To walk or not to walk

This chameleon may be hesitant in walking, but can be a great cha-cha dance partner. Yeah?
Well, you could introduce this guy to your grandma.

Taiwanese student attacked by netizens for putting pet cat inside a plastic jar

A Taiwanese student was questioned for her actions, in putting her pet cat inside a plastic jar as a punishment for its bad behavior. But, her behavior angered netizens with outrageous comments for her to be punished instead.

 Read the full story here.

What does the fox say?

What does the fox say? You have to watch this video, he's more than happy to tell you. :) Enjoy!

For auld lang syne

Though he's drunk, he just wants to sing you a happy, great, new year!
Oh come on, gather your family and friends and sing with him.

by Catharssis

The sweet animal pictures of 2013

These are the aaaah (heart) moments of 2013. But don't be sad, let's see what 2014 has got to offer. :)

 

You may check the video here.

Don't forget to share your pet or animals pictures this 2014. It would be great to have them as part of our upcoming year. Cheers!

Python kills Security Guard in Bali

Bali Indonesia

A four-meter (thirteen-foot) python killed Ambar Arianto Mulyo, a security guard at the Bali Hyatt (a luxurious hotel in Indonesia) last Thursday, December 26.

The hotel was closed for renovation when Mulyo, the 59-year old security guard caught the snake on the hotel grounds. However, the snake was too strong for him to handle that it coiled his neck and strangled the security officer. 

Police officials are still warning the tourist in the said area to be wary and alert in their surroundings.

Bali is known for its relaxing atmosphere and beautiful beaches where the month of December is packed by tourists for the holidays. 

Wow! Check out what this cat got for Christmas!

Emu Steals the Scene

Watch an emu's reaction as one sees free food!

If the person in the car were you, what would you do?




Video not working? Watch it here.

Hey come on! It's not stealing, 'tis the holiday season. Cheers!

King Julien...and friends

On King Julien...devising a plan.

photo by: 

xMaritjee of deviantart - http://xmaritjee.deviantart.com/art/Funny-animals-112990353

The Top Doggy Accessories of the Season – The Whistle

With the holiday shopping season now on full swing, pet owners from different walks of life are no longer strangers to the myriad of pet accessories, toys and goodies made available in department store and pet-specialty venues.

To those who seem to be lost in the range of doggy accessories this holiday season, here’s a quick look at the top items available in the market today.

The Whistle

Not to be mistaken for a basic, old school whistle, THE Whistle is actually a small tech-specific doggy accessory, designed to be ready to fit around a dog’s collar.

As a device, the device is designed to allow dog owners a means of tracking their dogs’ whereabouts, developed with a built in GPS transceiver that can be rigged to work with on-hand internet capable devices like smartphones and tablets.

Easy to use, easy to configure and easy to maintain, the device is roughly the size of your average USB flash drive (USB stick, thumb drive, portable USB drive, ETC), and can be readily rigged to fit with different types of dog collars.

Software-wise, the device can be used to effectively keep tabs on a dog’s day to day activities, from monitoring his or her sleeping habits, nap time durations/locations, playtime durations/location and more.

The software-end of the Whistle can even be used as a dog habit/location tracker, extending its functional upsides beyond that of the average GPS-enabled tracking device for pets, but also as a means for dog owners to better understand their pets’ habits, quirks and particulars.

On Pets As Presents – On Pet Personalities

Like human beings, pets are liable to develop their own personalities, a trait that is generally driven by the disposition of genetics, along with the involvement of how they are reared around the company of people.

In cases when pets are being given as Christmas gifts, inconsiderate gift givers are liable to neglect this fact, oftentimes opting to give a pet as a gift simply because it is “cool” or “trendy” or “popular”.

Understanding the personality type of a given animal should be given some consideration before anything else.

On Pet Personalities

After the success of Disney’s live action version of the 101 Dalmatian’s franchise, Dalmatian dogs were popularly picked out from shelters, a “trend” which was attributed to the movie franchise’s popularity at the time.

However, as popular as Dalmatians were after the success of the film franchise, many came to learn that there’s a certain temperament to real life Dalmatians as dogs, one that goes beyond what was “featured” in the films.

Long story short, if you are thinking of giving someone a certain type of pet that is “cool” or “trendy”, take the time to actually look into the actual personality type of the pet, before going out of your way in getting one as a gift.

All animals have particulars and quirks, with some requiring specific care and attention. Looking into these details helps give you an idea about the challenges pet owners are liable to encounter with them, and should be a major consideration when talking about gifting pets this Christmas.

On Pets As Presents – On Lifespans and Such

When talking about pets as presents, gift givers generally tend to make the mistake of ignoring the level of commitment one has to immerse himself/herself in in their overall care, apart from other important considerations that should be given their due focus and emphasis.

The lifespan of a particular animal is one often ignored “pet as a gift” consideration.

On pet lifespans and such

Many think that taking care of a new kitten is easy, as something that involves a dish and water tray, regular feeding and regular litterbox cleanups.

What’s often forgotten about is the fact that cats can live for up to 15 to 20 years (depending on a cat’s constitution, daily diet, etc), which means that regularly feeding and taking care of a cat as a pet is a long term commitment.

In the case of dogs, canines are known to generally live from 8 to 10 years, with toy dog or small dog breeds known to live up to 15 plus years. Considering the fact that dogs require more exercise and healthy interaction between them and their masters, the degree of commitment in taking care of dogs can be described as more demanding.

If you’re thinking about giving a friend or loved one a pet this Christmas, don’t fail to consider the general lifespan of the type of pet you’ll be giving. Assessing a gift recipient’s capacity to take care of a pet is one thing, but to take care of a cat or dog through years is altogether another matter.

On Pets As Presents – On Pet-Person Compatibility

Apart from considering a given pet’s lifespan, veterinary care requirements and general personalities, many fail to think about how compatible pets can be with people when talking about the act of gifting pets during the holidays.

Considering that pet owners would be spending a lot of time with their pets, this consideration should not be ignored, as a means of avoiding potential problems in the future.

On Pet-Person Compatibility

When talking about pet-person compatibility, the markers that define “cat people” from “dog people” helps illustrate this point.

In the case of cats, “cat people” are aware about how “low maintenance” cats are, only requiring them to feed them at least twice a day and allow them access to different places in the house.

As opposed to dogs, “dog people” know that they have to immerse themselves in spending a lot of time with their canines, from going on exercise routines with their dogs, to taking the time in actively taking part in play

sessions.

As such, giving a dog to a “cat person” is just not a good idea, since “cat people” are not likely keen on the idea of them having to devote time in walking their dogs – especially when busy people are being talked about.

Before opting for a type of pet to gift this Christmas, think about just how compatible it is with your intended gift recipient.

While the idea of giving a puppy or a kitten may seem cute, it isn’t always a perfect match, considering the different personalities and compatibility factors between human beings and animals.

On Pets as Presents

While there’s really nothing wrong in opting to give a friend or loved one a pet as a present for Christmas, the decision of doing so shouldn't be born from a whim – or worse, inspired by something trendy or popular like a movie featuring a certain animal in a leading role.

As countless pet owners from all over the world would attest, keeping a pet is a huge responsibility, one that isn’t just about segmented moments where owners spend time playing with dogs in the park.

From bunny gifts for Easter to Christmas puppies finding their way under Christmas trees, there are countless cases of “gift pets” being abandoned by their “owners”, sad cases which could have been avoided if gift givers were more conscientious about their gift item choices.

Though there are rare cases where “gift pet” recipients learn to be more responsible in the care of their pets, not all “gift pet” scenarios end with happily ever after endings, thus the value of considering certain points before deciding on giving a pet as a gift to someone.

Ideally, considerations should go beyond a “gift pet” recipient’s capacity to actually take care of their newfound pet, but should also include a pet’s age/lifespan, required veterinary care, its general personality and overall compatibility with people and personalities.

If you are really keen on giving someone a pet as a gift this Christmas, consider giving him/her a gift certificate that entitles bearers with a pet of their choice instead.

That way, you get to accomplish what you had intended to by giving the gift, at the same time give your “gift pet” recipient the option of which pet best fits with him or her.

Have you seen...er...heard a Namaqua Rain Frog?

American Frogs: Ribbit! Ribbit!
Korean Frogs: Gegeol Gegeol!
Philippine Frogs: Kokak Kokak!

Namaqua Rain Frogs: can't use onomatopoeia, better check and imitate it yourself.

Save Cute Mammals by having Control on Global Warming

Global warming and change in climatic conditions have been an issue from past many years across the globe. Humans are always held responsible for the cause of global warming and thus causing change in climatic conditions.

Global warming is basically caused by an increase in level of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other harmful gases in the atmosphere. American Pika is a small mammal with short limbs, herbivorous, related to rabbits and hares. According to a new report, researchers said that increase in temperature have put a threat to lives of an American Pika.

Source: Here

Monster Snakes Threaten Ecosystem and Humans in Florida

Most people know that Florida has a history of invasive reptile species. Until recently, researchers have noticed that monster snakes, that are larger and more aggressive than the Burmese python, are threatening the ecosystem and possibly humans in Florida. The potentially dangerous snake is known as the African Rock python. Florida scientists are calling the snakes “one of their worst nightmares.”

The African rock python can grow to 20 feet long and have extremely aggressive temperaments. It is actually quite common to see freshly hatched rock pythons striking at any intruder that comes near them. These snakes are normally found in African savannahs, grasslands and rocky outcrops. They love to hide out in driftwood piles, old termite mounds and abandoned aardvark dens. The African rock python normally loves to eat small to medium-sized antelopes, hares, monkeys, rodents, monitor lizards, crocodiles and an occasional fish. A female can lay up to 20 to 60 eggs, with extremely large females that are capable of laying up to 100; females than stay with their eggs to protect them from predators and to incubate them for two to three months.  During this time, she will neither feed nor drink water.

Source: Here

The Mastermind of Stealing

If you've seen Sam, the wanted Seagull, could this video be a link to Sam's treacherous intent? 
Could this cold bloodied creature be the mastermind of Sam's crimes as evidenced by its bulging head marked as a highly intelligent invertebrate? 
Could this be the reason why it's called Ocean's Eleven because the mastermind is really from the Ocean?


Check out this video for you to judge.

Extinct Frog not yet Extinct

In 1996, the first amphibian to be declared extinct by a conservation group, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), was the Hula Frog (Latonia nigriventer). 

The decision was guided by the best available scientific data at the time: Nobody had seen any sign of the creature since its sole known habitat, the Hula Valley wetlands in northern Israel, had been drained in 1955. Then, in October 2011, a routine patrol turned up an adult male of the species. Further searching uncovered another 10 Hula painted frogs.

It's a remarkable case of a species reappearing, said Rebecca Biton, a paleontologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and co-author of a study describing the reappearance of the frog published this week in the journal Nature Communications.

But the story doesn't end there. An equally amazing finding, Biton said, is that the Hula painted frog, contrary to its previous classification, is the only surviving member of a long-lost group of frogs, in the genus Latonia (genus is the taxonomic classification above species). Her team arrived at this conclusion in two ways. First, Biton's analysis of ancient frog bones showed they looked much more like Latonia then the other painted frogs of the Middle East, to which they were supposedly more closely related. Second, DNA analysis suggested the same.

"The Hula painted frog is not what we thought it was," Biton told LiveScience, a conclusion that may not have materialized if it weren't for the team's interdisciplinary work, she added. "It's nice when genetics and paleontology can work together and get the same result."

Read full story here.

Wanted: Sam the Seagull

WANTED

Sam the seagull from Aberdeen Scotland is wanted for shoplifting. If you see this gull, better close your windows and hide your cheesy chips.

The Best Holiday Gifts for Dogs – Personalized Collars

Personalized collars are great items to opt for as gift items for dogs, one that’s sure to set them apart from every other dog in the neighborhood.

With more and more manufacturers extending their service roster to cover the creation of personalized dog collars, there’s no reason why you can’t get your dog his/her own this year.

Personalized Dog Collars

From choice designs to a special range of select colors, the variety of personalized dog collars available in the market is as diverse as the total range of dog breeds in the world.

Generally, personalized dog collars afford dog owners the option of having their furry buds’ names embroidered on the collar material itself, along with pertinent contact information, making them more than just an aesthetics-specific gift for one’s dog.

What’s more, there are actually a number of personalized or custom dog collar makers who extend their services online, with some working on a “you design, we make and deliver to your doorstep” business mode, negating the hurdles one could experience in long queues and lines when having a custom dog collar made.

Other personalized dog collar makers even offer extra value perks like waterproof collars that can be fitted with GPS transceivers, truly making them special holiday gifts.

Long story short, there’s virtually no limits as to just how personalized a custom made dog collar could be, and matched with the order-delivery convenience points boasted by the net, dog owners can easily and readily find the perfect personalized dog collar for their dog.

The Best Holiday Gifts for Dogs – Plush Toys

As a holiday gift for one’s dog, a plush toy (or plushie toy) can be described as “uninspired”, considering how common they are.

But given the fact that dogs are easily drawn to plush toys, they have consistently stood out as one of the top doggy gift items, year in and year out – even with its “uninspired” labeling.

Plush Toys

From bone shaped plush toys to Christmas themed variations, dog owners are not liable to have any problems finding the right plush toy for their dogs.

Practically dominating all the doggy toys available in pet specialty stores and venues, the range of plush toys specifically designed for dogs covers different segments and product spectrums, even covering the specific for dog training variety and specific for doggy swimming sessions, with some even manufactured and licensed by major entertainment conglomerates and brands.

Some are even developed with doggy health related functions, mostly covering the more obvious aspects of doggy oral hygiene, designed to clean a dog’s gums and teeth.

But while the variety of plush toys for dogs is quite diverse (at times even confusing for dog owners), the top plush toy gift option remains to be the “squeaky” plush toy. This is seconded by the “snuggable” variety, with some plush toys known to infuse the more obvious design and toy aspects of squeaky and “snuggable” plush toys together in one item.

While a squeaky plush toy may be the source of annoyance for dog owners, dogs are sure to love them, through and through.

How the Cavefish Lost Its Eyes

Pictured above is a very peculiar fish that lives in a few North American caves. It looks very much like other fish, except in one respect: it has no eyes. The story of its adaptation to life in pitch blackness is one of the weirdest stories in evolutionary history.

Source: Here

Country’s First New Species of Fish Discovered

The science community welcomed a new species of fish today, called Evoita santanai. The striking, pinkish-mauve-and-white animal, a type of dwarf goby, was found off Timor-Leste (map), and is the first new species of fish found in the country, according to Conservation International (CI), the group that made the discovery.

The new fish description was published in the journal Zootaxa this week, based on four specimens collected by CI scientists in Nino Konis Santana National Park, the country’s first national park. Researchers found the new fish in shallow water during an August 2012 survey designed to help officials manage the park. The scientists also discovered that Timor-Leste is third in the world for coral reef fish diversity.

Source: Here

Pigeon Envy

Imagine you are plucked out of your New York City apartment rooftop by a giant hand in the heavens and placed in a dark box. Suddenly the box opens 1,200 miles away on a random side street in Omaha Nebraska. Now walk home. And do it fast. Don’t think that’s possible? I got some city pigeon friends that can serve it up….. right in yo’ FREAKIN’ FACE!

You can take the bird out of the city but you can’t take the city out of the bird. Seriously. They will find their way back. Pigeons are an incredibly underrated little critter often referred to as “flying rats” or “gutter birds ” while possessing uncanny navigational abilities and have been absolutely critical to early social networking and information delivery services for humans. These birds placed in unfamiliar environments up to 1,200 miles away can reliably find their way to their home nest, and quite romantically, to their mate. Dating back 3000 years the ancient Egyptians, Persians and Romans all used pigeons to deliver information. They have delivered sensitive documentation during war time, were integral in forming the first air-mail service (stamps included) and informed Noah that he could climb out of that zoo of an ark he had been cooped up in for over a year. These birds were charged with proclaiming the winner of the early Olympic games, declaring stock prices between Brussels and Aachen for a young Mr. Reuter and helping to save people stranded at sea. Unfortunately for these loyal hard working birds, something called “the interweb” took their last paying job and put them out of business in 2002.

Source: Here

Pacific Leaping Blenny: Study Sheds More Light on Life of Legless, Land-Dwelling Fish

The Pacific leaping blenny is a 4 to 8-cm-long tropical fish found in reefs in Samoa and the Marianas, Society, and Cook Islands, in the western and southern Pacific Ocean. It remains on land all its adult life but has to stay moist to be able to breathe through its gills and skin.

Pacific leaping blennies move quickly over complex rocky surfaces using a unique tail-twisting behavior combined with expanded pectoral and tail fins that let them cling to almost any firm surface. To reach higher ground in a hurry, they can also twist their bodies and flick their tails to leap many times their own body length.

Source: Here

New Species of Rhinoceros Beetle Found in Bolivia

The new species belongs to the very rare beetle genus Oryctophileurus.

“Like the other species of the genus, the new species might be rare or has a cryptic way of life,” wrote Dr Robert Perger from the Colección Boliviana de Fauna and Dr Paschoal Grossi from the Universidade Federal do Paraná, co-authors of the paper published in the journal ZooKeys.

Source: Here

Scientists Discover Unique Voice Organ in Koalas

An international team of biologists led by Dr Benjamin D. Charlton from the University of Sussex has discovered that koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) possess a unique sound-producing organ that has never before been seen in any other land-dwelling mammal.

During the breeding season, male koalas produce low-pitched mating calls that are characterized by a continuous series of inhalation and exhalation sections, and an extremely low fundamental frequency. The pitch of these calls is about twenty times lower than it should be, given the koala’s relatively small size.

Source: Here

American Alligators, Mugger Crocodiles Use Lures to Hunt Their Prey

US researchers led by Dr Vladimir Dinets from the University of Tennessee have found that two croc species – mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) and American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) – use twigs and sticks to lure birds, particularly during nest-building time.

Their study, published in the journal Ethology, Ecology and Evolution, is the first report of tool use by any reptiles, and also the first known case of predators timing the use of lures to a seasonal behavior of the prey.

Source: Here

Spectacular New Species of Beetle Found in French Guiana

The beetle, scientifically named Guyanemorpha spectabilis, belongs to the Pseudomorphini tribe, famous for the co-existence of its representatives with various ant species.

Guyanemorpha spectabilis, commonly named the Spectacular Guyane False-form beetle, stands out among its dull relatives in the Western Hemisphere, with its great size and beautiful coloration.

Source: Here

Madagascar’s Ring-Tailed Lemurs Regularly Sleep in Caves, Biologists Say

A new study published in the journal Madagascar Conservation and Development has shown the ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) are the world’s only primates that sleep in the same caves on a nightly basis.

Ring-tailed lemurs are found only in Madagascar. They are easily identified by their characteristic, black and white ringed tails, which can be twice as long as their bodies.

Source: Here

Coendou baturitensis: New Porcupine Discovered in Brazil

The Coendou porcupines, also known as prehensile-tailed porcupines or coendous, are nocturnal, herbivorous, solitary rodents native to Central and South America.

Prehensile-tailed porcupines measure 0.7 – 1 m long including the tail and weigh about 3 – 5 kg. They feed on bark, leaves and buds as well as fruit and root vegetables.

Source: Here

Iran claims it has fired second monkey into outer space and safely returned him to Earth

Iran has sent a second live monkey into space and safely returned him to Earth, the country's state-run news agency reports.

Fargam the space monkey rode a Pajonesh rocket 75 miles up into space before his capsule safely detached and parachuted back to the ground, Iranian state TV said.

The report, which showed the rocket blasting off and then showed the monkey, strapped snugly into a seat, staring at people clapping to celebrate its safe return, added that the launch was Iran's first use of liquid fuel.

Source: Here

Florida Panther Seen Roaming Urbanized Part Of SW Fla.

NAPLES, Fla. (CBSMiami/AP) —  Wildlife biologists are trying to capture a Florida Panther seen roaming around an urbanized part of Golden Gate Estates in southwest Florida.

The Naples Daily News reports that residents in one neighborhood have been reporting panther sightings for the past month.

Source: Here

Comb Jelly Reveals New Secrets of Animal Evolution

For more than a century, scientists believed that complex cell types, such as neurons and muscles, evolved only once. The simple animals that lack these cell types branched off from the rest of the animals on the evolutionary tree. Now, though, a comb jelly has challenged this belief and has shown that these complex cells were gained and lost several times over the course of evolution.

The comb jelly in question is called Mnemiopsis leidyi, which is native to the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. In order to find a little bit more about this species, though, the researchers used whole-genome sequencing. The scientists compared the order of the chemical bases of DNA that comprise the organism's genome.

Source: Here

Lizard Has One-Way Breathing; Hints at How Dinosaurs Breathed?

That’s surprising, because the unidirectional airflow of birds was thought to have evolved due to the high-oxygen demands of flight: Instead of being partially filled with stale, depleted air like human lungs, avian lungs contain air with a much higher average oxygen content and are much more efficient at getting oxygen to the blood.

So this method of breathing was generally considered to be unique to both warm-blooded animals and birds.

Source: Here

Grizzly bear comeback? Feds move to delist as a 'threatened' species

Grizzly bears have become so numerous in and around Yellowstone National Park that state and federal wildlife managers have recommended that the animals no longer be classified as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.

If the US Fish and Wildlife Service accepts the recommendation, the great bears could once again be hunted as game animals in the Yellowstone area. That’s what has happened with wolves there since they were reintroduced to the northern Rockies in the mid-1990s.

Source: Here

Grab Your Binoculars! Audubon's Christmas Bird Count Begins This Weekend

This winter, tens of thousands of birdwatchers across North America will bundle up and brave the elements, all in the name of science.

The National Audubon Society's 114th annual Christmas Bird Count begins Saturday (Dec. 14). Volunteer citizen scientists in all 50 U.S. states, all Canadian provinces, and parts of Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands are set to take part in the yearly tradition, armed with bird guides, binoculars and checklists.

Source: Here