Feb. 28/2018

Feature:

At Their Peak: 5 Extreme Animals Who Can Survive Mount Everest

“...1. Himalayan tahr

This relative of the wild goat is specially adapted to life on the rugged mountain slopes of the Himalayas. The tahr’s range...is between 2,500 & 5,000 meters in elevation. The animals manage to live in this extreme environment because of their dense woolly coat & thick undercoat. In the summer, tahrs shed much of this fur, even becoming a lighter color. Their hooves, as with many goats, help them traverse the steep mountainside. Tahrs, in particular, have flexible, rubbery cores in their hooves to allow for a solid grip on smooth rocks. Meanwhile, the hard, sharp keratin rims on the outside of their hooves allows them to lodge their feet in small footholds, keeping them upright.

 

2. Snow leopard

Snow leopards in this area generally live between 3,000 & 4,500 meters in elevation... they have stocky bodies with thick fur & small, rounded ears — all of which helps these cats minimize heat loss. Snow leopard paws are wide, distributing their weight for walking on snow, & they have fur on their undersides to increase their grip as they move. Their tails have also been specially evolved as blankets: they are extra thick & very fuzzy — perfect for protecting their faces while sleeping. Snow leopards are even able to breathe the thin air more easily with their unusually large nasal cavities.

 

3. Himalayan black bear

This rare subspecies of the Asiatic black bear lives in the range of 3,000 to 4,000 meters... In the winter, the bear moves down to 1,500 meters... preferring to stay around the tree line. Himalayan black bears have longer, thicker fun than their other Asian black bear cousins. These creatures manage the cold, as many bears do, by hibernating through the worst parts of the winter.

 

4. Alpine chough

The alpine chough... is a part of the crow family. Although they naturally fly quite a bit higher, these birds nest between 3,500-5,000 meters up in the Himalayas...They are quite fond of humans sometimes, as they like to sit outside hotel windows & wait for any food they can get from tourists.

 

5. Himalayan jumping spider

... the Himalayan jumping spider is known to live at a higher elevation than any other animal. Fittingly, its scientific name, Euophrys omnisuperstes, means ‘standing above all’. This small spider hides in crevices high up on the mountain at elevations up to 6,700 meters. But what does it eat? The answer, as far as experts can tell, is frozen insects delivered by the wind.”

Laura Burge

Aug. 14/2017

care2.com

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Feb. 21/2018

Feature:

Snowmobilers Rescue Moose Neck-Deep in Snow

“A group of snowmobilers pulled out their shovels to free a stuck moose after spotting its head poking out of freshly fallen snow in western Newfoundland. Jonathan Anstey, who owns a snowmobile riding clinic, said he & several other riders set out on the trails near Deer Lake, N.L….& spotted a moose neck-deep in snow. The liberated moose hung around for a bit to dry off, Anstey said, occasionally looking at its rescuers as if to say, ‘a little thank you,’ before trotting away.”

Canadian Press

In The Gazette, Montreal

Jan. 4/2018

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Weekly Chuckle

Feb. 14/2018

                                                E.B.W. Critter Corner
Feature: 

It's a Miracle! Wisdom Lays an Egg at Age 67

“Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, has once again returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge & Battle of Midway National Memorial & has laid an egg. The approximately 67-year-old flies thousands of miles every year before returning to the Midway Atoll…

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) refuge staff recognized Wisdom, the world’s oldest known breeding bird, along with her mate Akeakamai, in late November; On Dec. 13 they spotted Akeakamai sitting on a nest, incubating an egg.

Midway Atoll is part of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, located at the far northern end of the Hawaiian archipelago.

One of the oldest atoll formations in the world, it provides grounds for more than 3 million seabirds to nest & raise their young, including 70% of the world’s Laysan albatross population. According to the USFWS, it is also home to nearly 40% of Black-footed albatross, as well as Short-tailed albatross & at least 20 other species of seabirds.

But Wisdom is special.

 In 1956 Chandler Robbins banded Wisdom, whom he guessed was about 6 years old. Little did he know that 61 years later, that albatross, now known as the oldest seabird in the world, would be expecting another baby. She’s been coming back to the same nest every year. Over the course of these years, it’s estimated that she’s logged an incredible 6 million miles of flight time.

The average lifespan of her species, the Layman albatross, is between 12 & 40 years, so it’s amazing that she’s still alive & even more impressive that she is still breeding.

These birds are equally responsible for raising their young & they form long-term partnerships. They lay only one egg per year, so each one is special to their parents. According to the USFWS, Wisdom & her partner have raised at least 8 chicks since 2006 & she has raised as many as 40 during her long life.

This year the USFW reports that Wisdom’s mate Akeakamai took the first shift on the nest while Wisdom went to look for food.

…they will swap places. And after the egg hatches, the 2 parents will share equally in the rearing & feeding of their chick.

…Nature is truly amazing!”

Judy M.

Dec. 30/ 2017

Care2.com

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Weekly Chuckle

Feb. 7/2018

                                                        E.B.W. Critter Corner
Feature:

Express Your Love With Roaches

     “Roses are red, violets are blue, how about having a roach named for you?

     The Bronx Zoo is offering people the chance to name one of its Madagascar hissing cockroaches in honor of someone for Valentine’s Day.

     The zoo in New York City started offering the name-a-roach program in 2011 as a fun way to fundraise.

     For $10, recipients get an emailed certificate telling them one of the insects from the world’s largest roach species has been named for them. This year, the zoo is also offering to send along chocolates or a Madagascar cockroach plush toy for higher donations.

     No worries about there not being enough roaches to go around- the museum said it had thousands of them on exhibition.

     The money goes to the Wildlife Conservation Society.”

The Associated Press

in The Montreal Gazette

Jan. 30/ 2017

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Weekly Chuckle

Jan. 31/2018

Feature:

Could the World’s Oldest Living Land Creature Be Gay?

“At 186 years old, Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, is believed to be the oldest living land creature on Earth. He’s spent most of his life on the British colony island of Saint Helena where, since 1991, he’s enjoyed the company of Frederica, an Aldabra giant tortoise.

Before Jonathan met Frederica, the tortoise was a bit of an 500-pound terror…

To help mellow Jonathan out, he was introduced to Frederica, & the 2 seemed to hit it off. They eat their meals at regular times & take daily afternoon naps in the island’s tall grass…

Jonathan & Frederica have not produced any offspring during their 26 years together…

Male tortoises typically have a plastron- a concave indent- on the lower part of their shells so they can mount females. During recent surgery to repair a legion on Frederica’s shell, island veterinarian Catherine Man discovered she has a plastron…

Or does she? Because of Frederica’s slightly deformed shell, Man told Fox News it’s difficult to determine whether or not the tortoise, who’s now called Frederic, is male or female.

Jonathan has already far outlived the average 150-year lifespan of a Seychelles giant tortoise. While he’s lost his eyesight & sense of smell, he can still hear well. And he’s still enjoying a healthy sex life. There are 2 other female tortoises on St. Helena, yet Jonathan seems to prefer the company of Frederic. Does this really mean he’s gay?

Same-sex relationships are not all that uncommon in animals. They’ve been observed in more than 450 species around the world. These relationships have evolutionary advantages for animals in the wild, according to Yale Scientific, which explains that same-sex pairing ‘curtails the pressure on the opposite sex by allowing members to exhibit more flexibility to form partnerships, which in turn strengthens social bonds & reduces competition.’

As for tortoises, males aren’t particularly discerning when it comes to their partners… The mostly male population was observed mounting males more often than females…

…As Joe Hollins, St. Helena’s former veterinarian, said…

‘I’m not sure he would really know whether he was satisfying his libidinous desires on top of a male tortoise or a female tortoise,’ Hollins told Fox News. ‘He, like most animals, has his erogenous zones & hopefully it gives the old fellow great pleasure either way. And at 186 years of age, I applaud him. It is an enviable feat.’

Laura Goldman

Oct. 31/2017

Care2.com

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Weekly Chuckle

Memorial

Jan. 23/2018

Feature:

4 Animals Who Can Survive a Year Without Food

“...1. Snakes

Snakes have only been around for about 100 million years, but they already comprise about half of all reptile species. This shows how amazingly successful they’ve become at surviving & adapting... They are very efficient when it comes to using available resources, & scientists have known for a while that some snake species could survive for up to 2 years without a meal...

‘Snakes are very evolutionarily successful,’ University of Arkansas researcher Marshall McCue said...

Snakes, as cold-blooded animals, or ectotherms, gather heat from their environment, & can control their body’s thermostat to a certain degree. Ectotherms don’t need to eat regularly to warm their bodies- &, thus, save an enormous amount of energy that warm-blooded animals cannot.

2. Crocodiles

In a similar vein to snakes, the crocodiles’ ectotherm status is a huge factor in its long-term survival without food... These animals have outlived the dinosaurs & are the best freshwater predators in the world... they have few natural predators, strong jaw muscles that can crush cast iron, & can survive injuries like torn off limbs.

As for going without a meal, though, it all comes back to the metabolism. A crocodile’s metabolism is so evolved that its body uses & stores nearly the entirety of the food it consumes. They can regularly go for months without food- & in extreme situations, crocodiles can live off their own tissue for up to 3 years.

Another interesting fact about crocodile eating habits is that their stomachs are more acidic than any other vertebrate. Thus, they can digest bones, horns, & shells. In fact, those pieces act as “gizzard stones” to help grind up coarse food.

 

3. Lungfish

African lungfish can go without food & water for 3 to 5 years- in suspended animation, that is. They are ready & prepared so that when water becomes available, they wake up. This adaptation is especially useful in habitats where there is seasonal drought. African & South American lungfish, for instance, burrow themselves into the mud each year & wait for the rain to return.

In suspended animation, animals enter a state of torpor, which is effectively a lighter hibernation. And that slows down their internal clocks until more beneficial conditions appear. Changes in physiology allow lungfish to slow their metabolism to as little as 1/60th of their normal metabolic rate.

...The lungfish’s protein waste during suspended animation is converted from ammonia to a less toxic urea.

Lungfish can live for a long time, too. One lungfish at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago was part of a collection from 1933, until it was euthanized in 2017 due to health problems.

 

4. Olm

Unlike most amphibians, the olm eats, sleeps & breeds underwater. Delightfully, their existence was first recorded in 1689 by a local naturalist in Slovenia, Valvasor, who reported that olms were washing up from underground waters after heavy rains. Local people believed that they were a cave dragon’s offspring, which led to even more rumors.

Olms have lived in the caves of Slovenia & Croatia for more than 20 million years. These creature are mostly blind, & though they can detect the presence of light, they hunt with other enhanced senses.

The olm’s resistance to long-term starvation is another result of living underground. Since the arrival of food can’t necessarily be counted on, these animals have adapted to eat large amounts of food when available- & then store those nutrients in the liver as large deposits of lipids & glycogen.

That way, when food is scarce, olms can reduce their activity & metabolic rate. In extreme situations, olms can also reabsorb their own tissues. Controlled experiments have shown that an olm can survive up to 10 years without food...”

 

Laura Burge

July 23/ 2017

care2.com

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 Weekly Chuckle

Jan. 17/2018

Feature:

Piou-Piou the parrot returned home after a night out in N.D.G.

     “When Piou-Piou the parrot flew the coop on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Notre-Dame-de-Grace, his owner was certain he had lost his beloved pet forever.

     ‘I was putting some sheets on the cord, & I forgot to close the door,’ said Claude Cadieux...who has had the 19 year-old white-capped pionus for about 7 years. ‘Suddenly, I turned my head, & I saw the bird flying away.’

     ...More than 24 hours later...the parrot touched down 6 blocks away, landing on a 5th floor penthouse terrace where Tania McIntosh was having dinner with her in-laws at their home. McIntosh...has long worked in veterinarian offices & she volunteers for the SPCA...

     'He was very, very happy to be picked up by people,’ McIntosh recounted. 'He acually ran toward us. I picked him up, brought him straight into the kitchen, shut all the doors so he wouldn’t fly awaty & gave him some dinner. He had some blueberries, some grapes, some cashews...

     Once Piou-Piou had eagerly eaten his fill, he tucked himself into a tiny nook above the fridge & promptly went to sleep. That’s when McIntosh launched a search for the owner...

     ...she contacted rescue organizations & nearby vet offices while posting a photo to Facebook...

     McIntosh put her name down as a potential foster parent, planning to buy the  necessary equipment to house the bird until a solution was found, but little did she know, her social media post would eventually land in the right person’s news feed.

     The friend who originally gifted Piou-Piou to Cadieux saw the post...&, from there, it wasn’t long before the adventuring parrot was returned home.

     'I’m really happy to have him back,’ Cadieux said. 'It’s like a miracle.’

     ...SPCA spokesperson Anita Kapuscinska said pet birds are returned more often than people think they tend to seek out humans when they are hungry...

     If a pet is lost or found, Kapuscinska encourages people to contact the SPCA. The SPCA, she said, will provide advice & support. There are teams of volunteers & staff standing by ready to help.

     Of the found pets that are physically brought to the SPCA, more than 500 are returned to their homes every year...

     'If you lost your bird, don’t lose hope,’ Kapuscinska concluded. 'A lot of people get reunited with their lost pets, & parrots are definitely no exception.’

Isaac Olson

in The Gazette, Montreal

Aug. 21/2017

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