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blubushie · 7 months

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The Spanish Dancer sea slug, native to Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea. It can grow up to 25cm, though some reports from the Dead Sea clock it in at 40cm. It is a luxuriant red colour with an orange-yellow underbelly and a splotchy red line cutting across it. A specimen measuring ~90cm in width was found on Australia's west coast (Hey, that's where you live!). 'Pangolin' originates from the Malay word for 'roller', which is 'penggulung'; this is because it curls up into a ball and uses its hard scales as a shield when threatened. All eight species of pangolin are under some kind of threat and are protected under national and international laws, two of the eight are critically endangered (do NOT try to make these the centrepiece of your project, they're elusive and endangered). Puffins can flap their wings ~400 times a minute and can fly 88km an hour (!?). Their beaks also change seasonally-- they are a dull grey in the winter and become their more iconic orange in spring, most likely to attract mates. Black-footed cats are considered the most deadly species of wild cat with (a cute little face to die for) a hunting success rate of 60%, compared to a lion's rate of 25%, which is lower than that of a domestic cat's, 32%. The black-footed cat's rate is second only to African wild dogs at 85%. The plant genus Rafflesia, known as the Corpse Flower is capable of Horizontal Gene Transfer, a behaviour documented in bacteria that has only recently been discovered in plants. Rafflesia is a parasitic plant that steals genetic material from its host and nearby plants, merging it into its own genetic code and using its proteins to sustain itself. Once it is grown, the flower continues its parasitic behaviour and emits a foul stench likened to corpses, used to attract pollinators like carrion flies. Humans have been unable to cultivate Rafflesia because the method with which its seeds germinate, let alone infect a host is still unclear. Ant-mimicking spiders have evolved to resembles ants, complete with their extra set of legs disguised as antennae. Most ant-mimicking spiders have unique abdomen and body structures that resemble an ant without any closer inspection, but many have more nuanced methods of deception. Some species can even mimick ant pheromones and behaviour, a huge crux in how ants identify each other, making it easier to invade ants and prey upon them. The Hercules Beetle is one of the largest flying insects measuring up to 7 inches long, when including their horn, and almost 2 inches wide. The horsehair worm is a parasite that preys on grasshoppers, crickets, and some beetles and are found in water or wet areas. They are, simply, a worm capable of squirming in and out of intricate knots and formations, a capability which makes multiple worms of great lengths capable of taking over one host (there's videos out there of researchers tying them into knots of increasing complexity and tightness, fascinating stuff!). After the laid eggs have hatched, the worm forms a protective cyst around itself and waits to be consumed by a suitable host. The cyst them dissolves and allows the worm to eat itself out of the digestive system and feast on its host's innards (I love parasites...). Once it has taken its fill, it has matured and it exits the host to lay its eggs and repeat the process. Horsehair worms pose no threat to humans or animals outside of its host pool, so their presence simply indicates and abundance of or dead crickets in the area.

The oarfish is also nicknamed the 'Doomsday Fish' due to its presence being a sign of destruction to come-- 20 oarfish allegedly washed up on Japan's shores just before the Japan 2011 earthquake. Whatever the case, oarfish reside deep underwater, in the Twilight Zone, so seeing them at all is strange. They are long, ribbon-like fish with bulging eyes and red spines that swim vertically through the waters, using its shimmering skin to camoflague itself by blending into the dark and the rare patch of light. Sand vipers have their located located on top of their heads to better see out of the sand they bury themselves in for hunting purposes. This is also why a suitable substrate is important if you want to care for them. They also require more open space than hiding spots in their enclosure, unike other species of snake. Sand vipers also prefer higher temperatures and require basking in temperatures of around or even greater than 40 degrees Celsius (I've always wanted a pet snake). Peregrine falcons can dive down towards their prey at a speed of 320km/h and quickly strike their neck with their talons, killing their prey in the fraction of a second. This has been caught on video, and in many of them there is only a quick, black blur before the prey drops like a stone onto the ground, suddenly lifeless (eerie and impressive!). Ragdoll cats were first bred by Ann Baker in the 1960s. They have a large, weighty build with long, think fur. They often have blue eyes though they are born mostly white, their unique markings darken over time to a deep brown. The horror game Outlast was modelled after the Richardson Hotel in Buffalo, New York, which had previously been an insane asylum. You'd go into an insane asylum if you weren't a coward (joking). Axolotls (like from Minecraft) are salamanders that, unlike most salamander species, never transition to land. They remain aquatic into adulthood. They are native to only one area, Lake Xochimilco, Lake Chalco, and its surrounding smaller bodies, located in the Valley of Mexico (it also has a relative that resembles a wyrm dragon, very similar sans legs and larger, but I couldn't remember the name <\3). The Megasoma elephas (Elephant Beetle) has been used in a Pentagon-sponsored university program where electrodes were inserted into elephant beetle pupae, allowing for some remote control of the adult beetle's flying behaviour (developing technology, I guess...). Habitat destruction and the use of the male adult's head as jewelery charms have contributed to its decreasing population, though they are not considered endangered. The emerald cockroach wasp paralyzes cockroaches using its venom then drags the body to its burrow. There, while the cockroach is still living, the wasp lays its eggs directly under the cockroach. The entrance will be blocked off to prevent early escape. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae feast on the cockroach's bodily fluids, then its non-vital organs, keeping the still-alive bug kicking it for as long as possible, then, the growing wasps eat the rest of the cockroach, thus putting an end to its miserable life, and emerge through the cockroach's chest, splitting it in half, then dig out of the burrow to repeat the cycle (I love parasites...).

[Animal Fact Anon. Uh, are you a hunter trying to starve me out into the open? Because you're driving me wild! Happy Valentines day, xoxo, I'm not actually hitting on you.]

1. Horsehair worms freak me out

2. I've seen an oarfish when I was at sea! It was dead though :(

3. On the topic of the relative to axolotls "sans legs", were you maybe thinking of caecilians?

4. Oml I love parasitic wasps!! My favourites are spider wasps :]

Thank you for the facts animal anon!! Happy Valentine's Day!!! <3

#blu whos

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cieranshippy · 2 years

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INSECT DISEASE RESEARCH

Within this research, I will be looking in depth, any insect that is very known from having a disease that they spread around, to not just help me with describing and creating my creature's disease and venom, to come with it to show how evil and deadly that it is. So, within each insect that I will look into I will deep dive into each one, gather the Information and understanding on what makes them deadly and what issues they cause, bit at a time and then go into complete depth on my disease / venom for my creature to help me out, to present my work.

BOT FLIES

Bot flies are flies that lay parasitic larval inside mammals, including humans. The disease is called Myiasis, or Dermatobia hominis, where a huge red mark is around the skin, untreated these maggots will leave on their own which will be a very painful experience as they have spikes, which they use to claw their way out of your skin and system.

TSETSE FLY

This fly is in the sub-Saharan -Africa, where it causes issues among mammals and farm animals, being known to ruin and stop farm mixing. The disease it carries is African trypanosomiasis, or in other words "sleeping sickness"

Effects of the diesease

Fever, severe headaches, irritability, extreme fatique, swollen lymph nodes, and ching muscles and joints.

MOSQUITOES

These flying wasp dragon fly like insects are very known for sucking your blood and giving you "it's very big bag of disease"

Such as

west nile virus: What's deadly about this virus is that you do not develop any symptoms, in some people however you get rashes, body aches, headaches, vomiting, diarrheal, joint paints.

chikungunya virus: Infected some will feel these symptoms, which begins in about 3 to 7 days after an infected mosquito bites your arm, the symptoms are similar to the West Nile virus.

dangue: Nausea, vomiting, rash, aches and pains, eye pain, muscle pain and bone pain

malaria: Apart from the others this one is the worse of them all. Flue like illness, shaking chills, headaches, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, diarrheal. What also can happen is anemia and jaundice, yellow colouring of the skin and eyes, because loss of red blood cells which can be deadly.

Anemia: Tiredness, lack of energy, shortness of breath, pale skin, heart palpitations.

Jaundice: fever, chills, abdominal pain, flu like symptoms, change in skin colour, dakr coloured urine and clay coloured stool.

After looking at these disease filthy creatures I began using the info that I looked into and began making my own disease / venom

DISEASE / VENOM FOR MY CREATURE

The venom researched by some scientist, has been significant in this strange world of creatures and wonders. The venom is similar to the giant "worm spiders" that inhabit the deep and harsh forests not touched by the residents of these fields of sand. The venom is simple to understand.

General structure

The venom is a dark pinkie green, with little spots of yellow and tiny grey lines, like worms, the venom has 3 significantly small extra venom sacks within the goop, these venom sacks work together to slow down and hurt the prey before death.

The first is a mixture of a similar disease back on earth "tape worm" disease, however this disease is "very" rare to happen when the venom is injected but please be lucky that you don't get as, these "tape worms" grow to about 6 metres within bodies of infected hosts, then it basically become that host, mind controlling what's left of them to find a location, so it can use the empty body suit as a strange egg, to hatch out slither away to live its life and die.

The second is a new unknown disease that forces you to sleep, as your body slowly destroys itself until the body is dead and free to be eaten by other animals which of course spreads the disease (slowly)

The third is like the flu, but the flu for the heart, as what it does is that it weakens the heart so much, that it basically becomes the heart then becomes a hive brain, which then creates littles nests of itself until you are eaten along with the disease.

My creature is a deliciouse and wonder of a snack to bite into, however there are roumours that it is being used or poorly packed to kill spacific people. "Like someone named venoquines..."

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dragonrajafanfiction · 3 years

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Lost Lineage

Dofi hurried in the dark narrow corridors of the ship, in near pitch black darkness. They were surrounded by dead waiters and had to pull all the ship’s electrical power into the fight. He knew his brother Do, the Ship’s Chief Engineer, had designed the ship this way. This was a dragon-slaying ship. Every drop of fuel, every battery, every nuclear engine could reroute its full might into deadly weapons until the enemy was vanquished or the ship rested at the bottom of the sea.

Even now, the ship was loud with constant machine gun fire and thunderous booms from cannons.

His brother Foli was captaining this war at sea. He was the firstborn and the leader of the Aido-Hwedo, destined to be on the Council in the future. Dofi had no such destiny. He was a shadow merchant, supporting his brother in covert actions to protect him from the rear. Dofi kept this vow of secrecy close to his heart. Even though his brother acted like a naive little fool in the sun, he would be there, in the shadows like a ninja, destroying anyone who came at him from the shadows.

Now he felt his brother had played the ultimate fool. He had trusted Grant Baldwin to keep this operation secret and now they were surrounded by ships from the Secret Society. Someone had fired rockets at the dragon being awakened in the sky, awakening him early. How was he supposed to save him from this?

Foli should have known that the sons of that Dark King Betrayer could not be trusted. All four of the quadruplets went to the same school and heard the same stories.

Nidhogg and the White Queen Izanami were inseparable rulers. Together they produced one egg that hatched the ten great serpents into the world. Each one they granted authority over humans. Quetzocoatl, Nuwa, Anima, Minona, Legba, Ouroboros, and the twin headed serpents, Taipan-Typhon and Mawu-Lisa.

For centuries they ruled over humans, some harshly, some more gently. But the Dark King was always fickle and full of suspicious thoughts. The White Queen could take it no longer and rebelled against him. Ouroboros, Mawu-Lisa and Legba agreed. But the White Queen was defeated and her children were forced into hiding from their vengeful father.

They hid among their human hybrids in Africa. But were revealed when war broke out among them. The hybrids of Mawu-Lisa attacked the hybrid city of Ouroboros, but were defeated. In retaliation, Ouroboros devoured Mawu-Lisa. Then, strengthened greatly by the meal, turned on Legba.

Legba fled back to Nidhogg. He hoped to be protected by his father, so he betrayed Ouroboros’s location to him. But Nidhogg killed him anyway, and then went to find Ouroboros. But Ouroboros somehow vanished, him and his people. He was a master of the sacred arts of Nibelungen and could produce them at will. When the forces of Nidhogg arrived, there was nothing left but a crater.

Nidhogg never found Ouroboros and turned on the rest of his children. It didn’t matter how loyal they had been in the past. They were the White Queen’s children and couldn’t be trusted. One by one, every single serpent that had hatched from the egg was destroyed and all their hybrids were slaughtered. In their place, he created the Four Lords and forced them into eternal submission. He erased every vestige of the existence of the original ten and their mother.

Yet, knowing all this, that silly Foli still put his head into the palm of these elites of Cassell College. These sons of the Betrayer King!

“Foli… Foli, I tried to warn you…” The ship was rocking like a tree against the winds and the waves. Every joint groaned as the waves lifted it and shuddered violently as it crashed to the ocean. The sense of vertigo was immense and he put his hand to the wall to steady himself. He was almost there.

He had to protect his brother.

And the key was in his pocket, wrapped in gauze. The vial of that girl’s blood. The girl who wasn’t on the roster of the Action Team. The girl who came from Ace Commissioner parents with no past. Born in a dragonslayer Academy. And yet somehow had no dragonblood according to the dragonblood divination.

His brother originally had this suspicion of her, but he’d discarded it after a little sweet talk from that Betrayer son. But Dofi was not so easily fooled.

He’d reached the end of the corridor and swiped his card; the door slid open to reveal a darkened lab, faintly lit by an alternative power source. At the center was a server rack that blinked green and blue and red like festive lights in the dark. A single laptop controlled it all. On a table, along with a microscope and other tools, there was what looked like a box. Dofi braced himself on the table and pulled out the vial of blood from his pocket.

He carefully opened the metal box. Inside, was a spinning centrifuge. The divining plate could only work based on the Four Lord’s Lineage. If she was not of that line, then the alternative was that she was either human or not of the four lords. And she was not human.

He tucked the vial with trembling hands into the centrifuge and closed it and flipped the switch. The vial began to spin until it was a blur, to break up the blood and reveal the genetic material. The computer here had more than the lineage of the four lords but also of Legba and Mawu-Lisa, the Ancestors of the West African Hybrids.

The lights suddenly started to flicker. Dofi looked up at them as they swung. Their shifting pools of light moved over a scaly clawed foot, like the claw of a dinosaur. When they swung that pool of light away, gleaming eyes peered out from the dark. Those eyes were embedded in a massive dark shadow, about the size of a horse. It crouched on all fours, it’s body stretching into the hallway where he had just been.

Dofi’s heart squeezed painfully in his chest. He had thought he was alone in the corridor, safe and protected by his brother’s stalwart efforts outside, but he was being stalked by this unseen and quiet predator the whole way down. And now he had reached a dead end in every sense.

Unlike his brother, Dofi had no aggressive skills, only the Soul Skill Mirage that could distort his form as he saw fit. But how could he fool someone who had already seen him as he truly was? They faced each other now, each one as they were. Predator and prey.

Normally, he could consider escaping, use his soul skill to frighten the enemy, confuse them, or vanish. But he could not leave this beast in this room and he had to stay here for the results of the DNA test. There was no clever escape this time. Only a fight until the monster was eliminated. He reached behind his back, his hand closing around a weapon there.

Dofi’s eyes moved first to the left, away from the computers. The monster’s limbs tightened and it rushed in, thinking Dofi was making his move. The split second error was all that was needed. Dofi pulled a grenade from behind him, yanked out the pin and threw it into the beast’s mouth, just as it closed. The creature’s teeth pierced the metal shell. Corrosive liquid, poisonous to dragons sprayed out under intense pressure right down the monster’s throat.

With the grenade stuck on his tooth, it could only shake its head. The silver solution spread all over the floor and under its claws and it slipped and fell. Its screaming as the solution burned its skin rattled the walls. Blood oozed from its mouth in a steady stream coloring the liquid on the floor. The vapors stung its eyes and sent blood weeping from there. Its scales loosened and hung from the skin of its neck.

But its target was gone. Disappeared from the room. Its nostrils flared to try to catch a scent of him, and then it coughed, jaw hanging open. A thin blade, like the foil of a fencer, had pierced its throat from the side. In comparison to its thick neck, it appeared like a hypodermic needle through the gap in its eroded scales. It wasn’t even a hole big enough to bleed through, but inside the throat, the jugular vein had been punctured, and the brain was quickly being starved of oxygen.

With such a precise attack, there was no need for a strong Soul Skill or Physical Strength.

Dofi revealed himself to be holding the end of the blade, having hidden himself when his Soul skill while the beast struggled with the grenade. He held a cloth to his face to guard himself from the noxious fumes, but he knew it was too late. Such powerful poison would be the end of him as well. Already, his skin was starting to turn soft and sore. It burned and turned a whitish grey as he staggered back to the laptop.

The Genetic test results were completed.

According to the blood test, this girl was a descendent of Nidhogg, as all dragons were. But unlike all dragons, she was also a descendent of the Whtie Queen Izanami. As he suspected, she really was of the stock of the original ten serpents out of the great egg.

She was not a descendent of Mawu-Lisa. She was not a descendant of Legba.

Leaning against the table, Dofi’s vision swam. He picked up the phone and put his brother on the speed dial. Despite the desperation of the situation, his brother picked up immediately.

“Dofi! What is it? Where are you?”

“Foli… my dearest brother. I have completed the investigation of the girl.”

“What? Dofi, I told you to stop. Where are you now? What are you doing?”

“The girl is of a Lost Lineage. She is not of Legba… or Mawu-Lisa.” He coughed and felt like he was drooling uncontrollably. But when he looked down, his shirt was stained red.

“Lost lineage…?” His brother’s voice was still in his head. “Where is the girl? Where are you?”

But Dofi couldn’t speak any more.

#Dragon Raja #Fanfiction #Class of 2032

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a-dinosaur-a-day · 5 years

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Balaeniceps rex

By Olaf Oliviero Riemer, CC BY-SA 3.0

Etymology: Whale Head

First Described By: Gould, 1850

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Aequorlitornithes, Ardeae, Aequornithes, Pelecaniformes, Balaenicipitidae

Status: Extant, Vulnerable

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary

The Shoebill is known from eastern central Africa

Physical Description: There is no other dinosaur quite like the Shoebill. It is one of the most visually distinctive creatures, with traits monstrous and familiar that make it difficult to really understand exactly what you’re looking at. They stand up to 140 centimeters in height, which yes, is the height of a human being on the shorter side. They can even reach 152 centimeters tall - the same height as a 5 foot tall person. They have very long, skinny legs, with giant toes on their feet that are widely splayed out. Their bodies are huge, with short tails and bulky torsos. Their backs are grey, and their belly feathers are white. Their necks are a lighter grey, and there is some dark speckling all over their wings and right beneath their necks. Their heads continue that light grey coloration, and have small tufts of feathers as a crest on the back of the head. Shoebills also happen to feature yellow, unblinking, perfectly circular eyes, which is unsettling at best. They have heavy eyebrows of feathers over their eyes, giving them a look like they’re always glaring at you - which is even more disconcerting considering the giant, wide, scoop-shaped bill that the Shoebill is named for. The bill is orange, and ends in a small hook, just in case you weren’t terrified enough.

By Peter Halasz, CC BY-SA 2.5

Diet: Shoebills feed mainly on fish - especially lungfish, though most large fish are acceptable. Amphibians, young crocodilians, water snakes, rodents, and young waterfowl are also fed upon by these giant terrifying creatures.

By Snowmanradio, CC BY-SA 2.0

Behavior: Shoebills are calculating bastards - they’ll hover around lakesides and swamps with low oxygen in the water, which forces lungfish to come up to breathe - so that the Shoebill can then lean down and scoop them up. They are loners during the hunt, carefully taking each step as they make sure to not sink too far into the mud and weeds where they live. Their lunging after food is hard to miss - their mouths open wide, revealing how huge those bills really are, and giving it a sinister smile. These lunges are usually startling, as the Shoebill is usually still for a very long time before it goes after prey. It is as if a statue had suddenly come to life. This is especially disconcerting when the Shoebill opts for standing on floating vegetation - just casually going down with the current as though they were a giant Jacana. They tend to defend territories for food, at least somewhat, not coming closer than twenty meters to another Shoebill during feeding. They don’t sense their prey with feel, but entirely by sight - making them very unblinking and focused, adding to their strange aura. Shoebills are also usually silent, which just makes their entire aesthetic even more terrifying. When they do dare to make sounds, they make very raucous cries - usually while they fly.

By Petr Simon

Yes, yes they can fly. Shoebills are some of the largest flighted birds today, which does not help. They hold their wings flat, pulling in their necks to their bodies to aid in making their flight more efficient. They have some of the slowest flaps of any bird, at 150 flaps per minute. They fly only a few meters at a time, and usually prefer to glide as much as possible. The farthest any Shoebill as traveled at one time seems to be 20 meters. As such, Shoebills are not very mobile birds, and they usually only move from place to place based on food availability.

By African Parks/Bengweulu Wetlands Photography

Shoebills begin breeding depending on the water levels of their habitat at a given time. They lay their eggs when the rains begin to end and the waters start to recede; as such, the chicks hatch and fledge late in the dry season. They nest alone, though there are possible reports that they may form some breeding colonies in South Sudan. They make nests out of grass in a mound that is three meters wide, usually placed on a small island or on floating vegetation amongst dense papyrus. They lay two eggs that are incubated for a month. The chickare cute, fluffy, and grey, with tiny regular sized bills. They then fledge a little more than three months later and, what’s more, usually only one chick survives. The chicks and parents will make whining and mewing to each other to get attention and beg for food. Sometimes, the young will make hiccups as begging calls. The parents are constantly with the young for the first forty days of rearing, only briefly leaving to get food and water or nest material. As the chicks age, the parents spend more and more time away, but they still bring food regularly. The chicks, after fledging, remain dependent on the parents for food for a few more years. They reach reproductive age at around three to four years. Displays often including mooing and bill clattering, which can be accompanied by the shaking of the head from side to side, which is quite the undertaking for a bird with such a large head. Breeding pairs stay together for the season, and break up when the chicks leave the nest. Shoebills can live up to fifty years, which is aided by the fact that they tend to not have predators after reaching full size.

By Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0

Ecosystem: Shoebills stick to marshes, especially papyrus marshes and those with reeds and cattails. They will also gather around marshy lakesides, especially near Lake Victoria. They go wherever they can find floating vegetation to stand upon, including ricefields. They tend to go where animals such as hippopotamus go, since the hippo can dredge up food that the Shoebill can then feed upon.

By Fritz Geller-Grimm, CC BY-SA 2.5

Other: Shoebills are currently considered vulnerable to extinction, with 5000 to 8000 birds thought to be remaining in the wild (though that may be low and there may be as many as 10,000). The reasons for this decline in population is partially due to habitat loss - the Shoebill is dependent on papyrus swamps and other wetland habitats, which are targeted by drainage schemes and other development activities. Animals being brought across these swamps and trampling their young also majorly contributes to population decline. It is a very unique bird and a very popular one, so luckily there are some conservation efforts ongoing, especially in zoos. Some hunting is also contributing to population loss. Despite these conservation efforts, only once has the Shoebill been successfully bred in captivity.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut

Elliott, A., Garcia, E.F.J. & Boesman, P. (2019). Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Guillet, A (1978). "Distribution and Conservation of the Shoebill (Balaeniceps Rex) in the Southern Sudan". Biological Conservation. 13 (1): 39–50.

Hackett, SJ; Kimball, RT; Reddy, S; Bowie, RC; Braun, EL; Braun, MJ; Chojnowski, JL; Cox, WA; Han, KL; et al. (2008). "A phylogenomic study of birds reveals their evolutionary history". Science. 320 (5884): 1763–8.

Hagey, J. R.; Schteingart, C. D.; Ton-Nu, H.-T. & Hofmann, A. F. (2002). "A novel primary bile acid in the Shoebill stork and herons and its phylogenetic significance". Journal of Lipid Research. 43 (5): 685–90.

Hall, Whitmore (1861). The principal roots and derivatives of the Latin language, with a display of their incorporation into English. London: Longman, Green, Longman & Roberts. p. 153.

Hancock & Kushan, Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills of the World. Princeton University Press (1992),

Houlihan, Patrick F. (1986). The Birds of Ancient Egypt. Wiltshire: Aris & Phillips. p. 26.

Jasson, J.; Nahonyo, Cuthbert; Lee, Woo; Msuya, Charles (March 2013). "Observations on nesting of shoebill Balaeniceps rex and wattled crane Bugeranus carunculatus in Malagarasi wetlands, western Tanzania". African Journal of Ecology. 51 (1): 184–187.

Mayr, Gerald (2003). "The phylogenetic affinities of the Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)". Journal für Ornithologie.

Mikhailov, Konstantin E. (1995). "Eggshell structure in the shoebill and pelecaniform birds: comparison with hamerkop, herons, ibises and storks". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 73 (9): 1754–70.

Muir, Allan; King, C.E. (January 2013). "Management and husbandry guidelines for Shoebills Balaeniceps rex in captivity". International Zoo Yearbook. 47 (1): 181–189.

Stevenson, Terry and Fanshawe, John (2001). Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi. Elsevier Science.

Tomita, Julie (2014). "Challenges and successes in the propagation of the Shoebill Balaeniceps rex: with detailed observations from Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, Florida". International Zoo Yearbook. 132 (1): 69–82.

Williams, J.G; Arlott, N (1980). A Gield Guide to the Birds of East Africa. Collins.

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punksarahreese · 4 years

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Nature | Undertow

Nosdecember day 16 | @neworleansspecial

Marine biologist!Sarah, Selkie!Ava; Sarah goes down to the beach one sunny morning and runs into an unexpected issue

***

“Crockett?”

Sarah emerged from her room, rashguard half pulled down over her swim top, looking for her roommate. The man in question just laughed at her struggle, setting down his coffee cup to help her before she even had a chance to ask. The back of the spandex top had gotten twisted, which was almost impossible to fix by herself; especially when the heat of the summer day already had Sarah sweating.

“What would you do without me?” Crockett teased as he gave the blue material one last tug to make sure it covered Sarah’s back completely. She just rolled her eyes, still thanking him for his help, and gave him a nudge with her shoulder.

“Coming down to the water with me?”

“Can’t,” he replied and passed her a bottle of sunscreen off the top of the cupboard, “Doctor Nkosi wants me to go monitor the African penguins today since their main keeper is out.”

“Have fun with that,” Sarah laughed, knowing the research facility’s resident penguins could be a hassle. Most were there for rehabilitation, save for a one footed female and her mate who couldn’t be released due to safety concerns. They had a habit of chasing the staff around their area or trying to woo them rocks and nests. There was one penguin in particular who loved Crockett, always trying to drag him to a new nesting area she made. They were funny birds to say the least, but neither of their areas of interest when it came to sea life.

“Make sure you don’t stay out all day,” Crockett had slipped into his room to change and spoke a bit louder to be heard through the door, “and take some water, the last thing I need is you passing out from dehydration in the ocean.”

“I’ll be fine, Crockett,” Sarah still did grab a couple bottles of water out of the fridge, shoving them haphazardly into her backpack. The thing was waterproof, for obvious reasons, but Sarah still grabbed a plastic bag to put her phone in. Better safe than sorry, after all. She also added a tupperware in case she found any shells or specimens while out on the water. She was just going mostly for fun but work often found its way into her daily life anyway.

“It’s your turn to cook dinner tonight!” Crockett called, his only reply being a laugh from Sarah and the click of the screen door shutting.

Sarah first made a stop at her turtle nests, keeping her distance at first to ensure she didn’t upset any mamas who may be around. She peeked in the one dune, smiling when she saw there must be over a hundred eggs. Though she knew some wouldn’t hatch, she was excited to see the ones that did later in the summer. Leatherback sea turtles were such an interesting species so Sarah was grateful she would be able to witness their hatching.

She had her surfboard under one arm, not intending to surf but bringing it just in case. The waves were a bit too small that day and Sarah still wasn’t very confident on waves anyway. She liked to sit on the board though, as it gave her a chance to be in the deeper water without having to use as much strength to stay afloat.

She left her bag and towel on the rocks, where she knew she could see it from the water. There weren't many people around anyway and she wasn’t too worried about her stuff being stolen this close to the house. The water was cold, biting at her small amount of exposed skin and making Sarah glad she put on her rashguard that morning. With the leash of her board attached to her right ankle, Sarah waded out into the water until she reached the point where she could no longer touch the ocean floor. She was up to her neck in the salty water by the time she got the courage to dunk her head under, knowing she wouldn’t adjust to the temperature until she acclimated her whole body.

Resurfacing, Sarah pushed back the damp strands of hair that had begun to escape from her braid. The cool water was a welcomed escape from the harsh heat of the late morning sun, which had been the main cause of the week’s ridiculous humidity. South Africa was certainly a different climate than Chicago, especially considering it would be snowing and below thirty degrees back home. One thing Sarah had yet to adjust to was the different hemispheres, since the opposite seasons certainly made summer in December a confusing feat.

After hoisting herself up, Sarah took a moment to catch her balance. Once comfortably straddling the polystyrene board, she watched nature passing her by. There wasn’t anything nearby, obviously, since her venturing out into the deep water had scared away even the most adventurous fish. Still, there were birds roosting on the edge of the cliffs and she could see a blue crane preening on a rock up ahead, its long neck bending with ease. The water reflected the blue sky in a beautiful way, clear enough that Sarah had a pretty good visual of the brightly coloured fish swimming amongst the coral. This was her safe place, which felt more like home than any house or apartment ever had. The warmth of the sun drying her hair, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks; this was peace.

Sarah spotted a pod of seals, ones she often saw basking on the shorter rock formations along the cliffs. She assumed they were in the middle of pupping season, as she saw a couple tinier seals hopping around after the biggest females. Though they weren’t her creature of major interest, Sarah had become rather fond of this pod. They were amusing to watch and she adored the inquisitive dark eyes that would sometimes lock on her from across the beach. She never got too close, though there were a few seals who didn’t seem very afraid of her.

She was watching them from afar, smiling when a pup stumbled clumsily into the water. Seals were definitely not the most graceful creatures but they sure were cute. Sarah probably should have paid more attention to whatever brushed against her ankle but in her mind she just thought it was her surfboard leash moving with the current. A harsher nudge to her knee, tough whiskers poking at her skin, was what got her attention. However, before she could even think of looking down, her board was being tipped over completely.

Sarah was quick to hold her breath, though too startled to close her eyes underwater. Through the blurriness caused by the salty water, she caught a glimpse of a silvery tail flicking past. Heart beating like crazy, she scrambled to grab her board, using it to pull herself back up. By the time she had resurfaced, she couldn’t see whatever had knocked her over but she had a feeling it had been on purpose. It didn’t feel malicious, obviously because she hadn’t been attacked, but the whole situation was odd. She glanced back over at the rocks, catching sight of a familiar grey flipper popping up from the water to tug its body onto a shallow rock.

Sarah watched idly, trying to process what had just happened. It was almost undoubtedly the seal that was very unafraid of her, one that was more grey than the usual warm brown pelts of the cape seals in the pod. She was the only creature in sight with a grey tail, after all, so Sarah had to assume that was the culprit. She didn’t understand, though. Seals weren’t usually so daring around humans. That, paired with her appearance and lack of fear, confused Sarah greatly.

She would have to talk to Crockett about this. Since his research was on the intelligence of marine animals, maybe her roommate would have some logical explanation for this behaviour.

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animalobsessedweirdo-blog · 4 years

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My pets

Thought I would do a quick introduction to me pets as they will most likely appear on hear a fair amount especially as we are in quarantine and i am with them a lot more than usual

Bugs bunny (bugsy/bug) - grey/black coloured rabbit, he is a male harlequin rabbit who is around three - four years old. his personality is fairly laid back and chilled out but definitely does have his crazy moments. He is very nervous due to his previous home and does not trust people very easily, I have owned him for around two years and he is very slowly getting better and more confident

Freddie - brown rabbit. Freddie has a very cheeky and bubbly personality, he is up to no good at all times of the day but is a very cuddly baby at heart. he is around two years old and is a very active and confident rabbit. Freddie’s absolute favourite time of day is feeding time and would do absolutely anything for a treat.

Roxy - Roxy is a 6 year old rottweiler x husky. She may be classed as an ‘adult dog’ but defiantly still has the mentality of a puppy... still thinks she is the size of one too. She is an absolutely amazing dog and truly is my best friend. She loves to play just as much as she likes to cuddle and sleep. and is just plain beautiful.

Echo - She is my giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas). She quickly became very comfortable with handling and loves to explore when I take her out of the enclosure. Her favourite things are - sleep on her cork bark, sleep on top of her food, sleep under her cork bark and dig up the plants I recently put in her enclosure (every day)

Cyrus - My blue tongue skink. I rescued Cyrus from a pretty bed situation where she was not getting very good care at all, she was extremely under weight and lethargic when I bought her home and didn't even have enough energy to eat a locust. She is on the mend and in just the 5 months i have had her she has improved way more than i could have expected and her personality is starting to show. Cyrus is a very sassy but very sweet character, she now loves her food and is in a very good place (side note, i will be building a custom enclosure for her in this year so I will post about that when it happens)

Spoons and Gin - (honestly the best names I have given my animals) Indian walking stick insects. I got some eggs from one of my best friends (thank you Emily if you see this) who had bought some for herself. they hatched in early April and are already getting so big. spoons hatched first so is slightly larger than gin. Spoons is very quick on her feet and moves around the enclosure and my hand a lot when holding them, Gin likes to stay in the same leaf at most times and will generally be very still when handling.

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hurtc0pain · 2 years

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Here’s a photo of my dad and I in the 90s. He is the reason I love and care for animals. He turned our living room into a living zoo! We owned plenty of family dogs, wall to wall fish tanks filled with exotic fish. We owned a pirhana, a snake, 10 iguanas, hamsters, bunnies, snapping turtle, parrots, Parakeets, cockatiels, baby chick, and a TALKING African grey parrot; and along with many other animals. He would bring over stray dogs to groom and feed them and send them off to a new home. He’s even sheltered and cared for an injured crow. I can remember mom freaking out when he surprised us all with an ostrich lol! Don’t worry he couldn’t live with us haha. Dad educated me on how to care for these animals. We would gaze into the beautiful displayed fish tanks and he would point out to me what each fish was called and went into detail about their behavior with each other. He made learning fun and would remove his catfish out of the water for a few seconds and would bring it close to my ear and mumble a few words under his breath and had me convinced that the fish could talk to me ☺️ my sisters and I helped dad maintain a clean environment for us and for the animals. Our home was always so clean which seems unbelievable with owning so many pets at once haha. I witnessed fish dropping their eggs on rocks and watching them hatch, and watching a birds nest fail. It made me cry when I learned the eggs would not hatch and the babies would not make it. He taught me about life and death through these experiences. My dad was always funny, loving, affectionate and adventurous. My dad always took my sisters and I to Coney Island. Coney was our second home. I can still remember getting off the subway train to the ringing sounds of games being played and screams coming from the wooden roller coaster. Coney was and still is the best place on earth for me. It was the place and time I had my family together and no one was missing. Dad was a great provider and always made sure my sisters and I had a new wardrobe every year for school. I love you dad, thanks for all of the funny and adventurous memories. Thank you for always finding a way of bringing us all together again. You are the glue to this family and always hold onto us strong. Happy Father’s Day 💝

#happyfathersday

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the-freshwater-experience · 7 years

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Kribensis

Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher)

Max Size: 5 inches (males), 3 inches (females)

Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallon (for a breeding pair), 15 gallon for a single female.

Optimum pH: 7

Optimum Temperature: 23-27C

Hardiness: Very forgiving as a first cichlid. Can adapt to a range in pH and temperature, and can withstand poor water quality for some time. I know this because my filter broke once for 2 weeks without me knowing and killed almost everything else but these guys. However, my female did get pop-eye from it, which eventually killed her. I once had to do a quarantine in an unheated tank at 20C, they took it fine. Don’t subject them to bad water quality intentionally though, that goes without saying.

Aggression: This species is rather peaceful as far as cichlids go, but have their aggressive perks. First off, never introduce conspecifics (others of the same species), or other small cichlids to a breeding pair. They get extremely aggressive when breeding, and I would not recommend it even in a densely planted 30 gallon tank with many caves, hiding spots, and natural boundaries. Small and fast swimmers such as tetras, danios, minnows, etc are fine, as are armoured catfish such as corydoras and plecostomus (although plecos will eat any eggs laid). If you must house more than two (1 male, 1 female), make sure to introduce the smallest males first, and make sure to keep at least 5 or 6 to spread out aggression.

Feeding: Will eat pretty much anything you offer. Flakes, pellets, algae wafers, live, freeze dried, or frozen foods. They are normally bottom feeders though, and must be acclimated into eating floating foods. To do this, keep the water level at around 12 inches high, so they can actually see the food. This can take some time for them to learn. 2 days for my female, almost a week for my male. Once they start coming up to you at feeding time, you can start increasing the water level up to whatever you desire.

Sexing: Sexing in this species is so easy its not funny. Don’t do a google image search for it, you’ll get conflicting results.

-Males are noticeably larger even at a young age. They have a pointed dorsal fin. They usually show less colour. The pink colouration is usually much less vibrant. The black line is less solid, and top and rest of the body is more of a greyish pale colour.

-Females are much smaller. They have a rounded dorsal fin, with a clear tip. Base colour of the body is yellow, the black line is solid. The pink is solid as well, concentrated on the stomach only, and turns purple when breeding. The stomach is slightly bulging.

Breeding: -These are cave spawners. You can easily make a cave by turning over a clay flowerpot. Once the female has laid its eggs in it, it will disappear into the “cave” for a number of days until the fry hatch and begin free-swimming. For the first day or two outside the cave, the fry will mostly stay on the substrate. They can swim just fine at this point, but don’t expect them to move much.

-To trigger spawning more easily, do some 50% or larger water changes. Make sure the fresh water is slightly cooler than the tank’s. This replicates the rainy season in African rivers.

-The general consensus is that high protein foods (bloodworms, blackworms, brine shrimp, mosquitoe larvae, frozen, freeze dried, or live) are good for triggering breeding. This is only true to a degree. It is not the food itself, but rather the change in food that triggers it. For an example, I fed my pair a diet of 90% freeze dried bloodworms and 10% algae since they were juveniles. The result was my male growing beyond the 4 inch“max size” within a year and a half. Not once did they spawn. After running out and substituting freeze-dried tubifex (a lower protein diet), I had a spawn almost instantly. Therefore, I don’t think that the high energy diet is just for giving them energy for breeding, but also to replicate seasonal diet changes in the wild.

-You have control in the sex of the fry. A neutral pH (7) results in a 1:1 male-female ratio. A higher pH that is more alkaline would result in more males, and a lower pH that is more acidic results in more females. You can change it using buffers (neutral), alder leaves or driftwood for tannins (acidic), or calcium carbonate (alkaline).

-Unusually, its the female that initiates courtship, and the male that is choosy about his mate.

-You get more stable breeding pairs if you let the fish choose their own mates, instead of forcing a 2 fish together. Buy a group, and when a pair develops, re-home the rest. Now rehoming is not always possible, so sometimes forcing a pair is necessary, which is what I did.

-According to some sources, they are occasional harem breeders in the wild, with one male to several females. Don’t try this at home, you don’t have enough space. I tried it and caused a massacre.

(Male front-bottom, female back-top)

Other Notes: -There is a large amount of genetic variation within the species. Some males have red colouration running from the tip of the lower jaw to the anal fin, others only have a salmon coloured spot on the belly and a bright yellow jaw. Some will show blue or greenish iridescence on the dorsal fin and gill plate, others won’t. Some will have up to 6 eyespots on the tail, others have none. Some males will be a dull grey colour with no markings on the body until they are breeding, others will stay in full colouration at all times. -Females will grow much faster and larger if you keep them away from males apparently. My female in my breeding pair was barely larger than when I first got her two years before. Meanwhile, some who keep females alone have grown them to almost the size of males. They can lay more eggs if they pair off at this point.

Other species in the hobby: -Pelvicachromis taeniatus

#kribensis #fish #freshwater #aquarium #cichlids

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dragonrajafanfiction · 3 years

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Lost Lineage

Even now, the ship was loud with constant machine gun fire and thunderous booms from cannons.

Foli should have known that the sons of that Dark King Betrayer could not be trusted. All four of the quadruplets went to the same school and heard the same stories.

Yet, knowing all this, that silly Foli still put his head into the palm of these elites of Cassell College. These sons of the Betrayer King!

He had to protect his brother.

His brother originally had this suspicion of her, but he’d discarded it after a little sweet talk from that Betrayer son. But Dofi was not so easily fooled.

With such a precise attack, there was no need for a strong Soul Skill or Physical Strength.

The Genetic test results were completed.

She was not a descendent of Mawu-Lisa. She was not a descendant of Legba.

Leaning against the table, Dofi’s vision swam. He picked up the phone and put his brother on the speed dial. Despite the desperation of the situation, his brother picked up immediately.

“Dofi! What is it? Where are you?”

“Foli… my dearest brother. I have completed the investigation of the girl.”

“What? Dofi, I told you to stop. Where are you now? What are you doing?”

“The girl is of a Lost Lineage. She is not of Legba… or Mawu-Lisa.” He coughed and felt like he was drooling uncontrollably. But when he looked down, his shirt was stained red.

“Lost lineage…?” His brother’s voice was still in his head. “Where is the girl? Where are you?”

But Dofi couldn’t speak any more.

#Dragon Raja #Fanfiction #Class of 2032

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a-dinosaur-a-day · 5 years

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Cyanochen cyanoptera

By Brent Moore, CC BY 2.0

Etymology: Dark Blue Goose

First Described By: Bonaparte, 1856

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Galloanserae, Anseriformes, Anseres, Anatoidea, Anatidae

Status: Extant, Vulnerable

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary

The Blue-Winged Goose is only known from the Horn of Africa

Physical Description: Blue-Winged Geese look very similar to other geese in terms of proportions - with round bodies, short tails, and long necks. Their heads are small, as in other geese, with small triangular bills. They also look like most non-canadian geese by being softer and rounder in general angles and shape. They differ from other geese primarily in color - they have grey heads and brown bodies, but the undersides of their wings are distinctively powder-blue in color, with black and green contrasting feathers around the blue. The males have brighter colors than the females, and are in general heavier - though they range between 60 and 75 centimeters in length in both sexes. The tails of these birds are usually black. The juveniles differ from adults in being duller in color still.

By Dick Daniels, CC BY-SA 3.0

Diet: Blue-Winged Geese feed mainly on grasses, sedges, water-edge plants, and sometimes invertebrates.

Behavior: Despite being geese - and even feeding on aquatic food from time to time - Blue-Winged Geese seldom swim! Instead, they will graze along the river bank, searching for food while keeping their feet firmly planted on dry land. They also mostly do this during the night, spending their days asleep! Even though it is reluctant to both swim and fly, it is good at both, but will rarely run away from humans approaching it. They are social birds, forming flocks year-round, which are filled with high-pitched whistles and penk-penk-penk calls. They do move flocks occasionally during different seasons - and go to higher altitudes during the dry winter to breed.

By Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

They begin breeding during the dry season, usually forming single pairs to build nests on the ground hidden by the vegetation. The female does most of the incubation alone, laying four to seven eggs and incubating them for about a month. The chicks hatch very fluffy and brown-black, taking around three months to fledge. They then join the flock, and become sexually mature at around two years of age. These flocks can include hundreds of geese, and are a noticeable feature in the Ethiopian landscape.

Ecosystem: Blue-Winged Geese primarily live in grassy meadows and pastures at mid to high levels of elevation, usually near rivers and lakes and pools. It will avoid entering deep water, though it will venture into waterlogged soils with dense vegetation.

By Dick Daniels, CC BY-SA 3.0

Other: Blue-Winged Geese might be common, but they have a very unfortunately restricted range - which means there are probably less than 10,000 sexually mature individuals alive today, which are specially affected by drainage and habitat conversion by local populations. Luckily, local religious beliefs prevent it being hunted, however immigrants into Ethiopia are starting to hunt the Blue-Winged Geese which is causing increased pressure on this bird. Clearly, protection is needed and increased monitoring of its population. This is especially important as Blue-Winged Geese is actually a very unique bird - it’s not a goose at all, but a duck! It is closely related to Hartlaub’s Duck, another unique African species of waterfowl, indicating an isolated clade of African waterbirds evolved similarly to waterbirds around the world. More research is needed to better understand these birds - but they must be protected so we can do so.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut

Carboneras, C. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Blue-winged Goose (Cyanochen cyanoptera). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.

Johnson, Kevin P.; Sorenson, Michael D. (1999). "Phylogeny and biogeography of dabbling ducks (genus Anas): a comparison of molecular and morphological evidence" (PDF). Auk. 116 (3): 792–805.

Kingdon, J. (1989). Island Africa: The Evolution of Africa's Rare Plants and Animals. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Madge, Steve; Burn, Hilary (1987). Wildfowl: an Identification Guide to the Ducks, Geese and Swans of the World. London: Christopher Helm.

Stidham, T. A., X. Wang, Q. Li and X. Ni. 2010. A shelduck coracoid (Aves: Anseriformes: Tadorna) from the arid early Pleistocene of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Palaeontologia Electronica 18(2.24A):1-10.

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terka-jezkova · 6 years

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Not trying to be inflammatory, but what in the world do you mean "overrun with chickens" like you can't just pull the eggs from mothers before the embryos can develop? People keeping mate-bonded parrots aren't suddenly overrun with them. Also, are you aware of the cranial deformities Polish chickens have?

Overrun with chickens as in if I want a certain number of show quality birds, I need to hatch a lot more chicks, precisely because not everyone is of a show quality. Like duck-footed ones, for instance. And as always, I need more pullets than roosters, so even a pretty rooster might become redundant. I try to sell those if I can, but not always it is possible. And, I am neither vegan nor a hypocrite, so the fate of such animals is the same as the fate of millions of chickens every year, the difference is that their life is longer, cleaner and free range.And yes, sure. The skull of polish has a vault, that is what supports the crest, after all. Hovewer, I have absolutely no issue with that and the chickens themselves do not complain. They have exactly zero problems with that. I strongly prefer birds that can see without any sort of clipping of the crest, and the cranial vault itself does not cause them any problems.Parrots are pretty bad example. People keeping one parrot, sure, they do not breed so they have exactly the number they bought. Until they kill them with obesity - do you know that the average lifespan of pet african grey is like five or seven years, a fraction of some 40yrs possible? And people breeding parrots are selling them all the time to pet shops... without caring much about their fate.

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tagamark · 6 years

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The Rains Bringing New Life

New Post has been published on https://tagasafarisafrica.com/the-rains-bringing-new-life/

The Rains Bringing New Life

With droughts in recent years all over South Africa, and a long dry winter in the Timbavati Nature Reserve, we have been blessed in late 2018 and early 2019 with a few wonderful downpours.

String of stars (Heliotropium steudneri)

The Sharalumi river in front of Kings Camp, usually a dry riverbed, started flowing, and the bush has burst into life with hundreds of different creatures and flora, some that have not been seen for many months.

Yellow justica (Justicia flava)

It is incredible that creatures such as frogs and terrapins can survive for months buried in mud, only to appear and spring to life when the ground softens with rain.

Prickly malvastrum (Malvastrum coromandelianum)

From early morning until dusk one hears the glorious trill of the woodland kingfisher – the arrival of this intra-African migrant a sign to us that summer has arrived. Further into the bush one can often hear the deep booming chorus of Southern ground hornbills as they start their day.

The Sharalumi river

Summer, and especially the rains, brings the bush to life, and a game drive or a walk through the bush delivers sightings of not only the favoured big five and other large mammals who at this time of year are all joined by new calves, pups and cubs. Reptiles, amphibians, insects and birds abound after the first rains.

Weaver bird nests hanging over the river

For the avid bird watchers, our resident feathered friends are joined by migratory birds of all shapes, colours and sounds, which can even convert a guest who has never been interested in birds to be checking off lists and appreciating the wonders of the bird world through binoculars and camera lenses.

The nest of a foam- nest frog (Chiromantis xerampelina) attached to a leadwood (Combretum imberbe)

On a regular game drive at this time of year one can see birds such as brown-hooded, woodland and pied kingfishers, pearl-spotted owlets, giant eagle owl, European, little, and southern carmine bee-eaters, kori bustard, red-crested korhaan, Diederik, Klaas’s, Jacobin, red-chested and great spotted cuckoos, Bateleur eagle, Wahlberg’s eagle, African fish eagle, tawny eagle, red- footed falcon, brown-headed parrot, African green pigeon, European and lilac-breasted rollers, and numerous storks and vultures. Just to name a few.

One of my favourite bird sightings at the moment is the very well camouflaged and normally quite boring red-crested korhaan. In summer however, the male has to bring attention to himself to find a mate. The bush rings with the male’s breeding call – a series of clicks followed by “kyip-kyip-kyip” notes. And then in spectacular display flight, the male launches 10-30m up into the air, throws itself backwards, tucks in its wings and feet and falls to the ground, spreading wings at the last moment.

A bee nest within a fallen tree

While the birds are all in full display at the moment to find breeding partners, the mammals have already had their young in time for the lush greenery – the dual purpose of providing hiding places and food.

A glimpse of a woodland kingfisher (Halcyon senegalensis)

Summer is sometimes a time when it is more difficult to find the big five for guests, with the thick vegetation and long grass hiding innumerous creatures, the rains washing away tracks and puddles in the bush allowing many animals to not have to walk far for water. However, at Kings Camp we are so lucky to have the most incredible sightings every single day!

Elephant herds are plentiful at the moment, complete with tiny calves with huge personalities. Several times a day the herds visit the many waterholes and mud wallows, and give us a spectacular display of drinking, spraying, bathing, wallowing and playing with so much character that it is difficult not to compare them to humans.

Marsh terrapin (Pelomedusa subrufa)

One young elephant that I have seen around recently appears to be leucistic – he still has patches of colour, but is pink behind the ears and on some parts of his legs, has light eyes, and blonde eyelashes, tail tuft and toenails.

Terrapin tracks in the riverbed

A walk along a riverbed reveals tracks of hundreds of creatures big and small, from elephants, hippos and leopards, to the parallel tram-line tracks of terrapins and tiny bounding tracks of frogs. The chorus of the many different species of frogs at night is something to be heard. The delightful popping sound of the bubbling kassina is joined by the croak of the southern foam nest frog and many others.

Banded groundling dragonfly (Brachythemis leucosticta)

The strange looking white balls hanging from trees and on rocks above water are the nests of the grey tree frog, or southern foam-nest frog. The females secrete a fluid, which they whip up into foam with their back legs and lay their eggs inside the ball. Several males will join in and add their sperm to the nest to fertilize the eggs. The foam hardens on the outside, therefore protecting the eggs from desiccation and predation. Once hatched, the tadpoles drop straight into the water.

Tree squirrel tracks in the muddy riverbed

Wild flowers are also plentiful in the summer, and can only be truly appreciated viewed up close on a bush walk, as many of them are very small but exquisite.

The Sharalumi river at sunset

More storms and rainfall are forecast soon, and even though we have already had some good rains, we need so much more, to sustain the bush and its inhabitants for the next year. And we will continue to appreciate its bounty.

A male nyala (Tragelaphus angasii) in front of the lodge

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theparrotfarm124-blog · 6 years

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The Parrot Farm | Parrots for sale, Birds For sale, Parrot Eggs for sale

You've been thinking about getting a new family pet and finally decided on an exotic bird. You've done some online searches and looked through different books on different parrots and think that your family is ready for the responsibility. Your family decided on what type of bird to purchase and bought some of the necessities for it. You bought the cage, toys and other needed supplies for him. You forgot to research one extremely important thing to before you bring your new bird home. What do parrots eat?

At the pet store you come to realize that there is a reason why there is one entire aisle dedicated to bird food and supplies. The amount of different food available is staggering. There is everything from bags of seeds,colored pellet food and bags of food that looks like pasta. Your head starts to spin at the many different possibilities. Should you buy a bag of seeds because they are cheaper than the pellet food? Why is the pellet food more expensive than the seeds? Which brand do you buy? There are brand names like ZuPreem, Roudybush, Harrison's, Pretty Bird and Lafebers to name a few. Buy Finches Parrot And Eggs Online

A parrot needs more than just a seed diet if you expect him to live a long and healthy life. Since parrots can live from 25 years for the Conures, Senegals and other small parrots to upwards of 50-80 years for some of the larger parrots like African Greys, Amazons and Macaws, you must provide him with proper nutrition to keep him healthy. You should plan on providing roughly 10%-30% of your birds diet as fresh fruits and vegetables. The other 70%-90% should be a mixture of nourishing seeds and a nutritionally balanced pellet diet.

Understanding the different species of parrot means that you also understand that some birds require different levels of fat and protein based on their activity level, age, size and if they are egg laying or caring for young. There are also questions about whether or not your new companion bird is allowed to eat human foods. The rule that I go by is tiny portions of what you are having for dinner in most cases is OK for your bird too share with you. Parrots enjoy eating small amounts of cooked pasta. Make sure that it is plain pasta without sauce or seasonings. A few things that you must under no circumstance allow your bird to consume are caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, avocado and mushrooms. These items are toxic to birds. If you follow these simple guidelines, do your homework on what do parrots eat before purchasing him, you will have a happy, healthy and long lived member of the family. Buy Falcons Parrot And Eggs Online

If you are new to the quail hatching eggs process then there are several new things that you will learn. One of the first things that you need to consider is the incubator that is used to hatch the eggs. Avoid using one that needs a fan or any external form of ventilation. Instead you must use an incubator that has natural ventilating holes in order to circulate the air within the incubator. In the absence of the mother this area acts as a haven for the eggs to rest and hatch. It should be safe to allow the babies to hatch.

When you get involved in the quail egg hatching process there are several ways you will learn to understand the fertility of the egg. An egg should ideally hatch within 3 days however if this is not the case then you will need to check the egg for fertility. You can place a candle in front of the egg to check its fertility. Another way to check the fertility is by checking the thickness of the shell. Fertile eggs will have extremely thick and strong shells. Buy Canaries Parrots And Eggs Online

When you place the eggs in the incubator make sure that the smaller sides of the eggs are placed downwards. You can turn the eggs 2 to 3 times a day in order for them to get equal incubation on all sides. They generate their own energy and the amount of energy that they generate increases during the hatching process. Ensure that the incubation unit is turned up to 99degrees Fahrenheit and there should be 65% humidity.

From the time the eggs are laid they could take 22 to 25 days to hatch. The Bobwhite Quail eggs hatch in 23 days.

When the eggs hatch the baby quails must be cleaned and dried off before they are sent back into the incubation area. As the babies grow older they must be kept in an area where the heat can be controlled with a thermostat. You can use a simple bulb to control the temperature in the area that the quails are kept in.

You can buy baby quails from online websites that advertise for quail hatching eggs. However before you set out to buy from any of these sites you need to research the different species of quail. This will help you to choose the right species for you. There are 10 species of quails and they all originate from Australia. Buy Electus Parrot And Eggs Online

Your great aunt died and somehow decided to leave her farm to you. Maybe she felt a bond because your mother was the closest thing she had to a daughter. But even after sixty years, the house is still in good condition and not too out-of-date. You decide to live there and try to fulfill your dream of becoming a novelist. But you'll want an excuse to move away from the computer every so often. And last night, your father suggested you put some of the money your great aunt left you to start some kind of side business. The house has this huge screened in porch, and you think raising parrots would be the perfect answer. But, what are you going to need for in parrot cages?

You will want to buy metal parrot cages. Metal cages are the easiest to clean and the most economical. You should look for cages that are in good shape, and don't have wires poking out or other things that could hurt your parrots. You will also want to make sure that your bird cages don't contain lead or other harmful materials. You will want the biggest cages you can afford. Parrots were made to fly around. You will need to make sure that the parrots can't get their heads through the wires. Parrots also like to curl up in a corner to sleep, so they really prefer square cages over round. Be sure to place several perches around the cages, so that your parrots will want to move around. One perch needs to be by the food and water. Other perches should be at varying heights. Buy Cockatiels Parrot And Eggs Online

You have heard people being called "bird brains" as an insult. However, birds are actually very intelligent beings that need almost constant stimulation. If you don't provide bird toys for your parrots, they are likely to pick up bad habits such as biting and nipping. So you will want to get some bird toys and routinely rotate them between the birds you have. All toys need to be safe for the bird to chew, meaning no dangerous dyes, and nothing the birds might choke on. Some birds love mirrors. Other birds enjoy puzzles, especially puzzles that allow them to find food. You can even use household goods as bird toys. Try frayed milk jugs, cardboard rolls, or bells you may have around the house.

You will want to get out and play with your parrots a couple of times a day. Let them enjoy flying around your house, without the confines of bird cages. Play with your birds and get to know them. Your prospective buyers will want to know something about the birds, and it will help you sell them better. So go to your pet store, or order online, and start setting up your bird business today. I'm sure you will find yourself enjoying it, and you may even keep a parrot for yourself. Buy Ostrich Parrot And Eggs Online

Macaws. Beautiful, majestic, magnificent, colorful, playful, active and loaded with personality plus. The different varieties of macaw all share those attributes and if you're considering buying one as an animal companion, you have chosen well. The first thing for us to consider however is appropriate accommodation for him and fortunately, there's a wide choice of macaw cages online for you to research. But let's see what we need to look at first.

Size. Your macaw is a big bird and, depending on the variety, can reach forty inches tall, including his tail. Hyacinth macaws are the largest with Blue and Golds a close second therefore your choice of macaw cages is critical; he needs a lot of space. And once you've brought him home, he's going to be with you for a long time as he can live fifty years or more. So your commitment is for life - his life. He's exuberant, high-spirited and noisy. Macaws vocalize most of the time and he has a screech which can curl your ears. He's a member of the parrot family and can mimic speech although perhaps not as well as the Amazons and African Greys can. Where Can I Buy Parrot Online

Macaw cages come in several sizes but buy the biggest you can get - it should not be less than 36" by 48" by 60" and should be on casters for easy movement. It should also have a pull-out tray at the bottom for easy cleaning. Make sure that it's made of stainless steel - galvanized macaw cages are toxic to these birds because of the zinc content. Make sure too, that any hinges and closures are steel. Check for welds - macaw cages should be double-welded as his beak is capable of 1500 - 2000 psi and he can dismember a cage very quickly. He can easily break a broomstick and cracking a walnut is child's play for him. The bar-spacing on your macaw cage should be one to one and a half inches, otherwise he may injure himself. Be prepared to pay up to $2000 for one of the best quality macaw cages and it will serve both you and your macaw very well for many years - the investment is definitely worth it.

He's going to need furniture. Macaw cages come fully furnished of course, but your bird is big. Check that the perches are thick enough for his big feet - if they're too thin, he can hurt himself. Food dishes - these need to be heavy; one each for water, seed and soft food and should be easy to remove for cleaning. And he'll need a variety of wooden toys - or even chunks of plain wood for chewing. Consider toys which he can take apart to find the treat inside - place hanging toys too and toys which he can swing on. How To Buy Parrot Eggs Online

Surprisingly these days, more and more people are looking for birds for sale. For many it is a difficult task due to the fact that there aren't a ton of local pet shops these days, and even fewer ones that actually carry birds. Because of this, more and more folks are turning to the internet to find birds for sale.

Whether you are looking for a macaw, Blue headed pionous parrot, Nanday conure, or a umbrella or moluccan baby, there are some things you should most definitely keep in mind when searching for a reputable birds for sale dealer.

One of the most important things to remember, when looking for birds for sale is that all pet sellers are not created equal. Some of them are strictly in it for the profit, and because of this, they often sell subpar birds, that might not be in the best condition. Many people have found this out not only the hard way, but hundreds of dollars to late. In many cases, you will actually be buying your bird from another state, and having it shipped to you after all of the details have been worked out. Because of this, if there is something wrong with the bird you bought, the seller might not be as willing to work with you to rectify any problems, because you are so far away.

So, how can you protect yourself from unscrupulous bird dealers?

The first thing that I would suggest is to simply Google the term "birds for sale" and to check out some of the listings on the first page, or better yet, the ads on the right hand side of the page, in many cases, these are paid advertisers, and tend to be a bit more professional than Sally the bird breeder who has a thousand birds flying around her house trying to sell them on a site such as craigslist. How To Buy Macaw Birds Online

After you have identified a potential birds for sale dealer, start looking for reviews. You can easily do this by again going to Google, and typing in a phrase such as this "Bird seller + Reviews". In many cases, this will bring up several pages where you can more than likely get some feedback from other people who have done business with the dealer in question. The best thing about these kinds of reviews is that they are for the most part anonymous, so you can bank on the fact that they are more than likely telling the truth.

#Buy Electus Parrot And Eggs Online #Buy Senegal Parrot And Eggs Online

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exoticsandbirds-blog · 6 years

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Breeding the African Grey Parrots

African Gray parrots are greatly well known flying creatures and these flying creatures are broadly kept as pets. Reproducing African dim parrots is a procedure that causes the winged animal attendants to expand their pet feathered creature family without purchasing these valuable flying creatures from market. Individuals need to realize that how they could breed African dim parrots? Effectively rearing African dim parrots needs care at such a large number of levels and a watchful flying creature guardian is fit for giving the solace and condition required.

Cautious Selection of Pair

The imperative thing about rearing of African dark parrots incorporates the choice of a solid couple for reproducing reason. In some cases the winged creatures kept together since their initial days make an extremely solid bond and rearing these fowls is simple. Those individuals who purchase a couple of feathered creatures from the market should make certain about the sex of the two winged creatures. Now and then a wrong matching prompts disarrays and later on, it is uncovered that the chose feathered creatures are either both male or female.

Confining of Birds

The winged creatures are far more joyful in the wild when they are fit for flying free. In the pen, the winged animals frequently don't live with that appeal or energy. It is obligation of the feathered creature attendants to give an extremely appropriate pen to winged animals. The pen ought not be very limited that does not permit the wings fluttering and minor flying. It is essential right of the African dim feathered creatures to have the capacity to remain in a confine which gives every one of the necessities.

The position of enclosure is likewise essential. A glad fowl would more inclined to sing, cooperate and breed. The pen ought to be set at a place which gives a view, daylight and natural air. The furthest points of atmospheres ought to be kept away from by keeping the dark parrots warm or chilly appropriately.

A Healthy Diet

The cheerful and sound fowls would breed quicker. Eating regimen assumes an imperative job here. Along these lines, the African grays ought to be furnished with an appropriate sustenance to make them physically fit for duplicating in the most ideal way imaginable. Blended natural products, seeds and parrot palette sustenance accessible industrially, are best for these feathered creatures.

Eggs and Hatching

The female fledgling once lays eggs, sits on them for a time of three weeks around. This period is imperative in light of the fact that the eggs ought not be moved or contacted by any other person. Besides, the fowl ought to be furnished with additional solace and nourishment to help her physical wellbeing.

The eggs bring forth following six to seven weeks and amid this time, the consideration is required to keep the confine's temperature adjusted. The infant chicks couldn't bear the low temperatures. It regards give them warmth.

Purrsngrrs needs to assist its perusers with knowing more about the essential pet keeping ideas. Rearing the pet winged animals require a considerable measure of consideration and consideration because of touchy nature of the fowls. Its great to know however much as could be expected before keeping the feathered creatures. It spares a considerable measure of time and furthermore lessens any additional expenses related with flying creature keeping.

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