What a bizarre looking creature! This is a Goblin Shark and is considered to be a living fossil due to its resemblance of prehistoric sharks. It was captured last month when it became tangled in fishing nets. It had wandered into a bay. Usually Goblin Sharks live in the deep ocean and occasionally dead ones wash up on shore.  Unfortunately this one died in a few days.  A few days prior to its capture, a live Frilled Shark was also captured in Japan, only to die within days.  The Frilled Shark is also a rare sight because it spends most of its time in waters thousands of feet deep. They believe it may have been found because it was weakened or ill. It died within a few hours after being captured.

They are soooo cute! They are unnamed currently, but children are putting in suggestions and three winners will be chosen later this month. The winners will become the godparent of their cub. Photos from the Discovery Channel

More than 60,000 shortnose sturgeon now swim in the Hudson River. These numbers could mean that it will be the first fish to be removed from the U. S. Endangered Species List. Biologists say this shows that recovery can take place anywhere, not just in special reserves. 

I originally posted my thoughts below on the 4th.  Unbeknownst to me, my husband was putting together a really interesting article on Global Warming on his blog where he discusses the need to look more at the science and to stay away from the political discussions of Global Warming. It is worth your time to give it a read!

I honestly don't know the answer to the above question. I know that global warming is a hot topic these days (sorry for the pun), but the skeptic in me wonders if it is like when they told us 30 years ago to not eat so many eggs...now they are saying eggs are good to eat. And other similar 'scares and misinformation.' However as a person who loves animals, I do know that polar bears are in danger from melting ice and that isn't just made up information (or misinterpreted information). 

Today I read an article about how warmed temperatures are affecting hibernation cycles for animals, and no one is completely sure of what the long term affects of that will be. But there are animals starving because they are waking up too early and there isn't any food to be had. 

Some say it will take centuries for the full affect of global warming to be felt, others seem to feel, we could feel it in the next decade. Corals are dying due to warmer ocean temperatures and there are those that believe that a vast majority of corals will be gone by 2030. 

Personally, I wish for two things. One I wish I could trust the media. I can watch two different news channels, watch information about the exact same news story, but have it be told two totally different ways. Why can't people put their political agendas and fear mongering agendas aside and just give us the truth? The second thing I wish for is more knowledge about what we as private citizens can do to help with global warming. I know a lot needs to come from manufacturers, but I also know that if all the people on the planet make efforts to change our emissions, it can help too.

One thing we are doing is switching to fluorescent bulbs. As our light bulbs burn out, we are replacing them with fluorescent bulbs. I was hestant as I was afraid they wouldn't provide as much light, but we have 60 watt bulbs that only require 13 watts of electricity. they are just as bright and they are cute with their curly appearance.  According  to the box of bulbs I purchased, it says I will save 38.00 per bulb in energy over the life of the bulb. The bulbs are supposed to last up to five years.  and it also says on the box:

Did you know if every household used one six pack of GE Energy Smart CFL's, over the bulb's lifetime they would prevent the emissions equal to six million cars being on the road. GE Energy Smart bulbs save money and resources compared to incandescent bulbs.

So think about it! You can save money and the environment at the same time!  If you haven't switched fo Fluroscent bulbs, what are you waiting for? They are a little more expensive on the front end, but the savings on the back end more than covers their cost!!!!! 

If you have other ways you have heard of about how to make a difference in global warming, why don't you share them here? There is a lot of information out there and it is hard to sift through it all by yourself, but if we all chip in together, perhaps we can create one place with snippets that we have all picked up!

WOW! Thousands of new species...I love stories like that. I wish they had more photos!

Thanks to extensive efforts on behalf of conservations, volunteers and the government of Tibet, these antelope, which were widely poached in the 1980s and 1990s for their fur, are making a terrific comeback!

Conflicts between poachers and local Tibetan volunteers who risk their lives to protect the chiru inspired the film Mountain Patrol, which opened last spring.

Who knew that vultures could be cute!  This slender-billed vulture certainly is. Researchers recently found the only known colony of this vulture in Southeast Asia while on expedition into Cambodia. There are several other rare species that have been discovered there as well. It is wonderful that there are pockets of life untouched by man around the world. 

Wolves have made an astounding comeback in the last decade. From 66 wolves reintroduced, there are now over 1200 wolves running through the Rockies.  There are more than 4000 living in the Great Lakes region. Wolves are smart and when given the opportunity to survive, they thrive. However, people living in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming aren't thrilled with this comeback and are already presenting plans on hunting and controlling the wolf population once they are removed from the endangered species list.   

I find this whole situation very interesting. Wolves were almost driven to extinction along with the American Bison at the turn of the century.  Now we have brought them back from the brink, just as we brought back the Bison. Bison has become a favored meat. Wolves...there are still a lot of high emotions about the existence of wolves. Farmers don't like them because they claim they kill their cows. Hunters don't like them because they claim they kill off the elk.  While wolves are hunters, they don't kill everything they see. They lose out when they hunt more often than they are successful.  They help cull out the old, the sick and the weak. This is the way nature was designed.

Here in Virginia, we killed off the predators and we have to hunt now to keep the deer population in check or else they come into the town areas looking for food and destroy gardens, landscaping efforts and increase the number of car accidents.  But how do you keep a balance? Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana all have plans to try to do this. I wish them much success. We have changed the natural balance of our world simply by our presence. It is an honorable thing to want to try to restore it. For more information, here is the link to the rest of the article.

If you are reading a historical fiction book about the feelings regarding wolves and how they have been hunted, I recommend The Loop by Nicholas Evans. I am about 1/4 of the way into it and it makes for fascinating reading.

Something is killing the honeybees and has been for years. I was surprised to read this article which made it seem like it was a relatively new crisis. When I was a child, honeybees were everywhere.  I can count on one hand how many honeybees I have seen in the last 10 years, maybe even longer. Honeybees are vital pollinators and a vital part of our food chain.  Big companies are throwing research dollars at this problem and we can only hope it is not too little, too late.  For the complete artilce, click, here.

This link will take you to tons of animal photos on MSNBC. Plan to have some time available...there are 17 or 18 pictures to a show and then the ominous words...more animals which lead to more photos! I sat through three before I had to stop 

This giant squid was caught near Japan using a smaller squid as a lure. The 20-plus-foot female is one of the first giant squid ever seen alive. It died during capture, but gives researchers a chance to get a rare, close-up look at the elusive creature. What a sight to behold!  For more pictures, and the rest of the story, you can visit the Discovery Channel website.

I have a partiular fondness for the Komodo Dragon. In fact I have an Ebook I have written that has been read and reviewed by several mothers here at HSB and by some established authors around the world.  This book provides you with detailed information about these fascinating reptiles and lots of safe and interesting internet links. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of my book, simply visit my Ebay store.

Last April a Komodo Dragon hatched from a fertile egg that was laid by a female who had not mated. Now seven more eggs are due to hatch sometime around Christmas to another unmated female Komodo Dragon, this time in London. Only 0.1 percent of vertebrates can reproduce by parthenogenesis.  This assists in the survival of these amazing creatures. If a female is washed to another island, she can start a Komodo Colony there by reproducing through parthenogenesis.  Only males are born in this type of reproduction, then the mother can mate with her offspring when they are old enough and a new colony begins. Isn't God amazing?

This is one bizarre looking critter!  And look at him blowing bubbles! From National Geographic:

"The mole has now displayed equal prowess as a lightning-fast underwater sniffer, blowing and inhaling air bubbles at a rate of five to ten times a second.

The bubbles make contact with a target, such as morsel of earthworm or fish, and apparently pick up the target's scent before being sucked back up the nose. "

God's amazing ability to create so many different forms of life never cease to amaze me!

This story is from National Geographic news.  A 7 foot, 9 inch tall shepherd was able to save the lives of two dolphins who had ingested some plastic at an aquarium in China. The veterinarians had been unable to remove the plastic from the dolphins stomachs with medical equipment, but the world's tallest man,  Bao Xishun, was able to reach in with his arm and remove the offending material.

We love watching animal videos. You can learn so much, so quickly. Here are National Geographic's Top Ten Videos for the last year. Enjoy!

Here is an amazing video of an octopus squeezing through a 1 inch hole! You won't believe it!

And what a colorful bird she is, too!  Discovered in a previously unexplored Andean cloud forest, she has been named the Yariguies brush-finch (named for an indigenous tribe that once in habited the mountainous area where the bird was discovered.

This is great timing as conservation groups are currently trying to protect the area due to the number of undiscovered flora and fauna in the area.  About 2 or 3 new birds are found each year.

I didn't know there was a brown widow spider! Related to the black widow, it has similar distinctive markings.  Missisippi Gulf Coast has been invaded by them. Scientists believe they probably migrated up from Florida.  Thanks to the Discovery Channel for the article and photo.  I grew up hearing about Black Widows and Brown Recluses. To my knowledge, I have never seen a Brown Recluse and until about 6 years ago, I never saw a Black Widow spider. But we have many of them around our home. They give me the willies!

Here is some great video footage of a small porucpine showing some lions who is boss! You'll enjoy watching it and learning a little bit about how being at the top of the food chain doesn't mean you can have every thing you want! We saw these African Crested Porcupines on a recent visit to the Metro Richmond Zoo...they are some stinky characters, but fascinating to watch.  BTW, if you are in Virginia and going to be in the Richmond area, plan two or three hours to stop by this zoo. It is reasonable and has a ton of exhibits and you get to feed deer, horses, goats, and giraffes out of your hand!!!! It doesn't get any cooler than that! And if you like monkeys, you will see plenty here. They have dozens of them and different species too!

This is just one of 7 photos on the National Geographic website of American Rivers and with each breathtaking photo, there is always some information! Take a moment and enjoy the sights God made for us to enjoy.

Photo and article courtesy of National Geographic News

This 18 foot long python grabbed a pregnant sheep for dinner last week and had to be removed from the middle of the road by local Malaysian firefighters because it was too stuffed to slither away! Resembles me after Thanksgiving dinner!

Unfortunately the stress of being captured and moved caused the python to regurgitate the ewe...what a shame after all that hard work of swallowing the thing!

No need to try and adjust your dial, this blurry picture is the first ever photograph of a male Sumatran rhinoceros in the wild!  The photo was taken in the Malaysian section of the Southeast Asian Island of Borneo. A group of conservations has been tracking these rhinos for 10 years, but this is the first actual sighting int he wild!  It is the smallest and rarest of the rhino species.  And it is hard to breed in captivity. A healthy calf was born in the Cincinnati Zoo in 2000, the first successful captive delivery in 112 years. Thanks to National Geographic News for the picture and article.

...and he is a colorful little guy too. An amateur bird-watcher has found the first new bird species to be discovered in India in over 50 years!  He named the bird Bugun liochichla. For more information, read the complete article at National Geographic News.