Jester's Musings and Missives

Dophin Curiosities & Curious Dolphins

I know I'm hanging out in dolphin world with these couple of posts, but here's another one I discovered on Americablog (www.americablog.com). Be patient - the good stuff starts about 1:36 into the video.

Bubble Magic

After seeing an animal Planet documentary afew years ago about how nasty dolphins in the wild can be (mean, aggressive, etc), I was happy to come across this video on Crooks and Liars (www.crooksandliars.com) that presents them in a positive light.  I want to love dolphins again.  This helps :-)

Incredible Story – Worth Sharing!

Here's an incedible animal tale to share with all...

In 1986, Peter Davies was doing post-doc field work in Kenya with Northwestern University .  On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air.  The elephant seemed distressed, so Peter approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee, inspected the elephants foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.  As carefully and as gently as he could, Peter worked the wood out with his knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.  The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments .  Peter stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled.  Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.  Peter never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Peter was walking through Brookfield Zoo with his preteen son.  As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Peter and his son Cameron were standing.  The large bull elephant stared at Peter, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down.  The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Peter could not help wondering if this was the same elephant.  Peter summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing, and made his way into the enclosure.  He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.  The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Peters legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn't the same fucking elephant ... This is for everyone who sends me those heart-warming bullshit stories.

Couldn't resist (evil grin)

~Photographer and orginal author unknown; Many thanks to Jill B for sharing this.

I *heart* Otters!!

This is the most adorable video I've seen in a long time.  Will definitely put a smile on your face!

~Many thanks to YouTube user cynthiaholmes for this heartwarming clip

Foxy Lady and Her Kits

I’m not the only one dealing with wildlife in my yard (see Turtle Talk). My friend, Linda, sent me copies of some gorgeous photos of a family of foxes who dropped by her yard last week. 

 

There appear to be two kits and at least one adult (on watch).  I’ve only ever seen red foxes in our area, but these don’t look like a typical red fox.  I poked around the internet and think I discovered what they are.  Perhaps a gray fox??

 

Take a look at these intimate photos of a fox family outing...

Turtle Talk

On June 19, my husband spotted an Eastern Painted Turtle nesting in our yard, about two feet away from the walkway to our house.  The turtle was about 8” long and 5-6” wide.  She had bright red stripes on her legs and yellow stripes on her face and neck; very distinctive.

I’m almost embarrassed to write how excited we were to watch her dig a nest, lay her eggs, and then expertly hide her nest.  It was mesmerizing.  We felt like explorers on a National Geographic special!  We now consider our yard a nature preserve; critical to the next generation of local turtles!

You can check out our photos.  Plus, I’m working on getting the two mini video clips up on the web for people to view.  In one of the videos, you can see her drop an egg - very cool!!  They should hatch in about three months.

If you live in New England and come across a turtle, report your sighting to the Turtle Atlas of New England.  They track turtle activity in the region.  You can also forward any pictures or videos to the group.  See some great pictures and videos they already have on the Turtle Conservation Project site.

Enjoy our Turtle Nesting pics after the jump!

Kitty Cat 1: Bear Zilch

I think this cat proves that dogs are no match for felines.  This cat can obviously take any guard dog in a rumble…(see AP photo for evidence)

Jack the cat chases black bear up tree

A black bear picked the wrong yard for a jaunt, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree — twice.

Jack, a 15-pound orange and white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, often chasing small animals, but his owners and neighbors say his latest escapade was surprising… [AP]

Note the cat on the ground looking at the black bear in the tree - mocking him!

Open Letter To My Pets

Dear Pet(s):

When I say to move, it means to go someplace else, not to switch positions with each other so there are still two of you in my way.

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food.  All other dishes are mine and contain my food.  Please note that placing your paw print in the middle of MY plate and food does not stake a claim making it YOUR plate and food.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack.  Beating me to the bottom is not the object.  Tripping me doesn't help in your quest to reach the bottom first, because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed.  I am very sorry about this.  Do not think that I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort.

Are All Men "Batty"?

Finally, a scientific study proves something women have long theorized about men – “…sexual prowess comes with a price — smaller brains.”

A recent USAToday headline - Study: Bats' sexual prowess tied to smaller brains. 

The study may be about bats, but I’m sure most women believe we can extrapolate from the study’s findings to apply them to human males.  Read it and weep, ladies:

                        The study offers evidence that males — at least in some species — make an evolutionary trade-off between intelligence and sexual prowess…

This study provides evidence that bats can’t sustain larger testes AND a large brain.  Energy has to be directed to one area of the body or the other.  Apparently, the more promiscuous the bat is, the smaller its brain. 

This shouldn’t surprise anyone.  However, it dashes the hopes of women everywhere searching desperately for both attributes. 

Alas, life is full of compromises…

Parade of Penguins

Damn!  Penguins have a tough life, regardless of where they live. 

Poor emperor penguins live four good years before they mature to breeding age which marks the beginning of an absolutely hellish annual ritual.  You can learn about their incredibly difficult lives by watching The March of the Penguins (a must see movie - EXCELLENT!!).

Another penguin sob story…In southern England, some idiot kidnapped a 3-month old jackass penguin named Toga from the zoo.  The recent news article headline says it all – Outlook Grim for Toga, the Stolen Penguin.  The article even references Toga’s parents:

“Pictures of his crestfallen parents were splashed across the front pages of newspapers in Britain and the tale has tweaked the heartstrings of animal lovers globally.”