WildMaven’s World

The black and white checkered back, the elegant curve of the neck, the white band around its neck, the red eyes…they all come together to make a beautiful bird. Such a breathtaking site! Diving with barely a ripple under the water, calling out with its haunting song…what could ruin the image of this magnificent bird? When it’s out of water, of course! The loon’s legs are positioned on its body so far toward its rear, that when the poor bird is out of water it has to scoot around on its belly! Talk about an image breaker! But wait, there’s more! The loon becomes airborne almost with sheer will, sometimes taking 100 feet to achieve liftoff. And the landings are pretty much landings in name only. They more or less crash where they want to land.

It is in the water that the loon truly is in it’s element. With oxygen stored in the muscles for long dives, and bones that aren’t hollow like most birds, the loon achieves a “specific gravity” similar to water, enabling it to move almost as easily as we do through air.

I have never heard the call of a loon in the wild. Five different calls have been recognized, including the famous “laugh of the loon”. Ever hear the expression “crazy as a loon”? The sound can only be described as a the laugh of the insane.

Mating occurs with the male planting his feet on the female’s shoulders and wrapping his neck around hers. I’m still trying to picture that, and can’t quite figure out the logistics. They live in the Northern United States and Canada, with their migratory routes following both coasts. The Common Loon eats mostly fish and shellfish, hunting in shallow, clear waters, but they have been known to dive over 90 feet. Loss of habitat is the key reason the loon populations continue to decline. Also contributing is pollution of the waters, since it needs to see their prey to catch them. Guess they’ll soon have to settle for one of their less appetizing prey…leeches.

Native Americans have many legends about the loon. Some claim it’s mournful song means death. It may be, if we don’t listen, learn, and protect this amazing bird.

I did a little man-on-the-street poll at work today and realized that 90% of those I asked didn’t realize what is involved in declawing a cat. Most thought just the claws were removed. If it were only that easy.

First, I want you to do something for me. While barefoot, stand up and take a few steps forward, but keep your toes up off the floor. Notice the unusual pressure points put on your other foot parts. If you continued to walk this way, you’d experience back and joint pains. Now hold up your hand and look at the part of your fingers where the nails grow. Bend your fingers, noticing the joints. Sit for a few minutes until you get an itch. Try to scratch it with your knuckle. Tomorrow, when you wake up and go into the bathroom to get ready, don’t use that comb or brush. Confused? You should be. You’ve just been declawed.

Now, the info:
Declawing is such a misinforming term. True, the claws are removed, but also part of the toe is actually AMPUTATED: “Contrary to most people’s understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person’s finger at the last joint of each finger.” Source

You know how humans get phantom pains after an amputation? How even a simple injury or surgery can turn into arthritis later in life? No one knows if a cat experiences these things. They can’t tell us. But why should they even have to?

Ever wonder why a lion has a mane? So do researchers. Currently they have no real conclusion, but the theory is that it is used to attract a female, much the same way peacocks flaunt their tail feathers. The darker the mane, the more studly he appears to the female! The original theory, that the mane protects them from attacks, has all but been found to be false. The average male lion weighs over 400 pounds, while the female is usually 100 pounds lighter. The cubs are born spotted, which helps camouflage them from predators.

Including grunts, roars, and groans, the lion has nine distinct sounds, plus it can purr. The females do most of the hunting, but the males occasionally participate in group hunts. Only a quarter of the attacks are successful. The African Lion prefers medium sized prey, but have been known to steal food from other predators, including carrion. They have specially adapted tongues, which are covered with horny projections which allow them to hold onto their food easily. Males will usually eat an average of about 15 pounds of meat and sleep for 20 hours a day.

They live in groups called “prides” which consist of 5-7 females and 2 males. When young males reach the age of 3, they are driven out of the pride, which is probably natures way of preventing too much inbreeding. If an entire litter of cubs dies, the female will soon mate again. The young males may one day return to the pride to challenge the leader in what is usually a bloody battle. If he wins, he drives off or kills the young of the previous leader, then starts his own family with the females. The African Lion is not listed as endangered, though it’s Asian counterpart is in serious trouble (only 500 are thought to be left in the wild).

The lion is found throughout our mythology and folklore. The mouse that pulls the thorn from the lion’s paw, and thus becomes his friend is a great story. The lion that is found in one of Hercules’ labors was one of his greatest challenges. The chimaera, a monster in Greek mythology, with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a snake is truly frightening. There is even a Native American tale that explains the bald eagle’s baldness as a result of an encounter with a lion (though this may have originally been a mountain lion, the legend has grown to depict the African lion instead). We even have a lion over our heads in the form of the constellation Leo.

With conservation and education, perhaps our children will know the lion, not just its stories.

I once purchased a telescope for the sole purpose of astrophotography (taking pictures of deep space objects). I purchased an adapter to attach the telescope to my camera, only to find out that the telescope I had purchased, according to the company (after a long phone debate) “didn’t have enough inward travel to take photos.” Why, then, did they even sell me the adapter when I purchased the telescope? Why did they show a photo of the moon on their website, with a caption below it, stating it was taken with that very telescope? The answer: there is no regulation on what they can and can’t say when advertising telescopes. Many astronomy clubs are fighting to establish rules, but it is a losing battle. Money talks, and small clubs just don’t have the funding to fight the large companies.

Before you buy:

Are you familiar with the night sky? If not, you may want to spend a small amount of money first on a nice pair of binoculars and spend some time learning your way around up there. This is especially important because, with a telescope, you are only seeing a small portion of the sky, and it can get a bit confusing if you aren’t familiar with the area.

What scope to buy:

Once you are ready to buy a telescope, a good idea is to go to a star party. Many cities have star parties, which are gatherings of astronomy fans, sometimes as often as once a month. Many bring their telescopes and, if you ask politely, will let you look through them. This is a good way to see the different models and styles that are available, and to ask questions. You might also consider joining a local club.

So, how do you go about buying a telescope that suits your needs? First, decide what its use will be. Will it be a beginner scope, just a step above binoculars, to get you started learning the universe? Do you want to take photos with the telescope? Do you live in a light polluted city and need to carry it with you to a darker location? All these come into play when purchasing your scope. With telescopes, “you get what you pay for” is certainly true. The small Christmas scopes you see popping up in department stores around the holidays will be good for seeing the craters on the moon and star clusters. You will be able to see the wonderful blues and reds of some stars. When I first started out, I could spend hours just gazing at the moon. If that’s all you want, then a small, inexpensive scope will suit you just fine. For anything else, you are going to need to spend some money.

There are three basic types of telescopes:

Reflectors

These scopes will get you more aperature for you money, but they can be large and bulky. Reflectors have the eyepiece at the side of the scope. They use mirrors instead of lenses, so they are cheaper to make.

1. Newtonians - these reflectors have two mirrors, allowing for large aperatures. However, the sharpness of the image is degraded slightly, especially with “fast Newtonians” (focal lengths of f/4 or f/5). They also require occasional recollimation, which isn’t too hard, but is just another chore you will have to do. These scopes are open on the end and dust can get in. They are fantastic for observing deep space objects.

2. Cassegrain - these scopes have tried to solve some of the Newtonian problems. A convex mirror is used, instead of a flat one, changing the focal length and allowing the Cassegrains to be built more compact.

Refractors

These are usually the kinds of scopes most people think of when they think of telescopes, with a lens at one end and the eyepiece at the other. A refractor will turn images upside down, something you will eventually get used to, but you can buy lenses that correct this. However, the more lenses you use, the more loss of light, so it’s probably best to just adjust to it yourself. Advantages of the refractor is that they require little maintenence, dust won’t gather in an open tube like it can with the reflector, and they aren’t disturbed as much by outside temperatures. They produce very sharp images, but are more expensive than the reflectors. The image quality makes them very good for photography.

Catadioptric Telescopes

These use a combination of mirrors and lenses.

1. Schmidt-Cassegrain - the use of a huge “corrector plate” in front of the opening eliminates dust and air turbulence. Very compact, they are becoming the most popular, especially for people who have to travel to get to dark skies.

2. Maksutov-Cassegrain - another “corrector plate” scope, but heavier. These are favored by photographers.

3. Klevsov-Cassegrain - uses a secondary mirror with a lens and concave mirror which has been coated on the back. I have never seen one, nor know of anyone who owns one, since they are quite rare. They are also open in the front, allowing dust and air turbulance to cause problems.

4. Catadioptric Newtonian - these “short tube Newtonians” are becoming very popular due to their lower prices. They are just priced over a regular Netwonian. The front is open, again allowing dust to enter.

Once you have purchased your telescope:

1. Remember, a child’s attention can be short, especially standing outside when it’s really cold while staring at a little blur. Mix fun activities, like trying to find the crater the astronauts landed in, with more intellectual pursuits such as finding a double star.

2. Keep the scope in a safe place, maybe even purchase a case for it. Sometimes even the smallest bump can send it out of alignment.

3. If it came with a lens cover, use it!

4. Don’t use the tripod to tie up the dog. The dog WILL pull over the scope, making it nothing more than a very heavy paperweight.

5. Cool temperatures are prime viewing times, but remember to dress for the weather.

6. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: DO NOT ****EVER**** LOOK INTO THE SUN WITH YOUR TELESCOPE. Blindness and scope damage will occur. If you do use a solar filter, make sure it is on SECURELY. Many accidents have happened when the filter fell off, exposing the viewer’s tender eyes to the sun.

Many animals were sacrificed to assure space flight was safe for humans. The larger creatures were given names, but the countless mice, frogs, tortoises, rats, insects, eggs, fish, and newts will forever remain nameless, heroes nonetheless. Here are some of their stories:DOGS (all Russian):
Laika, a stray mutt, was the first dog in space. The U.S.S.R. placed the three-year-old female Siberian mix into a capsule and sent it into orbit. Some claim she lived for days during the flight, but others say that she was dead within hours from the stress and overheating. Laika meant “barker” in Russian. She also went by Kudryavka (Little Curly). The Americans nicknamed her Muttnik. The capsule was never meant to be safely recovered, and it burned up on re-entry into our atmosphere. A statue of Laika can be found in Star City. Her statue was placed peeking out behind statues of other fallen Cosmonauts.

Other dogs followed:
Bars (Panther) and Lisichka (Little Fox)- died when the capsule exploded during launch.

Belka (Squirrel) and Strelka (Little Arrow) - survived one day in orbit and were safely returned to Earth. Strelka went on to have puppies, one of which was presented to Caroline Kennedy. Both dogs, when they died, were placed in the Memorial Museum of Astronautics in Moscow.

Pchelka (Little Bee) and Mushka (Little Fly) - died when the capsule re-entered the atmosphere at too steep of an angle.

Damka (Little Lady) and Krasavka (Beauty) - the upper rocket stage failed but the dogs returned safely.

Chernushka (Blackie) - Blackie travelled with mice and a guinea pig. All returned safely after one orbit.

Zvezdochka (Little Star) - another successful mission of one orbit. Also onboard: a wooden mannequin.

Verterok or Veterok (Little Wind) and Ugolyok or Ugolek (Little Piece of Coal) - the winners of the longest space flight taken by a dog! They spent 22 days in orbit.

MONKEYS:
Albert I, II, III, and IV: (U.S. 1949) Parachutes kept failing and the V-2 rockets kept crashing. All perished.

Yorick: (U.S. 1951) Survived a test in an Aerobee rocket, shooting him 45 miles up (technically not into space).

Patricia and Mike: (U.S. 1952) The two Phillipine monkeys flew to 36 miles and were subjected to the 2,000-mile-per-hour acceleration of the Aerobee rocket. They both survived and spent the rest of their lives at a zoo in Washington, D.C.

Gordo: (U.S. 1958) The squirrel monkey died when the Jupiter AM-13’s flotation device failed.

Able (female rhesus monkey) and Baker (male squirrel monkey): (U.S. 1959) As was the routine at the time, sensors were surgically implanted in the monkeys to monitor their vital signs. The monkeys survived their 300 mile height and 10,000 mile per hour trip, becoming weightless for 9 minutes. However, Able died from complications when the sensors were removed.

Sam and Miss Sam: (U.S. 1959 and 1960) Both rhesus monkeys survived their Mercury capsule trips. When Sam came back down to Earth in 1959, it is reported that he gave Miss Sam a big hug.

Ham (chimpanzee): (U.S. 1961) Ham had been trained to perform tasks and was sent up in a Mercury capsule to test the theory that monkeys could function in space. Problems arose, and Ham was subjected to a longer weightless period than planned. The capsule also flew severely off course. Ham, however, did as he was told perfectly. Because of the capsule was so off course, it didn’t land anywhere near the rescue ships. The capsule capsized and water poured in. Just before it totally submerged, Navy helicopter pilots lifted the craft out of the water. Ham survived the ordeal and was retired in 1963 to the zoo.

Enos (chimpanzee): (U.S. 1961) Enos’ successful Mercury capsule flight paved the way for John Glenn’s launch in 1962.

Bonnie (male pig-tailed monkey): (U.S. 1969) Bonnie was supposed to remain in Biosatellite 3 (a satellite designed to test biologic organisms reactions to space) for a month, but he quickly lost body fluids after only 8 days and was brought back down. He died soon after.

Spiders:
Arabella (orb weaving garden spider): (U.S. 1973) Arabella was sent into space for 59 days as part of a student’s science experiment. The student wanted to see if the spider would be able to weave a web in space. Arabella performed well, and wove a traditional orb web after some practice.

CATS:
Felix: (France 1963) Felix was recovered safely after a 120 mile altitude ride.

Today, animals are seldom taken into space, since computer models can do the same job without the risk of injury or death. However, some conditions warrant animal research, and the safety of the animal is top priority (claims NASA).

I continued my search, widening it to include hog farmers and such, but nothing shed much light on this mystery. So, I decided to go straight to the source and e-mailed Applebee’s. I asked them to please be specific in their answer, as we are anatomists and very curious.

Applebee’s replied in less than a week:

“Dear Valued Guest,
Thank you for your email. We’re glad you enjoy the riblets. The riblets are
feather bones located beneath the tenderloin between the 14th rib and the chine
bone. Please let us know if we can help you with anything else.”

Okay……so, let’s decipher that. From another internet search, I learned that “feather bones are cut from the spine of the hog. Sometimes they are referred to as riblets. The meat is fairly lean and is of the same texture as the back ribs, but there is higher bone to meat ratio on these cuts when compared to a true rib.” The chine bone is the backbone (thoracic spine). The 14th rib is the bottom rib of the pig’s ribcage.

The name “squirrel” comes from the Greek “skiouros” which means “he who sits in the shadow of his tail.” (Don’t you just LOVE things like that??) Fossil records have traced the squirrel back over 50 million years ago. With over 300 species of squirrels or squirrel-like animals throughout the world, it is a wonder that mankind hasn’t gone entirely bonkers fending them off. The typical squirrel has the brain the size of a walnut, which seems small until you consider the size of their heads (big brains for figuring out how to get to that feeder!).

The anatomy of a squirrel is amazing. A tree squirrel actually has sweat glands on the bottoms of its feet and when it is excited, it can leave sweaty palm prints behind. The sweat contains a scent that a squirrel uses to mark its territory or to help it find its secret stash of nuts in the winter. Before burying a nut, the squirrel will crack it with its teeth and then clean it off with its hands or rub it on their face to mark the nut with its own “perfume of squirrel.” It uses its tails for communication, balance, warmth, shade, and to keep the rain off of its head. Squirrels run fast for their size. A state trouper once clocked a gray squirrel at 20mph (hey, I don’t make these things up!).

Did you know that squirrels can swim? They know how to dogpaddle, and they use their tails as a rudder.The mating ritual of the squirrel is a noisy, high paced affair. A female will mate only once with an individual male, thereby eliminating inbreeding. Once the act is over, the male takes off, leaving the female to do all the work. She will build a nest of sticks and leaves, lined with fur or some other soft material, high up in a tree. The nest is called a “drey”. If the drey gets infested with ticks or fleas, the squirrel will build a new nest. When the infants are born, they are hairless and defenseless. In about 2 weeks, the infants are ready to venture out on their own. An urban squirrel has an unfortunate lifespan of less than a year due to automobiles, but in the woods, far away from cars, they can live up to 20 years.

You’d think that the largest population of squirrels would be in some national forest, but it is, in fact, Washington D.C.’s Lafayette Park across from the White House that has that claim to fame.

Some think that a squirrel might make a good pet, but this is a mistake. For one thing, it is illegal in most states. With their need to chew, run and jump, they can do extensive damage to a house, not to mention the painful bites they can give a human.

If you want to feed the squirrels, reconsider raw peanuts. There is evidence that raw peanuts are harmful to squirrels. Did you know that the peanut isn’t really a nut at all? It’s a bean. Why would you want to feed your squirrels beans, anyway? Filberts are a much better option. Peanuts contain a trypsin inhibitor (a substance that inhibits or prevents the pancreas from producing trypsin, an enzyme essential for the absorption of protein by the intestine). Controversy over this issue is still raging. The agreement, so far, is that it is okay to feed them peanuts ocassionally, but not as a steady diet.

3 species of squirrels are currently endangered. They are: The Delmarva Fox Squirrel, the Mount Graham Red Squirrel, and the Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel.

California scientists recently used infrared cameras to observe squirrels interacting with snakes. When a squirrel was presented with a venomous snake, their tails heated up by at least 2 degrees Celsius. Snakes have built-in infrared sensors of their own (in pits below their eyes) and it is theorized that the hot tail is a warning system that tells the snake to back off, though others believe it is a distraction so that the snake bites the tail, rather than the squirrel’s body. When presented with a non-venomous snake, the squirrel’s tail temperature only rose 0.2 degrees Celsius, indicating that the squirrel can make a distiction between different species of snakes.

To make this story even more fun, the scientist (Aaron Rundus) is working on building a robotic squirrel. Aaron intends to test snake reactions to different temperatures of squirrel tails. Science can be so much fun!

So, the next time you see a squirrel, don’t think about it as a bird feeder raiding machine. Instead, marvel at its heated tail, sweaty feet, big brain, and swimming talent. Perhaps it might inspire you to throw a little bird seed, or a filbert, in its direction.

Dan Quayle is the perfect example of someone who needs to learn a bit more about wetlands. With only six percent of the Earth’s surface covered in wetlands, the loss of even a small wetland area can be an ecologic disaster. For years, due to the human need to expand our territories, wetlands were filled in, making way for shopping malls, roads, and homes. Many animals depend on wetlands for their very survival and if something isn’t done soon, we may see more extinctions.

Animals that depend on wetlands include dragonflies, many other types of flies (mayfly, stonefly), water bugs (water scorpion, water strider), diving beetles, crayfish, snails, leeches, fish, snakes, turtles, and frogs. Some may look at that list and say “eh…what do we need those for.” The animals listed are all part of a delicate balance. Some of them eat decaying matter, keeping the water clean. Others are prey for larger animals, such as birds. Wetlands also provide nesting sites and safe retreats for local and migratory animals.

If loss of animal life is not enough of an incentive to save the wetlands, consider these other benefits:

1. Flood control. Areas where wetlands have been filled in are frequently flooded, the water having no place to go or drain.

2. Groundwater replenishment and water purification. Wetlands are natural filters of groundwater, removing impurities. Wetlands store 97 percent of the world’s unfrozen fresh water!!

3. Agricultural value. Wetlands can be used to grow rice (half the world’s population eats rice) and raise fish commercially.

Threats to the wetlands include Timber Harvesting, Peat Mining, and Urban Growth. Pollution from nearby manufacturing plants (caused by runoff and airborne particles) are causing massive problems. Abnormal algae growth, poisons absorbed through a frog’s delicate skin, and mutations are all being seen.

With the threat of West Nile virus, many would say, “what do we need wetlands for, they’re only good for producing mosquitoes.” How innocent a thought… and how dangerous to so many.

“It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.”

– ex-Vice President Dan Quayle

Hopefully, no one listened to him…

For those of you pet owners who live in the U.S. or areas that celebrate:The Fourth of July can be very dangerous to your pets. Loud noises and sights may frighten them into running away, even breaking through barriers that, under normal conditions, would keep them restrained. This is the busiest day for Animal Control.

1. Keep your pets indoors while fireworks are being displayed in your area.

2. Put identification tags on all of your pets, in case they escape

3. If you shoot off fireworks, do not do so around animals. We’ve probably all seen the “America’s Funniest Home Video” with a dog running amok in a yard with a firecracker in its mouth, but that dog could easily have sustained serious burns or blindness. All for a laugh

4. If you have an overly excitable animal, you might want to discuss with your vet giving the animal a light sedative for the evening.

5. Do not ride a horse during this time, unless you are extremely familiar with that individual animal. Horses can shy, jump fences, and bolt

6. If you have a basement, you might want to keep your pet down there, with a radio or TV going to drown out the explosive noises.

7. Even if you are convinced your pet will do fine at a firework display, resist the temptation to take it.

8. Never approach someone else’s pet during a fireworks display. A normally calm animal can snap and bite when scared

9. Exercise your dog well before the display, so that they will sleep well.

10. Before you release your pet back into the yard, do a quick survey to make sure that there is nothing there to harm it, especially objects it might try to eat or swallow. If you think your animal has injested a harmful chemical, call your vet immediately.

Have a fun 4th of July. Plan ahead and stay safe.