Instagram story viewer> @emusingzoofacts> Posts

Riley Barry

@emusingzoofacts

331

followers

234

following

Wildlife, facts, conservation, and more!

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

6th Monarch release! 🦋 Small but so important. They’re vital pollinators, indicators of ecosystem health 🌍, and stars of a 3,000-mile migration miracle. Protect their habitat, plant milkweed, and help keep the magic alive. Their story reminds us why conservation matters. 🌿✨
#MonarchButterfly #SaveTheButterflies #ButterflyRelease #NatureMatters by @emusingzoofacts

6

0

a year ago

Do what you can to protect what you love. Happy Earth Day! 🌎☀️🌳

#earthday #earth #earthday2024 #protect #world #protecttheearth #protecttheplanet #protecttheocean #global #globe #africa #kenya #zebra #protectwildlife

📸- Riley Barry taken in Planet Earth by @emusingzoofacts

16

1

2 years ago

Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible moms and mother figures out there!
📷- Riley Barry

#mothersday #nature #happymothersday #wildlife #conservation #wildlifeconservation #photography #kenya #thisiskenya #elephant #rhino #impala #baboons #zebra #hyena #giraffe #family #babies #mother #mothersofinstagram #savingspecies #zoology #wildlifephotography taken in Kenya, Africa by @emusingzoofacts

19

2

3 years ago

Who wants popcorn?! I do, but maybe not this kind. If you’ve ever heard about binturongs, you’ve also likely talked about popcorn because binturong pee smells just like hot, buttery popcorn. The same chemical that is released when popcorn pops is also released in binturong urine! As solitary animals they use urine as a form of defending territory and finding a partner to mate with.
📷- Zoo Atlanta

#worldbinturongday #binturong #popcorn #ssp #binlet #wildlife #conservation #photography #wildlifeconservation #nature #savingspecies #bearcat #wildlifeeducation #zookeeper #wesavespecies #zoology #closeenoughtocare #planetearth by @emusingzoofacts

33

0

3 years ago

It’s national bird day!
With over 9,800 species of birds they are the only animals to have feathers!

Here’s a special shout out to all the im-peck-able birds I saw in Kenya this summer
#kenya #africa #birdsofkenya #nationalbirdday #flamingo #ostrich #eagles #cranes #crownedcrane #flamingo #secretarybird #pelican #photography #bestphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birdphotography #birdsofinstagram by @emusingzoofacts

23

1

4 years ago

It’s international sloth day!

Sloths are arboreal, meaning they spend most of their time in the trees. However, they did not used to be this way. The now extinct Giant ground sloth, or fossil sloth, used to spend quite a bit of time in water, and the last common ancestor of modern sloths spent most of their time on the ground. Over time, sloths have adapted new patterns of movement and posture to conserve energy and adapt to forces of gravity. They have lax joint capsules that allow for greater range of movement between ankle and wrist joints, and help increase shoulder mobility. Some organs are even arranged differently to accommodate for being upside-down! How cool! Sloths may be slow moving, but their sharp claws and teeth help fend off predators like jaguars, harp eagles, and anacondas.
📷- Riley Barry

#internationalslothday #worldslothday #sloth #slothlove #slothlife #pilosa #choloepus #megalonychidae #twotoedsloth #threetoedsloth #choloepushoffmanni #choloepusdidactylus #wildlife #conservation #wildlifeconservation #wildlifephotography #sloths #slothsrule #naturephotography #savetheplanet #education #arboreal by @emusingzoofacts

21

3

4 years ago

Today is world giraffe day!
I recently had the pleasure of researching these beautiful animals in Africa and deepened my love for them even more. Today we raise awareness for this vulnerable species. Giraffes are incredibly important to the ecosystem, but their numbers are declining quickly. During the civil war giraffe populations in Mozambique were plummeting, but have slowly been on an incline.

This year the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (@giraffe_conservation ) is raising money to fund a large project to help repopulate southern giraffes in Mozambique over the next 5 years. Doing this will re-establish the acreage of their historic range and significantly increase their populations in the wild.

If you feel so inclined, follow the link in my bio to help support the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and all they do to support giraffe populations.

By educating, donating, and raising awareness we can be a part of the solution and #StandTallForGiraffe. by @emusingzoofacts

20

1

4 years ago

Today is international red panda day!
Red pandas live in high mountainous areas like the Himalayas. They dwell in temperate forests with bamboo understudies which is what 95% of their diet consists of. Red pandas particularly enjoy leaf tips and shoots of bamboo. The other 5% of their diets may consist of food items such as grasses, insects, and fruit. Interestingly, red pandas only digest 24% of the bamboo that they eat, and they need to eat 20-30% of their body weight each day to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Red pandas also have a wrist bone that acts as a thumb to help grab the bamboo, which is visible in the photograph.
PC- Riley Barry

#internationalredpandaday #redpanda #alluridae #fluff #redpandasofinstagram #love #saturday #conservation #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #photo #wildlifephotography #photography #bamboo #beautiful #lovinglife #crepuscular #red by @emusingzoofacts

25

0

5 years ago

Leaping Lizards! It’s time to learn about the chameleon!

With over 150 species, chameleons are known for their ability to change colors which is a key form of chameleon communication. Their color change is based on their mood, the temperature or humidity, and even the amount of light. With this said, chameleons really don’t change color to blend in with their surroundings. They simply have a series of colors and patterns that they are able to display. Chameleons have four layers of skin where each layer contains different color pigments. Color cells in the layers change due to nerve impulses and hormone changes. The layers can then expand and shrink. With the expansion and reduction of the layers, the different layers blend and create the beautiful colors and patterns that we are able to see.

Unlike many lizard species, chameleons do not have detachable tails. A chameleon’s tail is prehensile, meaning it can be used to grab and hold onto things. It is for this reason that their tail cannot detach.

Another distinctive feature of the chameleon is their eyes. Chameleons have the ability to rotate each eye separately so that they can focus on more than one thing at once. This allows them to have a full range of focus around their body. How fascinating!

PC-Riley Barry

#chameleon #chameleonsofinstagram #lizard #lizardsofinstagram #reptile #reptilesofinstagram #reptile #aza #funfactfriday #funfacts #funfact #wildlife #conservation #wildlifeconservation #photography #wildlifephotography #photo ##chameleonlove #chameleons by @emusingzoofacts

26

1

5 years ago

Have you “herd”? Yesterday was world elephant day!

There are 3 species of elephants and they are the African savanna elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. African and Asian elephants have small differences that make a large impact.

African elephants are the largest land mammals and have large ears shaped like the continent of Africa. In addition, the end of their trunk has two “fingers” to help them pick things up. Whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears and only one finger at the end of their trunk. Other differences include the visibility of the tusks and the shape of the back, which vary based on species and gender.

An elephant’s tusks, made out of ivory, are used for defense, digging for resources, and lifting. Elephant populations are decreasing at an alarming rate due to poaching for ivory. As a keystone species, elephants help create rich biodiversity in ecosystems and are important ecosystem engineers.

It is important to protect not only elephants themselves, but also the environments they live in. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is working to stop the illegal ivory trade as well as strengthening anti-poaching initiatives. To help protect the environments, the habitats of African elephants are under formal protection.

There are many things YOU can do to help save these gentle giants like donating to conservation organizations, purchasing elephant-friendly coffee and wood, not purchasing ivory, and educating others.

PC- Riley Barry

#worldelephantday #elephant #elephants #elephantsofinstagram #gentle #wwf #gentlegiant #africanelephant #photo #asianelephant #landmammals #wildlife #photography #wildlifephotography #conservation #wildlifeconservation #worldwild #worldwildlife #conserve #worldwildlifefund #ivory #protection #cincinnati #cincinnatizoo #cincinnatizooandbotanicalgarden by @emusingzoofacts

65

2

5 years ago

Happy World Giraffe Day!
Today, the longest day/night of the year, acknowledges and appreciates the tallest land animal in the world, the giraffe. Not only is today important to share facts and information about the giraffe, but also to address the challenges giraffe face in the wild and what you can do to help.

Native to Africa, the giraffe has a total of 4 distinct species that have been identified. They are the Masai, Southern, Northern and Reticulated giraffe, with several subspecies. Each species inhabits a specific geographical area throughout Africa where they browse mainly on leaves and buds on trees or shrubs. Their long, prehensile tongue helps them reach and grab food and their thick saliva prevents spiky thorns from damaging their internal system.

Giraffe populations naturally fluctuate from predation and disease in the wild, but human conflicts have posed much greater challenges for giraffe. Impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation, competition for resources, poaching, and civil unrest have threatened giraffe numbers substantially. In just the last 30 years, the number of giraffe in the wild has decreased by almost 30% with a current approximate total of only 117,000 giraffe remaining.

There are many small things you can do to make a big difference including educating others, spreading the word, donating, and adopting a giraffe. It is so important to be aware of how you can help so that we can have an abundance of wildlife for the generations to come.

Today I encourage you to help conserve this species by participating in one or more of these actions. Help save a giraffe today before it’s too late tomorrow.

PC- Riley Barry

https://giraffeconservation.org/
https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/giraffe
https://savegiraffesnow.org/get-involved/
.
.
.
#worldgiraffeday #giraffe #tall #worldgiraffeday2021 #mammal #mammalmonday #giraffeday #standtallforgiraffe #june21 #gcf #giraffeconservationfoundation #conservation #giraffeconservation #africanwildlife #savethegiraffes #stickyourneckoutforgiraffe #zoo #endangeredspecies #giraffelove #wildlifecharity #silentextinction #wildlifeconservation #savingspeciesfromextinction by @emusingzoofacts

34

0

5 years ago

Happy sea turtle week and happy sea turtle Saturday! Sea turtle week brings awareness about the global conservation of sea turtles where each day appreciates one of the seven species of sea turtles. Today is all about the Loggerhead Sea Turtle!

The loggerhead sea turtle gets its name from its large head that supports its robust jaw. These powerful creatures live in the oceans, and are the most common sea turtle in the Mediterranean. The loggerhead sea turtle weighs an average of 250 pounds, but can reach up to a whopping 400 pounds! They feed mostly on mollusks and crustaceans, but will also eat softer items like jellyfish or seaweed.

The expansion of the tourism industry is posing challenges for these beautiful beings because the beaches that they nest on are starting to fill up with tourist attractions. To help with this issue, the World Wildlife Fund (WFF) works to establish protected areas so that sea turtles have a safe place to nest.

In addition, loggerhead turtles are especially susceptible to bycatch (accidentally capturing marine life in fishing equipment). The WWF is working to reduce this problem by making a transition towards more turtle-friendly fishing hooks.

Sea turtles are a fundamental link in marine ecosystems for reasons such as maintaining healthy coral reefs and sea grass beds. These reefs and grass beds provide resources for smaller marine species like shrimp, lobster, and tuna.

There are many things you can do to help sea turtles in the wild such as purchasing sustainable seafood, supporting sea turtle ecotourism, disposing of waste products resourcefully, adopting a sea turtle, and practice safe boating.

Visit the links below to learn about more ways that you can help

https://www.seaturtleweek.com/help

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/sea-turtle?utm_campaign=wild-classroom&utm_medium=web&utm_source=partner-site&utm_content=sea-turtle-resources
.
.
.
P.C- World Animal Foundation
#seaturtleweek #seaturtleweek2021 #seaturtle #seaturtles #loggerhead #seaturtleconservation #ocean #marinelife #seaturtlesofinstagram #turtle #turtlepower #saveourplanet #turtlesofinstagram #saveouroceans #worldwildlifefund #adoptaturtle by @emusingzoofacts

33

1

5 years ago