—They’ve found fossilized remains in Madagascar of a toad about the size of a bowling ball that weighed ten pounds and co-existed with the dinosaurs. This sucker also had an armorized hide and teeth!–Called beelzebufo or “devil frog,” this new specimen shows us that we continue to discover new life forms, extinct and present today, with many more certain to be discovered in the future
Archive for the ‘animals’ category
Mother of All Toads…
February 28, 2008Vintage Wierd
February 10, 2008
—Not for the queasy!–In November of 1970, a 45-foot, eight-ton carcass of a dead whale washed up on the coast of Oregon. It was rancid and they wanted to get rid of it, so a group of highway engineers decided to blow the sucker up with dynamite! This was on the theory that the dynamited whale parts would then be consumed by seagulls and the problem would be eliminated. So they put half a ton of dynamite next to the dead whale, and set it off…and in the resulting explosion, some rather big chunks of dead whale blubber filled the air, threatening the spectators and causing them to beat a hasty retreat. One big chunk o’ dead whale impacted with the roof of a car with predictable bad results. All in all, it was not a pretty sight…
…and this is not an “urban legend”…this really happened! The event was taped, and the video may still be seen…
Monster Quest!
January 21, 2008
—The History Channel hosts a number of shows that aren’t exactly historical, and Monster Quest is one of the best. This hour-long show airs Wednesday night at 10:00 along the eastern U.S. coast, and features weekly excursions into the paranormal and the unexplained. To be aired this Wednesday January 23rd is an episode called American Werewolf, covering appearances of a dog-man in Wisconsin and other states.
Also on the History Channel Monday at 9:00 in my area is a show called Life After People, covering the resurgence of other life forms following the extinction of homo sapiens…promos look intriguing!
Sky Squid?
January 11, 2008
— They’ve been called “rods” for want of a better term, but they are cylindrical flying UFO’s that have unintentionally appeared in some photographs since 1910. Some think that they are life forms from a 4th dimension; others that they are a new type of cephalopod related to squid that uses jet propulsion, perhaps born in the sea and living in the sky. Or they may just be photographic artifacts…
I want to believe in them as transdimensional beings, but they are probably tricks of film and light…
Going For A Birdie?
January 5, 2008In Australia, a couple put four golf balls into nests at their chicken house so as to encourage the chickens to nest. Well, a snake got into the henhouse, and thinking the golf balls were eggs, ate them! The snake was later found with four distinct swellings in its body, and the couple knew that they were the golf balls…the small python was taken to a vet, where the golf balls had to be surgically removed.
Maybe the snake was a golfer trying for an eagle or a birdie…
Tiger Provoked?
January 3, 2008
–Well, it appears that Tatiana, the San Francisco Zoo Siberian tiger (pictured) who escaped her enclosure Xmas day and attack three visitors, killing one, may have been provoked! A slingshot has been found on one of the brothers mauled, as well as a bottle of liquor in their car. Additionally a rock was found in the late tiger’s enclosure which did not belong there. If she had been pelted with rocks prior to vaulting her enclosure wall, the trigger for Tatiana’s attack is obvious.
Of course, the brothers involved have already gotten a smart lawyer who is faulting zoo security for not getting there sooner…and the zoo has reopened with enhanced security and signs encouraging visitors to respect the animals…
Oldest Orangutan Dies
December 31, 2007
— Nonja the orangutan, regarded to be the world’s oldest living orangutan, was found dead at the Miami Zoo Saturday morning at the age of 55. In the wild, orangutans usually live 40 – 50 years. Nonja, whose name means “girl” in Dutch, had five offspring and produced art that was in demand. She had a boyfriend, Vladimir, who would eat her artwork if it wasn’t locked up! Nonja is thought to have died from a brain hemorrhage; a necropsy will be performed. Nonja was referred to as “a grand old dame.” — RIP, Nonja!
More On Tiger
December 29, 2007
–Tatiana (pictured here), the 350-pound, 4-year-old Siberian tiger who attack three visitors Xmas day at the San Francisco zoo and killed one of them before being shot to death by police, was acting like the alpha predator that she was. There is speculation that she may have been teased or tormented by the three young men (brothers) that she attack. And it appears that the fence surrounding her enclosure was not the recommended five meters in height!
Tatiana had been bred to mate with a tiger called, believe it or not, Tony!
(–Thank you for reading Foxsylvania, and helping me reach 1,000 hits! I appreciate my readers!)
Tiger Attack!
December 27, 2007–At the San Francisco Zoo, the Siberian tiger Tatiana escaped her confinement, killed one visitor, and attack two others; all were males in their 20’s. The previous year, the same tiger had attack a keeper, and torn pieces of flesh from his arm.
When the police were summoned, Tatiana was still in full attack mode and advanced on the police, forcing them to shoot her to death.
Tatiana may have lived caged, but she died free…some things are not meant to be held captive…
Wolf Attacks!
December 24, 2007
— Wolf attacks appear to be on the increase in and around Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska. Most of these attacks have been on dogs, with some humans also victims. Ordinarily wolves don’t attack people, but rather a species like elk. Once they find that a domestic dog is an easier kill, however, they may be more inclined to go for such a meal.
In a recent attack, three female joggers were quietly surrounded by a wolf pack. They were able to keep the wolves at bay with pepper spray they were fortunate enough to be carrying, and they retreated slowly by walking backwards and screaming. The women were able to get back to their cars over a mile away from the attack site.
FOXSYLVANIA 
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