The Ugly: Aye-Aye

I knew that my next blog post had to be something funny, maybe another profile? I thought of doing fictional animals like the unicorn or something, then remembered this ugly, hilariously looking creature I saw on animal planet once--The Aye-Aye...and secretly chuckled to myself. SO here is the animal in all it's fashionable glamor!

The Aye-Aye is a rain forest dwelling, ape/chimpanzee/HUMAN (whaat??) related ugly monkey-look alike...Madagascar native. and only in Madagascar will you catch a glimpse of the weird looking creature.

It's an omnivore which means it eats both meat and plants and has a diet that consists of fruits, veggies and insects. They are nocturnal, so they spend their days sleeping and only come out at night...and prefer to stay up in the trees unless absolutely necessary to come down.

Like many primates (that's us!) , the Aye-Aye has opposable big toes which help it grip and hang from trees and grab things easier. They can live up to 20 years and have a tail as long as 24 inch es! I think these guys, though ugly...are perfectly loveable <3. href="http://www.animalinfo.org/species/primate/daubmada.htm">here.

Interesting facts about these uglies:
1. They are one of the rare animals that use echolocation to find prey, such as listening for insects that crawl under tree barks
2. To the native people, Aye-Ayes are considered a bad omen...and are often killed on sight....resulting in their name being on the Endangered Species list. (good going humans!) The good news is that they are also now protected by law as their numbers are dwindling.

The Oops! Puppy down the toilet!

So for this installment of paw corner, I'm commenting on an article I read where a 4 year old boy in Britain accidentally flushed his week old cocker spaniel puppy down the toilet as he attempted to give it a bath after his twin brother took the puppy out for a walk. The puppy was flushed nearly 20 yard away from the house where he was finally rescued. Here is the link to the story with a video of the amazing sequence of events for the tiny pup.

As I read through some of the comments, I realized that my questions and concerns were very much alike with others. Who takes a week old puppy out for long, muddy walks? Why was a 4 year old washing a week old puppy with no adult supervision? anything could've happened...the child could have drowned the dog in the sink! I believe that it is hard to watch your child at all times, but during certain activities where extreme caution and responsibility need to be instore, such as bathing an infant canine, an adult should be present.

On the other hand...where would a child get the idea to wash a dog in a toilet in the first place?? Very unusual. One of the comments noted that children often mimic what they have seen before and perhaps assumed that flushing the toilet cleans the toilet and therefore would be a good place to clean a dog? It's any body's guess...at least there was a happy ending and the puppy is fine and healthy after 4 hours in the pipes, poor guy! The family named the dog Dyno, after its resucer.

Reiterating on OWNER RESPONSIBILITY, please please take caution, care and responsibiltiy if you have a pet. A pet might be a good tool to teach children responsibility, but adults must realize that children still have so much to learn. Not every case may be so lucky as this one...

The Ugly: The Snakehead Fish

I'm addicted to websites that rank certain things or have the top 10 most ____ something. Recently I read one of "world's most evil fish"...but maybe it's just misunderstood??

The Channidae is a type of fresh water fish found in Asia and Africa and are also known as "Snakeheads" because of their hunting habits and shape of their head.

They can weigh up to 60 pounds (whoa!) but the heaviest ever caught by man weighs roughly 9 pounds. They are "scary" and are considered a hazard to wildlife habitat in some areas due to their nature and ability to basically eat anything. They have no set diet and can eat plankton, aquatic insects, frogs, birds and the rest can be part of your imagination!!

What makes them even more unique is that they have been known to be able to breathe atmospheric air and can live on wet land for up to 4 days! With skills such as these, the snakeheads have virtually no natural enemies and are considered a top level predator.

The only thing standing in their way and world domination? humans of course. Though they are not an the endangered species list, they ARE caught and killed for food dishes in South East Asia (and some imported to the U.S.) and exotic aquariums. What would you feed such a fish if it was in YOUR tank?? To learn more about these ugly, snakeheads, click here.

Dedication: Dwarf Hamsters

A really dear friend died about 3 weeks ago, so I decided to make a small dedication to her/him/it. Hamtatoe, this is for you. (The picture to the left is Hamtaty and I!!)

Dwarf Hamsters are common house pets and can be found in most pet stores. They are active little buggers that tend to bite of not used to/trained being hand-held at a young age. They can grow up to 3-4in and live up to 3-4years. Hamtaty lasted a whopping 3 years, a true fighter!

They are social creatures and like to be with other hamsters. However, if you are introducing a new "friend" into the cage, make sure that the two agree with each other or else you'll have fights! Clean out the cage and put the NEW hamster in first, let it roam around and get its scent in the cage...then put in the old resident. If one if male, put the male in first. Let them adjust to each other, but observe them carefully! Some hamsters just like being solitary.


Hamsters are similar to rabbits and other rodents in that they like to gnaw on things. Some hamsters reject chew toys and will chew on their cages (like Hamtatoe)...this problem can be solved with a dog biscuit that is hard and tasty...YUM :)

Since hamsters don't have that long of a life expectancy, towards the later part of their life, they might be prone to health problems. Most people don't take their hamsters to the vet because the price of a hamster can be lower than $10 where as a trip to the vet could be over $100.

However, always remember that the easiest way for both you as an owner, and them as a pet, is just to take good daily care.

Good owner responsibility is key to a healthy, happy pet. This decreases the need for expensive trips to the vet and will likely encourage a stronger bond between you and your special friend. Remember that pets (like people) need daily TLC...so even if you're busy with school, work or social life....if you have a pet, remember your responsibility and commitment and make some time to bond and care for your pet.

To learn more about dwarf hamsters and how to care for them, check out this online community dedicated to dwarf hamsters!