[libraford]

It's very endearing to me how many people are willing to keep an eye on a video feed so they can push a button and let a fish in the Netherlands get to the other side of a dam.

[rahjin]

It is genuinely baffling to me, in a very kind and positive way, especially coupled with the local news continually going several shades of 'wtf, this thing is a roaring success again and we don't quite get why'. They've already quadrupled their capacity for simultaneous clicks and it's still nowhere near enough and there's just... Bewilderment.

[libraford]

I think people want to help the environment in small but tangible ways, which is hard right now because of.. well... because of The Horrors. And being able to say 'wow! I helped this creature cross a dam' makes you feel good.

I also think that most people can relate to a small, helpless creature trying to get from one place to another and there's a FUCKIN WALL in the way.

But to come back to point 1- Citizen Science fills a hole in the soul that wanted to go out on adventures and discover things when we were younger, but the study of it was hard or we didn't have the money or our schools were garbage. But you don't have to have a degree to do things like... press a button or download and use an app, or count or transcribe notes.

Anyways- here's some Citizen Science links if the Fish Doorbell makes you feel happy and you yearn for more ways to help scientists do stuff:

Foldit (folding proteins)

Fathomverse (sea animals)

Project Monarch (butterflies)

Bioblitz, an event where citizens identify as many species in an area within a period of time

Species Watch (animal species)

BOINC’s Compute for Science

Zooniverse is a website that hosts information on many citizen science projects

Label trees in aerial photos

Count cells in fossils and modern leaves

Digitize Atmospheric Data

Count penguins

US-based Citizen Science Database

eBird (bird identification)

Merlin (bird identification by sound)

iNaturalist (nature identification)

MapSwipe (collaboration between several Red Cross organizations and Doctors Without Borders, update vital geospatial data)

Smithsonian Archives Transcription Center

[thatsbelievable]

[conveniencestoreman]

@markscherz fact check?

[markscherz]

Espadarana prosoblepon and other glass frogs would beg to differ

[src]

That spine is not just skin or flesh, but bone.

[src]

Glass frogs will cut a bitch.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

The Guts of Predatory Cats Can Destroy CWD Prions

The prions that cause chronic wasting disease in deer are nearly indestructible. So it's good news to learn cat guts are their mortal enemy.

Okay. So. You know how some people want to finish exterminating all large predatory mammals so they have less competition for deer and so they don't occasionally lose livestock? And you know how native deer species in North America have been hit increasingly hard with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the past couple of decades due to overpopulation thanks to the eradication of large predatory mammals that normally keep them in check?

We already have evidence that reintroducing predatory mammals to their native ranges not only knocks deer populations back to a healthier level, and now we've discovered that apparently the digestive systems of cougars and bobcats are lethal to CWD prions. Prions are among the most difficult pathogens* to eliminate; you have to heat them up to about 1,800 degrees F in order to thoroughly destroy them. And prion diseases like CWD are almost universally fatal.

So to find that these wild cats can safely eat CWD-infected animals AND significantly reduce the chances that the prions will be spread to other deer is a pretty big deal, especially since some other animals like coyotes and crows do pass prions undamaged through their digestive systems. And it's just one more example of why an ecosystem needs all of the species that have evolved in it over thousands of years, not just those are convenient for humans to have around. The spread of CWD is directly related to the overpopulation of deer, and it's likely that continuing to reintroduce large predatory mammals to their native range will help quell this awful prion disease.

[only-tiktoks]

[millenniallust4death]

My readers have spoken. The inaugural Big Ears Challenge 2023 is on. Let's see your dogs with huge ears!! GSD owners - this is your time. XD

[pantherapets]

Miss Maisy's got some big ones

[just-another-cat-blog-2023]

Munchkin cats are a genetic abomination and no, I will not apologise.

Yeah, these cats are cute, and they themselves do not deserve hate (after all, it's us humans who intentionally breed and sell them and label their genetic defects 'adorable') but as you can probably tell, I hate the breeding and selling of these cats. It is cruel.

First, let's compare the munchkin cat's stature to that of a normal cat. Munchkin cats' legs can vary in length, though most purebred Munchkin cats will have legs shorter than that of a typical domestic cat. Many breeders have begun to group Munchkin cats based on their leg length.

From left to right: Non-munchkin (legs not short), 'standard' (legs shorter by 1-2"), 'super-short' (legs shorter by 2-3"), 'rug-hugger' (legs shorter by 3+")

As you can see, Munchkins, especially the super-short and rug-hugger varieties, have shockingly short statures. It can be hard to see just how extreme the difference is until you compare them to a standard cat. Still, how is this a problem?

Well, for one, it restricts natural behaviours. Cats are naturally semi-arboreal. They are born with the instinct to climb and jump. Their brains are wired to find comfort and security in high places.

A typical domestic cat can easily, and will gladly, jump up to 100 centimetres (2 ft, 3"). Most typical domestic cats can even reach heights of 150-180 centimetres (4 ft, 11" to 5 ft, 10").

Due to the Munchkins' short legs, the height they are capable of jumping is restricted. The standard Munchkin may be able to jump almost as well as a typical cat, perhaps up to 140 centimetres (4 ft, 7"). However, there is no way a super-short or rug-hugger Munchkin could jump so high.

You can really see the difference in abilities in these two videos:

A typical (non-munchkin) cat jumping heights of up to 101 cm (40")

A Munchkin cat jumping approximately 80-90 cm (31-36")

Cats, even Munchkins, have the instinct to jump and a love of high places. Taking an animal that needs to and loves to jump but physically cannot is unbelievably cruel. It can cause stress and frustration to the cat and, if the cat regularly attempts to jump but fails, may result in injury.

"But if standard munchkins can still jump, why not just breed them. The point on natural behaviour only applies to some munchkins, so you've got to give me more than that to convince me this breed is suffering!"

May I present you with skeletal deformities as a point then?

The genetic mutation causing the short-legged trait in Munchkins is referred to as achondroplasia, the genetic disorder that results in dwarfism.

This disorder is associated with multiple conditions, exhibited by the vast majority, if not all, Munchkin cats (yes, including the 'standard' variety.

A shortened, bent ulna and radius.

Lordosis - excessive curvature of the spine due to shortened muscles.

Pectus Excavatum - horizontal narrowing of the chest due to sternum and costal cartilage deformities.

(above) one of the two Munchkins rescued and adopted by Gatehouse Veterinary Centre in Wrexham, UK. The two rescue Munchkins, Bonnie and Clyde, experience issues typical of the Munchkin. They are both on long-term pain relief as well as joint supplements.

The Munchkins' skeletal deformities drastically increases the chance of severe Osteoarthritis. They are also susceptible to developing arthritis at a much younger age than a typical cat.

This condition causes a lot of discomfort and pain in the joints. It can restrict a cat's ability to jump, which, for a Munchkin (a breed that is already restricted in terms of activity), is not good.

Osteoarthritis requires regular medication to manage the pain, as well as decreased activity, which can be very distressing for a cat, who has no idea why they feel the way they do.

Pectus Excavatum is also frequently exhibited in Munchkins as a result of the gene that causes their shortened legs.

Pectus Excavatum is a condition in which, as a result of malformation of the sternum, the chest is narrowed.

This reduces space for the heart and lungs. Depending on the severity of the condition, cats with Pectus Excavatum may experience severe cardiac and lung problems, causing difficulty breathing and increased respiratory rate.

This is NOT a rare condition in Munchkins.

Lordosis is a term for excessive curvature of the spine. It is caused by shortened muscles and the impaired posture and gait having shortened legs (especially on the front side) causes.

Lordosis can cause back and shoulder pain, which can severely and negatively impact a cat's quality of life.

Over time, severe cases of lordosis in cats may cause gait changes and/or weakness.

Unfortunately, due to the Munchkin's skeletal deformities and high incidence of severe Osteoarthritis, their average life expectancy is shorter than that of a non-Munchkin cat.

While the average life expectancy of an indoor Domestic Shorthair (cat of no breed) is 15-20 years, the average life expectancy of an indoor Munchkin is 12-15 years, approximately 5-8 years shorter than a typical cat.

The Munchkin cat's abnormally high incidence of medical problems, restricted natural behaviours, and shortened life expectancy has led to legal restrictions being put in place in some places to prevent the further suffering of these cats.

In the Netherlands, as of 2014 it is prohibited by law to intentionally breed Munchkins. This is the same case in Victoria, a state in Australia.

The Australian Capital Territory (a territory in Australia) government considers Munchkin cats to be "malformed animals" and the breeding of them "unnaceptable" due to the "genetic health problems associated with such breeding".

For the health and welfare of cats, we need to ban the breeding of Munchkins worldwide.

Please, do not purchase a Munchkin from a breeder or pet store as this encourages the breeding of these cats. If you really want a Munchkin and you're prepared for the issues the cat will likely face, search for a Munchkin at local animal rescues.

Sources

https://www.petmd.com/cat/breeds/munchkin

https://icatcare.org/advice/munchkin/

https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-are-the-health-and-welfare-issues-associated-with-exaggerated-physical-features-in-cats/

https://www.ufaw.org.uk/cats/munchkin-limb-deformity

https://thelittlecarnivore.com/en/blog/munchkin-cat-do-they-suffer-health-issues-and-ethics

https://www.petrebels.com/en/cat-breeds-munckin/

[meangirlnurse]

What other used car salesman speak should we look out for from rescues?

oh man there's.....a lot. in general i'm pretty happy to read over a dog bio and tell you if anything jumps out if you send something my way

a few off the top of my head:

Bella wants all the attention to herself! = Bella is dangerous around other animals

Bella wants to be the only pet in her new home = Bella is dangerous around other animals

Bella needs slow introductions = Bella is dangerous around humans

Bella needs an "adult only" home = Bella is dangerous around children

Bella is so wiggly that she might knock over small children = Bella is dangerous around children

Bella has stranger danger = Bella is dangerous to unfamiliar humans

Bella loves her people so much that we're looking for someone who can be home with her most of the day! = Bella has serious (and potentially dangerous/expensive) separation anxiety

Bella is learning to share her toys/treats/food! = Bella is a dangerous resource guarder

Bella needs an experienced owner = not always euphemistic but often means that Bella has significant behavioral issues

Bella comes with FREE lifetime training from our shelter behaviorists! = Bella has significant behavioral issues

Bella needs a "low traffic" home = Bella has significant behavioral issues

Bella doesn't know her own strength = Bella is either wildly out of control/untrained, dangerous, or both

Bella is still learning her manners! = Bella is either wildly out of control/untrained, dangerous, or both

Bella needs more training = Bella is either wildly out of control/untrained, dangerous, or both

Bella can be mouthy = Bella will bite you

this might sound paranoid, but this is a real excerpt from a public "toolkit" on how to market adoptable dogs from a major national organization (Best Friends Animal Society):

Here’s an example of how not to do it: “Joey unfortunately has leash reactivity, which means he behaves offensively toward other dogs when he’s on walks. He can live peaceably with other dogs, as long as they’re submissive.” Here’s a way to emphasize the positives without ignoring the negatives: “Joey is that rare sort of pooch whom a child can climb all over and hug. He’s so gentle and sweet around everyone. Well, except other dogs when he’s out on a walk. He’s not so good with other pooches when he’s on leash.” You can include restrictions, but be gentle and choose your words carefully. For example, instead of saying “Andy must go to a home without children,” which could scare off even a childless couple, put a positive spin on it: “Jo-Jo’s such a goofy bundle of energy that he might be a bit too much for small children.”

always try to read between the lines – it's not paranoia when they're really out to get you.

[release-the-hound]

Do y'all ever think about how wild it is that for years there's been this heartbreaking incurable disease that kills thousands of cats. And Gilead Pharmaceuticals found a drug that treats it but won't actually sell it to veterinarians because of patent bullshit? Because I do.

Anyways. I'd never advocate for acquiring drugs illegally to save your cat's life. Which is why if your cat has FIP you should check out the organization I've put in my tags. So that you remember to avoid getting GS-441524.

Capitalism is evil in general. But capitalism in medicine is cartoonishly monstrous.

[release-the-hound]

A Much-Hyped COVID-19 Drug Is Almost Identical to a Black-Market Cat Cure

Cat owners are resorting to China’s underground marketplace to buy antivirals for a feline coronavirus.

[only-tiktoks]

[everythingfox]

The best baby

[ublock-origin]

Koko the gorilla did irreparable damage to the average hearing person's understanding of sign language

[40ouncesandamule]

I would love to learn more if you've got a rant locked and loaded

[ublock-origin]

Koko, as with most "signing" apes, was "taught" modified ASL (bc their hands are different and they physically cant make all the same signs we can) by hearing scientists who did not speak ASL. They would learn a few signs, and then teach them to the apes, who would associate signs to objects and rewards.

The most jarring thing was, the apes are completely unable to learn grammar, and would say things like "Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you" (actual quote by Nim Chimpsky), which their handlers would interpret as a sentence, when in reality the apes are simply mimicking signs in hopes of getting a reward. Those hearing handlers would see things like "Nim eat" and "eat Nim" and intepret those as equally meaning "Nim wants to eat".

More damning, the lack of understanding of ASL by the hearing scientists meant that most of what Koko and Nim Chimpsky "spoke" was purely the scientists just seeing what they wanted to see. A Deaf person was brought in to interact with Nim, and they were instructed to not give him any food until he signed "food". They spent hours with an increasingly distressed chimp who did not sign anything, but Nim's hearing handlers would see him move his hand close to his mouth and go "oh! there it is! he signed it!", and while they spent the whole day signing, they didnt see Nim signing back.

With Koko, her handler would claim Koko would sometimes mix up signs like "need/knee", "I/eye", "people/nipple" because they "sound alike/rhyme" but... they don't. Those words rhyme in spoken English. They don't rhyme at all in ASL. Koko wouldn't know those words rhymed in english because she DIDN'T speak english, she "spoke" modified ASL. Of course, as the scientists did not speak ASL either, they didn't realize it, and just assumed random movements Koko meant were signs, and tried to think what she "could have meant instead" by thinking of what words sounded like the ones equivalent to what she had just "signed", even though an ASL speaker would not make a mistake like that.

I'm not even going to get into the fact that almost all of what those apes signed was due to direct prompting from scientists, the fact that they did not use language when alone, or the fact that most of what they answered was complete gibberish (which resulted in videos like Koko's climate address (yes, really) having to be heavily edited and cut to make it seem like she was actually speaking anything that made sense).

One really nasty side effect of this was like. The amount of hearing people who decided to try learning ASL and other sign languages because of the vague possibility of being able to communicate with apes, instead of, you know, the ACTUAL possibility of communicating with and appreciating Deaf people. (one person even said that Koko inspired them to learn ASL so they could communicate with their deaf friend, like... why the fuck did your FRIEND not inspire you to learn ASL??? did you really have to wait for a fucking gorilla failing to learn sign language to think "hmm, maybe talking to my friend would be nice!"??????)

The talking ape experiments helped cement in hearing people's consciousness the idea that ASL, and sign languages in general, are just poorly transcribed forms of spoken English that can be easily learned even by a chimp, instead of complex, independent languages with their own histories, cultures and internal variation.

[take-a-dip-in-the-deadpool]

If you like frogs. Or possums. Or cool builds. Or happiness. This is the video for you.

[shpepyao]

These are the bugbirds. When I saw a photo of weevil for a first time I mistook it for some kind of weird birbo.

[canisitsnotlupus]

New research has been published this month on diet and dilated cardiomyopathy. The paper can be accessed here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jvim.16606 Key takeaway: When compared between diet groups, healthy adult dogs eating diets containing pulse legumes (peas, lentils, chickpeas, beans) as main ingredients have lower cardiac function and higher ventricular volume than dogs eating grain-inclusive diets without potatoes or pulses in the first 10 ingredients. Study summary: In this study, researchers sought healthy, owned adult dogs that had been consistently eating the same diet for at least 1 year duration and receiving 90% or more of their daily calories from a single commercial kibble. Diets were divided into "traditional" (grain-containing, no pulse legumes or potatoes in the first 10 ingredients) and "non-traditional" (pulse ingredients as main ingredients). In order to address potential confounding variables, researchers excluded dogs with congenital heart disease, heart murmur, or arrhythmia, as well as several breeds based on their potential predisposition to DCM or taurine-deficiency. In total, 23 dogs matched for age and breed were enrolled into each study group. Dogs accepted into the study received an echocardiogram. The screened dogs had cardiac measurements falling within accepted reference ranges for normal. However, on average, dogs in the non-traditional diet group had reduced systolic function (the ability of the heart to pump out blood to arteries) and larger ventricular volume (the amount of blood filled into the chamber before being pumped out-- excessively high volumes, or volume overload, is a component of heart disease). Researchers note that further study would be needed to determine if increases in ventricular volume precede increases in ventricular measurements. Researchers conclude: "Despite these limitations, results from this study showed that dogs eating nontraditional diets had several echocardiographic variables suggestive of larger left ventricular size and lower myocardial systolic performance as compared to dogs eating traditional diets, although echocardiographic variables for both groups were largely within extant reference intervals.”

[canisitsnotlupus]

Dog breeds with known or suspected genetic predispositions to DCM (Doberman Pinschers, Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes, Newfoundlands, Portuguese Water Dogs, and Boxers) or taurine deficiency (Cocker Spaniels, Newfoundlands, Golden Retrievers) were excluded from the study.

[nancybongwater-deactivated20230]

[tootboi]

[sleepy-bebby]

[runby2]

this cat looks like it has 1 layer of hair to go underneath his other layer of hair that's solely used to shoot up in anger

[dragon-jackets]

That's actually true, cats have two layers of fur, this image shows really well the difference between their dense undercoat and their more sparce overcoat because this lil guy is just SO MAD

[runby2]

he is SO MAD that he became the perfect science demonstration.

[cryptonature]

Vultures are holy creatures.

Tending the dead.

Bowing low.

Bared head.

Whispers to cold flesh,

“Your old name is not your king.

I rename you ‘Everything.’”

[charlesoberonn]

[sunshine-tattoo]

fun fact!

Vultures are also responsible for keeping diseases at bay.

Vulture stomach acid is so powerful that it can kill anthrax and many other deadly diseases.

So when they consume the carcass of a creature that has died of disease, they actually destroy the disease within it too!

So yes vultures are 100% holy creatures because they not only eat the dead, but protect the living from death.