Natural Illustration - Blog Posts

Today we are going to start with a family that is loved by many. Is not my cup of tea but I have learned about them and they are indeed fascinating. The equines. Domestic Horse

The domestication of horses is believed to occurred around 4000 to 3500 BCE, possibly in what is today Kazakhstan. However, there is some debate among experts about the exact time and location of horse domestication, as evidence of early horse domestication is limited and sometimes difficult to interpret. It is generally agreed, however, that horses were first domesticated for their meat, milk, and hides, and that they were later used for transportation, agriculture, and warfare.

There are numerous breeds of domestic horses, which are classified into three categories: Hot Blood, Cold Blood, and Warm Blood. These majestic creatures have played a crucial role in human evolution. The horse was one of the first animals to be domesticated, and their partnership with humans has allowed us to travel greater distances, carry heavy loads, cultivate crops with greater efficiency, and conquer the world. In short, without the taming of horses, we would not have been able to achieve the level of progress and development that we have today. It is also a very recurrent animal in art as we have seen it in many paintings and sculptures throughout history. It is commonly connected with strength, power, speed, and freedom. It is clear that this animal awakened an ongoing fascination that has been represented on numerous occasions. _________________________________________ Photo Credits: www.freepik.es.

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I made a mistake in my last post. I confused the Long-Beaked Common Dolphin species with its subspecies the Arabian Common Dolphin. They are so alike that I am actually surprised I was able to notice the difference. The Long Baked Common Dolphin's beak is notably shorter and its body is a little bit slimmer that the subspecies. Colorwise is not a good way to tell because the variations are plenty and both, species and subspecies can present these variations. As far as I know, the Arabian Common Dolphin can be elevated to a species. More studies need to be conducted but that is the indicator.

Long-Beaked Common Dolphin

The Long-Beaked Common Dolphin was once thought to be the same species as the Short-Beaked Dolphin, but recent research has confirmed that they are, in fact, distinct species. Unlike their short-beaked cousins, this species tends to stay closer to the coast.

While not as abundant as the Short-Beaked Dolphin (which is the most common dolphin species), the Long-Beaked Common Dolphin is not currently classified as threatened or endangered. Some scientists have suggested the existence of subspecies within this species, but only the Arabian Common Dolphin has been officially recognized.

Long-Beaked Common Dolphins are known to form large social groups that can range in size from 100 to 500 individuals, and occasionally even reach into the thousands. ________________________________________ Credits: Long-Baked Common Dolphin Whales, Dolphins, and Seals, A field Guide to Marine Mammals of the World - Hadoram Shirihai / Brett Jarret Ballenas, Delfines y Marsopas, Manuales de Identificación - Mark Carwardine, Martin Camm _________________________________________ Thank you guys for all the support. Remember that likes, comments, and reblogs will help me greatly. And, if you want to help me even more you can always purchase one of my wallpapers, here. See you

I'm tired of drawing giraffes, but fortunately, I only have one more left to finish. After that, I'm excited to move on to drawing the Okapi, and once the family will be complete. Awesome!

Angolan Giraffe

The Angolan Giraffe, also known as the Namibian Giraffe, is native to southern Africa, specifically Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Angola. These giraffes have a unique coat pattern with irregular rusty brown patches on a whitish or light beige skin. Males have a distinctive bulk in the forefront.

There have been studies suggesting that the two surviving populations, one in the north and one in the south, may be different subspecies, but this conclusion has not yet been universally accepted within the scientific community. The distinction between giraffe species and subspecies as a whole is not yet fully clear. _______________________________________ Credits: Angolan Giraffe Photo Credits: Zdeněk Hašek ________________________________________ Thank you for your support. Likes, reblogs, and comments are appreciated. Please consider donating to the project by purchasing a cellphone or laptop wallpaper, here. Your contribution will be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

I really enjoyed working on this one¡ It came up smoothly and accurately. I spent more hours than average thought but I feel it paid off. Malayan Tiger This is the last population of this subspecies (The mainland Asian one). It's a medium size tiger that is critically endangered. They used to be abundant in Singapore in 1830 when the country was basically a dense jungle. However, the expansion of plantations along the island made attacks on humans by tigers quite common, so tiger hunting became a sport. Tiger attacks were reported almost daily in the late 1840s, and local authorities organized bounties decreasing the tiger population significantly. The last tiger was shot in 1932. Today, some books estimate their numbers as less than 400 while others are less optimistic and estimate less than 150. __________________________________________ Credits: Felids and Hyenas of the World: Wildcats, Panthers, Lynx, Pumas, Ocelots, Caracals, and Relatives.  Dr. José R. Castelló Malayan Tiger ___________________________________________ Store Instagram Thank you guys for your support. If you like the content please like and follow. Reblogged is also very welcome. One new animal every week. The digital sticker album is almost finished and the setup of my Patreon is in the process too. I'll keep you updated on those ones. Cheers! y Adiós!

I think we take giraffes for granted. Studying its evolution must be really fascinating. How an animal evolved its neck in such a long size in order to reach food that no other could? And, Why is not strange to us an animal with such particular features? Still is great that an animal had developed weird characteristics to survive but I see some holes in its path of evolution. That will be when they have to go to the ground. I don't think there is any other animal in nature that have to put itself in such a very uncomfortable position in order to do something that is so vital and "simple" as drinking water. I would love to live millions of years more to see where the evolution of the giraffe will go. I would love even more that the giraffes last enough to keep evolving. Thornicroft's Giraffe It is also called the Rhodesian Giraffe. It is commonly seen as a subspecies of the Masai Giraffe but some scientists believe is a single species. This subspecies has a particularly long neck and is among the largest of all subspecies of Giraffes. It has been seen that the coat of giraffes darkens when they grow up which could be a way to know the age of an animal. However, further studies need to be conducted.

Is a giraffe exclusive to Zambia and its numbers are no longer than 550 individuals. No populations are kept in captivity and tourism has been a way to protect them since they are a very popular sight in Africa. 20% off in my store starting tomorrow and running the whole next week. Check it out here ________________________________________________ Credits: Rhodesian Giraffe Photo Credits: Harvey Sapir ________________________________________________ Thank you guy for all the love and support. As always, likes, reblogs, and comments are really appreciated. If you like the content please subscribe. New animals every week. Cheers!!

Ignorance is bliss but is also fear.

Working on this project many times keeps me thinking about the impact we have over the life we share the world with. Humanity has been ignorant mostly of all of its existence, and whatever we used to fear, our answer, our instinct is to eliminate it. Now we think more before we act (some) and we discover that many times our fears are just funded. And we are learning to care about what we used to fear and to price what surrounds us, instead of thinking that they are there to serve us. Unfortunately, for some is just too late. South China Tiger

This population of tigers is believed extinct in the wild since not a sign of this animal has been reported since the late 1980s. There are programs trying to regrow the population in China and also in Africa. Its numbers are less than 200 and the reproduction programs have shown little success. The animals often present inbreeding depression and low genetic diversity. Before its extinction, the animal wasn't deeply studied in the wild so little is known about its natural behavior. It used to be listed as a subspecies but this recognition was based on the study of just five skulls. Now is counted as a population of the panthera tigris tigris. _____________________________________________ Credits: Felids and Hyenas of the World: Wildcats, Panthers, Lynx, Pumas, Ocelots, Caracals, and Relatives.  Dr. José R. Castelló South China Tiger Photo Reference Credits: Yifu Liu _____________________________________________ Thank you guys for your support! If you like the content, a follow, a like, and a reblogged will be very much appreciated. Hope you had a great New Year's Eve and I wish your dreams come true this new year. Please wish me the same. I have great expectations this year. Thank you!! Don't forget to visit my Store and follow me on Instagram

As you know my plan is to do all mammals and every time I finish one, I feel that I am closer to my goal. I don't need to rush. Step by step I will get where I want to. Soon, I'm releasing a digital collectible sticker album through Patreon. The idea is to find ways to support my work. What do you think of this idea? Please let me know. Rothschild's Giraffe This animal classification is a little bit tricky. Some consider it a subspecies while others consider it an ecotype of the Nubian Giraffe. An ecotype is a species that develops physical differences due to its surroundings. However, genetically is the same species. The term is a little ambiguous because I think describes in many cases, a subspecies or the beginning of one. Rothschild's Giraffe is also known as the Baringo Giraffe or the Ugandan Giraffe. It is known to be one of the largest subspecies. Also, its sight, smell and hearing is well developed and its body is specially built for speed. However, the easiest way to differentiate this giraffe from the other subspecies is that it has five ossicones. Yes, five! (Ossicones are the name for the horns of the giraffes). The normal two that all giraffes have, one in the middle of the head and one behind each ear. Incredible. Is critically endangered despite being one of the best-evolved giraffes. That just can mean that is not the environment the one that is putting in danger the survival of this animal but us. Nature takes over the weakest, we humans, take over the strongest. Dwarf Giraffes? Well yeah. I just discovered that these subspecies have Dwarf Giraffes. They are about 3 meters high, which is close to two meters less than the normal size of these animals. However, scientists speculate their size was caused more by inbreeding due to species decline. ______________________________________________ Credits: Rothschild's Giraffe Rothschild's Giraffe Dwarf Giraffes Photo Credits: Ellen van Yperen ______________________________________________ Thank you guys for all the support. If you like the content please like and subscribe. Rebblogs are also very much appreciated. Thank you to all of you who help me spread the word. Have a happy New Year and I wish all your projects come to fruition. Best!

Please let me know if you like the idea of making a collectible sticker album. I am already working on the book and creating the stickers. I think it will be digital first using my basic knowledge of that stuff but the goal is to have a team to make it an app.

Drawing giraffes is fun and somehow easier than others animals. Because they are so long, the amount of details somehow reduces considerably, and still, the animal will look great. Differentiating this one is probably the hardest so far. I felt that the spots and color of the giraffe aren’t so characteristic as other ones like the Niger or Reticulated Giraffe. On the other hand, the close relationship that has with the Rothschild’s Giraffe (you will see in the next giraffe post) make things a little harder.  Nubian Giraffe  According to what I read, this is the nominate subspecies which in other words means that was the first subspecies to be described. Therefore, its Latin name is repeated twice (Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis). This giraffe is Critically Endangered. It is believed that there are less than 2150 in the wild. However, about 1500 are from Rothschild’s Giraffe, leaving the Nubian Giraffe with less than 650 individuals. It is extinct in the wild in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, and Eritrea. In captivity, is bred at Gia Zoo in Egypt and the Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates. ___________________________________ Credits: Nubian Giraffe Nubian Giraffe ___________________________________

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I absolutely loved doing this one. I knew there were different subspecies of giraffes but I never put attention to them. I loved the fading light color spots on the very light skin tone of this one. To me, this giraffe is by far, the easiest to distinguish. Is the lightest giraffe in color, the patches are also pale, and is the only one that survives in the North West of Africa. Store Instagram Niger Giraffe / West African Giraffe Previously, this animal was found in Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Niger, and Chad. Today just can be found in Niger. By the 90s, the number of this animal decreased to mere 49 individuals. Today is protected and its numbers increase to about 600. This giraffe was confused by zoos in Europe. They thought they had this subspecies of giraffes, while in reality, they had the Kordofan one (the one I show in my last post on Giraffes). This happened because the populations that inhabit North Cameroon and Chad were thought to be Niger Giraffes while in fact were Kordofan. It was noticed after genetic studies were done. _______________________________________________ Credits: Niger Giraffe Niger Giraffe _______________________________________________ If you like the content please like, subscribe, and/or reblog, it will help me a lot. Comments are also very much appreciated. Next week, a new dolphin. One I didn't know existed.

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Eastern Black Rhinoceros

Black rhinos have the most subspecies among all rhinos. At some point, it was believed that it was 23 subspecies of black rhinos. This was made of poor investigations based on parts of bones, skulls, and just mere sights of the animal.

With time, better studies suggested that the subspecies consisted of just t four. There is still debate because some say there are five subspecies (which is the one I am inclined to believe) but this cannot be proven because three of the five subspecies are already extinct, and there is not even a photographic register of them. Some skulls and bones are around but it's hard to make conclusions based on just little remains of the animal. It is hard for me to believe that they were extinct without even a picture of them. It is not the case for this subspecies but its situation is critical. A little more than 700 are in the wild including a small group of them that were taken to South Africa. This is uncommon because this animal is restricted to Kenya and Tanzania. Its future is uncertain because of the poaching of the animal for their horns. If there is a market eager to buy horns, it will be some eager to risk their lives in order to feed that market as well.

References: Eastern Black Rhino Eastern Black Rhino Photo Reference: Michal Sloviak ________________________________________

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Indian Spotted Chevrotain

Nocturnal as its relative, the Indian Spotted Chevrotain spends the days hidden in hollow trees or close to piles of leaves which serve him as camouflage due to its fur's color.

Is still common and its status is not to worry. However, it used to be seen in all Indian territory up to the South of Nepal. Nowadays, hasn't been seen in Nepal and if ever found, it is very likely is highly endangered.

The Spotted Chevrotain is a vital link in the food chain because many predators feed on him. Therefore, its protection is crucial to maintaining the equilibrium of nature.

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Fin Whale

Formerly known Know as the Finback whale, Common rorqual, Herring whale, or Razorback whale, the Fin whale is the second largest whale on the planet. Its glamorous and slender shape make it one of the fastest rorquals despite its size. It was heavily hunting during the whaling times in the XX century but was able to recover and their numbers are somehow stable. Over 725,000 fin whales were reportedly taken from the Southern Hemisphere between 1905 and 1976. For this reason, the Southern Fin Whale is closer to extinction than the Northern Fin Whale. The North Pacific population is believed to be a third subspecies according to experts, however, more studies need to be done to validate this information. The Fin Whale is more related to the Humpback Whale and the Grey Whale. It is strange because these two rorquals belong to a different genus each.

The pygmy hippo is a very hard animal to study in the wild. It is very elusive and lives in inhospitable areas. There are possibly two subspecies of Pygmy hippo, however, one of them, the Nigerian Pygmy Hippo is still not recognizable as a full subspecies. The problem is that it is believed now extinct and the only remains are a couple of skulls collected in the 1800′s. What this means is that we will probably never know if it was a subspecies or not. 

The Pygmy hippo is hunting for what is called bush meat. It is said that its meat quality is as good as wild boars and unlike its giant cousins, its teeth has no value. It is an endangered species that thrive much better in zoos but still the offspring mortality rate arise up to 30%. 

I think is sad when a species vanishes form earth and we still didn’t know much about it. At some point, I found extinction to be part of the game of who can survive to natural changes. The problem is that humans taking over, we are making the game of survival way harder for many species. I’m not so optimistic that a change in perspective will come any time soon but I still have hope we can change the way we see the world.

Dwarf Hippos in Madagascar? There are proof of Dwarf Hippos (known as Malagasy hippopotamus or Malagasy pygmy hippopotamus) that inhabited the island of Madagascar less that 1000 years ago. Resembles more to a Hippopotamus that to its smaller relative the Pygmy Hippo. I decided not to put it on this catalogue because it’s extinction appears not to be related to humans. 

What is exciting is that explorers from Discovery Channel recently discovered skulls from what appears to be a recent dead of a Malagasy Hippo. This might prove the existence of the animal but I feel more investigation needs to be done. The tv program is called “Extinct or Alive”. Leave you the link: here

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