June 10/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

Feature:

Blue Crabs on Journey of Survival

           “Deep under the cold, dark waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the answer to whether the struggling blue crab population can survive lies buried in the mud.

           Tens of millions of female crabs are scattered across the floor of the lower bay in southern Virginia, where the estuary pours into the Atlantic Ocean, waiting out winter for one of the most important events of their short lives. When spring comes, they will inch closer to the ocean with billions of eggs…

           As females go, so go blue crabs. Last year, scientists estimated that there were only 68.5 million females old enough to spawn…

           Blue crabs, Maryland’s state crustacean & a symbol of pride for the region…are more threatened now than at any time since biologists started recording their numbers in the late 1940s…

                The total number of males, females, & juveniles was a mere 297 million last year…

           Adult male crabs are brawny, but the weight of maintaining the habitat falls on females. They do the heavy lifting, by far, in a yearly trek to replenish the species.

           After they mate from May to early October, nature beckons them to the mouth of the bay. Depending on where they depart in the estuary, pregnant females known as sooks migrate as far as 241 kilometres to get a spot in the lower bay near the salty Atlantic. Their offspring have a higher rate of survival in waters with elevated levels of salinity.

           Walking on 8 skinny legs & swimming with 2 tiny flippers, the perilous trip takes the entire fall…

           Females burrow in mud & stay almost perfectly still in winter to conserve energy at a time when food- oysters, clams, mussels, snails, insects, worms, & some fish- is scarce. After the thaw, they move closer to where the bay’s fresh water meets the salty Atlantic.

           Each female lays between 750,000 & 3 million eggs starting in late April…”

Darryl Fears

WASHINGTON POST

The Gazette, Montreal

Feb. 14/2015

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June 3/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

Feature:

Screaming Birds Parrot Humans at Their Worst

           “The Moluccan cockatoo does not sound pleased…Peaches is its name, & owner Elaine Sigmon told the Huffington Post that the bird busts out into these arguments with itself nearly every day. Sigmon said she believes the bird was previously owned by a bickering couple.

           ‘We had Peaches for several days when one afternoon she began ranting & raving as if (cursing) someone out,’ Sigmon told the Post. ‘My husband, Don, was sitting in the chair near her perch & she began to aggressively point her head toward him just like someone pointing their finger while arguing…’

           …Chris Davis, a bird behavioral consultant… said it’s hard to say how often this happens, but parrots can mimic humans at their worst…

           As for Peaches, Davis said this bird was likely in an environment ‘where it was hearing a person being emotionally & verbally abusive to another person.’ & it’s not all that surprising that Peaches picked up on the words.

           Why? Irene Pepperberg, a Harvard lecturer & scientist…said there are certain sounds that birds latch onto more than others.

           ‘In general, parrots will pick up what they hear, & vocalizations with a strong emotional content are more likely to be acquired than other vocalizations.’

           …'The bird will also pick up whatever will get attention (for example, birds often acquire sounds like telephone rings & microwave beeps, because humans immediately respond by going over to those objects).’

           … ‘Birds like emotion. They like a lot of emphatic movement, they like drama. Birds are drama queens; they love that kind of thing.’…”

Elahe Izadi

THE WASHINGTON POST

The Montreal Gazette

Feb. 14/2015

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May 27/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

 

Feature:

Sharks Surprisingly Sociable    

           “…Of all the creatures in the animal kingdom, a shark is the one that just about everybody is likely to avoid. But of the 400 or so shark species swimming in the oceans, just 3 or 4 attack humans.

                      The study analyzed 10 groups of 10 small spotted catsharks, monitoring their interaction in 3 environments. It showed that some sharks…enjoy each others company, congregating in groups sometimes lying on top of each other to rest. But other sharks were loners, staying away from any group.

                      The study adds to a body of work that shows animals display not just character traits, but individual personalities, & possibly even emotion, too…

                      William Hughes, an animal behavior expert at the University of Sussex, says… ‘What we mean by animal personality is consistency of individual behavioral traits over time & across contexts…

                       It would appear that some small spotted catsharks, which have the appearance of super-sized tadpoles, like to hang out with their friends. Others…just want some peace & quiet away from the dance floor.’

                   A similar experiment by Jean Sebastien Finger, a biologist in the Bahamas, monitored lemon sharks & found that while some were novelty seekers, others were less keen to explore. ‘They are not machines, they have personalities,’ Finger said.

                   Hughes adds that scientists are increasingly confident that animals from insects to primates, display complex personalities. The University of Bordeaux, for instance, found that freshwater crayfish display anxiety, hiding in the dark corners of a tank, rather than brightly lit parts.”

Harry Wallop

LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH

The Montreal Gazette

Oct. 4/2014 

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May 20/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

 Feature:

Calming the Inner Beast through Hands-on-Healing

           “Got a dog that won’t stop barking? Or maybe a nervous, jumpy cat?

           For $60 an hour, reiki master Jade Horner-Chinappi will try to take away your pet’s worries.

           ‘Reiki can benefit animals by helping them feel more calm, relaxed, & centered,’ Horner-Chinappi says.

           Reiki is a Japanese technique developed in the 1920s…

           The reiki master channels energy in the air around them, transferring it to a pet or person by placing their hands on the subject. The energy is believed to help heal the pet or person’s emotional problems & clear them of any energy blockages.

           ‘The same way it helps people, for pets it can be used for anything from helping a senior pet with illness or injury to calming a hyper puppy to helping a depressed pet cope with the loss of their companion, as in the case with bonded pets who lose their friend,’ Horner-Chinappi says.”

The Gazette, Montreal

Aug. 16/2014

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May 13/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

 Feature:

Cool, Calm, with a Warrior’s Edge

           “WASHINGTON- …It looks like a leaner, more agile German shepherd. It has a 270- degree field of vision & the force of its bite equals 1,400 pounds per square inch. It can run almost 50 kilometres per hour. It can withstand the heat of the desert & an August day in Washington. It can smell drugs, bombs, & unmarked graves. It’s deadly enough to help take Osama bin Laden, but gentle as a toddler in a toy car.

           Meet the Belgian Malinois… 
           

                The elite breed is the secret service’s favored canine. After an intruder jumps the fence & triggers the alarm, canine teams are trained to be released within 4 seconds ‘to act as a missile, launching in the air to knock the subject down, & then biting an arm or leg if need be to subdue the person until the handler arrives,’…

           In June, dogs, including the Belgian Malinois & other breeds, started patrolling outside the White House gates- the first time canine agents were deployed among the public.

           The secret service has had a canine team since 1976…The dogs train for 20 weeks before they start working & then do 8 hours a week of retraining for the rest of their professional lives…

           The U.S. navy SEALs used a Belgian Malinois named Cairo in Operation Neptune Spear to capture & kill bin Laden. The dog helped secure the perimeter of bin Laden’s compound, sniffing for bombs. Like the rest of the elite force, Cairo was outfitted with a Kevlar vest with harnesses for rappelling & parachuting & a night vision camera with a 180- degree field of vision.

           …During the Second World War, the military asked patriotic citizens to offer up their dogs for a defense program…A detachment of 125,000 dogs, ranging from Dobermans to poodles, was sent overseas…

           These days, military working dogs are elite warriors…The 200- step training program the military uses costs $50,000 per dog…The dogs have an 80% success rate detecting explosives, much better than humans or machines. They also can be trained to find narcotics.

           … ‘The dogs we deploy have to be unflappable in all circumstances,’…’They have to perform their activities willingly & with a single-minded purposefulness that few, if any, humans possess.’…”

Gail Sullivan

THE WASHINGTON POST

The Montreal Gazette

Sept. 24/2014

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May 6/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

 Feature:

Fly- Away Winner

      “Ornithologist David Lindo wants Britons to vote for a national bird next week. Here are the favorites:

ROBIN

Voted Britain’s favorite bird 30 years ago…According to a recent YouGov poll, however, the robin is still soaring, with more than 35% support.

MUTE SWAN

Large, territorial, & violently aggressive, it is said the mute swan can break a man’s arm with its wing…Detractors point out it is already the national bird of Denmark.

KINGFISHER

With their long beaks & bright plumage, kingfishers are most often found near rivers & lakes, where they will dive beneath the surface in search of prey…

 

BARN OWL

It has a signature screech, is seen as a symbol of wisdom & is strongly associated with the U.K., though its empire extends across much of the globe. The males & females are also known to roost separately.

BLACKBIRD

‘It needs no gaudy feathers & makes no demands,’ & is thus a worthy emblem of the British, says veteran broadcaster John Humphreys, who has emerged as a key backer of the race’s dark horse contender. Presumably it’s also Paul McCartney’s choice.

The Wren, Red Kite, Blue Tit, Puffin, & Hen harrier round out the Top 10”

THE NATIONAL POST

The Montreal Gazette

May 2/2015

*UPDATE: The results are in & the winner is the Robin.
#2- Barn Owl
#3- Blackbird
#4- Wren
#5- Red Kite
#6- Kingfisher
#7- Mute Swan
#8- Blue Tit
#9- Hen Harrier
#10- Puffin

 
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