It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 52 - Dolphin Stampede

Now this is absolutely fascinating.  I guarantee you will never see anything like this in your lifetime.  What the hell am I talking about, how am I guaranteeing it?  It's a Sunday, forgive me.  I'm sure that most Californians would probably see this if they were out boating or fishing for some reason.

A huge, and I mean huge pod of dolphins were spotted off the coast of California last week and it is truly an amazing sight to see.  While I've seen many dolphins in my lifetime, I've never seen anything like this.

Well here you go, all it takes is a little reading and obviously you can see them in your lifetime.  So I guess I should say "a majority of you" will never see this in your lifetime.  Absolutely fascinating to say the least.

YouTube Description: http://www.danawharf.com A huge common dolphin pod in front of the Dana Pride! We see whales AND dolphin daily! Remember whale and dolphin watching is year round out of Dana Wharf! Dana Wharf is the originator of California whale watching and we guarantee sightings! Visit us online or call us at 949.496.5794!

It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 51 - Bird Lovers Beware

And this is why they make separate cages for Lions and separate cages for birdies.  Geez, this is horrible.  Ryan would say otherwise, because it was a Blue Heron that killed our Koi two years ago.  Actually, the scene around our Koi pond looked more like a slaughterhouse than a murder scene.

A YouTube commenter said it best, "Looks like Simba finally got sick of Zazu's bullshit." LMAO.

What About Jelly Fish?

Hey, those were my thoughts exactly. LOL.

It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 48 - Monkey is Threatened

So this is pretty interesting. A man was warned by a zoo worker at a Memphis Zoo that a monkey will feel his alpha-male status threatened if any tall men were to walk into the area. When he's told to turn his back to the monkey, the monkey takes advantage of his unaware state.  Just watch.

YouTube: This is at the cafe inside the Memphis Zoo. The manager of the cafe told me that the alpha male monkey noticed me the second I walked in the door and started going crazy, because, as the alpha male, he feels threatened by tall males. So she told me to go stand by the window and turn my back on him and that he would "attack" me...

8 Animal Misconceptions Rundown

My favorite information guru is back! And I'm happy to say I was right on some of these myths.  I remember hearing some of these crazy tales when I was a kid in the Boy Scouts, especially the one about the Daddy Long Legs in the showers.  Little did I know they were talking about a different type of Daddy with long legs. LOL.

Last month, CGPGrey gave us a rundown of the10 most common misconceptions we often fall for.  Before that he explained the primary election process, 2012 & The End of The World, Death to Pennies, Daylight Saving Time, and Coffee: The Greatest Addiction Ever. This time around he educates us on the 8 Animal Misconceptions we all heard as kids.  Check it out, it's a definite "Must Watch".

It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 45 - The Ant Hurricane

Not sure if you've seen the viral YouTube video of ants forming some sort of "hurricane-type" circle on land.  They aimlessly go round and round following each other. It's pretty darn weird, but cool nonetheless. It's garnered nearly 2 million views thus far.

Well... you're probably wondering why these little guys are doing that?

The Discovery channel tries to explain it for you after the jump...

The Wall Snake

Rat snake, Rattle snake, Chicken Snake, I don't care what kind of snake it is. Any snake that can climb a wall is absolutely not cool.  Watch as this rat snake climbs up a brick wall, apparently liking the feel of the grout on the way up.  He travels along the mortar lines as you'll see in the video.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm... The Fox

The male fox mates for life. If the female dies, he will remain single for the rest of his life. However, if the male dies, the female will find another mate

Foxes are family-oriented critters, often forming lifetime attachments when it comes time to raise young ones. During the rest of the year, however, the male (dog) fox and the female (vixen) live separately, mostly at the insistence of the highly territorial female. When Autumn rolls around and the vixen starts feeling amorous, she lets the male know by her scent marking, which changes to advertise her feelings on the matter. At this point the male will reappear and court the female, and will hang around through the Winter until the kids (kits) are born and the vixen can hunt for herself again. He will hang around into the early Spring to make sure they are well provided for, then take off for a Summer of fun and frolic. [source]

It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 36 - Petting A Baby Owl

You may remember my post from August, "An Owl As You've Never Seen It Before," if not, i highly recommend it.  It's a pretty darn cool video.  But this video I spotted on the Daily Mail, is simply adorable.  I've had a fascination with owls since I was a child and used to collect owl memorabilia growing up.  This video has surely peaked my interest collecting them once again.

From The Daily Mail:

And- unintentionally tapping into the passion for the curiously cute birds of prey-this incredible footage has clocked up nearly two million You Tube hits in two days.

The expression of bliss on the face of the adorable infant, as it gets a refreshing head rub from its unseen lady owl-keeper is pure magic.

It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 27 - Baby Polar Bear's First Time In The Snow

This video is super cute.  It makes me almost wish I had a pet polar bear, if it wasn't for it's ferocious appetite.  The baby polar bear is cute nonetheless.

Megalopolis of the Ants - It is Truly a Wonder of the World

I found this video very interesting and I think you will too.  It seems to be a documentary from a few years back, but it's only 3 minutes long. 

It's amazing that a tiny creature such as the ant, can create a city under a city in just several months.

Imagine you're a researcher, and one day you come upon a rather large anthill.  Your first thought would probably be, "geez that's a huge ass hill," but not for Professor Louis Fortune.  He and a team of researchers were curious to see how hard these little ants really worked.  Well, lets just say, it took them 3 days and 10 tons of cement before they were able to stop filling these ant hills.

After the cement was left to dry for a month, the excavation process began; What they found was beyond comprehension.  

There they found subterranean highways connected to main chambers, fungus gardens and living quarters.  It was like a huge masterpiece, like an architect had gone in and done all the work.  Not only that, these ants carried 40 tons of soil to the surface in order to make this huge city.  It truly is a fascinating video. You'll enjoy it so much you'll wish there were more.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm... The Naked Mole Rat

I originally started this series on Facebook back in 2010, and it successfully ran for 67 issues.  I enjoyed reading up on these facts, and sharing them with my friends.  I've always felt that it's the small things in life, that impress us the most, hence, I'm re-booting the series on my blog.  I will start out by posting past issues, and slowly transition to some new and interesting facts.

Today's issue begins with a small rodent.  I was reading an article today about the Naked Mole Rat, and had to re-post this issue from my Facebook years.

Naked Mole Rats are immune to cancer. They have an additional gene to prevent cell growth.  In addition, naked mole rats cannot feel pain because they lack a neurotransmitter that other mammals have called Substance P that sends pain signals to the brain. They also are one of the only mammals known to be eusocial; they live underground in colonies with a queen like ants and bees. They mostly eat tubers (like potatoes) and their own feces, and they live very long lives spanning 3 decades!

Dr Joao Pedro Magalhaes explains:

"The naked mole-rat has fascinated scientists for many years, but it wasn't until a few years ago that we discovered that it could live for such a long period of time. It is not much bigger than a mouse, which normally lives up to four years, and yet this particular underground rodent lives for three decades in good health. It is an interesting example of how much we still have to learn about the mechanisms of aging.

"We aim to use the naked mole-rat genome to understand the level of resistance it has to disease, particularly cancer, as this might give us more clues as to why some animals and humans are more prone to disease than others. With this work, we want to establish the naked mole-rat as the first model of resistance to chronic diseases of aging."

The Woes of Being a Bad Parent - Lioness Wants to Eat Human Baby for a Snack

I'm stuck on this one, I'm not sure if this constitutes as bad parenting, but it's something I know I wouldn't be doing; Regardless if there were a thick glass between my child, and a 400 pound lion.  

In my third issue of "The Woes of Being a Bad Parent," a couple takes their baby son to the local zoo, where they seem to be taking joy in the fact their baby is terrified of the creature before him.  The parents continue to place their baby in front of the lioness as the lion "literally" tries to claw her way through the glass, and opens her mouth for the delicious human snack before her.

Some of the comments on the parent's You Tube page are getting rather nasty.

lol whos the dumbass that said its trying to eat the baby

it was just playing with the baby.

they wont kill him or her. they know its an innocent baby

lions are smarter than us hahh
if you look at lion face you can see that its really calm and playful

Do you realize how powerful a Lionesses paws are? It would have broken every bone in the child's body then swallowed it whole.

Not it was trying to eat the baby. Lions and Lionesses always go for small children and young animals, stop trying to make it out to be a pet. It's natural for a Lion/Lioness to behave this way, they are not cuddly or friendly animals, no matter how much you want them to be.

It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 18 - Hornero Bird Building

I have always found the animal kingdom truly fascinating, and the Hornero bird is no different. When I see something like this, it denounces the statements from idiots who say animals have no brains.  If they didn't have a brain, they wouldn't be able to do the un-thinkable.

Known for their mud nests, the Hornero bird comes from the Spanish word horno, meaning "oven".  Click the pic to see the bird complete it's home.

It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 17 - Baby Mudplay

It's Elephant play time again!  Earlier this year, you may remember  it was playtime in the kiddie pool at the Houston Zoo.  This time around a baby elephant is having too much fun playing in the mud.  Too cute!

What a Hot Mess: Feeding A Great White Shark

If you wanted proof that there's stupid people in the world, just look at this stupid bitch.  OMG, I'm sorry, but why won't they learn their lesson.  Seriously, the damn shark could have easily jumped up and munched on this woman whole.  What a HOT MESS!

"This woman" is researcher, Valerie Taylor - here I'll "Wiki" her for you.  Lord have mercy, as if she didn't learn her lesson by watching the documentary, "Grizzly Man."  Which reminds me... I need to buy this DVD for Ryan and myself, just to witness how stupid people kill themselves.  This documentary was released in 2005, the year I met my partner, so I remember it airing on the Discovery Channel.  In either case, Timothy Treadwell was a bear lover, and for 13 years, he and his wife played with the Grizzlies up in Alaska.  They played house and made mudpies together.  Well, one day, Grizzly's mudpie wasn't too appealing, so he munched on Timothy and his wife instead.  Let me just say this... there wasn't much left of them when their remains were found.

Well, back to this crazy woman, Valerie.  Below is a video of her hand-feeding and petting a huge-ass shark.  We'll read about her soon.  Just Watch.

The World's Most Dangerous Animals - The Venomous Snake

Since we were on the subject of snakes yesterday, the next animal on my list of The World's Most Dangerous Animals is the Venomous Snake.  According to Wikipedia there are over "2,900 species of snakes on the planet."  Too bad we're not one of the countries who don't possess any whatsoever, Ireland, Iceland and New Zealand. Furthermore, "Of the 725 species of venomous snakes worldwide, only 250 are able to kill a human with one bite."  If you get bitten by a snake, you should rush to the hospital.  Do Not attempt to suck the venom out, cut the wound, or ice it. Head to the emergency room immediately.  I found the subject on anti-venom particularly interesting, I guess because we live in the United States, where Rattlesnakes, Copperheads, and Cottonmouths reside. 

I learned that in order to produce the anti-venom, scientists take the venom from Rattlesnakes, Copperheads and Cottonmouths and inject it into a horse (poor horsie), "in ever-increasing dosages" until the horse becomes immune to the venom. The mad scientists then draw blood from the horsie, separate the serum, purify, and freeze-dry it. They then return it to it's liquid state by adding sterile water - at this point it becomes anti-venom.  I just hope you don't own a Cobra, Mamba or Taipan, those anti-venoms are species-specific.

Responsible for: An estimated 50-125,000 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Africa, Asia and North America.

Method of dispatch: Snakes are very fast and any part of the human body is a good place for a bite, seeing as the venom can flow into the bloodstream within minutes; although those near major veins and arteries will travel faster. Snakes use their venom to paralyse their prey. A fully grown king cobra can rear up so it looks a man in the eye; others can spit venom into the eye. Nasty.

Useful avoidance techniques: Unsurprisingly, most people come a cropper when they try to harass a snake or draw close to it. Snakes will usually only attack if they’re feeling threatened so the short answer is: stay away! Wear stout boots if hiking and check either side of paths. Don’t mess about looking under rocks or fallen vegetation as you’ll get more than you bargained for. If you come across a snake, back away very slowly, as it can strike to half its length and sudden movements are likely to alarm it.

Snakes On A....

Snakes On A... Garage door????

This is what a co-worker found on her garage door this past weekend? A baby Water Moccasin (cottonmouth) - a very venomous snake!  And another co-worker found a 4 or 5 foot snake on her newly minted deck, she's not sure which species it belonged to, but it terrified her.

Imagine coming home from the grocery store one day, and there's this slimy friend waiting to greet you.  The thought is unimaginable, it would freak the hell out of me beyond belief.  Come to think of it, I'm cleaning my garage out this weekend. Lord knows I'm creating a breeding ground for snakes.

Drought conditions and snakes coming out of hibernation are what's causing all of this.  Not to mention, it's breeding season for these monsters.  The most likely reason people are seeing snakes in their yards, is because they're looking for water and food. To learn more about the most-venomous snakes in Texas, you can visit A&M's Veterinary Medicine website to read this article, Venomous Snakes of Texas, and also, When The Snakes Come Marching In.  These were very informative articles - better to be prepared, than not at all.

The World's Most Dangerous Animals - The Mosquito

If you're thinking it's Panthers, Cheetahs, and Killer Whales, you're wrong.  Sure these beasts will tear human flesh straight off the bone, but an attack by one of these is highly unlikely.  Now, the mosquito on the other hand, is a different story.  Mosquitoes are currently considered the planet's most dangerous creature, because it has the ability to spread diseases like malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever and the West Nile virus.  And we all know how annoying they can be, they develop shortly after a rainstorm, and wherever standing water exists.  Even if it doesn't rain, if you have a bucket of water laying around the backyard, they will appear.  Adults live 4-8 weeks!

Responsible for: An estimated 2-3 million fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Worldwide; harmful in Africa, Asia and North America.

Method of dispatch: Using serrated mouth parts, female mosquitoes pierce the skin and inject saliva containing a thinning agent to liquidise the blood. Most people won’t know that they have been bitten until the immune system reacts, resulting in red, itchy bumps that continue to itch for days after the initial bite.

Useful avoidance techniques: Mosquito nets treated with DDT are the most effective way to keep them at bay, as well as combative sprays and treatments that can be applied directly to the skin. Wear light-coloured, long clothes in the evening. If travelling to malaria zones, ensure that you take your full course of tablets before, during and after your stay.

Read More About It Here

It's Purely Animal - Tigers On The Verge of Extinction

It's really sad, but tigers are not the only animals on the verge of extinction within the next decade.  

Before you know, we humans will have killed off most of the Animal Kingdom before the end of the century due to our selfishness.