Why swans have long necks... Photographer shows it can be a stretch to get a bite to eat

By Daily Mail Reporter


Swan dive: Photographer Victor Lyagushkin, 40, took these incredible underwater pictures of swans diving for food at the Blue Lake in southern Russia. Because they can't dive like ducks, they need their long necks

These eye-popping underwater pictures of swans stretching for their food show just why swans have such beautifully long necks.

By putting their long necks to good use by ducking underwater and reaching for food at the bottom of a lake these mute swans are showing not just their looks - but also how well adapted they are.

National geographic photographer, Victor Lyagushkin, 40, took these incredible underwater pictures of a group of five swans ducking for food at the Blue Lake in southern Russian.

Looking for food: Before they put the effort in to stretch down the swans have a good look around

'Swans cannot dive as ducks do,' explained Victor.

'Instead they use their long necks to reach deep water weeds.

'These swans spend winter on the Blue lake, because it never freezes.

'There are a lot of algae, which is the swans' favourite food and they feel themselves safe in the water.


Ducking, not diving: An above-surface view of the swan bobbing for its dinner. Algae at the bottom of the lake is one of their favourite foods

All the way down: With a strong kick from its webbed feet, the swan can get down to hard-to-reach places

'There are a lot of algae, which is the swans' favourite food and they feel themselves safe in the water.

'That is why this is the best place for swans.'

The Blue Lake is the third largest karsk spring in the world, which means that it gets its amazingly clear water from a much larger network of caves deep underground.


Having a breather: A pair of swans take a break from bobbing down in the clear water of the Blue Lake, the world's largest karsk spring

By putting their long necks to good use by ducking underwater and reaching for food at the bottom of a lake these swans are showing not just their looks but also how well adapted they are

While they look delicate swans are large and powerful birds that can have have wing spans of up to six feet wide and can weigh up to 30 pounds.

In the wild they usually live seven years but have been known to survive in captivity for 50 years.

Swans are naturally cautious creatures so Victor had to use a special underwater breathing technique over the course of a week to win the graceful birds' trust.

National geographic photographer, Victor Lyagushkin, took these incredible underwater
pictures of swans diving for food at the Blue Lake in southern Russian

'It was not easy to take these pictures,' said Victor.

'Although I fed the birds daily and they became almost tame, the swans were still very shy and they watched what is going under water.

'They were not afraid of a person on the surface but saw the photographer underwater and escaped each time.


The Blue Lake is the third largest karsk spring in the world, which means that it gets its amazingly clear water from a much larger network of caves deep underground

'I had to change from the usual apparatus onto re-breather.

'This kind of underwater technique does not exhale bubbles, which gave me the opportunity to come more close to the birds.'



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May the cutest win! Adorable video shows baby monkey locked in playfight with competitive kitten

By Emma Reynolds


Missed by a whisker! The tiny animals look almost perfectly matched as they chase each other over the grass beside the River Nile in Uganda

This adorable video shows a cute kitten and a baby monkey locked in a fierce but friendly playfight.

The tiny animals look almost perfectly matched as they chase each other over the grass beside the River Nile in Uganda, in front of a group of enchanted onlookers.

Both make the occasional unsteady swipe, with the plucky kitten even trying to climb up some railings to reach its agile opponent.

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Crazy cat: The frolicking feline even tries to reach up to get the monkey as it darts up on to a metal rail

Stand-off: The young animals circle each warily as they fight to be considered the bravest

The hilarious footage shows each taking the competition rather seriously, both circling warily and chasing the other one's tail.

'Monkey's not that fast on flat ground,' observes one intrigued spectator, before chuckling as the kitten tumbles over.

At one point the furry feline almost takes on a dog, tapping the much larger animal on the nose as a voice comments: 'Ginger's getting involved now!'

Later, the minuscule monkey falls on to its back as the cute kitten bats it with a paw.


Giant leap: The monkey takes a huge jump towards the nervous-looking kitten


Softly softly: The cheeky monkey tries the catch the wily cat, but to no avail


This is personal: For a moment, it looks as though the combat might get nasty as the monkey falls on its back


Calling a truce: Eventually, the two little animals and their canine companion settle down for a peaceful evening in the beautiful setting

For a moment, it looks as though the rough and tumble might get nasty, but the young observers sigh with relief as the kitten lets the monkey go and it leaps off to the highest spot it can find.

Finally, the pretty outdoor scene is at peace and the three animals calmly wander around, licking their paws clean.

Some YouTube viewers observed that animal rights' activists could be concerned, but most were delighted by the video of the tiny adversaries.

'This is so cute and they are both having fun!' wrote one.
Another added: 'Critters tend to be loud and crazy when they fight. This is cute.'




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@FeedToby: Meet the dog fed his 'Tweet Treats' by contraption controlled remotely by Twitter

By Ted Thornhill


A dog-lover has invented a high-tech way of feeding his pet - by Twitter.

Computer buff Nat Morris, 30, has rigged up a system to give his pet pooch a ‘tweet treat’ by sending him a Twitter message.

Border terrier Toby gets a snack from an automated food dispenser whenever Nat sends a message to ‘@FeedToby’.


Byte to eat: Mr Morris can send his faithful hound a treat from anywhere in the world - just by posting a message to Twitter

IT consultant Nat spends a lot of time working away from home and isn’t always able to feed Border Terrier Toby by hand.

But using his new invention he is able to send his dog a treat from anywhere in the world.

Nat said: ‘Toby absolutely loves it. At first he didn’t know what was going on.

‘Now he sits underneath, wagging his tail and waiting for the treats to drop.’

Nat loads up the feeder with crushed dog biscuits - but not too much in case four-year-old Toby gets too many messages.

When a comment is received the mechanism drops a helping of crushed up dog biscuits out of the tube.

And Nat has even rigged up an online camera so he can see Toby enjoying the food at his home in Milford Haven, West Wales.

Nat is even considering patenting his system.

But one problem is that friends and family have been amazed with the ‘Tweet treat’ dispenser.

And they have been joining in to send Tweets to Toby - so Nat has had to introduce restrictions to make sure Toby doesn’t turn into Tubby.

Nat added: ‘People have been sending him food at all hours of the day - so I had to limit it to between nine in the morning to nine in the evening.

‘I’m thinking of doing an updated version which features a scale to weigh him before he is fed just to make sure he’s not putting on too much puppy fat.’


Hungry hound: It didn't take long for Toby to work out where the treats were coming from



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Roll over Beethoven… virtuoso dog plays the piano AND sings along

By Rebecca Seales


Pup singer: Petu tickles the ivories with her paws and nose while 'singing' along

Roll over Beethoven, there's a new pup superstar in town.

While some have suggested she sounds a bit ruff, the Scandinavian sensation has already attracted over 300,000 hits on YouTube.

Piano-playing Petu, whose name translates roughly as 'Runty', charmed thousands of YouTube users after her Finnish owner uploaded a video of the musical mutt.

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Virtuoso: The canine maestro ignores the television to concentrate on her recital

Petu, who stands on her hind legs to reach the piano, can be seen 'playing' the instrument with both paws and - to add some variety - her nose.

With her muzzle held high, the dog howls out a tune while wagging her tail enthusiastically.

Rather mournful in tone, the ballad concentrates on the piano's upper register.

Paying no attention to the television playing away in the background, Petu calmly finishes her recital before hopping back onto four legs and trotting away.

Identified only as 'lonnie9991', the owner of this precocious pup clearly has a star on her hands.

Is it too late for this year's Eurovision...?




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Saturday Nut Fever! Squirrel shows off his dance moves while trying to catch nuts falling from a tree

By Amy Oliver


Put your paws in the air like you just don't care: This red squirrel seemed to be channeling its inner Tony Manero during a routine a Saturday Night Fever-esque routine

He's got the white suit (albeit it with a tinge of ginge) and the disco dance moves.

All this squirrel needs is a coloured dance floor and the John-Travolta-as-rodent look would be complete.

Award-winning wildlife photographer Mark Hancox couldn't believe his eyes when he snapped old Tufty pulling some serious shapes in the Cairngorms, Scotland, last month.

The red squirrel appeared to be catching falling nuts from a tree but looked a dead ringer for Travolta's character Tony Manero in 1977 film Saturday Night Fever.

You should be dancin': John Travolta struts his stuff on THAT dance floor in THAT suit during 1977 film Saturday Night Fever

Mr Hancox, from Dorset, said: 'It was hilarious, it was quite a windy day and it looked like the squirrel was trying to catch nuts as they fell from a tree.

'As he bobbed up and down on his hind legs he suddenly appeared to dance. He really looked like John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever.'

But the squirrel was not content to mimic just one dancing legend.

Demons closing in on every side: The furry rodent then started to do Michael Jackson's Thriller dance, right, during the display in the Cairngorms, Scotland

With his arms out to the side in a zombie-style pose the furry critter also looked like he'd stepped from the set of Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Rather more tenuously he then did his best impression of Victoria Beckham during her Spice Girls days...


Slam your body down: Rather more tenuously he then did his best impression of Victoria Beckham, right, during her Spice Girls days...



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'How I killed the biggest fox in Britain': Monster measured 4ft 9in and weighed 38lbs

By Larisa Brown BEN ARCHIBALD


Haul: Alan Hepworth holds up the giant fox he shot in Aberdeenshire


Hunted down after savaging a farmer’s lambs, this is the largest fox ever recorded in the UK.

The beast weighed almost three stone and was nearly five feet long – more than double the average size of the species.

It was shot and killed by farmer Alan Hepworth who, at just 5ft 7in himself, was only just able to haul his catch up for a photograph.


He said: ‘I was out with my son. We have to shoot foxes to keep on top of them, and stop them from killing the lambs.

‘It was late at night, and this particular fox caught our eye because it was such an incredible size.

‘We made a squeaking noise to get its attention, and then shot it.

‘When we went over to pick it up, we were amazed by quite how big it was. I could only hold it for a while because it was so heavy and was nearly as big as a roe deer.’

Mr Hepworth later decided to weigh the fox after realising it would probably be the largest he had ever shot.

And the 69-year-old found it weighed a staggering 38lb 1oz and was 4ft 9in from its nose to the tip of its tail.

Monster: To give a sense of scale, seven-year-old Archie Wright stands next to a 26.5lb fox, which up until now had been the largest recorded in Britain

Experts say it is the biggest to have been recorded in the UK.

He said: ‘I’m 5ft 7in, and it was 4ft 9in. When I held it up, it was almost the same size as me.

‘It was a big beast and much heavier than anything I’d killed before, so I knew it would be the heaviest I’d found when I weighed it.

‘I was surprised to hear it was the biggest fox ever recorded in the UK, though.

‘If I’d have thought more about it at the time I’d have maybe taken it to a taxidermist, and kept it as a memento, but we just buried it like all the other foxes we shot.’

Stark contrast: Foxshooter Roy Lupton displays a normal fox beside the 26lb monster shot by Keith Talbot to show the difference in size

Mr Hepworth, from Moray in north-east Scotland, said he killed the fox on a friend’s farm in neighbouring Aberdeenshire.

He added: ‘When I showed people the picture of me holding up the fox, they didn’t believe it. Especially how long it was. But I can definitely say it’s real. You never forget holding an animal that size.’

The Handbook of British Mammals says foxes usually weigh up to 15lb.

Brazen: Foxes are increasingly losing their fear of humans and more and more like this one have been spotted in people's homes

Experts believe the find is further evidence that foxes are increasing in size.

Jonathan Reynolds, senior research scientist at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, said: ‘A 38lb fox would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

‘We don’t know why they are getting bigger, but one possible explanation is that they are getting better fed in urban areas.’

Derek Yalden, president of the Mammal Society, said many foxes were getting bolder in towns and cities because they were ‘more used to seeing humans’.


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Ready for the Catwalk...the amazing 'haute CAT-ture' for the fashion-conscious feline

By Daily Mail Reporter


Purr-fect: The crazy creations are modeled by the designers own cat, three-year-old Abbysinian 'Toki Nantucket', whose services can be bought for the price of a few chunks of juicy chicken

Forget a collar and bell, this stylish feline is turning heads with it's range of glamorous accessories good enough for any catwalk.

The amazing 'haute CAT-ture' is the work of New Yorker Julie Song, who painstakingly designs and crafts the garments herself.

Working under the alias 'CatAtlelier', Korean-American Julie, 33, has created a wacky range of hats and collars for the fashion-conscious feline.

Working under the alias 'CatAtlelier', Korean-American Julie Song, has created a wacky range of hats and collars for the fashion-conscious feline

The wacky creations include gold headbands, berets, a range of bow-ties and even a top-hat so that prissy pusses have a look for every occasion.

The moggy milliner targets her work at the 'fashion-forward feline' and their style-conscious owners.

Almost as much work goes into taking the adorable photos of her model and muse, Julie's own cat, three-year-old Abbysinian 'Toki Nantucket'.

Julie, a full-time designer who creates the cat clothes in her spare time, said: 'I think it's really important to prepare everything first - the camera, the area you will be using to take pictures, the lights, props, and the exact accessories or clothes you will use, so your cat is not sitting there wearing all this stuff while you're still fiddling around.

'I keep photo shoots short so Toki knows it won't be some kind of torture session when I dress him. That way he won't dread wearing clothes.'

And while some supermodels won't get out of bed for less than five thousand dollars, Toki's services can be bought for the more modest price of a few chunks of juicy chicken.

Julie said: 'For Toki, it's really all about the chicken. Toki loves chicken.


The wacky creations include gold headbands, berets, a range of bow-ties and even a top-hat so that prissy pusses have a look for every occasion

Moggy milliner, Julie Song, targets her work at the 'fashion-forward feline' and their style-conscious owners

'I bake chicken and cut it up into bites that I keep in Ziploc bags in the refrigerator and freezer for his treats.

'I give him some before each photo shoot, and also immediately after.'

The pieces are priced between £6 up to £56 and can take days to make.

Talented Julie, an illustration graduate of the prestigious Parsons School of Design, New York, said that her sewing skills are largely self-taught.

She said: 'I have been sewing since I was very young. Most of my fashion design and garment construction skills were just picked up over the years, through experience.'

And the self-effacing designer is not precious about her creations, and said she is fully aware that many may find them amusing.

She said: 'I think Toki, like a great model, makes the items look much better than they would alone.

'I don't mind when people just think the whole thing is funny. I make myself laugh all the time with my work, and I am really happy to make other people laugh too.


The pieces are priced between £6 up to £56 and can take days to make


Designer Julie Song says the next step for CatAtelier is making shirts and other full-body outfits

'It would be hilarious if I was deadly serious about my cat clothes. Hilarious and sad.'

Since launching her online shop, she has even had requests for custom-made outfits from cat owners with special requirements.

She said: 'I got a custom request for a pirate eye patch for someone's one-eyed cat.

"I made it out of leather with an appliqued skull and bones on it.

'After I put up the listing, two other people wanted pirate eye patches for their one-eyed cats - my joke at the time was that I found an untapped market - eye patches for one-eyed pirate cats!"

Julie said the next step for CatAtelier is making shirts and other full-body outfits, some of which will have a practical application for cats who've just undergone painful vet procedures.

She said: 'I am working on some shirts and things. Also a sleeveless bodysuit, catsuit thing, that is good for cats post-surgery, or cats who over-groom, instead of wearing the "Cone of Shame'.'



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A fallen giant of the seas: Huge 35ft-long sperm whale is found dead drawing crowds to Lincolnshire beach

-Animal has large gashes across its back and has started to let off a pungent smell
-East Lindsey District Council will cover the 30-tonne carcass with sand until they work out how to dispose of it


By Jill Reilly


Main attraction: Crowds of people gathered to see the 35ft (10.7m) whale today, which was first spotted near the bottom of Skegness Pier yesterday

A massive sperm whale carcass is causing a stink after washing up on a Lincolnshire beach.

Crowds of interested people gathered to see the 35ft (10.7m) whale today, which was first spotted near the bottom of Skegness Pier yesterday.

But they were repelled by the repugnant smell of the animal, which has large gashes across its back and may have been dead for several days.


Hold your nose: Although it has attracted hundreds of interested spectators, the animal, which has large gashes across its back and may have been dead for several days, has started to let off a pungent smell

Big decision: East Lindsey District Council said it will cover the 30-tonne carcass with sand until they work out how to dispose of it

East Lindsey District Council said it will cover the 30-tonne carcass with sand until they work out how to dispose of it.

Emma Burgess, from the council, said: 'Obviously as it is decomposing, the smell is getting worse.

'So we have covered it with sand until we can remove it from the beach, which should be early next week.'

Experts believe the whale collided with a boat and could have been dead for several days before finally washing ashore.

Naturalist Tony Burgess, who visited Skegness to witness the spectacle, said: "If they get into shallow waters the weight of their bodies on their lungs makes it difficult for them to breathe.

'It's always so sad when you see a great creature like that dead.'
Whales were last spotted on Skegness Beach in 2006, when two bottled nosed whales washed ashore.

Male sperm whales are abundant in nearly all of the earth's oceans and undertake vast migratory journeys.

But they prefer deep waters to hunt their predominate prey - the deep sea squid.

Julie Hamilton, who was visiting Butlins from Leicester, said: "We came down to have a look because it's a once in a lifetime experience to see such a rare thing but it's really sad.

'I love animals and it's always awful when you see any wildlife destroyed.'

Skegness resident Ivan Frost said: 'It's unbelievable - I've never seen anything so large washed up on the beach before.'


Accidental death: Experts believe the whale collided with a boat and could have been dead for several days before finally washing ashore


Rare sight: Whales were last spotted on Skegness Beach in 2006, when two bottled nosed whales washed ashore



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Yabbra Dabba Doo! Cute Koala has time of his life running around the corridors of Edinburgh Zoo

By Jill Reilly


Time to exercise: At first Yabbra seems to be a bit cautious of running down the hallway and proceeds slowly

Yabbra the koala spends around 22 hours a day asleep, but when he does wake up - the corridors of Edinburgh Zoo are his playground.

In this adorable YouTube video, the inquisitive furry animal is caught on camera at Edinburgh Zoo.

The clip shows Yabbra, who was born in 2005, exploring the halls of the zoo although he does seem a bit cautious at first.

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Speeding along: Suddenly he gains his confidence and runs up the corridor, eager to embrace his new freedom


What is this: Yabbra is one of only two Koalas in the U.K. according to the Edinburgh Zoo and seems a bit perplexed when he sees the camera filming him at the end of the hall

Inquisitive nature: Born in 2005, Yabbra's name is Aboriginal for 'the fugitive,' as he kept popping out of his mother's pouch at a very early age

Yabbra is one of only two Koalas in the U.K., according to the Edinburgh Zoo.

Yabbra's name is Aboriginal for 'the fugitive,' as he kept popping out of his mother’s pouch at a very early age

His other playmate is Goonaroo whose name is Aboriginal for 'wood duck' and is a year younger.

The zoo feed the pair five different species of eucalyptus every day.

As eucalyptus leaves provide very little energy, koalas spend around twenty-one hours asleep and only wake up for short periods of time throughout the day.

Edinburgh Zoo says it is a myth that koalas become drugged from eating eucalyptus – it simply does not provide them with enough energy to maintain their body functions and be continually active.

Edinburgh Zoo is the only collection in the UK to house koalas, and is part of the European breeding programme.

They are the European male holding facility, which means they house male koalas that are too young to be active within the breeding programme and older animals that have successfully bred and are now at 'retrial' age.

According to National Geographic, more than four-fifths of original koala habitat has been destroyed across the world.




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Welcome to your nightmares: Meet the spider so tough it eats SNAKES for breakfast

Receptionist found a snake caught in a web next to her desk at work
Spider took two days to weave a web around its prey before eating it

By Chris Murphy


If you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to steer clear of applying for a job with this South African company.

For the spiders here are so tough they wolf down snakes for breakfast.

An office receptionist was met with this horrifying sight when she arrived for work.

Stuff of nightmares: The snake is off the ground and hanging from the spiders web as its predator moves in for the kill

Tania Robertson arrived at the electrical firm called Bloemfontein to see this next to her desk - a snake caught in a spider's web with its predator moving in for a meal.

Astonishingly the snake was off the ground and tangled in the web. And the spider was making short work of tucking in to possibly its biggest meal ever.

Witnesses say the spider spend two days weaving a web around its kill lifting it higher off the ground and continually snacking on it.

At one point the spider reacted aggressively to a fly that accidentally landed on the web, chasing it away from its kill.


David and Goliath: The 14cm-long spider makes light work of the snake, pulling it into a more manageable 'bite-sized' meal

Making a meal out of it: According to spider experts, this arachnid is a female from the brown button species which is not as deadly as a black widow

Spider expert Leon Lotz from the National Museum said the spider was a female brown button, but amazingly is not quite as deadly as a black widow.

Still, you wouldn't want to be bitten by one if it can do this to a 14cm long Aurora house snake, even if it is harmless.

Leon said he's heard of only one other similar occasion where a snake fell prey to a spider.

The following day Leon took charge of the spider, which is actually quite rare in South Africa.

These pictures, which were taken in 2004, now serve as an educational aid.

The brown button spiders live for about two years, and was fed on a slightly less exotic menu - bugs and moths.


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What a hoot! Owl caught on camera letting out a huge belly laugh

By Leon Watson


Chuckle time: This owl is letting out a huge belly laugh as he perches on a branch in the Olympic National Park, in Washington

This bird seems to be having the time of his life - and is h-owl-ing with laughter.

The snowy owl appears to be throwing back his head, closing his eyes and letting out a huge belly laugh as he perches on a branch in the Olympic National Park, in the U.S. state of Washington.

Photographer Tin Man Lee hiked for miles to take the stunning photographs of the birds in their natural habitat, when they flock to the mountain in early February.


Mr Lee, from Los Angeles, California, said: 'At the start of the spring, quite a few snowy owls fly to Washington State for food.

'Getting to the spot was quite challenging, which was a five-mile hike on the sand or tall grass in gusty wind from the Pacific Ocean.


Natural setting: The owl perches on a branch as it's photographed by Tin Man Lee

Rugged: The Olympic National Park is set on around 62 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline

'I actually fell down once while approaching the owl when I was walking on the rotten tree branches when one of them was broken.

'I was carrying my camera gear so I had to land on my knees. It was painful, but worth it to get this shot.

'I think the owl was actually yawning, but it looks like smiling.

'Owls usually have their eyes shut during the daytime, so it was really incredible to see this one pulling such a funny face.'

The rugged Olympic was designated a national park in 1938 and is located in the north-west of Washington state and is renowned for the diversity of its ecosystems.

It has glacier-clad peaks interspersed with extensive alpine meadows are surrounded by an extensive old growth forest, among which is the best example of intact and protected temperate rainforest in the Pacific Northwest.

Eleven major river systems drain the Olympic mountains, offering some of the best habitat for anadromous fish species in the country.

The park is set on around 62 miles of wilderness coastline, the longest undeveloped coast in the contiguous U.S., and is rich in native and endemic animal and plant species, including a critically endangered population of the endangered northern spotted owl.



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