Archive for the ‘environmental’ category

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The Dino Dilemma…

March 7, 2010

– – How, oh how, did the dinosaurs die off?- – For many, the answer has been an asteroid impact, while others have blamed the eruption of a mega-volcano. Yet others think that they smoked too much… (Gary Larson, et al)

Well, the latest is that a “dream team” of 41 researchers from 12 nations continue to feel that the evidence points overwhelmingly to a mountain-sized asteroid more than seven miles wide impacting with the earth at twenty times the speed of a rifle bullet about 65 million years ago, leaving a 120-mile-wide scar, the Chicxulub crater,  on the Mexican coast. An impact-induced environmental catastrophe ensued,  with melted rock raining as far as northern Canada followed by caustic chemicals, dust, and soot filling the air, shutting down photosynthesis and causing darkness for perhaps as long as a year...major bummer!

The dinos, however, were in decline for millions of years before the asteroid strike, and the celestial hammering may be seen as presenting additional circumstances that collectively the saurians couldn’t cope with, causing 60% of all species to  go extinct at that time.

…and how about a “Dream Team” of  researchers?- – Can you imagine all of those pocket protectors?- -The nerdish laughter?- -The sexual frustration?!

Categories: animals, environmental, evolution, extinct species, science, strange happenings
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Fishies of Fury!

March 4, 2010

– – I, for one, do not worry excessively about piranha, although Frankie the Fish does tend to annoy me because his McDonald’s jingle sticks inside my head.  (–“Gimme back that Fillet-O-Fish!”)

Anyways, MonsterQuest warned in their current episode that reports of piranha sightings have been growing around the country!–Yes, a Piranha Invasion! Even though these suckers are native to South American countries like Brazil, piranha have reportedly been caught every year for the past three years in the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.

So MonsterQuest sent their team to this very location where a baited underwater surveying system was submerged, using what they termed a “dead chicken”  as bait.  While the deceased chicken was shredded up a bit, cameras showed that native fish did it rather than piranha.  The science team additionally ran experiments to see if red-bellied piranha could survive in cold water as would be encountered in the Ozark lake in winter.  They found that the piranha huddled together in temperatures from 55 to 50 degrees, and below that point, they lost their equilibrium and would presumably croak.   Parts of the Ozark lake in question are fed by underwater streams that stay warmer,  possibly in the mid-to upper 50’s range in winter so piranha could survive.

The historical perspectives of the show were to me the most interesting, with reference made to a mega-piranha four times the size of the current model which became extinct ten million years ago.  None less than Teddy Roosevelt gave an account of Amazonian piranha back in 1914 which cemented their reputation as ferocious.  An old grainy black and white photo of about that vintage was also shown depicting a human body stripped to the skeleton supposedly by piranha.  Today, there are dozens of documented piranha attacks in South America, with many of the victims having lost pieces of fingers and toes.

With over 40 different species of piranha, some like the red bellied variety may be better able to survive cold water, and there may be a handful of piranha in the Ozark lake, although probably not a lively breeding population.   Nothing to lose sleep over…

…and maybe next week’s episode on a “Lizard Man” may be more interesting!

Categories: animals, anomalies, environmental, strange happenings, television
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Giant Pythons in America!

January 31, 2010

– – Ah me…as if Florida didn’t have enough to worry about, now it appears that the population of foreign snakes is increasing there!  The burmese python has been  found in Florida, and its an adaptable species that could range much further northward, at least as far to the north as Washington, D.C.

Reptiles in Washington!– -Well, we’ve heard that for some time!  Anyhow, such snakes can survive in temperatures as low as 40 degrees by wintering underground, and environmental conditions could support them northward.  MonsterQuest in their “python” episode found food for snakes in Central Park,  NYC, and a nine foot boa constrictor has been found in Central Park, presumably a pet that was released.   Snakes have come to the edge of population centers by the Florida Everglades, and elsewhere an African green mamba bit a cable TV installer !- -Watch out, Larry the Cable Guy!

King cobras  are also potentially loose in southern Florida.  Where it gets really freaky is over such snakes interbreeding, and producing a monster hybrid with all kinds of interesting capabilities; sounds like a bad Syfy Channel original movie!

MonsterQuest’s conclusion was that exotic snakes in northern areas are going to increase…snake phobics, be advised!


Categories: animal occurrences, animals, environmental, scalies, strange happenings, television
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Soup of Cruelty

December 20, 2009

– – Shark fin soup can cost more than $100 a bowl, and is served at weddings and on important occasions in China and other Asian countries, both to display wealth, and in the belief that it can improve one’s health.

The soup is actually made by de-finning a shark, often while they’re alive, causing the animal a slow and cruel death as they are dumped mutilated back into the ocean.  The shark fin component provides gelatinous bulk to the soup but is itself tasteless; the soup  is then flavored with chicken or other stock.   Demand for shark fin soup, driven largely by Chinese consumers, has caused populations of some shark species to decline by as much as 99 percent, according to a WildAid study.  Furthermore, a 2007-08 study indicated that a quarter of all shark fin samples sold at Hong Kong markets were unfit for human consumption, containing high mercury levels that increase the risk of infertility and brain damage.

Fortunately, NBA star Yao Ming is featured in a commercial produced by the San Francisco-based conservation group WildAid which shows Yao urging largely Chinese patrons to stop ordering shark fin soup…and public awareness and pressure may eventually lessen consumer appetites for the item…

Categories: animals, deplorable practices, environmental
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Camel Chaos!

November 29, 2009

– – And you thought that Joe Camel was bad?- -About 6.000 feral camels are rampaging through a remote Australian town, causing chaos and terrifying the 330 or so locals! The community of Docker River is said by the Northern Territory government to be “under siege!”  Apparently the surreal situation began about four weeks ago with 25 or 30 camels, but more and more continued to arrive, looking for water.  On a number of occasions, the camels have barged into people’s homes, tearing up bathrooms and ripping apart water pipes!   At least Joe Camel only peddled carcinogens.

The camels are part of a wild herd of over a million camels which roam the central Australian desert.  They are the descendants of camels introduced to the country in the 19th century when white settlers built roads and rail across the Outback, and used camels for transportation.   They were set free afterwards, and have been breeding and multiplying ever since.  With few natural predators and abundant land in which to roam, the camel population has soared, putting pressure on  native species by reducing food resources, destroying habitat, and spreading disease.

Sadly, the camels will be culled, rounded up to be taken out of town and shot.   It is said that the camel population needs to be reduced by about two-thirds to reduce catastrophic damage…a sad testimonial to what can happen when humans introduce non-native species to a fragile ecosystem…

Categories: animal occurrences, animal oddities, animals, environmental, strange happenings
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Crikey!

November 13, 2009

Steve Irwin– – The late conservation star Steve Irwin, known as the Crocodile Hunter, has received a tribute from an Australian scientist by having a rare species of snail named after him, “crikey steveirwini.” The snail has a khaki appearance,  much like Irwin’s trademark shirt and shorts.

Irwin, who died in a freak stingray incident in 2006, has already had a wildlife reserve, a road, a turtle, and an anti-whaling ship named after him...

Categories: cool things, environmental
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Hold That Tiger!

October 31, 2009

Tiger— Tigers could become extinct in the wild in two decades unless conservation efforts are stepped up to halt the decline in their population, wildlife experts said on Wednesday…

…barely 3,500 tigers are estimated to be roaming in the wild in twelve Asian countries and Russia compared to about 100,000 a century ago, according to conservationists and other experts.

Tigers are being illegally killed for their body parts, with skins selling for up to $20,000 on the black market in countries like China.   The destruction of habitats and the depletion of their prey base also figures in the dwindling number of tigers.  Tiger habitat alone has declined by 40% in the past decade due to the destruction of forests…

…and by the way…Happy Halloween from Foxsylvania!

Categories: animals, environmental, furry causes, rare animal
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New Species in New Guinea

September 7, 2009

extinct vulcano— It’s getting increasingly hard to find anywhere in the world where the foot of man has not trod, and erected a Starbucks…but even in today’s world, explorers are still able to find a few undiscovered places and new species along with it!

One such place is Papua, New Guinea where scientists in a remote mountainous region (pictured) have discovered more than 50 new animal species that include spiders, tree frogs, and a striped gecko that appear to have never been described in scientific literature before.  One of the spiders is shiny and pale green, and there’s a bug-eyed bright green tree frog.  Frogs are often regarded as a great bioindicator of environmental health, with declines in frogs pointing to an affected or changing environment.

My favorite discovery, however, was described as being a giant but friendly vegetarian rat, who may turn out to be the largest in the world.   A tree-dwelling marsupial was found that looks like a bear, and also discovered  was a frog with fangs (should be perfect for the upcoming Halloween)!    kanga_new_guinea

Categories: animals, cool things, environmental, rare animal, science
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Cougars in Seattle!

September 5, 2009

mercury cougar— No, not the Mercury Cougar…we’re talkin’ cougars as in mountain lions, pumas, panthers, and catamounts.  The big cats more commonly attack pets and livestock than people, but a 5-year-old boy was mauled in the Northeast corner of Washington state last Wednesday, and in the past year other attacks have been reported in a few Western states, including Washington and Wyoming. In June of 2008, a cougar killed a 55-year-old man in New Mexico.

Associated Press reports that Seattle’s largest park, Discovery Park, is currently off limits as state wildlife agents try to trap a cougar in or near Discovery Park.  The last time that a cougar was seen in Discovery Park was 1981.  It was dubbed “D.B. Cougar” after the elusive hijacker, D.B. Cooper!

This past Friday morning, a man in that area said that he saw a cougar (no, not the Mercury!) in his driveway as he went to pick up his newspaper. So we’ve got foxes in Detroit, leopards in upstate New York, and cougars in Seattle…It’s a start, right?cougar

Categories: animal occurrences, animals, environmental, furry, unexplained
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Bob Barker, Superstar!

August 2, 2009

Bob Barker– – You’re probably well aware that Bob Barker hosted The Price is Right game show for many years, and is a long time animal rights activist as well, having ended his shows with an admonition to “get your pets spayed or neutered.” The Robot Chicken show on Adult Swim did a cute bit with Barker going about following his retirement, and personally carrying out this mission, even using hedge clippers!  <shudders>

But did you know that Barker was part Native American, and grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota?  Well, Barker recently made a personal appeal to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina to stop exhibiting bears in pit-like enclosures at three local zoos.  Barker called the bears’ conditions inhumane and asked that they be turned over to a sanctuary in California…

Categories: animal rights, animals, environmental
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