When I was a youngster growing up in the 1960's and early 70's, I was lucky that we lived on a farm out in the country. One of the favorite pastimes I had, was going hunting for snakes on a nice warm sunny day. Living on the farm, was like living in 'snake heaven'. We had copperheads, milk snakes, grass snakes, black snakes, and garter snakes. We heard of rattlers living up in the hills or nearby places, but I never saw one while growing up.
I would find myself an old burlap bag or feed sack out in the barn, and head up the road a short distance. Along the sidehill near our farm were numerous rocks. I would locate a nice rather large flat rock that was not pressed into the ground, or one that was held above the ground by other rocks under it. Carefully I would grasp the rock, trying not to let my fingers reach under it, you never knew what might be hiding beneath it, ready to attack. One of the easiest ways to get bitten by a snake is to pick up a rock and have your fingers reaching underneath it, the snake can see your fingers, but you cannot see the snake, and in one fast strike you could find yourself heading to the Hospital.
Once I safely grasped the rock I would slowly turn it over and look under it, if there was a snake there it would do one of two things. Either it would rapidly try to flee and slither away and become lost in the nearby rocks and weeds, or it would coil up and try to defend it's self. Once I identified the snake as a non-poisonous type, I would spring into action, you see I thought of myself as the master snake handler at the time. The truth is, I was and still am a wacky person, I mean who in there right mind, loved playing with snakes and toads, and I still do today as a middle aged man. I will still go out of my way to not harm a snake or toad if I see one while mowing the grass or driving a vehicle.
Anyway, let's get back to catching the snakes. As I lifted the rock, if I identified the snake as being poisonous, like a copperhead, I would just slowly lower the rock back down on the snake, and leave it be. If I saw that it was a non-poisonous variety, I would try to step on it, not enough to hurt it, but just enough to prevent it from escaping. Then I would slowly maneuver my sneaker or foot until the snakes head was visible. Then I would reach down and carefully grasp the back of the head or neck area, holding the snake there, it could not strike me and was powerless. It would often wrap it's body around my wrist or arm if it was a large snake, but it was still powerless, and the snakes that lived where I did, were not very strong when it came to constricting. Once I caught the snake I would put him into the bag I had with me, then I would hunt for a couple more, you see one snake is good, two or three to play with is, great!
Once I had a nice bunch of snakes I would head back home, and shake them all into a large box I had. There I would sit and admire my prized collection. I would have my dad or brother come and see them, often I would show them to my friends that lived in the area. When I was a young kid, my best friend was a neighbor boy named 'Johnny Brennan, he loved snakes as much as I did, at the time anyway, and sometimes we would go on snake hunts together. My Dad seemed to like the things, he would sometimes ask to see one, and he would sit and hold it, or look into the box of snakes, laugh, shake his head and walk away. Mom on the other hand, hated and feared the things. She was always afraid of getting bit and killed by a snake, and she always made me keep them outside of the house.
So as you can probably tell, I loved snakes, they were one of the joys of growing up as a young boy. Now I will tell you some of the great benefits that all of us humans get from having snakes around. In all of North America, did you know that out of all the species of snakes that live here, only 4 are poisonous and can cause death to humans, these are the; Cottonmouth 'Water Moccasin', Coral Snake, Copperhead, and Rattlesnakes. The four poisonous species of snakes that live in North America only bite if they are approached, stepped on, attacked or annoyed greatly. The thing to learn is 'leave them alone and they will usually leave you alone'.
Do you like mice or rats ? How do you feel about having mice and rats coming inside your house or apartment in the cold winter months ? I bet you hate them, and you hate having them visit you inside your home and apartment. Every time a snake is killed, that leaves a hundred mice and other rodents that can invade your house and apartment. The only reason a snake would even be found near your home, is because there is a good supply of rodents nearby for it to eat. Snakes not only eat and control the mouse and rat population, they also eat worms, insects, and lizards, beetles and spiders, and yes an occasional toad.
Now that you know about the benefits of snakes, maybe you will think more highly of them the next time you see one. How would you feel if you were a snake or toad, and every time someone saw you slithering by, they tried to chop your head off with a hoe, or if they saw you hopping by they said "Don't touch that nasty toad, it will give you warts!". I think the creatures need the love and respect they deserve. Remember the joy that snakes gave one young boy as he was growing up, and think of all the nasty mice and rodents they keep under control.
Is a fear of snakes stopping you from starting your own Lawn Mowing Business ? From reading this article, you should now have a better feeling towards them. Maybe it's time you started that business you have been dreaming about. Did you know that there is computer software that is made just for a lawn mowing business, the software is called: ' Lawn Mowing Business ', you can read the details and download a trial version of it for free at this website address:
http://www.rb59.com/lawn-mowing
By Robert W. Benjamin
Copyright © 2006
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.
2008年8月28日星期四
2008年8月23日星期六
Parrots and Other Birds Need Sleep
Your pet parrot is getting ornery and difficult to handle. Where he was once a happy camper, now your parrot is getting downright surly. At the same time you are getting less sleep and feeling rather ornery yourself. You and your pet parrot are both suffering from the same problem. Not enough sleep.
The drive home was long and tiring. Arriving home you see that there are some chores to do, the kids need your attention and the boss has given you some homework. Exhausted, you notice the hour is late and if you are lucky, you might catch five or six hours of sleep. Waking the next morning you still feel tired, out of sorts and cranky.
Even the weekend brings no relief with a busy schedule of household chores and family events. It will not be long before your sleep deficient grows to the point you are always tired and in a perpetually bad mood.
During the course of the average day, we humans are bombarded by visual stimuli. Messages from television, radio, cell phones and all manner of electronic gadgetry fill our senses. Artificial lighting and seasonal changes in natural light has a profound affect on many of us. The effects of this sensory overload are well documented in both humans and animals. Not surprisingly, your pet parrot can be adversely affected by lighting and noise. Things that the average human may take for granted, might pose a problem for the average parrot, or other per bird. With a possible lifespan of over seventy years, there are certain behaviors that are deeply engrained and one is the need for sleep.
Owning a pet of any kind brings with it tremendous responsibilities. Beyond providing the basic like food water and shelter, certain animals, especially exotic pets need special attention. Depending on the species, animals, including parrots have specials needs to which humans must adapt. Think of it as a kind of reverse adaptation. Parrots in the wild live in an environment vastly different from their homebound cousins. The fact is that all parrots are wild animals and are not domesticated like dogs, cats and other types of house pets.
Your schedule and living habits may include watching late night television or leaving the lights on until you go to bed. Like humans, parrots need a certain amount of sleep. Restful sleep helps the mind refresh itself. Sleep is important to help us recuperate from the stress of the day. The same is true for parrots and other pet birds. In order to ensure that your pet is getting recuperative sleep, there are certain adaptations that you may need to make.
Pet birds are completely dependant on us for their care. Therefore, it is up to the owner of the bird to provide a proper environment that is right for the bird. Since your pet parrot may not like late night television, you may need to move the television, or the bird, to another room. Reducing the amount of artificial light is another key to providing the bird a proper habitat. In the wild, many bird species, including parrots, will rest and sleep starting around dusk. That is far earlier than most human decide to hit the proverbial hay.
One way to reduce the birds over exposure to artificial light is to tent the birds cage or perch. These types of products are widely available through pet retailers. Keeping the noise down is another very important environmental consideration.
Allowing your bird to get a good recuperative sleep will improve his mood. Parrots are very intelligent animals and can provide us with many years of loyal companionship. It is up to us to provide everything these beauty animals need when we make them part of home and our lives.
The drive home was long and tiring. Arriving home you see that there are some chores to do, the kids need your attention and the boss has given you some homework. Exhausted, you notice the hour is late and if you are lucky, you might catch five or six hours of sleep. Waking the next morning you still feel tired, out of sorts and cranky.
Even the weekend brings no relief with a busy schedule of household chores and family events. It will not be long before your sleep deficient grows to the point you are always tired and in a perpetually bad mood.
During the course of the average day, we humans are bombarded by visual stimuli. Messages from television, radio, cell phones and all manner of electronic gadgetry fill our senses. Artificial lighting and seasonal changes in natural light has a profound affect on many of us. The effects of this sensory overload are well documented in both humans and animals. Not surprisingly, your pet parrot can be adversely affected by lighting and noise. Things that the average human may take for granted, might pose a problem for the average parrot, or other per bird. With a possible lifespan of over seventy years, there are certain behaviors that are deeply engrained and one is the need for sleep.
Owning a pet of any kind brings with it tremendous responsibilities. Beyond providing the basic like food water and shelter, certain animals, especially exotic pets need special attention. Depending on the species, animals, including parrots have specials needs to which humans must adapt. Think of it as a kind of reverse adaptation. Parrots in the wild live in an environment vastly different from their homebound cousins. The fact is that all parrots are wild animals and are not domesticated like dogs, cats and other types of house pets.
Your schedule and living habits may include watching late night television or leaving the lights on until you go to bed. Like humans, parrots need a certain amount of sleep. Restful sleep helps the mind refresh itself. Sleep is important to help us recuperate from the stress of the day. The same is true for parrots and other pet birds. In order to ensure that your pet is getting recuperative sleep, there are certain adaptations that you may need to make.
Pet birds are completely dependant on us for their care. Therefore, it is up to the owner of the bird to provide a proper environment that is right for the bird. Since your pet parrot may not like late night television, you may need to move the television, or the bird, to another room. Reducing the amount of artificial light is another key to providing the bird a proper habitat. In the wild, many bird species, including parrots, will rest and sleep starting around dusk. That is far earlier than most human decide to hit the proverbial hay.
One way to reduce the birds over exposure to artificial light is to tent the birds cage or perch. These types of products are widely available through pet retailers. Keeping the noise down is another very important environmental consideration.
Allowing your bird to get a good recuperative sleep will improve his mood. Parrots are very intelligent animals and can provide us with many years of loyal companionship. It is up to us to provide everything these beauty animals need when we make them part of home and our lives.
2008年8月14日星期四
Origin Of The Domestic Dog
Ancient history. The earliest fossil carnivores that can be linked with some certainty to canids are the Eocene Miacids some 55 to 38 million years ago. From the miacids evolved the cat-like (Feloidea) and dog-like (Canoidea) carnivores.
Most important to the ancestry of the dog was the canoed line, leading from the coyote-sized Mesocyon of the Oligocene (38 to 24 million years ago) to the fox-like Leptocyon and the wolf-like Tomarctus that roamed North America some 10 million years ago. From the time of Tomarctus, dog-like carnivores have expanded throughout the world.
About Domestication. Human hunter-gatherers and wolves experienced several overlaps as both are social species, they shared habitat and hunted the same prey. There are four theories to explain possible routes for domestication of the dog:
1. Orphaned wolf-cubs: Studies have shown that some wolf pups taken at an early age and reared by humans are easily tamed and socialized.[2] Once these early adoptees started breeding amongst themselves, a new generation of tame "wolf-like" domestic animals would result which would over generations of time, become more dog-like.
2. The Promise of Food: Early wolves would, as scavengers, be attracted to the bones and refuse dumps of human campsites. Once there, they would recognise specific humans as "ours" and in protecting their range from strangers, would be useful to prevent surprise attack.
These early adoptees became tame wolves, dependent on humans for their source of food. The New Guinea "singing dogs" have such a function today, as do the pariah dogs of India. Dr. Raymond Coppinger of Hampshire College, Massachusetts, argues that such wolves over time would become less fearful of humans than most wild wolves, and this trait may have been heritable, making these wolves more likely to be domesticated.
Hypothetically, wolves separated into two populations - the village-oriented scavengers and the packs of hunters. The next steps have not been defined, but selective pressure must have been present to sustain the divergence of these populations.
3. As a beast of burden: North American Indians used dog-sized travois before adapting the horse for this purpose, and huskies are famous for pulling sleds for Inuit communities. It is very probable that the dog was the original beast of burden before the domestication of the horse or ox.
4. Dogs as a source of food and fur: Whilst Westerners have difficulty thinking of dogs (or wolves) as a source of meat, wolf fur is a highly prized commodity.
Archaeology has placed the earliest known domestication at potentially 10,000 BCE-12,000 BCE and with certainty at 7,000 BCE . Domestication of the wolf over time has produced a number of physical changes typical of all domesticated mammals.
These include: a reduction in overall size; changes in coat colouration and markings; a shorter jaw initially with crowding of the teeth and, later, with the shrinking in size of the teeth; a reduction in brain size and intelligence and thus in cranial capacity (particularly those areas relating to alertness and sensory processing, necessary in the wild); and the development of a pronounced stop, or vertical drop in front of the forehead (brachycephaly).
Behaviourally, the wagging of tails and barking are behaviours only found in wolf puppies, retained via neoteny throughout the dog's life. Certain wolf-like behaviours, such as the regurgitation of partially digested food for the young, have also disappeared.
As an experiment in the domestication of wolves, the "farm fox" experiment of Russian scientist Dmitry Belyaev [5] attempted to reenact of how domestication may have occurred. Researchers working with selectively breeding wild silver foxes over thirty-five generations and forty years for the sole trait of friendliness to humans, created more dog-like animals.
The "domestic elite" foxes are much more friendly to humans and actually seek human attention, but they also show new physical traits that parallel the selection for tameness, even though the physical traits were not originally selected for. They include spotted or black-and-white coats, floppy ears, tails that curl over their backs, and earlier sexual maturity. It was reported "On average, the domestic foxes respond to sounds two days earlier and open their eyes one day earlier than their non-domesticated cousins.
More striking is that their socialization period has greatly increased. Instead of developing a fear response at 6 weeks of age, the domesticated foxes don't show it until 9 weeks of age or later. The whimpering and tail wagging is a holdover from puppy hood, as are the foreshortened face and muzzle. Even the new coat colours can be explained by the altered timing of development. One researcher found that the migration of certain melanocytes (which determine colour) was delayed, resulting in a black and white 'star' pattern."
DNA Evidence. Prior to the use of DNA researchers were divided into two schools of thought: 1. most supposed that these early dogs were descendants of tamed wolves, which interbred and evolved into a domesticated species. 2. other scientists, whilst believing wolves were the chief contributor, suspected that jackals or coyotes contributed to the dog's ancestry.
Carles Vila of UCLA,[1], who has conducted the most extensive study to date, has shown that DNA evidence has ruled out any ancestor canine species except the wolf. Vila's team analyzed 162 different examples of wolf DNA from 27 populations in Europe, Asia, and North America. These results were compared with DNA from 140 individual dogs from 67 breeds gathered from around the world. Using blood or hair samples, DNA was extracted and genetic distance for mitochondrial DNA was estimated between individuals.
Based on this DNA evidence, most of the domesticated dogs were found to be members of one of four groups. The largest and most diverse group contains sequences found in the most ancient dog breeds, including the dingo of Australia, the New Guinea singing dog, and many modern breeds, like the collie and retriever.
Other groups such as the German shepherd showed a closer relation to wolf sequences than to those of the main dog group, suggesting that such breeds had been produced by crossing dogs with wild wolves. It is also possible that this is evidence that dogs may have been domesticated from wolves on different occasions and at different places.
Vila is still uncertain whether domestication happened once - after which domesticated dogs bred with wolves from time to time - or whether it happened more than once.
The most puzzling fact of the DNA evidence is that the variability in molecular distance between dogs and wolves seems greater than the 10-20,000 years assigned to domestication.
Based upon the molecular clock studies conducted, it would seem that dogs separated from the wolf lineage approximately 100,000 years ago. Although clear evidence for fossil dogs becomes obscure beyond about 14,000 years ago, there are fossils of wolf bones in association with early humans from well beyond 100,000 years ago.
Tamed wolves might have taken up with hunter-gatherers without changing in ways that the fossil record could clearly capture. These dogs-in-process would possibly have dallied with wolves as packs of humans and canines traveled out of Africa and around the world.
Since evidence of dogs is not found elsewhere before 14,000 years ago, it may be that the "Sahara pump" associated with the Glacial Maximum was responsible for the spread of the dogs out of Africa. Such a thesis is compatible with the spread of languages associated with the Nostratic hypothesis.
Most important to the ancestry of the dog was the canoed line, leading from the coyote-sized Mesocyon of the Oligocene (38 to 24 million years ago) to the fox-like Leptocyon and the wolf-like Tomarctus that roamed North America some 10 million years ago. From the time of Tomarctus, dog-like carnivores have expanded throughout the world.
About Domestication. Human hunter-gatherers and wolves experienced several overlaps as both are social species, they shared habitat and hunted the same prey. There are four theories to explain possible routes for domestication of the dog:
1. Orphaned wolf-cubs: Studies have shown that some wolf pups taken at an early age and reared by humans are easily tamed and socialized.[2] Once these early adoptees started breeding amongst themselves, a new generation of tame "wolf-like" domestic animals would result which would over generations of time, become more dog-like.
2. The Promise of Food: Early wolves would, as scavengers, be attracted to the bones and refuse dumps of human campsites. Once there, they would recognise specific humans as "ours" and in protecting their range from strangers, would be useful to prevent surprise attack.
These early adoptees became tame wolves, dependent on humans for their source of food. The New Guinea "singing dogs" have such a function today, as do the pariah dogs of India. Dr. Raymond Coppinger of Hampshire College, Massachusetts, argues that such wolves over time would become less fearful of humans than most wild wolves, and this trait may have been heritable, making these wolves more likely to be domesticated.
Hypothetically, wolves separated into two populations - the village-oriented scavengers and the packs of hunters. The next steps have not been defined, but selective pressure must have been present to sustain the divergence of these populations.
3. As a beast of burden: North American Indians used dog-sized travois before adapting the horse for this purpose, and huskies are famous for pulling sleds for Inuit communities. It is very probable that the dog was the original beast of burden before the domestication of the horse or ox.
4. Dogs as a source of food and fur: Whilst Westerners have difficulty thinking of dogs (or wolves) as a source of meat, wolf fur is a highly prized commodity.
Archaeology has placed the earliest known domestication at potentially 10,000 BCE-12,000 BCE and with certainty at 7,000 BCE . Domestication of the wolf over time has produced a number of physical changes typical of all domesticated mammals.
These include: a reduction in overall size; changes in coat colouration and markings; a shorter jaw initially with crowding of the teeth and, later, with the shrinking in size of the teeth; a reduction in brain size and intelligence and thus in cranial capacity (particularly those areas relating to alertness and sensory processing, necessary in the wild); and the development of a pronounced stop, or vertical drop in front of the forehead (brachycephaly).
Behaviourally, the wagging of tails and barking are behaviours only found in wolf puppies, retained via neoteny throughout the dog's life. Certain wolf-like behaviours, such as the regurgitation of partially digested food for the young, have also disappeared.
As an experiment in the domestication of wolves, the "farm fox" experiment of Russian scientist Dmitry Belyaev [5] attempted to reenact of how domestication may have occurred. Researchers working with selectively breeding wild silver foxes over thirty-five generations and forty years for the sole trait of friendliness to humans, created more dog-like animals.
The "domestic elite" foxes are much more friendly to humans and actually seek human attention, but they also show new physical traits that parallel the selection for tameness, even though the physical traits were not originally selected for. They include spotted or black-and-white coats, floppy ears, tails that curl over their backs, and earlier sexual maturity. It was reported "On average, the domestic foxes respond to sounds two days earlier and open their eyes one day earlier than their non-domesticated cousins.
More striking is that their socialization period has greatly increased. Instead of developing a fear response at 6 weeks of age, the domesticated foxes don't show it until 9 weeks of age or later. The whimpering and tail wagging is a holdover from puppy hood, as are the foreshortened face and muzzle. Even the new coat colours can be explained by the altered timing of development. One researcher found that the migration of certain melanocytes (which determine colour) was delayed, resulting in a black and white 'star' pattern."
DNA Evidence. Prior to the use of DNA researchers were divided into two schools of thought: 1. most supposed that these early dogs were descendants of tamed wolves, which interbred and evolved into a domesticated species. 2. other scientists, whilst believing wolves were the chief contributor, suspected that jackals or coyotes contributed to the dog's ancestry.
Carles Vila of UCLA,[1], who has conducted the most extensive study to date, has shown that DNA evidence has ruled out any ancestor canine species except the wolf. Vila's team analyzed 162 different examples of wolf DNA from 27 populations in Europe, Asia, and North America. These results were compared with DNA from 140 individual dogs from 67 breeds gathered from around the world. Using blood or hair samples, DNA was extracted and genetic distance for mitochondrial DNA was estimated between individuals.
Based on this DNA evidence, most of the domesticated dogs were found to be members of one of four groups. The largest and most diverse group contains sequences found in the most ancient dog breeds, including the dingo of Australia, the New Guinea singing dog, and many modern breeds, like the collie and retriever.
Other groups such as the German shepherd showed a closer relation to wolf sequences than to those of the main dog group, suggesting that such breeds had been produced by crossing dogs with wild wolves. It is also possible that this is evidence that dogs may have been domesticated from wolves on different occasions and at different places.
Vila is still uncertain whether domestication happened once - after which domesticated dogs bred with wolves from time to time - or whether it happened more than once.
The most puzzling fact of the DNA evidence is that the variability in molecular distance between dogs and wolves seems greater than the 10-20,000 years assigned to domestication.
Based upon the molecular clock studies conducted, it would seem that dogs separated from the wolf lineage approximately 100,000 years ago. Although clear evidence for fossil dogs becomes obscure beyond about 14,000 years ago, there are fossils of wolf bones in association with early humans from well beyond 100,000 years ago.
Tamed wolves might have taken up with hunter-gatherers without changing in ways that the fossil record could clearly capture. These dogs-in-process would possibly have dallied with wolves as packs of humans and canines traveled out of Africa and around the world.
Since evidence of dogs is not found elsewhere before 14,000 years ago, it may be that the "Sahara pump" associated with the Glacial Maximum was responsible for the spread of the dogs out of Africa. Such a thesis is compatible with the spread of languages associated with the Nostratic hypothesis.
2008年8月9日星期六
Certified Dog Trainer Qualities
All dog lovers know just how much company these four-legged friends can be. They are special pets that can provide so much love and entertainment. It seems like they can predict when you feel good and when you don't. They are loyal to the very end.
However, this doesn't mean that you can't run into problems with these adorable pets once in awhile. That is when you need the expertise of a certified dog trainer to step in and help you get or keep control over your pet. So what are some of the qualities of a certified dog trainer?
Some qualities of a certified dog trainer that you need to look for includes confidence. A good trainer will know they can benefit and improve your dogs overall attitude and your pet can sense if they do not have this quality. Kindness is very important.
A qualified trainer will have the ability to be kind and firm at the same time. They will make training a fun and exciting time for your beloved dog. Safety will also be a huge aspect of their training technique. They will also understand how different breeds of dog learn and be able to teach by understanding the individual personality of your pet.
Qualities of a certified dog trainer include keeping up to date on all the latest training techniques. There are always new and improved items that can assist in the way your dog is being trained. Knowing and understanding these techniques is the only way that a trainer can be completely efficient and do the best job with your pet.
New information is also being reported that can be very beneficial. A certified trainer always stays on top of this information. They also follow the ''code of ethics'' which includes being honest, dependable and professional at all times.
You will be able to see a happier, healthier pet when the training has been completed. These are reasons why you should use a certified dog trainer to help teach your dog how to be a better pet and companion. You will see the bond between the two of you grow stronger every day. It will be the foundation of a new life together.
A professional trainer can teach your pet how to interact in social gatherings. This means you don't have to worry about how they will act when in the company of other pets and people. Imagine how proud you will be to have the best behaved dog in the park.
However, this doesn't mean that you can't run into problems with these adorable pets once in awhile. That is when you need the expertise of a certified dog trainer to step in and help you get or keep control over your pet. So what are some of the qualities of a certified dog trainer?
Some qualities of a certified dog trainer that you need to look for includes confidence. A good trainer will know they can benefit and improve your dogs overall attitude and your pet can sense if they do not have this quality. Kindness is very important.
A qualified trainer will have the ability to be kind and firm at the same time. They will make training a fun and exciting time for your beloved dog. Safety will also be a huge aspect of their training technique. They will also understand how different breeds of dog learn and be able to teach by understanding the individual personality of your pet.
Qualities of a certified dog trainer include keeping up to date on all the latest training techniques. There are always new and improved items that can assist in the way your dog is being trained. Knowing and understanding these techniques is the only way that a trainer can be completely efficient and do the best job with your pet.
New information is also being reported that can be very beneficial. A certified trainer always stays on top of this information. They also follow the ''code of ethics'' which includes being honest, dependable and professional at all times.
You will be able to see a happier, healthier pet when the training has been completed. These are reasons why you should use a certified dog trainer to help teach your dog how to be a better pet and companion. You will see the bond between the two of you grow stronger every day. It will be the foundation of a new life together.
A professional trainer can teach your pet how to interact in social gatherings. This means you don't have to worry about how they will act when in the company of other pets and people. Imagine how proud you will be to have the best behaved dog in the park.
2008年8月3日星期日
Savannah Cats, The Biggest in Town
When speaking about the various breeds of domestic cats who, either by nature or human design, look like their bigger, wilder cousins, only a couple came about by the actual breeding of a domestic cat to a wild one. One of those breeds is called the Savannah cat. It is the product of crossing an African Serval to a domestic shorthair, most often a Bengal, Egyptian Maus, Serengetis or the like. Unlike Pixie-Bobs, who will naturally mate with available barnyard cats and do so regularly, the breeding of a Serval to a domestic can be a difficult task. Judy Frank, a Bengal breeder who lives in PA, accomplished the first documented breeding in the 1980s. The resulting mix produced a playful, curious cat that is very talkative and extremely friendly, while having the beautiful, wild look and physical features of the wild Serval cat. The Savannah was named after the African grasslands that are native to the Serval. They are overwhelmingly breathtaking, having gorgeous spotted and striped coats in colors that range from silver to amber. Another endearing quality to this animal is the distinctive teardrop markings that show around both their eyes and their ears. Somewhat typical of wild to domestic blendings, the male Savannahs are generally sterile until the fifth generation, but the females are usually fertile from the first generation on. Savannahs are also one of the largest breeds of domestic cats available. Compared to the atypical domestic cat, who weighs in between five and a half pounds to sixteen pounds, although some have been know to grow somewhat larger, the Savannah can reach up to a whopping thirty-two pounds. Their fur varies depending upon the domestic cross that is used for the blending. The earliest generations of a blending always have dark spotting on a lighter coat. Many breeders of Savannahs have used Bengals and Egyptian Maus to preserve these markings in later generations of the cats. Savannahs can have tan coats with brownish or black spots, or a silver coat with a marble pattern, dark spots, or other pattern combinations. Savannahs are very social creatures that get along well with cats and dogs. They have loads of energy, greet people with head-butts, and love to pounce on you from out of nowhere. They also like to follow their owners about the house, much as a dog would. Another thing unusual about the Savannah cats is that they love water and think nothing of joining their human companions for a quick shower or a hop into the bathtub. They even enjoy getting into pools and streams much as their wild ancestors the Servals do. Otherwise, Savannahs eat, use the litter box, and require the same veterinarian check-ups as any domestic breed of cat.
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