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June 27, 2009
Animal Of The Week: The Giant Anteater
The Giant Anteater is the largest species of anteater, growing as long as eight feet and as much as 140 pounds. Native to Central and South America, these animals lead solitary lives primarily in rainforests, grasslands and deciduous forests. Both their eyesight and hearing are poor but they do possess a keen sense of smell. Giant anteaters do not prey upon other animals, but they can defend themselves from attack. In such a case, an anteater stands on his hind legs and strikes an attacker much like a bear does. So, be careful of teasing anteaters as they have killed those who threaten them.
The Giant Anteater diet consists of ants and termites. They are exceptionally well suited for their diet. Their tongues can extend two feet in length and can be retracted up to 150 times per minute. They also coat their tongues with sticky saliva to trap their prey. With all of this special anatomical equipment, a single anteater can consume up to 30,000 ants and/or termites per day. There are an estimated 5,000 Giant Anteaters in the wild and 90 in zoos. They are not considered an endangered species.
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Dolphin 56
If you see him, you’ll know him by the number 56 on his dorsal fin. In 1979, Dolphin 56 was part of a group of dolphins branded and then tracked for several years to document dolphin behavior in the wild. During the years of the study, Dolphin 56 was very social with humans. Although the researched ended in the 1980s, he still is. Frequently sighted along the east coast from Florida to New Jersey, he swims up to small boats, stands on his tail and begs for fish. And, he’s not often disappointed. Some of his fisherman buddies look for Dolphin 56 each time they go out – with a fish ready just for him.
Now 42 years old, the Dolphin shows no signs of slowing down, although he does show scars of a collision with a boat. Still, he’s fat and sassy and loving life. But, for how much longer is anyone’s guess. Already 12 years beyond the life expectancy of dolphins at sea, Dolphin 56’s friendly antics may be drawing to an end. And when that time comes, the fishermen along his swimming route will miss him.
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Your Pet And Hurricane Season
June 1 marks the official start of hurricane season. For people who live with animal companions in hurricane country, now is the time to plan for evacuation. The Web Vet suggests several items to include in your evacuation kit for your pet:
Nonperishable food and water for three days, medicine and medical records, id tags and a photo of you with your pet, a pet first aid kit and a crate, a leash, sanitation supplies and special toys. And don’t forget a list of pet-friendly accommodations. A comforting environment always helps to allay furry angst.
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As Time Goes By – Or Not
Scientists, who have sort of studied the topic, claim that dogs are “stuck in time.” But, the topic has only sort of been studied because most of the animal memory research has been done with rodents, birds and primates. Apparently, scientists love to extrapolate. Anyway, dogs are supposedly stuck in time because they cannot willfully think back to specific past experiences or anticipate future events. They never lie around musing about the first time they sat on command or the first cat they treed or next year’s 4th of July party. They simply live in the present.
Perhaps. But, they do remember how to sit on command, what to do with the neighbor’s cat, who their pack members are, who the vet is, where their toys are, etc., etc. And, as long as you have today squared away, how important can memories be, anyway? After all, human memories fade and, when that happens, we are stuck in time with our pets, which is a pretty nice place to be.
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Health Tip Of The Week: Big Pharma Sets Its Sights On Pets
Pet pharma hasn’t even begun to hit its stride and already our pets are popping pills just like us. A variety of pet maladies, such as obesity, cognitive dysfunction, separation anxiety and mood and behavior disorders can now be controlled through drug “therapies”. In addition to drugs, we also subject our pets to other human treatments like root canals and liposuction.
Sound ridiculous? Here are a couple of figures for you. In 2008, Americans spent $49 billion on their pets. Fully one-third of that amount, and the fastest growing segment of pet-related spending, is “healthcare”. Perhaps for some of our furry companions the time portrayed in the History Channel series, “Life After People”, can’t come soon enough.
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