| The Ark In Space

Watch a Cat Watching a Horror Movie

Thursday, 20 July 2017

There’s nothing quite like a horror movie if you fancy having the wits scared out of you. Quite what is going through a cat’s mind if they decide to sit back and watch too is beyond me. After all, they surely cannot grasp the concept of television – do they think that what they see is really going on in front of them? Who can say but this particular cat seems to be joining in the spirit of things more than adequately.

From what I can make out from the soundtrack the horror movie that the cat is watching is “Psycho” (there is a mention of Mrs Bates and I suspect it is the moment that Lila discovers her corpse in the fruit cellar). Whatever the case, this moggy decides that enough is enough as soon as the screaming starts! Yet before that the slowly widening eyes as the cat realises the, well, horror of the situation, is a sight to behold…

Togepi is a 9-month-old Tabby-Bengal Mix. Now she's truly mixed (up!).

The Sea's Strangest Square Mile

Monday, 17 July 2017

The straits of Lembeh in Indonesia have become known as the sea’s strangest square mile and you will see why once you have watched this remarkable short by Shark Bay Films. Amid this alien landscape you will find the hairy frog fish, the bobbit worm and the flamboyant cuttlefish to name but a few. The frenzy of hunting and feeding that goes on here makes The Circle of Life as depicted in The Lion King seem downright leisurely.

Wings of Life - Monarch Butterflies

Sunday, 25 June 2017

Watch thousands of monarch butterflies as they migrate to Mexico. From Disneynature, the studio that brought you Earth, Oceans, African Cats and Chimpanzee, comes Wings Of Life -- a stunning adventure full of intrigue, drama and mesmerizing beauty. Narrated by Meryl Streep, this intimate and unprecedented look at butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, bats and flowers is a celebration of life, as a third of the world's food supply depends on these incredible -- and increasingly threatened -- creatures. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg, Wings of Life utilizes riveting high-speed, closer-than-close filmmaking techniques to showcase in spectacular detail these unsung heroes of our planet.

When Caimans Collide

About 10 million individual yacare caimans exist within the Brazilian pantanal, representing what is quite possibly the largest single crocodilian population on Earth. Every year as the summer progresses aggregate in small bays that get smaller day after day. It is a very difficult period and there are many fights over territory. When the water runs out, the caimans reduce they metabolism and remain buried under the mud, waiting for the upcoming rains. Those who survive, begin the mating season, where males perform a real water dance, vibrating their bodies to attract females, and enjoy the abundance of fish brought by the waters returning to flood the Pantanal. The Director of Photography of this exquisite look at a little known species of caiman was Cristian Dimitrius.

An Alphabet of Animals

Sunday, 18 June 2017

We thought we would have a little fun and create a list of what we think are the best and most unusual collective nouns for animals. Of course, in the tradition of Ark in Space we are including the best images we could find to illustrate them. You can go check them out on the internet we did not make these up! So, here they are - an A-Z of collective nouns, a veritable alphabet of animals.

A byke of ants

Image Credit Flickr User Thirteen of Clubs

We are not sure what it means, however. Yet it was still more interesting than the word we would normally use - swarm

A cauldron of bats

Image Credit Flickr User Aussie Gal

Our Planet: Supercut of BBC Natural History Programming

The BBC make some of the best natural history documentaries in the world and this supercut by Art of the Film does something extraordinary – it takes the highlights of twelve series of BBC programming and boils them down to 20 minutes of stupendous, jaw-dropping footage. As well as leaving one in awe of the splendour of our planet it serves as a reminder that our Ark in Space is a fragile thing and needs to be protected at all costs. Go and grab a drink - you're going to be in front of this screen for the next 20.

Animal Anomalies: The Dewlap

The most intriguing physical attribute of an anole (ubiquitous, tree-dwelling lizards of the New World tropics) is its dewlap. Used to communicate to potential mates (and to identify members of its own species). Award winning production company Day’s Edge have created this marvellous short documentary about the dewlap, focusing on the work of Dr Manuel Leal, a biologist at the University of Missouri. He poses a question - if two species of anoles have the same dewlap (at least to our eyes) then how do they tell each other apart? The answer is an eye-opener to say the least.

A Leap of Faith: 10 Ducklings Jump!

Saturday, 10 June 2017

High rise living has its advantages when you are a duckling but once you’re hatched you have to join the world on the ground at some point and that’s sooner rather than later. In this video by Tara Tanaka, 10 one-day old Black-bellied Whistling Ducks take the leap of faith to join their parents below. They all manage it – although the slow motion dives we see here might make you wonder: grace, it seems, come later in life to these ducklings!

Surf City Surf Dogs Catch the Waves

Sunday, 14 May 2017

Dogs are like people in some respects. Many are homebodies and prefer their creature comforts. Others prefer to be a little more adventurous. Although not a species renowned for its participation in extreme sports there is a cross section of the canine community which likes nothing better than to take to the waves – on surf boards.

Now in its fifth year the Surf City Surf Dog event, held in Huntington Beach, California brings together over forty surf fans together with their human companions who are there to ensure that all the fun is safe for the surfer dogs. This fund-raising event helps to raise awareness of various dog related causes, including animal rescue and medical care.

Barn Owls: The Secret Saviors of Napa Valley’s Vineyards

Did you know that there are hundreds of owl boxes dotted around the vineyards of the Napa Valley in California? This video takes a visit there, thanks to biologist Carrie Wendt and Great Big Story. Amazingly, without the owls the rodent population around the vineyards would explode and that would mean less wine for us! So, next time you’re sipping a wine from the Napa Valley, spare a thought for the barn owls that helped it get to your table!

The Southern Cassowary - The Most Dangerous Bird on Earth

Saturday, 29 April 2017

Ask a ten year old what the largest bird in the world is and the chances are you will get the right answer – the ostrich. Asked about the second largest and the odds are still very good that they will be able to name the Emu. Go for third place in the size league and you may well start to get blank looks from all but the keenest young ornithologist. The answer is the Cassowary – and not only is it endangered but is also classified as the world’s most dangerous bird.

Image Credit Flickr User Rogersmithpics

Colors I

Wednesday, 12 April 2017

Alessandro Carillo started shooting this short film in March when the parks are relatively free of people and the first signs of spring begin to appear in London. Here you can experience the first flowers, the first hungry insects and just the general joy of spring through his wonderful photography.

The parks of London have never looked so beautiful as here and the film is infused with marvelous colors and moving bokeh which lends a certain romanticism to it – you would hardly think it was shot in one of the busiest cities in the world.

The Ducklings of Spring

There is an old saying that no matter how long the winter lasts the spring is sure to follow. With the spring comes new life – a new generation takes its first tentative steps in to the world. Although people associate spring with many animals there is surely something about the sight of ducklings which lifts the heart and puts a hopeful smile on the face. So here they come, the ducklings of spring! And yes, perhaps it is just a reason for a cute fest!

Image Credit Flickr User Bruce..

Image Credit Flickr User RunnerJenny

Spring is nature's way of saying, Let's party! ~Robin Williams

Galapagos Sea Life

When people think of the Galapagos their mind almost certainly picture the strange and unusual animals of the islands – the ones which live on them rather than in the sea around them.

Here, however, Darek Sepiolo has put together some remarkable footage of the animal life in the sea around the Galapagos islands.

It is, quite simply, a work of art. I was utterly mesemerised by this video.

You can completely lose yourself looking at these amazing example of sea life, including rays, sharks, turtles, sea lions, penguins, and even a whale shark. Very cool.

Sea Lion Ballet

Sunday, 19 March 2017

Watch the underwater ballet of playful sea lions on Anacapa Island in Southern California. These graceful creatures twist, turn, glide, dive and contort their bodies in all sorts of positions. Just as curious of us as we are of them, these sea lions love to approach divers - locking in eye contact, blowing out bubbles, and also barking - a very odd sound to hear underwater!

Part of the Channel Islands National Park, Anacapa is located eleven miles off the coast of Southern California. This trip was operated by EcoDivers on the Spectre dive boat - and this very cool video was created by Scott McFarlane.

Breaking the Rules: Pollen Thieves!

This is a pretty amazing animation which shows that nature was many millions of years ahead of us when it comes to some traits that we consider human. In this case, it is theft. Some plants have evolved so that a particular insect can take its pollen from it flowers and so further the species. However, there are a number of species out there who pay little or no attention to the ‘wishes’ of the flower. They sense pollen and they want it!

What do they do? They grab hold of the flower and rip it open, so gaining access to the corolla tube and then they access the precious nectar from there. However, sometimes their act of desecration will still result in pollination, as this amazing video shows. Breaking the Rules was created by Divulagare.

The Pygmy Goat - Not So Gruff

Who is the gruff looking buck above? There is something familiar about him but this is no standard goat, no sir. This is the pygmy version and as is a cousin of the variety we generally picture when the animal comes up in conversation. Welcome to the world of the pygmy goat.

Image Credit Flickr User JStanford Phoography

The Kermode Bear: Spirit Bear of British Columbia

Saturday, 11 March 2017

This is not a polar bear which has decided to migrate to warmer climes.

This is a remarkable sub-species of the North American Black Bear. It is the Kermode Bearr - also known as the spirit bear.

Living along the shorelines and central interior of British Columbia on the west coast of Canada, around ten percent of Kermode bears have white or creamy coats. They are revered among the native peoples of the province.

Pronounced kerr-MOH-dee, the lighter Kermode bears are not albinos. They appear much brighter than most of the population because of recessive alleles.

This rare genetic trait doesn’t hold them back either – the paler bears are better fishers than their brown counterparts. It is thought this is because the fish cannot perceive the threat from above due to their coloring. A brown bear might stand out more against the clouds – that much is true.

Wildlife in Highspeed

Sunday, 5 February 2017

This is one of those videos that, when it ends, you sit there for a few seconds just willing there to be more… Created by director and cinematographer Alan Nogues, Wildlife in Highspeed focuses in on the wildlife of New Caledonia, a French territory consisting of hundreds of islands in the South Pacific. So many of these moments would be over in the blink of an eye: however, Nogues’ ability to capture them at 1000 frames per seconds ensures that we get to savor them.

The Bizarre Hammerhead Worm: Substrate Predator Extraordinaire

Some people just don’t like worms despite the fact that their usefulness to humanity is long established and recorded. Worms aerate the soil, break down organic matter and even excrete fantastic fertilizer. Yet still they are hated: if accidentally picked up they are flung away with Olympian exuberance, often with ear-shattering shrieks as accompaniment. What, then, would those haters make of this, the bizarre hammerhead worm? Prepare to meet a strange beast indeed – not to mention one of the messiest eaters on the planet.

Image Credit Flickr User Martin LaBarr

Image Credit Flickr User Brunswick Square

Strictly speaking, the hammerhead is a flatworm. They come in many species not to mention shapes and sizes but all have one thing in common – they are immensely predatory (but more of that later). They belong to a family called the Geoplanidae which are commonly known as land planarians.

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