your fav animal

[raul]

something more fun and relaxing, for a change.

http://www.jpbutler.com/franklin-park-zoo/lion.jpg

[chaitanya]

among these : the bull,considering that is the symbol of my soccer team :laugh2:

but I love cats...

[FPSHOT]

Birds... those with wings...

[BadLittleKid]

Horse.

And birds, those without wings.

[Mccartneyluvr]

I like elephants.

[hibgal]

something more fun and relaxing, for a change.

Yay!!!! :clap3: :rock2: :party: :beer1: :clap1: :wave1: :thumbu2:

Hey, what happened to dogs and cats?

[raul]

im listening to shine on you crazy diamond,

[Lynner]

I picked horses cuz they're beautiful, but tigers are my fave "wild" animal.

[VersusBatman]

I'm a cat person. I also love Tigers.

[Lynner]

I'm a cat person. I also love Tigers.
I miss not having a cat in the house. I'm a cat person, too!

[VersusBatman]

I saw some kittens on TV and I got kitten hungry.

[digdad]

What about this little guy (http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/23120/grey_squirrel_1.jpg)?

[guitargirl]

My favorite animal is not on the list...
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh163/guitar-girl-83/llama2.jpg
The llama!

[mari]

My favorite animal is not on the list...
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh163/guitar-girl-83/llama2.jpg
The llama!

Yeah, what she said.

[MAXWELL EDISON]

Great you love llamas!!! There are a lot here in my country, Perú. I also love vicuñas, the finest fiber in the world.. and the most expensive as well!!)

[raul]

I miss not having a cat in the house. I'm a cat person, too!

speaking of cats, here's some info:

The Lion (Panthera leo (in latin)) is a member of the family Felidae (cats, in latin) and one of four "big cats" in the genus (the rank between family and species) Panthera. The other 3 big cats are the Tiger, the Jaguar, and the Leopard. Reaching 272 kg (600 lb), it is the second largest cat after the Tiger. They currently exist in the wild in the sub-Saharen Africa and in Asia with a critically endangered remnant population in northwest India, having dissappeared from North Africa, the Middle East and western Asia in historic times. Until the late Pleistocene (about 10 000 years ago), the lion was the most widespread large land mammal beside man. They were found in most of Africa, much of Eurasia from western Europe to India and the Bering land bridge and in the Americas from Yukon to Peru.

Lions live for approximately 10–14 years in the wild, while in captivity they can live over 20 years. Lions are unusually social compared to other cats. Groups of female lions typically hunt together, preying mostly on large ungulates. The lion is an apex and keystone predator, though will resort to scavenging if the opportunity arises. While lions, in general, do not selectively hunt humans, some have been known to become man-eaters and seek human prey.

The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a possibly irreversible population decline of 30 to 50% over the past two decades in its African range; populations are untenable outside designated reserves and national parks. Although the cause of the decline is not well-understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are currently the greatest causes of concern. Lions have been kept in menageries since Roman times and have been a key species sought after and exhibited in zoos the world over since the late 18th century. Zoos are cooperating worldwide in breeding programs for the endangered Asiatic subspecies.

The male lion is highly distinctive and is easily recognized by its mane. The lion, particularly the face of the male, is one of the most widely recognized animal symbols in human culture. Depictions have existed from the Upper Paleolithic period, with carvings and paintings from the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves, through virtually all ancient and medieval cultures where they historically occurred. It has been extensively depicted in literature, in sculptures, in paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature.

The lion's name, similar in many languages, derives from the Latin leo, and before that the Ancient Greek leōn/λεων. The Hebrew word lavi (לָבִיא) may also be related, as well as the Ancient Egyptian rw. It was one of the many species originally described, as Felis leo, by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae. The generic component of its scientific designation, Panthera leo, is often presumed to derive from Greek pan- ("all") and ther ("beast"), but this may be a folk etymology. Although it came into English through the classical languages, panthera is probably of East Asian origin, meaning "the yellowish animal," or "whitish-yellow".

The lion is the second largest feline after the tiger. With powerful legs, a strong jaw, and long canine teeth, the lion can bring down and kill large prey. Lion coloration varies from light buff to yellowish, reddish or dark ochraceous brown. The underparts are generally lighter and the tail tuft is black. The color of the mane varies from blond to black.

Average listed weights for the lions are between 150–225 kg (330–500 lb) for males, and 120–150 kg (260–330 lb) for females. Nowell and Jackson report average weights of 181 kg for males and 126 kg for females; one male shot near Mount Kenya was weighed at 272 kg (600 lb). Head and body length is 170–250 cm (5 ft 7 in–8 ft 2 in) in males and 140–175 cm (4 ft 7 in–5 ft 9 in) in females; shoulder height is about 123 cm (4 ft) in males and 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) in females. The tail length is 70–100 cm (2 ft 3 in–3 ft 3 in). The tail ends in a hairy tuft. The tuft conceals a spine, approximately 5 mm long, formed of the final sections of tail bone fused together. The lion is the only felid to have a tufted tail and the function of the tuft and spine are unknown. Absent at birth, the tuft develops around 5½ months of age and readily identifiable at 7 months.

The mane of the male lion, unique amongst cats, is one of the most distinctive characteristics of the species. It makes the lion appear larger, providing an excellent intimidation display; this aids the lion during confrontations with other lions and with the species' chief competitor in Africa, the spotted hyena. The presence, absence, color, and size of the mane is associated with genetic precondition, sexual maturity, climate and testosterone production; the rule of thumb is the darker and fuller the mane, the healthier the lion. Research in Tanzania also suggests mane length signals fighting success in male-male relationships. Darker-maned individuals may have longer reproductive lives and higher offspring survival, although they suffer in the hottest months of the year. In prides led by a coalition of two or three males, it is possible that lionesses solicit mating more actively with heavily maned lions.

There are also maneless male lions.

from wikipedia.

[raul]

What about this little guy (http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/23120/grey_squirrel_1.jpg)?

i can see a grey squirrel, but only in the url. the link doesnt work, diggy.

[digdad]

i can see a grey squirrel, but only in the url. the link doesnt work, diggy.
D'oh! I can never tell what images will work when I'm posting from my home computer (for some reason they always seem to work there but not necessarily from different computers, like my work computer).

Let's try the little guy a different way (http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Cheshire/photo205691.htm).

[raul]

D'oh! I can never tell what images will work when I'm posting from my home computer (for some reason they always seem to work there but not necessarily from different computers, like my work computer).

Let's try the little guy a different way (http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Cheshire/photo205691.htm).

2nd best for me, little guy is adorable, but the lion is still the king of the beasts. Not that i like the word "beast", in any of it's meanings. The lion just impresses me, that's all.

[beatles fan]

wheres the SQUIRRELS?? haha

[HoneyPie]

You mean like this one?? :

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x246/ilwlcute2/z96943600.gif

"CURSES! They found me!"

:laugh5: :laugh5: :laugh5: :laugh5: :laugh5:

[HoneyPie]

I voted for the Lion because you don't have Elephant or Giraffe listed :(

But Lions are cool. I love the Lion King :blush4: :teeth1:

And, no, I'm not LION to you! :joker:

[Lady Madonna]

I like monkeys and cats.

[hibgal]

I can never tell what images will work when I'm posting from my home computer

Sometimes servers won't let you link to their pictures from another server. I've run into the same problem myself several times.

As to lions, here's what the famous tiger handler Bill Flemming has to say:

"Without their furry coats, lions and tigers would no longer be anatomically distinguishable. They can mate and produce cubs that in turn can reproduce." - The tiger on your couch

Here's a liger:

http://hibiscus-sinensis.com/images/liger.jpg

[jesgear]

I was hoping no one would notice that squirrels were missing from the list :sad3:

Let's say that the liger ate all the squirrels :devil7:

[Sarandipity]

As to lions, here's what the famous tiger handler Bill Flemming has to say:

"Without their furry coats, lions and tigers would no longer be anatomically distinguishable. They can mate and produce cubs that in turn can reproduce."

Hmmm... That's odd. Not to disagree with Bill Flemming and all, but often when lions and tigers mate, the offspring ("liger" if reproduction occurs between a male lion and female tiger, "tigon" if reproduction occurs between a male tiger and female lion) are sterile.

Generally, male ligers and tigons are sterile, while the females of both are fertile. In other words, reproduction between the faux species is virtually impossible. Reproduction, however, can occur between ligers and lions, ligers and tigers, etc. etc... The offspring usually die, but it is possible.

Yeah... I'll shut up now.

And yes, we actually did have a discussion similar to this in my Molecular Biology class... Ligers are no longer just for Napoleon Dynamite.

By the way, ligers are beautiful but positively MASSIVE creatures:
http://www.maniacworld.com/liger.jpg

[raul]

:laugh5: and when to think my intention was open a less serious and more fun debate.

[lennonluvr9]

Again, mine's not there :smile1: Bears! I love bears, any kind of bears, they're just so cute! Especially the cubs. Probably stems from my love of teddies. whatever.

Fish were close behind so I did vote for that. I always did like fish and Nemo seemed to really fuel that. :tongue1:

[digdad]

Again, mine's not there :smile1: Bears! I love bears, any kind of bears, they're just so cute! Especially the cubs. Probably stems from my love of teddies. whatever.

Fish were close behind so I did vote for that. I always did like fish and Nemo seemed to really fuel that. :tongue1:
Don't the bears eat the fish?

[raul]

Don't the bears eat the fish?

:laugh5: a very nasty joke, diggy.

[Asha]

I love all sorts of animals! Many are on the list, Raul! But my all time fave isn't, so I'll put a pic up! :laugh5:

http://users.tpg.com.au/users/hkps/koala1.jpg

[jesgear]

http://www.savagechickens.com/images/chickenraccoon2.jpg

[jesgear]

Evil mutant squirrels:

http://www.humandescent.com/burp/displayimage.php?GetImage&img=633

http://www.humandescent.com/burp/displayimage.php?GetImage&img=649

[digdad]

Evil mutant squirrels:

http://www.humandescent.com/burp/displayimage.php?GetImage&img=633

http://www.humandescent.com/burp/displayimage.php?GetImage&img=649
The site's not working for me.

But I'll give it a preemptive :afraid5:.

[raul]

Evil mutant squirrels:

http://www.humandescent.com/burp/displayimage.php?GetImage&img=633

http://www.humandescent.com/burp/displayimage.php?GetImage&img=649

the 2nd one is crazy :laugh5:

[VersusBatman]

Sometimes servers won't let you link to their pictures from another server. I've run into the same problem myself several times.

As to lions, here's what the famous tiger handler Bill Flemming has to say:

"Without their furry coats, lions and tigers would no longer be anatomically distinguishable. They can mate and produce cubs that in turn can reproduce." - The tiger on your couch

Here's a liger:

http://hibiscus-sinensis.com/images/liger.jpg
That looks photoshopped to me.

This what a real liger looks like
http://www.maniacworld.com/liger.jpg

[Sarandipity]

I'm 99.99% sure that the first liger picture was a Photoshopped... Very well, might I add. Real life ligers just don't turn out looking like that. :smile1:

The bottom picture is of an actual liger. His name is Hercules, and he lives in Miami. ...And he's still growing!

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/liger.asp

[digdad]

That's one big putty tat.

Funny, the eldest digkid was just talking about ligers today. He learned about them in school recently. Apparently ligers turn out bigger than both parents, but tigons turn out smaller. I think I'd rather have a tigon.

[hibgal]

The true Squirrel!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/Rocky_bullwinkle_tracks.jpg

And Jes favorite persons :laugh5: :

http://mcgonnigle.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/boris_natasha_fearless.jpg

[lennonluvr9]

Don't the bears eat the fish?

Ha, yeah. But that's alright. Who am I to go against nature? :tongue1:

[The New AimeeAndBeatles]

I like horses. I like riding horses. It's fun to groom them, too, although it hurts when they step on your feet.

[beatlebangs1964]

Eagle. Raptors rule! :thumbu2:

[mari]

Great you love llamas!!! There are a lot here in my country, Perú.

When my brother went to Peru he bought me llama earrings. That was a great llama moment.