Adventures With Sydney

Another hot and muggy day across the North county yesterday with some temps reaching up to 91* in Oceanside Ca.
Some of you may have been worried that Sydney was to hot in the box but owls are able to reduce their body temperature in hot weather by "panting" through partially opened bills. This is called "gular fluttering" - (gular having to do with the throat area.) Warm air is exchanged ambient air which is drawn into the highly vascular throat where the blood vessels are constricted, thus enabling heat dispersion. Also at high temps, owls may stand erect, droop wings & use gular flutter to self-cool.
Owls also get their water (fluids) from the prey they consume..

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Sydney left the box at 8:48pm OBT

Heroic Mother Dog

When a house fire in Temuco, Chile destroyed part of their home, this mother dog did not hesitate to help her 10-day-old puppies. Not only did she rescue them from the burning building, but she carried them all the way to the safety of a nearby fire truck.

Sadly, one of her puppies, named Amparo, died from severe burns following the fire. Still, the momma herself and all of the other puppies are in stable condition, and recovering. At the time these photos were posted, the dogs’ human companion was still in the hospital for burn treatment, but he should be home soon to give them lots of extra love.

Jewel and her cubs

The first 6 1/2 months of Fern & Herbie. Cubs born to Jewel a research bear in Ely, MN

To scared to tail

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The Armadillo Lizard (Cordylus cataphractus) is a lizard endemic to desert areas of southern Africa. It is also known as the Typical Girdled Lizard, Armadillo Girdled Lizard, Golden Armadillo Lizard, and Armadillo Spiny-tailed Lizard.

The Armadillo Lizard possesses an uncommon antipredator adaptation, in which it takes its tail in its mouth and rolls into a ball when frightened. In this shape it is protected from predators by the thick, squarish scales along its back and the spines on its tail.

Camiguin Hawk-Owl, Cebu Hawk-Owl Discovered In Philippines-New Owl Species

Two new owl species have been identified in the Philippines, and researchers say the birds' songs led them to the discovery.

"More than 15 years ago, we realized that new subspecies of Ninox hawk-owls existed in the Philippines," zoologist Pam Rasmussen, of Michigan State University (MSU), said in a statement. "But it wasn't until last year that we obtained enough recordings that we could confirm that they were not just subspecies, but two new species of owls."

In fact, the researchers found that the Philippine hawk-owl (Ninox philippensis) consists of seven allopatric species, or those that emerge as a consequence of individuals being isolated geographically, or temporally. They also identified one subspecies.
Two of the species had never been described nor officially named, until now. One of the newly identified owl species, now called the Camiguin hawk-owl, lives only on the small island of Camiguin Sur and has a very different voice and set of physical features than other owls in the region, the researchers said. It has blue-gray eyes and sings a long solo song at night that builds in intensity with a low growling tone. Pairs of Camiguin hawk-owls, meanwhile, sing short barking duets that kick off with a growl.

The researchers, who reported their findings in Forktail, the Journal of Asian Ornithology, also identified the Cebu hawk-owl after studying its structure and vocalizations.

"The owls don't learn their songs, which are genetically programmed in their DNA and are used to attract mates or defend their territory; so if they're very different, they must be new species," Rasmussen explained in a statement from MSU. "When we first heard the songs of both owls, we were amazed because they were so distinctly different that we realized they were new species.
Published: 08/17/2012 12:01 PM EDT on LiveScience