Rick Schwartz
@zoologyrick.bsky.social
🌍 Independent spokesperson for wildlife.
❤️’er of nature & conservation.
🐨Constantly curious about animals.
🎤Podcaster.
❤️’er of nature & conservation.
🐨Constantly curious about animals.
🎤Podcaster.
One animal that I was fortunate enough to work with for many years (that I never expected would steal my heart) is the rock hyrax. Also known as the dassie and about the size of an American football 🏈, these rodent-like mammals are not rodents at. Believe it or not…
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#RockHyrax #AnimalFact
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#RockHyrax #AnimalFact
December 15, 2025 at 9:36 PM
One animal that I was fortunate enough to work with for many years (that I never expected would steal my heart) is the rock hyrax. Also known as the dassie and about the size of an American football 🏈, these rodent-like mammals are not rodents at. Believe it or not…
(1/2)
#RockHyrax #AnimalFact
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#RockHyrax #AnimalFact
Quill you please stand clear!?
Sharp, pokey and all around ouchie looking - quills are just modified hairs. (That also offer a good defense.) They are made of the same protein (keratin) and grow from follicles, just like hair. And get this…
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
Sharp, pokey and all around ouchie looking - quills are just modified hairs. (That also offer a good defense.) They are made of the same protein (keratin) and grow from follicles, just like hair. And get this…
(1/2)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
December 11, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Quill you please stand clear!?
Sharp, pokey and all around ouchie looking - quills are just modified hairs. (That also offer a good defense.) They are made of the same protein (keratin) and grow from follicles, just like hair. And get this…
(1/2)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
Sharp, pokey and all around ouchie looking - quills are just modified hairs. (That also offer a good defense.) They are made of the same protein (keratin) and grow from follicles, just like hair. And get this…
(1/2)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
Almost missed #TongueOutTuesday! Although it’s hard to see in this photo, the Savannah monitor, like many other lizards and snakes, has a forked tongue. They flick it in & out, not because they’re rude, but because they…
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#SavannahMonitor
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#SavannahMonitor
December 10, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Almost missed #TongueOutTuesday! Although it’s hard to see in this photo, the Savannah monitor, like many other lizards and snakes, has a forked tongue. They flick it in & out, not because they’re rude, but because they…
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#SavannahMonitor
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#SavannahMonitor
Bear+Caturday is in fact the best #Caturday because bearcats are the best. You may think there are other animals that are better, but you’d be wrong - binturong.
#AnimalFact: Binturongs smell like popcorn or freshly steamed rice due to a chemical called…
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#AnimalFact: Binturongs smell like popcorn or freshly steamed rice due to a chemical called…
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December 6, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Bear+Caturday is in fact the best #Caturday because bearcats are the best. You may think there are other animals that are better, but you’d be wrong - binturong.
#AnimalFact: Binturongs smell like popcorn or freshly steamed rice due to a chemical called…
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#AnimalFact: Binturongs smell like popcorn or freshly steamed rice due to a chemical called…
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A stunning and magnificent animal, worthy of our care and good stewardship. Even the fastest land mammal cannot out run extinction without our help.
#InternationalCheetahDay
#WildlifeConservation
#Cheetah
#InternationalCheetahDay
#WildlifeConservation
#Cheetah
December 4, 2025 at 10:38 PM
A stunning and magnificent animal, worthy of our care and good stewardship. Even the fastest land mammal cannot out run extinction without our help.
#InternationalCheetahDay
#WildlifeConservation
#Cheetah
#InternationalCheetahDay
#WildlifeConservation
#Cheetah
When is a dragon not really a dragon? When it’s the largest of the monitor lizard family, Varanidae. The Komodo dragon can measure 10 feet from nose to tail tip. And speaking of tips, they can tip the scales too - weighing…
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#KomodoDragon #AnimalFact
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#KomodoDragon #AnimalFact
December 3, 2025 at 4:11 AM
When is a dragon not really a dragon? When it’s the largest of the monitor lizard family, Varanidae. The Komodo dragon can measure 10 feet from nose to tail tip. And speaking of tips, they can tip the scales too - weighing…
(1/2)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#KomodoDragon #AnimalFact
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#KomodoDragon #AnimalFact
While everyone else is out shopping and traveling this weekend, I find myself being a little more like the three-banded armadillo. #AnimalFact: three-banded armadillos are the only species of armadillo that can curl themselves up into a…
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#Armadillo #ThreeBandedArmadillo
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#Armadillo #ThreeBandedArmadillo
November 30, 2025 at 3:53 PM
While everyone else is out shopping and traveling this weekend, I find myself being a little more like the three-banded armadillo. #AnimalFact: three-banded armadillos are the only species of armadillo that can curl themselves up into a…
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#Armadillo #ThreeBandedArmadillo
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#Armadillo #ThreeBandedArmadillo
#AnimalFact: Sailfin lizards don't really sail. But juvenile sailfin lizards can briefly run across the surface of water thanks to flat, long toes and fast feet.
#SailfinLizard #SailfinDragon
#SailfinLizard #SailfinDragon
November 29, 2025 at 11:15 PM
#AnimalFact: Sailfin lizards don't really sail. But juvenile sailfin lizards can briefly run across the surface of water thanks to flat, long toes and fast feet.
#SailfinLizard #SailfinDragon
#SailfinLizard #SailfinDragon
It’s only a name, but it’s also a misleading name… The great horned owl gets his name because of the feathers on its head look like horns. Sometimes they are referred to as ear tufts, however they don’t have anything to do with ears either!
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#Owl #AnimalFact #GreatHornedOwl
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#Owl #AnimalFact #GreatHornedOwl
November 29, 2025 at 2:25 AM
It’s only a name, but it’s also a misleading name… The great horned owl gets his name because of the feathers on its head look like horns. Sometimes they are referred to as ear tufts, however they don’t have anything to do with ears either!
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#Owl #AnimalFact #GreatHornedOwl
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#Owl #AnimalFact #GreatHornedOwl
Who has about 70 to 80 teeth in their mouth but doesn’t really chew their food? The #alligator! They use their teeth for grabbing prey, and for tearing off pieces to swallow whole. But…
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#AnimalFact
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#AnimalFact
November 26, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Who has about 70 to 80 teeth in their mouth but doesn’t really chew their food? The #alligator! They use their teeth for grabbing prey, and for tearing off pieces to swallow whole. But…
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#AnimalFact
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#AnimalFact
THIS⤵️
💚 Where are you celebrating GREEN Friday? 💚 GREEN Friday deals are the best because they’re FREE (or at most a small fee that goes to support the park) 💚 #optoutside
#greenfriday #blackfriday #supportsmallbusiness #thanksgiving #christmas
#greenfriday #blackfriday #supportsmallbusiness #thanksgiving #christmas
November 25, 2025 at 3:43 PM
THIS⤵️
When is an owl not a night owl? When they live in the Arctic during the summer. Unlike most owls, snowy owls are diurnal (active during the day). They will hunt all the time during…
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#SnowyOwl #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#SnowyOwl #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation
November 23, 2025 at 9:39 PM
When is an owl not a night owl? When they live in the Arctic during the summer. Unlike most owls, snowy owls are diurnal (active during the day). They will hunt all the time during…
(1/2)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#SnowyOwl #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#SnowyOwl #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation
Alligators and crocodiles are like the icebergs of aquatic reptiles. Okay, maybe that’s not the best analogy, but hear me out… Like an iceberg, alligators and those related to them, can float with the majority of their mass underwater and only a little…
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#AnimalFact #Alligator
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#AnimalFact #Alligator
November 22, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Alligators and crocodiles are like the icebergs of aquatic reptiles. Okay, maybe that’s not the best analogy, but hear me out… Like an iceberg, alligators and those related to them, can float with the majority of their mass underwater and only a little…
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#AnimalFact #Alligator
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#AnimalFact #Alligator
The African fish-eagle has one of those common names that is pretty spot on. Found in many parts of Africa near water, they are primarily fish eaters,
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AfricanFishEagle #WildlifeFacts #AnimalFact #BirdNerd #WildlifeEducation #Eagles
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AfricanFishEagle #WildlifeFacts #AnimalFact #BirdNerd #WildlifeEducation #Eagles
November 21, 2025 at 3:56 AM
The African fish-eagle has one of those common names that is pretty spot on. Found in many parts of Africa near water, they are primarily fish eaters,
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AfricanFishEagle #WildlifeFacts #AnimalFact #BirdNerd #WildlifeEducation #Eagles
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AfricanFishEagle #WildlifeFacts #AnimalFact #BirdNerd #WildlifeEducation #Eagles
At a glance the desert tortoise may look like a slow moving reptile that just aimlessly meanders through life. But I’d argue that these tortoises (like other reptiles) are much smarter than we tend to give them credit for🧵.⤵️
#DesertTortoise #Tortoise #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation #WildlifeFact
#DesertTortoise #Tortoise #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation #WildlifeFact
November 19, 2025 at 3:00 AM
At a glance the desert tortoise may look like a slow moving reptile that just aimlessly meanders through life. But I’d argue that these tortoises (like other reptiles) are much smarter than we tend to give them credit for🧵.⤵️
#DesertTortoise #Tortoise #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation #WildlifeFact
#DesertTortoise #Tortoise #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation #WildlifeFact
Here’s is one of the countless awesome #AnimalFacts about naked mole rats: They use their large external incisors for digging tunnels, not their feet.
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#NakedMoleRat #WildlifeFact #WildlifeEducation
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#NakedMoleRat #WildlifeFact #WildlifeEducation
November 17, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Here’s is one of the countless awesome #AnimalFacts about naked mole rats: They use their large external incisors for digging tunnels, not their feet.
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#NakedMoleRat #WildlifeFact #WildlifeEducation
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#NakedMoleRat #WildlifeFact #WildlifeEducation
Barn owls get their name because they tend to take advance of the eves and upper rafters of barns for nesting and roosting. To be honest, as a kid, I wondered…
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #BarnOwl #Owl #AnimalFacts #WidlifeFact #WildlifeEducation
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #BarnOwl #Owl #AnimalFacts #WidlifeFact #WildlifeEducation
November 16, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Barn owls get their name because they tend to take advance of the eves and upper rafters of barns for nesting and roosting. To be honest, as a kid, I wondered…
(1/3)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #BarnOwl #Owl #AnimalFacts #WidlifeFact #WildlifeEducation
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #BarnOwl #Owl #AnimalFacts #WidlifeFact #WildlifeEducation
Oh sure, they are flightless - but wow can they run! Ostriches can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour. And with adults averaging 170 to 300 pounds, that is a lot of bird, moving pretty fast!
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#AnimalFact #Ostrich #WildlifeFact #BirdNerd #BigBird #WildlifeEducation
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#AnimalFact #Ostrich #WildlifeFact #BirdNerd #BigBird #WildlifeEducation
November 13, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Oh sure, they are flightless - but wow can they run! Ostriches can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour. And with adults averaging 170 to 300 pounds, that is a lot of bird, moving pretty fast!
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#AnimalFact #Ostrich #WildlifeFact #BirdNerd #BigBird #WildlifeEducation
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#AnimalFact #Ostrich #WildlifeFact #BirdNerd #BigBird #WildlifeEducation
#SnakeFact: A brightly colored reptile or amphibian usually means poisonous or venomous. But this mountain kingsnake is just hoping to fool you & (predators) into thinking he's like the venomous coral snake. Best rule of thumb: No touchy the reptile.
#KingSnake #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation
#KingSnake #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation
November 12, 2025 at 5:35 PM
#SnakeFact: A brightly colored reptile or amphibian usually means poisonous or venomous. But this mountain kingsnake is just hoping to fool you & (predators) into thinking he's like the venomous coral snake. Best rule of thumb: No touchy the reptile.
#KingSnake #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation
#KingSnake #AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation
The very first time I saw an osprey, I was a teenager canoeing on a lake in Washington. I was in awe watching them hunt; soaring, diving, flying back to the tree tops with a fresh fish.
What I didn’t know…
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #Osprey #AnimalFacts #SeaHawk
What I didn’t know…
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #Osprey #AnimalFacts #SeaHawk
November 12, 2025 at 3:50 AM
The very first time I saw an osprey, I was a teenager canoeing on a lake in Washington. I was in awe watching them hunt; soaring, diving, flying back to the tree tops with a fresh fish.
What I didn’t know…
(1/3)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #Osprey #AnimalFacts #SeaHawk
What I didn’t know…
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #Osprey #AnimalFacts #SeaHawk
Weighing between 3,700-5,000 pounds, and able to reach speeds over 25 miles per hour, white rhinos are impressive on many levels. (1/3)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#WhiteRhino #Rhinoceros #WildlifeFact #AnimalFact
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#WhiteRhino #Rhinoceros #WildlifeFact #AnimalFact
November 6, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Weighing between 3,700-5,000 pounds, and able to reach speeds over 25 miles per hour, white rhinos are impressive on many levels. (1/3)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#WhiteRhino #Rhinoceros #WildlifeFact #AnimalFact
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#WhiteRhino #Rhinoceros #WildlifeFact #AnimalFact
Ever heard of disruptive coloration? How about environmental mimicry? These are things that the tiger’s color and black stripes create. Yes, you and I see the contrast of…
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation #Tiger #WildlifeFact
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation #Tiger #WildlifeFact
November 3, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Ever heard of disruptive coloration? How about environmental mimicry? These are things that the tiger’s color and black stripes create. Yes, you and I see the contrast of…
(1/3)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation #Tiger #WildlifeFact
(1/3)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #WildlifeEducation #Tiger #WildlifeFact
Happy Stick Insect Day!
I know some people are bugged when they see insects, but insects are the cornerstone of life on earth AND they are really awesome once you…
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#StickInsects #StickBug #StickInsect #AnimalFact #WalkingStick #WildlifeEducation
I know some people are bugged when they see insects, but insects are the cornerstone of life on earth AND they are really awesome once you…
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📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#StickInsects #StickBug #StickInsect #AnimalFact #WalkingStick #WildlifeEducation
November 1, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Happy Stick Insect Day!
I know some people are bugged when they see insects, but insects are the cornerstone of life on earth AND they are really awesome once you…
(1/3)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#StickInsects #StickBug #StickInsect #AnimalFact #WalkingStick #WildlifeEducation
I know some people are bugged when they see insects, but insects are the cornerstone of life on earth AND they are really awesome once you…
(1/3)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#StickInsects #StickBug #StickInsect #AnimalFact #WalkingStick #WildlifeEducation
I absolutely LOVE this image of an alligator, just hanging out, right below the surface of the water. It really helps accentuate the bumps that run from the head to the tail. (More⤵️)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #Alligator #WildlifeEducation #Alligators #AnimalEducation
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #Alligator #WildlifeEducation #Alligators #AnimalEducation
October 31, 2025 at 3:46 PM
I absolutely LOVE this image of an alligator, just hanging out, right below the surface of the water. It really helps accentuate the bumps that run from the head to the tail. (More⤵️)
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #Alligator #WildlifeEducation #Alligators #AnimalEducation
📸via photo sharing site, Unsplash. com
#AnimalFact #Alligator #WildlifeEducation #Alligators #AnimalEducation
Happy National Cat Day!
Although there are a lot of non-domestic cats to celebrate today, I decided to celebrate my best buddy, Panda the cat (1st & 2nd pic). Yes, it’s true, I have a cat named Panda. It was a name they gave him at the…
#NationalCatDay #BestFriend #PurrfectPal ##Wildcat
Although there are a lot of non-domestic cats to celebrate today, I decided to celebrate my best buddy, Panda the cat (1st & 2nd pic). Yes, it’s true, I have a cat named Panda. It was a name they gave him at the…
#NationalCatDay #BestFriend #PurrfectPal ##Wildcat
October 29, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Happy National Cat Day!
Although there are a lot of non-domestic cats to celebrate today, I decided to celebrate my best buddy, Panda the cat (1st & 2nd pic). Yes, it’s true, I have a cat named Panda. It was a name they gave him at the…
#NationalCatDay #BestFriend #PurrfectPal ##Wildcat
Although there are a lot of non-domestic cats to celebrate today, I decided to celebrate my best buddy, Panda the cat (1st & 2nd pic). Yes, it’s true, I have a cat named Panda. It was a name they gave him at the…
#NationalCatDay #BestFriend #PurrfectPal ##Wildcat