ASTONISHING PURPLE CREATURES

Violet animals have their own special beauty, some more rare than others. From chinchillas to snails, check out a few that might be new to you below.

VIOLET CHINCHILLA

We’ve recently fallen in love with Violet Chinchillas! Chinchilla’s (Chinchilla lanigera) are beautiful fur-balls some of which sport a gorgeous grayish violet color.

These crepuscular rodents are native to the Andes mountains in Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, and Chile. Coveted for their velvety soft fur, they have been hunted to near extinction and are now only found in the wild at high elevations in Chile.

Violet is one of 8 base colors of chinchillas, the standard being grey. Want a beautiful violet furry dream pet, check out Cameron's Chinchillas, based in Buckinghamshire, UK.

For more info, check out The National Chinchilla Society.

PURPLE EMPEROR BUTTERFLY

The Purple Emperor (Apatura iris), is a beautiful dark violet butterfly that flits through life in central-southern England, feeding upon aphid honeydew and tree sap. The species has been in decline due to loss of habitat.

ROSEMARY BEETLE

The Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana) sports a beautiful elytra, with metallic green and purple longitudinal stripes. The wings are quite short, so these beetles can not fly.

They feed upon on the pale purple blossoms and leaves of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), lavender (Lavandula) and thyme (Thymus) in southern Europe, North Africa, the Near East and the Middle East.

VIOLET SEA SNAILS

Violet Sea Snails (Janthina janthina) is found worldwide in the warm waters of tropical and temperate seas, floating with the aid of self-generated air-bubbles at the surface. They feed upon pelagic (floating) hydrozoans, especially the by-the-wind sailor (Velella velella) and the Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis).

ROYAL STARFISH

The Royal Starfish (Astropecten articulatus) is just one of several species of violet-colored starfish. It hangs out in the West Atlantic ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea, usually at a depth of about 20–30 metres (70–100 ft).

Royal starfish feed on mollusks, which they catch with their purple arms. Unlike other starfish, it swallows food whole.

PURPLE SEA STAR

The Purple Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus) adds its violet hued beauty to the waters of the Pacific Ocean. It is considered a keystone species, an important indicator for the health of the the ecosystem in the intertidal zone.

The Pisaster giganteus, which has purple spines, is sometimes mistaken for the Purple Sea Star.

Read more about Powerful Purple all this week on BeautifulNow, including  including Purple Blossoming Paradises, Beautiful Purple Crystal Power, Ultra Beautiful Ultra Violet Musings, and Ultra Violet Birds!. And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: Violet Chinchilla. Courtesy of Cameron's Chinchillas.
2. Image: Violet Chinchilla. Courtesy of Cameron's Chinchillas.
3. Image: Violet Chinchilla. Courtesy of Cameron's Chinchillas.
4. Image: Violet Chinchilla. Courtesy of Cameron's Chinchillas.
5. Image: by Tony Court Purple Emperor Butterfly (Apatura iris).
6. Image: by Allan Drewitt. “Rosemary Beetle.” Courtesy of Natural England. Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana).
7. Image: by Sprogz. “Lavender Beetle.” Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana).
8. Image: by H. Zell. “Janthina janthina. Violet Sea Snails (Janthina janthina).
9. Image: by Mark Walz “Purple and Orange Starfish on the Beach.” Royal Starfish (Astropecten articulatus).
10. Image: by Alyse & Remi. “Purple Starfish.” Purple Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus).
11. Image: by Aftab Uzzaman. “Life.” Purple Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus).
12. Image: by Thomas Quine. “Starfish.” Purple Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus).
13. Image: by Rudoni Productions Rosemary beetle Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana).