#docentclasses

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BABY GERENUK Litocranius walleri Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Los Angeles, California There are a few of these babies around, so stnkin' cute. Gerenuk are also known as the giraffe gazelle, is a long-necked antelope found in the Horn of Africa and the drier parts of East Africa. Primarily a browser, the gerenuk feed on foliage of bushes as well as trees, shoots, herbs, flowers and fruits. It stands in it's hind legs regularly elongating it's long neck so it can reach higher branches and twigs better. Acacia species preferred, while evergreen vegetation forms the diet during droughts. The pointed mouth assists in extracting leaves from thorny vegetation. The gerenuk does not drink water regularly. #baby #gerenuk #litocraniuswalleri #beautiful #graceful #longneck #giraffegazelle #adorable #losangeleszooandbotanicalgardens #losangeleszoo #lazoo #lauraquick #mammalia #antelope #africa #savannahdry #portrait #photojourney #docentclasses #hoofstock https://www.instagram.com/p/B8Zv2DkHFYU/?igshid=61hqtc6nlpi6

[quickwitter]

BABY GERENUK Litocranius walleri Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Los Angeles, California There are a few of these babies around, so stnkin' cute. Gerenuk are also known as the giraffe gazelle, is a long-necked antelope found in the Horn of Africa and the drier parts of East Africa. Primarily a browser, the gerenuk feed on foliage of bushes as well as trees, shoots, herbs, flowers and fruits. It stands in it's hind legs regularly elongating it's long neck so it can reach higher branches and twigs better. Acacia species preferred, while evergreen vegetation forms the diet during droughts. The pointed mouth assists in extracting leaves from thorny vegetation. The gerenuk does not drink water regularly. #baby #gerenuk #litocraniuswalleri #beautiful #graceful #longneck #giraffegazelle #adorable #losangeleszooandbotanicalgardens #losangeleszoo #lazoo #lauraquick #mammalia #antelope #africa #savannahdry #portrait #photojourney #docentclasses #hoofstock https://www.instagram.com/p/B8X-AgLH4LO/?igshid=wjp5ssnyhf4u

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SICHUAN TAKIN Budorcas taxicolor ©Laura Quick Also called cattle chamois and gnu goat, Takin in groups of about 30 inhabit the same dense bamboo forests as the better known giant panda. Despite being large, stocky and relatively slow moving, the Sichuan takin is quite agile in maneuvering its rocky habitat with often steep and challenging slopes. The inaccessibility of the takin’s mountainous habitat has meant that there is little information on this species’ behavior and ecology; specifically on their distribution and population size. Takins have adaptations that help them stay warm and dry during the bitter cold of winter in the Himalayan Mountains. A thick, secondary coat is grown to keep out the chill. The large, moose-like snout has large sinus cavities to warm up the air a takin inhales before it gets to the lungs. Without this adaptation, takins would lose a large amount of body heat just by breathing. Yet another protection is their oily skin. Although they have no skin glands, their skin secretes an oily, bitter-tasting substance that acts as a natural raincoat in storms and fog. Streaks of this oily stuff can be seen where takins rub. They also have an odor that smells like a combination of horse and musk. #takin #cattlechamois #gnugoat #caprine #goatfamily #budorcastaxicolor #©lauraquick #lazoo #glaza #docentclasses #portrait #china #asia #losangelesphotographer #nature photography #traveljourney #musky #rockyterrain #built-inraincoat #photojourney #artiodactyla #bovidae #caprinae #vulnerable https://www.instagram.com/p/B8o05Z3H0ao/?igshid=1c849xhx2g7w8

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Two Mangshan Pitvipers Protobothrops mangshanensis In Mandarin, the  word “mǎng” actually means python and “shan” is the word for mountain. The mountain range from which this species is endemic was given the name  Mangshan due to its snake-like shape. These endangered snakes are ambush hunters which eat frogs, birds, insects, and small mammals. They have a white tail tip that they wiggle to mimic a grub so that prey comes into strike range. Their venom causes blood clotting, corrodes muscle tissue and can kill people. The female, unlike other vipers, lays eggs and will guard them until they hatch. These snakes get big, they can reach an adult weight of 6-1/2 to 10 pounds (3–5 kilograms) and a length of up to 6-1/2 feet (203 centimetres). I love the color patterning.

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Sunday 7

Hell of a week

Fire watch again, it’s amazing how many small fires there are here that no one ever hears about. Thursday there were 4 fires within a few miles from us - vehicle fire, structure fire and two brush fires. The fire department took care of all of them, while battling the Tick Fire about 15 miles away. Heros.

Southern California Edison turned off our power for no reason for nearly 24 hours, killing all the eggs in my incubator, and all the newly hatched chicks. They said it was for our safety but since there isn’t cell service in the canyon, and no land service without power no one knew if fire was coming or not.

Zoo docent classes are coming along - we’ve studied the boring stuff first - plants, including plant sex. which is confusing as hell as there are several steps to fertilization until angiosperms take over the earth. If you go back in time, I’d skip the first couple of hundred million years huge killer amphibians, crazy unstable planet. Eesh! Wish I’d learned more about this prior to class, as I’m spending hours trying to read the boring handouts, and using the internet to illuminate concepts so I can understand them.

I have a 15 year old kid helping me out. He’s staying with my neighbor while his parents arrange for him to go to Military School in Tijuana! He’s a great kid, but there was never any follow-through for poor behavior, so now he does whatever he wants. And has to pay the price for poor choices. He made $175 last week and used it to buy a pellet gun, then messing around with my neighbor’s husband, was shot in the leg. The pellet went in a good 1/2″ at an angle where it traveled about 2″ diagonally under the skin. He cut it our with a razor.

During the power outage I set up a workstation at the local bakery that buys my eggs, and spent the day there. One neighbor showed up and came over to report that she has been meaning to tell me that I need to foster children (?), maybe a family of kids? It was rather surreal. Given that I’ve traveled 4 months out of the year so far...

Today feels like fall, which is weird as it was 90 degrees yesterday.

Chipping away at my back taxes and getting ready for 2019 tax filing at the same time. Ugh! Will be glad when at last my post-cancer life catches up to my pre-cancer life. It is astounding what you end up putting on hold to address more pressing health issues. 

[quickwitter]

Elephant Foot They walk on tiptoe! The balance of the foot is comprised of cartridge and fat encasing the bones. This allows for cushioning. Elephant feet splay out as they walk and contract as their feet are lifted, this allows them ease when walking in mud. Many elephants die of foot infections. #lazoo #glaza #docentclasses #elephantfoot #sideconversation #elephantbiology #lovingthis https://www.instagram.com/p/B3P6LgcHmbn/?igshid=hhxjevsc2e6h

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Portrait Female Western Gorilla Los Angeles Zoo Los Angeles, California #western #gorilla #lazoo #glaza #docentclasses #portrait #learningatonalready #photograohy #traveljourney #photojourney #©lauraquick https://www.instagram.com/p/B3QdG3dnG_H/?igshid=5w93c1bgyxiy

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Portrait Male Western Gorilla Los Angeles Zoo Los Angeles, California #western #gorilla #lazoo #glaza #docentclasses #portrait #learningatonalready #photograohy #traveljourney #photojourney #©lauraquick https://www.instagram.com/p/B3QeY8yHm4W/?igshid=9w83ycnjdmjo