Komodo Dragons

This photo was also taken by my friend.

Komodo Dragons are the largest lizards. They can reach 10 feet in length and weigh up to 200 pounds. They are carnivores who like to eat Pigs, Deer, Snakes, Fish and Water Buffalos. 
Scientists believe that Komodo Dragons can live up to 50 years, maybe longer.

Photo by Reyes

Sumatran Tiger

A friend of mine took some pictures of this Sumatran Tiger.

Tigers are meat eaters (carnivores). Their prey includes small- to medium-sized mammals (like Badgers, Rabbits, Boars, Deer, and wild cattle), ranging in size from 60 to 2,000 pounds. The Sumatran tiger prefers larger prey and quite often victims come from the Deer family.

A Tiger's lifespan is 20-26 years in captivity.

Sumatran Tiger
Photo by Reyes

Rabbit

Here are some pictures of a Rabbit in our garden:

Photo by Clive Sidney

Photo by Clive Sidney

Photo by Clive Sideny

Wild Rabbits eat hay which is good for their intestines. Rabbits will also eat fresh vegetables. We all know that they like carrots, but they will eat other vegetables.

Frog fun

This is an extremely slippery Frog I found at the farm!

Photo by Franz Sidney

I found a Mole on a farm.

Photo by Franz Sidney

Speckled Wood

I found this colourful critter inside a yellow flower in some reeds next to a big lake. I wasn't really sure what it was until I got home, but after a bit research, I found that it would turn into a Speckled Wood butterfly.

Adults feed on aphid honeydew. They are rarely seen on flowers except early and late in the year when there are few aphids. Caterpillars eat various grasses, including false brome, cock's-foot, Yorkshire fog and common couch.

When grown into butterflies, the adult will only live around 3 weeks.

Photo by Clive Sidney

Common Blue Damselfly

The picture below is of 2 Common Blue Damselflies mating. It really is quite funny to see 2 mating Damselflies fly away together, still attached to each other, when scared. Adult Dragonflies and Damselflies eat other flying insects, particularly Midges and Mosquitoes. They also eat Mayflies, Butterflies, Moths, Bees, bugs and smaller Dragonflies and one Asian species even feeds on Spiders from their webs. Blue Damselflies live for only  few weeks once fully grown, especially as they spend most of their life underwater. Look out for Damselflies mating in May/June.

Photo by Clive Sidney

Violet Ground Beetle

This big black bug that I found under an old flowerpot is beautiful, because of it's purple tips. After a bit of research on the internet, we found out that it was a Violet Ground Beetle. I cannot find out anywhere on the internet what it eats, or what its lifespan is. If anyone knows any information about this amazing bug, please tell me through the comments.

Photo by Alex Sidney

Pipistrelle Bat

When my dad was working, he found an old Pipistrelle Bat (obviously dead), and took it home.

Photo by Clive Sidney

Greenfinch

When I was riding my bike down the driveway, I saw a little yellow bird in my path, made a sharp turn, and crashed my bike. Then, I went and gently picked up the scared little thing. It was very cute. We think it was a Greenfinch.

Photo by Clive Sidney

Photo by Clive Sidney

Click the link below to view a downloadable fact file on Greenfinches

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B42PV_nNLc89a25LdlA3aTR0eHc/view?usp=sharing

A toad is a load!

This determined Toad, which I noticed when I almost squashed it with my basketball, was so determined to get out of my grip, that it was not stopping! I couldn't restrain him too much, or I might hurt him, and after a few photos, he managed to leap to safety; our ditch!

Photo by Alex Sidney

Cockchafer Beetle

I caught this Cockchafer Beetle on a hot summer's night in 2012. Also known as the May Bug, this beetle is nocturnal, as it crashed into me, and fell down my jacket!

Photo by Clive Sidney

Photo by Clive Sidney

Woodwasp

In our garden, we found some big insect that we thought was a Hornet, but then we found that it was most likely to be a Woodwasp.

Photo by Clive Sidney

Winter Wonderland

Here is a picture of our old house somewhere around 2008:

Photo by Clive Sidney

Common Water Boatman

At the top of a big mountain in Sardinia, we visited some wonderful gardens, and there were some fountains that I looked in. I found a Water Boatman and some other insects.

Photo by Clive Sidney

Tree Climbing

One of my hobbies is Tree Climbing. Here I am on a really tall tree!!

Photo by Clive Sidney

Photo by Clive Sidney

The Beach!!

In Sardinia, we went to the Beach quite a few times. Here is a picture of our Beach:

Photo by Clive Sidney

The Lifecycle of a Ladybird

Everyone knows the life cycle of a Butterfly and a Frog, but not that many people know the life cycle of a Ladybird. Here it is: First, as most insects, and Egg. Then, comes a Larvae that most people find around June/July, which is black, with orangy-yellow spots everywhere. Then, it turns into a Chrysalis, and after around a week or two, it emerges into a yellow Ladybird, which slowly changes colour into the common red Ladybird everybody sees. Here is a picture of the black Larvae:

Photo by Alex Sidney

Ghost Skeleton!!

One day, while my dad was doing work, he found a very old Bird skeleton. It looked quite scary. So he and his friend set it up onto an old gravestone. We have no idea what type of Bird it was, as it is hard to tell a species of Bird when you only have a skeleton!!!!

Photo by Clive Sidney

Ocellated Skink

Photo by Clive Sidney

Also, I found a Ocellated Skink, which we named Claw, after her strength when scratching people.

The Ocellated Skink is a skilled Digger of tunnels and spends a good part of her life underground. Generally you can find her under the stones, at fresh. But she is very fast to hide herself under ground.

Ocellated Skinks eat mostly insects, including: Crickets, Grasshoppers, Beetles, and Caterpillars. They also eat Spiders, Earthworms, Snails, Slugs, other Lizards, and small Mice.

Their life span is of only around 6 years.

Tarentola mauritanica

While in Sardinia, we also found a Gecko which we think is a Male.

Tarentola Mauritanica. (A common wall Gecko)

The Gecko can shed its tail when needed like all Lizards.

This Gecko has the ability to change the colour on its back to blend in with its surroundings just like a Chameleon!

Geckos eat almost the same diet as Lizards: Insects.

Their life span is also 10 years.

Photo by Clive Sidney

What to look for: Eyes on the side of it's head, bumpy spines along its back just like an Alligator or a Crocodile, fat toes that are a bit like velcro as they stick to almost anything, and its colour is very light brown/beige, and a wide head. This Reptile is very fast when having the need to escape as I found out in Sardinia!!!!  After a bit of decision, we decided to name him Camo, as he was so camouflaged on sand and rocks.

Lacerta Tiliguerta

Photo by Clive Sidney

While on our holiday this year in Sardinia, I found lots of different Reptiles. The first thing that I caught was a  Lacerta Tiliguerta (Common Wall Lizard - We think it was a male).

We kept it for about an hour, after naming it Speedy, after his speed.

  Lacerta Tiliguerta eat a diet of small Insects.

Their average lifespan is ten years.