Whale Songs Travel The World Like Human Pop Songs

A recent study found that the songs that whales sing to each other, if popular, can travel all the way around the world.  Whales communicate by singing and most of us have heard their strange tunes on Discovery or around the internet.  Well, if one of these tunes is particularly catchy then the receiving whale will sing it to the next one they encounter and so on until it spreads around the world like a new Lady Gaga release.  They even remix the tracks sort of how people change facts about a story when it is transmitted through many people.

I was able to find a sample of a popular whale song for you all to hear.

They actually sped up the the track and this is what it sounded like.

The news story can be found here.

Ursine: The Embodiment of the Warrior

Bears are just awesome.  Large and in charge, they are known for their strength.  They are the apex predators in most any environment they habitat.  In fact, the only predator known to attack bears are tigers. 

Bears have had a strong impact on culture dating back to prehistoric times.  When you think of hibernation, an image of a bear sleeping in a cave mostly likely comes to mind.  There are numerous folk and children's stories about bears.  More recent ones include Winnie the Pooh, Yogi Bear, and the Care Bears.

There are only around 8 species of bears in the world however they are distributed widely inhabiting every continent except Africa and Australia.  Bears are in the caniform superfamily meaning they have a dog-like resemblance.  They are closely related to the family of marine mammals that includes seals and walruses which may seem surprising.

They have a lot of myths surrounding them one of which is that they are aggressive and will attack people.  While it is true bears will defend their territory from any potential encroachment, they don't actively seek out people to attack as a method of predation.  Due to this myth in particular, bears are feared and sometimes hunted because of this.

Man and bear have cohabitatated for thousands of years if not longer.  Unfortunately, humans have been responsible for the exploitation and culling of these magnificent beasts around the world.  6 species of bear are listed as endangered and even the most populous species, the brown bear, is considered vulnerable.

Again, now that I'm done rambling, here are some photos for you to enjoy.

While they are quadrapeds, bears are able to sit as humans. Now where is my steak?

 

"She just fell asleep and you had better not wake her up!"

The bear calvary:  Yes, you are screwed.

For more info on our ursine friends you can check out the Bear Wiki and Bear Facts

One word: Rabbits

Like a lot of people, I just can't help but love rabbits.  They are extremely cute!  This makes me happy and sad at the same time because I know they are at the base of the food chain like mice and other rodents.  Perhaps that's why they are so cute.  Evolutionarily, the cutest rabbits were best suited to survive and thus rabbits became cuter and cuter as a species.

Anyways here is a visual representation to clarify my ramblings.

I have own two rabbits and they can be difficult to care for since they need a lot of attention in their feed and grooming.  Unlike a cat or dog, rabbits need a diet of fresh hay, green leafy vegetables, and base pellets for calories.  They also poop everywhere.  Any rabbit owners know what I mean.  In addition, they are prey by nature so their behaviors are very different from cats and dogs which, of course, are predators.

For those interested here is some more info about rabbits here and here.

The Feline Hunter of the Waters

This is the Fishing Cat.  Probably the most badass fisher of all kitties.  Like the Manual it's range is also Central Asia.  While most felines are wary of water it is well adapted to swimming and hunting in water. While it does eat rodents and other small terrestrial animals, it will sit at the edge of a bank and fish for its food like a bear does for salmon.  This is probably why modern day domestic cats developed their love of fish (probably not).  They are listed as a vulnerable species, like the manual for its fur, because of exploitation and conversion to agrarian land of it watery habitat.

And now what you really want:  pictures

 No these are not mine and I don't know how easy or hard they are to keep as pets.  But my 5 pound domestic kicks my ass all the time and these get up to 25 pounds.  So, while they are adorable be wary about trying to bring home home.

More info: Fishing Cat Wiki and Fishing Cat Facts (National Zoo)

I Have Always Been Here

This magnificent beast is the Manul, or Pallas's Cat.  It is the oldest extant species of feline known.  That's right, it is the longest surviving species of what we know as the modern cat.  Not just the modern domesticated cat but also, lions, jaguars, leopards, cheetahs, cougars, etc.  It is native to Central Asia.  In contrast to most cats, it has rounded pupils instead of slits.
 
It is also extremely cute.

All about this creature: Pallas's Cat Wiki

This Blog

I created this new blog in addition to my old one How to make life work because I felt more and more compelled to post all the cool and crazy animals I love.  This blog will be an outlet for that so I can keep my other one more "on-topic".  Whatever that means.