Lifesaver

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Call it a SQUABble ...

Four people ended up in the hospital and another four were injured after feathers flew in a dispute over a racing pigeon Wednesday, Australian police said.

Police were called after a fight broke out between two families of pigeon fanciers in a suburb of the southern city of Melbourne over ownership of the prized bird. Four people were taken to hospital after suffering cuts to their heads and hands in the avian affray. Another four people received minor injuries that were treated at the scene.

Edouard Martinet Sculptures

Edouard Martinet makes these amazing animal sculptures from scrap metal in junkyards. The work represented on this site consists of metal sculptures created using found materials which are fixed without welding. He selects his raw materials found in junk yards.

Stainless steel beak fits the bill for exotic bird

A rare exotic bird has been given a new lease of life after his beak broke off — and a metal one was fitted in its place.

The southern ground hornbill, one of only 12 in Britain, would have starved without human intervention. Staff at Birdland, in Gloucester, fitted a six-inch beak made from stainless steel and attached by five small bolts. Now 15-year-old Metal Mickey, as visitors are calling him, is doing well. He is believed to be the first bird in Britain to have a steel jaw.

And this little piggy...sunbathed all day long

Katrina Pet Tales

From the Humane Society of Missouri, there's a an online "book" of the combined rescue efforts of four groups who came together to help rescue Katrina's four legged victims.

Together they rescued more than 10,000 animals, reunited hundreds of families with their pets, and found new homes for thousands more.The stories and photographs are now available online at www.katrinapettales.com.

American Dogs of Distinction

The American Dogs of Distinction announced that their nationwide search continues for America's top dogs! Nominations for inclusion in the '2007 American Dogs of Distinction' are currently being accepted on their company's website http://american-dogs-of-distinction.com/.

Monkey On Your Back

Given the array of monkey meanings and functions within Western culture, it's not surprising to find man's supposed lesser cousin often captured by the camera. Indeed, the UCR/CMP collections exhibition Monkey on your back artfully reveals myriad monkey signs across a range of photographic practices while also providing a thought provoking and occasionally alarming entry point for thinking about how monkeys rest, cling, tickle, tease, enlighten and clutch to our senses.

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Dendrobates pumilio: Strawberry Poison Dart Frog

The bright colors of D. pumilio warn predators that these tiny frogs produce strong toxins by way of special poison glands. These toxins can cause convulsions, paralysis and eventually death if they enter the bloodstream of an animal.

Dustin

Dustin

Dustin was rescued from a home where he was being neglected. He was taken to a no-kill shelter and a volunteer at the shelter got on the internet and started spreading the word that this baby needed help and fast!

Best in Show: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Dogs are a common visual motif in Western art and have been called the "artist´s best friend" for their role as companion and life model. Best in Show: The Dog in Art from the Renaissance to Today features some of the finest images of man´s best friend by distinguished and renowned painters, sculptors, and photographers, as well as exceptional works by lesser-known but equally inspired artists.

The Cat's Meow: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Cat´s Meow gathers approximately 25 works from the MFAH collections of prints and drawings, photography, and Asian art, all featuring fabulous felines in various stages of posing, prowling, and purring.

Foxes Invade Tasmania, Create "Environmental Emergency"

The recent discovery of a fox carcass in Australia's state of Tasmania has prompted government officials to warn of a "national environmental emergency."

Scientists and officials fear the common red fox was born in Tasmania, indicating that the species has established a foothold on the island, located off the southern coast of mainland Australia

Once established, foxes could wipe out more than 70 species native to the island, which is renowned for its large tracts of pristine wilderness.

Virus Has 'Catastrophic' Affect On Red Squirrels, Research Shows

New research has revealed for the first time the catastrophic effect of a deadly virus on Britain's native red squirrels.

New research reveals for the first time the catastrophic effect of a deadly virus on Britain's native red squirrels. The virus, passed on by the North American grey squirrel that was introduced to the UK, is threatening to wipe out reds in Northern England within 10 years. In areas where the virus has been detected, the rate of decline in reds is 17-25 times higher than in places where there has been no outbreak.

Photographing Squirrels

The members of A.C.O.R.N. (American Camera Organized Rodent Network) have found that they really enjoy shooting with film. They say there is no need for bulky computer equipment and they dislike all the complicated controls that new cameras have.

In these pages Scott Alan Johnson has documented the uses of old cameras and the members of the A.C.O.R.N. group.

Jellyfish Invasion Puts Sting on Europe Beaches

Huge numbers of stinging jellyfish have attacked bathers in the Mediterranean this summer, providing further evidence that the gelatinous creatures are becoming more abundant in European seas.

Researchers say the invasion is the result of a combination of climate change and overfishing of the jellyfish's natural predators and competitors for food.

Ant Has Fastest Jaw in the World

The trap-jaw ant's scientific name may be ponderous, Odontomachus bauri, but this hunter can clamp its mandibles shut at between 78 mph and 145 mph, according to a report in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

That makes it faster than the mantis shrimp, former record holder for fastest strike, according to researchers led by Sheila Patek, assistant professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Even better, it can snap those jaws shut with such force that it can propel itself backward out of danger.

Psycho Killer Raccoons Terrorize Olympia, WA

A fierce group of raccoons has killed 10 cats, attacked a small dog and bitten at least one pet owner who had to get rabies shots, residents of Olympia say.

Some have taken to carrying pepper spray to ward off the masked marauders and the woman who was bitten now carries an iron pipe when she goes outside at night.

"It's a new breed," said Tamara Keeton, who with Kari Hall started a raccoon watch after an emotional neighborhood meeting drew 40 people. "They're urban raccoons, and they're not afraid."

Cat Toilet Tissue Holder

Here is the ultimate cat decor for your home! This is a cat shaped toilet paper holder! It measures 10" x 4" x 8". The flat back side has a picture-style hanger on it for easy placement on the wall (you just need the nail, screw, or tack to hang it on). The roller comes out easily for replacing the roll.

Warm Whiskers

Warm Whiskers: These wonderful snuggly pets may be heated or frozen as needed. Heat and wrap around your neck to relieve stress and neck pain. They have a soothing lavender scent. Apply to any area of pain.

They may be frozen and wrapped around the neck for cooling in the heat of summer or applied to injuries to help decrease or prevent swelling.

Stuff On My Cat: Stuff On My Contest!

Stuff On My Cat contest. Vote on pictures of cats preparing for the upcoming school year.

Here's my favorite:

Ferret Clothes

Whether dressing your ferret up for the Easter parade or going to Heff's place for a party, these Rabbit Ears will make your ferret the star of the event.

Dogs with Wigs

" Our goal here at dogs w/wigs is to entertain and informt he public on the growing trend of putting wigs on ur dogs!! hopefully by looking @ dese pics u will become more knwledgeable about dogs w/wigs and we encourage you to supoport their cause of putting wigs on dogs thank you!!! "

Video: Dog Plays Basketball

Cobra is a dog that just loves to play basketball.

Video: orca and dog

Ever see a whale play with a dog?

Video: Puppy vs Kitty

Watch a kitten and a puppy play and wrestle.

Giant Jumping Sturgeon Stir Up Mystery in Florida River

Florida vacationers may be aware of the potential dangers of sharks and alligators—but what about Gulf sturgeon?

The giant fish trace their roots back to the days of dinosaurs and can grow up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) long and weigh up to 200 pounds (91 kilograms).

They can also jump six feet (two meters) out of the water and crash into unsuspecting boaters.

This year, there have been at least five such collisions on the Suwannee River in northwestern Florida, some of them resulting in serious injuries.

Sebastian the cat gets 'grilled'

Sebastian the cat gets 'grilled'

This cool cat has traded in his catnip for some bling. Sebastian, a one-year-old Persian with long black hair, sports gold crowns on his two bottom canines, which grew sticking out from his lips in an underbite similar to a bulldog's.

His owner, dentist David Steele, said he gave Sebastian gold crowns to help strengthen the fanged feline's teeth. Steele said he was worried the unique canines would break off or become a problem.

Exhibit Eyes Record for 2-Headed Animals

Exhibit Eyes Record for 2-Headed Animals

Officials of the World Aquarium at the City Museum subscribe wholeheartedly to the maxim that two heads are better than one. If they're on the same animal, that is.

Aquarium officials hope an exhibit that opens next week and runs through Sept. 5 will prompt the creation of a Guinness World Record for the most two-headed animals on display.

Killer Whales Kiss and Make Up

Even killer whales have domestic squabbles, at least in captivity. And a new study suggests that, like humans, the whales often reconcile their differences, in their case with some side-by-side swimming. The finding suggests that reconciliation isn't a behavior unique to big-brained primates.

Human relationships undoubtedly benefit from peacemaking skills, and many studies have shown that the same is true for chimpanzees, other primates, and perhaps even hyenas. Yet the ability to reconcile has never before been identified in marine mammals. The new evidence comes from 2800 hours of killer whale videotape recorded at MarineLand in Niagara Falls, Ontario, by animal behaviorist Michael Noonan of Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.

Torre Argentina - Roman Cat Sanctuary

1929 was the year the sacred area of Torre Argentina was excavated. This was also the year the history of the cats residency began. Stray and abandoned felines took refuge in the protected area below street level. From 1929 until 1993, the cats were more or less regularly fed by a succession of cat ladies or 'gattare' as they are called condescendingly by the Romans.

Lurking at the Aquarium, Brilliant Houdinis of the Deep

A leading indicator of octopus intelligence is that they get bored.

Out of hunger for amusement -- not necessarily food or freedom -- they can maneuver out of tanks whose covers have been held down by 40 pounds of concrete blocks, and climb into the tanks of other sea creatures and eat them. They can die of boredom -- by climbing out, but not finding a tank to climb back in.

Online dating is planned for orangutans

Single male (red hair, long arms, interests include hanging in trees and grooming) seeks female for long-distance relationship and possibility of meeting up in future to help save species.

Zookeepers in the Netherlands are planning to hook up Dutch and Indonesian orangutans over the Internet and believe the link could at some stage be used as an online dating service where apes could get to know one another and keepers could work out whether they would be compatible mates.

Birds prove wisdom of 'opposites attract'

Animal experts have shown that, for cockatiels at least, a one-sided relationship is the best way to ensure harmonious family life.

The cockatiel mating game is largely a case of 'opposites attract', says Rebecca Fox of the University of California, Davis, who led the research. She found that cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) actively seek out potential mates with a personality different to their own, and that these unions tend to progress most smoothly.

"Cockatiels are similar to us in the way they have relationships," says Fox. "They have long, cooperative partnerships, raise young together, and compatibility is important to them. It's something people can relate to."

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Squirrels-For-You: Having Fun Raising Squirrels

Squirrels-For-You offer movies and photos of the adventure of raising 2 litters of baby squirrels to maturity and release.

dog days of summer

Dog Days of Summer, a comprehensive exhibition exploring the dog as it is represented in photography, video, and film will be on view from June 3 through September 12 at UCR/California Museum of Photography.

A P O P O

APOPO trains sniffer rats to detect explosives and diagnose disease. This unusual idea has been developed into a competitive technology by a group of Belgian and Tanzanian researchers and animal trainers.

Video: Don’t judge too quickly - Delicious kitty

Funny Ameriquest commercial.

Dog Bone Rack

Woof! That's what your dog will say when you get him or her this Dog Bone Rack. The rack comes with three bone-shaped hooks for leashes and other animal accessories.

Dolphin tries on bikini for size

A male bottlenose dolphin nicknamed Scrappy slipped into a pair of black bikini bottoms for about a month, but the too-tight fit could have killed him, if not for biologists at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota.

On Aug. 3, Mote biologists rescued the dolphin, which had been swimming around Sarasota Bay for at least 28 days stuck in the swimsuit. The dolphin apparently swam through the waist and leg hole, Mote biologists said.

Squirrel Caught, Killed After Attacks In Winter Park

A squirrel attacked several people in Winter Park before it was finally caught and killed. There's concern for the people who may have been exposed to rabies.

Most people would agree, offering the cute critters a peanut doesn't seem like a risky thing to do. But a police report said a violent squirrel scratched and bit a woman on the leg the evening of August 2.

As police responded, the animal aggressively went after a second woman and an officer. Two days later, a 3-year-old boy was bitten on the leg.

Some Dogs Carry 'Contagious' Cancer

Researchers are describing what seems to be a real-life medical nightmare: A cancer that spreads from animal to animal like an infection.

Luckily for humans, this malignancy occurs only in dogs, and there's no need for people to be worried about it, experts say.

The cancer, called canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT), was first isolated from 16 dogs in Italy, India and Kenya. In each case, a study of the tumors' genetic material showed that it differed from that of the dog in question -- suggesting that it had been passed from another dog.

Further study of cancers from 40 other dogs in five continents found that the tumors were almost genetically identical, meaning that they originally came from a single source and had somehow spread across the globe.

Chicago zoo pays $3,000 fine

Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo has paid the $3,000 fine ordered by the U.S. government after two high-profile incidents in 2005.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered the fine in February after an investigation into a gorilla attack on a zookeeper and the deaths of three Francois langur monkeys in the summer of 2005, The Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.

Penguins corralled on Texas highway

Twenty-one penguins were rescued on a hot east Texas highway Tuesday after a truck carrying the wildlife to a temporary home south of Houston overturned, said a state trooper.

Four penguins and some exotic fish were killed in the accident, including three penguins that were hit by passing motorists, said Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Richard Buchanan.

Second alien crab identified in Baltimore waterways

Scientists identified yesterday a mysterious crab found more than a year ago in Baltimore's Patapsco River as a Chinese mitten crab, suggesting that the exotic species from Asia could be breeding.

The identification comes three days after the state Department of Natural Resources issued an alert for the possible invasive species, saying a Pasadena waterman reported catching a mitten crab in the same river.

Manatee spotted in New York's Hudson River

In the heat of summer, all sorts of tourists head north to cooler climes. This year, a manatee has joined the crowd, cruising past the nightclubs of Manhattan and continuing north.

The massive animal has been spotted in the Hudson River at least three times in the last week -- first off the Chelsea and Harlem sections of Manhattan, then to the north in Sleepy Hollow in Westchester County.

Longest Animal Migration Measured, Bird Flies 40,000 Miles a Year

Sooty shearwaters migrate nearly 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) a year, flying from New Zealand to the North Pacific Ocean every summer in search of food, according to a new study.

The extensive summer trek is the longest animal migration ever recorded electronically.

The birds leave New Zealand in the Southern Hemisphere's winter—summer in the Northern Hemisphere—and take advantage of prevailing winds along different portions of their migration route.

Yawning Kittens

Is there anything in the world cuter than a kitten?

Yes, there is - a yawning kitten!

All About Seizure Dogs

They're companions. They're an alarm system. They're helpers, protectors, and service providers. They may even be able to sense in advance when someone they're close to is going to have an epileptic seizure. So-called seizure dogs can be all these things - and more.

America's interest in seizure dogs began in the mid-1980's, when a woman with epilepsy who was taking part in a Washington state prison project involving dogs discovered that one of the dogs seemed to know when she was going to have a seizure. The news media picked up the story, and the phrase "seizure dogs" was born.

Cat Parasite May Affect Cultural Traits In Human Populations

A common parasite found in cats may be affecting human behavior on a mass scale, according to a scientist based at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

"The geographic variation in the latent prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii may explain a substantial proportion of human population differences we see in cultural aspects that relate to ego, money, material possessions, work and rules."

British Butterflies - A Photographic Guide by Steven Cheshire

This web site was created to share the author's interest and promote the protection and understanding British Butterflies. This site is illustrated throughout with photos of native butterflies plus a few species he has encountered abroad.

What's this caterpillar.. Identifying caterpillars made easy

This partner site of 'What's this caterpillar?' aims to identify the most common species of caterpillars found in North America. The site is set out in sections depicting those caterpillars that are smooth, knobbly, horned, fleshy, slug-like, hairy, tufty, bristled, spiny, those that feed within plants and those that build structures.

Emerald Ash Borer Beetle

The EAB (Agrilus planipennis) is a bullet-shaped beetle that grows up to a half-inch long. Its metallic green color is beautiful to look at. What it does to ash trees is not.

• Killed more than 20 million ash trees in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Most of the devastation is in southeastern Michigan.

• Caused regulatory agencies to enforce quarantines (Ohio, Indiana, Michigan) and fines to prevent potentially infested ash trees, logs or firewood from moving out of areas where EAB occurs.

• Cost municipalities, property owners, nursery operators and forest products industries tens of millions of dollars.

Bees get a buzz from warm flowers

Bumblebees prefer to visit warm flowers and can use colour to predict the bloom's temperature, research suggests.

The findings challenge the long-held belief that the insects seek out flowers that contain the most nectar or pollen.

UK researchers say the bees might use warmer blooms to help maintain their body temperatures and save energy.

Angry bees put 10 in hospital

A teenage driver crashed into a hollow tree and stirred up tens of thousands of angry bees, creating a swarm that sent her and nine others to the hospital.

"Those bees were mad," said volunteer fire chief Kent Gilbert, who was stung at least 50 times while trying to pull the 16-year-old driver from the wreckage.

"I've never seen bees, especially honey bees, attack like that."

Guard Dog Takes the Stuffing Out of Prized Bear Collection

A guard dog has ripped apart a collection of rare teddy bears, including one once owned by Elvis Presley, during a rampage at a children's museum.

"He just went berserk," said Daniel Medley, general manager of Wookey Hole Caves near Wells, England, where hundreds of bears were chewed up Tuesday night by the 6-year-old Doberman pinscher named Barney.