acrylic on illustration board 18" x 24" $12,000. The potoos comprise a family of seven nocturnal bird species found in the American tropics. Relatives of the nightjars and nighthawks, their cryptic coloration and oddly stilted posture makes them look for all the world like a broken snag of a branch. The Long-tailed Potoo (Nyctibius aethereus) is found in lowland rainforests through most of the Amazon drainage system, and is typical of the group. The female lays a single egg in a depression on the surface of a branch, and very shortly after hatching, the nestling begins adopting that branch-mimicking posture. The upper eyelid of the potoo is equipped with a pair of notches that leave pinholes through which the bird can view potential danger while its eyes are closed. The anoles also comprise their own family that’s restricted to warm parts of the New World, but their group is much larger, with over 400 species. The Banded Tree Anole (Anolis transversalis), with its bold pattern and blue irises, is one of the most attractive anoles, and one of the larger species. |
