Weekly Dose of Cute

Yeah, I know, a clouded leopard cub has graced the weekly cute once before. But OMGZ how could I not post this picture? From the National Zoo a la ZoobornsClouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa), by the way, are a vulnerable species of cat found in Southeast Asia. They're fairly small, growing only to around 50lbs - smaller than your average Labrador Retriever. It's a very difficult cat to find in the wild, so little is known about its behavior outsize zoos, and population estimates are rough at best. The World Conservation Union estimates fewer than 10,000 leopards exist, and believe the…

Zoe, a domestic house cat, has gotten three new kittens to take care of this week. But they're not just any orphaned kittens - they're baby bobcats. Sure, they're small and cute now - about half the size of her other, older babies. But when these little tykes become adults, they'll be twice Zoe's size! The three bobcat kittens were found this week during the demolition of an abandoned home in Newberry County, South Carolina. The trio were quickly transported to Carolina Wildlife Care in Columbia, S.C., where they were taken in by Zoe, a recent mother cat with plenty of milk to spare.…

I know, I know - it's not meese. Moose is singular and plural. But it should be meese, so that's what I'm sticking with. Here is a truly cute video of a couple young meese enjoying a sprinkler: H/T Lilian

When I saw these pictures over at Zooborns, I knew they had to be this week's dose of cute. These are some of the cutest animals I have ever seen! These photos were taken by Flickr user PeterH81 at the British Wildlife Centre. Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are the species that we tend to think of when we think of a "fox." The name comes from their characteristic orange-ish, red-ish brown fur. The fox's amazing flexibility and intelligence that have given it a mischievous reputation have served it well evolutionarily, and the red fox is the most abundant species of fox on the planet. They're…

These little guys are my Stepmom's baby chickens. Aren't they adorable? Photo by Sue Wilcox Happy Easter Everyone!

Sure, when he gets big, this little guy will be one of the world's largest lizards, weighing in at 150 lbs and growing to length of up to 10 feet long. He'll be feared as a man eater, possessing a venomous bite that can be fatal. But right now he's just a little guy, and boy, is he cute! Komodo Dragons are the largest lizards on the planet, giving us just the tiniest taste of what the world must have been like in the age of dinosaurs. What they have in size, however, they lack in distribution: the range of the Komodo is the smallest of any of the world's large carnivores, consisting of only…

Often, the cutest things come in small packages. Not so with Ralph - at 42 lbs, he's a record-breaking rabbit. Ralph comes from a huge family - both his mother and father previously held the world records for largest rabbit in length and weight. And though he's already the biggest bunny in the world, Ralph is still growing! No one knows how immense this ball off fluff will get, but however big he ends up being, he's sure to still be 100% adorable.

See? Cartoon cute. It may be easy to put a kitten up as the weekly dose of cute, but look at him - he may be the cutest kitten ever. Cuter, perhaps, than even that little ocelot kitten, which, until now, has earned the title of cutest kitten ever. I mean, look at him! His eyes are cartoon adorable. I didn't know cat eyes could actually look like Puss N Boots! How could I resist showcasing this unbelievable exhibition of pure cuteness? Anyhow, this six-week-old cutest kitten competitor was born at Australia's Adelaide Zoo (there are actually three of them!). Servals (Leptailurus serval) are…

You may not have heard of the American Pika. Pika are small little rodent relatives most closely related to rabbits, though they look chinchilla-esque. They're native to colder climates all over the world, including Asia, Europe and North America, and they tend to live on rocky mountain slopes where they can hide in small crevices. Because they are adapted to cold mountainsides, the pika are particularly at risk is the global climate warms, as changing temperatures could push them further and further up the slopes until they can go no higher. Indeed, studies have shown that the pika are…

A little proof that the mini version of just about anything is cute: Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher/WCS via Zooborns These little tykes are the Bronx Zoo's newest arrivals: baby Kihansi Spray Toads (Nectophrynoides asperginis). While they might just look like any other toad, this species is unique. Females give birth to fully-formed babies, not eggs like most amphibians. There are no tadpoles here - baby toads come right out of mom looking like mini versions of their parents. Unfortunately, you can't observe this amazing phenomena in the Kihansi Gorge of Tanzania, where these toads are from…

The Hawaiian archipelago has a lot of amazing and adorable creatures. Here's a great shot of a baby white tern, or Manu-o-ku, c/o my lab mate Tonatiuh. It was taken by National Geographic explorers in 2005 while they were in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.When people think of Hawaii, they think of the 8 main islands where people live, but the archipelago stretches another 1,200 miles and includes many islands and atolls with vibrant coral reefs and amazing wildlife. This area is so special it's practically off limits to everyone but scientists, protected by NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary…

I just realized I haven't done a weekly dose of cute baby tiger before! I'm actually a little shocked. Well, here's a real cute one for ya - so ferocious! :) Photo credit to Associated PressThe little tyke is a white tiger born at the Chilean National Zoo. There are more pictures, too - to see the rest of the cuteness, pop over to Zooborns.com.

Wow. This is so cute, it burns. h/t Greg Laden

This is just too adorable. It turns out trampolines aren't just for kids: The foxes must have thought it was the greatest discovery EVER.

No, not the small little drums. I'm talking about Bongos, the vibrant antelopes: c/o the Houston Zoo and ZooBorns Bongos are a kind of large antelope native to the lowlands and some mountains of Africa. They're at least two different subspecies: Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus (the lowland bongo) and Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci (the eastern or mountain bongo). Both subspecies are facing constant threats; the lowland bongo is listed as near-threatened by the IUCN and the mountain bongo is endangered, with more specimens in captivity than in the wild (~400 in Zoos in North America). The…

Ok, I really tried not to post about this. But come on - they're just so cute. I want ten of them. And to really make you squeal, some video: (it's all your fault, Rick. Ever since you posted this on your facebook I couldn't stop thinking about them!)

Last week, we saw the bravest rodent in the world. But these ones are the largest, and they are adorable!Photo by NIGEL TREBLIN/AFP/Getty ImagesMeet the Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). When I say big, I mean huge. Capybaras can get over 4 ft long and weigh in at 140 lbs! And they live in large, social groups led by a dominant male, similar to many ranging grazing mammals. They're semi-aquatic herbivorous mammals found throughout South America wherever there is water and forest. They can stay underwater for up to 5 minutes and are fantastic swimmers. They've even been known to sleep…

I stumbled across this little story at Snuzzy.Com and simply had to share it. How's this for a brave little rodent? Photos taken by Casey Gutteridge As the story goes, what was initially identified as a mouse (though closer inspection identifies as a young rat) decided that it wanted some of what Sheena, a 12 year old African leopard at the Santago Rare Leopard Project in Hertfordshire, was about to eat for lunch. The leopard was quite stunned by the creature's boldness, and at first she was taken back and even acted a little frightened according to photographer Casey Gutteridge. She then…

Puppies are cute. Kittens are cute. Puppies DRESSED AS KITTENS: cute overload! Conan O'Brien, you are the cute master. (H/T @KSuzJ via twitter)

Sure adult fish are rarely considered cute. But c'mon - their babies are downright adorable! A little Convict Tang in Hanauma Bay (photo by moi)Baby puffer c/o AndreaHarner.comLittle Guppies c/o Maddie's Home