A Heated Discussion With an Ibex

This is the full video of a man having a conversation with an ibex (genus Capra), a species of long-horned wild goats.  This video was featured on the Comedy Central show, Tosh.0.

Enraged Elephant Discovered to Be a Man-Eater

Local Authorities Opening Up the Man-Eating Elephant

An aggressive and enraged elephant that killed 17 people in India was found to have ingested human remains.  According to zoologist Dave Salmoni, the large mammal went on the rampage after her calf was killed.  When the animal was finally shot by a professional hunter, scientists discovered through DNA samples that the elephant consumed human flesh.

Elephants are strict herbivores and this shocking behavior is thought to be done out of revenge by a crazed mother.  A television special called "World's Deadliest Towns: Killer Elephants" will feature this story and will air February 21st on Animal Planet.

Read the Huffington Post's article here.

Lake Monster Photographed?

A supposed unknown lake monster was photographed earlier this week in Lake Windermere, England.  The "creature" was photographed by Tom Pickles, who was kayaking on Lake Windermere as part of a team building exercise with his company. He said he saw the animal swim past him and watched the creature for about 20 seconds.

"It was petrifying and we paddled back to the shore straight away. At first I thought it was a dog and then saw it was much bigger and moving really quickly at about 10mph," the Telegraph quoted him as saying. Each hump was moving in a rippling motion and it was swimming fast. Its skin was like a seal's but its shape was completely abnormal - it's not like any animal I've ever seen before," he stated.

Although scientists are skeptical, this is reported to be the eighth sighting of a large creature at the lake in the last five years.  The creature has been dubbed "bownessie" by locals and the media.  Read a comprehensive summary here.

Here is the picture:

"Bownessie" - Photograph by Tom Pickles

South American Creature Found In Texas

From a local NBC Affiliate (WCSH6):

JOHNSON COUNTY, Tex. (NBC) -- Officials are trying to figure out how an exotic animal from the rain forests of South America ended up in a North Texas neighborhood.

The kinkajou, a tree dwelling, fruit eating animal native to the jungles of Central and South America, was captured as he tried to get into a home in Johnson County.

The animal is in now in the custody of the Humane Society of North Texas and is being treated by an exotic animal specialist while they try to track down its owner.

Here's another picture of a kinkajou (looking more vicious than they actually are):

Attribution: Robrrb at en.wikipedia

 

Classic Video: Golden Eagle Drags Goat Off Cliff

There's also a longer 7 minute video with the Golden Eagle dragging several goats off of the cliff.  Watch it here.  Incredible!

Man Hunted by Tiger, Lives to Tell Story

An Orang Asli man was attacked and nearly killed by a tiger in the Belum-Temengor forest in Malaysia.  The man, 60, was hunting squirrels when he spotted a 80 to 90 kg (176-198 lbs) tiger that appeared to be following him.  The man attempted to jump up into a tree but the large cat caught him and dragged him down.  At that point, he had no other option but to fight it off:

"I was terrified and I used all my strength to punch the animal in the face, but it would not budge.  I had to wrestle with it to keep its jaws away from me, and it would have clawed me to death if my wife had not arrived."

 Hearing the tiger, the man's wife, 55, ran to his aid and drove the tiger off after beating it repeatedly in the head with a large wooden ladle.  The man had severe lacerations on his head, face, neck and both knees but should survive.  Read the rest of the story here.

Tiger attacks are somewhat unusual but not unheard-of.  When tiger populations were high, attacks were very common.  According to wikipedia, between 1800 and 1900, it is estimated that tigers had killed over 10,000 people in India alone.

Man Killed By Rooster

A unrelated cockfight in India (Photo by Thessaly La Force)

In California, a man was killed after being stabbed in the leg by a rooster chicken.  The rooster was competing in an illegal cockfight near Bakersfield, California when the incident occurred.  The man, Jose Luis Ochoa, was cut open by a blade attached to the rooster's leg after the crowd was scrambling when police arrived at the event.  Cockfighting, similar to dog fighting, is illegal in in all 50 US states as well as many other countries.  Razor blade, knives and other weapons are often attached to the birds so the birds fight to the death.  In this case, Jose was the loser. Read the Time.com article here.

Gator vs Python (Real Life, Not a Cheesy Movie)

© Mike Barron

Forget those campy monster movies on the Syfy Channel, the real thing is much more amazing and brutal.  Nat Geo Wild just recently aired a special called Python vs. Gator in which a 13 ft long Burmese python engaged a 6 foot American alligator and the result does not appear good for either creature.  Check your local listings for a replay of the episode on the channel or click here.

What is a Groundhog?

April King, aka Marumari

A groundhog is a fairly large rodent in the family Sciuridae with other marmots.  Also known as a woodchuck or land beaver, the woodchuck is found throughout most of the northern half of North America and are most common in the midwest and eastern part of the United States.  Most grow to about 18 to 25 in long and weigh about 5 to 10 lb.  However, there are reports of groundhog's growing to be over 30lbs!  Groundhogs can live around 5 years but in the right situation like Wiarton Willie, an albino groundhog and mascot of the town of Wiarton, Ontario, they can live over 20 years. Read more about Wiarton Willie here. 



www.netglimse.com

 Groundhogs are also mostly herbivores but will eat insects and grubs. They eat heavily in the fall as they are true hibernators. They build winter burrows and typically stay in complete hibernation from as long as October to April.  Like most hibernating animals, they use fat reserve to survive the long winter.

They typically live in open land areas or near the edge of forests.  Although they are hunted by humans, their population in most areas is stable if not flourishing.  This is attributed to their quick ability to reproduce and have large litter sizes.

The History of Groundhog Day

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

February 2 is known throughout the United States and even the world as "Groundhog Day." The tradition calls for a groundhog (a fairly large and furry rodent that's also known as a woodchuck) to emerge from his burrow. If the groundhog sees its shadow, it scurries back into his burrow, signifying that we have 6 more weeks of winter.  If he does not see his shadow, all can rejoice as winter is coming to an end.  But where does this tradition come from?

According to wikipedia:

The holiday, which began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, has its origins in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog. The holiday also bears some similarities to the medieval Catholic holiday of Candlemas. It also bears similarities to the Pagan festival of Imbolc, the seasonal turning point of the Celtic calendar, which is celebrated on February 1 and also involves weather prognostication and to St. Swithun's Day in July.

An early American reference to Groundhog Day can be found in a diary entry, dated February 5, 1841, of Berks County, Pennsylvania storekeeper James Morris:

Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.

In Scotland the tradition may also derive from an English poem:

As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and rain
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop

This tradition also stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and Groundhog Day. Candlemas, also known as the Purification of the Virgin or the Presentation, coincides with the pagan observance Imbolc.

Coconut Crab (Unbelievable Pictures) - Animal of the Week



From www.cryptomundo.com

 This amazingly large alien-like creature is this week's Animal of the Week.  According to wikipedia:

The coconut crab, Birgus latro, is the largest land-living arthropod in the world, and is probably at the upper size limit of terrestrial animals with exoskeletons in today's atmosphere. The species inhabits the coastal forest regions of many Indo-Pacific islands, although localized extinction has occurred where the species lives in proximity to humans. Generally nocturnal, they remain hidden during the day and emerge only on some nights to forage. Their body is divided into four regions; the cephalic lobe, forepart, trunk, and opisthosoma. It is a highly apomorphic hermit crab and is known for its ability to crack coconuts with its strong pincers to eat the contents. It is the only species of the genus Birgus.

Here's some more information from wikipedia about the crab's size:

Reports about the size of Birgus latro vary, but most references give a body length of up to 40 cm (16 in), a weight of up to 4.1 kg (9.0 lb), and a leg span of more than 0.91 m (3.0 ft), with males generally being larger than females. There have been reports in the literature of specimens measuring 6 feet (1.8 m) across the thorax and weighing 30 pounds (14 kg). They can live more than 30 years. 

Here are some other pictures from around the web:



From www.cryptomundo.com



 

http://www.cuteandweird.com



Bluefin Tuna Sold for nearly $400,000 (32.49m yen) at Tokyo Auction

(AP)

A record 32.49m yen (near $400,000) was paid by two restaurant owners in a Tokyo Auction for 754 lb Bluefin Tuna.  The owners, Ricky Cheng and Yosuke Imada, will split up the meat and use it for sushi in their restaurants. The astounding sales price equals out to around $530 per pound.  The record sale also raises concerns for the fish species. Some experts believe the population of the valuable fish has declined by nearly 90% since the 1970s due to overfishing and pollution. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas voted  in November to cut the Bluefin Tuna fishing quota in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean from 13,500 to 12,900 tons annually, but conservationists wanted an even larger cutback.

Dog Gets Head Stuck In Wall (Picture)

(AP Photo, Riverside County Animal Services)

An 8-month-old German Shepherd named Rebel got his head stuck in an 18-inch hole in a concrete block wall on December 27, 2010. Officers freed the pup about an hour later.

Hawk Finds Home in Library of Congress, Eludes Capture

(Abby Brack / Library of Congress)

In Washington DC, a hawk flew into the historic Library of Congress and has eluded several attempts to be captured.  The bird, thought to be a Cooper's hawk, has been flying around the Main Reading Room and sits perched on top of moldings and ledges. A rescue team has made several attempts at capturing the predatory animal to no avail.  Frozen quail meat, nets and even bird calls have not worked in the attempt to relocate the hawk. Read the story and see more pictures here.

Fugitve Monkey Terrorist Escapes, Then Captured

Kyodo News  /  AP

Lucky, a dangerous Macaque (monkey), was recaptured Monday after escaping from a government-run nature park in Tokyo.  The bandit, who slipped out of her cage while a keeper was cleaning, was first captured in October after terrorizing the city, biting and scratching around 120 people.  After she escaped, authorities urged residents to keep their homes locked and to be cautious. However, the monkey's fugitive status lasted less than a day. "Her capture was easy. We called her name repeatedly, and she came to us," city official Hidetsugu Uchida said. "She has been used to being called by her name." Read the story here. Read about Macaques here.

Orange Alligator Found In Florida?

Photo by Sylvia Mythen.

Sylvia Mythen, a 74-year-old Florida woman, took this picture of a strange looking orange alligator in Venice, Florida earlier this month. Authorities believe that the color is not natural and is likely paint or another substance. Read the articles here, here and here.

Dog Gives Birth To 17 Very Cute Puppies

9 of the pups (Associated Press)

A Rhodesian Ridgeback mother gave birth to 17 puppies in germany in December. Usual litter sizes are around 10. All 17 have survived. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a breed originally designed for lion hunting in South Africa. Adults weigh about 85 lbs - that would be a lot of dog food! Read the full story here.

Ducklings vs Wind, Wind Wins (Video)

Crocodile Eats Cell Phone, Phone Keeps Ringing

Crocodile (Not Gena)

At an Ukrainian Aquarium, Rimma Golovko attempted to get a close-up picture of a crocodile with its mouth open by extending her arm out over the protective railing.  While trying this, the phone she was using slipped out of her hand and into the water where the croc, a 14-year-old named Gena, resides.  The woman complained to workers that she dropped her phone into the enclosure and soon the zoo keepers could hear her phone ringing...from inside the stomach of Gena.  Crocodiles are tough creatures and are able to swallow prey whole (including bones, feathers, etc) so they decided to just let nature take its course.  The problem now is that Gena has not eaten or had a bowel movement since the incident. Oleksandr Shushlenko, a chief veterinarian, said the crocodile will be taken for an X-ray soon if his condition does not improve.  The woman who dropped the phone has other concerns - she would like her SIM card back from her phone, which contains her contacts and pictures. Read some other recaps here and here.

New Species of Giant Crayfish Found in Tennessee

Reuters

Biologists Chris Taylor from the University of Illinois and Guenter Schuster of Eastern Kentucky have recently discovered a new species of crayfish (commonly called crawdads or crawfish) in Tennessee.  The uniqueness of the species comes from the size of the creatures - about twice as big as other crayfish in the area. According to the Reuters article,

"This isn't a crayfish that someone would have picked up and just said, 'Oh, it's another crayfish,' and put it back," said University of Illinois aquatic biologist Chris Taylor, one of the researchers.

"You would have recognized it as something really, really different and you would have saved it," Taylor added in a statement.

The new species, Barbicambarus simmonsi, is about 12 cm (5 inches) long and most specimens are recovered under large rocks in deep areas on creeks. Read more here.

Animal of the Week: Indian Giant Squirrel



(Image credit: Wikimedia user Bishancm)

Keeping with National Squirrel Appreciation Day, this week's featured animal is the Indian Giant Squirrel, the largest of the squirrel family. Found primarily in India, the Indian Giant Squirrel's body is typically 14-16 inches long and it's tail is another 20 inches. According to its wikipedia page:

The Indian giant squirrel is an upper-canopy dwelling species, which rarely leaves the trees, and requires "tall profusely branched trees for the construction of nests." It travels from tree to tree with jumps of up to 6 m (19.69 ft). When in danger, the Ratufa indica often freezes or flattens itself against the tree trunk, instead of fleeing. Its main predators are the birds of prey and the leopard. The Giant Squirrel is mostly active in the early hours of the morning and in the evening, resting in the midday. It is a shy, wary animal and not easy to discover.



Some more pics:



Courtesey of Challiyan



Picture By Sinu S Kumar

Taken by Rakesh Kumar Dogra



Squirrel Appreciation Day

Today, January 21, is national Squirrel Appreciation Day. These small, furry creatures are found throughout the world and in many sizes, shapes and colors.  Although sometimes a pest, few can say that these cousins of rats aren't at least a little cute. Squirrel Appreciation Day was created by Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitator from Asheville, North Carolina. Started in 2001, Christy says the, "celebration of the event itself is up to the individual or group." Read the original store here.

Some squirrel facts from nwf.org:

• There are more than 300 species of squirrel.
• Different types of squirrels range in size from five inches (the African pygmy squirrel) to three feet (Indian giant squirrel).
• The word "squirrel" comes from the Greek word skiouros, which means shadow-tailed.
• Squirrels have brought down the NASDAQ stock market twice, once in 1987 and once in 1994.

Amazing Pictures of New Species of Deep Sea Fish (treehugger.com)

 Check out these awesome pictures from "Edith Widder on Mimicking the Glow of Deep Sea Fish to Discover New Species" on treehugger.com:

A deep-sea fish with a built-in headlight used to seek out prey and attract mates. This fish, sometimes referred to as the rat-trap fish, has a remarkable jaw that can unhinge allowing the fish to swallow prey bigger than itself.

This shrimp spews bioluminescence out of its mouth like a fire breathing dragon in order to temporarily blind a predator allowing the shrimp time to escape into the darkness. The predator, in this case, is a viperfish that has bioluminescent light organs all along its belly that it uses to camouflage itself against downwelling sunlight. This trick, called counterillumination, is used by many fish, shrimp and squid to help them hide from predators swimming below them.

 

The electronic jellyfish lure designed to imitate the pinwheel bioluminescent display of the Atolla wyvillei (treehugger.com)

The common deep-sea jellyfish Atolla wyvillei as it appears under white light. Photos courtesy of Edith Widder

A new species of squid attracted by the electronic jellyfish lure.



Deer Crashes Through Window, Chaos Ensues



(Courtesy of John Starkweather) ( Nick Lammers )

 A doe jumped through a window in John and Loretta Starkweather's living room on Monday in Castro Valley, California.  John, after taking a few pictures, tried yelling and throwing pillows at the deer to push the scared deer through the open front door. Instead, the doe, frightened beyond belief, continuously attempted to flee through a sliding glass door (unopened) to no avail. Eventually, John and Loretta got the animal to run out the door to freedom. 

"It was running fine, no legs flapping or anything," he said. "But it must have a sore head, after the way it was hitting that door." Read the rest of the story here.

There are other amazing deer related stories, including "Man battles buck with his bare hands, and wins" and "A deer in Target"

Tasmanian Devils Population Spiraling To Near Extinction

Getty/Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries

According to NY Daily News, Tasmanian Devils, fierce creatures known for their temperamental personality, are being devestated by a leathal disease called devil facial tumor disease (DFTD).  According to Scientific American, approximetly 90% of the population of these small critters have died as a result of the disease. The disease causes tumors to grow on the face, head and jaw of the animals.  Their personality may be helping the disease spread more rapidly, as well. They often fight, scratch and bite each other, particularly in the mouth and face areas.  Read more here.

Color Blind Sharks?

According to an article for National Geographic News, new studies show that some species of sharks appear to lack cone cells, cells in the retina of the eye that help distinguish colors. Using a similar method to a previous study that proved rays and chimaeras had color vision, scientists at University of Western Australia determined that "no cone cells were observed in 10 of the 17 species, while only one type of cone cell appeared to be present in the other 7. This suggests that these sharks cannot tell different colors apart." Read the full article here.

Woman Attacks Two Men With A Fish

In Norton Shores, Michigan, a woman attacked two ice fisherman with a fish. She said she had to urinate and asked the two men to turn away as she did this. They complied, and while they were turned around, she hit both men in the head with a fish. The woman was reportedly upset that the two victims were ice fishing too close to where she was. According to the Muskegon Chronicle, the men will not press charges. Read the AP's summary here.

Frog Rides Snake to Escape From Flood!

Caters News Agency

Australian computer technician Armin Gerlach captured this amazing photo during major flooding near Brisbane, Australia. See the full picture and story here.