Beautiful & unique Nature

Cyptotrama asprata, commonly known as the golden-scruffy collybia or spiny woodknight, is a species of mushroom found worldwide. Known for its fuzzy, almost alien appearance, when young, the cap is covered in dense, stiff tufts of fibrils that look like small, sharp spikes which wash off when it matures. It is found worldwide but absent in Europe and Northwestern North America. #weird #fungi #mushrooms #nature

Walker's Moth (Sosxetra grata), is a distinctive, hairy noctuid moth found in Central and South American cloud forests (Costa Rica to Peru/Brazil). The moth possesses unusual, thick tufts of hair that are not just for warmth; they appear to sense vibrations in the air, alerting the moth to predators or changes in airflow. It can fly in the chilly nights due to the ability to change its body temperature.
Picture: Thomas Shahan
#weird #moths #nature

Upper Amazon tree frog (Dendropsophus bifurcus), often called the "small clown frog", is a species of frog found in the upper Amazon Basin of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Their name "small clown frog" is owed to distinct white or orange stripes around their head and front legs, giving them a colorful, clown-like appearance. These frogs are opportunistic breeders that call throughout the rainy season. The tadpoles have bodies which look like violins.
#weird #Nature #Frogs

I must make it clear that there is a real person me ( although there is no need to reveal my real name here) who is behind this account. Since formerly known as #Twitter now known as #X was not very interesting to me, I searched for its alternative & found Mastodon. I use another server on Mastodon besides Mindly social, but Mindly social has been most responsive to my posts. This is an individual user's page with posts focused on #Nature, there is no science in it, there is no religion behind these posts. I also dislike using Mastodon for political posts, that's why followers have been mostly who are interested in #Nature, politics does not align with my account. The pictures shared are also public domain, not stealing others' pictures. Since my posts are public, I hope that the followers' posts must also be public, if that is not acceptable to them, I wish them good luck in finding another account that matches their mindsets. Thanks

Purple Pinwheel (Marasmius haematocephalus) is a species of mushroom. It grows on leaf litter and forms basidiocarps with striated purple caps. Found in neotropical regions, South America like Brazil and Ecuador, they are known as resurrection fungi rehydrate, re-inflate their caps, and begin releasing spores again in humidity after going dry and shriveling to nothing. They exhibit a phenomenon known as guttation, where they secrete small droplets of water, thus known as sweating.
Picture: Joseph Pallante/ Inaturalist
#fungi #nature

Archduke butterfly (Lexias pardalis) caterpillar, typically found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and Australasia. Known for its appearance similarity with a Christmas tree, 10 pairs of lateral protrusions, that act as a "shield,". it can change its hue to match the leaves of its host plant for maximum camouflage. When disturbed, it freezes and relies on its fearsome appearance or curls into a defensive ball.
Picture: pinterest
#weird #nature #caterpillars

Chinese Shield Mantis (Asiadodis yunnanensis) is a medium-sized, vibrant green praying mantis native to China, Myanmar, and Thailand, recognized by its broad pronotal shield. It is also known as Yunnan Asian Mantis. this species has been observed growing significantly more in width than in length, making them look flat and broad. They possess a "dragon-like" appearance. Known to be very aggressive to its own kind, making them dangerous to keep together.
Picture: Inaturalist, jiangyou
#weird #insects #mantis #Nature

Horned Sungem (Heliactin bilophus) is a species of hummingbird native to much of central Brazil and parts of Bolivia and Suriname. Dazzling horns are possessed by only male species of this bird, has a bill that looks like stiletto which is an adaptation for piercing the base of flowers to steal nectar. Smaller size does not make them less aggressive bird, highly territorial and seen attacking larger hummingbirds.
Picture: Leonardo Amui
#weird #birds #nature

Parrot Waxgill (Gliophorus psittacinus) also known as, Parrot Waxcap is a species of fungi, is widely distributed in grasslands in western Europe, United Kingdom, Iceland, Greenland, North America etc. When young, the Parrot Waxgill is a brilliant, emerald-green color. As it matures, this color fades away to yellow, orange, also known as "Deceiving Waxcap", covered in a thick, gelatinous, and slimy coating esp. wet weather. Its edibility is questionable.
#Weird #Fungi #Nature

Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer) is a species of passerine bird native to Africa south of the Sahara. Males are polygynous, building multiple, intricate, oval-shaped grass nests, which they hang over water or in high grass, trying to attract female of the species to each one. Their breeding display includes buzzing insect-like hissing song.
Picture: Adrian J. F. Craig
#weird #birds #nature

The harlequin tree frog (Rhacophorus pardalis) is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. While they cannot fly like birds, they are expert gliders, sometimes called "parachute frogs. They create a foamy, soap-like nest. Their call is described as a "brief raspy chuckle" or a "Wark wark" sound.
Picture: Inaturalist
#weird #nature #animals

The coppersmith barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus), also known as Coppersmith, is an Asian Barbet found in Southeast Asia etc. Known for its metallic "tuk-tuk" call, mimicking a coppersmith hammering, and its unique nesting habit of chiseling cavities in soft tree wood, often competing fiercely for limited natural holes.
#beautiful #weird #birds #nature

The Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) is a land tortoise from Madagascar, have star-patterned shells. Their shells' yellow lines widen with age, nerves and blood vessels in their shell mean they feel when touched, like a living map. During their dramatic courtship, Males bob heads, sniff, and butt females, sometimes lifting them during noisy mating.
Picture: pinterest
#tortoises #weird #nature

Achrioptera punctipes Stick Insect, is found in the rainforests of Madagascar. The males & females of this species have different colorations with males featuring bright blue, red, and yellow markings and wine-red antennae, while females with more cryptic brown appearance to blend in with surroundings. When threatened, both sexes open their hind wings with a loud rustling noise to startle predators & then attempt to trap the attacker. They are flight-capable but clumsy in flight.
#Nature #Weird #Insects
Picture is from #Pinterest

I have usually shared #weird or #beautiful species from #nature which often happen to be #birds, #bugs, #frogs, #turtles etc. Since I have observed they catch people's interest more. What should be shared more here from #Nature's world?

Peacock tree frog (Leptopelis vermiculatus) also known as vermiculated tree frog, is a species of frog found in the forest parts of Tanzania. These frogs have two distinct color phases: changing from green to brown as they age. Males use distinct calls: "ga... ga... ga" to attract females and a territorial "rrrrrrrr-ga" to warn off other males, often while calling from the water.
#weird #frogs #nature

Malagasy sacred ibis (Threskiornis bernieri) is an Ibis endemic to to the west coast of Madagascar, and Aldabra on the Seychelles. It is known for its habit of probing mud with its beak, gregarious bird and forms large colonies sometimes with other birds. It forages mainly on mud in tidal areas, thrusting its bill into the mud up to the eyes.
Picture: Fanis Theofanopoulos/ ebird.com
#weird #beautiful #nature #birds

Ten-lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata) also known as watermelon beetle, is a scarab beetle found in USA & Canada. It makes a bat-like hissing sound when threatened by forcing air out, has huge feathery antennae for finding mates, and its stripes confuse predators. Their weakness is the attraction to the lights, due to which they can be observed or caught by humans.
Picture: Alex Heymann
#weird #bugs #nature #insects