Advice

American Paddlefish

I was almost eaten by one of these when I was younger visitng my grandparents at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.  They don't eat meat, but this thing tried to swallow me whole. 

The American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) is currently known from the Mississippi River watershed in the United States, including slow-flowing waters of the Mississippi River itself, as well as various tributaries including the Missouri River, Ohio River, Yellowstone River, Wisconsin River, Des Moines River, and Arkansas River systems. These fish were also found historically in Lake Erie, in the Great Lakes, but in May 2000, the Canadian Species at Risk Act listed the paddlefish as being extirpated in Canada.


The American paddlefish is one of the largest freshwater fish in North America. They commonly reach 5 feet (1.5 m) or more in length and can weigh more than 60 pounds (27 kg). The largest American paddlefish on record, weighing 144 pounds (65 kg), was caught by Clinton Boldridge in the Atchison Watershed in Kansas. The largest unofficial record was 206 pounds from Lake Cumberland in Kentucky;[citation needed] postcards from the 1960s[which?] show a photo of this huge fish.

Fossils of other kinds of paddlefish have been found. One such species is Crossopholis magnicaudatus, from the Eocene-age Green River Shale deposit in Wyoming.

Baby Hummingbirds

Most hummingbirds unfortunately die during their first year but, those that do survive that first year have an average hummingbird life span of 3 to 4 years.

Kitten Party

Sometimes I wish my cats could talk...it'd make living alone a little less quiet.

Lil' Cat...she died young.

Sneezy.  She'll be a year old in July.

Noodles will be 13 in Feb

Penguin Meat

Last night after seeing the advertisement for the movie Mr. Poppers Penguins, I was curious about Penguin meat.  After some internet research this morning it seems that people don't eat Penguins.  Early expolorers in the Arctic said Penguins tasted terrible.  I still can't find a description of what they taste like...more like poultry or fish?

BTW:  I think I remember liking the book of Mr. Poppers Penguins.

More Squirrel Taxidermy

I could have seen these in person, but I stupidly cancelled going to the meeting where these little critters are being held captive.  I tried rotating them, but for some reason they don't follow my directions.  Just use your neck and turn your head.

Bird Cancer

What kinds of cancers do pet birds get? Many types of tumors have been diagnosed in pet birds, including tumors of the skin and internal organs. Budgerigars seem to be one species of bird that is very prone to cancer. Probably the most common malignancy diagnosed is an internal tumor of either the kidney or gonad (ovary or testicle). As the tumor grows, often the first sign of trouble is lameness of one leg. This occurs because the tumor often impinges on the nerves to the leg on that side, resulting in lameness. Eventually, the abdomen may become distended, either because the tumor continues growing, or because fluid accumulates in the abdomen. Some tumors of the testicle or ovary produce hormones opposite of the sex of the bird, so a male budgie may develop a brown cere (the normal adult color of most male budgies is blue), or a female budgie that normally has a brown cere may suddenly develop a blue cere.
A male budgie patient of mine (with a beautiful, deep blue cere), named Fax, developed a testicular tumor that produced female hormones. His cere went from blue to tan in a short period of time. My client did not want to put him through a major surgery, and he went on to live for another year and a half before succumbing to his cancer.
Ovarian carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are types of cancer that can be very dangerous, as surgical removal of the entire mass is difficult, if not impossible, as the ovary is closely associated with large blood vessels. For this reason, the cancer may reoccur after surgical removal. Clinical signs may include abdominal distension, fluid build-up in the abdomen, breathing problems, weakness or paralysis of the left leg and a visible or palpable mass in the abdomen. Hens may also develop cancer of the oviduct. If caught in time, it might be possible to remove the oviduct with the malignancy, however, these tumors often metastasize to the surfaces of other internal organs. Just about the worst tumor that I have ever seen was one that developed in the oviduct of a Hyacinth macaw that actually eroded through the body wall and bulged out in the area of the hip on the left side. By this time, the tumor was inoperable, unfortunately.
Tumors involving the kidney may cause signs of increased urination and concomitant increased thirst and advanced tumors may result in gout formation.
Unfortunately, these types of tumors are often not detected until the mass has grown to a size making surgery risky. Some tumors will have invaded surrounding tissues and organs, making complete excision impossible and other tumors may have already traveled to other organs, called metastasis, which means that the bird will not be cured.
When dealing with tumors, in some cases, complete surgical removal is curative. However, there is always a concern that a tumor might have already spread to other organs, so additional tests might be necessary, including radiographs (x-rays), MRIs or CT scans, to ascertain if any suspicious masses are present elsewhere in the body. When dealing with a malignant tumor on a limb, it is often best to amputate the limb to try to prevent problems with cancer reoccurring in the future. While this may seem like a drastic measure, birds adapt very well to the loss of a limb (or partial limb).
With some cancers, in addition to surgical excision of the mass, chemotherapy or radiation therapy may also be warranted. There are some quite sophisticated treatments and procedures that are now available for avian patients with cancer, however these may only be available at referral centers, veterinary colleges and specialty centers.
As with other species, cancer rates increase as avian patients age. Since avian medicine has dramatically improved the quality of life for many birds, and birds are living longer lives, we can expect that we will see more cases of avian cancer in older birds, however it is not unusual to see some types of cancer in budgies and other small birds that are as young as four or five years of age.

Favorite Animals - Tijuana Zebra

A `Tijuana Zebra` is a donkey that has been painted with stripes so that it looks like a zebra.

Squirrel Taxidermy is so degrading.

Cat Abortion, it's so sad

Although the vast majority of cat owners are responsible people who do elect to get their female cats desexed well before they manage to mate and become pregnant, there are some owners who delay getting their cats spayed only to find themselves with a pregnant cat and the prospect of unwanted kittens arriving. In these unwanted-pregnancy situations, many pet owners will often elect to have their pregnant cats spayed rather than allowing the kittens to be born. It seems such a simple quick-fix option - just spay her before the kittens come along and voila, problem solved ... But is it right? The picture on the right shows a pregnant cat uterus that has been removed by cat spaying surgery. The uterus contains three kittens. The purpose of this page is to visually demonstrate to cat owners exactly what it is that they are doing to their pet cat/s and those unborn kittens when they fail to get their pets spayed early and end up desexing them whilst they are pregnant.

The moral and ethical implications of spaying a pregnant cat:Although the feline pregnant-spay procedure is safe enough to perform when it comes to the life of the mother cat (it is rare for pregnant cats to die during the spaying procedure), owners electing this pregnant-spay procedure should be aware that the spay procedure in question does result in the death of the fetal kittens contained within the mother cat's womb (spaying deprives the uterus and therefore the kittens of a life-giving blood supply). The procedure is, therefore, a form of surgical abortion and there is the potential for the unborn kittens to suffer during the procedure, particularly if the kittens in question are in the later stages of fetal development (within 2-3 weeks of being born). The image on the right is one of the fetal kittens that was present within the pregnant uterus pictured above. You can see how well-developed and clearly-recognisable as a kitten it already is. It even has a tail and toenails!

Animals I love

Canada Goose Facts
• Life expectancy about 20 years• Weight: 20-25 pounds• Migration is a learned process• Migratory geese flight range 2 – 3 thousand miles• Resident geese flight range: 100 –200 miles to find food, water, and safety.• Resident geese can fly long distances as their migratory cousins, but generally have learned that it is not necessary.• Migratory geese do not become resident geese unless they are injured.• Mating season: February to March• Geese mate for life and will stay together during all seasons.• Geese will find a new mate if mate dies or is killed.• Migratory geese nest in Canada.• Geese nesting in the U.S. are "resident" geese who were born here.• Resident geese were imported to the area for rebuilding dwindling numbers for conservation or hunting. The urban nuisance was not anticipated.• Nesting Season: Mid March to mid May• Age of geese when they begin to nest: 3 years• Geese return to the general area of their birth each year to mate and nest. Sometimes the exact site, sometimes a nearby pond or other body of water.• The instinct to return to their general area or birth is very strong.• Migratory geese fly 2,000–3,000 miles to return to these sites.• Resident geese do not know how to migrate.• When geese are chased from their traditional nesting area or the nesting area has too many nesting pairs, they find alternative sites to nest … sometimes farther from water, sometimes in nearby ponds, sometimes on rooftops or balconies. They will hide their nests.• Geese prefer isolated sites near water to nest. Islands are their favorite location.• Nests are usually on the ground, in the open.• Sometimes geese nest in brushy or swampy areas not subject to flooding.• When egg laying begins the "Father" goose will stand sentinel watch nearby, but not so close as to give away location of nest to a predator. When a solitary goose is seen during nesting season a nest is somewhere in the vicinity.• The eggs in a nest are called a "clutch"• Average number of eggs in a nest: 5• Mother goose lays 1 egg approximately 1_ days apart until full clutch is obtained.• Eggs not being incubated are cool to the touch.• Mother goose waits until all eggs are laid before she begins to sit on nest to incubate eggs• Incubation time: 28 – 30 days• Undeveloped eggs (still fluid) will sink or float vertically with the wider portion of the egg pointing down.• Developed eggs will float horizontally or at a slight angle and break the surface of the water. At that point they are one to two weeks away from hatching.• All geese eggs in a single clutch hatch on approximately the same day• Baby geese are called "goslings".• Natural predators of geese are foxes, raccoons, owls and snapping turtles• Goslings can fly approximately 2-3 months after hatching.• During June adult geese lose wing feathers and are unable to fly. This is called molting.• Molting season runs from early June to late July.• Geese can fly again approximately 6 weeks after molting.• Generally by early August all geese (except injured geese) are able to fly.• During the molt geese need to be near water (any water) for easy escape from predators. The molting area needs an easily accessible food supply.

Idols

This is Bangs.

1. She grew up in Ottawa, Canada.

2. She researched sea lions in Antarctica.

3. She worked at the Mac Counter at Macy's in Towson Town Center

4. She has 4 older brothers (Rick, Neil, Tad and Lionel)

5. Her father is a pilot for Delta

6. She has a green thumb

7. She loves Middle Eastern art

8. She's driven from Baltimore to New York, but skipped going through New Jersey.

10. She is deathly afraid of horses.

Animals I Love

Q: What's the difference between a spotted hyena and any other hyena?

A: There are four species of hyenas: the spotted, striped and brown hyenas and the aardwolf. The aardwolf eats only termites. The striped and brown hyenas scavenge more than the spotted hyena, and look different as well.

Q: They're related to dogs, right?

A: Wrong. Hyenas are a family of their own, the Hyaenidae. They're more closely related to cats than dogs, but their closest relatives are the Herpestidae -- mongooses, meerkats and such.

Q: But what on earth do they have in common with cats?

A: Skeletal details it would take a specialist to explain. DNA studies also prove the relationship. When hyenas lick the space between their hind legs, they lift one or both hind legs into the air much like cats -- "playing the cello," as one cat-lover has called it. One observer claims the female purrs while suckling her cubs.

Q: Okay, so could a hyena cross with either a cat or a dog and produce offspring?

A: No way! In order to produce offspring, even sterile ones, the parents have to be sufficiently closely related to at least be in the same family of animals. Dogs are in one family, the Canidae. Cats are in another, the Felidae. And as I've just said above, hyenas are in their own family. They couldn't possibly produce offspring with any canid or felid, not even with artificial fertilization in a laboratory.

Q: How hard can a hyena bite, really?

A: Dr. Frank advises me a lot of figures get tossed around, but they usually involve one attempt to measure one individual animal's strength on one occasion. Such figures aren't much use. But a hyena can support its own weight by its jaws -- it can actually hang by its jaws from a larger animal. Hyenas -- Nature's Gangsters shows dramatic proof of this when a hyena hangs onto a full-grown topi antelope by its jaws alone while the topi leaps, lunges and spins in a futile effort to throw off its captor.
However, Wendy Binder of UCLA did do a study on Dr. Frank's hyenas. According to Dr. Frank:
"Unfortunately, Wendy's thesis presents her data in terms of force (Newtons) rather than pressure (psi). She measured forces as high as 4500 Newtons, but a quick search of the internet did not show me an easy way to convert this to a pressure measure. I assume that would involve dividing the force measure over a surface area; the unit conversation program that I found said that 4500 Newtons is equal to 1011 pound force. Perhaps if this were divided by the surface area of the tooth doing the biting??? I would guess that is less than 1/4 sq. in., so the force might be around 4000 psi???"
That should give you an idea how uncertain such measurements are, even in a laboratory setting. But suffice it to say you wouldn't want to get bitten by a spotted hyena.;-)
These figures may not apply to striped and brown hyenas, and definitely don't apply to aardwolves, whose jaws and teeth are so feeble that they can't even chew meat.

Q: Is it true that they're just scavengers?

A: No. Spotted hyenas kill their own prey more often than they scavenge. Favorite prey include wildebeests and zebras. But most carnivores, hyenas included, will scavenge when they get a chance.

Q: I've heard hyenas follow lions around and live off their kills.

A: It's more often the other way around. Lions often take over hyenas' kills; the males will walk right into a clan of feeding hyenas and take the carcass from them. Hyenas will steal kills from lionesses if no male lions are around and they badly outnumber the lionesses.

Q: They must not get along very well together. Do they?

A: "If animals can hate, this is a blood feud of hatred," according to Eternal Enemies. Male lions will chase and kill hyenas with no provocation. Hyenas will chase a lioness even after she abandons her kill to them. Hyenas kill and eat sick, injured or dead lions.

Q: Do hyenas have any predators, or natural enemies other than lions and humans?

A: No predators actually eat hyenas. It's not terribly efficient or helpful to one's survival to hunt other large predators. However, hyenas are vulnerable to disease organisms and parasites like any other wild animal, and this could be seen as a kind of predation.
African wild dogs seem to detest spotted hyenas almost as much as lions do. If they catch one alone, especially near their dens or their kills, they'll mob and harass it, to the point of blood being drawn.

Q: Do they really laugh?

A: When excited, especially when being attacked by another hyena, a spotted hyena will make a giggling noise. Spotted hyenas also make other noises, including a long, manic whoop best transcribed as "oooooh-WHUP!." None of these sounds indicate humor as humans know it.

Q: Will hyenas eat each other?

A: Adult hyenas of the same clan don't normally kill and eat each other. Hans Kruuk records an incident in which hyenas ate the carcass of another hyena of a different clan with whom they had fought earlier.

Q: Is it true that hyenas can change sexes?

A: No mammal can do that. What is true is that the female hyena's genitals look just like the male's: she has a huge clitoris she can erect at will and even has a sack of fibrous tissue that looks like testicles.

Q: My God, why?

A: No one knows for sure. We know what it's used for: the hyena greeting ceremony. Each hyena sniffs and licks the other's genitals and erects its own penis or clitoris. It's like dogs sniffing each other's rumps. Erection is voluntary, like raising your arm.

Q: You said the females are dominant on another page. Don't the males resent this?

A: Sometimes several males will "bait" a single female, standing around her, barking at and even nipping her. She lies down defensively and takes it, only biting back when they get close. Sometimes this baiting is serious: Kruuk saw one female with blood on her legs afterward. Other times the baiting will stop and the female will get up and walk away as if nothing had happened. If her female relatives hear the racket, they may stop the baiting. Whether this is the male equivalent of resistance to sexism, only hyenas know. Dr. Laurence Frank states that this happens when a female comes into heat and several males are following her. Dr. Mills states that other females may join in.

Q: It sounds as if hyenas don't get along very well, even if they don't eat each other.

A: Kruuk thought adult hyena society remarkably peaceful within the clan, but Dr. Frank states that female hyenas behave very aggressively toward each other. Hyenas from different clans war with each other in pitched mass battles. These fights seldom cause injuries, but occasionally one or even several hyenas are killed.

Q: Whoah! You said "adult hyena society." Surely the cubs don't fight?

A: Cubs fight viciously, often quite literally from the moment they're born. BBC's Carnivore! series has gruesome footage illustrating this. A hyena has given birth to three cubs, and two are already fighting savagely -- until they notice the third, still being licked dry, and attack it. As many as 25 percent of all cubs may die from such fights before adulthood. The worst fighting is between two sisters in the same litter. As soon as she can, the stronger female will kill the weaker. Unlike most carnivores, hyenas are born with their eyes open and teeth functional.

Q: Doesn't the mother stop this?

A: Occasionally she tries, but it's a losing battle. Also, cubs dig a network of smaller tunnels from the birthing den, tunnels into which the adults don't fit, and will kill each other there. Or, the weaker cub may be so intimidated that it doesn't dare come out to nurse and so starves to death.

Q: How long does she raise them?

A: The gestation period is 110 days, but the length of time she nurses them varies a lot depending on how dominant she is. The cubs of high-ranking mothers get to eat from the kills at a much younger age than those of low-ranking mothers, so are weaned earlier -- perhaps as early as at 8 months. The cubs of a low-ranking mother may have to nurse up to a year and a half.
Q: Do they mate for life, like wolves?

A: No. Mating is a one-time thing. The females apparently will only mate with males who were not born in the clan, sometimes even with nomadic males not attached to any clan. Males are usually transients anyway, wandering from their birth clans and often moving from clan to clan.

Q: Will hyenas eat people?

A: Dead people, yes, just as they would any other dead animal. Hyenas usually run from humans, which is why scientists studying them stay in cars and watch them through binoculars or video cameras. But in some areas, hyenas occasionally bite or even eat people, especially if they find them sleeping outside at night, according to Dr. Frank.
Q: Are there any zoos where I can go see hyenas?

A: Most zoos don't care to display hyenas, because there still isn't much public demand. People still think of hyenas as cowardly, ugly scavengers. If more people get the facts, and zoos get more requests, that may change. I'll try to keep a list of zoos that do have them (in halfway decent conditions that allow them to live a clan life):

Q: Do hyenas have any redeeming features at all?

A: The notion that Nature must justify itself to humanity is a holdover from creationism, I think. By contrasting the peculiar social behavior of hyenas with other social animals, including primates, we may learn more about ourselves and why we became social, and the evolutionary reasons for male dominance and female dominance. They also keep their prey animals' numbers under control like any other carnivore, and help rid the plains of carcasses. Finally, hyenas are interesting and have a basic right to exist, just like any other living thing.