Odd Purple Squirrel Discovered

02/09/2012

Reblog

I've written about oddly colored animals here before, most notably the pink hippo in Africa and pink dolphins in Hong Kong.  Well, we've got our own oddly-colored American animal to celebrate now.

This week, a couple in Pennsylvania trapped a strange rodent: a purple squirrel.  They were trying to deter the neighborhood squirrels from raiding their bird feeders by trapping and relocating them (not the best idea - see below for more info on why). 

No one believed that they had a purple squirrel living in their yard until they trapped it and took these photos, which I grabbed from the Facebook fan page that has sprung up, and were taken by Percy and Connie Emert.

No one knows why the squirrel is purple, but there are many theories.

Trapping and relocted wildlife isn't the best idea.  It's often illegal to transport and release wildlife.  Often the animals that are released far from their home territory are put at risk from the resident animals of their species, which will try to drive them out or even attack them if they're a territorial species.  Even if they're not, an animal dumped in unfamiliar habitat might not be able to find food, water and shelter.  You might also be moving an animal that has babies (squirrels start giving birth as early as February in some areas).

Here are some better ideas on deterring squirrels from your bird feeders.  Find out how to create a wildlife-friendly yard from the National Wildlife Federation.

 

Cat Pees in Toilet, Then "Flushes"

02/07/2012

Reblog

Potty humor never gets old. Check out this very talented kitty, who apparently has taught herself to use the toilet instead of a standard cat litter box.  After she finishes her "business" she even turns around and looks like she's trying to flush the toilet.

This odd behavior isn't really so odd if you know a little bit about cats' natural bathroom proclivities.  Generally speaking, unless they're scent marking for territorial purposes, cats naturally cover their waste.  This is true of wild cats as well as domestic ones.

This is why a litter box works.   Cats naturally find one spot to go to relieve themselves, and they prefer to pick a spot with loose soil or leaves so that it's easy to cover up their waste.  Given the choice of a doing their business on a hard floor or a carpet versus a box filled with kitty litter, most cats will natually pick the litter box.

In this case, when the cat turns around and paws at the back of the toilet, she's not actually trying to pull the flush handle even though that's what it looks like she's doing.  Instead, she is just doing what all cats are hardwired to do: cover their waste.  The fact that there's no loose soil or kitty litter to do the job doesn't matter when it comes to this powerful instinct.  The cat has to go through the motions nonetheless.

So while it looks odd and is definitely chuckle-inducing, it's really just a cat doing its natural thing.

Love Cats? Animal Planet is your Cat Connection.

• Find the right cat for you with the Cat Breed Selector.
• Find a shelter to Adopt a Cat.
• Understand you Cat's Health.
• Everything you need to know for your Kitten's First Year.
• Tips for Training Your Cat.

 

Rabbit Herds Sheep

02/03/2012

Reblog

Rabbits get a bad rap for being not-so-bright, low-on-the-foodchain and faint-of-heart.   But the strange yet awesome video below of a rabbit herding a flock of sheep tells a different story.

As a one-time owner of a rabbit, I can say that this video doesn't surprise me at all.  My bunny was actualy rather intelligent and interactive.  He loved to play fetch with a rolled-up ball of newspaper.  He'd often run in circles around me as I sat on the floor, holding the ball in his mouth.  When he lost interest in fetching, he'd happily unwad the newspaper ball and shred it.

My rabbit was also very interactive with my dogs and cat.  Being a "house rabbit" he had free run of certain (bunny-proofed) rooms and developed quite a bond with one of my dogs.  (Although I think the reason my dog loved the rabbit so much is that he recognized that the bunny was the source of an endless supply of "raisinettes" out of his backside.  I know it sounds gross but rabbits eat their own poop in order to digest their food twice and get the maxium amount of nutrients, so it couldn't be too bad for my dog to get an occassional treat fresh from the bunny's behind.)

Here's a great video about keeping rabbits as pets.

 

 

Forget the Super Bowl, It's Puppy Bowl Time!

02/02/2012

Reblog

Yesterday I did my monthly appearance on The Today Show with a few wildlife ambassadors to promote the conservation work of the National Wildlife Federation.

While backstage, I bumped into some of my friends from Animal Planet, including Dan Schachner, the new Ref for Puppy Bowl, the annual event that's the perfect thing for all of you non-sports lovers out there.  Dan had just finished doing a segment of his own with some super-cute puppies.

Puppy Bowl is an oddly genius idea that started back in 2005 as a fun alternative to the Super Bowl.  Essentially, it's several hours of puppies romping and playing on their own football "field."  Never underestimate the power of cute puppies, because as silly as it sounds, Puppy Bowl is a big viewer favorite every year! 

This year there are even more animals involved, including Meep the Bird who will tweet all the action from inside the stadium and a piggy pep squad that will "ham" it up on the sidelines and squeal with delight for their favorite pups.  Yes, I said piggy pep squad.

In other words, Sunday can't get here soon enough!

Here's the Today Show clip about the Puppy Bowl and how you can help by adopting a pet.

 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And here's a promo video with all of the details about this year's Puppy Bowl, which starts at 3pm e/p. I will be watching!

 

 

Love Dogs?  Get tons of dog-related content from Animal Planet.

• Find the right breed for you with the Dog Breed Selector.
• Learn about what makes Small Dog Breeds special.
• Get tips on how to dog-proof your home.
• Find out the best places to travel with your pet.

Otters Chase Butterfly

01/25/2012

Reblog

The video below is totally awesome.  It shows a group of Asian short-clawed otters in a zoo having some fun chasing a butterfly around their enclosure.

What's odd about it to me is the synchronicity that the otters show as they cavort in pursuit of the fleeting insect.  Otters live in family groups but such groups aren't like a flock of birds or school of fish that move in unison almost as one living thing.

Yet in this video, they might as well be! Like I said, awesome.

 

 

Nothing is cuter than an otter!

Photo by spencer77 via Flickr Creative Commons.

Help protect otters and other wildlife. Send a message to the Obama Administration, urging them to act now to restore Clean Water Act protections to small streams and wetlands.