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The Prominence of Parrots in the Cantino Planisphere of 1502
Introduction The Cantino Planisphere is a Portuguese map of the known world produced in 1502 (Fig. 1). Created by an unidentified cartographer(s), the map’s name derives from Alberto Cantino, an Italian agent who obtained the map for the Duke of Ferrara.[1] While it is unknown whether the map was commissioned,…
ANIMAL ART OF THE DAY for Whooping Crane Day: Audubon’s “Hooping Cranes”
Today is #WhoopingCraneDay! The Whooping Crane (Grus americana) is an endemic North American species that is the continent’s tallest native bird. It is also one of our flagship conservation success stories, having very nearly gone extinct in the early 20th century. Once thought to have numbered at least 10,000 birds,…
ANIMAL ART OF THE DAY for International Chameleon Day: Sean Kenney’s LEGO masterpiece
Today (9 May 2024) is the inaugural celebration of International Chameleon Day! Wildlife Madagascar is launching this animal appreciation day to highlight the remarkable diversity of chameleon species and shed light on the challenges they face in the wild. We are excited to honor these unique, extraordinary, and beautiful animals….
ANIMAL ART OF THE DAY for World Donkey Day: The art of making an ass of yourself in ancient Greece
This gallery contains 17 photos.
Happy #WorldDonkeyDay! Here are the perfect party cups to celebrate with… The Donkey-Head Drinking Vessels of Ancient Greece Ceramic animal-head rhyta and similar drinking cups created by Attica potters were popular novelty items in Classical Greece (c. 480-323 BCE). These amusing mugs gave users the appearance of wearing an animal…
ANIMAL ART OF THE DAY: Today is Both Audubon Day and International Flamingo Day, So Here Is Audubon’s Flamingo!
ANIMAL ART OF THE DAY for International Tasmanian Devil Day: Early Natural History Art of the “Bear Opossum”
This gallery contains 8 photos.
Today is not only a #MarsupialMonday, but it’s also the first annual International Tasmanian Devil Day! The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is an endangered marsupial species endemic to Australia. Although it once ranged across the mainland continent, since its extirpation some 3500 years ago, it is now only found on the…
ANIMAL ART OF THE DAY for Vincent Van Gogh’s Birthday, Part 2: Van Gogh’s Cats
This gallery contains 12 photos.
Vincent Willem Van Gogh was born #OTD (Zundert, Netherlands 30 March 1853 – Auvers-sur-Oise, France 29 July 1890). And since today is also #Caturday, here is a closer look at the cats found in his art — including one that got painted out of a second version! Van Gogh’s Lost Cat…
ANIMAL ART OF THE DAY for Vincent Van Gogh’s Birthday, Part 1: Van Gogh’s Rabbits
Vincent Willem Van Gogh was born #OTD (Zundert, Netherlands 30 March 1853 – Auvers-sur-Oise, France 29 July 1890). And since it’s also Easter Bunny time, here is a closer look at his two surviving works featuring rabbits, plus a few quotes from his letters where he mentions encounters with rabbits….
ANIMAL ART OF THE DAY for Manatee Appreciation Day: Joseph Wolf’s Misidentified Manatee Illustration
Happy Manatee Appreciation Day! As seen above, there are three officially recognized manatee species, all currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Today’s Animal Art of the Day is a 19th century illustration which was first identified as one, then identified as another, and finally correctly identified as…