Lovely Lemurs in Madagascar
Last year I had the privilege of visiting Madagascar to see the unique animals and plants often found only there. The prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana separated the Madagascar–Antarctica–India landmass from the Africa–South America landmass around 135 million years ago (mya). Madagascar later split from India about 88 mya, allowing plants and animals on […]
Beautiful Larger Birds in Southeast Arizona
The larger birds of Sierra Vista are outstanding in terms of their colors and shapes. Arizona is a vast landscape of bold color, formations and piercing beauty. The southeastern corner is no exception. Isolated mountains called “Sky Islands” rise abruptly from the arid desert highlands, harbor a tremendous variety of plant and animal life and […]
Exotic Birds in Madagascar
When I visited Madagascar the focus was really on chameleons and lemurs. There was little time to explore the beautiful and unique birds of Madagascar. What I lost in numbers I gained in quality. The birds I did see were colorful and unique many of which found only on Madagascar. The distance from Africa to […]
Unusual and Beautiful Geckos, Swifts and Reptiles of Madagascar
Madagascar is home to an abundance of beautiful and unusual animals many of whom are unique to Madagascar because of its relative isolation. This is not just any isolation, Madagascar was once a part of the supercontinent Pangea but between 160–117 million years ago, it began separating, rifting southward over 1000 km away from the […]
Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula lies at the heart of the Middle East and in antiquity it stood between the mighty civilizations of Egypt and Mesapotamia. Arabia is one of the cradles of civilization. The first concrete evidence of human presence in the Arabian Peninsula dates back 15,000 to 20,000 years. The numerous and diverse cultures which developed in ancient Arabia are monuments to human ingenuity and creativity within challenging natural environments. The ancient Arabs had extensive contacts not only with their Near Eastern neighbours, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Levant, Egypt and the peoples of the Mediterranean, but also with Africa and India. The incense and spice trade followed by the emergence of Islam make the Arabian peninsula a key to understanding the history of the world.
