ABC WEDNESDAY

After being such a miserable old fart in my last post I thought I should make a concerted effort to turn things around with this post and be more positive, so for ABC Wednesday this week I am doing N is for New Life and New Beginnings. Although it is cold and grey and very wet outside I went out determined to find evidence that spring was really on its way - and I am happy to say, it is!


There were numerous different trees and bushes beginning to burst their buds


And some of the locals were busy checking out potential nesting sites


This is a pair of Wood Ducks Aix sponsa, sorry the lighting is so bad but as I said it was very overcast. In case you were wondering, Wood Ducks nest high up in trees and then when the ducklings hatch they make a death defying leap to the ground before scurrying off to the nearest water. They are so tiny that they just bounce when they hit the ground like little fluffy balls.


The Red-winged Blackbirds Agelaius phoeniceus, although not yet appropriately attired in their breeding plumage, are in full voice as they work to establish their territories.


I was delighted to see my first Northern Rough-winged Swallows Stelgidopteryx serripennis of the year, look closely, it is perching on the branch! Although I cannot imagine what they are finding to eat as it is way too cold for any flying insects that I could see.


Another summer visitor that has started to arrive is the Green Heron Butorides virescens, at least I know there are plenty of fish in the pond for him, although the MASSIVE Koi that I saw cruising around may be a bit more than the heron could handle :)


And why, you may ask, am I including a picture of an old tree in a post about new life? Well that is because someone has made themselves a very cosy nest right inside it......................


So although my nose and fingers were numb with cold by the time I came back inside I most definitely did find evidence of new life and new beginnings!

For great posts all with an 'N' theme this week, check out ABC Wednesday.

Photo Credits - CJT

ABC WEDNESDAY

For those of you who were in any doubt about my sanity it is just possible that this post will confirm your worst suspicions! For ABC this week I am doing M is for Massasauga.
As some of you know, my work involves caring for a wide range of animals at a Nature Museum. Probably the most precious, and yes, also the most dangerous, is the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Sistrurus catenatus catenatus.


This snake is native to Illinois, which comes as a surprise to many people. Unfortunately, due to persecution and severe loss of habitat it is listed as threatened, hence my comment about it being the most precious of my charges.
People will often ask me why on earth we would want to conserve a venomous snake and when I have overcome the urge to punch them on the nose, I explain that the Massasauga is in fact an umbrella species and by conserving it and the habitat it requires, we are also, by default, providing the ideal habitat for a whole range of other species. Then I usually get 'the look,' what can this small female with the English accent possibly understand about living in an area with venomous snakes? Well then I politely explain to them that I lived in Africa for nine years and had many encounters with venomous snakes! Once we have got that out of the way people seem to be ready to learn about this wonderful creature.


The Massasauga is a member of the pit viper family. All pit vipers in the US have elliptical, cat-like pupils and a heat-sensing pit between the eye and the nostril, on each side of the face, to detect its prey. The small rattle at the end of its tail is made of keratin, the same material our fingernails are made from. A new layer is added to the rattle every time the snake sheds its skin. The head is triangular in shape to accommodate the venom glands behind the eyes in the upper jaw. Massasauga's are in the group known as pygmy rattlesnakes and the adults only reach a diminutive eighteen to thirty inches in length when full grown. The Massasauga inhabits wet prairies, marshes and floodplain forests. Winter hibernation takes place in crayfish burrows or other underground cavities in moist soil.


As you would imagine, we have strict protocols in place for working with this snake. We never unlock the cage for any reason during museum hours so when we need to clean and feed her we work first thing in the morning. Believe me, neither Jamie or I have any need for a cup of coffee in the morning when we work with this snake! One of us is on look-out, equipped with a radio whilst the other one of us removes the snake from its tank, using tongs and a hook. She is placed in a secure container so that we can safely work on cleaning her cage out. The whole time we are working with the snake, a third member of staff is in an office, also with a radio, and a telephone, ready to make the necessary phone calls should anything go wrong! There is nothing like focusing your mind to start the day!
As snakes go this species is actually not particularly aggressive, if you leave it alone, it will return the favour. Of course when it is unceremoniously picked up with tongs and a hook it is not exactly overjoyed, but even then, if I work slowly and smoothly she will relax and allow herself to be scooped up and moved. If we move too fast or abruptly she will not hesitate to strike and unload plenty of venom onto the tongs.


That being said, I do feel very lucky to work with such a rare animal and hopefully go a small way towards helping people to learn about it and encourage them not to automatically kill snakes, after all, even if you don't find them beautiful, which I do, they are an extremely efficient form of rodent control!

For all kinds of posts relating to the letter 'M' check out ABC Wednesday.

Photo Credits - CJT

ABC WEDNESDAY

So much for the best laid plans..........I had really hoped to be able to complete ABC Wednesday from A to Z without missing a week but last week I just couldn't get it done. Internet access in the desert is a rare commodity and I really didn't go on vacation to spend my whole time sitting in front of a computer. Anyway, back on track this week and I am posting L for Lubbers for my ABC Wednesday post this week.




As my regular readers will know, my job involves caring for a wide array of critters and this is just one of the many. Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers Romalea microptera are the largest grasshoppers in North America, found in the southern states, primarily Florida. Their bright colouring is a fair warning to anyone who might think they would make a tasty snack.

They are in fact toxic and so have far less predators than many other grasshoppers. One bird species that has worked out a way round their foul tasting defense is the shrike. Otherwise known as the butcher bird, the shrike impales its prey on thorns or even barbed wire fences and will build up a store in this way. By leaving the lubbers impaled for a few days the toxins in their bodies are greatly reduced and the shrike will then eat them! (Isn't nature neat?)

We keep a colony of lubbers in a large flight case. They have voracious appetites and have to be given a daily supply of lettuce, carrots, green onions and porridge oats!

Of course with all the eating they do, there is the inevitable consiquence and lubber poop-patrol is also a daily task! When they reach maturity they have only one thing on their mind (!) It is an endless pass time. When they have finally finished mating we put cups of damp sand into the cage and the females deposit their egg cluster deep into the sand.




We then put the entire cup into a sealed plastic bag with the date of collection on it and it is put away for three moths, somewhere cool and dark. At the end of the three months dozens and dozens of tiny little baby lubbers start emerging from the sand. When they are immature they are black with a yellow stripe down their back. It seems that this is when their own population control kicks in because very often when one of the immature grasshoppers is shedding the others will eat it as it emerges! - Yuck!!




All of us who work with them have a love hate relationship with these cool critters. They are high maintenance because they are so messy but they are beautiful and fascinating and provide endless entertainment for our Museum visitors.

For more postings for ABC Wednesday, check out the site.


Photo Credits - CJT

ABC WEDNESDAY.

As anyone who knows me will verify, I am not a big fan of Homo sapiens as a species. I find our arrogance and aggression distinctly unpleasant and I am appalled by our endless capacity to destroy other species. That being said it is not without a slight modicum of surprise that I find myself actually doing a post about a person this week. Don't worry I am not about to get all mushy about my 'mate', I'll save that for another time ;) And no, I am not regressing to some bizarre school girl crush! This week for ABC Wednesday I am posting J is for Jamie.

When I first started working at the Museum the two other people who were working in the Animal Care division were, lets just say, a little lacking in their dedication! Whenever I went away on vacation I would be filled with a sense of dread as to what I would find upon my return, and trust me, it usually wasn't anything good! Anyway, on one occasion on returning from a trip I find that one of them has been fired and the other one has handed in their notice! So within a week of coming back I was on my own! For a while I did three peoples jobs on my own and then we managed to do some hiring. One of the people we hired was Jamie. Jamie has now been at the Museum for almost three years and I can't begin to tell you how much she has improved my work environment.

I will be honest, when we were interviewing I had my reservations, she seemed so young, I wasn't sure how she was going to stand up to the tasks, but lucky for me, my colleagues saw her potential and we went ahead and hired her. Just occasionally a person comes into your life and provides a wonderfully positive force and that is exactly what Jamie has done. She has worked her way into the position of Aquatic Animal Technician and she is totally in her element out in the field with her hip waders on and her net in hand.

I have yet to meet a more positive and cheerful person, even when we are rushing round like headless chickens at work without enough hours in the day to get everything done, she still remains upbeat, but not in an annoying way. And the most amazing part of it is, she actually is a good influence on me!! I am a self confessed, cynical, grumpy old fart. But with Jamie around, because she is so great, she actually makes me behave in a slightly better manner towards my fellow humans! And believe me when I tell you, that is no mean achievement!

It is very rarely that I meet someone with the same dedication and devotion to the animal kingdom that I have, but Jamie has it. Her work with all our animals, everyday is concrete proof of that fact. But one of the things I like best of all about Jamie is when we are out in the field and we find something cool, she is always more than happy to oblige when I say 'hold this Jamie, I want to get a picture of it for my blog!'

Doesn't matter what it is.....................

Large or small, Jamie steps up, and so her hands have been on many of my posts!

So thanks Jamie, for being such a breath of fresh air, for being such fun to be around, for being such a phenomenally hard worker, for helping to look after all the animals in our care so well, for making my return from vacations an entirely non-stressful event, for making me the most outrageously delicous chocolate cake for my birthday, and for making me a (slightly) less grumpy old fart! YOU ROCK!!

For lots of 'J' posts from all over the world, check out ABC Wednesday.

Photo Credits - CJT

ABC WEDNESDAY

This week for ABC Wednesday I thought I was going to end up having to post about ice! But thankfully the weather has taken a major upturn and I am now able to think beyond the frozen tundra we have been enduring for the last few months to something that happens in the spring for many species. My post this week is I for Incubation.


This word comes from the Latin incubare which translates as 'to lie upon.' The word is used in various different contexts but today I am using it in terms of incubating eggs. For the female Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza in these pictures it means providing enough heat to allow the embryo to develop and then hatch successfully. She will hatch altricial chicks, that means the chicks are blind, bald and totally dependant on their parents to feed them, protect them and keep them warm.


In contrast, when the Button Quail Coturnix chinensis has successfully incubated her eggs to hatch, her work is largely done. She hatches precocial chicks which have downy feathers, their eyes are open, they are fully mobile and able to forage for themselves. When alarmed she will crouch and spread her wings to cover the hatchlings.


Reptiles have a much more 'hands-off' approach to incubation. Animals like turtles and crocodiles bury their eggs in the ground or decaying vegetation and depending on how warm the eggs get, this will define the gender of the emerging hatchlings. For example, the Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus, if the temperature inside the nest is below 89.1 °F, or above 94.1 °F, the offspring will be female. Males can only be born if the temperature is within that narrow 5-degree range.


For the Blandings Turtles Emydoidea blandingii that we work with in our conservation project more females are produced at higher incubation temperatures and more males are produced at lower incubation temperatures.

For many great 'I' posts, check out ABC Wednesday.

Photo Credits - CJT & Dan Thompson

ABC WEDNESDAY

Well I have been looking forward to 'H' in ABC Wednesday ever since I started. It was a no brainer for me, it had to be.... H is for Harrison. For those of you that have followed my blog for a while, you will have already been introduced to him, but for more recent readers, I hope you will become as hooked on this hilarious character as the rest of us have.
Harrison is an Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina carolina. He lives at the Museum where I work and his home is in my Lab. He is a hard working turtle and he takes his duties very seriously. He is used for public programs, introducing city children to live animals, up close and personal. He also goes out to schools for special programs and partakes in classes at the Museum for home schooled children. He is also rather a celebrity, he has been on TV a number of times and he is a shameless poser whenever a camera is around!


We also have four female box turtles all of whom Harrison adores, however the feeling isn't mutual so his conjugal visits are limited in order to preserve the ladies sanity! Lets just say Harrison isn't exactly subtle in his advances! Harrison has a half log tunnel in his cage which turtles usually use to hide under, but not Harrison, he sits on top of his and watches everything that goes on in the Lab as you can see from the picture above.
When we clean out his cage we let him free range around the Lab. In order to make sure he doesn't get tripped over, he has his own special sign.



When he is wandering around the Lab he usually comes round to check out my desk and then goes to the windows of the Lab which reach down to the ground, because if there is one thing that Harrison likes to look at, it is his reflection! Not that I am suggesting he is vain or anything like that!! Lets just say he knows just how handsome we all think he is!!
In the summer when it is nice and warm outside I take him out into the park for a little R & R.


He really seems to enjoy these changes of routine. He likes to ramble off across the grass and he is surprisingly quick for a turtle.


When he has done with stretching his legs, he likes to explore a bit


He also likes to stare down the local Squirrels and Canada Geese and they always loose courage because they can't work out why there is a little rock walking towards them.
Of course there is always time to stop and pose for the camera too


He is very good at posing. We recently had a camera man at the Museum who was working to put together a video for our annual charity event and I was asked to bring out an animal. Of course I chose Harrison and he had the cameraman hooting with laughter because every time he put the camera down, Harrison would walk straight up to it and stare into the lens!


I suspect that Harrison has a slight identity crisis and thinks he is a dog! He seems to really love interacting with people, especially ladies!! He loves having his head rubbed and weirdest of all he cuddles with me! Yes really! He will see me walk past his cage and come running to the front of it and start banging on the door so that I don't ignore him. When I open the door he climbs out onto me and stands on my chest with his head tucked under my chin - now I find that a little odd for a turtle. Don't get me wrong, I love it but it just doesn't strike me as turtle type behavior! He is very entertaining though. We have all fallen for the charms of this funny character!

For many more 'G' posts, check out ABC Wednesday.

Photo Credits - CJT

ABC WEDNESDAY

Well, as my life still seems to be spinning out of control, I am not even managing to keep up with my blog, so just to show that I haven't given up completely I thought I would at least post some pictures for this weeks ABC Wednesday even if I can't spare the time to write much to go along with them! This week I have G for Giant Galapagos Tortoise. I love these humble, gentle giants and I am so happy that I actually got to spend some time with them in what is left of their natural environment.


I know what I want to post for next week so I am hoping that I will get some time to do it properly! Until then, have a great week and don't forget to check out ABC Wednesday for many great postings.

Photo Credits - Dominick V

ABC WEDNESDAY

Well what the F?!! It's time for ABC Wednesday again. As I am feeling fed-up, frozen, funky and very full of February I decided instead of doing a F is for Frigid or Frozen or F***ing Cold I would look on the bright side and dredge up some warm memories. So this weeks ABC is F is for Fantasy! As you may have guessed, my fantasy is as far away from here as possible right now and what better than my favorite spot in the British Virgin Islands?


This is a view from the plane flying into Tortola, the largest and most populated of the BVI's. As soon as you get off the plane a wonderful warmth pervades your body and suddenly your shoulders drop an inch and everything starts to move at a slightly slower place - just heavenly. From Tortola you take a little boat to the island, Guana Island, a tiny little speck covered in trees and bordered with beautiful beaches. The manager of the only accommodation on the island drives down to meet the boat in a golf cart and takes you up to the lodge at the top of the hill, which, of course has a fabulous view.


After checking in you are shown to your room and left to relax..........


And from then on the only really hard decision to make is which beach to walk to each day!


Actually no, that is not the hardest thing, the hardest thing is having to leave at the end of your trip, that is truly tough!


For more ABC Wednesday postings go here!

Photo Credits - CJT & Dominck V