Wildlife and Nature

Aotus night monkeys (durukuls) are the only monkeys of the New World active at night. They are common in Central and South America, live in family groups and feed mainly on fruits. Nocturnal monkeys are relatively small primates with a body length of 25-35 cm and a tail of 30 to 40 cm . The weight varies from 0.7 to 1.2 kg, long and fluffy, its tip is often black. Unlike several other New World monkeys, it cannot be used for grabbing. During rest periods, nocturnal monkeys retire into hollows or dense thickets. About 15 minutes after sunset, they get out of their sleeping places and are active until midnight, after which they rest again for an hour and a half to two hours before they start looking for food again. Before sunrise, they retire again to their resting places. In this video, mom, dad and baby night monkeys sleep in a hollow tree during the day to hide from potential predators

The whiskered tit Panurus biarmicus is by itself, it is the only one in the genus and family. Its closest relatives are, apparently, larks. It lives in the swamps. It is widespread from Western Europe to Manchuria, but not everywhere. In Central Europe, the main distribution is on the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas. In Russia, it is found in the south to Transbaikalia, as well as along the western borders. In summer, these birds feed on insects and spiders, and in winter on plant seeds. The nest is a deep cup at the base of a reed near the water. It consists of last year's reeds and is lined inside with panicles. Birds pair up while still young and remain inseparable throughout their lives.

Phylliidae leaf beetles are insects that mimic the leaves of plants by color and body shape. They are distributed in the tropics of Southeast Asia. The main color of these insects is bright green, but there are also forms with yellow and orange coloring. In many species, the coloration is often with black or brown spots on the edges of the body, which gives an additional resemblance to the leaf. Length up to 12.5 cm . The body of females is wide and flat, while males are mostly narrow, with longer wings covering the entire body. Due to their light weight, males of many species are able to fly, but for very short distances. In nature, they spend most of their time on the leaves of trees and shrubs, which they imitate with their shape and body color, and which they feed on

Oncilla Leopardus tigrinus translates as "little jaguar", because in addition and color it really resembles a miniature jaguar. Oncilla is smaller than an ordinary domestic cat; the weight of a very large male is about 2.8-3 kg with a body length of up to 65 cm. This cat is found from Costa Rica and northern Panama to southeastern Brazil and northern Argentina. There are no reports of encounters with it in the Amazon basin; apparently, the area of oncilla is limited to mountainous and subtropical forests. Its range is highly mosaic, and in most places it is rare. Oncilla is an almost unexplored species. Apparently, she leads a solitary lifestyle, is active mainly at night, and during the day she rests in the branches of trees, where the mottled patronizing color makes her almost invisible. It hunts small rodents, birds, possibly non-venomous snakes and tree frogs. It has been reported that oncillae catch small primates in Brazil. In captivity, oncilla is well tamed, but in European zoos it is rare

The plush-headed jay Cyanocorax chrysops lives in southwestern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina. It is an elegant bird of medium size, with dark plumage and a creamy-yellow breast; the voluminous tail is also cream-colored - from the inside out and at the end. On the head is a tuft in the form of a plush cap. Systematically, magpies and cuckoos are considered the closest relatives of jays. Unlike other ravens, which are distinguished by a strong physique, jays are light and elegant. The streamlined body, small beak, thin prehensile paws and, especially, a long tail make them look like a lightweight magpie. It is noteworthy that the blue color of the feathers in jays is not due to coloring substances, but to the refraction of light in the microscopic grooves of the fan. If the pen is crushed, its microstructure will be broken and the blue color will disappear

The long-horned roundworm spider Macracantha arcuata is also known as the spiny spider. It's easy to see how he earned his nickname - two long spikes, resembling antennae, extend from the sides of his body. Although its home range is Southeast Asia and India, it can also be found in parts of the southeastern United States. These spiders can reach sizes up to 3 cm in diameter (measured from spike to spike). Smaller males lack these spines. Brightly colored spiny spherical spiders have a wide, hard abdomen, which can be white, orange or yellow with red markings. Horned spiders are generally harmless to humans

Hemaris fuciformis is found in sunny dry areas, in forest clearings, in warm floodplain forests, on the southern slopes of mountains, as well as along streams and rivers, occasionally in gardens. The time of summer is from the end of May to the beginning of July. The length of the forewings is 20-24 mm, the wingspan is 38-42 mm. With its transparent wings, short dense belly and color resembles a bumblebee. The habitat of these butterflies is very extensive. Central and Southern Europe, northern Turkey, Afghanistan, Northwestern China, Northern India. The Caucasus, the mountains of Central Asia, Kazakhstan, almost all of Siberia, north to Central Yakutia and Magadan, also inhabits Sakhalin. In the mountains it occurs at an altitude of up to 2000 m