Melissa's Idea Garden

Huge blob of Arctic goo floats past Slope communities - It isn't oil. It is biological. It may be some sort of algae bloom, but no one remembers ever seeing anything like it. I am wondering if it is the Blob! After all, they did find the remains of a bird (bones and feathers) in it....

The tiddler who caught a monster: Schoolgirl angler nets record catch that's twice her size and weighs 14stone - This is an amazing story! This young English girl has broken the world's record too!

H1N1 pandemic spreading too fast to count: WHO - This story just scares me! I am not only worried about the overall affect on the world of a pandemic, but I have plans to go to Australia and New Zealand in two months...geez!

Treatment neutralizes muscular dystrophy in mice - This is an awesome story! I once worked with a child with muscular dystrophy. She died when she was 4 years old. She was an amazing little girl. I know Jerry Lewis must be smiling.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You know that I love animals! Well check out this interesting little fellow!

Is that the most interesting thing ever or what? It's body parts remind one of a mole, a pig, a porcupine, and an anteater! And one of his legs resembles a human foot to me! This shy little guy is only found in the rainforests of New Guinea and a few surrounding islands.

One thing that makes him neat is that he is one of three living species of mammals that lays eggs to reproduce (these mammals are called monotremes).

Scientists say they can learn a lot by studying this little guy...when they are able to catch up with him!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I always love to hear good news in the animal kingdom. There are two stories so far this week that I thought I would share.

1. A picture of a Jaguar in the U.S.

2. a picture of a giant stingray

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A recent maritime dive has found some new "Bizarre" animals during their excursion. Since these are several thousand feet down, I doubt we will be seeing them on our trip to Australia, but they are pretty cool looking!

The Sea Squirt is my favorite. It is like a pitcher plant in a way, but it is an animal, not a plant.

Be sure to read more about the Sea Squirt and take a look at the other interesting new animals!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wow, I knew that ticks were bad...but they don't just take it out on us humans...they hurt bats too! This bat orphanage/hospital is in Queensland, Australia. Perhaps it will be a place we will see on our tour next year!

Check out this video at National Geographic

Who knew bats could be so cute?

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As if blood sucking mosquitos and ticks weren't bad enough, now we have to watch out for vampire moths.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Go check out this video for some amazing creatures like the one pictured above (which is a comb jelly).

And here you can see more photos of these interesting new creatures that have been recently found. Beautiful, aren't they?

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The pale, blind ant was found in the Amazon rain forest and is the only known surviving member of a lineage that separated from the main ant family more than a hundred million years ago, biologists reported in September 2008.

His very unusual appearance led scientists to name him Martialis heureka. Martialis means 'of Mars'.

The finding of such an unusual looking creation, has led scientists to believe there are many, many more undiscovered and unusual species living below ground.

For more information, read the rest of this interesting development here

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Katrina has been asking for another hamster for awhile. We have a spare cage, so I told her that if she started cleaning the cage for Hans Solo, that I would let her use her money to purchase another hamster. Well, she is doing a great job with Hamster care, so today we went to get a long-haired hamster.

On the cage, it says they grow to be 6-7 inches as an adult. The ones they had looked to be about that long already. They were so cute and fluffy. When we asked the sales clerk, she said they had been there about 7 or 8 months. Poor little guys. Katrina picked out the caramel colored one, but the white one looked so sad.... so being the soft-hearted wuss that I am, we brought home both hamsters. Well, they have been together all this time, we didn't want to leave the one in there by himself.

So without further ado...meet Fluffy (tan) and Puffy (white).

Ain't they cute....

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am fascinated by unusual animals. The American Bison which was brought back from the brink of extinction.
The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird that flies hundreds of miles across the Gulf each year to its breeding grounds. And my favorite...the Komodo Dragon. I find this magnificent reptile absolutely amazing!

The Okapi is another animal that captured my attention when I was pursuing writing non-fiction books on unusual animals.

Just recently, the first ever photo of a wild Okapi was caught last week by trip cameras in Virunga National Park. This elusive creature which resembles a giraffe and resembles a zebra is on the brink of extinction. We can only hope that its elusiveness serves to protect it.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

National Geographic has the best photos! And they have had them for a long, long time. Here are some that caught my eye this week.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Okay...you may be asking what these two things have in common. Well, today, two articles came to my attention that were very interesting and I thought I would share them with you.

First of all, as I was perusing the Drudge Report and ran across this title: Brrr! Farmers' Almanac says cold winter ahead. Well, for those of you who know me, you are probably aware that I love snow and the winter and cold weather when I can wear sweaters and sweatshirts. Last winter, Bruce, who worked for a local news station at the time, said that the meterologist there was predicting that the winter of 2008-2009 would be a doozy. He said he was basing this on last summer and last winter. I thought that was interesting and filed it away...hoping that he was right. Well, The Farmer's Almanac, which is accurate 80-85% of the time has predictions for cold, wet and snowy for much of the U.S. this year. I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Second, my friend, Jen, sent me an email about the Colossal Squid being a Colossal Wuss . She knows I love animal stories (and she knows this because she is a faithful reader of my blog). So she sent me an article that she thought I would be interested in. And indeed I was. Turns out there are theories that the bigger the Colossal Squid grows, the less agressive it is because it is too big to be fast and aggressive. Thanks, Jen, for thinking of me! I haven't posted any animal news for awhile. I've been too busy with travel posts, but I hope to get back to animal news this fall.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I have long been fascinated with the legend of Bigfoot (I prefer the name Sasquatch). I remember back in the 70s seeing video of Bigfoot. It never seemed a stretch for me to beleive that in the wilder areas, such a creature could exist.

Well, now some Bigfoot hunters from Georgia have killed one and will be releasing more information about it today! This is one for the record books folks and if all pans out, will have scientists scrambling!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last week, I told you all about our Bald Faced Hornets Nest. Well here are the photos. Our Orkin guy is going to help this week. Ain't it amazing!!!???

You can even see the hornets on the outside of the nest.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Watch this lovely video from National Geographic. After being rejected by its mother, this red panda has found a haven and survival with the zookeeper's tabby cat. Unfortunately, its sibling was too weak, and did not survive, but hopefully this little guy, with the help of a feline mommy, will make it.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This morning I woke up to an invitation to include my Malayan Sun Bear photos in an article on the Serious Underestimation of Wildlife Extinction Rates.

A wonderful way to start my day!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

First a couple of moments I forgot to mention yesterday. We ordered Deep Dish Chicago pizza for supper! They sure make it different here...and one piece is a meal! I would never say that back home. A corn meal deep dish crust. Then comes a layer of cheese, then veggies or whatever toppings, then the sauce. It was about an inch thick and it was awesome!!!! Also, as it was our first night here at the Sofitel, we were surprised with trays of milk, cookies, chocolate covered strawberries and bottles of water from Norway. Very neat!

Last night Katrina, Jack and I watched the fireworks from our bedroom windows. It was cool, even though we couldn't see them completely for buildings. Tonight we are walking to Navy Pier to see the big firework show.

Today we got up a bit earlier than planned. I told Jack that we would try and leave by 9. Well, at 7, I was still in bed, thinking about getting up when a knock came at our door. Jack couldn't believe we were still in bed. He thought it was 9! He had just woke up, looked at the clock on his computer (which said 8 a.m. because it is on East Coast time). Instead of subtracting an hour, he added an hour and viola...it was 9!!!! He got up and dressed quickly, let me tell you.

We spent about an hour waking up, then headed to McDonald's for breakfast.

Continue reading "Chicago...Day 2" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Check out this Javan Rhino mom as she decides that the camera taking a picture of her and her baby might not be safe! The Javan Rhino is on the critically endangered species list.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out this artist's rendering of a prehistoric bird that is believed to forage on the ground like many modern day birds. While the bird is thought to have stood 16 feet tall (which is scary enough - I mean I don't want to meet a 16 foot tall carnivorous bird, do you?), the artist may have been a bit overzealous...see the hills behind the birds? Anyway, it's interesting stuff!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cambodia has been a war ravaged country, but now that peace has taken firm hold, the country is reaping benefits other than those of no longer being at war. The wildlife is returning.

Once dubbed the "Serengeti of Asia," almost all of Mondulkiri's wildlife was wiped out by poachers during decades of conflict, which began with the war in neighboring Vietnam.

Now, people who used to be poachers and estimate they killed thousands of animals are protecting them. But the task is not an easy one due to a rise in tourism in Cambodia, a resurgence of poaching activities, and the growing population of people (which need money and food to live).

The Cambodian goverment is working to create an environment that will protect the endangered wildlife and provide much needed income to the country.

Well done!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I watched this video with great interest. I didn't realize people lived on the Galapagos islands. I thought those islands were kept pristine because of their uniqueness.

Hopefully, the people have realized the issue early enough to make a difference and protect the unique wildlife there.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have been following the story of the Tasmanian Devil for awhile. In the last 10 years, the Tasmanian Devil has suffered a tremendous loss of life due to a contagious facial cancer. Losses are estimated to be somewhere around 100,000-130,000 in the last decade. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the cancer and scientist aren't sure what the cause is. They do know that the disease isn't running its course and then disappearing.

The cancer is spread when one Tasmanian Devil bites another. Tumors arise on the face and make it so that the Tasmanian Devil can't eat. It then starveds to death. There is an unaffected population in NW Tasmania and it is hoped that they will be able to protect this group unil the infected die out, then maybe a colongy can grown again.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Check out the video provided at National Geographic that shows a flying fish staying completely airborne for a record 45 seconds. The longest previously recorded flight was for 42 seconds in the 1920s. The reason flying fish take to the air is to escape water bound predators. There must have been something really big and mean after this one!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This very colorful shrimp can see 11 or 12 primary colors compared to the measly three that we can see. Perhaps that explains why the mantis shrimp is so colorful himself. Now a study shows that the mantis shrimp can also see rare forms of polarization (directions in which light vibrates). As Spock would say....Fascinating.

I think one of these would be lovely in an aquarium. I just can't get over how beautiful this shrimp is.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A red-neck phalarope feeds in a lake. New research has found that the birds take advantage of water's surface tension to direct drops loaded with food up their long beaks and into their mouths.

Be sure to read the interesting story about the red-neck phalarope and how it eats. It's fascinating!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am trying to catch up with the National Geographic RSS Feed. Last week, Polar Bears were placed on the Endangered Species list by the U.S. Government. I watched this video with a bit of amazement.

If I am understanding it correctly, polar bears have more than doubled in numbers in the last 30 years. But because of studies that promote global warming, there is concern that in the decades ahead, the polar bear population could be decreased by 2/3...

Now, I am all for looking ahead and trying to fix problems on the front end, instead of waiting for hind sight to kick in. But, I am wondering where this stops. It is too reminiscent of Minority Report to suit my tastes. What are your thoughts?

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's a bird....it's a plane...it's Swiss pilot and inventor Yves Rossy testing out his jet-powered wing flying up to 186 miles (300 kilometers) an hour after jumping from an airplane at 7,500 feet (2,300 meters). That's so cool!

Continue reading "Cool National Geographic Photos for the Week" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

These cute little frogs live in a very noisy area. In order for them to hear one another and to sing their mating duets, they communicate on an ultrasonic level!

According to the authors, female frogs make the first overture with a courtship call featuring multiple harmonics that extend into the ultrasonic range—frequencies greater than 20 kilohertz, the upper limit of human hearing.

The frog, Odorrana tormota, joins select species of birds, along with dolphins and whales, that are known to communicate ultrasonically to circumvent background noise, said study co-author Albert Feng, a physiologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Isn't it amazing what a diverse world that God has created for us! And we learn more about its wonders every day!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The world's largest group of orangutans in Indonesia may face extinction by 2011 because of palm oil plantation expansion, which is destroying habitat, experts say. Video courtesy of National Geographic

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A young pygmy right whale that stranded itself in New Zealand has given scientists a rare chance to study the little-known species.

The 6-month-old specimen will provide a rare peek into the whale's bizarre anatomy, which includes armored ribs that resemble those of an anteater.

For more information, be sure to visit the above link and National Geographic.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

National Geographic reports that eight critically endangered Amur leopards (including the animal above) have been photographed by a camera trap in far southeastern Russia.

Fewer than 40 Amurs—also called Far Eastern leopards—still prowl the temperate forests of Russia's Far East and parts of China, making the Amur the world's rarest big cat.

Isn't this critter beautiful? What a shame that there are so few left. Hopefully conservation efforts will be successful.

Check out this YouTube video of this beautiful cat!

Continue reading "Rarest Big Cat Caught in Camera Trap" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I had never heard of the Blue Iguana before today when I was reading a National Geographic article about them.

The Blue Iguana is a critically endangered species and is one of the longest lived species of lizard (possibly living up to 69 years). In 2003 there were only 15 Blue Iguana left in the wild. Fortunately, there are those working desparately to preserve this beautiful iguana.

From Wikipedia: Since 2004, 219 captive-bred animals have been released into a preserve on Grand Cayman run by a partnership headed by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, in an attempt to save the species. Some success with naturally laid eggs has been reported in the wild. At least five non-profit organizations are working with the government of the Cayman Islands to ensure the survival of the Blue Iguana.

This species is struggling to survive and someone senselessly butchered six of them in a nature preserve on Grand Cayman last weekend. It is beyond me why anyone would do such a thing. Capture them to sell as pets, eat them for food...those things I could at least sort of understand though I would not condone. But just to kill them....I hope the investigation turns up the culprit.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This Bald Eagle was found scavenging for food in an Alaskan landfill after his beak had apparently been shot off with a billet. Unable to rip and tear, this eagle, called Beauty, was starving. Two years later, Beauty is going to be getting a replacement beak. Beauty still won't be able to rip and tear because the beak won't be strong enough. But if it works, perhaps scientists will be able to come up with a stronger beak and help birds in similar situations in the future. This article and photo courtesy of National Geographic.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Video from National Geographic: Cheetahs could be extinct within 15 years. To help stem the tide, a new South African program brings a big cat into contact with the public.

Click on the link above to see what conservationists in Africa are doing to create a bond between people and cheetahs, how they are taking care of these magnificent creatures and how they are helping local ranchers keep from losing their livestock.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am more than a bit behind with my National Geographic feed reading. So I am going to make a big post linking to some of the stories that interested me the most from the past couple of weeks. Hopefully you will find something here that interests you as well!

"Extinct" Plants Discovered Blooming in Australia - these plants haven't been seen since 1891 and were listed as extinct in 1922.

VIDEO: Terra-Cotta Army Coming to U.S. - This would be very neat to see!

Colossal Squid Thawing; Hints at Even Bigger Beasts A Colossal Squid that was accidentally captured February 2007 is revealing answers to the scientists in charge of thawing it and studying it.

Continue reading "National Geographic News - Animals, Archaeology and Astronomy" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A custom-crafted wetsuit may have helped Pierre the African penguin, seen here, recover from a bout of baldness.

Biologists at the California Academy of Sciences commissioned the gear after Pierre began shedding his insulating, waterproof feathers, leaving him with an embarrassingly exposed behind.

Thanks to the custom wet suit and time, Pierre is now doing much better! Way to go for ingenuity on the part of his keepers and Oceanic Worldwide, a supplier of dive gear based in San Leandro, California.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As summer nears for us, our thoughts turn towards lazy days spent by a pool or playing in a lake or stream. Well, our elephant friends look like they would love to join us! Go check out this cool video from National Geographic of elephants playing in the water!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was not a big dinosaur fan as a child. I learned about them in school, but I was not that interested in learning extra about them, playing with dino models or pretending to be a dinosaur. Their names were long and annoying. They had lived a long, long, long time ago and well...I was more interested in current day things...like would Shaun Cassidy be coming in concert to Roanoke anytime soon.

Jurassic Park changed that a bit for me. When Dr. Grant and the others first see the dinosaurs while the majestic music played in the background. I was there with them. Hook, line and sinker. I could imagine what it would be like to see these animals first hand. Animals that no longer waled the earth. And it made me a little more interested in dinosaurs, and I couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be more dinosaurs than I remembered studying in school. (I definitely don't remember mention of velociraptors.

What really floored me was when Dr. Grant explained his theory that dinosaurs were really related to birds. I thought 'huh?'. I got the cloning of the dinos from the dino DNA, but dinosaurs related to birds? I had never heard such a thing.

Continue reading "T. Rex Protein Shows Bird-Dinosaur Link" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

National Geographic is reporting that a gift exchange between Asian rulers several centuries ago may have inadvertently saved a population of elephants from extinction.

The sultan of Java is thought to have sent the Javan elephants as a gift to the sultan of Sulu. For unknown reasons, descendants of the elephants were subsequently shipped to Borneo and abandoned.

Back on Java, the original population went extinct by the end of the 18th century, after the arrival of Europeans in Southeast Asia.

The gift to the sultan of Sulu may therefore have inadvertently kept the lineage alive.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Check out this video of chimpanzees who use spears to hunt, sticks to dig out termites, caves for shelter, and love the water on a hot summer day. I love watching the little one play in the water puddle! Warning: this video heavily mentions evolution.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the things I love about my new computer is that I can once again enjoy National Geographic videos. My old one just couldn't handle their video player. Check out this Asiatic Bear who may be looking for a position as a baton twirler!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. First Lungless Frog Found The Indonesian frog pictured above respires entirely through its skin and lacks lungs, a new study says. The trait, though rare in nature, may have evolved because of the amphibian's habitat of oxygen-rich, fast-moving water—which might more easily carry away a frog with air-filled lungs.

2. Rare Seahorses Found in the River ThamesShort-snouted seahorses have set up residence in the recovering River Thames, conservationists announced.

3. Alligator Blood May Lead to Powerful New AntibioticsAlligators often engage in violent fights over territories and mates, and scientists have puzzled over why their wounds rarely get infected. Now researchers think the secret lies in the reptiles' blood. Chemists in Louisiana found that blood from the American alligator can successfully destroy 23 strains of bacteria, including strains known to be resistant to antibiotics. In addition, the blood was able to deplete and destroy a significant amount of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Continue reading "National Geographic News - Animals, Archaeology and Astronomy" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

World's Greatest Extinction Not Caused By Toxic Gases The thing I like most about this article is it points out how little we still know....even about things we think we understand!

"Mountains of the Moon" Glaciers Melting in Africa Below you will see the photo that shows the difference between the glacier 50 years ago and today. This shows us how our world is growing warmer. Though I am not convinced that this is not a normal trend for our earth. There are too many conflicting views on that for me to make up my mind at this point.

Wildlife Park Official Arrested in Gorilla Killings Congrats on ferreting out the wolf in sheep's clothing that was guarding these endangered animals. There is a photo on this site of the dead gorillas.

New "Sea Monster" Species Identified - The Cretaceous-period reptile, dubbed Nichollsia borealis, is not only a new species—it represents a whole new genus, scientists announced on March 20. It's also one of the oldest and most complete plesiosaur fossils ever unearthed in North America.

Continue reading "National Geographic Headlines Week of March 24th - Astronomy, Archaeology and Animals" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rare Leatherback Turtles Gain Protection in Costa Rica - these turtles come out of the water to lay their eggs on beaches around the world. Scientists and volunteers now have governmental backing to protect these precious nests from poaching and beach development.

Word War II Ships Finally Found Off Australia - The H.M.A.S. Sydney sank on November 19, 1941, in a battle with a German vessel, the D.K.M. Kormoran. Rudd said he had instructed the Defense Department to contact relatives of the sailors who died aboard the Sydney about the find, and described the wreck as a tomb for Australian sailors that would be protected as a sacred site.

Stone Age Hand Axes Found at Bottom of North Sea An amateur archaeologist has found an unprecedented collection of Stone Age hand axes among material collected at the bottom of the North Sea. Jan Meulmeester of the Netherlands found 28 axes, possibly up to 100,000 years old, in marine sand and gravel scooped up by a British construction materials supplier. During ice-age periods of the Paleolithic era, which ended about 10,000 years ago, sea levels were lower and the North Sea was grassland hunting grounds.

Continue reading "National Geographic Headlines Week of March 17th - Astronomy, Archaeology and Animals" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rome Subway Digs Reveal Medieval, Renaissance Treasures -- It never ceases to amaze me how we continue to find signs of our past even in the seemingly most developed of areas.

"Monstrous" Robot to Be Assembled in Space -- it would be really cool to watch this be assembled and even cooler to visit the space station. And isn't it wonderful to see nations working together for a common goal?

Pygmy Hippo Caught on Camera - This photograph shows that the pygmy hippo is still surviving in war torn West Africa.

Continue reading "National Geographic Headlines Week of March 10: Archaeology, Astronomy, Animals" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here are some interesting headlines from last week's National Geographic Feed:

1. Pronghorn Thrives in Wolves Shadow - The researchers said that during a three-year study, pronghorn fawns were three times more likely to survive in areas dominated by wolves versus those ruled by coyotes. That's because wolves favor larger prey, such as elk or cattle, and generally leave pronghorn alone. .

This is just another great example of how little we know about how components of nature work together (even when we think we have it figured out!)

2. What Do You Call an Octopus with only six legs? A Hexapus, silly! This six-legged octopus is not a new species and doesn't appear to have been affected by an accident. He appears to only have six legs due to a genetic mutation. He is getting around just fine at his home in the British Aquarium.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Midnight is my cat. When we adopted the three sisters that you have met in the last few days, we decided to let them have one litter before getting them neutered. They all got pregnant about the same time and their kittens were born within a week of each other. Altogether, we had 14 kittens!

At first the cats had them scattered around hither and yon, but we were afraid that would make the kittens too wild, so we placed a big dog house at the front and brought the kittens to it. What we thought was really cool was that the sisters would nurse one another's kittens. They didn't care at all. At any rate, there was a kitten (cream and peach color) that I wanted to keep, but we had two wild boys that were more shy, so we decided to keep them because we were afraid we would have a hard time giving them away. We named the orange tiger cat, Fido. He belonged to my husband. Unfortunately Fido ran away or was taken away before he was 1 year old. We never could find him. The other cat was mine and I called him Midnight. Okay, not very original, I know, but at least there is no doubt about which one I am speaking of when I say his name!

Continue reading "Meet Midnight, Cat Number Four" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you know that i love learning about animals, space and anything to do with archaeology. I have been so busy with cleaning and homeschooling and life, that I am a bit behind with sharing the interesting things from National Geographic. I have over 90 stories to wade through. I only share the ones most interesting to me here, and currently, I don't link to the videos because my computer is getting a tad ancient and I can't watch the videos anymore (there is a new laptop in my future...probably April), but I don't want to link to videos when I don't know what is in them. Anyway, since I don't want to right up a kazillion posts to catch up, I am going to briefly share links that interest me in this post in order to get caught up. And maybe some photos to.

1. Mysterious Pyramid Complex Discovered in Peru - what fascinates me about stories like this is the fact that we find pyramid and pyramid shapes all over the world. This vast ceremonial site is believed to have been used by a little known ancient culture, Vicus.

2. Ancient Maya Used "Glitter" Paint to Make Temple Gleam - A new study of paint flakes taken from masks on the temple's exterior found that the Maya used mica to make the temple's colorful paint glimmer in the sun. It appears, glitter paint has been around for a long, long time! We love glitter paint in our house. We used it on our snowmen, our pine cones and whatever else we want to give an extra sparkle!

Continue reading "National Geographic Headlines: Archaeology, Astronomy, and Animals" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

In the longest "ever recorded migration of any sea vertebrate, a leatherback sea turtle recently completed a 12.774 miles across the Pacific Ocean. The journey, tracked by satellite, provides the first record of a trans-Pacific migration by a leatherback.

The giant reptile began the trek in Indonesia's warm tropical waters in the summer of 2003.

Along the way, the turtle may have encountered swordfish, tuna, and other migrating leatherbacks returning after a successful foraging season off the North American coast.

Some of the turtle's dives sent it plunging into the cold darkness 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) below the ocean surface.

After 647 days of swimming, the animal finally reached the cool waters of the Pacific Northwest—where a feast of jellyfish awaited.

The turtle made this "epic journey spanning tropical and temperate waters of the Pacific just to eat jellyfish off Oregon," said Scott Benson of NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Moss Landing, California.

Those must be some really good jellyfish!!!!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

According to National Geographic, microbes that are immune to commonly used drugs have been found inside birds living in some of Earth's most remote regions, scientists say. The research suggests that antibiotic resistance has spread deep into nature—and humans are likely to blame.

The researchers sampled waste from 97 birds belonging to a dozen different species from the Arctic tundra of northeastern Siberia, northern Alaska, and northern Greenland.

Eight birds—including sandpipers, geese, and gulls—carried Escherichia coli bacteria that was resistant to one or more commonly prescribed antibiotics.

Continue reading "Studies Have Found Wild Birds That Are Resistant to Low Level Antibiotics" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This little cutie had to be taken away from his mama because she was not handling her well (carrying him in her mouth and tossing him about her enclosure). Flocke is German for flake as is snowflake. Flocke even has her own website.Bizarre to think this cute little girl will grow up to be a huge bear! She is being hand raised by the zoo keepers. They say her life is a bit well, boring, at the moment since she spends all her time eating and sleeping.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today is Fabulous Freebie Day at The Schoolhouse Store. And one of the Freebie's you can get is my Hummingbird Ebook. All you have to do is purchase my American Bison ebook or my Komodo Dragon ebook. Is that a great deal or what???? So go ahead and get two of my books for the price of one! There are lots of other great items at The Schoolhouse Store!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

4:40 a.m. scratch, scratch..rustle...rustle....

I am suddenly wide awake and laying very still....trying to hone in on the sound. Did I imagine it?

scratch, scratch, rustle, rustle....

There it is again! And I know exactly where it's coming from...the bags that I have stashed under one of the dressers in my room. But what could be making that sound? A mouse...sounds awfully big for a mouse... Hans Solo? No, couldn't be, he's in his cage and is too small to make that much noise.

Okay...must turn on the light... streeettch...click...light everywhere. Heart hammering and wondering what wild creature is under my dresser.

I am sitting bolt upright in my bed...eyes trained on the dresser. There is no way I am going over for a closer look, it can either come out or go away to whereever it came from...

Wait, I see it..MIKKA!!! It's our grey cat! What the heck is she doing in the house. We didn't let cats in last night! And how did she fit under there? It's not that much space under that dresser...after all, I packed it full of present bags. She comes out, jumps on the bed, purring and all happy to find someone awake to pet her.

I guess she slipped in last night when we were bringing in groceries and no one noticed. Scared me to death she did. It was very hard going back to sleep after that too.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Rare animals are a great source of income to black market animal sellers. Two baby albino alligators that were recently stolen from a Brazilian Zoo will net the thieves about $10,000 each in the United States.

Albino alligators have never been found in the wild, probably becaus of their inability to hide from predators.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Where to begin this latest saga....should I begin with the death of Ella, the hamster named after Ella Enchanted. Or perhaps I should begin with the Xbox 360 that hubby won at a convention and that he purchased the game Legos Star Wars For? Or maybe the story begins with a little girl who loves animals and has been asking for a new kitten (never mind we have four cats and two rabbits).

No matter where the story begins, it ends with a little girl finding a hamster that suited her just as much as a new kitten (thankful sigh from mom) and whom had to be named after her current movie favorite: Hans Solo. What I can't figure out is why my daughter always likes the rogues...first Barbossa and now Hans Solo.

At any rate, Hans is pretty cute and he is very bright eyed and happy!

She doesn't look happy at all, does she?

And doesn't he have a nice playroom for when he is out of his cage? Those clementine orange boxes sure come in handy!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ants are known for their hard-working ways. There is a rare butterfly in some parts of Denmark that is able to trick ants into caring for its young at the expense of their own young. The scent of the larvae mimics the ants scent and they think it is one of their own and they will carry the larvae back to their colony and care for it. I guess it could be worse...at least the butterfly doesn't eat the ants once it grows up!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My husband knows I love interesting animal stories, so when he saw this one on DIGG about a 5,000 pound Devilfish (Giant Manta Ray) captured back in 1934, he sent it on to me.

This article came from the April, 1934 edition of Modern Mechanix. My first thought was WOW!. And I am aware that huge creatures live in the depths of the ocean such as the colossal squid. which is probably the source of the Kraken legend. But as I read the comments on this particular story, I got to wondering if this story accurate. One astute reader pointed out it was in the April edition...so perhaps it was an April Fool's joke.

So I went searching for the truth....

Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Snopes, and The Guiness World Book of Records all came up empty. Nada, Nothing! You would think that information about a 5000 pound Manta Ray would be there somewhere!

So then I checked out information on Manta Rays...

According to this information from an educational website. Baby mantas are hard to find, but they seem to be 4 feet across on average, much larger than the 18 inch baby shown in the photo.

According to this site, mantas do sometimes get tangled in anchor lines. Since they are only equipped for forward movement, they can reverse to extricate themselves. This article also says:

According to Wikipedia, the largest ever captured weighed 5000 pounds, but it doesn't give any other information which seems a bit suspicious to me. There is an alert at the top of the page that states some references and foot notes are missing. Articles also place manta rays in areas of tropical waters or temperate waters. I am not sure that the waters off of the New Jersey coast would qualify as temperate waters.

Other questions I have are...is it possible to shoot underwater using a rifle? I simply do not know. The article says the manta was put on exhibition, but does not say where, nor can I find any other reference to this remarkable creature! I can't imagine it not being found.

And then there is the question of why this article would have been in Modern Mechanix. Seems like an odd place for it to be written about.

So, there's where my research leads me...lots of questions, not many answers....What do you think?

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Katrina saw these glowing kitties and said I had to share this picture with you, faithful reader!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As the year winds down, everyone gets busy making their top 10 lists or top 50 list or top 100 lists depending on what their preference is. We always have to come up with the best of the best of the worst of the worst because it helps us to encapsulate what happened during the year. National Geographic is no different! Earlier I shared their top ten news photos...I guess that category was great photos with top news stories? Here I will share the links for what they have picked for their top ten stories and top ten photos of 2007.

Top Ten Stories of 2007 A dinosaur "mummy," mass plague graves in Venice, and a stone box that might have held Jesus' remains were just some of the blockbuster stories covered this year by National Geographic News. Personally, the number one story of 2007 has me the most intrigued and still waiting to hear more.

Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says (February 28, 2007) Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet's recent climate changes have a natural—and not a human-induced—cause, according to a controversial theory.

Top Ten Photos of 2007 Just like with the top ten news photos, I have posted several of these top photos on my blog in the past year! Yeah me! The strange owl from Peru, new leopard species, the smiling bird in Columbia, the Goblin Shark, The Giant Squid, the 100 year old Rockfish, and the Colossal Squid. Somehow I missed the photo of the crocodile that had bit off the vet's hand and forearm! YIKES!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As I was perusing the list of top ten news photos for 2007, I was tickled to find that several of the photos that have found their way onto this blog and my HSB blog are among the top ten:

The Toyger, the frilled shark, the 8 foot catfish, the dino mummy, the inner workings of the inner nose, the crystal cave in Mexico, the weird deep sea creatures in the Atlantic, and the new 7 wonders of the world.

I missed the monster fish story (not sure how that happened) and I read about but didn't share, I don't think, about the quake that lifted the island 10 feet out of the ground.

Take a few moments and visit National Geographic to see these top ten news photos and read a bit about them!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The newly anointed Ashe's spitting cobra, or large brown spitting cobra (Naja ashei), can reach lengths of more than 9 feet (274 centimeters) and is believed to deliver more venom with a single bite than any other cobra on the planet.

This cobra is not a new discovery, but what is new is that recent DNA tests prove that it is it's own species of cobra. This is an aggressive and extremely poisonous snake...not a good combination! You would defintely want Rikki Tikki Tavi around if this guy came to visit!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A mummified Hadrosaur was discovered in North Dakota by a teenager in 1999. On December 9th, 2007, at 9 pm, EST, National Geographic Channel will air Dino Autopsy. This show will detail the dig and subsequent CT scans of this 67 million year old dinosaur.

The fact that this dino was found with skin, tissues, ligaments and tendons intact has led scientists to change their ideas about dinosaur appearance and movement.

With the aid of a large-scale CT scanner, researchers determined that Dakota had a more muscular rear end and more powerful legs than previously believed, according to Manning.

To become mummified, first the dinosaur body had to escape predators, scavengers, and degradation by weather and water. Then a chemical process must have mineralized the tissue before bacteria ate it. And finally, the remains had to survive millions of years undamaged.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I found out about a cool IMAX presentation that the monster lovers in your house are going to want to go see. National Geographic is presenting Sea Monsters - A Prehistoric Adventure. If you click on that link it will take you to a page that shows where it is playing currently.

You can also see the movie trailer, photo gallery, find educator lesson plans, and find kids activities too! Visit the site as soon as you get a chance. I guarantee your kids are going to love it!

Oohh...an added bonus! You can enter a contest to trip to Galapagos or the Bahamas! Check that out too while you are there!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are you or someone in your home wishing for a puppy or two this Christmas? You know...under the tree with a sweet red bow tied around their fluffy neck? Maybe you want an AKC registered puppy. One that has a history that you can follow. One that has been bred for certain traits. Free puppies are wonderful, but you don't always know what you are getting. It may look like a golden retriever, but have the temperament of a doberman pincer. Or it may be sickly and you not know it. While puppies from a breeder cannot be guaranteed to be perfect (after all, there are always glitches), you are going to have a much better chance of getting the dog of your dreams.

Also, the benefit of purchasing a puppy from a breeder is that a breeder knows that puppy inside and out. If you go to a pet store to buy your puppy, you really don't know the background of that animal or how it was treated. If you go to a breeder, they have been with the puppy since day one and they usually specialize in just a few types of dogs so they know them and their personality well! Breeders will be there with you for the long haul. Keep in touch with them. They will happily answer questions about your puppy's growth. If you go with a breeder that is registered with the AKC, they have to follow stringent guidelines and their operation is regularly inspected by the AKC. Good breeders usually offer guarantees on their animals too.

If you are looking for a small animal (for inside a house or apartment), consider Yorkie puppies for sale or maltese puppies. More and more people are adopting the smaller animals. They are easy to take care of and travel well.

Whichever kind of puppy you are looking for, be sure to consider a breeder. Adopting an animal is a big decision and one that will be with you for a long time. Don't make the decision and choice lightly. And remember, spay and neuter your pets!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Mexico's Eastern shore, in the Sea of Cortez, there lurk four species of mobulas (tarapacana, thurstoni, munkiana, and japanica) - relatives of manta rays. These mobulas don't seem to be sure whether they are sea creatures or creatures of the air as they often make spectacular jumps into the air!

Mobula Ray Breaches the water

Scientists are unsure why the mobulas take to the air. Are they playing? Are they practicing their underwater hunting moves? I think, they are just like man...they long to stretch their 'wings' and fly.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

National Geographic always has the best photos! Here are two you are sure to enjoy!

The emperor tamarin, which lives in lowland forests across Brazil and Peru, was supposedly named after German emperor Wilhelm II, who sported an iconic handlebar mustache during his late 19th-century to early 20th-century reign.

Thick fog envelops the Dubayy Marina. The landed cloud settled over the Middle Eastern country last week, disrupting traffic and delaying flights.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What had an 18 inch spiked claw, was 2 foot longer than a man was tall, and hung out in coastal swamps and river deltas? A Giant Sea Scorpion that lived 390 million years ago!

A size comparison between the sea scorpion and man

This recent fossil of a Giant Sea scorpion claw is a part of the largest arthropod so far discovered.

Giant Sea Scorpion Claw Fossil

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

A Giant Mekong Catfish was caught by scientists in Cambodia last week. This particular specimen weighed 450 pounds and was 8 feet long. It is not the largest Giant Mekong Catfish ever caught. but it is significant because it is the only one scientists were able to catch this year. This makes them more concerned than ever about the fate of the Giant Mekong Catfish. Only a few hundred are thought to still be alive and the fact that the scientists were only able to find one does not bode well for the species.

The population of the Mekong Giant Catfish has declined 90-95% in the last century. The article in National Geographic says that 5-10 of the Giant Mekong Catfish are caught by accident each year. What I want to know is how do you catch a 400 plus pound fish by accident!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today my hubby sent me a short story and cute picture. The story goes like this...

I had a similar moment about 15 years ago...egads...how can I say something happened to me 15 years ago and realize at the time I was a 20 something adult???? Oh well, back to my story.

I woke up around 5:30...bleary-eyed and ready to take a shower. I opened the cabinet door under the bathroom sink and reached for my shampoo before recoiling in wide-awake horror! Even with my bleary-eyed condition, I could see that my cotton ball bag was MOVING!!!! That's right, I said MOVING! What in the world?

Was that a tail? A snout? Multiple tails? HONEY!!!!

'Huh...what...what is it???'

It turned out that there was not one, not two, not three....but four baby possums inside of the cottonball bag! We lived in an old trailer at the time and the best we could figure out was that they had crawled up between the tub and the sink (the wall had been cut there at one time, probably due to plumbing repairs). They found that nice soft bag of cotton and made themselves at home. Unfortunately, we found their mother beside the road. So for a few days, we put cat food in there and tried to make them as comfortable as we could until they decided to leave and go on with their lives.

Baby possums are kind of cute...in an ugly sort of way....

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wild turkeys were on the tables of the first pilgrims. In the 1930s, they were on the verge of being wiped out with only a few thousand of them left. Now seven million roam the country and are making their homes in forests and in cities like Manhattan. Biologists have been shocked because they believed that turkeys needed forests to live in safely and to thrive. It appears as long as some cover is available and some trees to roost in, they do just fine.

When I was a kid, it was a treat when dad killed a turkey, he usually managed to get one or two a year. He doesn't hunt turkey now like he used to, prefering to bag a deer instead. Wild turkey is a tasty bird and has a much better flavor than its store bought relatives.

We have a lot of wild turkeys in the woods where we live. I remember one morning when I was walking Maggie, we scared a flock of them off of their roost. I don't know who jumped higher, them or me!

Here are some cool Wild Turkey Fast Facts

• The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) was first domesticated by Native Americans. Spanish explorers took the birds to Europe in the 16th century, and the birds' tame descendents were brought back to the Americas with later settlers.

• Male turkeys, called toms or gobblers, weigh 16 to 24 pounds (7 to 11 kilograms). Hens are about half that size.

• Turkeys can run some 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 kilometers) an hour and fly in bursts at 55 miles (89 kilometers) an hour.

• Turkeys roost in trees at night.

• Turkeys forage for many different foods, so a single suitable area can support a large flock without becoming depleted.

• Male turkeys (and a few females) grow beards that are about 9 inches (23 centimeters) long. Their tails, which they fan to attract females, are more than a foot (30 centimeters) long.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today, I received an email about the Zoo and Aquarium Visitor Website. I had not heard of this particular site before so i hesitantly clicked the link...never know where one might end up when link clicking, but it took me to a neat site that I thought other animal, zoo and aquarium lovers might enjoy (plus they are currently running a contest for some beautiful pieces of jewelry.

There is tons of information on here and they are looking for bloggers to come on board as well. So, if you love animals as much as we do, you might want to take a few minutes and check it out!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scientists have long believed that long-necked dinosaurs grazed from the leaves in the trees, but further studies of a dinosaur species discoverd in Niger in the 1950s, now leads scientists to believe some of these long-necked creatures actually grazed from the ground much like a cow would. The Nigersaurus had around 500 teeth with 10 rows of back up teeth crammed in. It is believed that they replaced teeth faster than any other known dinosaur. The angle of the jaw, the orientation of the ears and the fragility of the backbone and skull all point to the Nigersaurus as being a grazer.

This artist rendering makes the dino look a bit like it has a hippo head, don't you think?

This computer generated image doesn't make him look like a hippo, but I can't see where those teeth are. This vision does have a very cow like quality to it. Check out that tongue! Have you ever been licked by a cow? I have. Yikes!

Hat tip: National Geographic

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the last couple of weeks, National Geographic has been brimming with interesting news. And you know we love animals and archaeology here in our house, so I have been trying to catch up. Here are a couple of articles on fish that we found interesting.

1. 57 New Freshwater Fish Species Found in Europe The new species were discovered during a seven-year assessment of the conservation status of freshwater fish in Europe that was conducted in collaboration with the World Conservation Union (IUCN). This is great news. Just a couple of weeks ago, I read a story about how freshwater fish were nearing extinction in Europe.

2. Taimen's Last Refuge Is Mongolia The gigantic fish is the world's largest salmonid—the family of fish that includes salmon and trout. The species can live for more than 50 years, but they grow slowly, not reaching maturity until seven to nine years of age, experts say. A ferocious and even cannibalistic predator, taimen can grow more than six feet in length and can weigh up to 200 pounds.

The taimen, the only fish species from the salmon and trout family large enough to qualify as a megafish, has already been harvested to the brink of extinction in neighboring China. Its numbers are also shrinking rapidly in Russia. Mongolia's pristine Eg-Uur river basin now remains one of the last strongholds of healthy taimen populations.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was invited today to take place in a huge one day promotion of what looks to be a fabulous animal book.

Clifford of Drummond Island contains a series of essays about a very special horse, lifestyle and corner of the world.

Nancy J. Bailey's Clifford of Drummond Island will show you:

• How animals can help heal you in times of sickness and grief.
• How even wild birds can have individual personalities.
• How pets will bond to and care for each other.
• How animals can laugh and have a sense of humor.
• How a horse can be more of a friend than you ever expected.

Page after delightful page, this is what you will find in Clifford of Drummond Island:

• Heartwarming short stories designed to effortlessly illuminate your mind and heart
• An introduction to clicker training, the humane teaching method pioneered by dolphin trainers, that is now taking the world by storm
• Side-splitting humor to which any animal lover can relate
• Insight into the complex heart and mind of the horse
• Beautiful illustrations by the author

A portion of the proceeds from this campaign will be donated to Horse's Haven, an equine rescue and shelter for horses in need.

On November 15th, if you visit the Clifford of Drummond Island Promotion website and purchase a copy of the book, you will be able to collect one of 14 freebies (there may be more by Thursday). One of those freebies is my American Bison ebook!

So take a few moments, check this promotion out today. Think about the animal lovers that you have on your Christmas list. Think about how you can use all those great freebies and then mark November 15th on your calendar so you can cash in on these great deals!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Giant Panda maintains the dubious distinction of being the most endangered bear in the world. This is inspite of numerous Panda births in recent months. Approximately 1600 Pandas remain. Their biggest threat is the continued habitat destruction and degradation. There are currently 60 reserves set up for Pandas to try to save this adorable species.

The Sun Bear is second on the list. The Sun Bear is the World's Smallest Bear species. This is the first time it was listed as vulnerable because previously not enough was known about it to determine whether it was endangered or not.

Continue reading "Endangered Bears are Ranked" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out this cute fellow! Thought to be near extinction in Eastern Africa, a new population of DeBrazza 's monkey has been discovered in Western Kenya.

The discovery of the group, as well sightings of other rare monkeys in a remote northeastern reserve, is a happy note at an otherwise grim hour for the world's primates. Researchers estimate that there are 200-300 monkeys in this isolated group in Mathew's Range.

These monkeys are hunted because of their crop raiding behavior. Another example of the continuous struggle between man and the animal world.

Hat tip: information and photo courtesy of National Geographic

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Um...about the title...I saw Hairspray this week and all kinds of cool 60s songs keep floating through my head, so you'll just have to put up with it!

A large boar-like creature, which has been named the Giant Peccary, was recently discovered in the Amazon. Yep, that's right, I said discovered! Recently! This Giant Peccary is unafraid of people, much to its detriment as it makes it very easy to kill. It could end up being wiped out when we have only just discovered it!

The researchers recommend that the new species be placed on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Just imagine...if something this size could be wandering around, unfound...what other cool things might be lurking...Sasquatch? Nessie? Living Dinosaurs?

Hat Tip: article and photo courtesy of National Geographic. My favorite source of interesting news!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I often come across stories where scientists have discovered something that is secreted by an animal or some part of a plant has been found to be useful to cure some human ailment. It was with great delight when I read this article at National Geographic today that said scientists have discovered that the ointment used to treat human pink-eye can cure the deadly fungal infection chytridiomycosis.

This fungus is one of the factors that is pushing thousands of frogs towards extinction. Not only does the 'pink-eye' ointment cure the fungus, but it helps to prevent reinfection. Finally, we can give back to the animal world that we have taken so much from!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am actually sharing this news for my buddy Chickadee. She is always collecting animals and sharing the photos of them with the rest of us...particularly spiders. I thought she would enjoy seeing an ancient spider...inside and out!

David Penney of the University of Manchester and colleagues from Ghent University in Belgium used a technique called very-high-resolution x-ray computed tomography (VHR-CT) to create a 3-D model showing an ancient spider's internal organs in exquisite detail.

So Chickadee, I hope you are fascinated with your close up view of the spider! I thought it was um....interesting! It will be interesting to see if they use this technology for other purposes...like frog dissection in classrooms or getting a picture of people's insides.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Scientists have determined that the arctic fox stores stolen eggs in the food caches. These eggs can be stored for up to 1 year and they are what the foxes have on hand in case they can't find their preferred prey which is the collard lemming. The temperature of the permafrost combined with the natural preservatives in the egg are what keeps the eggs in an edible state for up to a year.

The arctic fox is not the only mammal to cache food, but it is unique in the fact that its stored food lasts so long. Most other animals eat their cached food in a few days. Scientists observed that there are natural fluctuations in the collard lemming population. When the collard lemming is plentiful, the cached eggs make up about 24% of the arctic foxes diet. If the collard lemming is scarce, then the cached eggs make up 78% of the arctic foxes diet.

For more information, read the rest of the National Geographic article!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A clam dredged from icy Arctic waters is being hailed as the world's longest-lived animal. Climate researchers at Bangor University in the United Kingdom recently counted 405 annual growth rings in the shells of a quahog clam.

So just think, when this clam was young, Jamestown was just being founded in America (Jamestown is 400 years old this year). Quahog clams are known for their longevity. Previous record holders lived 220 years old and 374 years old.

Scientists believe the secret to the clams' longevity is a slowed cell-replacement process. But why they age so slowly is unknown.

"It is possible that an investigation of the tissues of these real-life Methuselahs might help us to understand the process of aging," team member Chris Richardson said in a media statement.

Check out National Geographic for more information.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This photo of a breaching Great White Shark was two years in the making! Talk about patience! Visit National Geographic for the other four amazing wildlife photos!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey

This cute little monkey from Vietnam is one of the 25 most endangered species of primates in the world according to a report by Primate Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union's Species Survival Commission and the International Primatological Society, in collaboration with Conservation International.

To see and learn more about the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey and the other 24 animals on the website visit this National Geographic Site and this one(the list is in two parts).

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are only about 100-150 Iberian Lynx left in the world. These beautiful cats are found only in Spain and are the most endangered cat species in the world due to their small numbers. Before the finding of a new population, there were only 2 known populations and they were located in Spain's Donñana National Park. Unfortunately, several of those are killed each year by motorists driving through the park on a highway.

Now a population has been found in northern Spain. Not only is it exciting to add more numbers. The different location may lend to better conservation efforts and it will serve to introduce a new gene pool. When you have isolated animals, the gene pool grows weaker due to inbreeding. There are more birth defects and the animals have a harder time fighting off disease. There is also hope that the new population are in an area more suited to conservation.

Hat tip: National Geographic News

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A couple of days ago my husband sent me an email with an embedded story and cute pictures about a baby hippo that had imprinted on a tortoise. As I read the story that went with the photos, I began to remember hearing about this twosome a couple of years ago. Mzee, the tortoise, and Owen, the hippo, were survivors of the December 26, 2004 tsunami. Mzee, a 130 year male old tortoise, was 'adopted' by Owen, a baby hippo that weighed about 650 pounds and was less than a year old.

The pictures are adorable, but I couldn't help but wonder what has happened in the last almost three years to these two. Well, some research pointed me to the answer. First the photos(only a giant tortoise could make a 650 pound hippo look small!):

Continue reading "Mzee and Owen - The Tortoise and the Hippo" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My dear hubby sent me this beautiful photo! It has been photo shopped, but it is so cute!!!! And my hubby knows I am a sucker for flowers and cute animals.

LOL! When my husband sent me this photo, he titled it squirrel love. I chided him on the fact that they were chipmunks and not squirrels. His response was 'whatever'. Today when I went to post this cute photo, I just typed what he had! I have now fixed it so that the animals are named for what they are. These kind of errors are the ones you end up with when you are doing too many things at one time!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Okay...so we believed what we were told...when we purchased Billy and Tickles back in June, the seller and an assistant looked at the bunnies and pronounced them both males. We actually wanted two females, but she didn't have two females, so what can you do?

When Katrina and I were doing her 4-H book, I tried determining the gender, but I still wasn't sure. The parts are little and the description in the 4-H book was not the best.

We don't get the rabbits out a lot. They actually resist the procedure of leaving their hutch. But today we got them out so we could give the hutch a good cleaning. I was petting Billy when I realized that his... her chest had several protruding teats. Uh...oh....

So I did a quick web search and found a much better description than I had previously. You see, when you examine the genitals, they protrude whether it is a girl or a boy. The key factor is whether it has a slit or just comes to a tip. Now that I knew better what I was looking for, I immediately determined that Billy was a girl. Uh...oh....what about Tickles? Cause the one thing I didn't want was a girl and a boy...

So we examined Tickles and to our delight, discovered she is a girl as well. Phew! And that was our science for today, folks! Jack has decided that he will still call Billy 'Billy'. After all, that is what he has called her all along, so why change now!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Scientists have long known that coral in the Great Barrier Reef release their eggs and sperm at one week of the year in the spring, but they were unsure what triggered this mass spawning. Now they have determined that the coral have a gene that enables them to detect moonlight. Thanks to National Geographic for the photo and the information.

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National Geographic reports that elephants distinguish between humans they come in contact with by smell. The mere whiff of Maasai man's clothing will send African elephants running into the tall grasses because occasionally Maasai occasionally spear elephants as part of their rituals. On the other hand, they have a very mild reaction when they see Kamba men.

Much like we distinguish between people that we meet, the elephants have learned to stay clear of the people who threaten them. It is believed that the scent of the Maasai is different because they are a herding people, whereas the Kamba are agricultural.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scientists have long thought that barred owls needed old-growth forests in order to breed, but an ongoing study has determined that they are thriving in the suburbs of Charlotte, NC. The owls prefer old growth forests because of the large holes they can nest in. In Charlotte, the barred owls tend to nest in the cavities of the numerous willow oak trees that line the city's streets.

The trees are old and large enough to offer good nesting sites, and the well maintained lawns below provide an open understory—creating perfect conditions for the raptors to hunt.

Barred owls, like many other animals are adapting to people invading their territory. For more information, visit National Geographic.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scientists have recently discovered that the mangrove killifish can alter the way it breathes which enables it to live out of water for several months of the year!

What does this tiny little guy do when he is not living in the water? Why he is living in trees of course! Around two inches long, they normally live in muddy pools and the flooded burrows of crabs in the mangrove swamps of Florida, Latin American and Caribbean. But sometimes they like to hide out in the decaying roots and trunks of trees! Isn't that cool!???? And as if that wasn't interesting enough, this fish has the ability to breed without a mate.

This is how they change so they can live out of water: Their gills are altered to retain water and nutrients, while they excrete nitrogen waste through their skin. They were found lined up end to end with other killifish inside of burrowed insect tunnels. They have to curb their normal aggressive tendencies to survive in these tight quarters. As Spock would say...fascinating!

There are other fish that can breathe out of water. The walking catfish of South-east Asia has gills that allow it to breathe in air and in water. The climbing perch of India can suffocate in water unless it can also gulp in air.

Hat tip to my hubbywho knows I love this sort of story!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

U.S. and Philippine scientists may have discovered new marine species in the world's most biologically diverse region, their expedition leader said Tuesday. There are some really cool critters they have found there. Take a look at this juvenile box fish, for instance!

To see the latest Celebrities of the Celebes Sea, visit MSNBC. The box fish is especially striking!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As elephant populations grow there have been more and more conflicts with the farming community. Farmers have been trampled and crops ruined. Farmers of course are fighting back and are killing the elephants despite bans against this.

Lucy King, a zoologist with the Nairobi, Kenya-based nonprofit Save the Elephants came up with a study idea to see if the sound of angry bees would make the elephants turn back.

The idea of scaring elephants with bees comes from earlier observations by King's colleagues Fritz Vollrath and Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants. They determined in 2002 that elephants will avoid acacia trees with beehives.

The photo below from National Geographic shows some elephants who ran away from the sound of angry bees. This will enable farmers to strategically place hives or sound recordings to deter elephants from their land and provide some peace without killing the elephants that so many have worked so hard to protect and repopulate.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A few months ago the kids and I were watching a documentary on birds. I wish I could remember the name of it to share here with you, but I can tell you what intrigued us so. Crows are smart and adaptive. It showed footage of crows in cities. In the wild a crow will drop a nut from a high distance hoping to hit a rock below and have it break open. In cities, they have learned they can do the same trick on our city streets. But of course the traffic can make that a wee hazardous. Well, get this, we watched in utter amazement as a crow dropped his nut into a crosswalk. A car ran over it and when the light changed and people started walking across the crosswalk, the crow went along, picked up his goodies and left before the cars started moving again! That's incredible and it's true!

Scientists have attached mini-cam to New Caledonian crows which live in mountainous forests on islands in the South Pacific. And what they learned in a few hours was astounding! These crows use grass and sticks to get bugs out of holes in trees. They also use blades of grass to flip over loose debris on the ground looking for bugs and if they like a particular tool (it does a great job), they actually carry it with them from place to place! God's creatures never cease to amaze me!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Did you have to dissect a frog in high school biology? I did. I didn't mind it so much, though I wasn't crazy about the smell. Nowadays there are much more civilized frog dissection options. There are computer programs where children can virtually dissect a frog. There are plastic frog kits where children can have a hands on approach to frog dissection without actually killing a live frog. Now the Japanese have come up with a see through frog!!!!

Continue reading "See-Through Frog Bred in Japan" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here are some interesting stories from National Geographic:

80 Cloud Warrior Skeletons were found in a fort in Peru. These bodies look like they were left where they fell which leaves current historians, archeaologists and scientists trying to figure out if they died from violent acts or disease. This find will hopefully give tons of new information into a culture we know relatively little about.

Continue reading "Cloud Warriors, Bird Vision, Pharoah Temple, Mammoth Hair, and Polynesian Sailors" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a preview to what is going to be happening here at Yesterday's Hopes for the month of October. I have written three ebooks. The Komodo Dragon, The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, and The American Bison. For the month of October, i will be offering a chance at prizes and the opportunity to support Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans for anyone who buys one or more of my products. In addition to the three ebooks, I also have a recipe cd that contains over 460 recipes and a friend of mine has provided a website where you can learn all about selling on Ebay.

To help me get this started off, Laura at Laura Williams' Musings is hosting a contest where you can have a chance to win all three of my ebooks for free! And just so you don't have to take my word for it that these are great products, she has provided reviews! You can check them out here at the links below!

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Ebook

American Bison Ebook

Komodo Dragons Ebook

M.O.M.'s Recipes CD

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Have you ever watched The Planet of The Apes? Do you remember the shock you felt at the end of the first movie when Charlton Heston discovers the head of the Statue of Liberty and realizes he is on Earth and that mankind destroyed themselves and brought about a society where Apes and Chimps ruled the world?

Continue reading "Baboon Gangs Terrorize Suburban South Africa" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

National Geographic is one of my favorite sources for unusual animal news and photos! Check out this unique Albino Ratfish that was caught this summer during a marine survey in Washington's Puget Sound. It is the first albino fish ever spotted by local scientists.

The ratfish gets its name from its long pointy tail and its rodentlike teeth that crush up clams and other prey lurking in the mud.

Normally a ratfish is brown with white spots which help act as camoflage (see photo below). It was amazing to find this Albino Ratfish alive as it's light color would have made it a beacon for all predators in the area. Unfortunately, the Albino Ratfish died shortly after capture.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This cute little critter was discovered in the Phiippines recently. But after reading the article, I am not sure if he is a bat or a flying fox. I think it is a bat that resembles a fox. But the headline of the article is misleading and the article itself is a bit confusing. Still..he is cute:)

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It is 6:30 am and I am sitting in a peaceful, quiet house catching up on emails and reading before I start my day. Jack comes in and says 'Mommy, there's something wrong with Nibbles. He threw up in his cage." Nibbles is Jack's hamster and is 2 years old. We know that we are anywhere from 2/3 of the way to the end of our time with this little guy based on a hamster's life expectancy, so I feared the worse.

Continue reading "Hamster Drama" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Rare Chinese Mountain Cat, one of the most beautiful and rare of the small cats, was captured on film in its natural habitat by a heat seeking camera. Most of the contact with this animal by scientists has been to observe them in zoos or to examine their pelts which are sold to tourists. I am amazed that the cat didn't freak out when a flash of light filled the night!

For more information visit National Geographic.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

National Geographic always has soe of the best photographs around! These two guys are so cute (ready to take on the world it looks like!). Be sure to check out other interesting photos of the week!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last year only 34 Giant Pandas were born all year. MSNBC is reporting that on Monday, 4 baby Giant Pandas were born. Look how tiny and naked the little baby is! And how cute they can be (but remember, they are still dangerous! Photos are also courtesy of MSNBC.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aldo, a three-week-old pygmy hippopotamus, (Choeropsis liberiensis) eats at the Vincennes zoo, outside Paris, Tuesday, June 26, 2007. Aldo looks, eats and lazes like a hippopotamus but he is only about as big as a human baby, at 21 inches. This pygmy hippopotamus, born earlier this month, is one of only a few dozen in Europe, bred in a special program to boost the rare species.

Aldo looks, eats and lazes like a hippopotamus — but he's only about as big as a human baby, at 21 inches. The pygmy hippo, born this month at the Paris Zoo, is one of only a few dozen in Europe, bred in a special program to boost the rare species.
There are no more than 3,000 around the world, mostly concentrated in west African countries such as Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau or Liberia, said Juliane Villenain, a biologist at the zoo in the Bois de Vincennes, a park on Paris' eastern edge.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Government biologists have documented nearly 10,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles, including at least one pair in each of the 48 contiguous states. This compares to only 417 such pairs in 1963 when the bird was on the verge of disappearing everywhere in the country except for Alaska.

While no longer declared endangered, the bald eagle will continue to be protected by a 1940 federal law that will make it illegal to kill the bird — as well as state statutes.

It is good to have good news from the animal world. Actually, it is good to have good news period...so much bad news in the world, I like hearing some of the good for a change!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The rare recurve-billed bushbird, recently rediscovered by scientists in Colombia after a 40-year absence, sports a curving beak that gives the illusion of a "Mona Lisa" smile.

Re-curve-billed bushbird

No one had seen this bird between 1965-2004 and it was presumed to be extinct. This is the first photograph ever taken of a live Recurve-billed bushbird. Photo courtesy of National Geographic.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Purple Toad

24 new species were found during a survey of a plateau in Suriname. I have included a link to information about Suriname as I hadn't heard of this country, it is located in northern South America. I love it when they find new species! There is so much about this world we don't know.

10 Photos of new critters of Suriname.

Cool photos of animals

< a href ="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/06/04/cannibals_ani.html?category=animals&guid=20070604133000&dcitc=w19-502-ak-0000">Cane Toads Cannibalize Their Young . Cane Toads are a huge imported pest in Australia and they hope to use this knowledge to figure out how to get rid of the Cane Toads.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New Hummingbird found in Columia. The newly discovered Gorgeted Puffleg is threatened due to the slashing and burning in the area by cocoa farmers.

Continue reading "Animal News: New Hummingbird, More Pronghorns, New Species in Antarctica" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Honey bees don't just make honey. In fact, they are the sole pollinator for almonds. They are also the major pollinator for citrus fruits and apples. This is why there are great concerns about the current die off of the honeybee population. Even cattle can be affected as they are fed on afalfa which is pollinated by bees! The honeybee population has been in decline for years due to parasites that have invaded the colonies. When I was a child, there were honeybees all over my yard. Now I am tickled when I see one and that happens rarely, like once or twice a year!

Continue reading "Declining Honeybees May Threaten U.S. Crops" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, a brilliant green lizard and a palmlike shrub are helping to save a rare flowering plant from extinction. The blue-tailed gecko pollinates the threatened Trochetia flower while the shrubby Pandanus plant does its part by providing the lizard a safe haven from predators as it performs pollinations.

Previously, a nectar-sipping bird called the olive white-eye pollinated Trochetia, but the bird is nearly extinct. The Gecko has taken over as the key pollinator for this flower and the flowers that produce offspring are growing near the Pandanus plant (a cactus) because that plant provides protection for the Gecko from the Mauritian kestrel, which is a type of bird that loves to eat lizards. Isn't amazing the way God has designed the planet and species to adapt to changes in their environment! Amazing!

For more information, you can read the rest of the article here at National Geographic

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Amur Leopard

Unfortunately, there are only about 30 of these left in the world. Also known as the Far Eastern leopard, the Amur has been painted into a deadly corner by habitat-slashing, conservationists said this week.

Researchers found at least four leopard litters, which they called "a sign the population has some hope for regeneration," according to a statement.

But experts say at least a hundred individuals are needed to ensure the cat's survival, and they are calling on China, Russia, and North Korea to cooperate in an effort to save the Amur.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I love to read good news in the animal kingdom, especially when it concerns an animal that is a particular favorite in our household. My daughter loves tigers. They cavort across the border of her room and there are several of the stuffed variety and then the posters...she hopes to grow up to work with these magnificent creatures.

Today on National Geographic I read that the Siberian Tiger is at its highest population in the last 100 years. There are currently about 600 of them whereas there were only 40 in the early part of the century. This is fantastic news! Way to go to all who have worked so diligently to save this magnificent animal!

Siberian Tiger family

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On February 24th, I wrote an article about the Tasmanian Devil and the cancer that is on the verge of wiping out the species. Today I read an article about a plan to move about 30 unaffected Tasmanian Devils to a nearby island to try and save some of these creatures.

Continue reading "Rescue Efforts Continue to Save Tasmanian Devil" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last month, some fishermen found one of the oldest Alaskan critters caught in their fishing nets. The 44 - inch, 60 pound female shortraker rockfish is estimated to be between 90 and 115 years old. Some say, rockfish can live to be 157 years old!

Rockfish

The contents of the rockfish's stomach were examined and scientists took tissue samples to measure her reproductive potential. "The belly was large," Spencer said. "The ovaries were full of developing embryos."

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tearing through laundry, messing up the bathroom—river otters aren't all that different from human toddlers, as one Missouri biologist and his wife learned when they raised orphaned pups.

Watch as Glenn and Jeannie Chambers endure "otter chaos" to teach Paddles and Babyface how to swim, to eat fish Popsicles, and generally to be themselves—all leading up to an emotional farewell.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By now, many people have seen this photo of the large toad that is being called "Toadzilla".

Toadzilla: 2 pound Cane Toad captured in Australia.

There are two things that interest me about this oversized toad. One is that I heard a story about him on the radio that told just enough of the facts to grab people's attention, but not the complete story. The other thing that interests me is the cane toad is another example of man's trying to improve on nature and failing miserably.

Continue reading "'Monster' Cane Toad Captured in Australia" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Strange Owl

First spotted in 1976, this 'strange owl,' was finally seen in its native enviroment. Previous specimans were ones that had been caught in nets. This owl lives in Peru, and is very rare. It is beleived there are only about 250 of them left and civilization is creeping in on their once remote home. Can't you just imagine this owl delivering messages at Hogwarts?

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Strange Owl

First spotted in 1976, this 'strange owl,' was finally seen in its native enviroment. Previous specimans were ones that had been caught in nets. This owl lives in Peru, and is very rare. It is beleived there are only about 250 of them left and civilization is creeping in on their once remote home. Can't you just imagine this owl delivering messages at Hogwarts?

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Toyger

Toygers are a new 'designer' animal, well, they are relatively new, they have only been on the market since 1993. The creaters of the Toygers have tried to get them to resemble tigers and thus raise awareness in the world regarding that magnificent and endangered creature. Part of the funds raised from the sale of these animals goes back to helping preserve Tigers around the world. For more information read this article at National Geographic.

My daughter loves tigers, her room has a border of baby tigers, lions, and cheetahs running around it. She thinks these toygers are the cat's miaou!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Gliding Lizard

Wow! What a cool looking little guy. Researchers from China uncovered remarkably preserved remains of the unique creature—an ancient lizard that glided through the air on membranes supported by eight elongated ribs.

Visit National Geographic for a little more information.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A discover in 2001 has led scientist to conclude that this 78 million year old fossil is a missing link between triceratops and centrosaurs. This new species has the horns of the triceratops and the ornate frill of the centrosaurs. This guy was massive!

Albertaceratops nesmoi, photos courtesy of National Geographic

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are still pristine locations in the world where the impact of man has not yet been felt. Such a treasure is to be found in East Timor. This war torn, impoverished country is trying to build their economy, and they have a resource that people from all over the world want to visit. They are working to balance keeping the area pristine with needing to grow their economy. Watch the video from Natonal Geographic for some amazing footage.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mountain Gorilla photo courtesy of National Geographic

Continue reading "Rare Photo of Baby Mountain Gorilla in Congo" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today, global warming is a very hot topic. A lot of that has to do with Al Gore's movie Inconvienent Truth. The topic seems to be on everyone's lips. The topic was even covered in my children's Nickelodeon magazine this month. Interestingly, I read a story where global warming has provided scientists with some good information...

Continue reading "Making Lemonade from Lemons" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the first time in over 200 years, a beaver has been seen swimming up the Bronx river and he has built a lodge of mud and wood along the banks of the river.

Continue reading "Beaver Returns to the Bronx" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Colossal Squid weighing approximately 990 pounds was captured earlier this week by fishermen who were fishing for Patagonia Toothfish.

Continue reading "Colossal Squid Captured off Coast of Antarctica" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Tasmanian Devil is being decimated and is expected to be extinct within a decade if drastic measures aren't taken. In 1996, a mutant disease was found among these cute, but ferocious animals and in some cases, 70% of the populations have died since.

Continue reading "Mutant Disease is Killing off Tasmanian Devils" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)