The Tasmanian Nativehen

 I am particularly fond of obscure birds. As such, today you will be introduced to the Tasmanian Nativehen.

This is the Tasmanian Nativehen

                                       
The Tasmanian Nativehen is flightless. So, when it looks up into the sky and sees its' bird brethren soaring in the clouds, it cannot help but feel a bit envious.  It is one of twelve species of birds unique to the Australian island of Tasmania. Although many flightless birds have a history of extinction at the hands of man, the Tasmanian Nativehen has actually benefited from the introduction of European style agricultural practices in Tasmania.

Other common names include Narkie, Native-hen, Waterhen and my personal favorite, the Turbo chook.

Funny Cartoon Animal- In Real Life!- Snoopy

Snoopy is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet dog. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly conventional dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character—and among the most recognizable comic characters in the world. The original drawings of Snoopy were "greatly patterned" after Spike, one of Schulz's childhood dogs.


This dog is one colorful character. Well, not in the literal sense as his coat consists of only two colors (black and white). Snoopy loves root beer and pizza, hates coconut candy, gets claustrophobia in tall weeds, and is deathly afraid of icicles dangling over his doghouse. One of his hobbies is reading Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace at the rate of "a word a day". Snoopy also has the uncanny ability to play fetch with soap bubbles, and can hear someone eating marshmallows or cookies at a distance, or even peeling a banana. He claims to hear chocolate chip cookies calling him. Snoopy is also capable of disappearing, like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, as shown in an extended strip, whenever Charlie Brown reads the book to him.




Snoopy, IN REAL LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Catfish

Catfish. A very misleading name. One might imagine a cute, cuddly kitty. Or a furry fish. Something nice. Maybe something like this.



But in reality, catfish are ugly monsterous things.



But apparently, people like to hug them as though they were really cats. Next time. Info on the deceiving catfish.

White-bellied Green Pigeon

When most people think of pigeons, they think of flying rats. Dirty nasty creatures. However, pigeons are very majestic creatures. Case in point, the White-bellied Green Pigeon.

See, not all pigeons are dirty, nasty, yucky vermin with wings.

But, some are :p

Baby Platypus!

Who doesn't love cute little babies! I love babies, as long as they are properly seasoned...

And let the comments resembling "aww, how cute, where can I buy some" Commence!!

I also have a frighting baby platypus image, if anyone cares to see it let me know!

One of a Kind, Lonesome George.

The world has just recently lost a very special someone. Lonesome George. 

(He was kind of cute. In a weird turtuly way)

Lonesome George has died, leaving the world one species poorer.

The only remaining Pinta Island tortoise and celebrated conservation icon passed away Sunday, June 24th 2012.  

Estimated to be more than 100 years old, the creature's cause of death remains unclear and a necropsy is planned. ( I think he was assassinated by another turtle, jealous of Georges popularity) 

Lonesome George's longtime caretaker, Fausto Llerena, found the tortoise's remains stretched out in the "direction of his watering hole" on Santa Cruz Island, the statement said.

Lonesome George was discovered on Pinta Island in 1972 at a time when tortoises of his type were already believed to be extinct. Since then, the animal had been part of the park service's tortoise program.

Repeated efforts to breed Lonesome George failed. 

"Later two females from the Espanola tortoise population (the species most closely related to Pinta tortoises genetically) were with George until the end," the park service said.

(He was a player that just couldn't find the right gal)e was a player, that just couldn't find the right gal. Maybe he was gay... not that there's anything wrong with that)

In honor of Lonesome George, the park service said it was convening an international workshop in July on management strategies for restoring tortoise populations over the next decade.

The Galapagos Islands, situated about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off Ecuador's coast, is considered a haven for tortoises. (Well, it wasn't good enough for George. Hopefully, he will fair better in turtle Heaven than he did in the turtle haven)

Goodbye George. We will miss you. Next time, I will try to not post about a dead animal. It's getting a little depressing here.

People and Their Pets

People. They can do some pretty amazing things. We have put a man on the moon. We have transplanted hearts. We have figured out a way to put cheese inside the crust of pizza. Despite all our glories, some of us are nuts. Like the lady below.

Capybara

*Note* Sorry for not posting as frequently as I should. I just had my wisdom teeth removed and my laptop died.

I will be taking a quick detour from my series 'Funny Cartoon Animals In Real Life'. I am doing this inorder to give some information on one of the coolest animals around, the capybara.

The capybara is the largest living rodent in the world. Close relatives include chinchillas and guinea pigs.

                                                    MY Capybara Rant.

   If you happen to find one of these in your house, you must really have a pig sty. Seriously, this isn't a tiny  mouse. It is the largest rodent in the world. Please do yourself and your neighbors a favor, clean your house.   
             Here is my personal anecdote. My father once told me a story about a run in with a capybara. A friend of a friend brought home a pet dog for his child. The child was so happy, he slept with the dog. After a few nights, the childs parents were awoken to the childs screams.The pet dog bit of the childs toe! It turns out the dog was not a dog, it was a rodent that looked like a dog!! I can not confirm that this rodent/dog was a capybara, but I always assumed it was. I think a capybara could pass for an ugly dog.

   
                                                             
                                   Capybara INFO

    Capybaras are coprophagous, meaning they eat their own feces as a source of bacterial gut flora and to help digest the cellulose in the grass that forms their normal diet and extract the maximum protein from their food.

     Like its cousin the guinea pig, the capybara does not have the capacity to synthesize vitamin C, and capybaras unsupplemented with vitamin C in captivity have been reported to develop gum disease as a sign of scurvy.


       Capybaras have heavy, barrel-shaped bodies and short heads with reddish-brown fur on the upper part of their body that turns yellowish-brown underneath. Adult capybaras may grow to 130 centimetres (4.3 ft) in length, and weigh up to 65 kg (140 lb). The top recorded weight is 105.4 kg (232 lbs). Capybaras have slightly webbed feet, no tail and 20 teeth. Females are slightly heavier than males. Females average 36 to 66 kg (80 to 145 pounds), while males typically weigh about 34 to 61 kilograms (75 to 135 pounds).

                     Capybara are semi-aquatic mammals found wild in much of South America  in densely forested areas near bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds and marshes, as well as flooded savannah and along rivers in tropical forest.

                Capybaras are herbivores, grazing mainly on grasses and aquatic plants, as well as fruit and tree bark. An adult capybara will eat 6 to 8 pounds (2.7 to 3.6 kg) of grasses per day.