Leaderboard
728x15

Cool Animal Photos images

A few nice animal photos images I found:




My! what big teeth you have !
animal photos
Image by rubyblossom.
For My Animal Antics Set.~
www.flickr.com/photos/rubyblossom/sets/72157613784555543/
With Thanks to ~
Soldier~ Valerinana Solaris~
www.flickr.com/photos/valerianasolaris/3341143339/
Polar Bear ~ Ajagendorf25~
www.flickr.com/photos/ajagendorf25/3457595954/in/photostr...

Nice Animal Shelters photos

A few nice animal shelters images I found:


Chicken shed now in view as the brambles are cleared
animal shelters
Image by hardworkinghippy

Nice Photos Of Animals photos

Some cool photos of animals images:


patton and the sign
photos of animals
Image by striatic
this dog does not 'get' the leash.

always running against it, but not really fighting it .. more oblivious to it .. inadvertently slipping out of it as much to his surprise as my own.

.. but i can tell you honestly that it is the only thing keeping him from jumping out into traffic.

colour

Nice Animal photos

Check out these animal images:



cervus eldi
animal
Image by liangjinjian
animal kingdom

Maharajah Jungle Trek

Costa Rica by Carmen James

Some cool animal pics images:


Costa Rica by Carmen James
animal pics
Image by Frontierofficial
Excellent pics from a volunteer on our Costa Rica Big Cats, Primates & Turtle Conservation Project. For more info on this experience, please check out our website: bit.ly/echPXm

Nice Animal Planet photos

Check out these animal planet images:


Lioness-14
animal planet
Image by Property#1


Lioness-5
animal planet
Image by Property#1


Lioness+2 Cubs
animal planet
Image by Property#1

Nice Wildlife Animals photos

Some cool wildlife animals images:


lemur
wildlife animals
Image by belgianchocolate
Let me introduce you to one of the lemur species of Madagascar's rich fauna. This is the crowned lemur - it is easy to see where the species got it's name. Right?
Their scietntific latin name is 'eulemur coronatus'. This is the smallest species of the genus Eulemur they can weight about 1,5 to 1,8 kilograms. We both saw this species at 'National parc de montagen d'Ambre' as well as in 'Ankarana special reserve'.
At Ankarana they are even semi-tame and hang around the camp place waiting for a mango pith to be ignorantly thrown away.

They are classified as vulnerable and appear on the CITES I list. That is not a list of honor it means that they are seriously endangered. The dangers for these animals are los of habitat by logging , forest fires , development. They appear in 4 restricted areas that should be protected. (responsible tourism can bring in some needed cash to maintain the parcs)
For this species the Madagascar Fauna Group has set up a captive breeding program.


These animals can easely be seen since they are day active. If you wander through the forest you'll meet small family groups - 4 to 6 is an average group , but up to 15 individuals is possible. They feed on leaves , fruits and branches and sometimes on rare occasions on bird eggs and vertebrates.Mating occurs in May and June and 125 days later one of two youngsters are born. Two years later the cyclus can start again.
I like their long tails ,up to 49cm for an animal with a body lenght of 34 - 36 cm its huge.




Thirsty pumps
wildlife animals
Image by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region
Suffolk, VA, August 2011:. High volume pumps drafting water from a ditch on the eastern side of Lake Drummond on Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge look like thirsty animals at a watering hole. The pumps, powered with the help of tractors, were to flood ditches to charge a water sprinkling system to douse the Laterl West Fire. Credit: Greg Sanders/USFWS

Cool Plush Animals images

Some cool plush animals images:




Marmalade, my sore-bottom bear
plush animals
Image by cammy♥claudia
Meet Marmalade, my "sore-bottom" bear!

I recently had surgery to remove a cyst from my lower back, and it's taking a long time to recover. I can't leave the house very often, and it still hurts a bit to sit down or lay on my back.

My mom found this little teddy bear at a garage sale about a week ago and gave him to me as a commemoration of my "sore-bottom days." I love his slightly grumpy expression, just as if he had a sore bottom too!

Nice Animals Names photos

Check out these animals names images:


Brown bears, Minka & her cubs Rose & Grace, Franklin Park Zoo
animals names
Image by Boston Public Library
File name: 08_06_001230

Title: Brown bears, Minka & her cubs Rose & Grace, Franklin Park Zoo

Creator/Contributor: Jones, Leslie, 1886-1967 (photographer)

Date created: 1917 - 1934 (approximate)

Physical description: 1 negative : glass, black & white ; 4 x 5 in.

Genre: Glass negatives

Subjects: Franklin Park Zoo (Boston, Mass.); Bears

Notes: Title from information provided by Leslie Jones or the Boston Public Library on the negative or negative sleeve.; Date supplied by cataloger.

Collection: Leslie Jones Collection

Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department

Rights: Copyright © Leslie Jones.

Preferred credit: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.


Eagle, Franklin Park
animals names
Image by Boston Public Library
File name: 08_06_001177

Title: Eagle, Franklin Park

Creator/Contributor: Jones, Leslie, 1886-1967 (photographer)

Date created: 1917 - 1934 (approximate)

Physical description: 1 negative : glass, black & white ; 4 x 5 in.

Genre: Glass negatives

Subjects: Franklin Park Zoo (Boston, Mass.); Eagles

Notes: Title from information provided by Leslie Jones or the Boston Public Library on the negative or negative sleeve.; Date supplied by cataloger.

Collection: Leslie Jones Collection

Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department

Rights: Copyright © Leslie Jones.

Preferred credit: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.


Tony the elephant getting swept off by Dan Harkins in the elephant house.
animals names
Image by Boston Public Library
File name: 08_06_001153

Title: Tony the elephant getting swept off by Dan Harkins in the elephant house.

Creator/Contributor: Jones, Leslie, 1886-1967 (photographer)

Date created: 1932-06

Physical description: 1 negative : glass, black & white ; 4 x 5 in.

Genre: Glass negatives

Subjects: Franklin Park Zoo (Boston, Mass.); Elephants; Grooming

Notes: Title and date from information provided by Leslie Jones or the Boston Public Library on the negative or negative sleeve.

Collection: Leslie Jones Collection

Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department

Rights: Copyright © Leslie Jones.

Preferred credit: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.

Casper's Toes

Some cool animal adoption images:


Casper's Toes
animal adoption
Image by jazzijava
Purina Pet Adoption Weekend May 4-5 2013

Whitby Petsmart


Sally the Lab X
animal adoption
Image by jazzijava
Purina Pet Adoption Weekend May 4-5 2013

Whitby Petsmart


Scared Little One
animal adoption
Image by jazzijava
Purina Pet Adoption Weekend May 4-5 2013

Whitby Petsmart

Sumac Again

Check out these animal plant images:


Sumac Again
animal plant
Image by bill barber
From my set entitled ‘Sumac”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607186471302/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumac
Sumac (also spelled sumach) is any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. The dried berries of some species are ground to produce a tangy purple spice often used in juice.

Sumacs grow in subtropical and warm temperate regions throughout the world, especially in North America.

Sumacs are shrubs and small trees that can reach a height of 1-10 meters. The leaves are spirally arranged; they are usually pinnately compound, though some species have trifoliate or simple leaves. The flowers are in dense panicles or spikes 5-30 cm long, each flower very small, greenish, creamy white or red, with five petals. The fruits form dense clusters of reddish drupes called sumac bobs.

Sumacs propagate both by seed (spread by birds and other animals through their droppings), and by new sprouts from rhizomes, forming large clonal colonies.
The drupes of the genus Rhus are ground into a deep-red or purple powder used as a spice in Middle Eastern cuisine to add a lemony taste to salads or meat; in the Turkish cuisine e.g. added to salad-servings of kebabs and lahmacun. In North America, the smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), and the staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), are sometimes used to make a beverage, termed "sumac-ade" or "Indian lemonade" or "rhus juice". This drink is made by soaking the drupes in cool water, rubbing them to extract the essence, straining the liquid through a cotton cloth and sweetening it. Native Americans also used the leaves and berries of the smooth and staghorn sumacs combined with tobacco in traditional smoking mixtures.

Species including the fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica), the littleleaf sumac (R. microphylla), the skunkbush sumac (R. trilobata), the smooth sumac and the staghorn sumac are grown for ornament, either as the wild types or as cultivars.

The leaves of certain sumacs yield tannin (mostly pyrogallol), a substance used in vegetable tanning. Leather tanned with sumac is flexible, light in weight, and light in color, even bordering on being white.

Dried sumac wood is fluorescent under long-wave UV light. Mowing of sumac is not a good control measure as the wood is springy resulting in jagged, sharp pointed stumps when mowed. The plant will quickly recover with new growth after mowing. See Nebraska Extension Service publication G97-1319 for suggestions as to control.

At times Rhus has held over 250 species. Recent molecular phylogeny research suggests breaking Rhus sensu lata into Actinocheita, Baronia, Cotinus, Malosma, Searsia, Toxicodendron, and Rhus sensu stricta. If this is done, about 35 species would remain in Rhus. However, the data is not yet clear enough to settle the proper placement of all species into these genera.


Grass of gold / Hierba de oro
animal plant
Image by . SantiMB .
Cunit, Tarragona (Spain).

View Large On White

ENGLISH
Cortaderia selloana, commonly known as Pampas Grass, is a tall grass native to southern South America, including the pampas after which it is named, and Patagonia.

Cortaderia selloana was introduced to Europe and North America as an ornamental grass, and, to a lesser extent, to provide food for grazing animals. The feathery flower head plumes, when dried, are widely used in flower arrangements and other ornamental displays.

Pampas grass is highly adaptable and can grow in a wide range of environments and climates. It also seeds prolifically, with each plant able to produce over 1 million seeds during its lifetime. As such, in some areas (for example California, Hawaii or Green Spain) it is regarded as an invasive weed, whilst in New Zealand and South Africa the plant is banned from sale and propagation for the same reasons.

More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortaderia_selloana

---------------------------------

CASTELLANO
Cortaderia selloana, cortadera o mejor conocida como yerba/hierba(s) de las Pampas, es una especie botánica de pastos rizomatosos muy altos, endémica en el Sur de Sudamérica, en la región pampeana y en la Patagonia.

Posee numerosas denominaciones comunes, entre ellas plumero, plumerillo, cola de zorro, carrizo de la Pampa, paja penacho, paina, cortaderia, ginerio o gimnerio.

Fue introducida a Europa y a Norteamérica como planta ornamental, y en menor medida como forrajera. La flor lanuda plumosa, al secar, son muy usadas en floristería.

Es altamente adaptable, creciendo en una amplia gama de ambientes y climas. Semilla prolíficamente, cada planta puede producir más de 1 millón de simientes durante su vida. Así, en lugares como California, Hawái o el norte de España es una especie invasora, mientras en Nueva Zelanda y en Sudáfrica se prohibe su venta y propagación por las mismas razones. La extirpación de la sp. por quemado no previene su retorno. Se usa herbicida AquaMaster que mata sus raíces.

Si se tiene alergia a las gramíneas, no usarla. Con las hojas se obtiene celulosa. Es planta medicinal como febrífugo infantil, diurética y sudorífera.

Se utilizan para adorno de floreros secos, a veces teñida de otros colores, para eso se los corta cuando son jóvenes y se los seca cabeza abajo. Prefiere zonas cálidas y no soporta bien la helada. Luz a pleno sol, pero crece con sombra parcial.

Más info: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortadera


Pet in pyjamas
animal plant
Image by Gabriela Ruellan
Pet monarch caterpillar, last instar. Actually I have three of these, and the other two are already pupating.
This species is our native version of the very popular Monarch Butterfly, and it doesn't wear any white stripes on its pyjamas — only black and yellow. For some time it was debated whether this was a subspecies of the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) or a distinct species, but recent studies seem to point to the latter.

The fellow on the photo has been raised on Asclepias curassavica from way up north. I should try feeding them their local food plants, e.g. Asclepias mellodora and Oxypetalum solanoides, but so far only A. curassavica has wanted to grow in my garden.

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Oruga de monarca mascota, última muda. En realidad tengo tres de estas, y las otras dos ya están empupando.
Esta especie es nuestra versión nativa de la muy conocida mariposa monarca, y no usa rayas blancas en el piyama, sólo amarillas y negras. Durante un tiempo se discutió si esta era una subespecie de la monarca (Danaus plexippus) o una especie diferente, pero hace poco se hicieron estudios que parecen indicar esto último.

El fulanito de la foto fue alimentado con Asclepias curassavica, de más al norte. Debería tratar de darles de comer sus plantas hospedadoras locales, como ser Asclepias mellodora y Oxypetalum solanoides, pero hasta ahora sólo A. curassavica quiso crecer en mi jardín.


Danaus erippus (sometimes called / a veces llamada Danaus plexippus erippus)
English: Southern Monarch (caterpillar)
Español (de Argentina): oruga de las asclepias, (oruga de) mariposa monarca, monarca

Distribution range / Área de distribución: Southern Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southeastern Brazil / Sur de Perú, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay y sudeste de Brasil

Super fashion

Some cool animals photo images:


Super fashion
animals photo
Image by Miriam Cardoso de Souza
Esta espécie distingue-se facilmente da garça-branca-grande (Ardea alba), não só pelo tamanho, mas por apresentar o bico e as pernas negros e os dedos dos pés amarelos. Nos jovens as pernas e os pés são verde-amarelados. Nesta garça as egretas aparecem, nos indivíduos de ambos os sexos, no dorso, na cabeça e no peito durante o período de reprodução.

Alimentação: peixes e invertebrados aquáticos. Para pescar, corre nas margens das coleções de água atrás de cardumes de peixes ou move, rapidamente, um dos pés sob água para atrair suas presas.

Nidificação: o casal constrói uma plataforma de galhos secos sobre uma árvore, geralmente próxima à água e a alguns metros do solo. Neste ninho são postos, com 2 ou 3 dias de intervalo, de 3 a 7 ovos esverdeados ou verde-azulados, que medem cerca de 43 x 32 mm. O casal incuba os ovos durante 25 a 26 dias e, quando nascem os filhotes, que são nidícolas, fornece-lhes alimento regurgitado.

Hábitat: borda de lagos, rios, banhados e nas praias, à beira-mar.


IMGP8431-500 mm-01
animals photo
Image by suneko
PHOTO by my wife

Cool Wild Animals images

Check out these wild animals images:


33::236 - Wild Chinese Animals
wild animals
Image by WarzauWynn
On my way home from work I ran into a pack of these wild animals terrorizing chinatown, making a racket and chasing some nice looking folks, very official looking, up Stockton Street.


100_1346
wild animals
Image by JaviC

IMG_6761

A few nice animal adoption images I found:


IMG_6761
animal adoption
Image by rmcnicholas
Boots: BACS Shelter Dogs at Bad Rap class


IMG_6926
animal adoption
Image by rmcnicholas
Sadie, A018130, in Kennel 12, F, 3 yr, blue/white Pit Bull Terrier


fuji4
animal adoption
Image by rmcnicholas
Fuji, A020536, kennel 21, M, 10 mos, red/white Pit Bull, avail 5/4/2010

why do you keep flashing that thing at me?

A few nice about pet animals images I found:


why do you keep flashing that thing at me?
about pet animals
Image by Malingering
Milo at about 7 months... July 2001.

Not many weeks out of the cat shelter.


Oliver in Harsh Light
about pet animals
Image by Mr. T in DC
Oliver looking startled, getting agitated, and about to take a swipe at my lens.

BUTTERFLIES OF FLORIDA

Check out these photo of animals images:


BUTTERFLIES OF FLORIDA
photo of animals
Image by cuatrok77
Long black wings with distinctive thin yellow bands - combined with slow, graceful flight - characterize the zebra longwing (Heliconius charitonius). It has a wide range of habitats, including hardwood hammocks, thickets, and gardens. The zebra longwing is found throughout the state, although it is more common in south Florida, particularly in the Everglades National Park. In 1996 the state legislature designated the zebra longwing as the official state butterfly.


BUTTERFLIES OF FLORIDA
photo of animals
Image by cuatrok77

Cool Names For Animals images

A few nice names for animals images I found:



it's a tough life
names for animals
Image by Craig Sefton
This trip to South Africa was my fiance's first on safari. We went to Umfolozi-Hluhluwe game park in Kwa-Zulu Natal for three days and two nights, and on our second day, we went on a morning safari with a wonderful ranger by the name of Jeanie.

She was so good that we went out a second time that afternoon with her, and we finally came across a troop of baboons, my fiance's favourite animal. This guy was just too cute for words.

Sept 18, 2009 5:16 PM

Some cool animal protection images:


Sept 18, 2009 5:16 PM
animal protection
Image by Barbara.Doduk
www.rapsociety.com/catsanctuary


Sept 18, 2009 5:05 PM
animal protection
Image by Barbara.Doduk
www.rapsociety.com/catsanctuary

Cool Animal Pics images

Check out these animal pics images:


Wonderful cats at the Mosaic Feline Rescue (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - Sunday July 14, 2013
animal pics
Image by cseeman
Volunteering at the Mosaic Feline Rescue in Ann Arbor. These are wonderful cats and are looking for a good home. These photos are from Sunday July 14, 2013. We have alot from the "Materinty Ward" with all the kittens. And there are a ton of pics today because of all the new kittens and mothers who are at Mosaic. More kittens are on their way!


Wonderful cats at the Mosaic Feline Rescue (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - Sunday May 19, 2013
animal pics
Image by cseeman
Volunteering at the Mosaic Feline Rescue in Ann Arbor. These are wonderful cats and are looking for a good home. These photos are from Sunday May 19, 2013. We have alot from the "Materinty Ward" with all the kittens. And there are a ton of pics today because of all the new kittens and mothers who are at Mosaic. More kittens are on their way!


Wonderful cats at the Mosaic Feline Rescue (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - Sunday May 19, 2013
animal pics
Image by cseeman
Volunteering at the Mosaic Feline Rescue in Ann Arbor. These are wonderful cats and are looking for a good home. These photos are from Sunday May 19, 2013. We have alot from the "Materinty Ward" with all the kittens. And there are a ton of pics today because of all the new kittens and mothers who are at Mosaic. More kittens are on their way!

Striated Ant Thrush

A few nice animal research images I found:


Striated Ant Thrush
animal research
Image by siwild

This Striated Ant Thrush, Chamaeza nobilis, was photographed in Peru, as part of a research project utilizing motion-activated camera-traps.

You are invited to go WILD on Smithsonian's interactive website, Smithsonian WILD, to learn more about the research and browse photos like this from around the world.

siwild.si.edu/wild.cfm?fid=5493872680


Saphire Quail Dove
animal research
Image by siwild

This Saphire Quail Dove, Geotrygon saphirina, was photographed in Peru, as part of a research project utilizing motion-activated camera-traps.

You are invited to go WILD on Smithsonian's interactive website, Smithsonian WILD, to learn more about the research and browse photos like this from around the world.

siwild.si.edu/wild.cfm?fid=5493788460

Shelter Snapshots: Violet and Syd

Some cool animal shelters images:


Shelter Snapshots: Violet and Syd
animal shelters
Image by LollypopFarm


Shelter Snapshots: Sadie and Tiki
animal shelters
Image by LollypopFarm


Shelter Snapshots: Tomo and Jersey
animal shelters
Image by LollypopFarm
Photo: Suzanne Kenyon

Nice Animal Humane Society photos

Some cool animal humane society images:


The Katie Ernst Quartet
animal humane society
Image by LollypopFarm
Photo credit: Anne Marie DiMarsico


Alice Calabrese, Raymond Shea and Carolyn Shea
animal humane society
Image by LollypopFarm
Photo credit: Anne Marie DiMarsico

Cool Names For Animals images

A few nice names for animals images I found:


Aimee and Vodka
names for animals
Image by Elrenia_Greenleaf
We’d seen a poster outside the butchers in Castle Douglas (which, incidentally has the nicest sausages this side of the border so if you’re ever in the area, pay it a visit :D) for an ‘open day’ to raise money for a local donkey sanctuary and it had a photograph of a lovely fuzzy donkey who went by the name of Vodka on it.

It transpired that all three were rescues. Vodka, who had been imported to France from somewhere else, had been rescued from the meat trade, scared and unconfident, with her long shaggy coat all matted and muddy. A bar in Glasgow has sponsored her, I can’t remember the name of it right now, only that it had ‘Vodka’ in the title but I’m sure I’d seen her in an ad campaign once before, so it was extra nice to meet her. She was by far one of the friendliest donkeys I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and was VERY interested in Nigel. Her flag like ears pricked as she sniffed him and she was utterly transfixed.

Then there was Fergus, a tiny little jack who got very jealous when he was ignored for more than a minute. (remind you of anyone?) I can’t remember his history but regardless of what it was, he was adorable, if a little grumpy.

Aimee, I think was the name of the other jenny, a gorgeous little pinto who I only really saw the head and legs of as the rest of her was covered in a rug to help ease her sweet itch. She had been a racing donkey and had competed in several ‘Donkey Derbys’ before coming here. The cobs, who I never ‘met’ were grazing the muddy paddock in the background, blatantly ignoring everyone else

I picked up a leaflet with pictures of all the donkeys at this other sanctuary and their stories. There was also a section with some of the horses that would be going to the slaughterhouse in France shortly with prices and details about them. It was heartbreaking, seeing all these animals with such potential looking at their own demise. There were even two mares and foals, one was in foal at the same time as well. It said that they’d be going to Italy where it is legal to kill pregnant mares for meat.

I can’t even begin to put into words how wrong that is, I just can’t.

If I had the money, god, if only I had money.


Fergus
names for animals
Image by Elrenia_Greenleaf
We’d seen a poster outside the butchers in Castle Douglas (which, incidentally has the nicest sausages this side of the border so if you’re ever in the area, pay it a visit :D) for an ‘open day’ to raise money for a local donkey sanctuary and it had a photograph of a lovely fuzzy donkey who went by the name of Vodka on it.

It transpired that all three were rescues. Vodka, who had been imported to France from somewhere else, had been rescued from the meat trade, scared and unconfident, with her long shaggy coat all matted and muddy. A bar in Glasgow has sponsored her, I can’t remember the name of it right now, only that it had ‘Vodka’ in the title but I’m sure I’d seen her in an ad campaign once before, so it was extra nice to meet her. She was by far one of the friendliest donkeys I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and was VERY interested in Nigel. Her flag like ears pricked as she sniffed him and she was utterly transfixed.

Then there was Fergus, a tiny little jack who got very jealous when he was ignored for more than a minute. (remind you of anyone?) I can’t remember his history but regardless of what it was, he was adorable, if a little grumpy.

Aimee, I think was the name of the other jenny, a gorgeous little pinto who I only really saw the head and legs of as the rest of her was covered in a rug to help ease her sweet itch. She had been a racing donkey and had competed in several ‘Donkey Derbys’ before coming here. The cobs, who I never ‘met’ were grazing the muddy paddock in the background, blatantly ignoring everyone else

I picked up a leaflet with pictures of all the donkeys at this other sanctuary and their stories. There was also a section with some of the horses that would be going to the slaughterhouse in France shortly with prices and details about them. It was heartbreaking, seeing all these animals with such potential looking at their own demise. There were even two mares and foals, one was in foal at the same time as well. It said that they’d be going to Italy where it is legal to kill pregnant mares for meat.

I can’t even begin to put into words how wrong that is, I just can’t.

If I had the money, god, if only I had money.

Cool Stuffed Toy Animals images

A few nice stuffed toy animals images I found:


Best Friends Forever
stuffed toy animals
Image by MattHurst
james and his favorite toy, a stuffed animal kangaroo


Pride.
stuffed toy animals
Image by catd_mitchell


Nemos
stuffed toy animals
Image by ChiPhilly

Cool About Endangered Animals images

A few nice about endangered animals images I found:



Bryce Canyon National Park, southwestern Utah
about endangered animals
Image by james_gordon_losangeles
Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m).

The Bryce Canyon area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874. The area around Bryce Canyon became a National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a National Park in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres (55.99 sq mi; 145.02 km2) and receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location.

Geography and climate
Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwestern Utah about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of and 1,000 feet (300 m) higher than Zion National Park. The weather in Bryce Canyon is therefore cooler, and the park receives more precipitation: a total of 15 to 18 inches (38 to 46 cm) per year.
Yearly temperatures vary from an average minimum of 9 °F (−13 °C) in January to an average maximum of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, but extreme temperatures can range from −30 °F to 97 °F (−34 °C to 36 °C). The record high temperature in the park was 98 °F (37 °C) on July 14, 2002. The record low temperature was −28 °F (−33 °C) on December 10, 1972.

The national park lies within the Colorado Plateau geographic province of North America and straddles the southeastern edge of the Paunsagunt Plateau west of the Paunsagunt Fault (Paunsagunt is Paiute for "home of the beaver").[9] Park visitors arrive from the plateau part of the park and look over the plateau's edge toward a valley containing the fault and the Paria River just beyond it (Paria is Paiute for "muddy or elk water"). The edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau bounds the opposite side of the valley.

Bryce PointBryce Canyon was not formed from erosion initiated from a central stream, meaning it technically is not a canyon. Instead headward erosion has excavated large amphitheater-shaped features in the Cenozoic-aged rocks of the Paunsagunt Plateau. This erosion exposed delicate and colorful pinnacles called hoodoos that are up to 200 feet (61 m) high. A series of amphitheaters extends more than 20 miles (32 km) north-to-south within the park. The largest is Bryce Amphitheater, which is 12 miles (19 km) long, 3 miles (4.8 km) wide and 800 feet (240 m) deep. A nearby example of amphitheaters with hoodoos in the same formation but at a higher elevation, is in Cedar Breaks National Monument, which is 25 miles (40 km) to the west on the Markagunt Plateau.

Rainbow Point, the highest part of the park at 9,105 feet (2,775 m), is at the end of the 18-mile (29 km) scenic drive. From there, Aquarius Plateau, Bryce Amphitheater, the Henry Mountains, the Vermilion Cliffs and the White Cliffs can be seen. Yellow Creek, where it exits the park in the north-east section, is the lowest part of the park at 6,620 feet (2,020 m).

[edit] Human history[edit] Native American habitationLittle is known about early human habitation in the Bryce Canyon area. Archaeological surveys of Bryce Canyon National Park and the Paunsaugunt Plateau show that people have been in the area for at least 10,000 years. Basketmaker Anasazi artifacts several thousand years old have been found south of the park. Other artifacts from the Pueblo-period Anasazi and the Fremont culture (up to the mid-12th century) have also been found.

The Paiute Indians moved into the surrounding valleys and plateaus in the area around the same time that the other cultures left. These Native Americans hunted and gathered for most of their food, but also supplemented their diet with some cultivated products. The Paiute in the area developed a mythology surrounding the hoodoos (pinnacles) in Bryce Canyon. They believed that hoodoos were the Legend People whom the trickster Coyote turned to stone. At least one older Paiute said his culture called the hoodoos Anka-ku-was-a-wits, which is Paiute for "red painted faces".

European American exploration and settlementIt was not until the late 18th and the early 19th century that the first European Americans explored the remote and hard-to-reach area. Mormon scouts visited the area in the 1850s to gauge its potential for agricultural development, use for grazing, and settlement.


Ebenezer Bryce and his family lived in Bryce Canyon, in this cabin, here photographed c. 1881.The first major scientific expedition to the area was led by U.S. Army Major John Wesley Powell in 1872. Powell, along with a team of mapmakers and geologists, surveyed the Sevier and Virgin River area as part of a larger survey of the Colorado Plateaus. His mapmakers kept many of the Paiute place names.

Small groups of Mormon pioneers followed and attempted to settle east of Bryce Canyon along the Paria River. In 1873, the Kanarra Cattle Company started to use the area for cattle grazing.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent Scottish immigrant Ebenezer Bryce and his wife Mary to settle land in the Paria Valley because they thought his carpentry skills would be useful in the area. The Bryce family chose to live right below Bryce Canyon Amphitheater. Bryce grazed his cattle inside what are now park borders, and reputedly thought that the amphitheaters were a "helluva place to lose a cow." He also built a road to the plateau to retrieve firewood and timber, and a canal to irrigate his crops and water his animals. Other settlers soon started to call the unusual place "Bryce's canyon", which was later formalized into Bryce Canyon.

A combination of drought, overgrazing and flooding eventually drove the remaining Paiutes from the area and prompted the settlers to attempt construction of a water diversion channel from the Sevier River drainage. When that effort failed, most of the settlers, including the Bryce family, left the area.
Bryce moved his family to Arizona in 1880. The remaining settlers dug a 10 miles (16 km) ditch from the Sevier's east fork into Tropic Valley.

Creation of the park
Bryce Canyon Lodge was built between 1924 and 1925 from local materials.These scenic areas were first described for the public in magazine articles published by Union Pacific and Santa Fe railroads in 1916. People like Forest Supervisor J. W. Humphrey promoted the scenic wonders of Bryce Canyon's amphitheaters, and by 1918 nationally distributed articles also helped to spark interest. However, poor access to the remote area and the lack of accommodations kept visitation to a bare minimum.

Ruby Syrett, Harold Bowman and the Perry brothers later built modest lodging, and set up "touring services" in the area. Syrett later served as the first postmaster of Bryce Canyon. Visitation steadily increased, and by the early 1920s the Union Pacific Railroad became interested in expanding rail service into southwestern Utah to accommodate more tourists.

In 1928 the canyon became a National Park. It now has this visitors' center.At the same time, conservationists became alarmed by the damage overgrazing and logging on the plateau, along with unregulated visitation, were having on the fragile features of Bryce Canyon. A movement to have the area protected was soon started, and National Park Service Director Stephen Mather responded by proposing that Bryce Canyon be made into a state park. The governor of Utah and the Utah Legislature, however, lobbied for national protection of the area. Mather relented and sent his recommendation to President Warren G. Harding, who on June 8, 1923 declared Bryce Canyon National Monument into existence.

A road was built the same year on the plateau to provide easy access to outlooks over the amphitheaters. From 1924 to 1925, Bryce Canyon Lodge was built from local timber and stone.

Members of U.S. Congress started work in 1924 on upgrading Bryce Canyon's protection status from a U.S. National Monument to a National Park in order to establish Utah National Park.
A process led by the Utah Parks Company for transferring ownership of private and state-held land in the monument to the federal government started in 1923. The last of the land in the proposed park's borders was sold to the federal government four years later, and on February 25, 1928, the renamed Bryce Canyon National Park was established.

In 1931, President Herbert Hoover annexed an adjoining area south of the park, and in 1942 an additional 635 acres (2.57 km2) was added.[11] This brought the park's total area to the current figure of 35,835 acres (145.02 km2). Rim Road, the scenic drive that is still used today, was completed in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Administration of the park was conducted from neighboring Zion Canyon National Park until 1956, when Bryce Canyon's first superintendent started work.

More recent history
The USS Bryce Canyon was named for the park and served as a supply and repair ship in the U.S. Pacific Fleet from September 15, 1950, to June 30, 1981.

Bryce Canyon Natural History Association (BCNHA) was established in 1961. It runs the bookstore inside the park visitor center and is a non-profit organization created to aid the interpretive, educational and scientific activities of the National Park Service at Bryce Canyon National Park. A portion of the profits from all bookstore sales are donated to public land units.

Responding to increased visitation and traffic congestion, the National Park Service implemented a voluntary, summer-only, in-park shuttle system in June 2000. In 2004, reconstruction began on the aging and inadequate road system in the park.

Geology of the Bryce Canyon area

Erosion of sedimentary rocks has created natural arches.
Thor's Hammer.The Bryce Canyon area shows a record of deposition that spans from the last part of the Cretaceous period and the first half of the Cenozoic era. The ancient depositional environment of the region around what is now the park varied. The Dakota Sandstone and the Tropic Shale were deposited in the warm, shallow waters of the advancing and retreating Cretaceous Seaway (outcrops of these rocks are found just outside park borders). The colorful Claron Formation, from which the park's delicate hoodoos are carved, was laid down as sediments in a system of cool streams and lakes that existed from 63 to about 40 million years ago (from the Paleocene to the Eocene epochs). Different sediment types were laid down as the lakes deepened and became shallow and as the shoreline and river deltas migrated.

Several other formations were also created but were mostly eroded away following two major periods of uplift. The Laramide orogeny affected the entire western part of what would become North America starting about 70 million to 50 million years ago. This event helped to build the Rocky Mountains and in the process closed the Cretaceous Seaway. The Straight Cliffs, Wahweap, and Kaiparowits formations were victims of this uplift. The Colorado Plateaus were uplifted 16 million years ago and were segmented into different plateaus, each separated from its neighbors by faults and each having its own uplift rate. The Boat Mesa Conglomerate and the Sevier River Formation were removed by erosion following this uplift.

Vertical joints were created by this uplift, which were eventually (and still are) preferentially eroded. The easily eroded Pink Cliffs of the Claron Formation responded by forming freestanding pinnacles in badlands called hoodoos, while the more resistant White Cliffs formed monoliths. The brown, pink and red colors are from hematite (iron oxide; Fe2O3); the yellows from limonite (FeO(OH)·nH2O); and the purples are from pyrolusite (MnO2). Also created were arches, natural bridges, walls, and windows. Hoodoos are composed of soft sedimentary rock and are topped by a piece of harder, less easily eroded stone that protects the column from the elements. Bryce Canyon has one of the highest concentrations of hoodoos of any place on Earth.

The formations exposed in the area of the park are part of the Grand Staircase. The oldest members of this supersequence of rock units are exposed in the Grand Canyon, the intermediate ones in Zion National Park, and its youngest parts are laid bare in Bryce Canyon area. A small amount of overlap occurs in and around each park.

Biology
Mule deer are the most common large animals found in the park.More than 400 native plant species live in the park. There are three life zones in the park based on elevation: The lowest areas of the park are dominated by dwarf forests of pinyon pine and juniper with manzanita, serviceberry, and antelope bitterbrush in between. Aspen, cottonwood, Water Birch, and Willow grow along streams. Ponderosa Pine forests cover the mid-elevations with Blue Spruce and Douglas-fir in water-rich areas and manzanita and bitterbrush as underbrush. Douglas-fir and White Fir, along with Aspen and Engelmann Spruce, make up the forests on the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The harshest areas have Limber Pine and ancient Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, some more than 1,600 years old, holding on.


Bryce Canyon has extensive fir forests.The forests and meadows of Bryce Canyon provide the habitat to support diverse animal life, from birds and small mammals to foxes and occasional bobcats, mountain lions, and black bears. Mule deer are the most common large mammals in the park. Elk and pronghorn, which have been reintroduced nearby, sometimes venture into the park.

Bryce Canyon National Park forms part of the habitat of three wildlife species that are listed under the Endangered Species Act: the Utah Prairie Dog, the California Condor, and the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. The Utah Prairie Dog is a threatened species that was reintroduced to the park for conservation, and the largest protected population is found within the park's boundaries.

About 170 species of birds visit the park each year, including swifts and swallows. Most species migrate to warmer regions in winter, although jays, ravens, nuthatches, eagles, and owls stay. In winter, the mule deer, mountain lion, and coyotes migrate to lower elevations.
Ground squirrels and marmots pass the winter in hibernation.

Eleven species of reptiles and four species of amphibians have been found at in the park. Reptiles include the Great Basin Rattlesnake, Short-horned Lizard, Side-blotched Lizard, Striped Whipsnake, and the Tiger Salamander.

Also in the park are the black, lumpy, very slow-growing colonies of cryptobiotic soil, which are a mix of lichens, algae, fungi, and cyanobacteria. Together these organisms slow erosion, add nitrogen to soil, and help it to retain moisture.

While humans have greatly reduced the amount of habitat that is available to wildlife in most parts of the United States, the relative scarcity of water in southern Utah restricts human development and helps account for the region's greatly enhanced diversity of wildlife.

Activities
There are marked trails for hiking, for which snowshoes are required in winter.
Navajo Trail. Trees are Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus ponderosa.Most park visitors sightsee using the scenic drive, which provides access to 13 viewpoints over the amphitheaters. Bryce Canyon has eight marked and maintained hiking trails that can be hiked in less than a day (round trip time, trailhead): Mossy Cave (one hour, State Route 12 northwest of Tropic), Rim Trail (5–6 hours, anywhere on rim), Bristlecone Loop (one hour, Rainbow Point), and Queens Garden (1–2 hours, Sunrise Point) are easy to moderate hikes. Navajo Loop (1–2 hours, Sunset Point) and Tower Bridge (2–3 hours, north of Sunrise Point) are moderate hikes. Fairyland Loop (4–5 hours, Fairyland Point) and Peekaboo Loop (3–4 hours, Bryce Point) are strenuous hikes. Several of these trails intersect, allowing hikers to combine routes for more challenging hikes.

The park also has two trails designated for overnight hiking: the 9-mile (14 km) Riggs Spring Loop Trail and the 23-mile (37 km) Under-the-Rim Trail. Both require a backcountry camping permit. In total there are 50 miles (80 km) of trails in the park.


Horse riding is available in the park from April through October.More than 10 miles (16 km) of marked but ungroomed skiing trails are available off of Fairyland, Paria, and Rim trails in the park. Twenty miles (32 km) of connecting groomed ski trails are in nearby Dixie National Forest and Ruby's Inn.

The air in the area is so clear that on most days from Yovimpa and Rainbow points, Navajo Mountain and the Kaibab Plateau can be seen 90 miles (140 km) away in Arizona. On extremely clear days, the Black Mesas of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico can be seen some 160 miles (260 km) away.

The park also has a 7.4 magnitude night sky, making it one of the darkest in North America. Stargazers can therefore see 7,500 stars with the naked eye, while in most places fewer than 2,000 can be seen due to light pollution (in many large cities only a few dozen can be seen). Park rangers host public stargazing events and evening programs on astronomy, nocturnal animals, and night sky protection. The Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival, typically held in June, attracts thousands of visitors. In honor of this astronomy festival, Asteroid 49272 was named after the national park.

There are two campgrounds in the park, North Campground and Sunset Campground. Loop A in North Campground is open year-round. Additional loops and Sunset Campground are open from late spring to early autumn. The 114-room Bryce Canyon Lodge is another way to overnight in the park.

A favorite activity of most visitors is landscape photography. With Bryce Canyon's high altitude and clean air, the sunrise and sunset photographs can be spectacular.

Leaderboard