Western U.S. - Creatures and Their Habitats
"Animals must endure global warming, pollution, and fewer habitats. More tragically, they must endure the silence of human hearts."
Anthony Douglas Williams
As I put together this week's challenge, my initial thought was to feature human habitats, some of which will end today's post. As I began to gather my images however, animal habitats kept grabbing my attention. In my opening image for example, bison inhabit the wide-open west, while elk tend to populate mountainous areas, and moose focus on swampy terrain. Mountain goats thrive in areas with high, rocky peaks and the little roadrunner is found in desert and grassland areas. Each of the animals featured are from our visits to the western U.S. Further north and west, we saw some of Alaska's amazing creatures in their varied habitats, including those shown below.
Alaska's Creatures in their Habitats
"The crucial first step to survival in all organisms is habitat selection."
Elisabeth Tova Bailey
In the opposite direction, we found totally different creatures enjoying the wide-open vistas of South America, including those shown below from Argentina and Chile. Each has a habitat different from the others - the stately caracara nests and forages in the grasslands, the wild guanaco inhabits the mountains, Andean flamingos seek lakes where there are no fish to compete for food, wild horses feed on the grasses in the scrublands, and the mighty condor, the largest bird of prey in the world, soars above the mountainous western coast.
Creatures of South America in their Habitats
"We need to reach a balance where people, habitat and wildlife can co-exist."
Steve Irwin
No one will be surprised that I've included some of the incredible wildlife of Africa. A safari takes place in undeveloped areas where the habitats of the creatures frequently overlap. Zebra and wildebeest co-exist comfortable in the wide open grasses of the savannah, while hippos and elephants take advantage of the woodlands and wetlands. Giraffes prefer wide open grasslands, while leopards thrive in both wetlands and desert, as well as both cold and warm climates.
African Wildlife and Habitat
"Without habitat, there is no wildlife. It's that simple."
Wildlife Habitat Canada
We recognize how fortunate we've been that our travels have taken us to so many places around the world. In the collage that follows I've shared a few of the other creatures we've encountered along the way. They include wild yaks in the mountains of China, white-face monkeys in the trees of Costa Rica, camels in Jordan, ibexes in Israel's Negev Desert, geese sharing habitat with populated areas of the U.S., and bighorn sheep from the rocky mountains of Canada.
Wild Creatures from Around the World
"Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man."
Stewart Udall
Those who follow me know how important habitat preservation is on Kiawah. Because I've featured them so often, I've chosen not to include our local creatures this week. Instead, I'll close with a focus on a few habitats of the species that will determine the future of habitats for all creatures - humankind. From left to right, Manhattan high-rises, a row of homes in Hudson, NY, a small village home in China, a charming beachfront home in California, the beautiful ochre homes of Roussillon in France, red-roofed homes in Dubrovnik and of course the flower-box'd windows of downtown Charleston SC.
Human Habitats
The reality today is that we are all interdependent and have to co-exist on this small planet."
The Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama said it beautifully in the quote just above. We are the stewards of this beautiful planet, still learning how to protect and share its resources. We hope you'll join us this week to explore the habitats of both human and/or animal "residents". Be sure to link to my post, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Also, we thank Egidio and those who responded to his 2 Rectangles challenge. He gave us a chance to learn something new, and while we may not have heard of it, we were happy to see that many of us were using it anyway 😊.
Finally, an important announcement. As in previous years, the Lens-Artists team will be on hiatus for the month of July. There will be no challenge on July 6th, and the rest of the month will be led by several amazing Guest Hosts. They include:
July 13: Leanne of Leanne Cole explores TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
July 20: Elizabeth of Albatz Travel Adventures leads us with PAIRS
July 27: PR of Flights of the Soul presents BALCONIES
The Lens-Artist team will be back on August 3 when Patti once again leads us on her Pilotfish Blog. Until then as always please stay safe, be kind and enjoy the adventure.
Looking for more information on joining our challenge? Click here.
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