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,…
This gallery contains 9 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…
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Happy #NationalAardvarkWeek! Besides being one of my favorite mammals, the Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is also the most evolutionarily distinct one, which makes it very special indeed: The aardvark…has the highest score for being the most evolutionarily distinctive (ED) using the EDGE scientific method. Species such as the aardvark are much…
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Plates XIII. IX, and X from Our reptiles and batrachians; a plain and easy account of the lizards, snakes, newts, toads, frogs and tortoises indigenous to Great Britainby M. C. Cooke (1825-1914)London, W. H. Allen & co., limited, 1893via Biodiversity Heritage Library
This gallery contains 13 photos.
November 3rd is World Jellyfish Day! To celebrate, here is a dozen of Ernst Haeckel’s “medusae” plates from Kunstformen der Natur (1899-1904) as well as the cover art that features a bonus one.
Happy birthday to iconic Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher, born 125 years ago today! Animal forms inspired many of his works, including reptiles. Here is a favorite example, Reptiles from 1943:
January 31st is International Zebra Day! First up, images of the first known zebras imported into Great Britain.
For #AppreciateADragonDay, here are two versions of an illustration depicting Draco the dragon with the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor bear constellations. The first is from a medieval Carolingian illuminated manuscript known as the Leiden Aratea: Centuries later, Dutch humanist Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) acquired this manuscript and proceeded to publish…
