[2462/11080] Cinnamon-breasted bunting - Emberiza tahapisi

Order: Passeriformes Suborder: Passeri Superfamily: Emberizoidea Family: Emberizidae (buntings)

Photo credit: Luke Seitz via Macaulay Library

August 24, 2023 - Gosling's Bunting (Emberiza goslingi) Found in a patchy range across central Africa, these buntings live on rocky hillsides, in other stony or sandy areas, and in scrub or woodlands with enough open ground. Their diet has not been described but probably includes grass seeds, leaves, nectar, and insects like that of the closely related Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. Females build cup-shaped nests from grasses, twigs, dry leaves, rootlets, bark, sometimes mud, and other materials in scrapes on the ground against rocks or at the bases of bushes of tufts of grass. They incubate clutches of two or three eggs alone, but both parents feed the chicks.

speaking of lrb, the other day i was reading the wiki page on buntings, and i was quite captivated by these 2 in particular: the somali bunting (left) and the cinnamon-breasted bunting (right)

if you were able to keep as many birds as you wanted and like, all their habitats were perfect and maintained and the laws all allowed it and everything, how many birds would you have and what species??

wooooooooooo baby i wish i could upload pictures of all of them but there's a limit of 30 per post and that's nowhere near enough adfasfasdf. soooooo here's the official list of all of my favorite birds!

blue jay, eurasian jay, stellers jay, black collared jay, azure jay, northern cardinal, vermillion cardinal, desert cardinal, pileated woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, red bellied woodpecker, eastern bluebird, mountain bluebird, gold finch, blue finch, scarlet finch, strawberry finch, rose finches, zebra finch, purple breasted sunbird, violet backed starling, blue vanga, blue dacnis, grandala, indigo bunting, lazuli bunting, rositas bunting, varied bunting, variegated fairy wren, splendid fairy wren, superb fairy wren, white winged fairy wren, philippine fairy bluebird, asian fairy bluebird, taiwan blue magpie, himalayan monal, tui, ravens, crows, blue crowned pigeon, victorian crowned pigeon, american robin, pink robin, lilac-breasted roller, european roller, indian roller, flying roller, blue-bellied roller, malachite kingfisher, woodlands kingfisher, azure kingfisher, rose-crested fruit dove, superb fruit dove, dracula parrot, hyacinth macaw, blue bird of paradise, anna's hummingbird, swordbilled hummingbird, swallowtailed hummingbird, fiery-throated hummingbird, lesser violetear, crowned woodnymph, blue chinned sapphire, mute swan, black swan, black-necked swan, bohemian waxwing, spangled cotinga, banded cotinga, brazilian tanager, australian diamond firetail, flame bowerbird, asian golden weaver, golden pheasant, malayan peacock pheasant, south philippine dwarf kingfisher, guineafowl, green junglefowl, blue-grey tanager, malachite sunbird, great sapphirewing, ruby-topaz hummingbird, fiery topaz, crimson topaz, rainbow bearded thornbill, violet sabrewing, long-tailed sylph, red-tailed comet, variable sunbird, helmeted woodpecker, red-crested cardinal, blue-winged mountain tanager, cinnamon hummingbird, antillean crested hummingbird, violet capped woodnymph, sparkling violetear, blue pitta, mandarin duck

Noelle Madeleine Dupont *Supporting character

Voice Claim: (Pending)

Partner(s): None Parents: Manon and Julien Jacques Dupont. Kids: None Siblings: Fleur Dupont. Age: 28 (2021) Birthday: 24th of December. Height: 175cm (5.7ft) Body type: Skinny but toned and with curves here and there. Eye color: Pale gray with pale caramel around the iris. About: Artistic, Playful, Experimental, Competitive, Passionate, Adventurous, Daring, Creative, Athletic, Sensual, Fun-loving, Messy, Emotional, Dependent, Perverse, Spontaneous, Destructive, Submissive, Outgoing and Obsessive. ~ Professional dancer. ~ French, if that wasn’t clear from her name. ~ Sexuality: What does it matter? Whatever gets her going. But prefers men. ~ Artist. ~ Has a bunch of naughty tattoos. ~ Born on Christmas eve, and as such got the name Noelle (Christmas) ~ Has 3 ‘Christmas’ inspired tattoos, a Mistletoe below her breasts, a Holly leaf and berries on her left right foot and a Krampus on her right shoulder. ~ Grew up in Paris. ~ Speaks with thick French accent. ~ Is a magnet to toxic relationships. ~ Likes it rough. ~ Has a scar on her left eyebrow from a nasty fall during dance. ~ Is very much into Christmas/Yule/the whole holiday celebration ordeal. ~ Monroe piercing. ~ Smells like: Cinnamon & Clove. ~ Very close to her very large family.  ~ Eats a lot of oranges. ~ Puts ‘Christmas spices’ on everything! ~ Never remembers where she puts her keys.... or phone. ~ Hates brown bananas. ~ Smokes a lot. ~ Has pierced ears. ~ Dates a lot. ~ Slightly ‘nuts’, some might say. ~ Drinks a lot. ~ Often goes by the nickname Noel. ~ Lives with a couple of room mates. ~ Always believed in Santa more than God. ~ Addicted to rice with melted butter. ~ Drinks a lot of ‘tropical’ juice. ~ Can’t stand the sound of anything scraping against metal. ~ Does drugs/smokes weed. ~ Likes the smell of glue. ~ Skates. ~ Nap Queen. ~ Loves: Christmas, her family, cherry wine, chocolate, violets, lizards, snakes, sex, spanking, being dominated, when things get slightly violent, winter, burgers, croissants, dancing, dance music, painting/drawing, clubbing, blood, Goth boys, older men, scented candles, snow, rain, the smell of pine, roast duck, Ginger bread, candy canes, Bûche de Noël, coffee, spiced Christmas cookies, Brioche, Macaron, Chocolate Éclair, Champagne, cheese, Christmas movies, Christmas music, fuzzy socks, warm hands and long baths. ~ Her style is: Casual, but often revealing in some sort of sense. ~ Don’t want to be alone.

Noel’s tag Noel’s house/home Noel’s moodboard Handwriting/ask answer pic:

One song to describe her: G-Eazy & Halsey - Him & I Personal Playlist: 1. Glass Animals - Heat Waves 2. Royal Blood - Boilermaker 3. GAYLE - abcdefu 4. Jaymes Young - Infinity 5. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - It's Called: Freefall 6. Flume & Chet Faker - Drop the Game 7. Sia - Snowman 8. Grimes - Player Of Games 9. Mike Posner - I Took A Pill In Ibiza (Seeb Remix) 10. Lilly Wood & The Prick and Robin Schulz - Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Remix) 11. PETIT BISCUIT - Sunset Lover 12. What So Not - High You Are 13. BUNT. - Young Love (ft. Emma Carn) 14. Elderbrook & Rudimental - Something About You 15. Baby Bash - Suga Suga 16. Cherub - Doses & Mimosas 17. Siskin - Electric Love 18. Swedish House Mafia ft. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child 19. EFIX & Henri Pfr - I'm Going Down (feat. Florence Welch & Kid Harpoon) 20. Galimatias - Ocean Floor Kisses 21. Konoba - On Our Knees (feat. R.O) 22. Joel Corry x MNEK - Head & Heart 23. Alina Baraz - More Than Enough 24. Tep No - The Last Ones Standing 25. Parra for Cuva ft. Anna Naklab - Wicked Games Bonus: Yung Gravy - oops! - Edit - Disclaimer: I usually make my own characters from scratch, but this time I used a base, made by the highly talented @rollo-rolls​. She was simply too good to pas up on. I did however tweak her to my liking, gave her a bit of a darker appearance, and as usual, the personality is still 100% created by me.

Studying Nature in Mexico is an Unforgettable Adventure

After spending many vacations in Cancun Yacht Rentals , Mexico, I decided to take the plunge and move there to study the beautiful nature I'd admired in my previous trips. Having lived many years in the comfort and safety of American suburbia, it was time for some adventure. After learning Spanish, I went to the Yucatan and rented a home in suburban Playa del Carmen and hired myself a maid. Then, with help from hired guides and friends, I visited a variety of remote places in the Mexican jungles. It was an unforgettable experience to see a variety of animals in their natural habitats.

The ever-growing city of Playa del Carmen is an hour south of Cancun, and easily accessed by public buses. Both cities are on the Caribbean Sea, where coral reefs abound up and down the coastline. The beauty of pure white, limestone sand, and richly colored, turquoise water of the ocean drew me down there. Being a nature artist, I was fascinated by the plants and animals of the region. Armed with my cameras, drawing paper and pens, I got to work drawing and photographing bugs, birds, plants and anything else exotic. Soon, my artwork landed me a job as main illustrator for a large nature park called XCaret.

Whenever I had a drawing to deliver to my employer, I would board the employee bus for XCaret, and then walk down a long, back jungle path next to the park to the office. These walks fascinated me, due to the path was directly next to fenced enclosures for their zoo and aviary. Flamingoes, spider monkeys and a harpy eagle were animals I could see the best from the path. One time I made the mistake of giving one of the monkeys a cookie, only to see the other monkeys chase after him to steal it, trying to beat him up! I quickly got out a couple more cookies and gave the rest to them, to avoid the original monkey from getting hurt. They all sat there munching peacefully as I snuck off, hoping nobody saw.

In Mexico, you will see iguanas in nature frequently. As I walked down the nature path on my way to work, there was rustling in the big tree near me. I looked up only to see a large, 6 foot green iguana male with bright orange fringe on his back, in the canopy of the tree. He looked down at me. I remember people telling me that iguanas are good eating, taste like chicken, and that they are called "chicken of the tree". I never found out if that was true or not, but then, I wasn't about to go eating iguanas. Nope, I'm not that adventurous in my dining choices. Black iguanas can be seen usually sitting one per rock pile. Everywhere there were rocks, were male iguanas sunning themselves. Interesting creatures. In Chankanaab Park (on the island of Cozumel) there is a huge iguana that walks around public areas, oblivious to the humans that walk past it. It will bite if petted, the park employee told me. So, I took photos of it and kept my distance.

Another lizard that was interesting and plentiful, was Basiliscus basiliscus, the basilisk. There are a few varieties of basilisk to be found in Mexico. It can run on water if it gets scared enough, and I witnessed it after scaring one unintentionally. Later, I found a smaller one and drew it for my job, they have intense eyes, looking very serious. When I was finished drawing him, he ran upright into the jungle, glad to be free of the big, scary human with whom he'd spent a few hours with.

The jungles of Mexico are fascinating, but I would never recommend walking off your path into one. First off, the foliage is very dense. Second, there are critters in there that can hurt you if provoked, namely scorpions, snakes and spiders. Look, but don't touch. I have seen all of these, and have paid people to remove them from my home. Scorpions will come after you if they are agitated. Back away quickly, wherever they cannot follow. The lighter colored ones, I was told, are more dangerous than the black ones. There are tarantulas in Mexico, and they are big but not aggressive, thank goodness. I had a red-kneed tarantula taken away from the front of my door once. My maid used to throw out other spiders she found inside, and laugh when I would be freaked out by them. "This? It's harmless!" she'd tell me. Yuck. I took her word for it.

As for snakes, there are a few that are reason enough not to go walking alone in the jungle. First, there are huge boa constrictors. My ex-husband was called by the ladies next door, to remove a 6-foot boa out of their rental flat. They said it just slithered into the open back door. Lesson learned, never leave an open door to your house if you live close to the jungle. Then, there is a crimson colored snake the locals called Coralio. I don't know its scientific name, but it was beautiful but deadly. A man who lived near me had a whole apartment full of snakes, and he showed them to me up close. Snakes are interesting but it pays to watch where you step, since my ex and I nearly stepped on one during an evening walk. There are other snakes to watch out for, but these are the kinds that we saw. All snakes will mind their own business if unprovoked, it seems, trouble seems to be when humans aren't paying attention and step on one by mistake. So, it pays to watch where you walk.

Then there were the amazing birds. A gorgeous variety of colors, shapes and sizes, birds in Mexico are exotic and fascinating. My favorites were the toco toucan, motmot, currasows, Yucatan jay, cinnamon-colored cuckoo, and pileated woodpecker and violaceous trogon (a relative of the resplendent quetzal). They had a knack for showing themselves whenever I didn't have my camera with me. I did draw and take notes of what I saw, then look them up later. There was a bird that was so colorful that locals called it, "siete colores" (seven colors). After looking it up, I identified it as a painted bunting. Another bird locals call "pecho amarillo"(yellow breast), otherwise known as the great kiskadee, used to sit outside my window and yell, "Eeee, Eeee!" at the top of his lungs. We used to call back at him, and he'd answer. Very funny bird.

In Playa del Carmen, there is an outdoor aviary, built into the jungle, in the Playacar section. I went in there and walked around, to see the different birds that usually are hidden by jungle. One bird took a fancy to me, a barred currasow who followed me everywhere. She was my feathered tour guide, and posed for photos freely. I finally got to see a chachalaca up close, a relative to a turkey, that is shy, loud (its call sounds like a rusty meat grinder), and travels in groups. Also, there were red ibis, more flamingos, egrets, and much more. The aviary is a must see if you visit Playacar.

Another interesting natural sector in the Yucatan were all the bugs. Insects of every kind, in great quantities. I could've done without all the mosquitoes, though, thank goodness for bug repellent. My favorites were the butterflies. Sometimes when driving down remote roads, we came across undulating masses of various butterfiles colored yellow, white or black. Monarch butterflies also migrate in large groups down to Mexico, I saw them once, too. The most beautiful butterfly I came across in the wild, in my opinion, was the morpho butterfly. It has large irridescent blue wings, wasn't as common as other butterflies, and preferred the privacy of non-populated areas like fields and jungles. There was another butterfly that was big, brown and with its wings closed, was the size of a large dinner plate. It was called an owl butterfly, and flew slowly. I got really close to him and he seemed unafraid. He had patterns on his wings that were like numbers. Fascinating.

Beetles. Ahh, beetles..not very graceful, and apparently not all that bright, but endearing with their less than graceful antics. There were golden scarab beetles that used to fly into my window as I was working, frequently. They usually landed on their backs with their feet flailing helplessly in the air. Eventually the situation would rely on me turning them right-side up, some would then fly off, others would somehow end up on their backs again. It was odd, but I took the opportunity to draw these metallically colored insects, who looked as if they were gilded in brushed gold.

Grasshoppers and katydids are in large quantity in the jungles of the Yucatan. There are so many varieties of grasshoppers, I lost count. As for katydids. their bodies are gigantic, the size of a sparrow. I caught one, to draw him, then when I let him go off my balcony, he flew away in a straight path. His big, green body was visible for a very long time as he flapped off into the sunset, it was surreal.

Sea creatures and fish are plentiful in the Caribbean Sea. Though the reefs are endangered and show signs of damage, they are still beautiful. Every day, I'd snorkel in the low-traffic area near my home. It was serene to get to the beach early in the morning, pick up a few shells that washed up on shore, then make my spot on the beach. I'd snorkel until my body got cold, every day. There weren't many large predators in the areas I swam in, due to the breakwalls that run up and down the coast, separating the shores from the deeper, ocean water. Once in awhile, a barracuda would find its way into the reef area, my, what big teeth they have. Out there, you can see dolphins playing in the waves made by large yachts or ferries. Bottle-nosed dolphins are very social creatures and seem unafraid of humans. Some of the most memorable smaller fish and creatures I saw were brittle starfish (they live under rocks and will climb off your hand quickly if you try to hold one), octopus, conch, sea turtles, moray eels, blue tangs and of course, those feisty damselfish. Though I haven't gotten my scuba license, I went on a few professional scuba tours where the water was so shallow, snorkeling was possible. Tours are great for finding gorgeous coral gardens that aren't visible to everyone else. The prettiest ones I saw were near the town of Puerto Morelos.

Other places I liked to explore were the Cenotes Azul, and Dos Ojos. Cenotes are brackish water natural bodies of water that the Mayan indians used to build their villages around. Now, they sit in the jungle and tourists enter them to go cave diving. Underneath the Yucatan is an elaborate network of caves that attract cave-divers from all over the world. Not me, I preferred just swimming in the crystal clear water in the mouth of the cenotes, and observing the fish I saw. One of the cenotes had fish that I'd seen in pet stores back in the US, swimming there naturally. Jack Dempsey fish and green sailfin mollies, along with a kind of livebearer fish I didn't recognise. They were very colorful, and the Dempseys, being combative cichlids who like to pick on one another, had tattered fins. But, all the fish were very healthy. What a wonder it is to swim among them in their natural habitat. The nature around cenotes is interesting, too. I saw a basilisk run across the water, when I swam too close to him, and a duck that would dive for fish and stay underwater for a long time. Nature abounds in and around cenotes.

The nature of Mexico is plentiful and beautiful in all its forms. The tropical, hot climate brings out flora and fauna unlike anything I've ever seen in my home state of Ohio, or even in my current state of Florida. Living among the lush jungles, hearing jungle frogs sing at night and spending time with my wonderful Mexican co-workers, guides and friends changed my life. By being respectful of nature (look, don't touch) and watching where you walk, you will see clouds of butterflies, brilliantly colored birds, and animals like coatimundis, agoutis and others normally only seen in zoos. My employer promoted the preservation of Mexico's wildlife, and it was my honor doing artwork of all things natural for them. I miss walking the jungle path to their office weekly and seeing the zoo animals, as well as the wild ones in the trees. If you love nature, make sure to visit Mexico and go on tours to see the beauty of the wild, but with professionals who know where to take you. It will be an experience you will appreciate and remember forever.

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting - South Africa

Cinnamon-breasted bunting (Emberiza tahapisi) Pilanesberg Game Reserve, South Africa

Examining Nature in Mexico is an Unforgettable Adventure

After spending many vacations in Cancun, Mexico, I decided to take the plunge and move there to study the beautiful nature I'd admired in my previous trips. Having lived many years in the comfort and safety of American suburbia, it was time for some adventure. After learning Spanish, I went to the Yucatan and rented a home in suburban Playa del Carmen, and hired myself a maid. Then, with help from hired guides and friends, I visited a variety of remote places in the Mexican jungles. It was an unforgettable experience to see a variety of animals in their natural habitats.

The ever-growing city of Playa del Carmen is an hour south of Cancun and easily accessed by public buses. Both cities are on the Caribbean Sea, where coral reefs abound up and down the coastline. The beauty of pure white, limestone sand, and richly colored, turquoise water of the ocean drew me down there. Being a nature artist, I was fascinated by the plants and animals of the region. Armed with my cameras, drawing paper, and pens, I got to work drawing and photographing bugs, birds, plants, and anything else exotic. Soon, my artwork landed me a job as the main illustrator for a large nature park called Xcaret.

Whenever I had a drawing to deliver to my employer, I would board the employee bus for Xcaret, and then walk down a long, back jungle path next to the park to the office. These walks fascinated me, the path was directly next to fenced enclosures for their zoo and aviary. Flamingoes, spider monkeys, and a harpy eagle were animals I could see the best from the path. One time I made the mistake of giving one of the monkeys a cookie, only to see the other monkeys chase after him to steal it, trying to beat him up! I quickly got out a couple more cookies and gave the rest to them, to avoid the original monkey from getting hurt. They all sat there munching peacefully as I snuck off, hoping nobody saw.

In Mexico, you will see iguanas in nature frequently. As I walked down the nature path on my way to work, there was a rustling in the big tree near me. I looked up only to see a large, 6-foot green iguana male with bright orange fringe on his back, in the canopy of the tree. He looked down at me. I remember people telling me that iguanas are good eating, taste like chicken, and that they are called "chicken of the tree". I never found out if that was true or not, but then, I wasn't about to go eating iguanas. Nope, I'm not that adventurous in my dining choices. Black iguanas can be seen usually sitting one per rock pile. Everywhere there were rocks, were male iguanas sunning themselves. Interesting creatures. In Chankanaab Park (on the island of Cozumel) there is a huge iguana that walks around public areas, oblivious to the humans that walk past it. It will bite if petted, the park employee told me. So, I took photos of it and kept my distance.

Another lizard that was interesting and plentiful, was Basiliscus Basiliscus, the basilisk. There are a few varieties of basilisk to be found in Mexico. It can run on water if it gets scared enough, and I witnessed it after scaring one unintentionally. Later, I found a smaller one and drew it for my job, they have intense eyes, looking very serious. When I was finished drawing him, he ran upright into the jungle, glad to be free of the big, scary human with whom he'd spent a few hours with.

The jungles of Mexico are fascinating, but I would never recommend walking off your path into one. First off, the foliage is very dense. Second, there are critters in there that can hurt you if provoked, namely scorpions, snakes, and spiders. Look, but don't touch. I have seen all of these, and have paid people to remove them from my home. Scorpions will come after you if they are agitated. Back away quickly, wherever they cannot follow. The lighter-colored ones, I was told, are more dangerous than the black ones. There are tarantulas in Mexico, and they are big but not aggressive thank goodness. I had a red-kneed tarantula taken away from the front of my door once. My maid used to throw out other spiders she found inside, and laugh when I would be freaked out by them. "This? It's harmless!" she'd tell me. Yuck. I took her word for it.

As for snakes, there are a few that are reason enough not to go walking alone in the jungle. First, there are huge boa constrictors. My ex-husband was called by the ladies next door, to remove a 6-foot boa out of their rental flat. They said it just slithered into the open back door. Lesson learned, never leave an open door to your house if you live close to the jungle. Then, there is a crimson-colored snake the locals called Coralio. I don't know its scientific name, but it was beautiful but deadly. A man who lived near me had a whole apartment full of snakes, and he showed them to me up close. Snakes are interesting but it pays to watch where you step since my ex and I nearly stepped on one during an evening walk. There are other snakes to watch out for, but these are the kinds that we saw. All snakes will mind their own business if unprovoked, it seems, trouble seems to be when humans aren't paying attention and step on one by mistake. So, it pays to watch where you walk.

Then there were the amazing birds. With a gorgeous variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, birds in Mexico are exotic and fascinating. My favorites were the toco toucan, motmot, curassows, Yucatan jay, cinnamon-colored cuckoo, and pileated woodpecker, and violaceous trogon (a relative of the resplendent quetzal). They had a knack for showing themselves whenever I didn't have my camera with me. I did draw and take notes of what I saw, then look them up later. There was a bird that was so colorful that locals called it, "siete colores" (seven colors). After looking it up, I identified it as a painted bunting. Another bird locals call "echo Amarillo"(yellow breast), otherwise known as the great kiskadee, used to sit outside my window and yell, "Eeee, Eeee!" at the top of his lungs. We used to call back at him, and he'd answer. Very funny bird.

In Playa del Carmen, there is an outdoor aviary, built into the jungle, in the Playacar section. I went in there and walked around, to see the different birds that usually are hidden by the jungle. One bird took a fancy to me, barred curassow who followed me everywhere. She was my feathered tour guide and posed for photos freely. I finally got to see a chachalaca up close, a relative to a turkey, that is shy, loud (its call sounds like a rusty meat grinder), and travels in groups. Also, there were red ibis, more flamingos, egrets, and much more. The aviary is a must-see if you visit Playacar.

Another interesting natural sector in the Yucatan was all the bugs. Insects of every kind, in great quantities. I could've done without all the mosquitoes, though, thank goodness for bug repellent. My favorites were the butterflies. Sometimes when driving down remote roads, we came across undulating masses of various butterflies colored yellow, white, or black. Monarch butterflies also migrate in large groups down to Mexico, I saw them once, too. The most beautiful butterfly I came across in the wild, in my opinion, was the morpho butterfly. It has large iridescent blue wings, wasn't as common as other butterflies, and preferred the privacy of non-populated areas like fields and jungles. There was another butterfly that was big, brown and with its wings closed, was the size of a large dinner plate. It was called an owl butterfly and flew slowly. I got really close to him and he seemed unafraid. He had patterns on his wings that were like numbers. Fascinating.

Beetles. Ahh, beetles..not very graceful, and apparently not all that bright, but endearing with their less than graceful antics. There were golden scarab beetles that used to fly into my window as I was working, frequently. They usually landed on their backs with their feet flailing helplessly in the air. Eventually, the situation would rely on me turning them right-side-up, some would then fly off, others would somehow end up on their backs again. It was odd, but I took the opportunity to draw these metallically colored insects, who looked as if they were gilded in brushed gold.

Grasshoppers and katydids are in large quantity in the jungles of the Yucatan. There are so many varieties of grasshoppers, I lost count. As for katydids. their bodies are gigantic, the size of a sparrow. I caught one, to draw him, then when I let him go off my balcony, he flew away in a straight path. His big, green body was visible for a very long time as he flapped off into the sunset, it was surreal.

Sea creatures and fish are plentiful in the Caribbean Sea. Though the reefs are endangered and show signs of damage, they are still beautiful. Every day, I'd snorkel in the low-traffic area near my home. It was serene to get to the beach early in the morning, pick up a few shells that washed up on shore, then make my spot on the beach. I'd snorkel until my body got cold, every day. There weren't many large predators in the areas I swam in, due to the broken walls that run up and down the coast, separating the shores from the deeper, ocean water. Once in a while, a barracuda would find its way into the reef area, my, what big teeth they have. Out there, you can see dolphins playing in the waves made by large yachts or ferries. Bottle-nosed dolphins are very social creatures and seem unafraid of humans. Some of the most memorable smaller fish and creatures I saw were brittle starfish (they live under rocks and will climb off your hand quickly if you try to hold one), octopus, conch, sea turtles, moray eels, blue tangs, and of course, those feisty damselfish. Though I haven't gotten my scuba license, I went on a few professional scuba tours where the water was so shallow, snorkeling was possible. Tours are great for finding gorgeous coral gardens that aren't visible to everyone else. The prettiest ones I saw were near the town of Puerto Morelos.

Other places I liked to explore were the Cenotes Azul, and Dos Ojos. Cenotes are brackish water natural bodies of water that the Mayan Indians used to build their villages around. Now, they sit in the jungle and tourists enter them to go cave diving. Underneath the Yucatan is an elaborate network of caves that attract cave-divers from all over the world. Not me, I preferred just swimming in the crystal clear water in the mouth of the cenotes and observing the fish I saw. One of the cenotes had fish that I'd seen in pet stores back in the US, swimming there naturally. Jack Dempsey fish and green sailfin mollies, along with a kind of livebearer fish I didn't recognize. They were very colorful, and the Dempseys, being combative cichlids who like to pick on one another, had tattered fins. But, all the fish were very healthy. What a wonder it is to swim among them in their natural habitat. The nature around cenotes is interesting, too. I saw a basilisk run across the water when I swam too close to him, and a duck that would dive for fish and stay underwater for a long time. Nature abounds in and around cenotes.

The nature of Mexico is plentiful and beautiful in all its forms. The tropical, hot climate brings out flora and fauna, unlike anything I've ever seen in my home state of Ohio, or even in my current state of Florida. Living among the lush jungles, hearing jungle frogs sing at night, and spending time with my wonderful Mexican co-workers, guides and friends changed my life. By being respectful of nature (look, don't touch) and watching where you walk, you will see clouds of butterflies, brilliantly colored birds, and animals like coatimundis, agoutis, and others normally only seen in zoos. My employer promoted the preservation of Mexico's wildlife, and it was my honor to do artwork of all things natural for them. I miss walking the jungle path to their office weekly and seeing the zoo animals, as well as the wild ones in the trees. If you love nature, make sure to visit Mexico and go on tours to see the beauty of the wild, but with professionals who know where to take you. It will be an experience you will appreciate and remember forever.

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