"White" Albino-like Penguin Found in Antarctica

Rare white penguin spotted in Antarctica: In a sea of atramentous and white penguins waddling on Antarctica’s Aitcho Islands, National Geographic Explorers spotted an acutely rare, about all-white Chinstrap penguin this week.

This rare all-white Chinstrap penguin stands out against his friends as he takes his morning waddle around Antarctica.

The unusual bird was photographed by naturalist David Stephens during a nature expedition to the Aitcho Islands. Chinstrap penguins' normal black-and-white colouring provides them with camouflage while they dive for fish.

This rare all-white Chinstrap penguin stands out against his friends as he takes his morning waddle around Antarctica

All white: The penguin was spotted during a nature expedition to Antarctica

Rare: The condition known as leucism only occurs in around 1 in 146,000 penguins

The condition which causes the whiteness is known as leucism. It differs from albinism which is a total lack of skin pigment.

Mr Stephen, who works aboard Lindblad Expeditions' National Geographic Explorer ship, wrote in the daily expedition report: 'At the water’s edge stood a leucistic Chinstrap.

'This bird was whitish, but not quite an albino. Instead, it had pigmented eyes and a washed-out version of a Chinstrap’s normal pattern.

'Many wondered about this unusual bird’s chances of success. While odd coloration may make fishing a bit more difficult, leucistic birds are regularly found breeding normally.'

Blending in: Chinstrap penguins' black and white colouring camouflages them when they dive for fish

The unusual bird was photographed by naturalist David Stephen who works aboard Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic Explorer ship

Rare white penguin spotted in Antarctica

Dyan deNapoli, a penguin expert and author of 'The Great Penguin Rescue, said the rate of leucism in Chinstrap penguins is about 1 in 146,000.

He added: 'It is a fairly rare phenomenon. When I was in Antarctica, I never saw one, and I saw a lot of penguins.'

Lindblad Expeditions is a travel company which works in partnership with National Geographic, providing trips to both poles.

Spokeswoman Patty Disken-Cahill said: 'Expedition photography is a big component of our expeditions.

'The photography that comes out of our ships is pretty spectacular.'

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14 The Most Creative Natural Leather Snake

The idea of 'scales' often brings to mind images of slimy, unpleasant creatures that creep, crawl and slither. Certainly, we humans would hate to think of our own skin as scaly. But have you ever considered the idea that the hard, horned skin of reptiles might actually be aesthetically appealing? If you have, you're in good company: experts believe that the vivid patterning found on snakes inspired early art, not to mention the tessellated mosaics that feature in Islamic art. And then there are those for whom reptile scales have an effect akin to looking at a 'magic eye painting,' conjuring up pictures of landscapes, and – through the symmetry of their patterns and bold colors – more abstract forms of art, too. Here we bring together a stunning array of images that show the often-overlooked beauty that can be found in the scales of snakes, lizards and crocodiles.

Photo: Abstract design from snakeskin close-up image from Bigstock

Hills, depressions, impact craters and volcanoes are features we might associate with a lunar landscape. The surface of the moon is the ultimate foreign terrain, and yet look how it is almost replicated in these alligator scales. Known as 'scutes', alligator scales go deeper than the outer epidermis of snakes and lizards, forming a kind of armor for the animal. Unlike the scales of snake skin, alligator scales do not overlap. Beautiful to look at – a gator's skin might not feel that smooth to the touch (not that we'd dare to test the theory...).

Photo: Morven Houston

Scales are made of keratin, the same substance that makes up our fingernails and hair. In the animal world, scales are part of what distinguishes reptiles (and, of course, fish) from other animals. Birds also boast scales on their feet but, unlike with these incredible examples, scales are arguably the least remarkable feature of our feathered friends.

Photo: Close-Up On A Colorful Reptile Skin image from Bigstock

Scales in both snakes and lizards take a variety of forms – tubercular, platelike and overlapping – but often have an incredible symmetry, as we can see in these images. The scale itself can also take different forms – like the intricate diamond shapes adorning the back of this albino python.

Photo: Dominic Cotaoco

Snakes' scales serve as protection for the body, a way of retaining moisture, and as an aid to movement – particularly the scales on their stomachs, which are designed to grip surfaces while the creature's muscles push it forward. The scales on this corn snake (or red rat snake, as it is sometimes known) look like they have been tipped with tiny eyes.

Photo: Close-up of corn snakeskin or red rat snakeskin, Pantherophis guttattus image from Bigstock

Both snakes and lizards moult or shed their skin. This is for two main reasons: to replace old and worn skin and to get rid of pesky parasites like mites and ticks. While older snakes tend to only moult once or twice a year, still-growing youngsters will shed more often – sometimes as many as four times annually.

Photo: Close-up of corn snakeskin or red rat snakeskin, Pantherophis guttattus image from Bigstock

The combination of rusty orange and baby blue on a sweater would probably make for a real eyesore, but somehow, in nature, colors never seem to clash. This Tokay gecko is an attractive animal indeed. Something which might undermine its appeal, however, is a rather disgusting habit common to many geckos. After or during the moulting process, a gecko will often eat its old skin. We're sure it's a useful strategy for covering one's tracks in the wild, but the thought still makes us rather queasy!

Photo: close-up on a colorful reptile skin

Rather than moulting in flakes, like some lizards, snakes shed their skin all in one go. This is because snake scales aren't separate, but extensions of the epidermis, so the process is akin to losing an entire layer of skin. While this has been likened to turning a sock inside out, it could also be thought of as the snake leaving behind a ghostly shell of its former self (anyone who has seen an empty snakeskin can surely testify that it's a rather creepy sight!).

Photo: Joaquim Mello

The gorgeous colors and patterning on this chameleon certainly suggest that Mother Nature is the best abstract artist in the world. The dramatically shaded Furcifer pardalis, or panther chameleon, comes from Madagascar. We wonder what kind of psychedelic backdrop this guy was trying to camouflage itself against when this shot was taken!

Photo: detail on the Chameleon Furcifer Pardalis's skin in front of a white background image from Bigstock

It's hard to believe that this bumpy terrain is actually the skin of an animal. This intriguing image is of a reptile, and shows how diverse their scales can be. Despite the little mounds on this critter's back, the pattern is still wonderfully symmetrical and well-ordered.

Photo: neistridlar

As this picture shows, reptile scales don't need to be colorful to be beautiful. The simple but eye-catching pattern in browns and blacks has an impact all of its own. The picture was taken in London Zoo, but we also wouldn't be surprised if you told us it was a close-up of a woman's handbag. In light of patterns such as these, it's easy to understand why the controversial trade in snakeskin is still popular in the fashion world.

Photo: Morven Houston

Here we have another rocky landscape, this time in deep pink. It belongs to a panther chameleon, and this close-up shows off the intricacy of the creature's bumpy scales to perfection. It's interesting to note that the color-change chameleons are so famous for is used mostly for social reasons and not camouflage. For example, when two male panther chameleons are squaring up to each other, they will change color and puff themselves up in an attempt to assert their supremacy. The loser of this posturing battle will signal his retreat by returning to dull, darker colors.

Photo: madfish1c

The thick green scutes on this crocodile make it look as though an eccentric tailor has carefully covered it in buttons. While the animal is not generally known for its good looks, crocodile skin has – for better or worse – been recognised for its beauty, and is still used in many countries to manufacture purses and shoes.

Photo: Crocodile texture image from Bigstock

Interestingly, the scales of snakes like this tree python are themselves effectively transparent, with the color emanating from the skin beneath. Luckily for us, the combination of possible colors and patterns to be found on reptile skins appears almost limitless, so that each case can be considered a unique and miniature work of art.

Photo: Extreme Closeup Of A Green Tree Python's Scales (macro) image from Bigstock

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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The Cutest Hybrid Dogs

Hybrid Dogs, Designer Dogs, Mixed Breed Dogs, Mutts there are a lot of names for these puppy dogs, but I just call them cute puppies. This is a list of the cutest hybrid dogs (with the pictures to prove it) some of the cutest dog breeds come from mixing breeds. Sometimes it's to get the best temperament--as evident by the Doodle breed which has become the top choice for service dogs, or just to get a really cute dog. Who doesn't love a puppy? They're cute, they're cuddly, and they can be designer. This list complied the cutest dogs that were completely created by man. That's right, man took wolves, domesticated them and eventually turned them into tiny little fluff balls that can't fend for themselves...but they're really cute! So be warned these puppy pics will have you baby-talking to your computer screen in a seconds flat!

Maltipoo

This is a cross between a Maltese and Poodle they are friendly dogs, with a lot of spunk. They are highly intelligent and make great house pets. They range in size from 9-20 pounds and can be anywhere from 12-24 inches. They are not recognized by the AKC so there's not much technical information on them.

Puggle

The Puggle, this is mix of a beagle and pug...both the Pug and Beagle are somewhat difficult to train so while this breed is cute, it's also difficult. Their weight: 15 — 30 lbs (7-14kg), with a height if roughly 10” — 15” and a lifespan up to 16 yrs. This dog has a pretty even temperament. He’s active, has a great personality and is easy on the eye. Friendly with other dogs and people, the Pug in him is laid back, easy-going and a terrific family pet. The Beagle in him wants to hunt and track prey but is also a fine family pet. However, puggles are talkative breeds and are prone to separation anxiety. So if you plan to be out, make sure you're neighbors are understanding.

American Bandogge Mastiff

This dog is recognized by the AKC and according to them: The Bandogge is an extremely intelligent dog. Confident and very docile. Like all mastiffs, they should have an owner who is capable of staying dominant over the dog. They are not usually recommended as a good choice for first time dog owners, because they need someone who truly understands canine instinct and how to properly communicate what it is you want from him. Although not bred as fighting dogs, if they are with a passive owner, who does not know how to communicate aggression is not acceptable, they may become dog aggressive.

These large animals have a life expectancy of about 10 years and have a weight of 100 -140 pounds (45-63 kg.) and a height of 25-29 inches (63-73 cm.) Females tend to be smaller.

St. Berdoodle

Poodles are an excellent breed to mix with because it turns any dog into a hypoallergenic pet. They also have one of the highest intelligence ratings and wonderful temperaments. This mix is a Poodle and St. Bernard, another hybrid dog not recognized by the AKC so there's no technical information but both breeds have excellent temperaments, so you really can't go wrong.

Doodles

Doodles are Golden Retrievers or Labradors that usually have been bred with Standard Poodles and resemble Muppets. The size of the Doodle depends on its parentage. Breeders often offer a range including Standard, Medium and Miniature. A general rule of thumb is to add both the parents weights together and divide by 2 to get an average adult weight on the puppies. Within any litter there may be puppies that fall above or below the projected adult weights. Some Standard sized have grown to over 100 pounds.

Standard - a Dood that is predicted to be 45 lbs or more at adulthood.
Medium - predicted to be 30-45 lbs at adulthood.
Miniature - predicted to be 15-30 lbs at adulthood.
They are hypoallergenic, and seem to get the best of both breeds. Their temperament is loyal, intelligent, and kind. They have become the top breed for children and therapy dogs.

Wolfdogs

According to wolfhybrid.org:
Wolf Hybrid Dogs are beautiful animals that possess high level of intelligence. There are a number of sub-species of wolves which are bred with other dogs as pets, such as Arctic Tundra Wolves, Alaskan

Interior Wolves, British Colombian Timber Wolves and Eastern Timber Wolves. They are usually referred to as Wolf Dogs and are a cross between the wild wolf and any type of domestic dog. They weigh about 100 lbs and are tall around 26 inches. Their color varies from shades of black to white and gray. Wolf dogs must be raised by their owner to make a compatible friend. They develop a very strong bond with their owners, but require a lot of attention. Wolf babies grow much faster than dog puppies and must be fed a soy-free dog food since they can not properly digest soy. They are very smart, strong and have high endurance levels. It is recommended that they should be kept in pairs since they are pack animals. Wolf hybrid must have containment area since they are not allowed to run unsupervised. They can live up to 17 years and possess long limbs and strong muscles.

Dogo Argentinos

This dog is huge, according to Wikipedia their height can be anywhere from 23 ½ to 26 inches inches for females and 24 to 27 inches for males, measured at the withers.

Their weight is anywhere from 80 to 100 pounds. They are a large, white, muscular dog that was developed in Argentina primarily for the purpose of big-game hunting, including wild boar and puma; the breeder, Antonio Nores Martinez, also wanted a dog that would exhibit steadfast bravery and willingly protect its human companion to the death. It was first bred in 1928, from the Cordoba Fighting Dog along with a wide array of other breeds including, but not limited to,the Great Pyrenees, Irish Wolfhound, Boxer, Great Dane, and Pointer.

The Dogo Argentino was specifically bred to be fierce hunters, but then to go home to the hunters families and be gentle with the family. Dogo Argentinos are protective of what they perceive as their territory and will guard it against any intruder. They get along with other dogs as long as they have been properly socialized, but will usually not tolerate another dog trying to assert dominance over them, therefore they might not coexist peacefully with another dominant breed of dog. The dogo has a life expectancy of nine (9) to fifteen (15) years.

EngAm Bulldog

If you love Bulldog's this is the breed for you. This is yet another breed that no technical information is known about, but it's an American Bulldog bred with an English Bulldog...it's all bulldog all day.

Bulldogs are described by the AKC as weighing about 50 pounds; and have a temperament of kind, resolute and courageous (not vicious or aggressive), and demeanor should be pacific and dignified.

Corgi Dalmatian Hybrid

This little cutey is a cross between a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Dalmatian. There are many adorable corgi hybrids but this one made the list for it's mix of two very distinctive looks.

This little guy has the body of a Corgi which is a long frame and a height of about 10-12 inches with a weight of 25-30 pounds, Corgi's temperaments are highly intelligent, loyal, able and willing to please their owners. Corgis are extremely active and are good with children so long as the dog sees humans as above him in the pack order. Protective and sturdy, they make fine guards, and excellent show and obedience dogs. They are wary of strangers but are fine if trained young. This is all according to the AKC.

Dalmatians are described as fun-loving, people-oriented Dalmatian who thrive in a family environment. They are a high-energy breed and require daily exercise on leash or within a fenced area. The breed's short coat sheds almost year round, but regular brushing helps minimize the shedding. Desirable height at the withers is between 19 and 23 inches and weight between 50-70 pounds.

Which means this adorable little guy is going to have a lot of energy!

Frug

A Frug is a French Bulldog Pug mix. Not much is known about this new breed, and temperament is unsure, according to breeders of this smoosh faced pup you need to read up on both the french bulldog and pug and be prepared for a combination of the two. But even if it had the worst temperament, this little face would make you forgive anything it ever did wrong, plus they're tiny little pups, how much damage could it do?

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Crow Roof Tubing Crowboarding

You know how when you go sledding or tubing or skiing or snowboarding, you make it all the way down the hill, feel the desire to do it again and dread having to get back up to the top?

Crow first fit the lid of the jar ...

... Then it slips on a series of roof ...

You would think this bird ‘tubing’ down a snowy rooftop was just a coincidence… if it weren’t for the fact that he repeatedly picks the tube back up and goes sliding down the roof again and again. I’ve never seen anything like it!

... But then again, like a child eagerly sledging, climbing back to top ...

... I again lowered its wings spread

Crows don’t have that problem — they simply fly right back to the top and start again. Wait, we seem to have skipped a part here. Crows go tubing? Apparently so. Watch:

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Antarctic "Lost World" Found

"Lost World" Yeti Crab Swarm

An unnamed new species of Yeti crab swarms near hot, mineral-rich hydrothermal vents in the oceans off Antarctica—a newfound "lost world" of strange deep-sea species, scientists say.

A camera-equipped submersible robot filmed species such as barnacles, crabs, anemones, and even an octopus, all of which are mostly colorless and live in utter darkness at depths of 7,875 feet (2,400 meters), according to a new study.

About 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) east of the southern tip of South America, "this is a new province of deep-sea life, something like a new continent, and it's a place we've been trying to [reach] for a long time," said study co-author Jon Copley, a marine biologist at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom.

"It harbors some of the lushest abundance of life I have ever seen in the deep ocean," he said.

Jockeying for Position

Male yeti crabs (such as the one at right) are larger and stay closest to the vents to feed communities of bacteria on their hair-lined bellies.

Female yeti crabs stray farther away, into the vent field's cooler water, to protect tiny embryos lining their bellies.

"Unlike the other few species of yeti crab, which wave their arms or dance, these were mostly stationary, but did jockey for position in the warm water," Copley said.

The temperature of the water near the vents is on par with that of the warm tropics, he added.

Antarctic "Car Wash" Barnacles

Snake-like barnacles protrude from rocks in cooler waters near the yeti crab swarms.

At the barnacles' tips are diamond-like heads that appear to filter-feed organic matter floating through the deep-sea oasis.

"We nicknamed one mineral spire covered with these barnacles 'Car Wash,' because it looked like those spinning cylinders you see in a car wash," Copley said.

Black Smokers of the Lost World

These openings in the Earth's crust, called black smoker chimneys, can spew mineral-rich water as hot as 720 degrees Fahrenheit (382 degrees Celsius).

The minerals, including hydrogen sulfide, provide food for the bottom of the ecosystem's sunless food chain.

Surprisingly, the researchers did not find any shrimp, tubeworms, mussels, or other creatures typically found near hydrothermal vents.

"The new life we're seeing here gives us insights into how animals disperse and evolve in deep ocean," Copley said.

"We can say, OK, the same species here is found elsewhere, while these are missing, so what are the reasons? We can now ask those questions and test ideas."

Antarctic Anemones in the Pink

These pink anemones (pictured) likely represent a new species, and some are surprisingly large for anemones—roughly the size of a person's palm.

Like other anemones, the animals probably feed by capturing bits of food drifting through the water.

A more diverse array of animals was found along the southern end of the East Scotia Ridge, while the northern end was "rather stygian," Copley said.

"It's more rugged and quite challenging to navigate around," he said. "It's a mystery right now as to why the northern end isn't as lush as the southern."

One Tough Anemone

An unnamed long-tentacled anemone manages to eke out an existence at the fringes of the warm vents.

The average temperature of Antarctica oceans hovers around 29 degrees Fahrenheit (-1.5 degrees Celsius).

"When food is really scarce, animals evolve some remarkable adaptations for finding and catching a meal"-such as these long tentacles, Copley said.

All That Glitters

A slice of a hydrothermal vent chimney glitters with flecks of pyrite—also called fool's gold, a crystallized form of iron sulfide.

In addition to surveying marine life, researchers cut out pieces of the chimneys and hauled them back to the surface.

"It's important for us as biologists to know the chemistry of these vents," Copley said. "It can help explain why we see some species around particular areas and not others."

Ghostly Octopus

One of the rarest finds the team encountered was a 2-foot-long (0.6-meter-long) octopus.

Copley isn't sure what the octopus eats. But the team did manage to film the animals walking around on the sea floor in a weird fashion.

"The back four tentacles sort of shuffle like the treads of a tank, while the front four feel in front of the octopus," Copley said.

"We weren't able to collect any specimens—they were quick and rare—but they're quite possibly a new species."

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Chimpanzee Adopted By a Mastiff

Two years ago, in one of the Russian zoos, a female chimpanzee for some reson repudiated her baby chimpanzee. When one of the employees of the zoo took the little chimpanzee home, it never crossed her mind that her dog, a mastiff, would become a mother for the orphan chimpanzee and treat the cute little baby as her own child.

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