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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sirajstc" data-source="post: 7323890" data-attributes="member: 91140"><a href="http://webecoist.com/category/nature-and-ecosystems/" target="_blank">http://webecoist.com/category/nature-and-ecosystems/</a>  <img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/D.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D" data-shortname=":D" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/D.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D" data-shortname=":D" /><img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_main.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> There may not be a One-horned One-eyed Flying Purple People Eater but there ARE a lot of actual purple animals around – one might say there are a bunch. Color them purple, lavender, mauve, orchid or violet, these <a href="http://webecoist.com/2010/03/30/azure-as-the-sun-shines-10-amazing-blue-animals/" target="_blank">colorful animals</a> add a rich, distinctive tone to nature’s varied palette. Isn’t that grape? <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/whiteblock10.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Purple Emperor Butterfly <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_1a.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(images via: <a href="http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/Butterfly/32/Butterfly.html?ButterflyId=8" target="_blank">Butterfly-Conservation</a> and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/Purple_Emperor" target="_blank">BBC</a>) Purple Emperors are large butterflies found in southern England, most of continental Europe and in northern Asia as far east as Korea. How purple are <a href="http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/Butterfly/32/Butterfly.html?ButterflyId=8" target="_blank">Purple Emperors</a>? That depends on your point of view… literally. The top surfaces of the butterfly’s wings are covered in iridescent scales that refract light toward the indigo blue to deep violent end of the visual spectrum. From certain angles to butterflies display a rich, royal purple tone. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_1x.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/uk-butterflies/the-butterfly-with-a-woodland-empire-1751565.html?action=Popup" target="_blank">The Independent</a>) Purple emperors normally live in forest treetops but males will descend to the forest floor and to roadsides in search of mineral salts. Sources for these essential salts are fresh animal dung or puddles infused with road salt. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/whiteblock9.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Purple Beetles <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_2b.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(images via: <a href="http://www.terrapodcast.com/graphics.php" target="_blank">Terrapodcast</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ursula_skjonnemand/4258184617/" target="_blank">Ursula Skjonnemand</a> and <a href="http://jonthecomposer.com/carsoffriends.htm" target="_blank">Jon the Composer</a>) There are more different kinds of beetles than any other taxonomic order so one would expect to find a plethora of purple beetles. Such is not the case, however, and true purple beetles are noteworthy by their rarity. Er, sorry for the VWs, couldn’t resist. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_2a1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo85642.htm" target="_blank">Treknature</a>) In most cases, beetles that appear to be purple display this hue by virtue of iridescence – same technique as Purple Emperors. These beautiful, jewel-like insects display purple hues along with shades of blue and green. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_2x.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cetp/3483200310/" target="_blank">Cetp</a>) Most animals use color as either a way to camouflage themselves against predators or to make themselves more visible to those of their own kind. As well, human vision does not register in the ultraviolet area so what appears purple to our eyes is actually irrelevant to the creatures’ actual intent. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/whiteblock8.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Violet Sea Snails <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_3.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(images via: <a href="http://www.mesa.edu.au/AtoZ/Violet_Sea_Snail.asp" target="_blank">MESA</a>, <a href="http://www.scribblygumwiki.net/forum_fish?DokuWiki=114c011a665ba11905813eaec251977f" target="_blank">Scribbly Gum Wiki</a> and <a href="http://www.floridastateparks.org/bahiahonda/photogallery.cfm?pagenum=8&viewphoto=68" target="_blank">Florida State Parks</a>) The Violet Sea Snail is one weird gastropod. Its lovely lavender shell is paper-thin and fairly fragile – not really a problem because it spends its entire life floating on the surface of tropical oceans. It manages this by whipping up a froth of bubbles with its foot, then sealing the bubbles in mucus to form a foamy raft. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_3x.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.ipernity.com/doc/tr1stero/695104" target="_blank">Cetp</a>) Violet snails aren’t just hermaphrodites, they’re protandric hermaphrodites which means they’re born male and turn female – going through “the Change” was never like this. If that’s not weird enough, consider the fact that <a href="http://www.mesa.edu.au/AtoZ/Violet_Sea_Snail.asp" target="_blank">Violet Sea Snails</a> (when in their male phase) have no penis. Instead, they bundle up their sperm in a little floating package that somehow, somewhere, might happen to bump into a female snail. And we do mean “accidentally” because Violet Sea Snails are blind. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/whiteblock7.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Purple Starfish <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_4a.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(images via: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarque/2884079538/" target="_blank">The Marque</a> and <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g181772-d1055146-EcoCruising-Sidney_Vancouver_Island_British_Columbia.html" target="_blank">Trip Advisor</a>) Starfish are a varied order of creatures that sport a surprisingly varied range of colors, including some striking hues of purple and violet. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_4b.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.valeriereiss.com/blog/?p=1352" target="_blank">Valerie Reiss</a>) It may be that the blue-green tint of seawater screens out some of the redder wavelengths of sunlight, therefore making a starfish that looks purple on dry land much more elusive when viewed underwater. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_4x.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.nunukphotos.com/Other-Nature/Purple-starfish-on-beach" target="_blank">NunukPhotos</a>) The most commonly seen purple starfish is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ochre_sea_star.jpg" target="_blank">Ochre Sea Star</a>, found on and around Pacific Ocean coastlines in the intertidal zone. Though starfish, like most echinoderms, incorporate Calcium compounds into their exoskeletons, studies indicate that they will not be overly affected by rising ocean acidification that results from global warming. Good news if you like starfish… or if you ARE one. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/whiteblock6.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Orchid Dotty Back <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_5.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Orchid Dottybacks are popular aquarium fish and it’s no wonder why: though it only grows to a length of 2 inches (5cm), they add a jolt of brilliant violet to any indoor seascape. Keep in mind, however, that dottybacks are carnivorous and need a steady diet of meat (shrimp will do) to thrive in captivity. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_5x.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.zoovisits.com/fish.html" target="_blank">Zoovisits</a>) Dottybacks are native to the western Indian Ocean and aren’t always purple – other colloquial names are Magenta Dottyback and Strawberry Dottyback. The <a href="http://www.aqua-fish.net/saltwater/?orchid-dottyback" target="_blank">Orchid Dottyback</a> goes by a specific latin name: Pseudochromis Fridmani. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/whiteblock5.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Indian Purple Frog <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_6a.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_6b.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(images via: <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=scientists-discover-new-f" target="_blank">Scientific American</a>, <a href="http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/tag/birds/" target="_blank">An Unquiet Mind</a> and <a href="http://www.zsl.org/conservation/conservation-programmes/edge/edge-amphibians,52,PS.html" target="_blank">ZSL</a>) A bizarre purple burrowing frog discovered in 2003 doesn’t just look unlike any other frog, it IS unlike them, having split off from a common ancestor approximately 130 million years ago. The frog, <a href="http://www.edgeofexistence.org/edgeblog/?cat=30" target="_blank">Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis</a>, shocked biologists into awarding it status as a new species in a wholly new family of amphibians. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_6x.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.arkive.org/purple-frog/nasikabatrachus-sahyadrensis/image-G21797.html" target="_blank">Arkive</a>) Nasikabatrachus lives in the Western Ghats region of southern India. The bulbous, bloated, pointy-snouted frog bears the distinction of being the first new family of amphibians to be discovered since 1926. One of the frog’s more unusual features are its turquoise-rimmed tiny eyes… the better to see you with? <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/whiteblock4.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Indigo Snake <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_7.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(images via: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toadaway/711768049/" target="_blank">Toadaway</a> and <a href="http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/drycor.htm" target="_blank">UGA</a>) The Eastern Indigo Snake is North America’s longest snake, though some rattlers can outweigh them. At up to 10 feet (3.05m) long, these Colubrid snakes make an instant impression. As big as they are, few people are familiar with the Eastern Indigo Snake or its southwestern relative, the Texas Indigo Snake, which often does not work to the snake’s advantage and that’s unfortunate: these snakes are immune to rattlesnake venom and will often take on rattlers… for lunch. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_7x.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=11912" target="_blank">Optics Talk</a>) Indigo Snakes have smooth scales that reflect light with a measure of iridescence, giving them a deep purple appearance that shifts and shimmers in changing light conditions. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/whiteblock3.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Purple Martin <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_8.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(images via: <a href="http://www.duncraft.com/blog/index.php/2010/02/08/how-to-attract-and-house-purple-martins/" target="_blank">Duncraft</a>, <a href="http://www.birdzilla.com/purple-martins.html" target="_blank">Birdzilla</a> and <a href="http://www.kiwifoto.com/blog/tag/ohio/" target="_blank">Kiwifoto</a>) Purple Martins are among America’s best loved birds, and they seem to like us as well. So thoroughly have these largest members of the Swallow family taken to the multistory <a href="http://purplemartin.org/forumarchives/interest.htm" target="_blank">Martin “apartments”</a> homeowners have set out for them that they prefer living in them to more natural woodland nesting places. Purple Martins migrate and on the return trip will typically send a lone scout ahead to seek out a suitable nesting place. If the scout discovers the birdhouse you’ve set out, the same family group may return to it year after year. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_8x.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.alanmurphyphotography.com/Gallerypages/martin,%20swallow/purplemartin.htm" target="_blank">Alan Murphy Photography</a>) <a href="http://purplemartin.org/forumarchives/interest.htm" target="_blank">Purple Martins</a> are strict insect eaters – don’t bother setting out birdseed for them. In return for providing a safe and secure nesting place they will do what martins and swallows do so well: eat copious amounts of bothersome insects. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/whiteblock2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Pete, the Purple Squirrel <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_9.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(images via: <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/01/pete_the_purple_squirrel.php" target="_blank">Tetrapod Zoology</a> and <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3884420/Purple-squirrel-baffles-experts.html" target="_blank">Telegraph UK</a>) Squirrels aren’t naturally purple, so when a certain Grey Squirrel appeared sporting a distinctive, violet-tinged coat, naturally it attracted a lot of attention from British park-goers. The squirrel, quickly dubbed “Pete”, was seen by a number of witnesses in and around the grounds of Meoncross School in the town of Stubbington, Hampshire, UK. <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_9x.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1099282/Pete-purple-squirrel-leaves-animal-lovers-baffled.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail UK</a>) Several theories have been put forth to try and explain how and why <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/01/pete_the_purple_squirrel.php" target="_blank">Pete the Purple Squirrel</a> displays such an un-squirrel-like hue. One is that he (or she) got into a discarded printer ink cartridge and spread the ink over its fur while grooming. Another states that, like other creatures used as markers in scientific studies of population and distribution, Pete was sprayed with a non-toxic dye in order to make it easier for researchers to track him. If it’s the latter, than Pete should shortly revert to a more typical tint. Nuts! <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/whiteblock1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Pelusa, the Purple Polar Bear <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_10.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(images via: <a href="http://www.drum-core.com/board/showthread.php?t=4723" target="_blank">Drum-Core</a> and <a href="http://s75.photobucket.com/home/jlong5000/recentuploads?page=2" target="_blank">Jlong5000</a>) Last and not least, we present Pelusa, the <a href="http://www.drum-core.com/board/showthread.php?t=4723" target="_blank">Purple Polar Bear</a> of the Pampas… not an official name but one that reflects the normally snow white bear’s current abode at the Mendoza, Argentina, zoo. According to Julio Alvarez, a veterinarian at the zoo, “At the moment and for a few days longer Pelusa will look purple because we’ve applied an ointment as a treatment for skin problems.” <img src="http://cdn.webecoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/purple_animals_10x.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />(image via: <a href="http://www.drum-core.com/board/showthread.php?t=4723" target="_blank">Drum-Core</a>) </blockquote>

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