We too love fries!!!!

We too love fries!!!!

A bike trip in the woods.....

Being an ardent lover of mother nature, I believe that my love has grown over the years by everyday learning. There is so much to know about nature that its never ending process. I realized a quick way to do this ... anything new I would come across I would immediately research on it and find out in detail and this greatly enhanced my knowledge and love towards nature. The best way to feel nature to me is to  bike through the woods with a camera, a small book to note down my observations and a bag of knick knacks to eat and music. What a pleasure and relaxation it is when we combine the three senses of hearing, seeing and taste as beautifully explained in sanskrit as strotam (hearing), darshana (seeing) and rasa(taste). And to mark it every biking trip I make I encounter some living thing which becomes a new learning for me....
Today's biking trip was particularly exciting as it was in the evening at 6pm I set out just when it was the bearable time of the texas heat... I biked all along the sam houston trail which further led to cimmaron trail which would continue to complete the 25 mile long trail in Irving, an suburb in Texas. As the sun was dipping down, the sky burst into various hues of orange and red..lighting up all of the trail, flowers to leaves all reflecting back the orange hue and changing the brightness with every minute towards sunset.. I stopped at various locations to enjoy the changing images of the sunset.. My first halt was to the calls of a flock of bright red cardinals on their way back home.. fiery red plump birds ..well as rightly named as angry birds!! 

http://youtu.be/-ealX8L8KF0

Male Cardinal 

My second stop was at a small slow moving man made lake side where I could see numerous turtles swimming in the waters. Call it adaptation or habit... the moment they saw humans standing by the side of the lake they would come rushing with mouth's wide open.. Thats the favourite spot where many animals lovers like me would feed the turtles with sea weeds and other turtle feeds. This was an perfect example of how humans are not considered as a threat and we still are accepted by the nature and its residents. The most interesting part was that the shells of the turtles were covered with healthy growing moss/algae, setting an example for symbiosis where in the turtles get their backs cleaned and fishes get their food..
This was an interesting picture I found on the web..A rockstar turtle!!!

After a short break as I was rushing back to the end of the trail before the dusk falls in...I had an unexpected stop...as in the middle of the road was an strange looking animal, more like a reptile..busy burrowing the edges of the trail. As I observed closely I was excited as it was an nine banded armadillo!!! It was such a visual treat to see the armadillo busy burrowing its way...

The word armadillo means "little armored one" in Spanish. Some  interesting facts on armadillo:

• Armadillos are often used in the study of leprosy, since they, along with mangabey monkeys, rabbits and mice (on their footpads), are among the few known species that can contract the disease systemically.
• The nine-banded armadillo also serves science through its unusual reproductive system, in which four genetically identical offspring are born, the result of one original egg.
• The armadillo is also a natural reservoir for Chagas disease.

Armadillo encounter was the last part of my biking trip and the trip ended with a perfect weekend dinner of dosa's (Indian version of pancakes) and masala lassi( spiced buttermilk) and with fond memories of small wonders of the nature!!

Cat Adopts Baby Squirrels

Extinct Animals 20th Century!

Squirrels

Squirrels belong to a large family of  medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels,ground squirrels,chipmunks marmots,flying squirrels and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa .

The word squirrel, first attested in 1327, comes via AngloNorman esquirel from the Old French escurel, the reflex of a Latin word sciurus which was itself borrowed from Greek. The word itself comes from the Greek word σκίουρος, skiouros, which means shadow-tailed, referring to the bushy appendage possessed by many of its members.

MORPHOLOGY:

Squirrels are generally small animals, ranging in size from the African pygmy , at 7–10 cm (2.8–3.9 in) in length, and just 10 g (0.35 oz) in weight, to the Alpine marmot, which is 53–73 cm (21–29 in) long, and weighs from 5 to 8 kg (11 to 18 lb). Squirrels typically have slender bodies with bushy tails and large eyes. Their fur  is generally soft and silky, although much thicker in some species than others. The color of squirrels is highly variable between – and often even within – species.

The hindlimbs are generally longer than the forelimbs, and they have four or five toes on each foot. Their paws on their forefeet include a thumb, although this is often poorly developed. The feet also have a soft pad on the underside.^[3]

Squirrels live in almost every habitat from tropical rainforest  to semiarid desert, avoiding only the high polar regions and the driest of deserts. They are predominantly herbivorous , subsisting on seeds and nuts, but many will eat insects, and even small vertebrates.

As their large eyes indicate, squirrels generally have an excellent sense of vision, which is especially important for tree-dwelling species. They also have very versatile and sturdy claws for grasping and climbing. 

 FEEDING HABITS:

squirrels cannot digest cellulose and rely on foods rich in protein,carbohydrate, and fat.Squirrels' diet consists primarily of a wide variety of plant food, including nuts,seeds,fruits ,fungi and green vegetation.

In temperate regions, early spring is the hardest time of year for squirrels, because buried nuts begin to sprout and are no longer available for the squirrel to eat, and new food sources have not become available yet. During these times squirrels rely heavily on the buds of trees. 

Squirrels are foragers who do not hibernate in the winter.  They are known for their food-saving behaviors, which are classified as "scatter-hoarding", meaning they make many small caches of food in different areas.  These can be temporary, for the squirrel to return to within hours or days to collect and re-hide somewhere more secure, or can be much longer term.  Squirrels can bury or hide food stores and still find them months later--they have very highly developed spatial memory, which referrs to near and distant landmarks to relocate their food stores.

 INTERACTION:

 Tree squirrels -- especially Gray Squirrels -- are quite used to humans and many will come close to people hoping they will be fed. However, squirrels deserve our respectful distance. They have very sharp teeth and sharp claws and defend themselves by biting and scratching if they are startled. However, they are fun to observe. Think of it like this -- people are HUGE to the little squirrels. If a HUGE animal tried to play with you...would you defend yourself? Of course! So treat them with gentle respect...and they can be wonderful "wild friends".

 

 

POACHING:

Squirrels are being hunted on a daily basis for meat,easy access in the gardens,amateur hunting to gain experience, fur,leather and  so on ...the human luxury needs are endless.

 

 

 

 

 

Budgens, a popular UK supermarket, will start selling squirrel meat nationwide. One London store has already started stocking it and animal rights groups have called it "wildlife massacre."

Budgens plans to roll out squirrel meat across its stores. Already the Crouch End store, North London, is selling the meat for £3 each. 

 The popular woodland creatures were once popular as a UK meat and made into soups, pies and casseroles.
A question of the hour is...Why are we doing this?

A common answer- squirrels are pests ,why not kill them...?

Something which all of us are brushing aside is they have become pests because we raided their food..deforested  and destroyed their niche...

They are pests not because of choice..they are pests due to hunger...

Save wildlife...we owe them a lot!!

Hey she is my backyard pal..she is perky,friendly and righteously demanding...she doubles my happiness..takes me closer to nature.I am proud of having her in my backyard...are you??

Liger Cubs: Taiwan Zoo Breeds Tiger-Lion Hybrids | The News is NowPublic.com

Liger Cubs: Taiwan Zoo Breeds Tiger-Lion Hybrids | The News is NowPublic.com

vegan accessories

    Many brands now provide us with a newer concept of "vegan shoes"...a unrecognizable replacement for leather. By opting for these , we save a lot of animals from being killed !! Isnt that a great deal!!!Go for it..go vegan!!!

Brands - moo shoes , neuaura .