A seagull in Scotland has developed the habit of stealing chips from a neighborhood shop.

The seagull waits until the shopkeeper isn’t looking, and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos.

Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds.

The seagull’s shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Aberdeen, Scotland, and helped himself to a bag of chips. Since then, he’s become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips.

Customers have begun paying for the seagull’s stolen bags of chips because they think it’s so funny.

Here’s an interesting hack made by Joachim from Stockholm. The project uses the good old Bjarnum brackets and Jarpen shelves (in oak) topped off with pieces of an IKEA wool carpet. On the very top shelf sits an IKEA Bastis cat bed, which is, I’m guessing, the most coveted spot in the house.

More details and photos here.

No dog on earth will stay put in the bath tub and wait for you to rinse him off. This is why after your dog is clean you will have to clean the bath first and take a shower after.

Dinovite has come with a new dog shampoo that makes your dog smell clean for a long time and is a natural flea deterrent. The shampoo also contains no chemicals, no perfumes, no fillers, nothing to irritate or dry your dog’s skin.

Oh, and let’s not forget to mention that the shampoo also removes skunk odor from the first wash and contains 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils that have natural, healing properties like coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, tea tree oil and much more.

You can buy a bottle for only $9.49 and you can choose from 4 different blends: essential oil blend, lavender, peppermint/tea tree or unscented if you don’t care for scented shampoos.

Which one is your favorite ?

Do you select your friends based on how well your cats like them?

Does your desire to collect cats intensify during times of stress?

Do you buy more than 50 pounds of cat litter a month?

Do you think it’s cute when your cat swings on your drapes or licks your butter?

Do you admit to non-cat owners how many cats you really have?

Do you sleep in the same position all night because it annoys your cats when you move?

Do you kiss your cat on the whiskers?

Do you feed your cat tidbits from the table with your fork?

Does your cat sleep on your head?

Do you like it?

Do you have more than four opened but rejected cans of cat food in the refrigerator?

Do you watch bad TV because the cat is sleeping on the remote?

Will you stand at the open door indefinitely in the freezing rain while your cat sniffs the door, deciding whether to go out or come in?

Would you rather spend a night at home with your cat than go out on a bad date?

Do you give your cat presents and a stocking at Christmas?

Do you put off making the bed until the cat gets up?

[ click on image to enlarge ]

Professional photographer Enrique Aguirre took this photo of an otter holding a video camera while on a tour of Elkhorn Slough aboard the Elkhorn Slough Safari Boat out of Moss Landing on Feb. 3. The otter, it is assumed, found the camera at the bottom of the ocean.

If you like this photo you will surely like the ones in the gallery below. Photos taken by Paul Nicklen

DAY 752 - My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from shredding the occasional piece of furniture.

Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant and cough it up on the carpeting.

DAY 761 - Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded -must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair…must try this on their bed (again).

DAY 762 - Slept all day so that I could annoy my captors with sleep depriving, incessant pleas for food at ungodly hours of the night.

DAY 765 - Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was…Hmmm. Not working according to plan …

DAY 768 - I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason, I was chosen for the water torture. This time, however, it included a burning foamy chemical called “shampoo.” What sick minds could invent such a liquid. My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my teeth and the tiny bit of flesh under my claws.

DAY 771 - There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call “beer.” More importantly, I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of “allergies.” Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.

DAY 774 - I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The Bird on the other hand has got to be an informant. He has mastered their frightful tongue (something akin to mole speak) and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time…

A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest unless acted upon by some outside force such as the opening of cat food, or a nearby scurrying mouse.

Law of Cat Motion

A cat will move in a straight line, unless there is a really good reason to change direction.

Law of Cat Thermodynamics

Heat flows from a warmer to a cooler body, except in the case of a cat, all heat flows to the cat.

Law of Cat Magnetism

All clothing attracts cat hair in direct proportion to the degree of color difference between the cat hair and the fabric color.

Law of Cat Stretching

A cat will stretch to a distance proportional to the length of the nap just taken.

Law of Cat Sleeping

All cats must sleep with people whenever possible, in a position as uncomfortable for the people involved as is possible for the cat.

Law of Cat Elongation

A cat can make its body long enough to reach just about any countertop which has anything remotely interesting on it.

Law of Cat Acceleration

A cat will accelerate at a constant rate until he gets good and ready to stop.

Law of Rug Configuration

No rug may remain in its naturally flat state if a cat is present.

First Law of Energy Conservation

Cats know that energy can neither be created nor destroyed and will, therefore, use as little energy as possible.

Second Law of Energy Conservation

Cats also know that energy can only be stored, by a lot of napping.

Law of Refrigerator Observation

If a cat watches a refrigerator long enough, someone will come along and take out something good to eat.

Law of Dinner Table Attendance

Cats must attend all meals when anything good is served.

Law of Fluid Displacement

A cat immersed in milk will displace her own volume, minus the amount of milk consumed.

Law of Cat Disinterest

A cat’s interest level will vary in inverse proportion to the amount of effort a human expends in trying to interest him.

Law of Electric Blanket Attraction

Turn on an electric blanket and a cat will jump into bed at the speed of light.

Law of Comfort Seeking

A cat will will always seek, and usually take over, the most comfortable spot in any given room.

Law of Bag / Box Occupancy

All bags and boxes in a given room must contain a cat within the earliest possible nanosecond.

Law of Cat Embarrassment

A cat’s irritation rises in direct proportion to her embarrassment times the amount of human laughter.

Law of Milk Consumption

A cat will drink his weight in milk, squared, just to show you he can.

Law of Pill Rejection

Any pill given to a cat has the potential energy to reach escape velocity.

Law of Equidistant Separation

All cats in a given room will locate at points equidistant from each other, and equidistant from the center of the room.

Law of Space-Time Continuum

Given enough time, a cat will land in just about any space.

Law of Cat Composition

A cat is composed of Matter + Anti-Matter + It Doesn’t Matter.

Law of Furniture Replacement

A cat’s desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.

Law of Cat Landing

A cat will always land in the softest place possible.

Law of Cat Invisibility

Cats think that if they can’t see you, then you can’t see them.

Law of Cat Probability (Cat’s Uncertainty Principle)

It is not possible to predict where a cat actually is, only the probability of where it “might” be.

Law of Selective Listening

Although a cat can hear a can of tuna being opened a mile away, she can’t hear a simple command three feet away.

Law of Concentration of Mass

A cat’s mass increases in direct proportion to the comfort of the lap she occupies.

Law of Cat Obedience

As yet undiscovered.

Here’s a poor snake that ate 4 golf balls and had to get surgery to remove them from his body. You can see that he’s not doing to well. The 4 bumps you see below are the golf balls he swallowed.

And a few photos taken during surgery:

Here are some photos ( taken with a hidden camera ) of what dogs do when their master isn’t home.

And trust me. It really is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens

And here are some great “big cats” photos.

The Giant Leopard Moth or Eyed Tiger Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) has a distinct pattern of black rings, reminiscent to those found in its namesake the leopard. The moth’s unmistakable colorings is aposematic, meaning that they are actually “advertising” the bug’s unpalatability to potential predators.

Giant Camel Spider

Perhaps we would never - or rarely - have heard of such a creature if it was not because of the tales and photos the United States Servicemen in the Persian Gulf War and afterwards the Iraq War carried back home. It was said that a giant camel spider crawled into the sleeping bag of a soldier, biting the man while he was asleep. Fortunately, the giant desert camel spiders native to Iraq aren’t venomous. It uses its claws to catch its prey, which is never bigger than the arachnid itself. They are also known for being fast. Giant Camel Spiders have been known to run around 10 MPH. This creature real name is Arachnid Solifugae. “Solifugae” means, in Latin, “flee from the sun”.

Giant Water Bug

Belostomatidae is a family of insects in the Order Hemiptera, known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters. They are the largest insects in the order Hemiptera, and occur worldwide, with most of the species in North America, South America and East Asia. They are typically encountered in freshwater streams and ponds. Most species are relatively large (2 cm or more) with some of the largest, such as Lethocerus, exceeding 12 cm, and nearly reaching the dimensions (length and mass) of some of the larger beetles in the world. Giant water bugs are a popular food in Thailand.

Hercules Beetle

The Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) is the most famous and largest of the rhinoceros beetles. Native to the rainforests of Central and South America, they also can be found in coastal regions of North Carolina. Their title is well deserved, with some (exceptionally rare) males reaching 6.75 inches (170 mm) in length. It is the largest of the 6 species in the Dynastes genus, and one of the largest beetles known, being exceeded in length by only two other beetles in the family Cerambycidae, Macrodontia cervicornis (specimens of 170-175 mm are known) and Titanus giganteus (several 180+ mm specimens are known to exist). However, if the horns are excluded, this species drops considerably farther down in the size rankings. One reason for this is that the development of the horns is allometric, as well as sexually dimorphic, and thus not strictly correlated to actual body size; it is possible for a female to be much longer, measured from eyes to abdomen, than a male, yet be considered “smaller” simply due to the absence of horns.

Calleta Silkmoth

The Calleta Silkmoth (Eupackardia calleta) is a moth of the Saturniidae family. It is the only species in the Eupackardia genus. [1] It is found in Mexico, Guatemala and the southernmost part of the United States and their wingspan is 80-110 mm.

Cecropia Moth

The Cecropia Moth is one of the largest moths found in North America. It is a member of the Saturniidae family, or giant silk moths. Females with a wingspan of 130 mm or more have been documented. It is found as far west as the Rocky Mountains and north into the maritime provinces of Canada. The larvae of these moths are most commonly found on Maple trees, but they have been known to feed on Wild Cherry and Birch trees among many others.

Damselfly

The Damselfly (Suborder Zygoptera) is an insect in the Order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest. Furthermore, the hindwing of the damselfly is essentially similar to the forewing, while the hindwing of the dragonfly broadens near the base, caudal to the connecting point at the body. Damselflies are also usually smaller, weaker fliers than dragonflies, and their eyes are separated.

Damselflies undergo incomplete metamorphosis, with an aquatic nymphal stage. The female lays eggs in water, sometimes in underwater vegetation, or high in trees in bromeliads and other water-filled cavities. Nymphs are carnivorous, feeding on daphnia, mosquito larvae, and various other small aquatic organisms. The gills of damselfly nymphs are large and external, resembling three fins at the end of the abdomen. After moulting several times, the winged adult emerges and eats flies, mosquitoes, and other small insects. Some of the larger tropical species are known to feed on spiders, hovering near the web and plucking the spider from its nest.

Devil’s Flower Mantis

The Idolomantis Diabolica is sometimes known as the “King of all mantids” for the obvious reason: it’s beauty, size and rarity, is one of the largest species of praying mantis that mimic flowers.

Lymantrid moth

The Lymantrid moth (Calliteara pudibunda) is widespread in Danish beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests. The species has one generation in Denmark, with the dull grey moth flying during June. Each female can lay 300-400 eggs which she normally does very near the place where she emerged from the pupae. The small caterpillar is very hairy and can easily be transported by the wind. In late autumn the caterpillar is fully grown, is about 5 cm long and is very beautifully coloured. Pupation takes place among leaves on the ground where a silken cocoon is made.

Orchid mantis

The Hymenopus coronatu, aka Orchid mantis, is a variety of flower mantis usually found in Malaysia and Indonesia. Doesn’t the mantis pictured look just like an orchid? They hide in the flowers they resemble, waiting for other delicious insects to alight.

Cats and cars never mix, and poor Casper the cat has learned his lesson after getting his head wedged in a spare tire. The mischievous Siamese found himself in the tight spot and needed the help of a fire-crew after a passer-by found him in distress.

The RSPCA were first on the scene and officers took him to Bury St. Edmunds fire station in Suffolk.

And Casper is now fine after the firemen spent an hour cutting him free.

Casper put up a struggle - scratching and biting his rescuers - but was finally freed and is now in the care of an cat-loving RSPCA officer.

[ Daily Mail ]

Look in cookbook for cookie recipe.
Get cup of coffee.
Get cat off of cookbook.
Find that special recipe.
Get cat’s nose out of coffee mug.
Go to fridge and get eggs.
Get dry ingredients from cupboard.
Break eggs in small bowl.
Sift dry ingredients in large bowl.
Answer the phone.

Cat ate eggs; get more from fridge.
Get cat out of flour bowl and dust cat off.
Get Band-Aids for scratches on hands.
Throw flour out and get more.
Preheat oven for cookies.

Glare at cat with desire to bake cat now.
Watch cat run for cover into bathroom.
Flour the counter to roll! out cookie dough.
Run to bathroom to investigate loud crashing sound.
Cat has toilet paper all over floor
and your personal bathroom things
knocked over on top of the counter.

Yell at cat. Cat falls in toilet bowl.
Take cat out of toilet to dry cat off.
Get bandages to cover more scratches
on arms and legs.
Clean up bathroom.
Run to kitchen to see what cat is doing now.

Get cat off floured counter in kitchen.
Try to pick cat hairs out of flour.
Step on cat’s tail and get bitten.
Get coat, car keys, and go to store to buy cookies.
Squeeze cat through partially open window into
a stranger’s car at the store parking lot.

Eat most cookies on the way home.
Give the last cookie to the cat waiting
at the front door
as the cat has beat you home.

Found on [ Tara's Fun Pages ]

Anyone who has ever been owned by a cat knows it’s almost impossible to reason with one. Cats see humans as a necessary evil. The people who live in my cat’s house are nothing more than automatic door openers. Bob Valdez speaks several languages fluently, but all I ever hear him say is, “Hey, fat guy! Open the door.”

Unfortunately, Valdez rarely wants to go out in the daytime. Mostly he wants to go out after 2 a.m., when police patrols are thin and he can murder with impunity.

My wife has surrendered completely. When Valdez starts scratching the carpet, she staggers out of bed and opens the door. Ditto when he wants back in an hour later.

Don’t bother with the advice. We tried a cat door. Once. I nailed it shut when I got up to eat some Cap’n Crunch one night and found the neighbor’s wiener dog in our kitchen.

Valdez has all the amenities - food, water, litter box, toys, satellite TV with the Playboy channel - so it’s not as if he’s suffering by having to stay inside. It’s just that he has my wife trained.

Yesterday, Irene announced she was through taking care of my cat. Every time Valdez woke her up, she was going to wake me up.

The problem is that my wife hates confrontation with anything other than me. If Valdez makes her get out of bed, she won’t make Valdez pay for it. I will.

Because Valdez feels the same way about dog slobber that vampires feel about holy water, last night I filled a spray bottle with murky water from the dogs’ dish. If it was war he wanted, it would be to the death.

Sure enough, at 2:17 a.m., my wife kicked me. Valdez was scratching the carpet. I grabbed the spray bottle and blasted him twice. He tore off down the hall cursing.

He was back at 2:41. This time I got up and chased him into the front room, where I shot him again behind the sofa. He bashed out of there, knocking over a plant.

At 3:20, the scratching woke me up again. Valdez bolted down the hall before I could get a bead on him.

He returned at 4:14 and found me waiting for him. This time I followed him downstairs and got him a good one as he hurtled into the basement, knocking family pictures off the wall.

I found him under the pool table and let him have it. From there, the fight spilled into the storage room, where I managed in the nick of time to get between him and the gun safe. I wasn’t sure whether he had the combination.

We broke some Christmas ornaments, and I slashed my toe. Valdez popped up from behind some food storage and spoke in cat tongues. He was soaking wet by this point, but I got him again.

After bandaging my toe, I got back to bed around 6:30. The wife got me up a half-hour later to clean dog slobber off the walls.

If Bob comes back tonight, he’d better be wearing a raincoat.

—
Humor by Robert Kirby via the Salt Lake Tribune

I just read an interesting post about a Black Cat by DogsViewPoint and it kinda scared me a bit. Imagine yourself being watched for a lot of time by a black cat with big green eyes. Hell no! Not me.
I know that depending where you come from in the world having a black cat cross your path can either be bad luck or good luck. Traditionally black cats are associated with Witches and evil, which often gives them the stigma of being bad luck but I think that the cat mentioned above was really bad.
What do you think ?

- you refer to going to the bathroom as “using the litterbox.”

- you do not consider an outfit complete without some cat hair.

- you consider cat hair in your food as extra fiber.

- you apologize when you step on a fuzzy cat toy in the dark.

- you snap your fingers and pat the sofa beside you to invite your guests to sit down.

- you sleep on one edge of the bed because the cat is sleeping in the middle looking soooo cute!

- you accidentally put your child’s dinner plate on the floor.

- you spend more money on toys for your cats than on the kids or grandkids.

- you decorate your Christmas tree with dangly cat toys.

- your neighbors refer to you as “the crazy one with all the cats.”

- you have more pictures of your cats than your kids in your wallet.

- you refer to your cat as your furry child.

- your parents wind up with a four-footed, furry “grandchild.”

- you plan your vacation around the cat show schedule.

- you accidentally call your spouse by your cat’s name!

- you set a place at the dinner table for your cat.

- you have a set of towels with “His” “Hers” and “Kitty’s.”

- you call home and leave a message on the answering machine for your cat.

- you have the cat meow on the outgoing message of the answering machine.

- you and kitty have matching outfits.

- your spouse says, “Me or the cat!,” and there’s no hesitation.

- you never go to the door unless it’s to let a cat out.

- your favorite friends have fleas.

- you chose a house to buy based on it having a good location for the catbox.

- you think cat fur makes a wonderful garnish to any meal.

- you own 17 varieties of kitty-nail-clippers.

- you are lost for conversation with non-cat people.

- you meow so well, you confuse the cats.

- you bore the neighbors with discussions on the exact nutritional differences between 9-Lives and Amore - at length.

Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa. It covers 18,989 square km (7,332 sq mi) and extends 350 km (217 mi) from north to south and 60 km (37 mi) from east to west.

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, an area designated by the United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the “Biosphere”).

The park has 8 main gates that allow entrance to the different camps. The names of these gates are Paul Kruger, Numbi, Malelane, Crocodile Bridge, Punda Maria, Orpen, Phabeni, Phalaborwa and Pafuri.

Here are some more photos

Thanks [ Pisc24H ]

I am really glad they’re tiny … I don’t even want to think what would happen if these were big as a human.

Look:

Here’s what happens after their mating ritual is complete:

This cat steals stuff from the neighbours and is really unhappy because his owner returns it the “pray”.

I’d love to see Rats of the Caribbean. If any of these movies would be made which one would you love to watch ?

A cat listening to Hip Hop Music.

A cat listening to Metal music.

A cat listening to Stevie Wonder .

A cat listening to Alternative Rock.

A cat listening to Techno Music

Here’s an interesting article I found on cat toilet training which is really useful if you wake up in the morning and clean up under the bed because your cat did something bad under it.

First, you must train your cat to use a home-made cardboard litter box, if you have not already done so. (If your box does not have a one-piece bottom, add a cardboard that fits inside, so you have a false bottom that is smooth and strong. This way the box will not become soggy and fall out at the bottom. The grocery store will have extra flat cardboards which you can cut down to fit exactly inside your box.)

Be sure to use torn up newspaper, not kitty litter. Stop using kitty litter. (When the time comes you cannot put sand in a toilet.)

Once your cat is trained to use a cardboard box, start moving the box around the room, towards the bathroom. If the box is in a corner, move it a few feet from the corner, but not very noticeably. If you move it too far, he may go to the bathroom in the original corner. Do it gradually. You’ve got to get him thinking. Then he will gradually follow the box as you move it to the bathroom. (Important: if you already have it there, move it out of the bathroom, around, and then back. He has to learn to follow it. If it is too close to the toilet, to begin with, he will not follow it up onto the toilet seat when you move it there.) A cat will look for his box. He smells it.

Now, as you move the box, also start cutting the brim of the box down, so the sides get lower. Do this gradually.

Finally, you reach the bathroom and, eventually, the toilet itself. Then, one day, prepare to put the box on top of the toilet. At each corner of the box, cut a little slash. You can run string around the box, through these slashes, and tie the box down to the toilet so it will not fall off. Your cat will see it there and jump up to the box, which is now sitting on top of the toilet (with the sides cut down to only an inch or so.)

Don’t bug the cat now, don’t rush him, because you might throw him off. Just let him relax and go there for awhile-maybe a week or two. Meanwhile, put less and less newspaper inside the box.

One day, cut a small hole in the very center of his box, less than an apple-about the size of a plum-and leave some paper in the box around the hole. Right away he will start aiming for the hole and possibly even try to make it bigger. Leave the paper for awhile to absorb the waste. When he jumps up he will not be afraid of the hole because he expects it. At this point you will realize that you have won. The most difficult part is over.

From now on, it is just a matter of time. In fact, once when I was cleaning the box and had removed it from the toilet, my cat jumped up anyway and almost fell in. To avoid this, have a temporary flat cardboard ready with a little hole, and slide it under the toilet lid so he can use it while you are cleaning, in case he wants to come and go, and so he will not fall in and be scared off completely. You might add some newspaper up there too, while you are cleaning, in case your cat is not as smart as Nightlife was.

Now cut the box down completely until there is no brim left. Put the flat cardboard, which is left, under the lid of the toilet seat, and pray. Leave a little newspaper, still. He will rake it into the hole anyway, after he goes to the bathroom. Eventually, you can simply get rid of the cardboard altogether. You will see when he has got his balance properly.

Don’t be surprised if you hear the toilet flush in the middle of the night. A cat can learn how to do it, spurred on by his instinct to cover up. His main thing is to cover up. If he hits the flush knob accidentally and sees that it cleans the bowl inside, he may remember and do it intentionally.

Also, be sure to turn the toilet paper roll around so that it won’t roll down easily if the cat paws it. The cat is apt to roll it into the toilet, again with the intention of covering up- the way he would if there were still kitty litter.

It took me about three or four weeks to toilet train my cat, Nightlife. Most of the time is spent moving the box very gradually to the bathroom. Do it very slowly and don’t confuse him. And, remember, once the box is on the toilet, leave it a week or even two. The main thing to remember is not to rush or confuse him.

[ Charles Mingus ]

I had an Easter bunny,
One day she ran away.
I looked for her by moonlight,
I looked for her by day.
I found her in the meadow
With her babies 1, 2, 3.
So now I have four rabbit pets
To run and jump with me.

Happy Easter Everybody

Aye Aye

Considered by locals as a harbinger of misfortune, the Aye-aye is one of the world’s most rare and bizarre looking primates. To the Malagasy people, the aye-aye is magical, and believed to bring death to the village it appears in; therefore they’re often killed on sight. The aye-aye is the world’s largest nocturnal primate with an average head and body length of 16 inches (40 centimeters), a long bushy tail of 2 feet (61 centimeters) long, and weighs about 4 pounds (2 kilos). The Aye-aye has large beady eyes, black hair, and large spoon-shaped ears. It has 5-fingered hands with flat nails, with a middle finger up to 3 times the length of the others.

The Frilled Lizard

The frilled lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingi) is a yellowish-brown australian lizard has got a large frill of skin to the sides of the neck and throat. It is about 90 cm/35 in long, and when is angry or alarmed, it erects its frill, which may be as much as 25cm/10 in in diameter, thus giving itself the appearance of being larger than it really is. Frilled lizards are generally tree-living but may spend some time on the ground, where they run with their forelimbs in the air.

Leaf-Tailed Gecko

The Giant leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus) is endemic to Madagascar and the islands Nosy Bohara and Nosy Mangabe. These geckos live in tropical rain forests and reach a total length of 330 mm. A large nocturnal gecko, by day it plasters it self to a small tree trunk and rests head down. If disturbed it will raise it tail and head, open its mouth and scream… and call his mom.

The Naked Mole Rat

The Naked Mole Rat has little hair (hence the common name) and wrinkled pink or yellowish skin. The naked mole rat is also of interest because it is extraordinarily long-lived for a rodent of its size (up to 28 years). The secret of their longevity is debated, but is thought to be related to the fact that they can shut down their metabolism during hard times, and so prevent oxidative damage.

Striking Bright Green Snake

Commonly known as Gumprecht’s green pit viper, is found in the Southeast Asian region of Greater Mekong.

Star-Nosed Mole

One of the most intriguing stars in the universe is right here on Earth: the eleven pairs of pink fleshy appendages ringing the snout of the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata). His star is an extraordinary touch organ with more than 25,000 minute sensory receptors, called Eimer’s organs, with which this hamster-sized mole feels its way around.

Puss Caterpillar

The inch-long Puss Caterpillar is generously coated in long, luxuriant hair-like setae, making it resemble a tiny Persian cat. The ‘fur’ of the larva contains venomous spines that cause extremely painful reactions in human skin upon contact. The reactions are sometimes localized to the affected area but are often very severe, radiating up a limb and causing burning, swelling, nausea, headache, abdominal distress, rashes, blisters, and sometimes chest pain, numbness, or difficulty breathing (Eagleman 2008). Additionally, it is not unusual to find sweating from the welts or hives at the site of the sting. M. opercularis can be found on oaks, elms, citrus and other trees, and many garden plants such as roses and ivy. It is distributed throughout the southern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America. The larva does not spin a real cocoon, rather, it separates from its furry skin and uses it as a protective covering while it pupates.

Snakefish

Snakefish can be up to over a metre in length and over 6 kilograms in weight. Most snakefish are 2-3 feet long. Some describe snakefish as having a voracious appetite, often consuming all other fish in a lake or pond and even eating its young. It can slither across land, staying out of water for up to three days, to find new sources of food. Norton also warns that once on land snakeheads can eat almost any small animal in its path. They have even attacked people in China who got too close to snakehead egg nesting areas.

Giant Isopod

This Terminator look-alike is a Giant Isopod (Bathynomus giganteus), a carnivorous crustacean that spends its time scavenging the deep ocean floor, up to 6,000ft down on the seabed where there is no light. In the pitch black and cold, they survive by feasting on dead and decaying fish and other marine animals.

Kerivoula Kachinensis

Another of the species found in one of the world’s last scientifically unexplored regions, Asia’s Greater Mekong, the Kerivoula Kachinensis is one of the most disturbing bats ever found.

The Giant Panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. It once lived in lowland areas, but farming, forest clearing, and other development now restrict the Giant Panda to the mountains.

The Giant Panda is a conservation reliant endangered species. According to the latest report, China has 239 Giant Pandas in captivity and another 27 living outside the country. It also estimated that around 1,590 pandas are currently living in the wild. However, a 2006 study, via DNA analysis, estimated that there might be as many as 2,000 to 3,000 Giant Pandas in the wild. Though reports show that the numbers of wild pandas are on the rise, the International Union for Conservation of Nature believes there is not enough certainty to remove the Giant Panda from the endangered animal list.

While the dragon has historically served as China’s national emblem, in recent decades the Giant Panda has also served as an emblem for the country. Its image appears on a large number of modern Chinese commemorative silver, gold, and platinum coins. Though the Giant Panda is often assumed to be docile, it has been known to attack humans, presumably out of irritation rather than predatory behavior.

I have this cat whom I found as kitten, too young to have been weened properly and sick - without intervention he wouldn’t have survived on his own much longer. I nursed him back to health, had to hand feed him for awhile, and I became very attatched to him. He’s now really healthy, a beutiful orange tabby and we get along great, but our relationship hit a very rocky point one morning. We’ve patched things up, reasonably well, but memories of this particular morning will always haunt us - particularly me.

But now the point: I shave after I get out of the shower. I throw a towel around my waist, but other than that I shave naked. Like I said my kitten - let’s call him Butters - is hanging out in the bathroom the whole time. At this point he’s maybe 4 months old, still young, but full of energy. He’s playing, doing his thing, and eventually he starts rolling and playing around my feet. ‘How sweet,’ I think. ‘This is a great cat.’

Next thing I know i’m on the floor, curled in the foetus position with blood dripping down my chin from a razor cut and Butters is hiding out behind the porcelin throne, starring at me with huge, dialated eyes.

yeah, he went there.

Dangling objects + kitten = kill.

For those who still haven’t caught on, while playing around my feet Butters must have looked up and seen the ole’ twig and berries, and decide that it would be a great idea to give the danglies a swat. He had good aim - very good aim…

I don’t understand masochists.

Found on Craigslist

Fancy spoiling your feline friend? The Hagen Living World Cat Spa offers the following features:

• Accu-Pressure Pads: A unique sensory experience. Cats love to feel the pressure points beneath their paws and may actually sleep on them.
• Body-Stroke Groomers: For self-grooming and massage. Stimulate face and back glands while providing an easy-access, intense massage.
• Gum Stimulator: An irresistible challenge to cats–blocks access to catnip. Gnawing of the gum stimulator massages and cleans teeth and gums. Rubbing cheek and chin areas stimulates glands.
• Ripple Massager: Solid sculpted ripples perform unlike any brush. Deep penetration of fur provides intense rubbing pleasure to head, neck, and face area.

The Cat Spa is available for $25.49 from Hagen.

A woman survived a polar bear attack in a Berlin Zoo enclosure when keepers pulled her to safety after knocking the animal away, the Daily Telegraph reports. One of four bears in the enclosure attacked the woman in a moat after she entered - a feat that required jumping a fence, hedges, and a wall. She sustained serious injuries to her arms and legs; police didn’t say why she’d entered the area.

Way to cute not to post.

The united surfers managed to find, through the “Glennspam1” site to a MySpace and Facebook accounts and finally the personal web site of the abuser (http://kenny-glenn.com) which has been closed since and the videos of the torture removed from YouTube. You can see now that the website leads to http://www.kenny-glenn.net/.

The surfers also used photographs on the web and videos of the poor kitten to track down 14-year-old Kenny Glenn from Lawton in Oklahoma who was then arrested. Here are a few of the photos:

What is incredible is the speed at which Internet surfers became activated. In just a couple of hours, they collected 1,500 people on a Facebook group called “Dusty, this is for you”. They contacted the police, PETA and the media.

You can see what else happened and Kenny Glenn’s picture on http://www.kenny-glenn.net/

Penguins

Penguins are the natural comedians of the world, from their Charlie Chaplin like walk to the cute way they seem scared of the water until they dive into it, to the charming way they squabble with each other.

Aardvarks

Besides their name already sounding funny, the appearance of this creature is sure to put a smile on your face. These are also called anteaters, the are nocturnal and from Africa. For an animal this big to eat and survive on something as tiny as ants is pretty amazing too.

Tapirs

I am really not trying to make fun of our animal friends, but don’t these two look like an old couple sitting on their front porch? One talking to the other, the other thinking they have heard it before.

Proboscis Monkeys

We seem to have a thing going on with noses. It is the males of this species of monkey who get the big noses. I had considered adding Elephant Seals next on the list, but realized that was another nose issue animal, so omitted it. With them it is also a male trait to have a big nose. Well you know what they say about men with big noses don’t you?

Skunks

Skunks are funny because of their means of defense. As well all know an angry or frightened skunk will spray their target with a foul smelling substance. They can do this about five times before having to wait a few days while their body produces more. As such they only use this as a last defense. Lucky for my wife who has encountered them several times on our deck stealing cat food.

Hyenas

Not funny to look at, and certainly not funny to encounter, the laughing Hyena is only funny if you hear it, and preferably from the safety of a vehicle. There is another rather funny things about these animals. The females have false penis, and well… what else can I say?

Kookaburra

This is a really neat bird from Australia. They are on the comic list because they have a call that sounds like like loud laughter from a group of people. They have different species, and each sound somewhat different from the others. The one in the picture I have selected is the Blue Winged Kookaburra. Also their names are fun to say.

Dung Beetle

WOW he looks huge, but this insect is only a couple of centimeters. The comic thing about this critter is that it eats poop! If you did not realize, “dung” is feces, or poop, from other animals, such as rabbits, and deer. They can live by eating only the material wasted by the other animals’ digestive process. Yummy.

Flounder

These are also called “flatfish”, but are not flat at birth, they are upright and their eyes are on both sides of their bodies, but as they grown the eye begins to move and they become flat. This is pretty cool, and kind of funny. They are also funny because they can change colors. So you can be right next to one, talking about it, and wouldn’t even know it. Unfortunately for them, Flounder are tasty.

Bison

You may not find them funny looking but I always think they resemble a human body builder, all muscle on one end, and not much on the other. They look like they should tip forward. Makes me wonder how they travel down hills without falling all over themselves. These animals were unfortunately killed off in massive numbers years ago, but are making a recovery.

I hope this link give you a good laugh, it is not my intention to belittle any of our animal friends. I love animals and have several myself. These photos are from Wikimedia, and you should check out the licensing agreements there before using any of them yourself. I should note, the funniest of all animals wasn’t even on this list. It is you! Well not you specifically, but humans in general. We are the funniest looking, oddest behaving, animal there is.

Thanks [ Purple Slinky ]

See what I mean ?

Cuban Tree Frogs are glowing like E.T. in the muggy swamplands of Southern Florida. And yes, this is a real, live froggy, not some lame USB dongle.

Thankfully, the little guy did not cook from the inside out. He lived, and was simply protesting the fact that we have yet another American in this country that leaves their Christmas lights up Way Too Damn Long.

[ National Geographic ]

No I wonder … why the f*ck did you buy Whiskas for kittens ? U stupid or somethin ?

Glad the kitty is alright

Ran out of happy

Officials say three endangered Iberian lynx cubs have been born in a nature reserve in southern Spain. The Iberian lynx is the world’s most endangered cat, and the cubs were part of a breeding program in Andalusia’s Donana National Park. The regional environmental department says the cubs born Wednesday bring the total born to 27 since the program started in 2005.

The Iberian lynx looks like a bobcat with dark fur on its ears. The World Conservation Union classifies it as the most endangered feline species, because of habitat loss, poisoning, road casualties, and poaching. The department said about 200 live wild in Andalusia and 50 more in captivity. Last week, a pregnant lynx was found dead after being shot and run over.

See what I mean ?

They were together in the house.

Just the two of them.

It was a cold, dark, stormy night.

The storm had come quickly and each time the thunder boomed he watched her jump.

She looked across the room and admired his strong appearance…and wished that he would take her in his arms, comfort her and protect her from the storm.

Suddenly, with a pop, the power went out…

She screamed…

He raced to the sofa where she was cowering.

He didn’t hesitate to pull her into his arms.

He knew this was a forbidden union and expected her to pull back.

He was surprised when she didn’t resist but instead clung to him.

The storm raged on…

They knew it was wrong…

Their families would never understand.

So consumed were they in their FEAR that they heard no opening of doors … just the faint click of a camera……

…

…

…

…

…

This is Robo-Croc.

He’s built with a pair of metal rods that run down his face, and over forty screws are bolted to his head holding his jaw and skull together.

Surgeons were forced to construct the biotechnological terror now known as Robo-Croc after a car crushed his formerly ordinary-but-endangered crocodile head last year. He hasn’t eaten in three months. They’re hoping that by reinforcing his snout and reconstructing his head and face with a similar texture, they can get him to eat again.

Sink cat

The Sink Cat is usually found in warmer climates where he enjoys the coolness of the porcelain. Sink Cat will not allow you to brush your teeth or wash your hands, and will mock your futile attempts to move him by putting on a cute face. Sink Cat will often drink exclusively from your faucet and will be persistent in making you turn the faucet on for him.

Disdain Cat

Some cats are capable of such a range of facial expressions that their limited vocabulary doesn’t hinder them in the least. Here is an excellent example of Disdain Cat being displeased with the lack of lounging area, or possibly at a dish of dry food that replaced her usual tuna dinner.

Lounge Cat

Now, all cats are Lounge Cats to some extent, but some can take it to a whole new level of lounge-iness. Shown here is a pseudo Lounge Cat. A true Lounge Cat will be completely limp and stretched out to his full extent in order to cover the most area and inconvenience you in the greatest manner. Any object in the way of Lounge Cat will be deposited on the floor.

Luggage Cat

The Luggage Cat weighs 23 lbs and is displeased that he cannot quite cram his large ass into my carryon sized luggage. Luggage Cat will continue to shed his fur onto my clothes in an effort to remind me who I belong to while I am traveling.

Recliner Cat

This is my brand new ThomasVille recliner. Oh, forgive me…. did I say MY recliner? My apologies. Obviously my cats are pleased with this purchase and I have been displaced. $850 for a gigantic cat bed. They let me sit in it occasionally. Recliner Cats won’t take no for an answer.

Lap Cat

Lap Cat is usually seen during the colder months. Lap Cat is happy to use you as a giant hot water bottle, and is most pleased when she can mold herself to your flabby parts for maximum comfort (her comfort, not yours).

Social Cat

The Social Cat will enjoy spending time with and grooming his companions, humans and feline alike. Social Cat makes friends easily and has a pleasant disposition. He enjoys the simple things in life.Social Cat and Lap Cat are first cousins.

Bag Cat

The Bag Cat will claim any unattended bag, even if it is too small for her. She will defend it from all other cats and will particularly enjoy finding toys or food hidden inside the bag. Bag Cat will spend hours attacking invisible things inside the bag and loves the crinkly sounding bags the most.

Window Cat

The Window Cat likes to lounge on window sills and fantasize about the birds and squirrels he would mutilate and destroy. Window Cat can remain motionless for hours at a time, and is also a very capable screen climber.

Party Cat

The Party Cat is always fun at a party and combines the party animal personality with that of a stripper who surprises you by jumping out of a cake. She will appear when you least expect her.

Chirp Cat

The Chirp Cat is capable of making bird noises in his sleep, even though he weighs 23 lbs. If you are not looking directly at him, you will swear that a small bird is trapped in your home. Chirp Cat is actually practicing his foreign language skills in an attempt to fool his prey into coming within attack range.

Dumpster Cat

The Dumpster Cat is capable of balancing herself at precarious angles. She is shown here training for her next dumpster diving expedition. While she may seem innocent enough… beware! She will steal the salami out of your sandwich, eat anything off of the floor, and rummage through your takeout order before you’ve had a chance to eat any of it.

Camouflage Cat

The Camouflage Cat is an expert at terrorism. She will position herself where she can maximize her springing-on-unsuspecting-passersby techniques. Camouflage Cat is usually detected when you see her rear end wiggling as she plots her attack trajectory.

Do you know any other cat personality ?

Ok … now we’re fucked

Play with your cat … don’t let it debate with statues.

But here’s something I haven’t seen before: Birds stealing icecream people’s hands:

Aren’t kittens themselves the best reason for being adorable ?

… some can’t remember how to walk

… some just aren’t the same again

… some are fortunate to sleep in their own beds

… some turn up to be gay

… some don’t even know where they are ( which is better than being gay)

… others just change their look

… or get confy in the washing machine

… or faint while looking for porn

… or faint while trying to wash their face

… some just can’t hold it any longer … and group-poo

… and other don’t want to talk about it (probably they are gay too).

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

From the website:

Cats are known for many things. The dexterity to always land on their feet and the cleanliness of their fur coats. The ability to knock over a lamp or slam into a screen door and casually continue along as if nothing happened. The nerve to shred your furniture with their claws and somehow look cute doing it.
The thoughtfulness of bringing home their latest bird catch and dropping it off at the backdoor as a “present” for you. Cats are not known, however, for their ability to learn and obey the commands of their owners.

That’s where the Control-a-Cat Remote Control can come in handy.

Simply point it at your cat, press buttons on the remote and hope for the best.

With buttons for “Stop Scratching”, “Show Affection”, “Remain Aloof” and many others, you’ll be in control in no time.

It’s finally your turn to make your cat do what you want.

Features

• 21-button remote control
• No batteries required - powered by wishful thinking
• Measures 5.5″ x 2.2″ (14cm x 5.5cm)

Can be bought for only $7.99.

Did you know the lolrus really existed? his name was Minazo. Minazo is a famous southern elephant seal who lived in Enoshima Aquarium in Japan until his death in October of 2005. He was 11 years old, 15 feet long, and weighed two tons. Southern elephant seals are the largest of all pinnipeds, and Minazo was a prime example.

His name was a combination of three kanji characters meaning “beautiful”, “male”, and “elephant”. Minazo was brought to Japan from Uruguay in 1995. The seal soon mastered a variety of comical feats, including a popular stunt in which he held a bucket with one flipper while sticking out his tongue.

And here’s his story:

C’mon … please don’t do it.

Oh, yes I will. Look … I can fly

…
after 20 seconds
…

Please get me out of here

An Illinois couple went to the Bahamas and, desiring a truly exotic vacation, caught and ate an endangered iguana. Of course, they posted pictures of their totally wild excursion on Facebook. Which got them arrested.

Vanessa Starr Palm, 23, of Illinois and Alexander Daniel Rust, 24, of Indiana, were arrested last Monday after pictures of the two having an iguana feast in the islands were posted on the social networking website.

According to police the pictures showed them “catching an iguana, parts of an iguana on a grill, two men eating the iguana pieces, and a man and a woman cleaning what appears to be undersized conch.”

Nicely done.

Thank you [ Metro.co.uk ]

So you want to play.
Will I claw at dancing string?
Your ankle’s closer.

There’s no dignity
In being sick: which is why
I don’t tell you where.

Seeking solitude
I am locked in the closet.
For once I need you.

Tiny can, dumped in Plastic bowl
Presentation, One star;
service: none.

Am I in your way?
You seem to have it backwards:
This pillow’s taken.

Your mouth is moving;
Up and down, emitting noise.
I’ve lost interest.

The dog wags his tail,
Seeking approval. See mine?
Different message.

My brain: walnut-sized.
Yours: largest among primates.
Yet, who leaves for work?

Most problems can be
Ignored. The more difficult
Ones can be slept through.

My affection is conditional.
Don’t stand up,
It’s your lap I love.

Cats can’t steal the breath
Of children. But if my tail’s
Pulled again, I’ll learn.

I don’t mind being
Teased, any more than you mind
A skin graft or two.

So you call this thing
Your cat carrier. I call
These my blades of death.

Toy mice, dancing yarn
Meowing sounds.
I’m convinced: You’re an idiot.

So I can see you better!

I see a lot of weird things daily but this one has to be mentioned on the blog.
The High Voltage Pet Brush doesn’t seem like the safest thing to be using on your pets. Although, the manufacturers claim it can kill fleas and ticks with extreme prejudice.

Pretty crazy. Imagine your cats fur after you brushed it with some electric current.

If this slurpee was made in 1967 is sure tastes good. I even took a photo of myself enjoying it.

LOOK

They emailed me back with this photo

saying: “We are all anctious to see you again”.

Errr … how did my old friends manage to know my old clients ?

Doing Magic Tricks

Drinking Whiskey

Plumbing

Reading a book

Underwater Swimming

Working for KGB

Voting in Cat Elections

The hardest thing is to find a good movie. We don’t like to go to the cinema. We rent movies and watch them home because it’s much more comfortable. We are looking for movies that have PG rating and of course have a message or share a life lesson. My younger brothers have to learn stuff from movies too so they don’t do the mistakes seen in the movies.

When I saw the preview for All Roads Lead Home The Movie I knew that it is going to be a great family movie so I added it to the list.
The movie has a good cast and has already been the winner of the Best Feature Drama at the International Family Film Festival. It will be available on DVD on January 13th and I really look forward to seeing it.
Here’s the trailer:

I guess it’s time to go out shopping and buy some microwave popcorn just to be sure that when the movies comes out we’re all set for a great family movie night.

A Happy New Year to you. May 2009 be twice as better as 2008 was.
Let’s not forget our pets, they deserve a greeting too. May your pets get more treats, more playtime and of course only the food they love in 2009.

This is why you need the following

It really is adorable. Don’t you want to just hug and kiss it ?

Here are some more pictures.

This cats name is Mischief. He is one of the oldest cats that ever lived.
He has lived for 27 human years which is the equivalent of 127 cat years. He is probably one of the luckiest cats on Earth. Not just because he lived so much but he was also hit by a motorcycle in 1990.

Mischief is holding on pretty well for his change, his fur is still shiny but it looks like it looses a bit more hair than when he was a young kitten. Nothing fancy about him, he still looks like a normal cat but you can read his wisdom in his eyes.

Kittens and cats immediately begin to develop a mental territory map, as they begin to expand their explorations beyond the home boundaries. They also leave fresh scent marks with urine, faeces and from the scent glands on their head and paws. It would be rare for a kitten to brave a great distance from a known territory. However, explorations can become a feline adventure when an interesting fence, wall or group of trees is encountered. The excitement and fear is also heightened when another cat appears. If the other cat begins a chase in an effort to drive away a potential competitor, the kitten can quickly become territorially disorientated. If the kitten is chased back home, the experience is just part of a learning curve; if chased away from familiar territory, the consequences can be much more serious. With this in mind, it is always wise to supervise the early outdoor explorations of a young cat and keep in contact with it by using food treats, interaction and affection to keep it safe and close to home.

“It was mentioned by Daraj Ibn Abi Hatim, that Abu al-Haytham ‘Adullah Ibn Wahb narrated from Abu Sa’id al-Khudhri, who heard the Prophet Muhammad PBUH saying, ‘The smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy-two houri, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine and ruby, as wide as the distance from al-Jabiyyah to San’a.

Thanks Wikipedia.

It looks like cats want those 72 virgins too:

and you get a smile from that someone :

And of course you should remember this one

Mantises are exclusively predatory and their diet usually consists of living insects; larger species have been known to prey on small lizards, frogs, birds, snakes, and even rodents. Most mantises are ambush predators, waiting for prey to stray too near. The mantis then lashes out at remarkable speed. Some ground and bark species, however, pursue their prey rather quickly. Prey are caught and held securely with grasping, spiked forelegs (”raptorial legs”); the first thoracic segment, the prothorax, is commonly elongated and flexibly articulated, allowing for greater range of movement of the front limbs while the remainder of the body remains more or less immobile. The articulation of the head is also remarkably flexible, permitting nearly 300 degrees of movement in some species, allowing for a great range of vision (their compound eyes have a large binocular field of vision) without having to move the remainder of the body. As their hunting relies heavily on vision, they are primarily diurnal, but many species will fly at night, and can be commonly encountered at night.

Mantises are masters of camouflage and most species make use of protective coloration to blend in with the foliage or substrate, both to avoid predators themselves, and to better snare their victims. Various species have adapted to not only blend with the foliage, but to mimic it, appearing as either living or withered leaves, sticks, tree bark, blades of grass, flowers, or even stones. Some species in Africa and Australia are able to turn black after a molt following a fire in the region to blend in with the fire ravaged landscape (fire melanism). While mantises can bite, they have no venom, and are not dangerous to humans. They do not appear to be chemically protected; nearly any large predatory animal will eat a mantis if it is able to detect it (mantises are generally quite aggressive towards one another, in fact, and most species are readily cannibalistic when given the opportunity).

And finally here are some more interesting mantis photos