November 29/2017

Feature:

6 Fascinating Facts About the Misunderstood Magpie

“...1. Magpies Don’t Like Shiny Things- They’re Scared of Them

Magpies have a reputation as thieves out to steal your shiny jewelry or take ornaments from your garden, but new research shows that flashy objects probably repel magpies...

Magpies are capable of wrecking crops by digging for grain, berries & other food, so along with other bird-scaring measures, placing shiny materials in fields might deter magpies & keep crops safe from being upturned & trampled.

2. Magpies Will Eat Almost Anything, Including Bird Eggs & Chicks

While their natural diet is quite broad- including insects, small rodents, grain & berries- magpies have been known to steal other birds’ eggs, & even young chicks.

…magpies have adapted… to suburban living, so they’ll often eat leftover food scraps...

3. Magpies Are Closely Related to Crows, Jays, & Ravens

... magpies belong to the bird family Corvidae, a group that includes crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, & jays, as well… treepies, choughs, & nutcrackers.

As such, magpies are among the most intelligent family of birds recognized by modern science...

4. Magpies Recognize Themselves in Mirrors

European magpies have demonstrated the remarkable ability to recognize their own reflections in mirrors, something that was once thought to be a defining characteristic belonging only to humans...

...Scientists believe that self-awareness in birds & certain mammals may be an example of convergent evolution, in which unrelated species evolve particular characteristics through different means...

5. What is a Group of Magpies Called?

There are several names given to a group of magpies, but perhaps the most descriptive is ‘a parliament’. The birds have earned this title from often appearing in large groups in the spring, looking stately & cawing at each other.

6. To the End of the Tail

...While they share some similarities with their corvid family, the magpies possess an extremely long tail. In fact, a magpie’s tail is often roughly the same length as its entire body.

Why magpies have such long tails remains up for debate, but it may provide magpies with the ability to make swift turns while in the air. This would allow the birds to evade larger predators & make up for rather average flying abilities.”

Steve Williams

September 9/ 2017

care2.com

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Nov. 22/2017

Feature:

Cattle Dog Enters Race For Mayor’s Office

     “A celebrity candidate has entered the mayoral race in St. John’s, N.L.- one with fur & 4 legs. Finn, a 5 yr. old Australian cattle dog, is featured in a tongue-in-cheek, campaign-style YouTube video making the rounmds on social media. ‘A lot of people are saying he’s the best candidate,’ Glenn Redmond, Finn’s owner said...Redmond...said Finn is an accomplished actor, having played roles in the hit movie Maudie & the television show Republic of Doyle.”

The Canadian Press

in The Gazette, Montreal

Sept. 13/2017

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Happy American Thanksgiving!

Nov. 15/2017

Feature:

Ravens Plan for the Future — Just Like Humans

“Ravens surprised researchers with something that was thought to be unique to only humans & other great apes: the ability to plan ahead.

Ravens have previously been found to store food to eat later, but it wasn’t considered evidence of planning. Scientists thought they were wired to do it on instinct, so Can Kabadayi and Mathias Osvath from the Department of Cognitive Science at Lund University in Sweden set out to see if they could complete tasks that involved planning ahead.

They set up a series of experiments for 5 ravens...The tests involved seeing whether they could plan ahead for events that were 15 minutes ahead, or as long as 17 hours ahead, & were also designed to see if ravens would use self-control to get a better reward later, instead of giving in to immediate gratification.

The ravens were taught to use a tool to open a box that contained a reward. Once they had that down, they were then offered their choice of a tool, which was placed among “distractor” objects, before they were presented with the box 15 minutes later. They successfully chose the tool & opened the box 86% of the time, & similar results were found when the box was presented 17 hours later.

Their findings, which were just published in Science show ravens outperformed chimpanzees, orangutans, bonobos, & even human children, on similar tests.

In other tests, ravens were presented with a token they could use to trade for something better at a later time. In this case, they opted to wait for something better 90% of the time.

‘To be able to solve tasks like these, one needs a collection of cognitive abilities working in concert, such as inhibitory skills & different forms of memory. That ravens show similar functions, & combine them in ways similar to apes, despite a last common ancestor as far back as 320 million years ago, suggests that evolution likes to re-run good productions,’ said Osvath.

...the findings here now add to a growing body of research surrounding non-human animal intelligence that will hopefully help grow our appreciation & respect for them.

‘One of (our) most interesting results is that intelligence is not restricted to human lineage,’ said Kabadayi. ‘Maybe we should be more humble in looking at ourselves & we should appreciate that there are other ways toward higher cognition.’”

 Alicia Graef

July 14/ 2017

care2.com

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Memorial

Dusty, one of my mother's beloved cats, recently passed away at the age of 10. He will be missed. RIP

Nov. 8/2017

Feature:

11 Surprising Animals That Hibernate  

“Hibernation, also called ‘winter sleep,’ is when an animal’s heart rate & body metabolism go down drastically for days or months at a time in order to survive the cold winter months.

...True hibernation is when an animal falls into such a deep state it appears to be dead. Whereas, torpor is a state when an animal’s heart rate & temperature reduce, but they are able to move around when needed...

Marmots

Many different species of rodents belong to the marmot family, such as groundhogs, chipmunks, ground squirrels, & alpine marmots. They can hibernate for up to 8 months straight, while maintaining a body temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius). During hibernation, they may take only 2-3 breaths per minute & their heartbeat falls to 3-4 beats per minute.

Common Poorwill

...Some populations of the common poorwill, native to western North America, hibernate during colder months. This is the only bird known to hibernate. It can settle underneath shallow rocks or rotten logs & stay there for up to 5 months...

Bears

...Bears go into a state of torpor during winter, where they can wake up & move around periodically. This allows bears to have their cubs during hibernation...they can last as long as 100 days without food or water.

Snakes

Unlike mammals, hibernation in reptiles is known as brumation. Reptiles are cold-blooded, & therefore need to find warm hideaways to hibernate, such as holes in the ground or rock crevices. Certain species, like garter snakes, hibernate in groups to preserve heat. These are known as hibernacles, which can hold hundreds of snakes at a time. The largest snake hibernacles in the world are the Narcisse Snake Dens of Manitoba, Canada, where tens of thousands of snakes gather to overwinter together.

Bats

...The 1,240 species of bats represent about 20% of all mammal species identified worldwide....Big brown bats often spend up to 66 days hibernating in the wild...

Lemurs

Despite the fact they live in tropical climates, some species of lemur hibernate. The fat-tailed dwarf lemur, native to Madagascar, hibernates for up to 8 months...During hibernation, they live off the fat in their tail & can lose almost 50% of their body weight.

Turtles

...Water turtles will bury themselves in mud & leaves at the bottom of a pond. Their body temperatures drop & they stop breathing through their lungs. They actually have specialized skin cells near their tail opening that provides enough oxygen from the water to survive. Land turtles will dig a burrow deep into the ground to ensure their safety from predators & freezing temperatures over winter.

Insects

Insects’ way of hibernating is to go into a state called diapause, which is a long-term suspension of life functions... If an insect overwinters as an adult, many species will produce an antifreeze-like substance in their blood that protects them from freezing temperatures. Moths, ladybird beetles, & bumblebees all hibernate as adults.

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are found throughout Europe, Africa, New Zealand, & Asia. They tend to maintain a constant body temperature of around 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), which can drop to 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius) during hibernation...

Snails

Snails can live up to 7 years in the wild. Although, in captivity they’re shown to live up to 25 years. Their relatively long life span means they need to hibernate over winter. They cover themselves with a thin layer of mucus to stay hydrated. Then they bury themselves & close the entrance to their shells with mucus. The mucus hardens to prevent predators from getting in during hibernation.

 Frogs & Toads

In colder climates, frogs often hibernate along creeks & in small crevices of logs & rocks. They can store glucose in their bodies, which provides a food source & prevents them from freezing solid during winter... Some toad species are known to hibernate up to 3 or 4 years straight."

Zoe Blarowski

Nov. 10/ 2016

care2.com

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Memorial

Nov. 1/2017

Feature:

Scientists Discover Rare & Endangered Cat in Borneo

“Researchers working in Borneo have captured footage of one of the most elusive & least studied wild cats on earth.

Bay cats, or Bornean cats, are about the size of a large house cat & can only be found on the island of Borneo. Very little is known about them, & they’ve continued to elude researchers.

...their population is estimated to be fewer than 2,500 individuals & they’re now listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Today, habitat loss, fragmentation & poaching are believed to be the biggest threats to their survival...

Now scientists are marveling over a surprising sighting after one was spotted about 40 miles away from nearest area they are known to exist.

The researchers weren’t looking for bay cats, but they captured footage of a male after setting up 52 camera traps in Rungan Landscape in Central Kalimantan, a region of remote forest in Indonesian Borneo...

‘The type of tropical forest where we carried out our research is generally considered to be of relatively poor conservation value,’ said Dr. Frank Van Veen, of the University of Exeter. ‘However, we have found that this landscape actually represents a mosaic of forest types that supports a high diversity of wildlife, including a number of endangered species...’

It’s also hoped the sighting will lead to more protection for the area where the bay cat was spotted, which would also benefit other wild animals who call Borneo’s rainforests home...

‘There is still a lot we don’t know about the forests of Borneo & the clock is ticking. More surveys are needed to understand the distribution & ecological needs of Borneo’s wildlife...'

For more on how to help, check out the Borneo Nature Foundation.”

 Alicia Graef

April 29/2017

care2.com

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Memorial

Minette Nov. 3/2012

Oct. 25/2017

Feature:
Funeral Therapy Dogs Provide Furry Comfort to Mourners

“If you’ve ever lost a loved one, you know how very difficult those first few weeks can be...

To help mourners cope, Texas is about to get its first certified funeral therapy dog. Kermit, a 1-year-old border collie mix, has been trained in how to deal with grieving people...

Kermit belongs to Melissa Unfred, who works for Affordable Burial & Cremation Service in Austin. She began taking him to work with her about 8 months ago & immediately noticed his demeanor changed when he was inside the business.

...‘You see that as a hand will go out to pet him, it’s like an immediate sigh of relief.’

Kermit can instinctively determine who’s suffering the most. ‘He’s something of a chameleon — he can kind of sense the energy in the room,’...'Sometimes I will start to go upstairs & Kermit isn’t behind me. He ended up staying behind … He just moves himself into the position where he’s closest to the primary griever.'

 In New York, a goldendoodle named Lulu has been comforting mourners at Ballard-Durand Funeral & Cremation Services for the past 2 years.

Just like Kermit, Lulu has ‘an uncanny knack for knowing who needs her,’ Matthew Fiorillo, president of the funeral home, told TODAY. ‘She’ll park herself right next to an older person to let them pet her one minute & the next she’s prancing around with kids. It’s been really impressive to watch.’

Humans need to touch, Fiorillo said. ‘Even just petting her can be a subtle distraction from the tremendous amount of grief people are going through,’...

Vinny, another goldendoodle, is currently training to become a funeral therapy dog at the Kuhn Funeral Home in West Reading, Pa.

‘Death is hard for all of us,’ Michael Kuhn, the funeral home’s president, told WFMZ. ‘Death is sometimes, I think, even harder at younger ages, so to have sort of a distraction & a loving creature next to you, I think that’s going to serve really well.’...

...Just as therapy dogs comforting hospital patients have become commonplace nowadays, more & more funeral homes across the country are adding therapy dogs to their staffs. As Kermit, Lulu, & Vinny have proven, funeral therapy dogs truly help make the process of mourning a little less painful...”

Laura Goldman
June 20/2017
care2.com

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Oct. 18/2017

Feature:
Remarkable Migration For Painted Lady Butterflies

     “The thousands of orange butterflies being spotted all over Montreal are simply on a rest stop as they make their way down south.
     And 99% of them are painted ladies & not the monarch butterfly, said Maxim Larrivee of the Montreal Insectarium.
     ...there are clear differences between painted ladies & monarchs, said Stephanie Boucher, curator at McGill University’s Lyman Entomological Museum.
     ‘The painted lady butterfly is not as well known as the monarch, so that is probably why most people identify it as what they know best,’ Boucher said.
     'What’s really unusual is how many there are, which is really unprecedented,’ Larrivee said...
     He said he believes they got pushed to the ground by wind during their migration to the warmer southern U.S. climates from the Boreal Shield area. But they generally don’t stick around this long.
     'But we have had this spell of amazing weather for us, that is not great migration weather for them. In the meantime, they are fueling up on flowers, this is why we are seeing them (drinking nectar) everywhere,’ Larrivee said.
     Larrivee & Boucher both said the painted ladies benefit from the fact they can feed on a wide variety of plants- up to 100, according to Boucher- compared to the monarch, which feeds on milkweed. ‘They can adapt to many different types of plants, so that is a great advantage,’ she said.
  Larrivee said the butterflies enjoyed a great winter in terms of reproduction areas like Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, & northern Mexico. They then migrated north earlier than usual, arriving in mid-April & he thinks that gave them the time to have an extra generation, reproducing twice instead of once during the summer...
     ‘It’s pretty hard to be in a bad mood when you are surrounded by butterflies. It’s fantastic. It’s different,’ Larrivee said.
     Now they are waiting for ‘winds that they are going to be able to surf back to the south,’ Larrivee said, ideally blowing from the northeast to the southwest.
     For more information on butterflies, go to e-butterfly.org”

Kevin Mio
The Montreal Gazette
Sept. 19/2017

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Memorial
M.C. (Oct. 19/2017)
M.C. is missed every single second he's been gone. I love you big man. There's a hole in my heart without you. RIP