Category: Pets

Understand The Deep Meaning Of The Zebra’s Stripes

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My uncle who is an artisan was the first person to give me a good description of a Zebra. He used one of his Zebra Wood Carving as a model to describe the black and white stripes on the Zebra’s skin. The description was so accurate that when I later saw the live animal I could identify it easily and confidently. The Zebra’s stripes are its trade mark indeed.

Plain Zebra,Grev’s Zebra and Mountain Zebra are the three Zebra species that are known to exist. All the three species occur in Africa. The Plains Zebra are the most plentiful and can be found virtually anywhere on the Kenyan plains and other parts of East Africa while the Grevy’s Zebra are mostly found in Northern Kenya. The Plains Zebra and Grev’s Zebra of Kenya have been known to coexist in the same habitat. The Mountain Zebra have their habitat in Southern and Southwestern Africa. Zebras are herbivorous and can grow up to 900 lb (410kg) or more. Being social animal, they move in herds of different sizes.

While the black and white stripe pattern makes the Zebra spectacular, the amazing facts about the stripes go beyond the beauty. For years scientists have argued about why the zebra has distinctive black and white stripes. The theories rotate around Zebra Identity and Camouflage. This article discusses these amazing theories:

– Description: Whether the Zebra’s stripes are white on a black background, as some people say, or vice versa is academic. I leave it at that.

– Identity: At first glance Zebras in a herd might all look alike, but their stripe patterns are as distinctive as fingerprints are in humans. There are, indeed, scientific methods that can identify individual Zebras by comparing patterns, stripe widths and colour. Further proof that Zebra stripes are identity marks is provided by their behavior. For example, on rare occasions when unstriped Zebras are born, they tend to be ignored by the rest of the herd, confirming at least, that Zebra stripes are a passport to Zebra society. Also, when a foal is born, the mother keeps all other Zebras away from it for two to three days, until it learns to recognize her by sight, voice and smell.

– Camouflage: Scientists believe the Zebra’s stripes provide camouflage in the following manner:

– The vertical stripes of a Zebra will resemble tall grass, save for the colour-grass is neither black nor white. A colour blind predator, like a lion, may, therefore, not notice a Zebra standing still in tall grass. – The Zebra stripe pattern forms a discolouration that breaks up the body outline. A herd of Zebras close together may thus appear like one large animal. The advantage of all this to the Zebra is best appreciated when you consider that the main predator for the Zebra is the lion, which is colour blind. Now, in attack, the lion must first identify the target, usually a young, old or a weakened Zebra. The Lion’s eyes must then lock on the target Zebra. If, for whatever reason, the Lion is unable to achieve any of these steps, then,its stealth and ambush attack strategy is likely to be in vain.

Having Leopard Geckos As House Pets

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What kind of pet you are looking for? Have you ever thought about a gecko? You will find different kind of geckos but there is only one which is perfect as a house pet.

If you have seen pictures of leopard geckos, you are probably aware of what beautiful reptiles they are. Because of the work of breeders, leopard geckos come in an astonishing array of colours and patterns, from tangerine orange all the way to black and white striped, and many of these are quite striking creatures. I have been breeding reptiles for years and years now, and let me tell you: leopard geckos are some of my very favourite. This is not just because of their striking appearance, however. It is because they make such great pets.

Many people complain that reptiles are lousy pets. They feel that snakes and lizards are bad tempered, unaffectionate, dull, and boring company. For many of these creatures, this is true. They are simply not very easy to socialize, and are at best indifferent to humans. But the leopard gecko is different. Leopard geckos, if they are brought up among humans for their whole lives, are friendly, affectionate creatures who are really quite easy to get along with for anyone. They are pretty easy to care for as long as you remember a few basic facts about them. All leopard geckos must receive adequate, but not excessive warmth. Leopard geckos also must be fed daily with insects, and the like, and have enough space to move around. Finally, leopard geckos must not be left all by themselves. They technically can survive by themselves, but as a leopard gecko breeder, I can tell you that they are much happier when they have company. Really, leopard geckos do best when raised in groups of two or more, but even human companionship will help keep your pet happy. And a happy pet is a healthy pet.

If you are thinking of getting leopard geckos, there are a few things that you must consider first. They are not cute in the traditional sense, and so if your idea of a perfect pet is something soft that you can pet at your convenience, then the leopard gecko is right out. Although they are fairly affectionate lizards, if you are looking for some creature that will be overjoyed every single time that you enter the room, ditch the leopard geckos in favour of a nice golden retriever. But, if you are a lizard person, you probably already know it. If your idea of a nice pet is an interesting pet, then leopard geckos might be just the thing for you. I hope you already made your choice; you will never find a friendlier house pet than a gecko.

Pets In The Classroom Program Exceeds First Year Expectations

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The Pet Care Trust is pleased to announce that the Pets in the Classroom Program saw surprising growth in 2010. The program awarded 2,060 grants to teachers in 2010, its first full year of operation. With an average of 30 students per classroom, the program has brought pets into the lives of almost 62,000 children. Some of these children may have no other contact with a pet except in their classroom. In many cases, it could be the beginning of a lifelong interest in pets and pet care.

Pets in the Classroom is an educational grants program supporting responsible pet care for school classrooms. Sponsored by the Pet Care Trust, the goal of the program is to establish healthy child-pet relationships at an early age by supporting responsible pet care in Kindergarten-6th Grade classrooms across the U.S. and Canada. Many school teachers have very limited resources for the support of classroom animals. The Pet Care Trust sponsors this program to help teachers purchase or maintain pets in the classroom through direct, no-hassle grants. The program leaves it up to the teacher to select the pet that is most appropriate for her/his classroom. There have been a wide variety of funding requests, from snakes and lizards to guinea pigs and rabbits, proving that many different species provide interesting classroom companions.

As of December, 2010, 2,066 certificates were granted totaling nearly $264,000. . The programs initial goal for the year of 700 grant requests was far exceeded. Pets in the Classroom has funded the following classroom pet requests:

Aquariums- 761
Reptiles- 435
Small Animals- 737
Birds- 93
Sustaining- 40 (These grants help teachers who already have a classroom pet with food and supplies).

The program hopes to fund an additional 2,000 classroom grants in 2011. All funding for Pets in the Classroom has come from the Pet Care Trust endowment. As the program expands to reach more elementary school classrooms across the country, the program will rely on direct financial support from the pet industry. Pets in the Classroom welcomes support from corporate and individual donors through tax deductible contribution to the Pet Care Trust. Visit the Trust website today at www.petcartrust.org.

Goldfish Details And Information

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Goldfish have been around for generations now. They’ve been an integral part of the popular human consciousness and are amongst the preferred pet fish. Goldfish are fantastic starter fish for anyone aiming to start an aquarium. As a result of their long history, they are available in various shapes, sizes and body types. Members of the Carp family, Goldfish make wonderful pets as they are hardy and simple to keep as well as reasonably cheap. It is easy to keep Goldfish in a simple fish bowl as well as in large aquariums. Goldfish are incredible and delightful fish.

Varieties of Goldfish

Common Goldfish: As the name suggests, these are the most typical kind of goldfish and vary in color with their cousins, the Carp. They come in an assortment of colors including Crimson, Orange, White, Yellow and Black.

Black Moor: The eyes are by far the most remarkable part about this Goldfish. They’ve got extraordinary eyes that protrude from their faces. These are also named Dragon Eyes in China

Bubble Eye: This type of fish has eyes that point upward and unusual fluid filled sacks.

Celestial Eye: Very unusual looking fish that nearly looks as if wearing glasses of some sort. Its eyes bulge out and it has an extended swishy tail.

Comet: This fish has a good deal in common with the common Goldfish and is a cute and small variety of fish. Incredibly interesting tail.

Fantail: This sort of Goldfish seems like a Dorito chip. it is triangular and has a large dorsal fin. Very interesting looking critter.

Lionhead: The Lionhead looks gorgeous. It has a fantastic hood and is a very ornamental looking fish.

Oranda: Like the Lionhead, the Oranda also has a large hood that encircles its entire face. Not as pretty as the Lionhead in my opinion.

Telescope Eyed: A much darker color of Goldfish, the Telescope Eyed Goldfish has protruding eyes that make it very unusual looking to say the least.

Panda Moor: This one does’nt even look like your usual Goldfish. A very unusual looking fish in general which has a large split fantail and protruding eyes.

Veiltail: This is a gorgeous fish that has a long swishy tail.

The coolest thing concerning Goldfish is their versatility. They can be kept in small fish bowls, larger tanks as well as ponds and small lakes. There has been some confusion in relation to Goldfish memory spans. They’ve got a memory span of a few months instead of a small number of seconds as originally thought. They will get used to their feeders and will eventually come and feed from your hand.

Goldfish are known to like small shrimp and other crustaceans. They can be given especially formulated food that you can get from your pet store. Try to not overfeed your fish. Kids especially need to be intructed on exactly how much to feed their fish as they can easily become bloated.

Remember to hold a close watch on the vigor of your fish. Watch out for signs of overfeeding or listless behavior and try to find problems before they get bad. Keep the fish tank away from direct sunlight as modifications in temperature may adversely affect the healh of the fish. Goldfish make excellent pets.

Allergy Spares No One, Not Even Celebrities!

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Allergy indeed is an inevitable thing, it spares no one! Allergies are abnormal reactions to ordinarily harmless substances. Allergic reactions occur when the immune system is triggered by allergens which can either be inhaled, swallowed or come in contact with skin.

Some of the most common allergens are; pollens, dust, foods, insect bites, mold spores, viruses, bacteria, even sudden change in environmental condition, plants and perfumes. People may vary in allergic reactions, some may have simple frequent sneezing, others may have skin rash from mild to severe, and some people may have other allergic reaction.

Celebrities With Allergies

Celebrities need to look good in front of the cameras all the timejust imagine seeing your favourite star sneezing all the time during an interview, or having those swollen nose, swollen lips or even swollen face because of allergies. That would be so shameful! But allergies are inevitable thing; anyone can have allergieseven stars!

Some of these stars are never ashamed to admit that they too have allergies; the telltale itchy, puffy, watery eyes and red, stuffy nose signal changes in the seasons in homes and workplaces across the country. What these people suffer from is allergic rhinitis, or hay fever. Hugh Grant, Scarlet Johansson and Hillary Duff all have hay fever. So the next time you see them on screen with the red nose, they may be suffering from their allergic rhinitis again!

As a celebrity, they must not only look goodthey should also smell really good because they will be dealing with so many people. But the perception of what really smells good for Eva Longoria and Drew Barrymore may be confusing because they are both allergic to perfumes.

Cats and dogs has been once a trend among the celebrities, we often see them cuddle them around. But for Paula Abdul, Nicole Ritchie, Tyra Banks and Alanis Morissette Cats are NO NO! These celebrities are all allergic to cats. Nelly Furtado is another star whos allergic to dogs, for his reason we never see her on screen with a dog. The furs on these pets probably trigger their allergies.

Sharon Stone and Anna Kournikova are both allergic to flowers. Mandy Moore is allergic to smoke, perhaps during her concerts she would not allow the smoke effect. Steve Martin, like many other ordinary people is allergic to shellfish. Its one of the most common allergies which so many people are suffering from. Britney Spears and Antonio Banderas are both allergic to insect sting; they often have this inflammation from an insect bite.

For this reason, it is very important to have an allergy test. Having an allergy test will help you avoid those allergens which cause your allergic reaction. As to what they always say, prevention is better than cure.