Animal Report

When you think of gay animals, you might come up with images from the infamous banned (and adorable) children’s book And Tango Makes Three about the two male penguins who raised a chick together. Or you might think of orgy-prone dolphins, or maybe Bonobos, whose species is fully bisexual.

But do you think about frogs, giraffes, bison, fruit flies, ducks, worms—and just about every species alive?

Same-sex behavior in animals, a new study published in the June 16 issue of Trends in Ecology and Evolution claims, is so common and present in almost all species, that it’s “nearly universal.” Read more

Jays on vacationIf you have ever wondered about what kind of wildlife inhabits the back gardens of quaint old England,  then look no further than Just Millifan.  A regular blogger, Millifan is passionate about animals and wildlife, and her garden is not short of either.  She frequently whips out her camera and captures candid and often comic photographs of the critters that come to visit her backyard.

Her recent guests include two Jays.  She has captured these beautiful birds in glorious detail,  from when they were small, fluffy fledglings to more arrogant and bold adults who treat her garden like they own it, relaxing in her pool and lawn furniture.
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Which one is cuterIf your work week is draining you, if you feel like throttling your boss,  or at least throwing the hole punch at that smarmy co-worker that keeps commenting on your lack of love life, then I have just the ticket.

For the ultimate de-stress hit, jump over to CuteOverload.com  Packed with the cutest (duh) pictures of animals that you have ever seen, you will be smelling the roses and smiling about life within just a few minutes.
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Too Many Treats?Everyone knows it-Americans are getting fatter and fatter every year. Obesity is hitting us hard health wise. The rather unfortunate fact of the matter is that Fido and Muffy are getting fat right along with us.  

 I was at my sister's place yesterday and noticed (I tried not to, really) that her dog had gained a few pounds. "She's big-boned," my sister said in defense of her chubby dog. After making a few comments that I shouldn't have made, I realized that she was serious- the vet was concerned about the dog's weight and had encouraged her to get the dog on a diet. Like any good parent, my sister got a little protective of her furry friend. What was she doing wrong? Read more

 Premarin (pre-pregnant, mare – horse) is a mixture of “natural” estrogens used to treat menopausal symptoms, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and certain cancers.  Did you know that Premarin comes from the urine of pregnant mares (female horse)?  Did you know that there are such things as “Pee Farms” where they lock up these pregnant horses practically starving them, giving them no where to move and only allowing them water a few times a day, making sure that their urine remains strong?  If you knew all of this, would you stop taking Premarin?  I am curious as to why PETA is not all over this. Read more

I have a solution to the global whaling debate:

Stop whaling.

Okay, I know that nobody’s going to go for that, but world leaders should at least have something in mind. So there’s only one thing to meet a standstill in whale protection decision-making like the one we saw at the International Whaling Commission this week: a very dramatic eye-roll, heavy sighing and possible gestures of disgust.

The thing is, there’s been a ban on commercial whaling since 1986—a ban that’s been completely ignored by Japan, Iceland and Norway. This complete disregard to the moratorium leaves the IWC looking like a complete joke—and, let’s face it, if they can’t enforce their rules, aren’t they? Read more

When I read stories like this one, two thoughts cross my mind. The first is, “Awesome! This is exactly what we need.” The second? “It’s about bloody time. Why haven’t we done this already?” Though sea turtle protection is long overdue—especially considering that all species of sea turtles are endangered—we can definitely welcome any protection now with open arms. Better late than never, right?

Since many sea turtles meet their untimely deaths in fisherman’s nets, a new device is being developed to target these nets in order to protect turtles. Fishery managers are using a Cape Cod company to develop a device that will allow them to continue using fishing nets while still protecting sea turtles.

Hopefully it’s not too good to be true. Read more

Scientists have found a handful of new species of creatures while working with Conservation International in Ecuador and Peru. The prime area of exploration, the Upper Nangaritza River Bain, is composed of remote mountains made up of forests, located in the Cordillera del Cor.

Along with an assortment of katydids, the Dendrobates poison arrow frog, the tiny “minute” Pristimantis frog, the Hyalinobatrachium glass frog, the Enyalioides lizard, and the “ugly salamander” are all potentially new species.

I showed my daughter the pictures, and while we both agreed that the “ugly salamander” is hideous, calling something ugly by name really isn’t a very nice thing to do. Even “appearance-challenged salamander” would have been better than flat out “ugly.” Read more

Not grrrrreat for TonyTony the Tiger is more than just a friendly, furry animal who adorns cereal boxes, he’s also an actual living, breathing Siberian Bengal tiger who lives outside a truck stop atGrosse Tete , Louisiana.  Obviously not the ideal home for one of the world's rarest and largest wild cats.

Tony is being used as nothing more than a tourist attraction at the Tiger Truck Stop by his owner Michael Sandlin, and there are many who are fighting for him to be moved to a wildlife reserve. Read more

Most teenagers have something they don’t want their parents to find hidden away in their rooms—porn, birth control receipts, pot, porn, weapons, brochures for Mime College, porn. But I think it’s a safe guess that when you’re snooping around through your kid’s diary or secret under-the-floor-planks-stash, you really don’t expect to find a helpless, shivering baby bird.

Let alone 53 of them. Read more