more lionistic features, and the result is a Liger.

To view more "L" images click below.

"K" Is For Kinkajou"

2011-03-28T09:00:00.002-05:00

photo from National Geographic

Kinkajous are sometimes called honey bears because they raid bees' nests. They use their long, skinny tongues to slurp honey from a hive, and also to remove insects like termites from their nests. Kinkajous also eat fruit and small mammals, which they snare with their nimble front paws and sharp claws. They roam and eat at night, and return each morning to sleep in previously used tree holes.

To view more "K" images click below.

"J" Is For Jaguarundi" ABC Wednesday

2011-03-21T09:00:00.011-05:00

A little tidbit about the J's in my Family. I have a Toy Poodle named Joey, he is 11 years old. I have a son named Jack, and I also have a daughter named Jill. Jack is 6 years older than Jill. When Jill was 3 years old she fell off of a hay elevator and tumbled down and broke her crown, and was in the hospital for 5 days. She is 43 years old and fine, so I guess her crown healed...; )

To view more ABC Wednesday images click below.

"I" Is For Indri" ABC Wednesday"

2011-03-14T09:00:00.003-05:00

The Indri is a large species of lemur found only on the secluded island of Madagascar.

Indri Interesting Facts and Features
The Indri is the largest existent lemur today and, like other lemurs, is most closely related to more primitive primates including bushbabies, pottos and lorises. Despite the fact that there are nearly 100 species of lemur and their sub-species found today, the Indri is the only remaining species in it's genus. Before the island was ravaged by deforestation, it is thought that a different population of Indri occupied nearly every ridge in the eastern forests of Madagascar. The colour of the Indri differs between populations, with individuals further south thought to have more patches of white, while those in the more northern areas tend to be darker.

To view more Interesting ABC Images Click below.

"H" Is For Humboldt Penguins" ABC Wednesday

2011-03-07T09:00:00.002-06:00

The Humboldt penguin is a medium-sized species of penguin that is found breeding on the coasts of South America. The Humboldt penguin is similar in appearance to and closely related to other more northern penguin species including the African penguin, the magellanic penguin and the Galapagos penguin.

The Humboldt penguin has few predators on land, the main ones being large snakes and sea-birds that hunt their eggs . Large leopard seals hunt the Humboldt penguin in the water along with large sharks and killer whales. Humboldt penguin populations have also been seriously affected by human hunting, and are easily affected by changes in the water from oil spills and chemical pollutants.

Humboldt penguins nest on beaches and rocky islands along the South American coast, where their range in Chile overlaps that of the closely related magellanic penguin (these sites are known as rookeries). The female Humboldt penguin lays two eggs which are incubated for just over a month and usually fledge (leave the nest) when they are between 2 and 3 months old.

Today, the Humboldt penguin populations throughout the Pacific Ocean have been drastically declining over the past few years, with human interference (mainly habitat loss and over-fishing) being the main cause.

To view more "H" images click below.

"G" Is For Gharial" ABC Wednesday

2011-02-28T09:00:00.026-06:00

The Gharial is a large-sized reptile found in the murky waters of Northern India and the surrounding countries. The Gharial is closely related to other large reptiles including caimans and alligators, although the salt-water crocodile is believed to be the Gharial's closest relative. The Gharial is most commonly found in the calmer areas of the deep, fast-flowing rivers of the North Indian subcontinent. The Gharial spends most of its time in the water as it is not well suited for a life on the land, due to its short legs.

The Gharial (along with the larger adult salt-water crocodiles) is the longest of this group of large reptiles, with there having been reports of adult male Gharials reaching more than six meters in length. The elongated snout of the Gharial is ideal for catching fish in the water, and contains more than 50 sharp teeth.

The Gharial is a generally solitary predator and does not have the same terrifying reputation for eating humans as crocodiles do. Although the Gharial has been known to show aggressive behaviour towards humans at times, the shape of the Gharial's snout makes it difficult for the Gharial to consume anything too big.

The Gharial is a carnivorous animal and a dominant predator within its environment. The only time that this isn't the case is when the Gharial share its territory with a large salt-water crocodile. Fish is the primary food of the Gharial along with insects and occasionally small animals.

Due to its large size, the Gharial has no natural predators within its environment besides humans who hunt the Gharial, often for leather or meat. The Gharial has also been devastatingly affected by the increasingly levels of pollution in the water and is today considered to be critically endangered in the wild.

The female Gharial makes their nests and lay their eggs during the dry season when the river shrinks exposing more of the sand on the river banks. The female Gharial lays between 30 and 50 eggs which are buried in a hole in the sand by her.

The baby Gharial emerge from the underground nest after a few months and are protected in the water by their mother for a few days, until they are able to fend for themselves.

To enjoy more Great ABC Wednesday entries click below:

"F" Is For Fossa" ABC Wednesday

2011-02-21T18:14:00.002-06:00

The fossa is a cat-like carnivorous predator native to the largest African island of Madagascar. The fossa is the largest predator on Madagascar and therefore has no real natural predators apart from the human and the occasional crocodile that swims astray.

The fossa tends be less than a meter in length with the tail of the fossa being about that the same length as the body of the fossa. However, in recent years fossils of the now extinct giant fossa has been uncovered in the jungles of Madagascar, the biggest giant fossa fossil measured nearly six meters in length and was thought to have weighed around 17 kg!

Despite the fossa being such a dominant predator, the fossa population has been severely threatened by the destruction of enormous chunks of the Madagascan jungle. Many animals native to Madagascar however, are all facing the same problem.

The fossa is an incredibly agile animal and can often be seen leaping through the tree tops, normally in pursuit of the favourite meal of the fossa, the lemur. More than half of the diet of the fossa comprises of wild lemur, but as the fossa is highly carnivorous, the rest Fossas spend most of their time in trees, either sleeping during the day and hunting by night. Although, this nocturnal lifestyle of the fossa is not believed to be the same with all fossa individuals as some are active both day and night depending on the area in which the fossa is in, and the food that is available. The time of the year also seems to play a part in this fossa behaviour. Fossas have also been known to hunt on the ground, where the fossa walks with their palms flat on the ground like bears rather than on their toes like cats. The fossa is mostly solitary except during the breeding season.

To see more Fabulous ABC Wednesday entries click below.

"E" Is For Echidna" ABC Wednesday

2011-02-14T09:00:00.003-06:00

Echidnas are known better as spiny anteaters, although they are not related to them, besides the fact that both anteaters and echidnas eat ants and termites. The echidna is found in parts of New Guinea and Australia. The echidna has a long tongue around 18cm long that can whip in and out of its mouth at incredible speeds. This helps the echidna to forage for ants and termites.

The echidna was named after a monster in Greek mythology! The echidna can dig incredibly well due to its long claws, meaning that echidna are able to escape danger by digging straight down.

The echidna is a small mammal and the echidna has a long snout that acts as both the mouth and nose of the echidna. The echidna has no teeth and the echidna feeds by tearing soft logs apart and then using its long, sticky tongue to feed on the ants and termites that inhabit the log. The echidna is a very special mammal and, along with the platypus, the echidna is the only other egg-laying mammal in the world. The echidna lays eggs that have a soft shell and are kept in the pouch of the female echidna until the eggs hatch in a couple of weeks. The young echidna remains in the pouch of the female echidna for around 50 weeks, when the baby echidna has grown spikes. The mother echidna then transfers the young echidna to a nursery burrow and returns every few days to feed the baby until it is around seven months old.

"D" Is For Dusky Dolphin" ABC Wednesday

2011-02-07T14:53:00.000-06:00

The dusky dolphin is a medium sized dolphin found in coastal waters in the Southern Hemisphere. The dusky dolphin is most well known for its striped like appearance and its incredibly acrobatic nature.

The dusky dolphin is found in large groups known as pods generally in the coastal waters of Peru and Australia. Due to the dusky dolphins frequent acrobatic displays and the fact they are often seen in large groups, makes the dusky dolphin a favourite for watchers and tourists alike.

Sadly the dusky dolphin population numbers are decreasing mainly due to the accidental catching of the dusky dolphins in fishing nets. The dusky dolphin is also purposefully hunted for its meat in South America.

Although the dusky dolphin is not believed to be an animal that regularly migrates, dusky dolphins have been known to travel enormous distances across the oceans. The dusky dolphins are thought to do this when the dusky dolphins are searching for food or have possibly been lost from their original dusky dolphin pod and the dusky dolphin is busily trying to find it again.

Dusky dolphins are the smallest of all the dolphin species with the average adult dusky dolphin weighing a maximum of around 150kg. The dusky dolphin tends to feed mainly on small fish, such as anchovies and cephalopods such as squid and cuttlefish.

Dusky dolphins are most commonly seen off the coast of South Africa, South America and New Zealand where special tours are often available for those travelers wanting to see the dynamic acrobatics of the dusky dolphins for themselves.

To view more "D" images click below...