Animals Blogs (472)

Hello you can find me on tel or what's 00967775288019

..the lowly horse shoe crab... Yep, an arthropod, but not a crab. Actually said to belong to the spider/scorpion critter group. But still with us, little changed, and amazingly having evolved almost half a billion years BEFORE even the dinosaurs. Read up on the remarkable reproductive styles of these wonders, which populate the Eastern North American coastal regions, and apparently parts of Asia, where it's headed to a list of declining wild populations. But the saga continues. The copper based clear "Blood" of the larger up to 5 Kg females, has important medical uses. And while not having a highly specific innate and adaptive immune system, like our Bravo, and me, (but not present in many liberals), apparently, the blood like substance helps fight the thick soup of a large group of endotoxin elaborating bacteria living all around, and inside them. Probably does much more, but the active substance, LAL (Limulus Ameobocytic Lysate), has been harvested and purified for years, and is essential in various fields of microbiological medicine. Seems, among other things, to coagulate these endotoxins. In the animal, such clotting actions make these dangerous substances targets for the many scavenger amoeba-like circulating cells therein, rendering them yummy, but harmless. A synthetic blend is available, but is costly and apparently only in limited production. Seems that caring ( North American) harvesters withdraw only a quarter of the fluid in each animal, allowing them to survive on return to the bays. Not so with the Asians. But then, kitty cats and puppy dogs are on the menus there as well. Possible declines of 5-10% in populations in parts of Asia. Sure, it's dangerous to read too much into such elaborate evolved processes. But I'd bet on erring on the side of not wiping these miracles out. Not like big Pharma is investing a bunch in newer antibiotics, in the face of scary resistances. But on a personal note, in my youth, our family used to clam and Quahog, on the Masachusetts coast. The scrumptious tiny neck clams squirt through the sand when we walked over them, enabling profitable quick digging. But the quahogs live deeper, so you have to feel for them with the feet, over time learning to differentiate between bivalve and stone. But the tails of these horse shoe crabs always reminded me those on sting rays, and are used often to reright themselves after a role in the surf. Took me a long time to get over the fear. Today, as with ground fish, these fruits of the sea are more rare, for many reasons. But on the coast of Maine, fresh upland river outlets are still lousy with clean mussels. Helpful, harmless wonders of ocean ecology and biology, all.

Smaller than the formidable fire ant, and without much in the way of warrior mandibles, or poison barbs, but is spreading in our US Southland, and kicking some fire ant butt. And when they take over a fire ant nest, mostly with chemical and behavioral warfare tactics, some of the bigger ladies stick around, living communally, perhaps in a quasi slave role. The bigger they are, the harder they fall---or something like that.

The dog in my picture..beautiful boy..2years of age.... is very timid (even to me).. he has been barking most of the nights lately..protecting the land etc..this starts usually after eating..Today 4 strangers appeared on the land..i heard them from the house...i saw "quick quick!" (the dog) sunbathing and chewing a stick and didn't bat an eyelid at the possible pillagers...he also barks at me sometimes until he can see me.. very strange dog and i have known a lot of dogs in my life..although he is a good dancer..the dog has talent..

Neighbors in South Florida watched in disbelief as a car seemingly drove itself in circles in a cul-de-sac for nearly an hour on Thursday morning.

When authorities arrived on the scene, they learned that something was occupying the driver seat.

The truth, however, is almost as unbelievable as the initial theory.

Anne Sabol, a resident of the Port St. Lucie, Florida, neighborhood, told WPBF that when she walked outside that morning she saw the car, but thought it was just one of her neighbors backing up.

“First I thought I saw somebody backing up but then they kept going and I’m like, ‘OK, what are they doing?'” she said.

When the cops came, Sabol was even more confused.

The video of the strange incident reveals that the car had not a human driver, but a canine one.

It’s no secret that some dogs love car rides, but this odd incident brings new meaning to that stereotype.

Amazingly, the pup’s joy ride didn’t cause too much damage — a mailbox was the only real casualty.

Both the Port St. Lucie Police Department and the St. Lucie County Fire District arrived on the scene to help stop the car.

Responders were able to end the dog’s wild ride before any more property damage occurred, but neighbors were still amazed at the scene.

“When the cops got the door open a black dog jumped out I was like, ‘They should give that thing a license,'” Sabol said.

Police said the human driver had stepped out of the car with the engine still running before the dog, named Max, accidentally knocked the vehicle into reverse.

According to WPBF, the human driver offered to replace the mailbox that was knocked over during the event.

The dog was not injured.

“He was a better driver than a lot of them I’ve seen,” Sabol told WPTV-TV. “I saw the dog jump out of the car, wagging his tail, and I was like ‘OK, good driving!'”

The range of boldness and shyness in creatures is a delight to watch. Recently, while retiming the racing engine, and replacing the twin timing belts on the 180 MPH vintage VIERK two wheel machine, head under the bike, Bravo resting, watching, learning, farting nearby, this chipmunk comes sauntering by, a few inches from our heads, stops, stands up to display fearsome threats with all 4 inches of stature, does the little rodent thing with front paws scratching jowls, tilts head about a bit, and just STAYS THERE!. Mind you, when Bravo sees these little ones through the windows of the VIERK mansion, he goes bonkers, as if to want to break out for the chase. But now we are both transfixed, with the bold behavior of this tiny lady. Then, just as casually, she gets back on all fours, stretches a bit, and slowly walks away, back to one of her many entrances to those warm subterranean cabins. We both get up to go over to look, Bravo still calm as a Cuke (M), no chase mode at all in this big canine. What gives here? Neighbor's tell me that some of the ones near their castles eat sunflower seeds, right out of human hands! Wow! Nature.

Indecision?




I dunno either. I just hold the pencil.

Now I Love my cats but at the moment they are driving me mad. They like to show their love by bringing me little presents normally late evening and deposit it on the kitchen floor and walk off with a meow leaving me to deal with it. Last week in he came deposited the mouse, fine, but it was still alive. Open the door out comes the brush and the game begins, OMG they can shift fast but after about 30 minutes it's out. Well this morning I come downstairs to have another run across the floor and the game starts again. I now have one cat asleep on the back of the chair totally oblivious, another Sat on the stairs I swear he was smirking and the third looking at me like well you can get rid of it. Out the door it went. Great now to chill, but the smirker had also disappeared yes you've guessed it he's gone back out and brought it back in. The game recommences.

...Not bad for completing the job in only 2 hours. And now watching the Austin, Texas Grand Prix, where that girly sissy Hamilton and his rust bucket Mercedes is in the lead, AGAIN! But on to more important things. While checking my wash in the spacious basement of the Vierk mansion number 6, I notice a cricket on the wall. Mid sized---3 cm. I check my books from the masters training in medical entomology, and confirm that my little friend is of the order Orthoptera, family Gryllidae. But nowhere can I get help on what to do with him/her. as soon the Maine winter will be upon us, and I'm covering the boat with a tarp today. Being on the ocean, the season is much milder than many would think. But still, oh ye CS Menschen, winter is winter. So, do I gently place this bug outside, hoping that somehow it will aid his/her species survival. Or leave her/him to face fate with all those fearsome spiders in the cellar. Who has the answer?