Sloth in the Box

I've taken loads to the dumpster and encountered both racoons and possums. But never something like this.

This sloth (Bradypus sp.) looks very pleased with himelf, very content in his cardboard box.
These nocturnal creatures are native to Central and South America. They sleep 16 - 20 hours a day, and have the distinction of being the slowest moving mammal, a title I thought I held.

How slow moving are they? They're so slow moving that algae grows on them (I grow moss myself). This algae serves as camoflage as they clamber about the treetops in search of leaves. They are remarkable climbers, awful walkers, but adept swimmers. And they have one last trick up their sleeves (aside from those claws). They can turn their head 270 degrees.

Nothing in their species profile indicates a proclivity for living in boxes.

Photo source: Knuttz.net

Cinder the Hairless Chimp

Cinder is an eleven-year-old resident of the Saint Louis Zoo. She is a beloved member of the Chimpanzee exhibit, and is described as a real sweetheart and the center of attention by her handlers.

She suffers from a condition known as alopecia universalis--complete and utter hairlessness (this is also found among 1.7% of the human population). She was born at the zoo as a normally hairy baby. She soon, however, lost all of her hair. Aside from hairlessness, she is an otherwise healthy, happy chimp with a full life expectancy ahead of her.

I post on Cinder for a few reasons:

1) You may have noticed that I am fascinated by instances of alopecia.
2) Cinder's hairlessness shows off her spectacular musculature. There are many homo sapien males who would give much to have those arms.
3) She looks an awful lot like my little brother.

So, the next time you're in Saint Louis, be sure to say hello to Cinder for me.

Thanks for the link, Ida.

Photo source: Saint Louis Zoo

Hitching a Ride

Just what the world needed: a new species of tick spider (Ricinoides sp.) was found during a 2006 expedition to Ghana's Atewa Range Forest Reserve.

Thankfully, this species of tick spider (the name makes me twitch and need to scratch) is rare. And though he may be looking at the camera and holding his leg up to hitch a ride (I know what you're up to, tick spider), I can rest easy knowing that Ghana is a long, long way from me.

Thanks for the photo, Ida.

Photo source: Piotr Naskrecki via LiveScience.com via Animal Picture Archives

Not Much Sleep

The kids were up a lot last night, contending with coughs and fever and runny noses. When the kids don't get much sleep, mommy and daddy don't get much sleep.

This morning, when I 'woke' up, I looked a lot like this sphynx cat. The main difference being that I had a bit more stubble to shave before stumbling out the door for work. The cat no doubt got to continue luxuriating in its velvety bedding.

Thanks for the photo, Suzy.

Photo source: Alopecia Sphynx

Sniff

The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) has a number of fascinating characteristics, but I never knew this one: they can sniff underwater. Now, I can sniff underwater too, with the result being a lot of coughing and cursing. But the star-nosed mole can do it productively. They can smell underwater. The image below demonstrates.

Do you see it now? Two bubbles emerging from the betentacled nostrils? Don't try that at home people.

Thanks for the photo, Ida.

Photo source: LiveScience via Animal Picture Archives

Jubilee for Cephalopods

Senior ocean analyst Kate Wing says that global warming has caused the waters off the west coast of North America to become anoxic, which has led to massive die-offs of sea life. But there is always life in death. As Wing so beautifully put it, all this death has resulted in a "jubilee for cephalopods."

Fishermen are reporting droves of giant Humboldt squid, who have come to the edges of these anoxic zones to feast upon the dead and dying hake. If I may quote more than one of my readers: I for one welcome our squid overlords.

Thanks for the article, Ida.

Photo source: io9.com

Thumbnail

Three recent expeditions to Costa Rica have uncovered 5,000 new species of life. Three of them were previously unknown species of salamander. One of those was super tiny.

This one, the dwarf salamander (Nototriton sp.) grows to little bigger than a thumbnail (about an inch). We've always known that slippery and slimy can come in itty-bitty packages, but now we know it can also come with four legs.

Thanks for the article, Jeri.

Photo source: LiveScience

Get Your Grub On

I really enjoy a good barbeque, especially shish kabobs. I can smell the steak, the green peppers, the mushrooms, the onion, the pineapple, and the grubs.

The UN is meeting in Thailand to discuss the nutritional possiblities of grubs, and to see what farming possibilities there might be for making them more available in third world countries. As unappetizing as giant, bulbous grubs are to my western palette, I'm all for dining on them. With any luck, they'll find that these grubs are not only a delicacy, but they are also an aphrodisiac, and they will bring you good luck. That'll help preserve a whole bunch of Asian endangered animals.

Photo source: Yahoo! News