I Wouldn’t Know How Many Candles to Put on the Cake…

But according to Paul Giametti (and PBS), ducks as a species have been on the earth longer than whales…

 

 

If Looks Could Kill

While reading an article entitled “15 Cute Animals That Could Kill You” (don’t laugh, you would look at it , too), I was actually surprised by a lot of the list. Mostly because I don’t consider the following, although deadly, to be cute:

Blue-ringed Octopus, Gila Monster, Cuttlefish & Cassowary. NOT cute, right?

Now some may argue with me on this one…the Leopard Seal. Sure he looks cute here while at rest (didn’t our parents always prefer us when we we sleeping too?)

aww?

But look again and you will find yourself agreeing that the Leopard Seal is once again, is NOT cute:

You are probably nodding your head right now.

Onto ACTUAL cute animals that could indeed kill you.

#1. The Pufferfish

He seems to be saying hello!

It is possible that I have seen one of these cute but deadly fish while snorkeling in Hawaii. For once, I am glad that I didn’t know then what I know now.

The pufferfish is the second most poisonous vertebrate on the planet. Fishermen recommend the use of thick gloves to avoid poisoning and the risk of getting bitten when removing the hook. The poison of a pufferfish, which has no antidote, kills by paralyzing the diaphragm, causing suffocation.

#2 The Slow Loris

For the last time, I am not an Ewok!

This animal might look like a harmless, big-eyed baby ewok, but the slow loris is one of the only poisonous mammals in the world. Its subtle nature makes it popular in the illegal pet trade, but unknowing humans should stay clear of its toxin, which is released from the sides of its elbows. When threatened, the loris takes the toxin into its mouth and mixes it with saliva. The animal will also lick its hair to deter predators from attack. The toxin can cause death by anaphylactic shock.

Find the full list here.

Talk About a Love Nest…

Take the time to watch this video, it will be worth it. Promise.

The Vogelkop Bowerbird (Amblyornis inornata), also known as the Vogelkop Gardener Bowerbird, is a medium-sized, bowerbird of the mountains of the Vogelkop Peninsula at Western New Guinea, Indonesia.

The bower is a cone-shaped hut-like structure some 100 cm high and 160 cm in diameter, with an entrance usually propped up by two column-like sticks. A front “lawn” of some square meters area is cleaned of debris and laid out with moss. On this, and in the entrance of the bower, decorations such as colorful flowers or fruit, shining beetle elytra, dead leaves and other conspicuous objects are collected and artistically arranged.

Taxman

Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann was a tax collector & also ran the Apolda dog pound in Germany in the 1800’s.  As it may be easy to imagine, collecting taxes door to door may warrant need for some protection.

Given his access to many breeds at the pound,  he aimed to create a breed that would be ideal for protecting him during his collections.

So what do you get when you cross a

German Pinscher,  Beauceron,  Rottweiler, Thuringian Sylvan Dog,  Greyhound, Great Dane, Weimaraner, German Shorthaired Pointer,  Manchester Terrier and Old German Shepherd Dog?

A Doberman Pinscher, of course!

Kiwis Come Out at Night

I am not talking about the fruit

I was aware of the chicken-sized flightless bird of New Zealand, but only recently learned that it was nocturnal. (Thanks once again to David Attenborough)

Here are more fun facts about this small flightless bird:

• The kiwi lays the biggest egg in proportion to its size of any bird in the world
• They are unique among other birds in that they have a functioning pair of ovaries
• Because their nostrils are located at the end of their long beaks, Kiwi can locate insects and worms underground without actually seeing or feeling them, due to their keen sense of smell

Hot Dog! (06/12)

have you ever seen one of these?

Great Pyrenees

I had not, but I met one named Mookie (I think I had an ewok with the same name).

Here is some info on the breed:

The Great Pyrenees, also known as Pyrenean Mountain Dog, is a very old breed, and has been used for millennia by the shepherds which includes Basque people, who inhabit parts of the region in and around the Pyrenees Mountains of southern France and northern Spain. More recently, the breed served as the official dog of the royal French court (whose prominence began circa the Middle Ages, and lasted until the middle of the nineteenth century). During World War II the dogs were used to haul artillery over the Pyrenean Mountain range to and from Spain and France. They are related to several other large white European livestock guardian dogs (LGD), including the Italian Maremma Sheepdog, Kuvasz (Hungary), Akbash Dog (Turkey) and Polish Tatra or Polski Owczarek Podhalański.