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| The Big Small World; A photographic series | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 6 2018, 02:34 AM (123 Views) | |
| Ecnd | Jun 6 2018, 02:34 AM Post #1 |
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Ecnd
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Hello! As you are, this is the first time I contribute to the community, and I want to launch a series which already launched ZH, but as I realized that I could improve it and I have to contribute something to the forum to start with the right Foot ... so here we are Anyway, because I am a nature fan and in turn I have a lot of experience with the camera, On every trip I do and even when going out to walk I am attentive so that if I find something curious I can take a picture , Most of my photos are on small animals so I wanted to share my images in a way that you can appreciate the nature of every creature . Finally, it is important to point out that absolutely all my images are of Public Domain, so they have the right to use them for whatever purpose they want (although they do not say that you did it anyway xD) Concept of The Big Small World This series comes to show the animals ignored for their size, they will see what role they have in their habitat as they adapted to their natural environments and learn a lot about animals that they may not even know about their existence The Big Small World is created based on the trips that your presenter makes, all the information they see is legitimate and has been previously investigated before each release Enjoy ! The Big Small World - The Mountains of appearances ![]() ![]() The story begins here at the Potrero de los Funes in the province of San Luis ![]() This enormous lake created at the hands of man seems a really good place for life, but you already know the saying "Appearances deceive" ![]() Actually this lagoon that is in the center of a huge continent, hundreds of kilometers from the nearest coast, is a saltwater lagoon, because the evaporations of nearby salt flats cause high salinity despite being far from the sea ![]() The salinity here only allows to live some types of plants, but enough for life to thrive ![]() The little fishes that are watching here are the "Madrecitas" (Jenynsia lineata), they are anablepid Cypriniformes that do not surpass the 5.5 centimeters of length that are found only in the continental waters of the Center and East of South America ![]() The name "mother" comes from the fact that adults are always close to their young, their colors are cryptic and their fins are transparent and almost imperceptible, but the most curious of these fish is that they belong to the group of four-eyed fish, In spite of its name they have only two eyes but each one is divided into two parts, one that allows to see better in the water and another one more resistant to the wind and lack of humidity to be able to see possible threats on the surface ![]() The fact that they move in a group and are always alert make them difficult to catch, even for this Plumbeous rail (Pardirallus sanguinolentus), small sly gruiformes, fugitives and opportunists, product of the fact that they can not fly and their omnivorous feeding ![]() However with such a complicated prey, it is better to look for something that requires less energy. ![]() The Potrero de los Funes is on the east side of the San Luis mountains, densely populated due to being close to the provincial capital, it is a place where it is still urbanized and its main attraction is a noisy racetrack that surrounds the lagoon, However, for some animals this is an advantage ![]() ![]() The human presence allowed an easy lifestyle to a local resident; The burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) The Owls of the burrows, they are owls that swim against the current of all their order, not only they are diurnal, but they are also really terrestrial even having their homes and nests underground, also it is one of the smallest strigiformes of all america literally being as big as a human head, ideal size to use the burrows of rabbits or vizcachas. ![]() These birds are protected in several countries and states, being somewhat complicated to see, however here the story is different, because the traffic is not very heavy and households with electricity, garbage and lots of light attract small reptiles and mammals, their food favorites, and there is no better place to monitor your land sunbathing than a cable post ![]() The existence of all this ecosystem is due to this dike made by the human, but where does all this water come from? ![]() We have the answer to more than 40 kilometers away, just behind the hills ![]() We are in the highest points of the southern area of the San Luis mountains more than 300 meters from the plain, but more than 1.4 kilometers from sea level, here everything seems to have life with a landscape full of green, however here is something that makes everything we see here actually be the opposite ![]() Actually the lands here receive much less water than the lower areas, the water does not stagnate and simply either evaporates or goes to lower latitudes ![]() This forces the plants to take drastic measures, some with roots that protrude up to meters from the cliffs ![]() And other plants take not only defense mechanisms such as toxicity, but everything here has sharp points, welcome to the espinal, where there are plants with thorns up to five centimeters sharp as needles. ![]() There are not many animals that can be seen with the naked eye, but if there is life there is always, as for example this great Mogoplistid cricket (Mogoplistidae) ![]() ![]() They spend most of their time underground and get water from the vegetation they eat, they only go out at night so it is rare to see it during the day, although occasionally leaving to look for new territories is better than digging, as you can see a species that has lost its wings, making it completely terrestrial.[ Although it seems vulnerable this imposing insect of more than 4.5 centimeters has an extremely hard and chipped exoskeleton, added to a formidable tenacity and sawn legs ready to hurt any bird that wants it in the menu. ![]() However, the landscape changes when we approach this plateau ![]() I present the Salto de la Moneda, with more than 8 meters high are the highest waterfalls in the province of San Luis, being one of the tourist places to visit. ![]() These cataracts were initially at the height of the cliff of 14 meters however, the erosion caused it to lower its height leaving a crack of 6 meters. ![]() It also created this very circular natural pool, the main reason why it is called "of the Coin". ![]() ![]() This water course is one of those that feeds the aforementioned lake, but even if its flow does not exceed four meters wide in its passage life is also present ![]() As for this torrent catfish (Trichomycterus sp.), These species live in and for the streams, they are really small for their order and most of the species does not exceed eighteen centimeters, they have a suction mouth that acts as a sucker which It clings to the rock or the ground to avoid being swept away by the current and at the same time feed the dead lichen and algae of the same ![]() Also being a smaller body of water, the salinity is also much smaller and even almost non-existent, allowing other plants to cling to the mud. ![]() Perfect for this blue-tailed damsefly(Enallagma geminatun), the damselflies of the genus Enallagma are from the Holartica area, however thanks to the hand of man they were able to conquer new continents The damselflies live near fresh water, like their close relatives the dragonflies put their young in the water, however the devil horses are different from their relatives because of their folding wings and their separated protruding eyes and many smaller ones than a dragonfly. ![]() Although it is noteworthy that the differences between the waters of the East and the West are quite remarkable. ![]() Say hello to the nogoli river, it is one of the clearest and cleanest rivers in Argentina. ![]() The main reason for this is due to the large amount of algae that filter and clean the water constantly to all this water that end in a masterpiece ![]() This huge lake that you see here, is the young Nogoli dike created in 2003, is younger than some teenagers to date and yet has created a drastic landscape change, turning mountains into islands and rivers into a lagoon of more than 25 meters deep, but the dike nogoli keeps a secret behind its beauty ... ![]() ![]() The water is hypersaline and almost uninhabitable, because on the west side of the mountains are closer to the salt flats of the northwest of the province, therefore most of the salt falls on this side, making it impossible to live for any plant that is near of water ![]() But although it seems uninhabitable, if there is life here more than algae. You just have to see more closely. ![]() Ahem, closer. ![]() ![]() These are young Argentine toads (Rhinella arenarum), all of them are smaller than the tip of the thumb and do not exceed 2.5 cm, but when they grow they will become anurans of a presumed fifteen centimeters ![]() The reason why they are in this land of rocks are two, first for its cryptic coloration and its size that give them a resemblance to a small pebble, and second because of its great tolerance to salt water that only the Rhinella Genus can boast. ![]() These animals take advantage of their cryptic colors and their sizes, and they play the ambush chase to any small fly that comes to suck a bit of salt. ![]() Like the toads of the cane, the Argentine toads have glands with a very toxic poison and to give a warning of it the young have a coloration aposematicas of red spots and a black and white band in their mouth, these lose them when they are adults and their colors turn gray and greenish. ![]() And with this little frog looking at the horizon we say goodbye to this journey through the mountains of a little known place, A place where the lakes are not fresh water, the green landscapes are dry and where it seems unlivable there is life ... You are welcome to the mountains of appearances. Yey, as expected to take a long time to make this post, and as I am new maybe you can believe that the photos are mine, I read the rules and apparently honesty comes first, and I honestly do not want to discredit me effort here. Objetion! , here is a proof that I was in these mountains! Spoiler: click to toggle Edited by Ecnd, Jun 6 2018, 02:53 AM.
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| Burns | Jun 6 2018, 12:34 PM Post #2 |
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King of Lemurs
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Very cool story, I like how you were able to identify every animal, from the larger birds to the small fish and crickets. I also enjoyed seeing the Argentine fauna, I can't wait to see what else you have in store
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Jun 6 2018, 12:40 PM Post #3 |
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Very, very cool photos and information to go with it! I'd like to see more from you
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