The Best Animal Stories

Cat Food Heist Busted!

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 20:56:00 +0000

A man in Clearwater, Florida was arrested recently for stealing over $342 worth of cat food from a local Walmart Store. James Lawlor's brilliant plan was simple: load up a shopping cart with cat food and push it out to his car. However, Walmart's loss prevention team flagged and apprehended Mr. Lawlor. Lawlor was later arrested and sent to the Pinellas County Jail charged with one count of Grand Theft in amounts greater than $300 but less than $5000. He was released on a $2000 bond.

Lawlor, 23, told police he had done it before without getting caught and that he sells it to a friend that has "300 cats" and others. He called his transactions, "hustling." Lawlor has been arrested once before for domestic battery in 2009.

Apparently this was not the Prrrfect crime...

To read about cat food reviews, news and brands please visit http://www.organiccatfood.org

New "Flying" Frog Species Has Amazing Feet (Pictures)

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 01:20:00 +0000

Jodi Rowley

In Vietnam, researches recently conducted an extensive study on a newly discovered "flying" frog. The frog, dubbed Helen's flying frog, is named after discoverer Jodi Rowley's mother. Jodi, an amphibian biologist at the Australian Museum in Sydney, is the lead author of the new study.

Jodi Rowley

Currently, scientists have identified 80 species of flying frogs. The unique creatures have the ability to "parachute" from tree to tree due to special aerodynamic feet and unique shape. Helen's flying frog is "one of the most flying frogs of the flying frogs," Rowley said, "in that it's got huge hands and feet that are webbed all the way to the toepad."

The new flying frog study was published in December 2012 in the Journal of Herpetology. Original article was posted here.

Hilarious Compilation of Goats Acting Goofy

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:50:00 +0000

Butterfly Has Snake Head Design (Cool Picture)

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:40:00 +0000

Image by Cordyceps

Dung Beetles - Amateur Astronomers?

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:13:00 +0000

(Rafael Brix)

Researchers at Johannesburg’s Wits University have conducted tests indicating that a species of South African dung beetle (Scarabaeus zambesianus) use stars from the Milky Way to navigate. The beetles, which roll dung balls from larger piles to escape from competing beetles, amazingly are able to roll in nearly perfect straight lines. Scientists predict this action is simply to retreat in the most efficient manner possible. Although scientists have known for years that the insects use the sun and moon to navigate, it remained a mystery as to how they were able to be remarkably consistent on moonless nights until now.

To test their theory, researches placed beetles into the university’s planetarium to see how they would act with a normal night sky (with stars and no moon), and then in one without the Milky Way. With the Milky Way off, the dung beetles were disoriented and lost.

"The dung beetles don't care which direction they're going in. They just need to get away from the bun fight at the poo pile," Marcus Byrne, a professor at Wits said. "But when we turned off the Milky Way, the beetles got lost."

Dung beetles feed on dung, mushrooms, and decaying leaves. They search for food mainly by smell and often compete with each other for resources. They are found on all continents except Antarctica.

Monster White Sturgeon Caught in Canada

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 04:25:00 +0000

GrindTV

"The thrill of a lifetime." That is how Michael Snell of Salisbury, England described this incredible catch. In the summer of 2012, Michael landed this monster fish on the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada while on a guided fishing tour. The fish weighed approximately 1,100 pounds (498.9 kg) and measured 12 feet, 4 inches.

GindTV

White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) are prehistoric-looking fish that potentially can reach up to 1,800 lbs and almost 20 feet in length. They are the largest freshwater fish in North America. Sturgeon can live to be over a hundred years old.

After getting video and photographs, the thousand pound fish was released back into the river. Here is the full video from GrindTV:

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/video/monster_white_sturgeon_caught_in_canada/#65446

Skyping Dogs!

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:52:00 +0000

Radioactive Fish Found Off of Coast of Japan

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:39:00 +0000

Mike, the Murasoi - Sebastes pachycephalus (TEPCO)

Scientists from Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) say a murasoi fish found near Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan had levels of radiation over 2,500 times the legal safe limit for seafood. In 2011, a massive tsunami severely damaged the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, resulting in radioactive contamination from reactor meltdowns.

Despite the extremely high levels of radiation, the fish had no visible signs of mutations. Murasoi (Sebastes pachycephalus) are members of the rockfish family and grow to a maximum length of about 42 cm (16.5 inches).

The media has dubbed this fish "Mike, the Murasoi."

Fish are not the only wildlife to be affected by the reactor meltdowns:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/fukushima-radiation-causes-insect-mutations-researchers-20120817-24cy2.html

A Heated Discussion With an Ibex

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Tue, 17 May 2011 02:57:00 +0000

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

Enraged Elephant Discovered to Be a Man-Eater

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 05:22:00 +0000

Local Authorities Opening Up the Man-Eating Elephant

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

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

Read the Huffington Post's article here.

Lake Monster Photographed?

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 04:52:00 +0000

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

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

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

Here is the picture:

"Bownessie" - Photograph by Tom Pickles

South American Creature Found In Texas

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 04:58:00 +0000

From a local NBC Affiliate (WCSH6):

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

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

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

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

Attribution: Robrrb at en.wikipedia

Classic Video: Golden Eagle Drags Goat Off Cliff

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:19:00 +0000

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

Man Hunted by Tiger, Lives to Tell Story

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 04:06:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

Man Killed By Rooster

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:42:00 +0000

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

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:47:00 +0000

© Mike Barron

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

What is a Groundhog?

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:28:00 +0000

April King, aka Marumari

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

www.netglimse.com

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

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

The History of Groundhog Day

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:53:00 +0000

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

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

According to wikipedia:

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

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

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

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

As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and rain
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop
This tradition also stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and Groundhog Day. Candlemas, also known as the Purification of the Virgin or the Presentation, coincides with the pagan observance Imbolc.

Coconut Crab (Unbelievable Pictures) - Animal of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:43:00 +0000

From www.cryptomundo.com

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

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

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

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

Here are some other pictures from around the web:

From www.cryptomundo.com

http://www.cuteandweird.com

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

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:03:00 +0000

(AP)

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

Dog Gets Head Stuck In Wall (Picture)

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 23:28:00 +0000

(AP Photo, Riverside County Animal Services)

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

Hawk Finds Home in Library of Congress, Eludes Capture

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:56:00 +0000

(Abby Brack / Library of Congress)

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

Fugitve Monkey Terrorist Escapes, Then Captured

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 06:24:00 +0000

Kyodo News / AP

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

Orange Alligator Found In Florida?

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Photo by Sylvia Mythen.

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

Dog Gives Birth To 17 Very Cute Puppies

noreply@blogger.com (RJ) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 01:46:00 +0000

9 of the pups (Associated Press)

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