Animals
S


Fish

Deep sea gulper eel caught in rare video by Nautilus expedition in Hawaii

Lori Cuthbert
National Geographic
Fri, 21 Sep 2018 12:00 UTC
gulper eel hawaii
Gulper eels have the ability to expand their mouths to freakish proportions, and this showoff does not disappoint.The strange fish was found nearly a mile beneath the surface.

A team of oceanographers watching a deep-sea rover's camera never saw this coming: a young gulper eel performing fluid acrobatics for the lens.

The reactions caught on video from the group of scientists watching the gulper eel were priceless; at one point all of them oohed as the eel blew up like a black balloon.

"Big gulp! The Nautilus team spotted a gulper eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides) doing just that in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument," wrote the team on the Nautilus's website.

Comment: See also:

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Eye 2

Signs and Portents: Double-headed copperhead snake found in yard in Woodbridge, Virginia


localnews8.com
Fri, 21 Sep 2018 15:06 UTC
snake
A rare, double-headed copperhead snake was recently found in a Virginia yard.

Virginia Wildlife Management and Control shared photos and a video of the snake on their Facebook page on Sunday night.

Virginia Wildlife Management and Control said a specialist removed the snake on Monday.

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Question

Dozens of birds plummet from the sky in Metro Vancouver


CTV News
Thu, 20 Sep 2018 14:42 UTC
Canadian wildlife officials are investigating after
© Kevin BeechCanadian wildlife officials are investigating after dozens of birds fell from the sky in Tsawwassen last week.
Canadian wildlife officials are investigating after dozens of birds fell from the sky south of Vancouver.

The troubling incident occurred not far from the BC Ferries terminal in Tsawwassen last Friday.

"It was really creepy," witness Kevin Beech told CTV News.

Beech was driving in the area when something suddenly hit the ground: "I was like, 'What the hell?'"

He looked around and saw dozens of birds suddenly plummet to the ground. The animal lover was shocked when he realized the birds were either dead or dying.

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Sheeple

Millions of farm animals killed in flooding from Hurricane Florence


RT
Thu, 20 Sep 2018 15:58 UTC
North Carolina flooding
© Rodrigo Gutierrez / ReutersFarms flooded after the passing of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina
Millions of birds and thousands of pigs have died as a result of Hurricane Florence, according to North Carolina agriculture officials. That number may rise due to additional flooding.

An estimated 3.4 million chickens and turkeys, as well as 5,500 pigs, have been lost as a result of the flooding, according to a preliminary report by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. There were no estimates of crop losses.

North Carolina is one of the top states in the nation producing pork and poultry. The storm dumped more than 8 trillion gallons of water on the state over a five-day period.
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Info

Invasive mosquitoes are 'spreading like wildfire' across California

Nathanael Johnson
Grist
Fri, 07 Sep 2018 00:01 UTC
aedes mosquito
© Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images

If the threat of climate change took the form of a high-pitched whine just behind U.S. politicians' ears, we would already have the policies in place to stop it. Instead, it's the consequences of climate change, not the threat, that have more of us cringing away from the dopplered song of a bloodsucker: "eeeeeeeEEEEEeeeee!"

Invasive mosquitoes of the Aedes genus - Aedes aegyptai and Aedes albopictus, which thrive throughout tropical regions - are moving farther and farther north into California, according to the Los Angeles Times.

As Susanne Kluh, a public disease-control officer, told the paper: "They are spreading like wildfire. Our phones are exploding."

Comment: See also:

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Bug

Thousands of spiders descend on Greek town and cover it with 300-meter-long cobweb


RT
Thu, 20 Sep 2018 07:51 UTC
spider webs
© Giannis Giannakopoulos / YouTube
Those suffering from Arachnophobia or who are just not fond of the eight-legged creatures should, for a while, stay clear of visiting Western Greece, where a 300-meter-long cobweb covered the coastal area in the town of Aitoliko.

The breathtaking scenery of clear blue Mediterranean Sea waters in Aitoliko has been spoiled by a massive spiderweb, which has sprung up next to a lagoon on the shores of the town. Footage of the phenomenon shows endless layers of mesh covering the trees, the ground and all the objects in the immediate vicinity of the beach.

Locals blame Tetragnatha spiders - and their quest to create large nests for mating - for spoiling the majestic scenery. Humidity and the spread of mosquitoes, providing excessive nutrition to the eight-legged creature population, may also have contributed to the unusual cobwebs smothering the plateau and its flora.

Comment: See also:

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Attention

Two elk hunters attacked by bears in Teton Wilderness, Wyoming - guide found dead (Update)


Buckrail
Sat, 15 Sep 2018 18:13 UTC
bear
Two hunters were involved in a bear attack Friday, September 14, in the Teton Wilderness while field dressing an elk near Terrace Mountain, approximately 5.8 miles northeast of the Turpin Meadow Trailhead.

Florida resident Corey Chubon shot an elk during a guided bow hunt late Thursday afternoon. He and his guide, Mark Uptain of Martin Outfitters, were unable to locate the wounded animal before nightfall. The pair returned Friday morning to locate and remove the elk. They found the undisturbed carcass in the early afternoon and were preparing to pack out the elk when they were aggressively charged by two large bears.

Chubon was able to run to his pack a few yards away and retrieve a pistol but was unable to safely fire a shot at the bear that had pounced upon Uptain. The attacking bear then spun, charged Chubon, grabbed his foot and dragged him to the ground. He sustained injuries to his leg, chest, and arm, but was able to throw the gun to Uptain and get loose before running from the scene to phone for help.

Comment: Update: On the 17th September this news site reports that the body of the missing guide has now been found:
A man was discovered dead on Saturday at around 1:15 pm by Teton county search and Rescue personnel.

According to a press release, on Friday two hunters were involved in a bear attack in the Teton Wilderness while field dressing an elk near Terrace Mountain.

Florida resident Corey Chubon shot an elk during a guided bow hunt late Thursday afternoon with his guide, Mark Uptain.

They could not locate the wounded animal before dark, so they returned Friday morning. They found the undisturbed carcass in the early afternoon and were preparing to pack out the elk when they were aggressively charged by two large bears.

The attacking bear then spun, charged Chubon, grabbed his foot, and dragged him. He was then able to run from the scene to phone for help.

Chubon suffered from injuries to his leg, chest, and arm. He was taken to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson, Wyo. for treatment.

Initial reports indicate that the second bear did not engage either Chubon or Uptain. Officials say an inter-agency helicopter was dispatched to the scene to assist with transport of the injured hunters.

Search and Rescue personnel were not able to locate Uptain before the search was suspended Friday evening.

The search resumed at 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Uptain was found later Saturday afternoon around 1:15 p.m.



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Doberman

Man dead after pit bull attack inside his home in Baker City, Oregon


foxsanantonio.com
Sun, 16 Sep 2018 10:51 UTC
PIT BULL ATTACK
Authorities say a 53-year-old Oregon man was killed when he apparently tried to break up a pit bull fight in his home.

Idahonews.com reports that Mitchelle Dean Segerdahl was found dead in his home in Baker City on Sept. 9.

The cause of death was listed as a dog bite to the neck.

Two pit bulls were also dead in the house, while Baker City police impounded and destroyed four others found there.

Source: AP
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Doberman

Woman killed by own dog after it attacked child near Calgary, Alberta

Bill Kaufmann
Calgary Sun
Mon, 17 Sep 2018 10:29 UTC
canine attack
© Angela Antunes / CC by 2.0
A woman was killed by a dog in her rural home Saturday as she attempted to protect a young child, according to RCMP.

The boxer/pit bull cross attacked a two-and-a-half-year-old girl on a farm north of Langdon and just east of Chestermere about 6 p.m. Saturday, before turning on its 50-year-old owner, said Strathmore RCMP.

The woman, who has not been identified, died at the scene. The child, who police say is related to the woman, was taken to hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries to her limbs.

The woman had tried to defend the child, said Staff Sgt. John Spaans.

"The child's injuries could have been much more severe but, unfortunately, the woman who stepped in to defend her didn't survive," said Spaans.

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Snowflake

North Island farmers in New Zealand lose 100,000 lambs after spring snow storm

Gerard Hutching
Stuff
Mon, 17 Sep 2018 08:44 UTC
A ewe and her lambs near Te Anau on Monday following an early spring snowfall. There have been few reports of losses in Otago-Southland.
© Barry HarcourtA ewe and her lambs near Te Anau on Monday following an early spring snowfall. There have been few reports of losses in Otago-Southland.
Farmers have suffered "devastating" lamb losses in eastern and central North Island over the last two weeks with an estimated toll of about 100,000.

At current prices of $144 per mature lamb, the economic hit could be $14.4 million.

By contrast Otago and Southland farmers are expected to escape lightly from the impact of snow that has fallen on Monday.

Federated Farmers high country chairman Simon Williamson said lambing would not begin in the areas where most snow had fallen until the beginning of October.

Comment: See also: Huge late snowfalls in New Zealand build at 10 cm (4 inches) per hour

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