Archive for September 2011
The Birds, the Bees and the STDs
Whilst most responsible humans undertake regular STD testing, the furred and feathered have their own variety of sexually transmitted diseases to worry about. Bulldogs with brucellosis, koalas with Chlamydia and feline FeLV are just a few infections that feature in the animal kingdom. What should you be looking for as a responsible pet owner and what symptoms can you can expect Fluffy to show?
Bulldogs with Brucellosis
If your unneutered Fido’s been doing it doggy style with a pooch in a park, he may have contracted brucellosis. Bulldogs aren’t the only canine critters to contract brucellosis, but with their low slung anatomy they carry a higher risk rate than some other breeds. Once contracted, brucellosis spreads to the lymph nodes and the spleen. It also affects the prostrate, uterus and placenta making them sterile or severely reducing their fertility. In a pregnant pooch, litters of puppies can be stillborn or die immediately after birth. Male dogs will suffer from swollen testes, which will shrink soon after the initial swelling. Lesions may appear on the testes as a result of over-licking the swollen area. Other symptoms include a dull coat, inflamed eyes and arthritis. If you think your pooch may have contracted brucellosis, your vet can carry out STD testing. However, there is no cure and if Fido is found to be a carrier then he’ll have the disease for life.
Felines with FeLV
If your Fluffy’s been enjoying late night dalliances with the ginger tom from 29B, then you may want to take her to the vet for STD testing. Fluffy may have contracted FeLV, the feline equivalent of the human AIDs virus. FeLV attacks the white blood cells and leaves the cat vulnerable to infection. Lethargy, weight loss and poor appetite are all symptoms, and eight out of ten cats die within three years of catching the infection. If your vet’s STD testing is positive for FeLV then unfortunately there is no cure. Your cat will need to be kept away from other cats as the disease can also be passed from sharing food bowls and close contact with infected cats. All kittens receive vaccines for both FeLV and FIV and it is important that your cat keeps up to date with her boosters to prevent her from catching the virus.
Koalas with Chlamydia
In Queensland, Chlamydia is a huge problem among the resident koala population. In fact, the STD is so prevalent that experts are worried that the koalas could become extinct within 30 years. Chlamydia in koalas can’t be passed on to humans, but in the marsupial common symptoms include blindness and infertility. STD testing isn’t usually needed as a common sign that the koala is infected with the STD is a dirty tail or a wet discoloured patch on their bottom. In both humans and koalas, Chlamydia can be treated with a course of antibiotics but this requires a daily dosage, so is only really possible with an already captive animal. Stress from habitat loss, dogs, and cars all play a part in the increase in incidences of Chlamydia symptoms.
Interesting Facts – For The Birds
1. How many eyelids do birds have?
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. Three
D. Three
TOPICS: They have an upper lid resembling that of humans, a lower lid that closes when a bird sleeps, and a third lid, called a nictitating membrane, that sweeps across the eye sideways, starting from the side near the beak. This lid is a thin, translucent fold of skin that moistens and cleans the eye and protects it from wind and bright light.
2. Which is the true fact about birds’ sleeping habits?
A. They need very little sleep
B. They need a lot of sleep
C. They sleep about the same amount as the average human
D. They never sleep
A. They need very little sleep
TOPICS: Many seabirds, in particular, sleep very little. For example, the sooty tern, which rarely lands on water, may fly for several years with only brief periods of sleep lasting a few seconds each. Flying is so effortless for the sooty tern and some other seabirds that it takes virtually no energy at all.
3. The bowerbirds of Australia and New Guinea got their name from which trait?
A. The female’s refusal to leave the nest until the eggs are hatched
B. The male’s refusal to leave the nest until the eggs are hatched
C. The males building bowers for shelter, which they decorate with colorful objects such as flower petals, feathers, fruit, and even human-made items such as ribbons and tinfoil, to attract the females during courtship.
D. The females building bowers for shelter, which they decorate with colorful objects such as flower petals, feathers, fruit, and even human-made items such as ribbons and tinfoil, to attract the males during courtship.
C. The males building bowers for shelter, which they decorate with colorful objects such as flower petals, feathers, fruit, and even human-made items such as ribbons and tinfoil, to attract the females during courtship.
TOPICS: How many people got that right!
4. Is one of these answers not a true collective description of a bird group?
A. A wedge of swans
B. A nest of pheasants
C. An ostentation of peacocks
D. An exaltation of larks
They are all correct!
TOPICS: Although there were some pretty obscure terms there, don’t you think!
5. Seabirds have the longest migration patterns. How long can these trips get?
A. 20,000 miles
B. 10,000 miles
C. 5,000 miles
D. 1,000 miles
A. 20,000 miles
TOPICS: That’s further than many humans travel in their lifetime!
6. Can you guess how many known species of birds there are?
A. 100
B. 1,000
C. 10,000
D. 100,000
C. 10,000
TOPICS: This includes all modern or recently extinct species.
7. Birds do what faster than any other animal?
A. Breathe
B. Pump their hearts
C. Chew
D. Procreate
A. Breathe
TOPICS: This is needed to sustain the high metabolism necessary for flight. For example, a flying pigeon breathes 450 times each minute, whereas a human, when running, might breathe only about 30 times each minute.
8. Is one of these answers not a true collective description of a bird group?
A. A charm of goldfinches
B. A cast of hawks
C. A watch of nightingales
D. A clowder of quail
D. A clowder of quail
TOPICS: You can have either a bevy or a covey of quail, but not a clowder. You can however have a clowder of cats!
Angry Birds Rio 1-1 Strategy Guide
Angry Birds Rio is an extension of the original Angry Birds franchise. This serves as a companion to Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Chrome. This game was released in conjunction with the Disney movie, Rio, set in the beautiful city of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Marmosets are the main adversary in this game, replacing the heinous pigs that we are so used to bombarding.
The introduction to this game starts off with the two main birds being locked in cages and taken by the Big Boss Macaw away to Rio. Once the birds make their escape, they are determined to exact their revenge on pigs, marmosets, macaws or anything that stands in their way. The marmosets are holding captive Blue & Jewel, who are the main stars of Rio. The birds are determined to do everything in their power to free them.
This article is meant to serve as a written tutorial on how to successfully advance to the next stage with three gold stars. The setting takes place in an old abandoned warehouse looking environment. This stage finds 6 cages full of trapped birds, set on wood crates and cardboard boxes. Your objective is to fling your bird in the slingshot and free all of the birds. The first attempt is with your basic red bird and you want to aim the bird for the lowest row of cardboard boxes. The bird will slice through the boxes easier than the wood crates, so the weakest spot on the tower is the two cardboard boxes at the base of the structure.
If you are able to slice your bird through those two cardboard boxes, they will ricochet into the remaining crates for added point values. Meanwhile, the giant structure will collapse in a giant heap. All six cages will break open and the birds will fly away to safety. The trick to the beginning stages is to inflict the most amount of damage with the least amount of birds. You need to top 60,000 points, in order to get the three gold stars.
As you continue to work through each stage, you should take note of some of the items that lurk in the background. Some great points of reference are the box fan high up in the ceiling, the thin pipe that moves horizontally underneath the fan and along the entire playing environment. There are also white pickets that board up a window and regular shaded fence pickets that line along the back wall. All of these items will serve as great landmarks for when and where to fling your birds.