Last Post Date Animals Blogs (473)

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?

Many years ago, they used to spray the pesticide DDT in an attempt to control the mosquito population.
They had no idea at the time, that DDT would have such a devastating affect upon the environment, especially the health of eaglets.

By the time 1982 arrives, there was only one known eagle nest in all of the state of New Jersey (NJ).
That nest only gave rise to 1 eaglet that survived long enough to fledge (leave the nest in flight).
With the banning of the use of DDT along with a Clean Water Act, the eagles have gotten much healthier.
in 1985 there was still only 1 nest, but 2 eaglets fledged.
In 1990 there were 4 nests and 5 eaglets fledged.
In 1995 there were 11 nests and 19 eaglets fledged
In 2000 there were 23 nests and 30 eaglets fledged
In 2005 there were 48 nests and 64 eaglets fledged
In 2010 there were 82 nests and 69 eaglets fledged
In 2015 there were 150 nests and 199 eaglets fledged
and this year 2019 there were 189 nests and 248 eaglets fledged,
(Source NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife)

That's a terrific recovery.

Mosquitos are now controlled with more biological techniques.
For instance certain small fish specialize in eating mosquito larvae,
Those fish are inoculated into streams and swamps,

We need to ensure that we do not damage the ecosystem with man-made harmful chemicals,
especially those who have residual affects.
We are a part of that ecosystem. Our food comes from it.

:



Although I do personally have a lot of bald eagle photos, I got lazy and posted the one above from the internet. I wonder how many viewers know how to tell the difference between male & female bald eagles.

Today from CNN;



Perhaps it's karma;

When scientists sequenced the chimp genome in 2005, it confirmed that chimpanzees are our closest living relatives. Of course, they’re cute; they look like us. They have big ears like the Europeans, long toes like the English, a bad accent like the French, small noses like the Africans, short legs like the Japanese, large testicles like the Russians, small dícks like the Australians and an IQ to match the Americans.

These clever animals can be taught to use tools to build their own shelters and we like to think of them as cute and huggable but those who think they are peace-loving creatures will have another think coming.

The truth is that they are cruel and aggressive fighters that form gangs to plunder neighboring tribes in search of food, females and/or territory, leaving behind only devastation and maimed opponents. Any infant chimps taken with their mothers during such a raid are simply killed and sometimes eaten.

It is estimated that as much as 50% of all male chimpanzees are being hunted down by other males and killed. And they do not only fight neighboring tribes, they also form factions within their own tribe and kill one another. Such killings normally happen to settle leadership and/or mating rights.

When we compare chimpanzee behavior with human behavior it is easy to believe that chimpanzees share more than 98% of their DNA with us. And it is even easier to see where our willingness to kill and to wage war comes from.


Still think they're cute?

People often tell me how lucky I am to have such a good dog but they’re wrong; there is no luck involved. My dog’s good temperament is the product of years of work. And if more people understood this, more people would have had ‘good’ dogs.

I’ve put a lot of effort into exposing him to other dogs, kids, loud motorcycles, noisy power tools, popping fireworks, loud music, and many other disturbances when he was still a puppy; and took him for regular rides in my car. I allowed him to see, hear, smell and feel these influences at his own terms and it paid off. He is comfortable with such disturbances around him and he loves kids.

It is easy to train a puppy. He responds to his name, you give him a treat. He comes when you call him, you give him a treat. He sits when he’s told, you give them a treat. And after a few months, you have a dog that knows simple commands. But this is when many fall off the bus. You have to keep it up as your dog matures. You have to keep your dog stimulated and it also helps him to keep up with you as circumstances change. A dog's training never stops.

A dog needs plenty of love and attention. When given enough of that, he will bend sideways trying to please you. He will protect you with his life… or lose it in an effort to do so.

Regular exercise is another must for your dog. A restless dog is often a sign of not enough exercising. When the weather allows it, I walk instead of driving the 2 km to the supermarket. He knows that he may not go into the shopping center but he also knows where to wait for me. That took a bit of training but eventually, he did learn to wait until I returned. He understands that the word ‘wait’ means that I’ll come back for him.

So, a ‘good’ dog is not the result of some lucky genetic draw; a dog requires a good owner and a lot of work to make him a ‘good’ dog.


So have you taken your dog for his walky, walky today?