Thursday Dog Blog (plus other non-cat blogging)

9 Comments

1. 

   keres on August 4, 2005 at 7:26 pm

   Meet Helmut, the Golden Mystery Snail (aka Apple Snail).
   

   For some reason, known only to it (snails are hermaphrodites, so it’s hard to know which pronoun to use), Helmut took a single footed stroll across the lid of the tank a few days ago, and was captured in the act by my partner.
   

2. 

   sybil on August 4, 2005 at 8:14 pm

   

   The look on the real horses face: “Whoa, what’s this?”
   

3. 

   AndiF on August 5, 2005 at 12:10 pm

   

   Hoary marmots have got to be one of the world’s most relaxed animals — it’s never very hard getting a picture of one

   

   Pikas , OTOH, are very shy and we were pleased that it only took six tries to get a decent picture.

   

   Our favorite shot of the ever-present mosquitoes — dead in a spider web.

   • 

     sybil on August 5, 2005 at 8:00 pm

     I love those Pikas.

     The Vancouver Island hoary marmot is endangered,
     on the brink as they say, because of habitat loss.

     • 

       AndiF on August 5, 2005 at 8:09 pm

       Pikas are really cute — and since they are so shy they alsodon’t wear out their welcome like chipmunks and squirrels who are constantly trying to get in your backpack.

       I’m kind of shocked that marmots would be endangered since they seem to be so plentiful when we are hiking out west but, of course, island habits are so much more difficult. Speaking of which, David Quammen has a really good book on this subject called “The Song of the Dodo: island biogeography in an age of extinctions.”

       • 

         sybil on August 5, 2005 at 8:45 pm

         The Vancouver Island marmot is a critically endangered species; fewer than 100 are known to exist and the remnant populations seem to be declining. A captive breeding program has been started, in collaboration with the Toronto Zoo. Its goal: to provide marmots for future reintroductions aimed at expanding their range. A tremendous amount of information about this species’ behavior, ecology, and status can be found on the The Vancouver Island Marmot home pages, as well as heaps of fantastic photos, and information on how you can help save the Vancouver Island marmot. Vancouver Island marmots have a rich vocabulary of alarm calls and communicate in a sophisticated way. Like their close relatives, the Olympic and hoary marmots, Vancouver Island marmots have ascending, flat, and descending single note alarm calls. When highly aroused, they also trill. They diverge from all other species in their fifth somewhat unique vocalization, the kee-aw.

         I was shocked too, after my son had told me about the mainland marmots crawling all over his car and trying to hitch a ride when he went camping in the mountains. There are people dedicated to their recovery but 100 does not guarantee enough genetic diversity.

4. 

   dada on August 5, 2005 at 12:56 pm

   There’s a reason it’s a non-cat blog: Exhibit A:
   

   BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

   Peace

5. 

   Damnit Janet on August 5, 2005 at 5:46 pm

   My black lab is deathly afraid of snowmen. She “killed” one her first winter. The kids spent an hour or so making a great hockey goalie snowgoon and when they came indoors, Shinobi (means 9/sacred in a round about way) ran out growling and dove into it and then was all confused when she shook off the snow and couldn’t see her enemy.

   She’s a strange dog. She hates the beach and snow. And she will hold it instead of going outside to pee in the rain. I think it has to do with her feet being tender or something.

   • 

     AndiF on August 5, 2005 at 6:26 pm

     My dogs will go out for a walk with me in the rain and love getting completely drenched BUT if I just try to send them out in the rain they will refuse to go (the all-time record for holding out is 22 hours). Apparently if you are playing in the rain, it doesn’t actually count.

     Snow, OTOH, doesn’t even count as “wet”. Our malamutt actually loves to sleep in the snow.