Limited Edition Mini Prints Of Panthera Species Are Now Available! These 6x9 Prints Are Crafted On Ultra-thick,

The Bryde's Whale has been a kind of puzzle for scientists because three species use to fall into its category. This is called complex in taxonomy. In other words, three (or maybe four) species of whales were thought to be subspecies, (or just the same species) as the Bryde's whale.

I wonder why not just name all four species the same if they are so closely similar? The devil is in the details. Those little differences that make one species become different from others can be the starting point for a completely new animal in million years. On the other hand, those tiny changes also may be the ones that make the animal adapt better than its relatives and therefore survive the changes of the environment.

So if is similar in appearance, as it seems in the cetaceans, there are movements and changes that are only perceptible in millions of years of evolution.

Can I suppose that the Balaenopteridae family is a young one, therefore many of its members are closely similar? Could be...

____________________

Drawing process on my Instagram Nice posters on my Store

Mountain Zebras

The last species of zebras and the last as well of the equidae family. This ones are very distinctive because of the skin that hangs below their neck. They inhabit in very small spots of the south of Africa and are relatively safe regarding its conservation status.

At some point the Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra was believed to be a new species but genetic evidence disregard this thesis in 2005.

The next family is a very interesting one. With extravagant and varied shapes that are in many cases very impressive. A human companion since the beginning and probably as important as the horse in the evolution of the human kind.  _________ If you like this content it will help me a lot if you follow my Tumblr or if you share the content. Also, every comment is very welcome. I am not an expert in the topic so if you have something to add, or something you thinks is incorrect, I will be more than happy to discuss it with you. Thank you! and don’t forget to check out my posters in my store in the link below. Posters: Here 
 Follow my Instagram: Species of the World

New animal unlocks in my club. Subscribe now for a great introduction to all mammals. You'll receive collectible sheets providing an overview of each animal, including subspecies. I choose Payhip over Patreon because the percentage rate they take is lower. Here is the link:

Thank you!

A new animal is unveiled: The West & Central African Lion subspecies. This is also an animal found in Asia. Today, lions have only two subspecies. I released an artprint of the lions including conservation status and distribution. Link here

Now is the turn of the Equidae Family. Not a huge fan of this family but I most say that it was very interesting to study them. Some of the members of this family are sadly extinct, while many others are on the brink of extinction. This animal has a beauty that is hard to express with words. I guess that is why appear in so many paintings through history.

Feral Horse: The feral horse is a free animal that was once domesticated. Somehow, escaped and become feral. The most famous ones might be the mustangs in North America. However the biggest population is found in Australia with more that 400.000 individuals. In Australia they are called Brumby. They can be found mostly everywhere and it’s name change depending on where is found and what type of breed used to be. Life always will find its way to survive.

I am moving to Instagram eventually: Species of the World  My store: Red Bubble store

New family, Pigs!!

What a great way to start! The Red River Hog, a very popular animal in zoos. Have you seen it? It was challenging to find a nice reference but I'm very happy with the one I found.

Check the process on my Instagram It will appear soon in the club. Consider joining here

Pygmy Hog

This is the smallest species of the family and sadly one of the most endangered species as well.

This hog is the sole representative of Porcula, making its conservation even more important, as its extinction would result in the loss of a unique evolutionary branch of pigs. 

The destruction of its habitat has been its main problem, reducing its viable population in to the Manas National Park. However, even there threats as livestock grazing, poaching, fires and natural predators persist. The total wild population has been estimated in less than 150 animals.

Check out my store here.  Follow my blog about Species, here.

"Doing an animal that is so beloved is a real challenge. You want to have it right because you think people might be pickier. It was a really nice experience going further into minimal details trying not just to catch the shape of the animal but also its soul."

As I mentioned to you in my previous post (If you haven't seen it go check it out) I was going to mix things up. Instead of illustrating the whole family at once, I decided to do a couple of families and show a different member every week. I decided to go with the felines because I know how much they are loved but also how challenging they could be. It is my first feline so I struggle with things that none of the other animals I've done has.

Indochinese Tiger

Tigers are a special species. For many years it was thought that they are 9 subspecies. However, the latest studies (2017) demonstrate that they are just two subspecies and each of them is divided by populations of tigers. This is still in debate but most of the books that I checked welcomed this hypothesis. The Indochinese Tiger belongs to the genus panthera tigris tigris along with the Bengal Tiger, the Amur Tiger, and basically, all the tigers that live in Asia land. The other subspecies is the panthera tigris sondaica which are the groups that live in Indonesia. Sumatran Tiger, Bali Tiger, etc.

The Indochinese Tiger was seen in the infamous and today closed Tiger Temple, in Thailand. Where the monks used to drug the tigers, so people can gather around them without any danger. It is also said that they used to sell body parts of the tigers. I must confess that I went to the place ignoring that such horrible things were happening. What a shame. Something to think about. There are more tigers as pets in the United States than in the wild. W.T.F.! StoreInstagram

______________________________________________

References: Felids and Hyenas of the World. Dr. José R. Castelló

Indochinese Tiger

_______________________________________________

Thank you guys for your support. Next week, I'll introduce another new family. Which one will be? If you like the content please like and subscribe. Rebblogs and comments are also highly appreciated.

I'm still having problems finding the difference between the species and subspecies of giraffes. The coat is very similar but when you look closely, the pattern is clearly different. Still, some subspecies patterns are very similar. I hope I can differentiate them after all. I must say, I am enjoying drawing them all. Is not so time-consuming as the rhino or the tiger and I am happy with the result. Kordofan Giraffe

Is a subspecies of the Northern Giraffe species. Found in Northern Cameroon, Southern Chad, and possibly Sudan. Many European zoos thought they had Nigerian Giraffes but DNA studies demonstrate that what they have is the Kordofan Giraffe.

This can be an advantage because this subspecies is critically endangered. The animal is hunted for its meat because poachers can feed on it for weeks. On the other hand, some of its body parts are also used to make luxury goods. Since is recognized as a subspecies, efforts to conserve this animal are now more important than ever. ___________________________________________________

Credits: Kordofan Giraffe Kordofan Giraffe Giraffe Subspecies Photo Credit: Klaus Rudloff

____________________________________________________

Thank you guys for your support. If you like the content please follow my blog. A like, reblog, or comment is very much appreciated too. Enjoy life! is just one.

This is the last of the Lowland Tapir subspecies. It was a real joy to draw this animal, and I love the result. I actually animate this animal. If you want to see it moving, check out my Instagram by clicking here

Tapirus terrestris terrestris

Tapirs are like living fossils. They haven't changed much in years because they are well-adapted to this world. That was until we came into the picture. We, humans, move in this world at a pace that is hard to follow for many animals, and Tapirs are one of them. Their habits are just the opposite. Its reproduction is slow, making it very hard for them to recover once is decimated in some areas. They wander vast distances which means they need space and we are not providing that to them. Kill roads, fragmentation of the environment, crops in jungles, etc.

I think we need to understand that we are at the top of this world. Whatever we do is going to have repercussions on everything that surrounds us. We decide where the world is going and how it does it. That means also, that we are responsible for all living beings. Now is not like before, when animals extinguish because they couldn't adapt to the environment. Now they extinguish basically because they couldn't adapt to us. We will be gone at some point, so What are we going to leave? _______________________________________ Credits: Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Book 2. Lynx Editions. Lowland Tapir Photo Credits: vladimircech _______________________________________ Thank you, guys. Likes reblog, and follows are very much appreciated. Please spread the word. And check out my store, new items with a very different style of illustration.