Desk Naturalist
@desknaturalist.bsky.social
Office by day, naturalist by heart 🐚💻
Sharing photos, videos and wildlife facts from my desk.
Sharing photos, videos and wildlife facts from my desk.
A leopard seal encounter in Australia sounds like a raptor from Jurassic Park.
November 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
A leopard seal encounter in Australia sounds like a raptor from Jurassic Park.
The event has already started, millions of crabs are on the move.
Like every year, over 50 million red crabs migrate from the forest to the shores to breed on Australia’s Christmas Island. Spawning is forecast for around 15–16 November 2025.
Like every year, over 50 million red crabs migrate from the forest to the shores to breed on Australia’s Christmas Island. Spawning is forecast for around 15–16 November 2025.
November 13, 2025 at 4:04 PM
The event has already started, millions of crabs are on the move.
Like every year, over 50 million red crabs migrate from the forest to the shores to breed on Australia’s Christmas Island. Spawning is forecast for around 15–16 November 2025.
Like every year, over 50 million red crabs migrate from the forest to the shores to breed on Australia’s Christmas Island. Spawning is forecast for around 15–16 November 2025.
A sleeping turtle.
They can stay underwater for up to 10 hours while resting, while they need to surface about every 30 minutes when swimming.
They can stay underwater for up to 10 hours while resting, while they need to surface about every 30 minutes when swimming.
November 10, 2025 at 8:16 AM
A sleeping turtle.
They can stay underwater for up to 10 hours while resting, while they need to surface about every 30 minutes when swimming.
They can stay underwater for up to 10 hours while resting, while they need to surface about every 30 minutes when swimming.
Thousands of sea turtles return to their birth beaches to nest, a mass event called “arribada”.
Guided by Earth’s magnetic field, they find the same shore where they hatched. Only two species do this, on just eight beaches worldwide: in Costa Rica, Mexico, India, and Nicaragua.
Guided by Earth’s magnetic field, they find the same shore where they hatched. Only two species do this, on just eight beaches worldwide: in Costa Rica, Mexico, India, and Nicaragua.
November 7, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Thousands of sea turtles return to their birth beaches to nest, a mass event called “arribada”.
Guided by Earth’s magnetic field, they find the same shore where they hatched. Only two species do this, on just eight beaches worldwide: in Costa Rica, Mexico, India, and Nicaragua.
Guided by Earth’s magnetic field, they find the same shore where they hatched. Only two species do this, on just eight beaches worldwide: in Costa Rica, Mexico, India, and Nicaragua.
Now I understand why they are called water buffalo
November 7, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Now I understand why they are called water buffalo
Sleeping hours per day by animal:
- Brown bat: 20 h
- Koala: 20 h
- Sloth: 17 h
- Cat: 13 h
- Dog: 11 h
- Human: 8 h
- Elephant: 3 h
- Horse: 3 h
- Giraffe: 2 h
Large animals like elephants can go up to two days without sleep while traveling or migrating.
- Brown bat: 20 h
- Koala: 20 h
- Sloth: 17 h
- Cat: 13 h
- Dog: 11 h
- Human: 8 h
- Elephant: 3 h
- Horse: 3 h
- Giraffe: 2 h
Large animals like elephants can go up to two days without sleep while traveling or migrating.
November 6, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Sleeping hours per day by animal:
- Brown bat: 20 h
- Koala: 20 h
- Sloth: 17 h
- Cat: 13 h
- Dog: 11 h
- Human: 8 h
- Elephant: 3 h
- Horse: 3 h
- Giraffe: 2 h
Large animals like elephants can go up to two days without sleep while traveling or migrating.
- Brown bat: 20 h
- Koala: 20 h
- Sloth: 17 h
- Cat: 13 h
- Dog: 11 h
- Human: 8 h
- Elephant: 3 h
- Horse: 3 h
- Giraffe: 2 h
Large animals like elephants can go up to two days without sleep while traveling or migrating.
Today I discovered the Saiga antelope, a survivor from the Ice Age that still roams the steppes of Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan. With its peculiar oversized nose, it filters dust and warms the icy air, allowing it to thrive in frozen plains.
November 5, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Today I discovered the Saiga antelope, a survivor from the Ice Age that still roams the steppes of Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan. With its peculiar oversized nose, it filters dust and warms the icy air, allowing it to thrive in frozen plains.
For the first time, German scientists have captured footage of rats catching bats midair. The study found that rats can hunt in total darkness, using their whiskers to detect air currents from bat wings, a clue to how viruses like coronavirus may jump from bats to rodents.
November 5, 2025 at 10:27 AM
For the first time, German scientists have captured footage of rats catching bats midair. The study found that rats can hunt in total darkness, using their whiskers to detect air currents from bat wings, a clue to how viruses like coronavirus may jump from bats to rodents.
Always amazed by this photo, taken during an aerial flight on the Casablanca–Dakar route in 1925, the last known photograph of a wild Atlas (Barbary) lion.
Once roaming North Africa’s mountains, they’re now extinct in the wild.
Once roaming North Africa’s mountains, they’re now extinct in the wild.
November 4, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Always amazed by this photo, taken during an aerial flight on the Casablanca–Dakar route in 1925, the last known photograph of a wild Atlas (Barbary) lion.
Once roaming North Africa’s mountains, they’re now extinct in the wild.
Once roaming North Africa’s mountains, they’re now extinct in the wild.
Out of five species, only about 28,000 rhinos remain today 🦏
White rhino: ~17,600 (southern + 2 northern)
Black rhino: ~6,500
Greater one-horned rhino: ~4,000
Javan rhino: ~76
Sumatran rhino: <50
Infographic by Wildlife Nomads
White rhino: ~17,600 (southern + 2 northern)
Black rhino: ~6,500
Greater one-horned rhino: ~4,000
Javan rhino: ~76
Sumatran rhino: <50
Infographic by Wildlife Nomads
November 2, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Out of five species, only about 28,000 rhinos remain today 🦏
White rhino: ~17,600 (southern + 2 northern)
Black rhino: ~6,500
Greater one-horned rhino: ~4,000
Javan rhino: ~76
Sumatran rhino: <50
Infographic by Wildlife Nomads
White rhino: ~17,600 (southern + 2 northern)
Black rhino: ~6,500
Greater one-horned rhino: ~4,000
Javan rhino: ~76
Sumatran rhino: <50
Infographic by Wildlife Nomads
Animals that don't sound how they look
November 2, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Animals that don't sound how they look
The northern white rhinos are the world’s most endangered rhino, with only two remaining (both females, Najin and Fatu). The subspecies is functionally extinct. Over the years:
1960: ~2,200
1984: ~15
1994: ~30
2010: 4
2018: 2 (the last male died)
1960: ~2,200
1984: ~15
1994: ~30
2010: 4
2018: 2 (the last male died)
November 2, 2025 at 7:31 AM
The northern white rhinos are the world’s most endangered rhino, with only two remaining (both females, Najin and Fatu). The subspecies is functionally extinct. Over the years:
1960: ~2,200
1984: ~15
1994: ~30
2010: 4
2018: 2 (the last male died)
1960: ~2,200
1984: ~15
1994: ~30
2010: 4
2018: 2 (the last male died)
Make the Great Plains Great Again
November 1, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Make the Great Plains Great Again
This octopus as it swims away
November 1, 2025 at 10:37 PM
This octopus as it swims away
Thalassophobia in one video. While a diver was filming a pod of orcas, a humpback whale sneaked up on him from behind.
November 1, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Thalassophobia in one video. While a diver was filming a pod of orcas, a humpback whale sneaked up on him from behind.
The size of the California condor. There are only 566 individuals left in the world.
October 31, 2025 at 1:07 PM
The size of the California condor. There are only 566 individuals left in the world.
Why is everyone talking about the white Iberian lynx? Unlike albinism, leucism is only a partial loss of pigment, that’s why its eyes are normal-colored. It’s an even rarer genetic variation, about 1 in 10 million. With only 2,401 lynxes, it’s likely the first ever seen.
October 31, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Why is everyone talking about the white Iberian lynx? Unlike albinism, leucism is only a partial loss of pigment, that’s why its eyes are normal-colored. It’s an even rarer genetic variation, about 1 in 10 million. With only 2,401 lynxes, it’s likely the first ever seen.
Despite their name, black panthers aren’t a separate species, they’re just melanistic jaguars & leopards. Only 11% of jaguars and 6% of leopards have it.
October 29, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Despite their name, black panthers aren’t a separate species, they’re just melanistic jaguars & leopards. Only 11% of jaguars and 6% of leopards have it.
Am I the only one disappointed by the real size of the anglerfish? I thought they were giant, terrifying deep-sea monsters.
October 29, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Am I the only one disappointed by the real size of the anglerfish? I thought they were giant, terrifying deep-sea monsters.
An elephant family sleeping close together, with the adults forming a protective circle around the youngest calf
October 28, 2025 at 6:03 PM
An elephant family sleeping close together, with the adults forming a protective circle around the youngest calf
Komodo dragon diet:
Javan rusa deer ~61%
Wild boar ~16%
Water buffalo ~9%
Other Komodo dragons (cannibalism) ~10%
Goats/domestic livestock ~2%
Birds, rodents, reptiles, etc. ~2%
Javan rusa deer ~61%
Wild boar ~16%
Water buffalo ~9%
Other Komodo dragons (cannibalism) ~10%
Goats/domestic livestock ~2%
Birds, rodents, reptiles, etc. ~2%
October 28, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Komodo dragon diet:
Javan rusa deer ~61%
Wild boar ~16%
Water buffalo ~9%
Other Komodo dragons (cannibalism) ~10%
Goats/domestic livestock ~2%
Birds, rodents, reptiles, etc. ~2%
Javan rusa deer ~61%
Wild boar ~16%
Water buffalo ~9%
Other Komodo dragons (cannibalism) ~10%
Goats/domestic livestock ~2%
Birds, rodents, reptiles, etc. ~2%
A walking orangutan: Bornean orangutans often move on the ground because there are no tigers, while Sumatran orangutans stay mostly in trees to avoid big predators like tigers or clouded leopards.
October 28, 2025 at 7:19 AM
A walking orangutan: Bornean orangutans often move on the ground because there are no tigers, while Sumatran orangutans stay mostly in trees to avoid big predators like tigers or clouded leopards.
Rare Black Tiger on NatGeo’s October 2025 cover.
📸 Prasenjeet Yadav
📸 Prasenjeet Yadav
October 27, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Rare Black Tiger on NatGeo’s October 2025 cover.
📸 Prasenjeet Yadav
📸 Prasenjeet Yadav
Lions taking a nap at Kruger National Park in South Africa
October 27, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Lions taking a nap at Kruger National Park in South Africa