tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51080677772249013062024-03-20T02:15:58.226-07:00Through Cassie's EyesInspiration, biomimicry, horses, and lots of science talk.Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-30413411224563111352013-09-05T08:06:00.001-07:002013-10-10T08:51:11.093-07:00Lessons of the Hummingbird<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKM3AlrZDc5aPjtL5PWVoI3gYj-RDkMqTEN4Rp0S0pf8DBm1_0jorlq8vo0AvcevnEeC7t3GcSc4xxLcuRrywrRpUhRtcDKay88acy502rEubSZE1_4H8rAqXLzCfcIDsxv1uli-q/s1600/h-1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" osa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKM3AlrZDc5aPjtL5PWVoI3gYj-RDkMqTEN4Rp0S0pf8DBm1_0jorlq8vo0AvcevnEeC7t3GcSc4xxLcuRrywrRpUhRtcDKay88acy502rEubSZE1_4H8rAqXLzCfcIDsxv1uli-q/s200/h-1.bmp" width="200" /></a>I've been dedicating posts to good friends lately and today is no different. Before we get to our honored animal, I want to tell you a little about Mallory and myself: I met Mallory as the girlfriend of a high school friend. She and I got along well, but weren't especially close. Then I had my accident... All my friends rallied around me, but they kept wondering when I would go back to the old Cassie. I didn't know how to explain the "old me" died that day. I never had to explain that to Mallory - she just plain got it - and from that day on we became best friends. We share secrets to life most of the world has yet to realize. Mainly that life is hard and doesn't owe you anything. That doesn't mean you give up, it means you fight harder for what you want. Bad things happen to good people every day and it isn't a punishment; it's just life. We both struggle with fitting in in a conventional world because we're both far from conventional. I'm a nature loving, science nerd who also loves the Chargers despite their dismal record. (Antonio Gates, if you read this blog, hit me up.) She is a writer first and foremost (check out her blog Mal Adjusted <a href="http://themaladjustedlife.blogspot.com/">here</a>), a 3rd degree black belt, and most easily described as the ultimate firecracker. Mallory also loves hummingbirds, she and I both being believers in spirit animals and animals as signs as to what life may bring us.</div></div></div></div></div></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VxwD-0qRqQfuvtwlemZIjpQ_xXQsm9o5UU70HzVr5P2HzRJ4PEEm5e3cOTSSWQ37EdAqhGs_vq6ifp_AKFSmDDxJ5diZb-zAXhuEM2FD8EUne18ScDjuO2ntJgi8Hf5FaoxFl2sB/s1600/h-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" osa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VxwD-0qRqQfuvtwlemZIjpQ_xXQsm9o5UU70HzVr5P2HzRJ4PEEm5e3cOTSSWQ37EdAqhGs_vq6ifp_AKFSmDDxJ5diZb-zAXhuEM2FD8EUne18ScDjuO2ntJgi8Hf5FaoxFl2sB/s200/h-3.jpg" width="200" /></a>So before I go into the hard science of hummingbirds, first I want to explore the spiritual significance and symbolism of them. In the Andes of South America, the hummingbird is a symbol of resurrection. It seems to die on cold nights, but comes back to life again at sunrise. Hummingbirds are seen as messengers that open the heart. The fluttering wings of the hummingbird also move in the pattern of an infinity symbol - further solidifying their symbolism of eternity and cyclicality. Hummingbirds remind us to re-examine how we spend our energy. They are superiorly efficient creatures and they serve as a reminder to be more like them. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RFWgnt97Qf5RX4SYJmIuRLBgZjIP_r1kQdEsXd-PdT8vpJ4sPRRQwpSvVjDWb0bwxuxkwK25jlrEokSMmo9mxqlD6tZAH_QvdqpR4ygfmw65rEWa79CkBEPkyWJ1NlggX4w34AHK/s1600/mal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" osa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RFWgnt97Qf5RX4SYJmIuRLBgZjIP_r1kQdEsXd-PdT8vpJ4sPRRQwpSvVjDWb0bwxuxkwK25jlrEokSMmo9mxqlD6tZAH_QvdqpR4ygfmw65rEWa79CkBEPkyWJ1NlggX4w34AHK/s200/mal.JPG" width="148" /></a>Now to explain some of the cool qualities hummingbirds have with science. Hummingbirds are the only bird that can fly backwards. They do so by rotating their wings in a circular pattern instead of up and down. This is also why the hummingbird must beat its wings so quickly and are seemingly tireless. For other birds the down stroke requires very little energy where the upstroke requires great effort. The Hummingbird doesn't get a break, spending huge amounts of energy anytime it is flying. This translate to Mallory and my life , perfectly. We are both firm believers of doing things in life our way instead of the conventional or often easy way. To compensate for these huge energy expenditures the hummingbird consumes more calories than any other bird. If you have seen Mallory and I eat dinner you can see how this is also very fitting for us, we can put down food like no other. If the hummingbird sleeps too long it can literally starve to death. The Hummingbird also has the largest heart compared to its body size of any bird. If you know Mallory you know this is the best comparison of all. This girl loves like no other. Hope you all enjoyed learning about my best friend and another amazing creature. </div></div></div></div></div><br />
That's all for now, <br />
Cass</div></div></div></div></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-56108006741144647292013-08-07T09:29:00.005-07:002013-10-10T08:50:50.408-07:00Prepare for a Cute Attack<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycC4BgO5IzrYnshkseXt33zm-8_kBpRQRqjq6bSXjujVKaOedpZbmGH1a12dsEUAcTU94AaAqUELVBMGPu6_urAWFa4DWyWW6MBw6wn0P3ASUQmKmtJcH83sdO-vA1bklcCI4o8UI/s1600/p-2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycC4BgO5IzrYnshkseXt33zm-8_kBpRQRqjq6bSXjujVKaOedpZbmGH1a12dsEUAcTU94AaAqUELVBMGPu6_urAWFa4DWyWW6MBw6wn0P3ASUQmKmtJcH83sdO-vA1bklcCI4o8UI/s200/p-2.bmp" width="200" /></a>Again, I must apologize for the extended time between blog posts. I haven't abandoned my love for animals and science. I have been busy working far too much, saving plants, and riding horses somewhere in the middle of it all. For my blog posts I often ask people for suggestions on what animals to write on, well my good friend Armon voted that everyone needs to know more about the adorable Red Panda. To see just how adorable click on the link below for a cute overload: <a href="http://imgur.com/a/CIkfG?gallery">take me to adorable baby red pandas...</a></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Red Pandas are not related to Giant Pandas, sorry I know it is truly devastating, but I don't think one genus could survive that much cuteness... Instead they are more closely related to raccoons, skunks, and weasels. They are the only living species of the genus Ailurus. Classification of the Red Panda has been a heated issue, initially they were assigned to the raccoon family, then to bears, finally scientists decided (or were brainwashed by the Red Pandas flicking their fluffy tails) to give Red Pandas their very own family classification. Their nearest relative was Parailurus who lived 3-4 million years ago and died out in the last Ice Age, thus proving Red Pandas are either tougher or luckier than first believed. </div></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6JdazqT3cwseLNwP9bIInpZCiQtZ_8fSTGrM8I2RnteAeIwfD54m46L4WKhXEFo59UdaAXkOaE5Z6FFCEbUEVA1BOQ1pEh2FIt6mCq_zdC1Shqj5qISHOGV4GjvrVT1HO4vf3FJI/s1600/p-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6JdazqT3cwseLNwP9bIInpZCiQtZ_8fSTGrM8I2RnteAeIwfD54m46L4WKhXEFo59UdaAXkOaE5Z6FFCEbUEVA1BOQ1pEh2FIt6mCq_zdC1Shqj5qISHOGV4GjvrVT1HO4vf3FJI/s200/p-1.jpg" width="132" /></a></div> Red Pandas are arboreal mammals, meaning they live their life in trees. Their claws are semi retractable, those combined with a special false thumb allows them to descend trees headfirst. They claw with their front legs and rotate their ankles to grasp either side of the tree, making even the most skilled pole dancers jealous. They are omnivores and mainly eat bamboo, but also enjoy eating eggs, birds, and insects (don't let your guard down)... They live in the eastern Himalayas of China.</div><br />
</div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When threatened Red Pandas will try to flee up a tree or rock, however when trapped they will stand up on their hind legs to look bigger (or more adorable) and use their small but fierce front claws to hopefully deter their enemy (or have cute jazz hands). Red Pandas are solitary creatures except for mating season when like humans all morals are compromised for the perpetuation of the species.<br />
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I promise I will try and get back to more regular posts at least once a month in the future. Love you all, <br />
Cass</div></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4_Dj46sDIDwpBK7zbub8PKT2-PHvHX9hbFjZzl8Us_Qt4P7av5h5dL03dlTYTQ4JIutNYBTCKfvxY3dbHoNetMfXQurRYWZu1NnU1Dh2Urj2GrUp_VpM_jZCXyHaysoCjDuexyk0/s1600/p-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4_Dj46sDIDwpBK7zbub8PKT2-PHvHX9hbFjZzl8Us_Qt4P7av5h5dL03dlTYTQ4JIutNYBTCKfvxY3dbHoNetMfXQurRYWZu1NnU1Dh2Urj2GrUp_VpM_jZCXyHaysoCjDuexyk0/s200/p-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jazz Hands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-86478076335024490362013-04-08T15:04:00.000-07:002013-10-10T08:50:23.224-07:00Honey Badger is Kicking Ass and Taking NamesOften I ask for my friends animals to write about. This week I asked one of my best friends Elena and she picked one of the toughest critters alive, the Honey Badger. How is a seemingly cute weasel-like animal tough as nails? In case you haven't seen one of the funniest video's I have ever seen, please watch below first (note this video contains lots of adult language)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/4r7wHMg5Yjg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Elena and I have been friends for over 15 years. I truly believe she is one of my soul mates on this earth. Right now we're both going through a very rough patch in life. At the moment we're both channeling our inner Honey Badgers. I believe we choose all aspects of our life, but it may not always be in the conscious part of our brain. If we choose everything that happens to us in life, then why do we have so many bad things happen? I see it as our greater subconscious being can see where we want to be, but also knows that our conscious reptilian brain will never go there willingly. Humans brains are wired to keep a routine and not take risks. We have lessons to learn, and often they're not lessons we would experience willingly. So our subconscious brain will create a scenario that is less than desirable to our conscious brain. I've spoken about my accident in the past and often get asked if I could have a re-do would I take it? Not a chance. I took many things away from me that day, but four stick out in my brain.
1. I know what true friendship is. I had several friends put their lives on the line to save mine.
2. I know how strong I am. Not much scares me now days.
3. I don't sweat the small stuff often (and it is true, everything is small stuff).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOcH0ZuCNhOGd9rjskkmIQ0MqwHosjqokQIQT6HZ7ZxY7BmhBIIH_DEQV_t0RBzWfkT8tLyau4j5VDz2z8QpLHzMhy19l75qe0LFaHDTrIag1koJO_IHvuDYr8m11eG2cqttBNm9Y/s1600/honey+badger-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOcH0ZuCNhOGd9rjskkmIQ0MqwHosjqokQIQT6HZ7ZxY7BmhBIIH_DEQV_t0RBzWfkT8tLyau4j5VDz2z8QpLHzMhy19l75qe0LFaHDTrIag1koJO_IHvuDYr8m11eG2cqttBNm9Y/s1600/honey+badger-2.jpg" /></a></div>Four amazing gifts that I would never have gotten if I didn't go through some serious torture. So how does this all tie back to the Honey Badger? Well, when you're going through those moments in life where your subconscious is teaching you a hell of a lesson, you get to channel your inner Honey Badger.
<ul><li>Up against events in life that seem impossible? Honey Badgers weigh about 30 lbs and have taken down foes far superior in size and strength. They routinely hunt cobras and small crocodiles. A honey badger will even take away gazelles from lion packs. </li>
<li>Need tougher skin? Honey Badgers routinely ransack African bee hives (these are the crazy killer bees everyone warns you about). Their skin is very thick and can resist the stings. Their skin is also what allows them to repel snake bites.</li>
<li>Can't figure something out in life? Honey Badgers are one of the few animals that can use tools. A honey badger was filmed rolling a log to a cave in order to reach its prey. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpuKJm2q2i-MYQMRF0kV_KOrWMypDTIkufgQu868Ih8TXFVSl6W4aeAofQu_Cj0pLTBtl7obRBqk9v5In4PJ_b9EQLBBDMNomewxDAZAL9JHupDDHcslkj3oOBVCcfbXQGHaYGh27/s1600/honey+badger-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpuKJm2q2i-MYQMRF0kV_KOrWMypDTIkufgQu868Ih8TXFVSl6W4aeAofQu_Cj0pLTBtl7obRBqk9v5In4PJ_b9EQLBBDMNomewxDAZAL9JHupDDHcslkj3oOBVCcfbXQGHaYGh27/s1600/honey+badger-1.jpg" /></a></div></li>
</ul>So if life has you down,channel your inner Honey Badger and start kicking ass and taking names.<br />
Cass<br />
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Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-29518936251404860782013-01-17T07:43:00.001-08:002013-01-17T07:47:24.183-08:00Plants 101<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
When people learn one I'm a botanist (i.e. super plant person) the next line out of their mouth is I can't grow plants or I kill plants. There's a reason that people think they have a perpetual black thumb, no one ever set you up for success. If in life no one ever taught you the correct way, would you expect to succeed? Of course not. Yet the majority of people seem to think growing any plant requires a mystical green thumb that you can only be born with, otherwise you are doomed to be the grim reaper of plants. I promise there is hope for anybody! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQcvpSGQVHdTFErkRmNRVfTrOh6yzLxJ3nLVtpXyGlhyphenhyphenmMHFQR6k7QADa16YsOLmaY5i9_xrPbND_ecPlKSOiZ2kiuema95L1V00oXwH24kSzSLcViJuusk6T0YtlSOSqgigGdys6/s1600/succulents" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQcvpSGQVHdTFErkRmNRVfTrOh6yzLxJ3nLVtpXyGlhyphenhyphenmMHFQR6k7QADa16YsOLmaY5i9_xrPbND_ecPlKSOiZ2kiuema95L1V00oXwH24kSzSLcViJuusk6T0YtlSOSqgigGdys6/s200/succulents" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a variety of succulents</td></tr>
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Of the plant killer group, people follow two thought processes on what it actually takes to grow plants. Route 1 is it only takes any random dirt and some water, then they're dumbfounded when their plant dies. Route 2 believes that plants are impossibly complex and don't even attempt to grow them. Both groups are going about this the wrong way. To start I suggest everyone who has never grown a plant practice on something very hard to kill, succulents! The beauty of most succulents is they take very little maintenance and can tolerate lots of abuse. You can literally forget to water your succulent for weeks and it will be just fine, promise.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDryM59jgPvTsPYuHpy50_xxx4ZFVN2hkRi2Whas68fEiXM4vb8G3uUNQ-vNcrLDn0_ZkOSqoNWrnzAkRqMqFIqKzHww3PZPOcLzn6T4HkoKCjXnZXAYPukpf7bK3SJ0xMcctpH2dl/s1600/deck-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDryM59jgPvTsPYuHpy50_xxx4ZFVN2hkRi2Whas68fEiXM4vb8G3uUNQ-vNcrLDn0_ZkOSqoNWrnzAkRqMqFIqKzHww3PZPOcLzn6T4HkoKCjXnZXAYPukpf7bK3SJ0xMcctpH2dl/s320/deck-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Succulents on my deck</td></tr>
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To start from the basics, make your own soil. Almost all of the commercial potting mixes are laced with hormones and additives which will initially make your plant grow quickly. The downside is after awhile your plant will be sitting in mush and have a poorly developed root system. I mix my very own soil and it tends to be slightly cheaper if you buy in bulk. First get a bag of peat moss and a bag of perlite. For succulents mix them 60% perlite, 40% peat moss. Take your succulent out of the original pot it came in and put in a new pot double what your plant came in. Make sure you pack it in firmly and fill soil to the top. There you have it! By having a custom soil mix you ensure your plant will hold the ideal amount of water. Succulents are drought tolerant and do best with minimal watering. So if you don't water it for a week, no problem, if you accidentally water it too much, your custom soil mix ensures the water will drain out the bottom. Keep your succulent outside in a nice sunny spot. They can handle extreme heat and minimally freezing temperatures. <br />
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Mixing your own soil for each plant is your safety net. Perlite adds drainage to a plant, peat holds moisture in. If you venture outside the world of succulents you just figure out where your plant originally came from and how much water it prefers, then adjust your peat moss to perlite ratio accordingly. If I'm unsure what amount of water a plant would like I tend to start it in a 50/50 ratio of peat moss to perlite. It the plant looks bogged down or soggy I will replant with more perlite, if it constantly looks thirsty, add more peat moss. <br />
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<strong>Some general plant tips:</strong><br />
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<li>Watch out for plants getting root bound. This is when the roots start coming out of the bottom of your pot, this means your plant is ready for a larger pot and new soil.</li>
<li>Keep an eye out for sun burnt leaves, your plant will tell you if it is getting too much sun.</li>
<li>If your plant turns pale and albino, that's a sign it needs more sun. </li>
<li>Use a basic fertilizer once a month for indoor plants, they use up the nutrients in their soil quicker than outdoor plants. Be careful not to apply fertilizer on the stems of plants.</li>
<li>Plants like fresh soil, if your soil looks crusty means the nutrition has been depleted. I accidentally dwarfed several plants by denying them fresh soil for over a year. After changing out their soil, poof! They doubled in size.</li>
<li>Plants enjoy a hair cut, if they start looking tired trim them up, it will stimulate roots to grow, and get rid of any dead limbs.</li>
<li>Google! Look up your plant and see where it likes to live, how much water it desires, how others grow them. If your plant looks sickly, google its symptoms. There is a huge very supportive plant community out there.</li>
<li>Plants will die, its a part of life just like everything else. I will guarantee every plant expert has had plants die on them.</li>
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Remember plants are resilient organisms and want to thrive. I have faith in you all. You can ask me any plant questions if you get stuck. <br />
Good luck,<br />
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Cass </div>
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Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-29607707015504300902013-01-10T08:54:00.000-08:002013-01-10T09:01:20.890-08:00Why I Ride <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Early Years </td></tr>
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I had a post all ready to go about first time plant growers, but last night while riding my horses I had another post fighting in me to be written. I was walking around the ranch on my red horse Finally and just had a truly appreciative moment. Here I was alone in utter peace. There was a haze that had settled around the ranch, barely lite with sporadic lamp posts, and yet when looking straight up the sky was clear with sparkling stars that you just don't see the same in the city. It got me thinking about why I have horses. (please note at any time in this post feel free to add dog or cat or any other animal that gives you these feelings) People are shocked when they learn my horses cost me more than my rent, car, food, all other extra bills combined. Yet, each month I write their feed and board check without a second thought. I have eaten Top Ramen and Mac N Cheese for a month straight, while my horse ate every vet recommended supplement. My shoes have holes in them, yet my horse has a brand new shiny pair on right now. One horse even killed me. A horse I didn't know, had a break with reality and pinned me between a truck and kicked my face in. But that same day, my own horse stood between that horse and took kicks meant for me, then refused to leave my body. If I had to choose between reliving that day again or a life without horses, I'd happily die all over. My horses are priceless. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two grey ponies, Phoenix and Max</td></tr>
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Animals and especially horses are a persons mirror. They can sense whatever is on your mind and spit it right back at you good or bad. To me that's a gift. So many of us walk around this world with a facade on, thinking we have the world fooled. But that horse will sense it in a second. By being my mirror, my horses call attention emotions that I've been stuffing (I'm a girl we're fabulous at stuffing emotions), by becoming aware I've been neurotic I can begin to process and resolve it. My horse is the worlds best and most affordable therapist. I remember being a 10 year old girl and going up to my grey pony Phoenix and pouring my heart out. She walked up to me and just put her nose on my tear streaked cheek and sat there. I threw my arms around her and sobbed. That pony saved me from so much strife. Even now days when times get tough I go to my horse. My friend committed suicide recently and I had no idea how to process it, so I hopped on Finally bareback with just a halter and bared my soul again. He just cruised me around the ranch while I cried over a life too short. After I got off a hour later, nothing had changed in reality but I felt like I could at least deal. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manhattan </td></tr>
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My horses have taught me pride and humility all in one. I took Manny my thoroughbred from abused and nothing but skin and bones to the picture of health and fitness. We were a team that would jump anything. During one jumper show the organizers set up a jump that was meant to be terrify and almost un-jumpable. A standard picnic table complete with benches, decorated to the max. The table itself was narrow yet impossibly wide, and the table cloth was loosely attached so it flapped. No horse would go within 10 feet of the thing, but I took my beast of a thoroughbred, galloped up to it and soared right over. People stood there shaking their heads in disbelief. How could one pair have so little fear and trust in each other? On the other hand, I can remember riding a tiny pony named Squirt for one of my students who had just gotten bucked off for the second time. I was going to show this pony who was boss... I cantered a few laps around when the little guy stuck his nose to the ground and bucked, I flipped head over heels landing in a giant heap still holding the reins. I wouldn't let go and the little brat tried to take off and drag my fat ass, didn't work out so well for him. I go back on and managed to get him going decent. The little kid and her parents asked if I was hurt, I replied, "only my pride is broken". It's that instance where you realize the smallest pony can humble any rider.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manhattan (the once starved horse)</td></tr>
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My horses teach me how to be a better human being. I have had to re cooperate horses starved and beaten an inch from life. This horse has no reason to trust me. All its life humans have only hurt it, yet its spirit still wants love. It will allow me to show it not all humans are bad. It makes me think somewhere out there is that person for my heart, yes it has been trampled, beaten, starved, but somewhere out there is someone who will gently nurse it back to health, but I have to trust them to do it. Horses have taught me how to love without fear, because they love me unconditionally. They have never let me down. </div>
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Hug your animal extra today and tell them how much you appreciate them, <br />
Cass<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love </td></tr>
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Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-80608709715991791482012-12-13T07:59:00.002-08:002012-12-13T07:59:44.718-08:00Do Flashy Monogamists Exist?Taking from last weeks post I'm going to mix in a little more of my real life along with your animal facts. Lately I have gone on a quest to bring out a little more of my inner femininity. Growing up I was always more of a tomboy, I loved sports (still do), had an easy time hanging with the boys, I still dislike drama filled girls, all this lead to me suppressing my inner girl. Anyone who knows me realize how laughable this ultimately is. I'm blessed with a natural Scarlett Johansen, Kim Kardashian body. I'm pretty sure my skeleton has some hips on it and lets just say I definitely won't be needing implants anytime soon. No matter how much I have tried to discourage my inner girl, every time I stared in the mirror I would get a constant reminder of looking as feminine as one can be. Instead of fighting it, I have decided to embrace it and discovered I love being a girl. It is really nice to have a drink bought for you, dress up in high heels, do crazy things with my hair, being a girl is basically free license to experiment with whatever look I want. Being a scientist means experimentation and new discoveries is pretty much my drug of choice.<br />
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My aptitude towards tomboy tendencies isn't very uncommon in the animal kingdom. The males of most species are typically the bright and colorful ones. They need bright and colorful plumage to attract the opposite sex during mating season. The females need dull muted coloring to blend in with their environment, staying hidden to protect their young. Take peacocks for example, the males have giant feathers in a rainbow of colors, where their peahen counter parts are left with muddy brown minuscule feathers. There are some examples of colorful female animals, but they appear in polyandrous species (where the female mates with multiple males) seen in: parrots, hummingbirds, angelfish and butterfly fish. Often in these cases the males are plainer in coloring and left with doing the child rearing. It makes morphological sense for the females to be brightly colored so they can attract multiple mates.<br />
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Monogamy in the animal kingdom is actually quite rare, this excuse has been a favorite of playboys like Hugh Hefner as a reason to have a plethora of girlfriends. When I picture my ideal reality I'm not with multiple partners but one special one. But are there are monogamous brightly colored female animals? Is it even remotely in my DNA to be monogamous? The answer came in one of my favorite animals, the mimic poison frog, <i>R. imitator.</i> The current belief of monogamy started by Devra Kleiman is that it evolved as a life history strategy when biparental care becomes critical to offspring survival. In this situation, both parents may experience higher reproductive success by investing in their mutual offspring instead of seeking extra pair reproductive opportunities [DOI: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/409721" rev="review" target="window">10.1086/409721</a>]. The female will lay her eggs in water, then the male will transport them to trophic level plants with pools of water in them away from hungry predators. The female will then lay non-fertile eggs in the small pools to feed the growing tadpoles. Other poison dart frog species are not monogamous and their offspring have lower survival rates. </div>
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So channel your inner mimic poison frog, be colorful, flashy, and different, all the while searching for that perfect partner to raise your tadpoles with. </div>
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Happy hunting, </div>
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Cass</div>
Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-41962891722248413662012-11-01T07:33:00.001-07:002012-11-01T08:32:21.437-07:00Hearts of an Earthworm <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince</td></tr>
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I know I haven't written awhile yet again, lots of changes going on in my life. Again I've been struggling with inspiration, unfortunately I received inspiration in a difficult way this month. My heart has experienced some big challenges. A good friend choose to take her own life. That alone was a lot, especially because she was very close with of one of my best friends, and watching her struggle with continuing on with her own life without our friend just plain hurts. I have had my own experience with death, and it doesn't bother me as much as others. I've seen the other side and I know my friend is completely at peace learning lessons on the other side and sharing her experiences from her time on earth. That said, it doesn't take away the pain and hurt from the people she left on earth. <br />
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I've also been struggling with finding a relationship that was a good fit for myself and in the process got my heart ssquished yet again. Finding dates has never been the issue. I'm outgoing I like to chat with all sorts of people, I like to think I'm cute, I have curves that are kicking like J-Lo and Beyonce. My problem is that transition from friendship and casual dating to monogamous relationship. Recently I've spent two months with a guy and so many things clicked. The main issue was general consideration, as in not flaking on me or just realizing hey maybe Cass would like to join my friends and I out. I talked it out with him and he told me something was missing, I was smart, funny, beautiful, but something he couldn't explain wasn't there. In that sentence my little heart broke. I said I respected that and you don't want to force things, I wished him well, I did the adult thing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what my inner Earthworm looks like</td></tr>
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I've had my heart broken before. I can only say I've ever followed my heart 100% once. I was 22 and in the midst of my first love, God I thought he was amazing and just so in shock he loved me back as much as I loved him. We took trips together, rode our horses, loved each others friends, it seemed so fairytale. We moved in after a few months, but I realized that in my head over heels love phase I ignored some giant red flags. It became a daily struggle, my heart and my brain battling on what to do... Eventually my brain won out, I moved out and experienced my first giant heartbreak. So here I find myself with a much smaller heartbreak, it didn't shatter my heart like my first love, but it definitely feels as though someone kicked me in the chest (and you all know I know what a swift kick feels like). So I ask myself what do I do? Keep on trying and look for love again, even better I'm going to channel my inner earthworm.<br />
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You knew eventually I would get around to the animal facts. But I'm sure you're asking, what in the world do Earthworms have to do with heartache? Well Earthworms happen to have five hearts, and what better time than a break-up to swap out that broken heart for a brand new one! Earthworms have five pairs of simple hearts that pump blood throughout the body. They have no lungs. That feeling you get post break-up where you cant breath? No problem! Instead the blood flowing close to the worm's surface absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide directly through the moist skin (called the cuticle). The uncontrollable crying you do, again no problem! Instead of a nose, ears, and eyes, Earthworms have a nervous system throughout their bodies that controls actions in response to environmental stimuli, such as vibrations, heat, cold, moisture, light, and the presence of other worms. When you can't get your brain to shut off and stop thinking about your ex? Earthworms have no brain! <br />
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In my eyes, kinda what this blog is about, the Earthworm is the perfect break-up animal to channel. Once your broken heart has recovered allow it to join up with your others and you can let your inner Earthworm lie dormant for awhile. It does get better everyone, and life does go on. I like to remind myself that there are lessons learned from every event in life, the heartbreaks really do just plain suck. Without the rain we would never truly appreciate the sun... Now onto my next goal find a guy I like half as much as my horse! Side note if you are available gentlemen who reads this blog and have several qualities as my adorable horse, hit me up!<br />
Cass<br />
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Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-72314480452767075852012-09-13T08:48:00.001-07:002012-09-13T08:48:38.626-07:00Leaping Lemurs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was having some difficulty coming up with this weeks post... I'm going to attribute it to fun overload from actually having some free tiem in my life and taking full advantage of it. I started thinking what unusual animal to write about when Lemurs popped into my head. Specifically the one Ring Tail Lemur from Madagascar who is absolutely hilarious. So, in honor of King Julian, here is the Lemur post.<br />
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Lemurs only inhabit Madagascar, a small island off the coast of Africa. It is believed they arrived to Madagascar 65 million years ago on rafts of floating vegetables. Madagascar was formed during the break-up of Gondwanaland, 135 million years ago. 90% of the species found on Madagascar are endemic, meaning they can only be found on the island. As of 2012, 103 species of Lemur have been identified. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhfSY7Rhf-rZUcBT3ugaYvbqOFnNVDb5n-gfqqD_IlIJqA3YTkcmHBvAdxlubm4LkDT02mkl8K8DHaM57R3-DyWnxmR-QOPb_CMrewxxBt22FvN9G4yNZK0MjarEtvtZcVdLS4NoG/s1600/lemur-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhfSY7Rhf-rZUcBT3ugaYvbqOFnNVDb5n-gfqqD_IlIJqA3YTkcmHBvAdxlubm4LkDT02mkl8K8DHaM57R3-DyWnxmR-QOPb_CMrewxxBt22FvN9G4yNZK0MjarEtvtZcVdLS4NoG/s200/lemur-1.jpg" width="200" /></a>Lemurs are Strepsirrhini primates, this is not to be confused with chimps, monkeys, and humans which are all Anthriod primates. Strepsirrhini primates share many of the same morphological traits as Anthriod, including divergent digits and nails instead of claws. One main difference is their brain to body ratio is significantly smaller. All Strepsirrhini primates also have a rhinarium (wet nose), a pheromone detecting vomeronasal organ, lack of thin bone behind the eye (post orbital closure), orbits that do not fully face forward, and un-fused lower jaw bones. It is likely the original Lemur ancestor was a Loris another Strepsirrhi primate. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvvqkxF-9RBka4e6mrIV8IeE2ECaOihPLDt1qPf5K3vSQKsl46Qcwutus0LKnLUSKx5ylubiRMGxIsvFx8sYIu8x97r7wIy1tQ3zIpabq2nsMgivhtY89dC-dV1U961CNXFzYZdGo/s1600/lemur-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvvqkxF-9RBka4e6mrIV8IeE2ECaOihPLDt1qPf5K3vSQKsl46Qcwutus0LKnLUSKx5ylubiRMGxIsvFx8sYIu8x97r7wIy1tQ3zIpabq2nsMgivhtY89dC-dV1U961CNXFzYZdGo/s200/lemur-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Lemurs vary greatly in size, the smallest is the Mouse Lemur at 1.1 oz, and the largest at 20 lb for the Indri. Recently extinct species of Lemur could get to the size of a male gorilla. Lemurs do not have prehensile tails, that is a trait only found in new world monkeys. Each subspecies of Lemur has evolved specific traits to help give it a competitive edge. Most Lemurs have specialized teeth, the Aye-Aye has incisors that continuously grow to allow it to gnaw on seeds and wood. Other Lemurs have a tooth comb that is used for grooming purposes. Lemurs have extremely fast tooth development, often far faster than the rest of their body. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaK21KPWbavysQmYevoy0PhnR2mF9We_jq1EJYBAynK01ksmBsyDDQPVDAI75Zv0lGnTf9igxP73FE_hdSrmwrpFfmCIomhytpJt4-enEM5XMAh-EyyCa2InkmTLSMJK9kDctN47xN/s1600/lemur-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaK21KPWbavysQmYevoy0PhnR2mF9We_jq1EJYBAynK01ksmBsyDDQPVDAI75Zv0lGnTf9igxP73FE_hdSrmwrpFfmCIomhytpJt4-enEM5XMAh-EyyCa2InkmTLSMJK9kDctN47xN/s200/lemur-4.jpg" width="176" /></a>Lately lemurs of all kinds have been threatened due to the encroachment of humans on Madagascar. Animals that are isolated on islands have a history of doing poorly and often wiped out to extinction when a new predator (especially humans) is introduced. New Zealand's Elephant Bird was wiped out to extinction by humans, and now its much smaller relative the Kiwi is in danger from similar problems. Lemurs face the large human created issue of habitat destruction. The wide variety of Lemurs is do to extreme specialization. Each Lemur species is highly adapted to a very specific ecological niche, with some that are tree dwelling, some only live in water reeds, in places that one would never expect. Even a small portion of habitat being eliminated can cause a Lemur's entire ecological system to be extinguished. Humans also hunt Lemurs sometimes for food but more often as totems or even to ward off villagers from different tribes. Lemurs are a great example of an animal that is extremely sensitive and unable to adapt to habitat destruction even in the smallest of forms. </div>
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That's it for now, <br />
CassCassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-33795329077399920492012-08-29T08:21:00.001-07:002012-08-29T08:22:23.253-07:00Holy Mola Mola <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Size Comparison</td></tr>
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I often take requests on which animals people want me to write about. Recently my friend Bernie asked me to write about the Mola Mola. Interestingly enough this fish happens to be a great part of one of my favorite topics, how animals deal with environmental changes. It is a rare week where you don't hear someone talking about global warming and climate change. I'm not going to discuss whether i believe it is human caused or part of a natural earthly rhythm, well I won't discuss it today. But the truth of the matter is the worlds oceans are showing some of the effects from our changing climate. First some facts about the Mola Mola. In Latin, Mola means millstone which the fish resembles due to its flat shape and grey color. Where its English name Sunfish refers to its basking behavior.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ILR8SVYrKaNSYmITr8HBr3bWrq8wL_ZqVy_NhBrkBhheFm-dQMGe9FOQVhqJ59oXIoPwuOMr5nvxLRQKjxcNrxWZezYhX8aojLf_KZITAIspAAJ1u-U-j6oA8BME8LZa0swPU8g8/s1600/mola-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ILR8SVYrKaNSYmITr8HBr3bWrq8wL_ZqVy_NhBrkBhheFm-dQMGe9FOQVhqJ59oXIoPwuOMr5nvxLRQKjxcNrxWZezYhX8aojLf_KZITAIspAAJ1u-U-j6oA8BME8LZa0swPU8g8/s1600/mola-4.jpg" yda="true" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibiting Basking Behavior</td></tr>
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The Ocean Sunfish otherwise known as the Mola Mola is the largest bony fish in the world. Fish come in several types but the main two are bony and cartilage. Cartilage fish include sharks. Mola Mola's can weigh up to 2,000 lbs while being as tall as it is wide. They are rather flat in width and exhibit a very unusual basking or sunning behavior. They will go to the surface of the water and swim on their side. It is believed they swim along the surface on to prep for going into colder deeper water. The Mola Mola is truly a sun-loving fish and enjoys warmer water, mainly tropical and temperate waters. The Mola Mola is able to reach such a large size due to some odd features. Its spinal column contains fewer vertebrae and is shorter in relation than any other fish. The skeleton also contains vast amounts of cartilaginous tissue. Cartilage is lighter than bone and can allow for the fish to grow to sizes larger than any other bony fish. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2qsgPoa7_wJxx901ZnfvA_a5NLxDKovWNp5wNTUqsLjXjtTGHtG9N0IBhm1nlJ9DIwFe_X0I45aX-NgQgeRJ91nj3j1FBMaPTiqsYgYAJQI-qdcyxRavOruPCelbtavl6amdBhWE/s1600/mola-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2qsgPoa7_wJxx901ZnfvA_a5NLxDKovWNp5wNTUqsLjXjtTGHtG9N0IBhm1nlJ9DIwFe_X0I45aX-NgQgeRJ91nj3j1FBMaPTiqsYgYAJQI-qdcyxRavOruPCelbtavl6amdBhWE/s200/mola-2.jpg" width="200" yda="true" /></a>I happen to live in the beautiful city of San Diego, and recently there was a sighting of one of this fish nearby. This is highly unusual because we have rather cold water. It could be an indicator of our ever warming oceans. Jellyfish have blossomed to larger numbers than ever. Jellyfish thrive in warmer water. This has encouraged animals who prey on jellyfish to travel with them. Some of the main predators of jellyfish are sea turtles and the Mola Mola. Warming waters can be beneficial to some creatures but extremely harmful to others. Many fish can migrate and adjust their patterns to a more ideal water temperature. But what happens to coral reefs or kelp beds? Both highly specialized environments that don't have the option to pack up and leave. I love to point out animals that are bioindicators. One of my first posts in this blog was about frogs as bioindicators. I wouldn't consider the Mola Mola a bioindicator (there's just too few of them in the world), but their main food source jellyfish are. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvUubYMZEwY-wO0fFb9QVlcbwve8TG1luM97RMKVzSmq8jwNRyZBGTqQAc5vKQ0fnRxEomy0MhJ6s4ckOyPU_guRAjECb1H46rzmKDu8fUVx1R7crtbRo7sSfT0vKJACW5gbfPF9h/s1600/mola-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvUubYMZEwY-wO0fFb9QVlcbwve8TG1luM97RMKVzSmq8jwNRyZBGTqQAc5vKQ0fnRxEomy0MhJ6s4ckOyPU_guRAjECb1H46rzmKDu8fUVx1R7crtbRo7sSfT0vKJACW5gbfPF9h/s200/mola-3.jpg" width="200" yda="true" /></a>Mola Mola's must consume vast quantities of jellyfish to maintain their considerable bulk. A jelly fish has very low nutritional value. This also may be one of the reasons the Mola Mola are so temperature sensitive, to maintain such great size on food of poor nutrition is very difficult. Animals trade off abilities in many ways, the Mola Mola has opted for large size, but they have poor temperature regulation. Aquariums have had a hard time keeping these giant fish in captivity. They require large space and often injure themselves bumping into sides of tanks. These fish haven't been studied as indepthly as others. I hope that fish as unique as the Mola Mola have a future ion our oceans. Their future is an uncertain one, but there's always hope.</div>
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That's it for now, <br />
Cass</div>
Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-67717660686546315152012-08-21T14:38:00.000-07:002012-08-22T09:21:19.030-07:00Popcorn the Super Skink <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damn he's a sexy lizard</td></tr>
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So recently the urge to add a new addition to my herd overwhelmed me. For those who know me I already have 3 horses, a cat, giant bunny, toad, fish, and now (drum roll please) a Skink! His name is Popcorn and he is a Berber (not like Justin Bieber) or Schneider's Skink. As you can see he is absolutely adorable and very friendly (please take a moment to adore his cute face). <br />
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Skinks are lizards and not the missing link between snakes and lizards. The do look very snake-like with their long body and short legs. Skinks can range in size from 3 in to 32 inches, though the Berber Skink (Popcorn) will be about 15 inches including tail. Skinks live in a variety of habitats, to determine where your skink lives simply look at its toes. The longer the digits, the more arboreal (tree dwelling) the species is likely to be. This is reffered to as the Scincidae Ecological Niche Index, a ratio based on anterior foot length at the junction of the ulna/radius-carpal bones to the longest digit divided by the snout to vent length (nose to butt). Popcorn happens to have medium digits, Berber skinks are largely terrestial. Berber Skinks are originally from North Africa and West Asia. They come in a variety of colors including gray, red, brwon, sand, and even in Popcorn's color, bright yellow with orange spots.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfqPh4vTM8mDKhyphenhyphen1_w3dKcly26zx7_t32XeIUC52jbOhVJM_Mi0O9eKiqtGWeHYTjR8jvIZrjM-wMkN0d5aBzhisiSzRcPyrMMSDFf901m1dCbIrZeUNN-nFmK1KPHhKNY-f90Ox8/s1600/popcorn-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfqPh4vTM8mDKhyphenhyphen1_w3dKcly26zx7_t32XeIUC52jbOhVJM_Mi0O9eKiqtGWeHYTjR8jvIZrjM-wMkN0d5aBzhisiSzRcPyrMMSDFf901m1dCbIrZeUNN-nFmK1KPHhKNY-f90Ox8/s200/popcorn-4.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Popcorn's favorite perch</td></tr>
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Skinks enjoy a wide variety in their diet, some are vegetarian, most are insectivores, and a few eat meat. Berber Skinks happen to be mostly insectivores, Popcorn's favorite food is a fat juicy cricket. Eventually if he grows large enough he could a eat pinky mouse (though I tend to not like feeding or watching mammals die so he will have to stick to fat crickets). Skinks are generally mellow and tame, as my friends have discovered Popcorn is very cuddly. He loves to hang out on your shoulder and crawl up to your head and scope things out. As far as defenses, well Skinks don't have many. Teeth are non-existent, and they're not very aggressive, instead they take the duck and cover approach burrowing under sand to hide. <br />
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Hope you enjoy the pictures of Popcorn, what are some of the members of your herd?</div>
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Thanks for reading, </div>
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Cass</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thug life</td></tr>
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Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-47625353570857527052012-08-09T09:35:00.003-07:002012-08-14T10:10:30.440-07:00If I Were an Alligator<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9Lukvv4WZjG0dqyHO-gZlvRDQExm6JIjb6QIGWgWQUog_X5bz0OepF4FiNSAd5hPbOPYFMuVD0Ak0UL7PPVxJZEg8Z2cP9hD41kls_UL54mRO6LaG_i4b6WiW-Tv34wgdr64Ir-v/s1600/alligator-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" kda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9Lukvv4WZjG0dqyHO-gZlvRDQExm6JIjb6QIGWgWQUog_X5bz0OepF4FiNSAd5hPbOPYFMuVD0Ak0UL7PPVxJZEg8Z2cP9hD41kls_UL54mRO6LaG_i4b6WiW-Tv34wgdr64Ir-v/s200/alligator-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Today's post is going to edge along the humorous side more than informational . . . As little kids, we're often asked "If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you what to be? For years I thought of myself as all these exotic animals like tiger or okapi, but the truth is I'm a total alligator.<br />
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Lets start with the physical similarities:<br />
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The American Alligator has a thick body and a broad, powerful tail. Their tail is used to propel them quickly through the water, and also as a defensive weapon. I happen to be gifted with a larger, um . . . Well, I have a big butt. This gives me a great center of gravity, and if a person happens to disturb me I have a broad, powerful booty bump that has been known to send people flying. Alligators also have extremely strong jaws which works like a vice. The biting force of the alligator is enormous, packing enough power to smash a turtle's shell or through bone ; it's designed to grip rather than chew, and thanks to an accident in 2010 I happen to have titanium jaws. Similarly I have a much easier time biting into food than chewing it. </div>
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Onto the Aligators behaviors! Alligator's are one of the few reptiles who are maternal and watch after their young. They guard their nests and will carry the baby alligators around in their mouth. While I do not have any human young, I am the proud parent of many furry babies. Everyone knows I love my horses, cat, lizard, toad, bunny, etc., more than anything. I have a protective nature in general towards my friends in family.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunbathing</td></tr>
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Alligators live in swampy marshes and prey on a variety of aquatic foods. Younger Alligators eat mostly fish, while mature alligators will occasionally go onto land for food, but still maintain a mainly aquatic diet. The nutria (a large aquatic rodent) is an invasive species which has become a new prey source for large alligators. My favorite food is sushi and sashimi, I love the taste of raw fish. I also live in San Diego and love the water. Alligators will often bask in the sun to regulate their body temperature. I have also been caught sun bathing on more than one occasion.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About to prey on some lobster...</td></tr>
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Once an Alligator has captured prey, if not already in the water they will drag it in, then proceed to "death roll." They spin at high speeds under water while holding onto the prey, effectively breaking it's neck or drowning it. I have my own version of the death roll. As I have been told by numerous ex-boyfriends, while sleeping I will grab the sheet or blanket then proceed to roll, wrapping it around myself and stealing it from my unsuspecting victim. If one tries to steal my blanket back I become highly aggressive, refuse to relinquish my prize. And I wonder why I'm single . . .<br />
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The similarities between alligators and myself can go on and on. We all have the animals we would like to be, but at the end of the day, I'm just an alligator. That's it for now, <br />
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CassCassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-28050580346918545482012-07-05T08:31:00.000-07:002012-07-05T08:31:09.356-07:00Holy Horny Toad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lately I have run into another period of writers block. Finally I decided I would just pick another of my favorite animals and go from there, so today I give you the The Horny Toad! The Horny Toad is actually not a toad but a lizard. It does have a rounded body and stubby tail giving it a toad-like appearance. The spines along the Horned Lizards back and sides are modified scales, but the horns on its head are true horns. Horns have a bony core, where as scales are just modified epithelial cells. Their color varies from red-brown to grey depending on their habitat. <br />
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They have several defenses against predators. They blend in extremely well with the scrubby brush they inhabit. Their first defense is to stand very still. If detected they will puff up to prevent smaller prey, like birds from swallowing them. They can raise the scales around their head and neck to make picking them up by their neck more difficult. Their last line of defense is their most unique, they can squirt blood out of the corner of their eyes. They do this by restricting blood flow leaving their large head. This ruptures the small blood vessels in the corner of their eye squirting a stream of blood. The blood also tastes foul to canine and feline predators. <br />
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A Horned Lizard's diet consists mainly of harvester ants but they are not opposed to eating other insects like grasshoppers and spiders. The biggest threat to Horned Lizards is destruction of habitat and eradication of ants (their main food source). Pesticides have become so common that it is wiping out entire species of insects. It is very sad that destruction of habitat and food source is the prevalent theme for more species disappearing. <br />
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That's it for now, <br />
CassCassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-72336523252392286302012-05-24T08:17:00.003-07:002012-05-24T08:17:24.253-07:00More Than a Leaf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many new and exciting things have been happening in my life, currently the very best one is I have been given an opportunity to study and learn from an amazing person all about plants! I have only been up to the ranch twice but I have learned so much and feel truly inspired. So in honor of the wonderful world of plants I want to write about a subject I taught about in my good friend Gilly's 4th grade class, leaves!<br />
I went to Gilly's class to discuss biomimicry and more importantly taking a closer look at the world. I finished my talk by giving every student in the class a piece of wheat grass and asking why they thought it was designed the way it was. They had some great and inventive answers, just a small reinder about how we loose the power of imagination and thinking outside the box as we age. But back to my topic, leaves are a great example of how form follows function.<br />
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A plants leaves serve the very important task of food production. They contain chloroplasts which use the power of sunlight to turn water H2O into oxygen O2 via photosynthesis. This process can get infinitely more complicated depending on the type of plant, but for today we will keep it simple and just do the process and structure of an average leafy plant. The leaves also transpire i.e. let gases and even water escape via leaves. <br />
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Now this diagram shows the structure for an average leaf, but each of the above sections can be expanded or condensed based on the plants environment. Cacti have modified leaves in the form of spines, I assure you these really are their form of leaves. They have condensed the leaf volume down drastically because they live in an volatile sun and heat environment. They also have developed a very thick waxy cuticle to literally seal in water and prevent transpiration. </div>
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So compare the succulents with their complete opposite, plants on the jungle floor, like the Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa). This is a plant with giant dark green leaves. So why have huge wide leaves? Well this plant normally lives on the jungle floor where only traces on sunlight sneak through the dense canopy. The most efficient way to get enough sunlight is to cover as much area as possible. Jungles are also subject to high rain volume and humidity, so large leaves allow excessive water to transpire, but humidity doesn't allow the plant to become dehydrated.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpG8lG27_07amYn33TDX3LlfOyekRTgxHPdNuTIkcuscsOD_04b7JvBLt9GtQH709jon6wLR9BqOvaVRcGHGJzPEXVfE-7QqMX0Td-1-hlgWPE5YNJ8YMca2zAZMwZhGL-GwangaH/s1600/plant-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpG8lG27_07amYn33TDX3LlfOyekRTgxHPdNuTIkcuscsOD_04b7JvBLt9GtQH709jon6wLR9BqOvaVRcGHGJzPEXVfE-7QqMX0Td-1-hlgWPE5YNJ8YMca2zAZMwZhGL-GwangaH/s200/plant-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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For the last plant today, lets look at one of the worlds most popular plants, a rose. Roses typically like moderate sun and light watering. They are notoriously hardy and easy to maintain. Their leaves are smaller and moderate in amount. This makes sense, have leaves that are a conservative size because they happily exist in open sun areas. They do not need to be ultraconservative to survive extreme temperatures so the conventional leaf shape is still acceptable. They have a drier leaf because they do live in direct sunlight and lower humidity areas. they can't afford to let too much water transpire.</div>
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I hope taking a look at three types of leaves inspires you to take a closer look at plants and life on this planet in general. Nature designed everything with a purpose. Use your inquisitive brain and take a deeper look and ask why.</div>
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That's it for now, </div>
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Cass</div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-66001491138280133002012-05-01T11:13:00.002-07:002012-05-01T11:13:50.786-07:00The Last Unicorn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Trying to get back into my science mind set lately, really looking forward to some great opportunities I have coming up in my life. My goal has been and continues to be conservation of our planet and the plants and animals that inhabit it. My mind often wanders on how best to accomplish my mission, thus far my best answer has been to continue on my path. So enough with the life goal talk, lets get to the animals! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBoRmRvtxR5i0vuOctmjopPHJg_TF_CiTCFDFMQc0Ec5AuBw45MTjcr5i9B6e1vS4dDSoW7CGB5Q-TK3IY0QVXQ4_Cq7yg93XgMlq3CdfpmDgCOz2Zpf_Jd_8iAcWsVtM3U2OAX0b/s1600/oryx-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBoRmRvtxR5i0vuOctmjopPHJg_TF_CiTCFDFMQc0Ec5AuBw45MTjcr5i9B6e1vS4dDSoW7CGB5Q-TK3IY0QVXQ4_Cq7yg93XgMlq3CdfpmDgCOz2Zpf_Jd_8iAcWsVtM3U2OAX0b/s200/oryx-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I often joke how cool it would be to have a unicorn or Pegasus but few people realize that there are animals that have been suspected of being mythical in earlier times. The Oryx has been accused of being a unicorn by several civilizations and high authority figures. Aristotle and Pliny the Elder both thought the Oryx was the unicorn prototype. The unicorn belief was likely perpetuated because a Oryx's horn is made of bone, therefore when a Oryx looses one via injury it will not grow back. Their profile also hides one horn behind the other. This would likely lead to several unicorn "sightings". <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-aHtAjLRF2TDheGBVrreSxKTTlErbq-p1_rI6SfAa7rLW7Oc7Vn6XsUcFjDND-0zwldWxWXuIutu5LSaM3OwcGSp0BJ9hVjeozaEBCsFGab4eSvSOg05XoHoiTRpPeCvTlJBWOsZ/s1600/oryx-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; height: 148px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 211px;"><img border="0" height="126" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-aHtAjLRF2TDheGBVrreSxKTTlErbq-p1_rI6SfAa7rLW7Oc7Vn6XsUcFjDND-0zwldWxWXuIutu5LSaM3OwcGSp0BJ9hVjeozaEBCsFGab4eSvSOg05XoHoiTRpPeCvTlJBWOsZ/s200/oryx-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The Oryx resembles an antelope or large deer. It is very large (400 lbs), white with dark markings around eyes and on shoulders, and their most prominent feature are their two long horns. There are a few types including the Arabian Oryx and Scimitar Oryx. They prefer grassy steppes or semi-desserts. They used to roam over Eastern Africa, and North American, they are considered extinct in the wild. Zoos across the country have untied to get a large breeding program together and they are making a comeback. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHKmvziiXWdPWxHmt5fDuvsAX-ukiNH2pKTFaCPk_ovl2qYJs9bLbetO1pah_0Gj1yMgsBUHiaJYXbbqrOhEZ0vSWRyzhLGWHBa7AadwoI6H53Nl7B4Px41cLREje6tHmlVSba7ML/s1600/oryx-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHKmvziiXWdPWxHmt5fDuvsAX-ukiNH2pKTFaCPk_ovl2qYJs9bLbetO1pah_0Gj1yMgsBUHiaJYXbbqrOhEZ0vSWRyzhLGWHBa7AadwoI6H53Nl7B4Px41cLREje6tHmlVSba7ML/s200/oryx-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The Oryx is extremely good at adapting their body for hot temperatures. They can reduce the rate of evaporation from their body to conserve water. They can modify their body to 46.5 degrees Celsius before perspiration, while also being able to lower their temperature to 36 degrees Celsius at night. They have a network of very fine blood vessels that travel from heart to the brain that pass through the nasal passages. This allows blood to cooled before it hits the brain. Due to their special kidneys which can stop urination, an Oryx can survive 9-20 months without water. They can get their water requirement met by eating water rich plants. <br />
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Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about a real life unicorn, the Oryx. <br />
That's it for now, <br />
Cass<br />Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-21028364974529973522012-04-12T15:08:00.001-07:002012-04-13T08:24:54.837-07:00Nudibranch (Nothing to do with Naked Chicks....)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnQhJs_ie5tnF_kh2U7STBC0vvwnZ00WqaocNajdyvHRxACTqeUg2JZiFIGQrGtMlfxJBxkZ4cOS2_X4DeWkN6hpBgBnjdc4xzjHW60knQhqMA_eZPM3aNBWBhJ1ofkxLfHMKVaTl/s1600/n-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnQhJs_ie5tnF_kh2U7STBC0vvwnZ00WqaocNajdyvHRxACTqeUg2JZiFIGQrGtMlfxJBxkZ4cOS2_X4DeWkN6hpBgBnjdc4xzjHW60knQhqMA_eZPM3aNBWBhJ1ofkxLfHMKVaTl/s200/n-2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUC1_WbHMUiCjWYZoc5DxbeN5QRJ8jSsyj9Ylmy-kM-BwxalolQkLni1RvPisaGrxvf0-ISsJes6ou_O3hgvjY0HwR-30wPySWjckIm-ZD3yVwhqct6oD9sFofBxmDGayFq8O5VfSl/s1600/n-1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUC1_WbHMUiCjWYZoc5DxbeN5QRJ8jSsyj9Ylmy-kM-BwxalolQkLni1RvPisaGrxvf0-ISsJes6ou_O3hgvjY0HwR-30wPySWjckIm-ZD3yVwhqct6oD9sFofBxmDGayFq8O5VfSl/s200/n-1.bmp" width="200" /></a></div>I want to keep the unusual animal streak going, but change it up by going to the ocean for our next creature. The <span dir="auto">Nudibranch resembles a neon colored slug and can either be smooth or have lots of equally colorful tentacles. <span dir="auto">Nudibranch's have undergone detorsion, where their mouth and anus for a long continuous tube. Torsion is the process that shelled gastropods go through to rotate their mantle and shell 180 degrees to bring it directly above their head. Due to going through detorsion, <span dir="auto">Nudibranch's are bilaterally symmetrical. They have very simple eyes which are typically limited to sensing light and dark. They breathe through a naked grill that forms branchial plumes in a rosette in their back, where the name <span dir="auto">Nudibranch likely originated from. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto">They are hermaphoditic (containing both sexes) but cannot fertilize themselves. Hermophoditicism is a common trait in sea animals to increase likely hood of finding a mate. Think to a <span dir="auto">Nudibranch every other <span dir="auto">Nudibranch you meet is a potential partner, instead of being limited to one sex or the other. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBlU_Oy9QLmhoaWpI5kf1-mV5ZgJqQvu4e0CKno4an1Q272U_OlsbILLzH2xTZECxQ0b-FOVrQMJ3r1QGWLA84eDSCHdjIq5_sPOFYjeW6YZ7bCvQ-eJ4t5WBut1tSj-4lTiSNwAI/s1600/n-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBlU_Oy9QLmhoaWpI5kf1-mV5ZgJqQvu4e0CKno4an1Q272U_OlsbILLzH2xTZECxQ0b-FOVrQMJ3r1QGWLA84eDSCHdjIq5_sPOFYjeW6YZ7bCvQ-eJ4t5WBut1tSj-4lTiSNwAI/s200/n-4.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyMeWkqX9kz2RsxuFiFFYfTQcn4BmDy2SgnRUDUgPSoLxcRpJUEtdG_QCoBhD2UAAxONwjsYyXBBiZp_lmMt6TS5vRqE46vBnczLC0OrBdaUIM8y-oqKPSVHe6yDVmfXhioSrc9tB/s1600/n-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyMeWkqX9kz2RsxuFiFFYfTQcn4BmDy2SgnRUDUgPSoLxcRpJUEtdG_QCoBhD2UAAxONwjsYyXBBiZp_lmMt6TS5vRqE46vBnczLC0OrBdaUIM8y-oqKPSVHe6yDVmfXhioSrc9tB/s200/n-3.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto">So the big question remains, why did <span dir="auto">Nudibranch's develop such bright colors? well it seems <span dir="auto">Nudibranch's took two alternative approaches, one was to blend in the other to stand out. Some <span dir="auto">Nudibranch developed colors and appendages to mimic plants around them, an extreme camouflage. While other <span dir="auto">Nudibranch took the opposite approach and developed bright colors to stand out and warn predators that they are poisonous or distasteful. Some Nudibranch feed on hydroids then store the hydroids' nematocysts (stinging cells), they can travel down their body with out harming the Nudibranch. They likely do this with a large vacuole surrounding the nematocyst. There are some Nudibranch's that can produce toxins on their own without dietary aid, there is even a type of Nudibranch that can excrete acid out their skin. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto">To sum up, the Nudibranch is more than a colorful sea slug, it is a highly specialized creature showing every color of the rainbow. That's it for now, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Cass</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-68969455603573387822012-03-27T14:58:00.002-07:002012-03-28T08:59:18.311-07:00Ta-Da! The Tarsier...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxD5kCLfUJeAO6XrWYN8a3FQxDAjAjBXDkT6i-gM70mmr1oiqkk_gM-iniaYbCgA73s6lJPUnKc5_UTmBnsBbgDvwvmWDxF37kLuixeqLM-XWmrpsXgronhhJqTQ_VxhkE_LLzzp0/s1600/t-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxD5kCLfUJeAO6XrWYN8a3FQxDAjAjBXDkT6i-gM70mmr1oiqkk_gM-iniaYbCgA73s6lJPUnKc5_UTmBnsBbgDvwvmWDxF37kLuixeqLM-XWmrpsXgronhhJqTQ_VxhkE_LLzzp0/s200/t-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Tarsier's are small primates with gigantic eyes. I find them absolutely adorable, but I'm a sucker for big pretty eyes and soft critters. They resemble a pygmy marmoset crossed with a bat and have some truly ginormous eyes. They currently live in Southeast Asia but were once far more widespread. Tarsier's are the only carnivorous primate. They like to prey on insects,lizards, and especially birds. They are mainly nocturnal but you can find some awake in the day but acting far more lethargic.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxiCBkiU-KkrH2oz8ytAUsrie3MeQlj1_WsmNxQozERfoPkmWBWnzOWcJ15btpYQsvuQkCf1tXUFcFpwB1HyDFeY9FhTVdrJe7xlfrnz4Li3QyNuyNaja3IULEEfqVWcPJ-g9RKbk/s1600/t-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxiCBkiU-KkrH2oz8ytAUsrie3MeQlj1_WsmNxQozERfoPkmWBWnzOWcJ15btpYQsvuQkCf1tXUFcFpwB1HyDFeY9FhTVdrJe7xlfrnz4Li3QyNuyNaja3IULEEfqVWcPJ-g9RKbk/s200/t-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Might as well start with the Tarsier's most defining feature their eyes. Each eyeball can stretch 16 mm in diameter, considering this animal is barely larger than your hand and with a head 20 cm long, eyes that large is quite a feat. Their eyes are actually larger than their brain, they also lack the ability to reflect light.Their eyes and how they connect to their brain gives good reasoning that tarsier is actually an older species of primate. Our thalamus receives visual information and is connected to our eyes directly, a tarsier has a very different arrangement than all other primates.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZKwykdFId3wlEvAXjsloouppSyIdOXR7eFK0lIAFfJfgWj2f7n_dgkuv1AJLlyTnFCgLE2LtjUPzU1qRAOVM51x34MALcHOHbBvxUTNDLWBRu1_ah-e7aJE-3z9z6zh43ys82kI2/s1600/t-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZKwykdFId3wlEvAXjsloouppSyIdOXR7eFK0lIAFfJfgWj2f7n_dgkuv1AJLlyTnFCgLE2LtjUPzU1qRAOVM51x34MALcHOHbBvxUTNDLWBRu1_ah-e7aJE-3z9z6zh43ys82kI2/s200/t-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Tarsier's got their name because they have very elongated tarsus bones in their feet. Their fingers are also elongated and have nails. The third digit on their hands is almost as long as their entire forearm and contains a single long claw. Their strange limbs make them adept for tree living. Tarsiers are known to leap and catch birds mind flight and jump to another tree.<br />
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Tarsiers have never been able to sustain a population in captivity. Their is only a few sanctuaries that have been established successfully. This is a great example of an animal who has been greatly affected by habitat loss. The only way for this unusual creature to survive is by having large sections of forest to roam and re-populate.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDV26UHtKnoeWA1nKu7qdHayJM2BmMfIEG03egzhNoP3VwDBgFrnlDlODNltU4pzmeldMLP_YP9x20ALG3MH0GOfjGKV2v7j-M3OrzXpxb0TeRfisLxSGTlZRr6ULeUr3H0WsfnY13/s1600/t-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDV26UHtKnoeWA1nKu7qdHayJM2BmMfIEG03egzhNoP3VwDBgFrnlDlODNltU4pzmeldMLP_YP9x20ALG3MH0GOfjGKV2v7j-M3OrzXpxb0TeRfisLxSGTlZRr6ULeUr3H0WsfnY13/s200/t-4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>That's it for now, <br />
Cass<br />
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PS you have to admit they have cute moments....Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-22219398676020091412012-03-16T09:53:00.000-07:002012-03-16T09:53:45.475-07:00What in the World? A Pangolin...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFZIJyfncys6Fxvyzhce6zHMM3X1Z0cdht71_b3R5oVtKgJEQHf65jvRGajKzwGkhG4HU_wL6aB6yRxaFDy_xxF-un2M_8ceN8OWV3o8Og87YVnOXWEPItrSiXXBySkWKUWz5DrXd/s1600/pango-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFZIJyfncys6Fxvyzhce6zHMM3X1Z0cdht71_b3R5oVtKgJEQHf65jvRGajKzwGkhG4HU_wL6aB6yRxaFDy_xxF-un2M_8ceN8OWV3o8Og87YVnOXWEPItrSiXXBySkWKUWz5DrXd/s200/pango-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>So continuing with my month of exotic animal posts, today is all about the only scaled mammal, the Pangolin. Many people are confused by this animal because it looks like a reptile crossed with a weasel and a dash of armadillo thrown in. Pangolin's live mainly in Africa and some parts of India and Southern Asia. It is a mammal the only kind with keratin scales covering its body. When pangolin's are born the scales are soft and harden. Keratin is the same material in our hair, nails, and even in rhino horns. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianwQfXghWWcUqLFwjf8WZpIlBqTP4P7NQeuOtaTz1rhPa0h_WzVeEPv5ECOMkvryzCxmMSNOuRyixBwmhJhHaok94jObZSEeR4fVs_RTiU3I47W2dzEur9W_TJoEzdX_oMgLNKD6d/s1600/pango-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianwQfXghWWcUqLFwjf8WZpIlBqTP4P7NQeuOtaTz1rhPa0h_WzVeEPv5ECOMkvryzCxmMSNOuRyixBwmhJhHaok94jObZSEeR4fVs_RTiU3I47W2dzEur9W_TJoEzdX_oMgLNKD6d/s200/pango-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Pangolin's has long claws and either live in trees or large underground boroughs. Their front claws are so long they cannot walk flat footed and instead walk with their front feet curled under. Pangolin's have no teeth instead they tear apart trees or termite mounds and use their long tongue to slurp out insects and grubs. The tongues of Pangolin's are extra long and appear longer because they are unattached to their hyroid bone. So their tongues extend all the way into their abdominal cavity. When pangolin's are sleeping or scared they can curl into a ball like an armadillo. They are nocturnal animals so they are most active at night. The pangolin has a prehensile tail and can hang from it, often to get tasty insects.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABg3s6lLu8W_ae1Bvk1HFD7TDSAjBEw068Q1L7i7SBNB3hFeAsR8lksLEDXAmNN284N3P-LKot9I1hxW3pMwWt9Z2JkkfKQnu0Fg7toFMRZV-dLU9rQENdKRhUBaR6q2xGPnvMHhw/s1600/pango-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABg3s6lLu8W_ae1Bvk1HFD7TDSAjBEw068Q1L7i7SBNB3hFeAsR8lksLEDXAmNN284N3P-LKot9I1hxW3pMwWt9Z2JkkfKQnu0Fg7toFMRZV-dLU9rQENdKRhUBaR6q2xGPnvMHhw/s200/pango-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Scientists have a hard time classifying exactly which animals are related to Pangolin's, currently they are listed in the order Pholidata with lots of now extinct animals. There is a lot of debate if they actually belong there, a large number of scientists believe they should be grouped sloths and anteaters in the Xenarthra order. The debate on where the Pangolin's should be classified tells me they are a very unique creature who has convergently evolved similar characteristics as several other species. I think all can agree this is a special creature with lots of special attributes.<br />
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That's all for now, <br />
CassCassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-37126514698107148522012-02-27T11:35:00.001-08:002012-02-28T08:39:36.195-08:00The Animal That Smells Like a Movie Theater....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcYInqOplap98NznKC4JYxmcpeuGydI2ZkO-heU6yDRhSWmwr96cZM97OnFISXH2jS1Y41jB0djHf27b3w93xUcVDfRn602T7sSUcIbaN91E3yc3Ca0AEhqAOxTxfyFyjQhVY-4_g/s1600/b-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcYInqOplap98NznKC4JYxmcpeuGydI2ZkO-heU6yDRhSWmwr96cZM97OnFISXH2jS1Y41jB0djHf27b3w93xUcVDfRn602T7sSUcIbaN91E3yc3Ca0AEhqAOxTxfyFyjQhVY-4_g/s1600/b-1.jpg" /></a></div>I've mostly written about animals that are fairly common and well known, but I think it is time to branch out into some more exotic and unknown animals. So today kicks off a month of unusual animals posts. First off is an animal that I first saw at the San Diego Zoo. My dad was an analytical chemist for CREST, the science portion of the zoo. It was his job to pick me up from school every Monday when my mom was too busy. This gave me the luxury of going back to work with him at the zoo every Monday. As you can imagine I got lots of behind the scenes tours and saw far more of the zoo than the average person. One of my favorite animals that wasn't a main attraction was the Binturong. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCv3YDKyY0aNj1cvPjx-Qjunn4VNeAT9WLhv-aS7EvurB-KJVa_yOkmlMhOjYatmdsiXteXfI6pP7J2fMU25IrERalg7wlwKWs9uiSS2zt0WwK1sx_IpSBAfwY0OHajBp7OuUeiHe/s1600/b-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCv3YDKyY0aNj1cvPjx-Qjunn4VNeAT9WLhv-aS7EvurB-KJVa_yOkmlMhOjYatmdsiXteXfI6pP7J2fMU25IrERalg7wlwKWs9uiSS2zt0WwK1sx_IpSBAfwY0OHajBp7OuUeiHe/s200/b-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>When you hear the name Binturong, the thought springs to mind is likely what the heck kind of animal is that? It is a medium sized brown critter that looks like a fox, raccoon, cat, and maybe a little dog all mixed together It is actually part of the Viverridae family which includes civets and genets, which resemble cats crossed with weasels. The most striking feature of this animal has nothing to do with it's looks but actually it's smell. A Binturong smells like fresh buttered popcorn! Binturongs use their scent markings to signal when they are ready to mate. Since they live solitarily, scent markings are needed to bring animals together for those romantic times of year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5v34se0XrwoVOOClhMUbZesyfJS1j6c3uXFL5_a7-m5G4bD0vKAQzxAhR8ck_jkMwO5t7ZAl6MRN-wk9zCCI72fkzq-KHwmoYviBeH6_07xu2OTCUpKdKuurLhKCH7IPnx6S4Sz0/s1600/b-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5v34se0XrwoVOOClhMUbZesyfJS1j6c3uXFL5_a7-m5G4bD0vKAQzxAhR8ck_jkMwO5t7ZAl6MRN-wk9zCCI72fkzq-KHwmoYviBeH6_07xu2OTCUpKdKuurLhKCH7IPnx6S4Sz0/s200/b-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Binturongs are one of the few animals that can use delayed implantation or embryonic diapause. This is when a female can mate and delay the embryo from implanting until conditions are better. They cannot delay implantation for long term, but a few weeks can mean the difference between starving and surviving to a Binturong.<br />
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Binturongs live in the trees and have hands evolved to live in a tree lifestyle. Their paws have claws that are perfect grapsers on tree limbs.<br />
Hope you enjoyed being introduced to a fun creature, next weeks post will be about another unusual animal.<br />
CassCassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-13589834510150608582012-02-14T08:39:00.000-08:002012-02-14T08:40:21.218-08:00A Puppy For Valentine's Day?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlAFVlXWgU4QxDg-jnyYllWG-7JNSdg-pf0rZL2A0CfH5U74jtn6xGThFWa-fj-8aDoQrlRjjcTOE3tblfN2dOBGymvysglIQUUvuUB2nK0nQHnedKEdwoH_KFozjr38QqTIOIFiC/s1600/wolf-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlAFVlXWgU4QxDg-jnyYllWG-7JNSdg-pf0rZL2A0CfH5U74jtn6xGThFWa-fj-8aDoQrlRjjcTOE3tblfN2dOBGymvysglIQUUvuUB2nK0nQHnedKEdwoH_KFozjr38QqTIOIFiC/s200/wolf-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>As much as I would love a puppy for Valentine's Day, my living situation doesn't allow for that right now. So I'm going to do the next best thing, discuss their relatives. Today we will get back to regular biomimicry posts with Wolves. Wolf packs consist of an alpha mated pair, their offspring, and some occasional stray juveniles. In low population areas the mated pair can be monogamous for life. making it one of the few animal species that exhibit monogamy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpgTt-wMO2tRrwVgOm8pOH0EoZ7JM72MlpIEGWw_1GDfmKDtvrSOulKV3Tg0sPw0YbggAEPnp90oWgOadJb-lUJy5LiSo1IQWMHturIt8WPC64i1HEusuXroy-nDGkM6ERnXo_bdR/s1600/wolf-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpgTt-wMO2tRrwVgOm8pOH0EoZ7JM72MlpIEGWw_1GDfmKDtvrSOulKV3Tg0sPw0YbggAEPnp90oWgOadJb-lUJy5LiSo1IQWMHturIt8WPC64i1HEusuXroy-nDGkM6ERnXo_bdR/s200/wolf-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Wolves have five toes on front paws and four toes on rear paws. Their legs are built with elbows pointed in and feet pointed out. This is for optimal running and gripping on difficult terrain, while also allowing them to leap and grasp prey. In cold climates wolves can the flow of blood close to their skin to conserve body heat. This keeps warm blood close to internal organs and away form outside of their body where heat is loss. Keeping warm is one of the body's most difficult tasks and burns lots of calories. By cutting down on heat loss the wolf doesn't need to eat massive amounts of food. It is the same reason why people in freezing temperatures have to eat more calories per day to maintain body weight. Their foot pads are regulated independently from the rest of their body. their temperature is kept right about tissue freezing point.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrhZevQviEIc6NN0xpH1fN0l59MvIssqWTIlnoWth3Njw69rzDVG2xthnsBL8454rPMzO1H-SQvoC7UAzNF4zYTi5QbUYgoYZEsuR6CBT_Vh3U2IUxh2CuVHWSJI_kAvCtdAv_De0/s1600/wolf-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrhZevQviEIc6NN0xpH1fN0l59MvIssqWTIlnoWth3Njw69rzDVG2xthnsBL8454rPMzO1H-SQvoC7UAzNF4zYTi5QbUYgoYZEsuR6CBT_Vh3U2IUxh2CuVHWSJI_kAvCtdAv_De0/s200/wolf-2.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>Wolves howl to assemble the pack, alert the pack of danger, or locate each other during storms. Wolves have superior hearing being able to hear up to 26kHz which is superior to all other members of the canine family. Their sense of smell is considerably less powerful that many domestic dogs. Their eyesight is also less powerful than many domestic dog breeds but they have better night vision. Wolves will set up ambushes, with a single decoy wolf running ahead while the rest of the pack attacks from behind. Wolves will eat the internal organs first, followed by the muscles second. Wolves prefer larger prey but will eat fowls during mating season and even snakes and lizards if made available. <br />
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Hope everybody has a Valentines Day is filled with love and if you don't have that special someone kiss your puppy or cat, I know I have many years and never came away disappointed.<br />
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That's it for now, <br />
CassCassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-88335888335461885842012-02-08T11:50:00.000-08:002012-02-08T11:51:19.359-08:00Clean Eating<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzk8LnviDVlg9JwbRDugl6MmMOtu9q9oiQXRUtG2Ef8wCSFvW6Sbvsfymkp4jZZyaZhLfjv0_MhkAFX9voalWurWI4Stf2UvsSvU9HhEOTT428dXZwt4NM_dRj7Sr0XYLumEg6OY0/s1600/food-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzk8LnviDVlg9JwbRDugl6MmMOtu9q9oiQXRUtG2Ef8wCSFvW6Sbvsfymkp4jZZyaZhLfjv0_MhkAFX9voalWurWI4Stf2UvsSvU9HhEOTT428dXZwt4NM_dRj7Sr0XYLumEg6OY0/s200/food-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>So I know typically I post about animals and biomimicry, but today I want to share another passion of mine, clean eating. This is eating food which is as close to possible as its' natural state. So no processed food. Obesity has become rampant and people without weight problems have so many ailments that are a direct link to eating heavily altered and processed foods. <br />
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Now I'm about to put forth some controversial ideas out there. When I tell people I'm against taking antibiotics, or sleep aids, anything for an extended period of time I get a lot of funny looks. I mean I am a biologist right? Don't biologist come up with new cures and solve the world's problems? We do but I believe science is trying to fix too many surface problems. If we didn't focus so much time on the next weight loss drug, or headache pills, and all of the minor problems, more attention could be put into solving cancer, AIDS, very big not self inflicted issues.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnFlbMBUbygYZiSpiuTD2ofTK_xihYX5qgyHKZE_0SOXWfrLPy5MbJiNzDQrxkoTQsGKCyK6MLHCgQBYJ5bQNp6_phSqi4tHzN0w0sUQUHl_nGWtyExkEK0bkn2nfAEa7ijoq1Y1Y/s1600/food-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnFlbMBUbygYZiSpiuTD2ofTK_xihYX5qgyHKZE_0SOXWfrLPy5MbJiNzDQrxkoTQsGKCyK6MLHCgQBYJ5bQNp6_phSqi4tHzN0w0sUQUHl_nGWtyExkEK0bkn2nfAEa7ijoq1Y1Y/s200/food-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Let me ask some of you out there if you have any of these problems, minor but daily headaches, joint pain, acid reflux, anxiety, sleep problems, overweight? These all can be fixed or vastly improved through clean eating. I know because I suffered from daily headaches that got to be debilitating, inability to sleep, no energy, and overweight. These all have been fixed in less than a month. I've lost 8lbs, not a single headache, dreaming for the first time in months, and feeling more alive than ever.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtNqnvDxM7TOcZ4SiBoApu3HFvCjUccM6PsSW1Bnf7NY_XFeiQvFqnmxsihzgFU3d_Xr43LpvwYPrq1jlR4cTsXaCMG4NCrRYouhpMpwGLogGkQSUuARirRbNRCmD9nci_3-Co5Zr/s1600/food-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtNqnvDxM7TOcZ4SiBoApu3HFvCjUccM6PsSW1Bnf7NY_XFeiQvFqnmxsihzgFU3d_Xr43LpvwYPrq1jlR4cTsXaCMG4NCrRYouhpMpwGLogGkQSUuARirRbNRCmD9nci_3-Co5Zr/s200/food-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>How does one eat clean? Very easy avoid any processed food and eat as much natural food as possible. Basically anything that comes in a package is bad news, sodas and many juices are bad, white sugar and flour are bad, if it doesn't rot in less than a week it has been altered heavily and is full of preservatives. It is nearly impossible to eat 100% clean and I don't. But the better you eat the more your body will restore to its' original blueprint of perfection. You may not be stick thin but you will be a healthy weight, you may not sleep for 10 hrs but you will sleep as much as your body needs. It works for everything. Eating non-processed also means cooking a lot and not eating out. I cook daily and make extra to take on my lunches. I eat a huge variety of meat, fruit, veggies, nuts, whole grains, because I get bored with food easily.<br />
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I also like to pair the clean eating with moderate exercise. The more you are active the better your circulation, the more energy you get, the more calories you burn. It can be nearly any type of activity, I ride my horses and walk, so nothing extreme. It will only enhance the clean eating. That's all for now, <br />
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CassCassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-15262189229278230842012-01-23T11:37:00.000-08:002012-01-23T11:37:40.890-08:00Turtle Power!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQzX2E-XrjvPb_SlDrqTIlSxPlzRiV2XS__5J0lKMIEbTu6OlvYU5aZNC6e4BM6GKpYiCPVrUHkhlFwB3KZ4pmGomW7b9NzaojArCkqQP6Yaoam7fhsFhdfYnmZLKwmLqYXn4DWyF/s1600/turtle+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQzX2E-XrjvPb_SlDrqTIlSxPlzRiV2XS__5J0lKMIEbTu6OlvYU5aZNC6e4BM6GKpYiCPVrUHkhlFwB3KZ4pmGomW7b9NzaojArCkqQP6Yaoam7fhsFhdfYnmZLKwmLqYXn4DWyF/s200/turtle+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Turtles are one of the oldest animals dating back to 215 million years ago, this makes turtles older than snakes, lizards and crocodiles. Turtles are divided into two groups by how they retract their neck into shells. One group compresses their spine while the other puts their head to the side. Turtles like all reptiles lay eggs. In some species of turtles the temperature that the egg develops determines in the baby will be male or female. Higher temperature causes females, and lower temperatures cause males. This is a phenomenon known as Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination. The exact reason why turtles and some reptiles and birds have TSD is unknown but theorized that it is advantageous to have females earlier in the season so they have more time to grow and be ready to mate sooner. But there is little evidence showing turtles actively choose their offspring's sex.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4jOb4WpepMJKD_TPuttz0vbCTX3ezNOlnxrd-W5qjLJsX_zXTWTlUEyX2jQ0Y4MAeuBe4kc_46tAjq_sg3kkwpBF1mKRCqCMfyi4cvwDerzICyoRto25liG8DNXktDTkLz4TxaEw/s1600/turtle+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4jOb4WpepMJKD_TPuttz0vbCTX3ezNOlnxrd-W5qjLJsX_zXTWTlUEyX2jQ0Y4MAeuBe4kc_46tAjq_sg3kkwpBF1mKRCqCMfyi4cvwDerzICyoRto25liG8DNXktDTkLz4TxaEw/s200/turtle+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Sea turtles have a special gland in the corner of their eye to get rid of excess salt. They live in sea water and eat jellyfish and other prey with high salt concentrations. Now I think of this special salt gland and think of how can it be used in humans. Well kidney failure patients have a horrible time dealing with their salt regulation, if the same chemicals and processes in the sea turtle eye gland could be replicated it could help many people currently undergoing dialysis.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qHqYmK1rwjEIiEpHZT_Vw0jyIbtOafSQ7bz6JqL_gNJwVeIY92xRHMe3DV5Eb1Jj7y1LedDnMqRLAIzIcnKzUBcsAR3CsY04z5bAFvTDj1Xi579JFyW4MGdX1Edt7TjGASi1KUvU/s1600/turtle+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qHqYmK1rwjEIiEpHZT_Vw0jyIbtOafSQ7bz6JqL_gNJwVeIY92xRHMe3DV5Eb1Jj7y1LedDnMqRLAIzIcnKzUBcsAR3CsY04z5bAFvTDj1Xi579JFyW4MGdX1Edt7TjGASi1KUvU/s200/turtle+3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The Alligator Snapping Turtle is built like a tank, with a huge head and heavily plated back with three rows. Algae will often grow on their shells allowing them to fully blend in underwater. Inside the turtles mouth is a small appendage that looks like a small worm to draw fish in, once there their powerful jaws snap down!<br />
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Well hopefully I have taught you a little more than what you already knew thanks to teenage mutant ninja turtles... That's all for now, <br />
CassCassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-47219180754095675602012-01-11T09:31:00.000-08:002012-01-11T09:31:59.529-08:00Outrageous Otters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtsviPmOqtmYWDEeRpq1gDXOWqkbSkueYBQ5KDySlL4W8zKbG0Lg5cx1paF0REFnx47Th_601LqLxnLl9TBEOFiuZBPhLUx2AJLlOLUhZiLm4a_ZlL-CMGVpxI9jH6myOG-elbfZb/s1600/otter.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtsviPmOqtmYWDEeRpq1gDXOWqkbSkueYBQ5KDySlL4W8zKbG0Lg5cx1paF0REFnx47Th_601LqLxnLl9TBEOFiuZBPhLUx2AJLlOLUhZiLm4a_ZlL-CMGVpxI9jH6myOG-elbfZb/s200/otter.bmp" width="200" /></a></div>In honor of some special people in my life who love otters, today's blog post is for them (yes you Mow Wow). Otters are related to weasels, badgers, and wolverines, quite a list of tough relatives. There are many types of otter including but not limited to, North American river otter, Sea otter, Eurasian otter, and Giant otter. Most view otters as adorable critters who frolic in the water... Otters are actually incredibly tough little guys. (click on the video to watch them take on a crocodile, sorry I couldn't find this minus the ads, but the best part starts at 1:00 minute)<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArhWJts2sg8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArhWJts2sg8</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TkJKKROdoVp78yGOBrP3_dxiJ_DXvJECDi_0YJODiecfOxQmR1IZPjd8euPKv9hg7eugqPpY4sZ3iVrFXEa1QPkqnBHCiirVXVkefC7Mh_VEn4vEBa-kGn3yRUMMls4Oicn6KZ0v/s1600/otter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TkJKKROdoVp78yGOBrP3_dxiJ_DXvJECDi_0YJODiecfOxQmR1IZPjd8euPKv9hg7eugqPpY4sZ3iVrFXEa1QPkqnBHCiirVXVkefC7Mh_VEn4vEBa-kGn3yRUMMls4Oicn6KZ0v/s200/otter.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Now Sea otters do not have an insulating layer of blubber like other ocean mammals (seals and whales), instead they have very dense fur that traps in air. They will bob to the surface and blow into their fur to keep it warm. An otters coat is very dense at 26,000 to 165,000 strands per square centimeter of skin, compare that to humans with 3175 strands per centimeter on their heads.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFL_mAu5StWN__nVzV3VpjvdT8NpTI0oX2_PkoXhBnID-3Tb_kZDqTXvDGiY6QI-_g0W27tsrzxTWipmE2OpmGBuCwLeKOyyDT1tLFCoTJ3ps2mlb07dbP7hIupyOU4u4FrYiT42eR/s1600/otter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFL_mAu5StWN__nVzV3VpjvdT8NpTI0oX2_PkoXhBnID-3Tb_kZDqTXvDGiY6QI-_g0W27tsrzxTWipmE2OpmGBuCwLeKOyyDT1tLFCoTJ3ps2mlb07dbP7hIupyOU4u4FrYiT42eR/s200/otter2.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
The Giant otter lives in South America along the Amazon and Panthal rivers. They live in large colonies lead by a dominant breeding pair. This otter species is exclusively diurnal, or only active during the day. Being diurnal indicates that otters have amazing eyesight, in and out of water, and shows they are a sight predator. Otters on the whole are extremely vocal, with the Giant otter being the most vocal. Their chirps and barks mean anything from greetings to warnings. Otters are opportunistic eaters devouring a wide variety of food including fish, crabs, snakes, and caimen babies. One commonly eaten fish by Giant otters is even piranha, now that's a tough guy!<br />
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Hope you all enjoyed the break from my pet posts, and learned a little more about one of the toughest and cutest critters out there.<br />
CassCassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-28022965560087637112012-01-03T14:44:00.000-08:002012-01-03T15:23:35.545-08:00Being a Crazy Cat Lady Doesn't Sound Too Bad <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WORqMm89Sfo/TwOJQGuxM5I/AAAAAAAAAFs/d5wLYFhITiQ/s1600/fluff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WORqMm89Sfo/TwOJQGuxM5I/AAAAAAAAAFs/d5wLYFhITiQ/s200/fluff.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fluff and her unique face</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I know lately you have been inundated with my posts about my pets. First my horses, then the giant bunny, well I'm not quite finished... I introduce you to Fluff! Well technically her name is Penelope, but my dad started calling her "The Fluff" and well, it stuck. Fluff is a shelter kitty whom I got on my 18th birthday. She is my constant companion and basically my child. So how about some fun facts about Fluff and other cats. Please note this blog contains lots of genetics terms and discussions...<br />
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Most know cats come in a variety of colors, calico being a tri-colored cat (Fluff happens to be a calico). A little known fact is calico coloring is almost exclusively reserved for female cats. Wait, how is this unusual coloration created, and why do only females get it? Both questions can be answered by a scientific principle, X inactivation. Lets break this down to basics, a male has an X and a Y chromosome, where as females have two X's. The X chromosome is far larger than a Y and contains far more information, including the coding for hair color. During the developmental process one X chromosome is dominant over the other therefore the other X is inactivated, but not for long. The two X's take turns. Now if the X chromosomes code for different colors, they will display the calico pattern as the X's take turns switching on and off. Depending on the frequency and duration that each X is on/off you get different size patches or even patches that appear interwoven. This either gives you a brindle colored coat (like Fluff) or a patchwork coat more like a quilt.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9icT5iU18JM/TwOIp2ekjuI/AAAAAAAAAFg/NtHImrU8qcI/s1600/calico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9icT5iU18JM/TwOIp2ekjuI/AAAAAAAAAFg/NtHImrU8qcI/s640/calico.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now a few people may argue that thy have seem male calico cats. They are very likely chimeras, or have two genotypes. The possible types would be XX XX, XY XX, or XY XY. This can also create a calico coat pattern through a somewhat similar process except with two completely different sets of chromosomes. There are a few other genetic disorders that can also lead to calico males but mainly, calico cats are female.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FpKAKpaRuLs/TwOLDbVgXqI/AAAAAAAAAGE/2W5ah9Xa2x4/s1600/cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FpKAKpaRuLs/TwOLDbVgXqI/AAAAAAAAAGE/2W5ah9Xa2x4/s200/cat.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polydactyl Cat</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Cats can have extra toes, this is called Polydactylism. It can give cats six or even seven claws on each paw. A normal cat has five toes up front and four on hind feet. This is caused by a congenital abnormality, basically it is inherited. It is caused by an autosomal dominant gene in cats. So the polydactyl factor is located on a chromosome that isn't X or Y and is dominant so you only need to get the one copy to get it. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Whew, did I overload your brain with all that genetic jargon? On a lighter note it has been drawn to my attention that I could be considered a crazy animal lady. My best response is I am 100% one, I love my animals and given enough room and resources would gladly have a zoo or animal center. My animals will never maliciously hurt me if I didn't provoke it, and love me unconditionally. Thus far there is no human who can compete, myself included. That's all for now, </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Cass</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tOJRbXU-nqA/TwOKg8rAu1I/AAAAAAAAAF4/1LJd8hQKvqk/s1600/fluff+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tOJRbXU-nqA/TwOKg8rAu1I/AAAAAAAAAF4/1LJd8hQKvqk/s320/fluff+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping Fluff</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-81096309660805276062011-12-29T09:24:00.000-08:002011-12-29T09:40:35.765-08:00New Year New Bunny <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ebwlq3yPv0/Tvyh8fzkNbI/AAAAAAAAAE8/WaxRCHpSn8Q/s1600/opal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ebwlq3yPv0/Tvyh8fzkNbI/AAAAAAAAAE8/WaxRCHpSn8Q/s200/opal.jpg" width="200" /></a> So New Years is all about having a great party and welcoming the new year with hopes it will be better than the last. Well I know 2012 is going to be a great year for me because I got a new bunny! Her name is Opal, and she is a blue Flemish Giant. While this isn't the largest breed of rabbit, she is a very big girl, and should grow up to be well over 20 lbs. In today's post we will talk about some science but I'm also a history fan so I'm going to change things up and talk about how giant breeds (in this case rabbits) came to America.</div><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y9H9jPKGxMU/TvyhiAGNDUI/AAAAAAAAAEk/f4QO3Z10Dwo/s1600/8+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y9H9jPKGxMU/TvyhiAGNDUI/AAAAAAAAAEk/f4QO3Z10Dwo/s200/8+weeks.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opal at 8 weeks old</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In the 1800's rabbits were raised and used for meat very commonly throughout Europe. This was mainly due to the fact that large livestock was expensive to feed, house and had slow breeding rates. Rabbits have limited need for space and very fast reproductive rates. Being an island, England consumed large amouts of rabbits, and soon turned to importing them to keep up with demand. Commonly bred rabbits were mid sized around 7 to 8 lbs. Travelers returned to England with wild tales of rabbits three times the size in Flanders. Thus around 1860 Flemish Giants were imported to England, then imported to the Americas in 1890 during a similar "rabbit boom". So now that we know how Flemish Giants got here lets get down to some science!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="cssfloat: left; float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g7G2SgGg91o/TvyhsUHYhyI/AAAAAAAAAEw/4uT27l0eohc/s1600/10+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g7G2SgGg91o/TvyhsUHYhyI/AAAAAAAAAEw/4uT27l0eohc/s200/10+weeks.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opal at 10 weeks old</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Probably the most distinguishable features of rabbits are their giant ears. Most people know their ears act like giant dishes to catch sound waves. But their ears are also one of their main temperature control (i.e. thermoregulation) devices. When looking at the rabbits ears you will see many blood vessels. If a rabbit is cold the simply need to go out into the sun or fold their ears close to their furry bodies, the ears blood vessels go through vasoconstriction or become smaller to retain heat. If a rabbit is hot they can go into the shade and fan out their ears, where their blood vessels go through vasodilation.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_-1JhXDwhJI/TvyiIpCCjZI/AAAAAAAAAFI/N2ycrONMfNU/s1600/opal+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_-1JhXDwhJI/TvyiIpCCjZI/AAAAAAAAAFI/N2ycrONMfNU/s320/opal+2.jpg" width="240" /></a>Thanks for reading and Happy New Year,</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Cass (and Opal as the Jackalope)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108067777224901306.post-81966181313179834202011-12-20T09:44:00.000-08:002011-12-20T09:46:24.985-08:00Pony Time!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKxH1zpOyUrCu_7FhnEIiUAhJyHPzZQ7fona4SKIy3uZZNBkgLIQEZi__CzVN-fYb72WRZZcr-YguebPOBOmEZe-qAmC91-_7j24TXglg71s1E5PLA0LKbvkbntWPBklYTUhMntyu/s1600/max.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKxH1zpOyUrCu_7FhnEIiUAhJyHPzZQ7fona4SKIy3uZZNBkgLIQEZi__CzVN-fYb72WRZZcr-YguebPOBOmEZe-qAmC91-_7j24TXglg71s1E5PLA0LKbvkbntWPBklYTUhMntyu/s200/max.jpg" width="133" /></a>So with Christmas less than a week away, I know many little girls are hoping Santa (and their parents) will heed their desperate pleas for a pony under the tree. Well I was one of the lucky little girls who actually got their dream pony... My first pony was Phoenix (all pictures of her are in print and I don't have a scanner) and she was that ultimate little girl fantasy, a snowy white Arabian with a perfect dished face. Could have been a unicorn (and got dressed as one several times) if you put a horn on her sculpted face. I kept her till she passed away when I was 21. My second pony is Max (pictured left), another grey Arabian who originally was for my mom but ended up as my jumping pony, clearing obstacles with me that towered higher than his head. He is still going strong at 25 giving walk-trot lessons for little kids. Today I have two horses who decorate the side of my blog, Manhattan and Finally. Manhattan (Manny) is a 17.1 hand Thoroughbred (pictured below) who can jump a house. Finally is the golden child (pictured at end of blog). He is a Quarter horse who I have had since he was 2 and has the biggest heart. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpChCduGkzCFm1ZeDxp4i00p8eZJyJix-6kMm0RUQNkESDkNomSoqEoOEyaY62_6S7aFRvjiXVLc606LDClmXPxhmJP2DzuhoGI05-FCQgawWl2_Em3wm39ZPoz8Gox6NRQ5oRpvt0/s1600/manny-jump2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpChCduGkzCFm1ZeDxp4i00p8eZJyJix-6kMm0RUQNkESDkNomSoqEoOEyaY62_6S7aFRvjiXVLc606LDClmXPxhmJP2DzuhoGI05-FCQgawWl2_Em3wm39ZPoz8Gox6NRQ5oRpvt0/s320/manny-jump2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now that I've shared about my ponies lets get to some science! Horses are highly evolved animals with some unique attributes. In my opinion, their feet have the most highly specialized design. A horse's hoof is actually is the anatomical equivalent of our fingernail. If you pick up a horse's hoof and look at the underside they have a triangle middle, this is the horse's frog. It is a spongy shock absorber. As a horse gallops the hard outside hoof wall strikes first then the frog extends down and outward to absorb much of the shock. Now I look at the frog and think wow that would be something Nike would love to use in their newest running shoe, or how about inspiration for shocks on off road vehicles?</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgML5GSTWo3x2bzenV7Zz2D1QFLMrpJTI3IZFZybVtZPQs19Wd8JqkBIwlQMWKiTBZbeQBsDWN9eh5EBV9qkwD2u5M5ScmkVVgviZxcTpAtarrwXSHybeE7lJrxPWevmwlb8G-UazeV/s1600/horses+frog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgML5GSTWo3x2bzenV7Zz2D1QFLMrpJTI3IZFZybVtZPQs19Wd8JqkBIwlQMWKiTBZbeQBsDWN9eh5EBV9qkwD2u5M5ScmkVVgviZxcTpAtarrwXSHybeE7lJrxPWevmwlb8G-UazeV/s200/horses+frog.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The frog is also an amazing pump for the horse's circulatory system. As the horse puts weight onto the hoof, the hoof wall is pushed outwards and the frog compressed, driving blood out of the frog. When weight is removed from the hoof, the release of pressure pulls blood back down into the foot again. This creates a blood pumping system up and down the horses legs. Horses rarely lay down, you mostly see young horses or older horses taking extended naps. Horse are unable to spend a long time laying down because their massive body weight will actually crush their internal organs. So horses spend most of their time standing up. They have a special locking feature in their knees to help them sleep standing up. So having great leg circulation becomes even more important. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNwLnVy-eviTd9qyETadFNhx4RVXOL7MLbmpmXz-cId4W8dz_CqgcwVIpBepRvIctsBQ6JUV3OexrO-grIxzvepaj7gc7cOR-_PvgTelsf2hFS59B3lCvd47vezRPhjqwA2HS8MXA/s1600/finally-slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNwLnVy-eviTd9qyETadFNhx4RVXOL7MLbmpmXz-cId4W8dz_CqgcwVIpBepRvIctsBQ6JUV3OexrO-grIxzvepaj7gc7cOR-_PvgTelsf2hFS59B3lCvd47vezRPhjqwA2HS8MXA/s200/finally-slide.jpg" width="200" /></a>I could go on and on about horses but for today that is all you get! Hope everyone has a happy holiday season with their loved ones. </div>Love, <br />
Cass<br />
P.S. including a horse treat recipe just in case you're like me and want to give your equine friends a holiday treat, just add raisins to make it human friendly.<br />
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<br />
Oat Molasses Cookies<br />
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2 Cups Dry Oatmeal<br />
1/2 Cup grated Carrots<br />
3 Tablespoons Molasses<br />
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar<br />
Combine all ingredients. Add enough water to make a soft dough. Stir<br />
well. Form cookies. Bake 350 for 8 minutes or until golden brown.Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18364012299948195608noreply@blogger.com0