Friday, December 18, 2009

Yellowstone Grizzlies Still Threatened

Yellowstone Grizzlies Still Threatened

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

YouTube - A Tour Around DownUnder

YouTube - A Tour Around DownUnder

I have yet to see Perth but I am determined to get there..

This is for all my overseas friends

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Runt of the litter

Why is there a runt of a litter.Generally due to competition from a large litter.
What do we mean by a runt . This term is used to distinguish the smallest animal in the litter. The origin of the word was established in England in 1501.. They are noticeable as they are small and find it hard to compete with other siblings . Very interesting fact is that pig runts can very often get eaten by sibling under times of stress .. A lot of people chose the runt of the litter because they feel sorry for them . But after reading a few blogs it seems there are 3 scenarios . If the runt animal was a runt due to position in the womb and blood supply was ok it should be fine … if the pup was conceived at a different time close to the others it should be fine but if it is a genetic problem well the chances are slim.
Some people suggest alternating the puppies to the mothers nipples so they all get a fair share and a suggestion also was to bottle feed . The runt should be put right on the mom's nipple and sit there and watch the pup nurse. You should not seperate it from the rest of the litter
The question asked also is should we let natural selection take its course as any genetic impurities can be passed onto consecutive generations..

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Animals in history

Animal have been part of folk law for thousands of years .Tales come from Native American Indians and how the Coyote made people and bought fire. Our Australian Aboriginals and the legend of how our kangaroo got it pouch and how our dingo roamed our land. Animals such as the dog have been utilized for over 10,000 years, it has attracted very little folklore until relatively recently. Persia and China, wherre early folklore and dogs were part of superstision ; indeed, they were regularly used to participate in religious rituals. Not without coincidence, these are the regions where some of the earliest and most important dog breeding took place. The dog was called a”fu Dog and is said to bring happiness and good fortune.
The Egyptians believed the gods had responsibility to accompany souls of the deceased to their final resting place One of these gods can very often be depicted with a human body and what some consider to be a dog's head. It is more likely that the head is not that of a dog, but that of the jackal. Although it is written that the Egyptians mourned when dogs or cats died, judging from the large number of mummified cats that have been found they were more the predominant pet. Cleopatra had a much loved relationship with her Cat Tivali .

In Greek legend is said that Alexander the Great founded and named a city, Peritas, in memory of his dog. The dog's role in Greek religion was usually sacrificial. Kennels of dogs were kept. More frequently, however, dogs were sacrificed because they were plentiful, inexpensive, and easy to control.
Australian dingo is related to wild dogs that live in parts of Asia. Dingos have been in Australia for about 3,500 years. Dingos may have been brought to the country by Australian aborigines who traded with Indian traders. Aborigines kept dingos in their camps and the dogs hunted with the men.
The most amazing thing is that humans have used dogs as herding animals and cats to clear rats and mice for so long it is hard to image life without them .They were a part of life then and now .