There is always something to be thankful for, and I thought it was a good time of year to focus on some of the unique things about animals that I am grateful for. In no particular order......
I am thankful that there are people saving baby pangolins (and mamas) from poachers.
I am thankful that there are still vaquitas in the world
I am thankful that Przewalski's Wild Horses have been reintroduced to the wild .
This image is from the Bronx Zoo - it's thanks to conservation efforts like these that have helped the Przewalski's Wild Horses.
I am thankful that there are efforts to work on tapir conservation.
I am thankful that organizations such as Farm Sanctuary offer ways to honor turkeys rather than eat them.
I am thankful that okapis have purple tongues.
I am thankful for the incredible relationships between species (did you know that butterflies drink turtle tears? or that oxpeckers and rhinos have a sweet symbiotic relationship? (See Lulu is a Rhinoceros as a sweet example).
I am thankful that poison dart frogs bring such beautiful colors to the world.
I am thankful that there are conservation efforts in place to protect blue iguanas.
I am thankful that axolotls are so cute and they remind us that curiosity is a good thing and we should always "axolotl questions"!!!!!
I am thankful for the gentleness of giraffes, the strength of elephants and the kindness of cows.
I am thankful that ocean sunfish (mola mola) are gentle giants.
I am thankful that baby gorillas are full of joy.
Truly, I am thankful for everything; fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, insects, invertebrates!!!!
Every species is so unique and interesting that there could be endless lists of animal joy and gratitude. I hope these tidbits of trivia inspire you to find more about these amazing creatures and help protect them, too.
That little gorilla looks like he is having so much fun!
This is such a beautiful post--I always learn so much from this blog, and I love all the interesting links and pictures. I had never even heard of a vaquita before--thank you for introducing me to that lovely animal; also, the picture of the butterfly drinking turtle tears is truly precious and inspiring; and, despite having heard so much about axolotls over the years, I realize I had never seen a real one until I checked out the beautiful video about how the nuns are helping to save this precious species. I am very grateful for this blog, and for all the wonderful facts I learn every time I read a new post. I am so grateful for you!
Hi Oliver, thank you so much for your wonderful Thanksgiving post. What fantastic bits of trivia, I certainly do feel inspired, and thankful! I was especially surprised to hear that butterflies get the sodium they need from turtle tears! I followed the link you shared to learn more about lachryphagy and commensalism, and was nearly brought to TEARS myself! It also made me wonder if you've ever tried butterfly pea flower tea (say that ten times fast;)? It's a purple color and one of my favorites. Next time I drink it it will be hard not to imagine I'm drinking turtle tears myself! Also, I'm just going to imagine that turtles only cry happy tears- at least that's what I…