Source.

This is sad.

But she did get another kitten.

And named him Lips-Lipstick.

It ain't the slime from Hades that ate Brooklyn surrounding the bear. It's common duckweed.

This critter compendium started on the photo of the week page at Corndancer dot com with a gray fox and some ‘gators. To get in on the start of the festivities and see the critters, click here. We’ll wait while you look.

The black bear is swimming in the pond of the swamp area at Audubon Park, otherwise known as the New Orleans Zoo. Mind you, this shot was made with film around the mid nineties, so the bear and the pond are not the same, if at all.

When you first see the image, you say, “  … yuk, gah-rohss, eeetch!$#@! … ” look at the bear in the slime. The green stuff is neither algae nor slime; it is duckweed, a prolific, emerald green aquatic plant that will cover a pond quickly. What appear to be green freckles on the bear’s muzzle are duckweed leaves.  It is an inordinately warm day in mid-April and brother bear has opted for a dip to cool the savage beast, duckweed notwithstanding.

Now where in the $#@!!!^%* did I leave that lottery ticket?

Not far away, perched high above the ground is a monkey, the genre of which escapes me. He looks like he is wearing a roaring twenties raccoon coat. One thing I do know, it appears that his left ear is itching because he is vigorously scratching in that direction.  He looks like he has just lost his lottery ticket. Folks, these critters are why we go and gladly pay to get it. Go forth, learn and enjoy.

All steamed up

Cotton Belt Engine 819, built, retired, and restored in Pine Bluff, Arkansas

What, you say, do monkeys, bears, and locomotives have in common? At first blush, nothing. Howsomever, these three do. They share a residence in my film image archives. This week, in-lieu of plying the highways and byways for Grist matter, I groveled through the archives. From a technical standpoint,  for those of you interested in photography, this image took a bit of unconventional chicanery. I knew I would not get to see the engine until the afternoon of that day, which, unfortunately meant the business end, which you see above, would be in the shadows. So I took a couple of 600 watt studio strobes and about a 175′ of extension cord to the rail yards and blasted 819 with a sterilizing dose of strobe to get the shot. I got some really weird stares and a couple of mild electrical shocks since steam engines cast off water, but, in the end, I got the shot and that was what counted. The images on this post are all in the 14-15 year old range, shot on Fujichrome 100.

The 819 was built in the Cotton Belt Shops at Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1943. The locomotive was in regular service on the Stl Lour and Southwestern Railroad, more popularly known in theses environs as the Cotton Belt Line, until 1955 when it was retired. The mighty locomotive was placed on permanent display in a city park in Pine Bluff where it remained until December 1, 1983 when a group of enthusiasts put the engine back on rails, returned it to the shops where it originated and meticulously restored it to the last minute detail. There is much more to this story than this synopsis, most of which you can find here. The 819 is currently housed in the Arkansas Railroad Museum in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Where is this building (or where was it)?

This old build is (or was) in plain sight, visible for a long way in either direction on the highway where it was located. Where, was that, within 100 miles?

Who will be the first to tell me where this building is, within a hundred miles, or so, a generous latitude of locations? I have passed this old structure a number of times and finally photographed it about 15 years ago. It’s been seven years since I have been past the building, so I am not certain that it is still standing. Who knows, it could have been razed or simply collapsed. For those who want to participate, email or post a comment below? Hint: It is west of where I live. I will reveal the answer (within a 100 miles or so) next week, it not sooner.

Thanks for dropping by,

Joe Dempsey
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind
http://www.joedempseycommunications.com/
http://www.joedempseyphoto.com/
http://www.corndancer.com/joephoto/photohome.html

Source

White-headed capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) do use citrus and other plants to control ectoparasites.

After all, citrus fruit can be used for flea control in domestic dogs and cats, so it makes since that a monkey would try it.

It may not be much of a shock to learn that capuchin monkeys are considered the most intelligent of the New Word primates. Some of these monkeys may have passed the famous mirror test for self awareness. It is very likely, then, that these monkeys have learned this behavior and have passed it along through the generations.

***

Now, you may know these monkeys a little better than most.

In the US, these animals accompanied organ grinders who trained the monkeys to perform on the street. Because of their association with the street performers, they were once called “organ grinder monkeys.”

Several monkeys make up the genus Cebus, and all are now call capuchins. They are so named for an order of friars called the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Members of this order wore brown hoods, which looked something like the brown “hooded” fur of these monkeys.

***

A famous white-headed capuchin of a more recent era was Marcel from the sitcom Friends.

Source

***

If you’re interested in videos like this, check out NatureBreak.org.

The videos are very well-done, and I particularly liked the videos that featured hellbenders and timber rattlesnakes, creatures that actually can be found in my part of the world (even though they look quite exotic.)

#8

This just a quickly finished/coloured Monkey character sketch. OOOK.

I love this headline, taken verbatim off the web. If you don’t get the joke, I’m sorry.

Named for its terrible and lingering smell, reports of the skunk ape (or swamp ape) have come from Florida and the southeastern US in the past several decades.

Descriptions of the skunk ape vary widely. On the small end, the creature is described as resembling a chimpanzee or orangutan (as in the photo which is of questionable origin). However, there are also many descriptions calling the skunk ape “Florida’s Bigfoot” and the size of the creature is reported to be larger than the average human. Regardless of size, the creature is covered with hair – red, black or brown. The creatures is said to travel either apelike – on its knuckles in front – or fully upright like a man.

Inconclusive prints and controversial photographs exist but no other physical evidence has been found. Encounters are most frequent around the Everglades swamp area which leads to the speculation that the unpleasant and relatively uninhabited swampland sustains a population of unknown apes.

With its warm climate, it is not unreasonable to believe the southeastern U.S. may harbor an escaped tropical visitor like an orangutan. It’s quite possible that the occasional sighting of non-native creatures may have done much to fuel the skunk ape stories. However, the idea that a previously unidentified native ape lives in the interior of the swamp does not have much support from zoologists. In any case, you might follow your nose when tracking a skunk ape.

MORE INFORMATION:

The Cryptozoologist: Myakka Ape Photographs

Roadside America: Skunk Ape Research Headquarters

Skunk Ape Research Headquarters

REALITY CHECK: While it is not inconceivable to think orangutans are living in the Florida swamplands, no good evidence has been found that this is so. Note that there is a big difference between orangs and a Bigfoot-like creature. To accept all the stories would mean there are mulitple large animals hiding from science. Or, simply a collection of interesting stories.

YOUR TURN:

• Have you ever been to the Everglades? Describe what it is like and what kind of animals might live there undetected?
• What do you think it means when stories of unknown animals either relate the same story or two totally different descriptions?
• Is there any other evidence that out-of-place animals are living in Florida?

The harsh environment of the Himalayan mountains of northern India, Nepal and Tibet is the alleged home range of the Yeti, a hairy biped (walks on two legs) equivalent to the North American Bigfoot. Yetis, however, vary in description of size, color and features from small ape-like animals to hairy giants labeled “Abominable Snowmen”. The “hairy man of the snows” is part of the native Sherpa folklore. Visiting explorers have reported footprints and sightings of living creatures.

Cryptozoologists propose that the Yeti, just like Bigfoot and other “ape man” creatures, are living specimens of Gigantopithecus, a prehistoric ape. However, there is no evidence that Gigantopithecus lived later than about 400,000 years ago. It’s more likely that sightings of the Yeti are mistaken identifications.

Yeti Scalps

What might have been excellent evidence to support the existence of the legendary yeti, specimens of yeti scalps proved to have a much less remarkable origin. Three expeditions to the Himalayas from the mid 1900’s examined or obtained ceremonial objects from monasteries (religious residences), which supposedly were the skin and attached hair from a yeti head. The shape was cone-like – pointed on top. Scientific examination showed the skin was from a local goat-like animal instead.

However, the fact that the Tibetan people would construct such an object shows that they honor the creature (called yeh-teh or various other names) in their society. Stories exist of genuine preserved yeti fingers, hands or whole bodies. They turn out to be those of a bear or human.

Samples of hair underwent DNA analysis. Supposedly the hair was not from a bear, a human or any other known animal but of primate origin. In order for this extraordinary claim to be taken seriously by scientists, the sample must be retested and the results published in a scientific journal for all to see.

REALITY CHECK: Current evidence is not strong enough to support the idea that an unknown primate exists in the Himalayas. It is fair to suggest that that Yeti is a creature of myth among the people, revered in a spiritual identity and important to them. New evidence may yet be found but until then, the Yeti will remain a cryptozoological mystery, closed from scientific interest.

MORE INFORMATION:

The Unmuseum: The Yeti – Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas

Abominable Snowman: Official Site

Abominable Snowmen: Legend Come To Life (book) by Ivan T. Sanderson

YOUR TURN:

• What do you think it means that the holy relics of the “Yeti” turned out to be made from common animals? What does that say about the Sherpa culture?
• What color did you think the Yeti was? Why did you think that? How is the Yeti portrayed in popular culture?

Nambi, her daughters Nora and Night, and the young sub-adult male Zalu are travelling together in the south when they hear calls near by; immediately nervous, they stop and glance around. Suddenly two strange females appear: an older adult and a young sub-adult who is in swelling, a sign that she might be coming into her fertile period. Nambi and her daughters seem relatively uninterested, but Zalu is keen to check out this attractive young newcomer and moves over to sit near the younger female.

It’s quite unusual for a strange adult female to be found in another group’s territory without being in swelling; chimpanzees can be highly territorial – brutally attacking and sometimes killing strangers that stray across into their community area. To the local females any new female represents competition for them and their offspring; however for the males, new females represent a new chance to mate. Arriving with the large pink genital swelling that signals the oestrus period is a way of attracting the favour and, by association, the protection of the community males. Straying across territory lines without it is a very risky move.

While the younger female is quite relaxed, the adult newcomer is clearly nervous and pant-grunts submissively to Nora; this seems to be the wrong move and Nambi suddenly starts to pant-hoot and scream loudly – a sure sign she’s trying to get the attention of other members of the Sonso community, not something that bodes well for the strange adult. Sure enough, within a few minutes the top two males, Nick and Musa, arrive displaying energetically. They move immediately over to the new female, but show no signs of attacking and after she pant-grunts to them they both relax.

While so far Nambi hadn’t seemed particularly bothered by the adult female, the fact that when the males turn up they appear to be accepting of this new potential competition doesn’t seem to be at all what she had in mind. She apparently decides she’s going to have to do something about this unwelcome visitor herself. The top female in the Sonso group, Nambi is a force to be reckoned with and she now attacks the strange adult, biting her in the back and leaving her bleeding. The males are still sitting on the fence; they don’t seem keen to drive off this potential new addition to their group, but they seem equally unwilling to risk incurring Nambi’s wrath by doing anything to defend the stranger. After the attack the Sonso chimps start to move away, but although this gives the strangers a clear opportunity to escape they make the strange decision to follow the Sonso group. The young sub-adult female with her swelling gets plenty of attention and avoids any real hostility, but again the adult female is not so lucky. Another big male, Zefa, arrives and starts to attack her, this time everyone joins in and she is brutally beaten and dragged along the floor.

Over the course of the day other Sonso community members come and go – two more females Janie and Juliet arrive and the adult female is attacked for a third time. Not until 4pm, when the Sonso chimps are enjoying a last feed and starting to think about finding a nesting site for the night do the two strangers disappear back into the thick undergrowth.

While the male chimpanzee hierarchy has been well documented, we are only starting to get a glimpse of the complex social dynamics that govern female community structure. DNA based paternity research suggests that some females seem to copulate outside of their community on a regular basis and observational work has shown how peripheral community females seem to juggle membership of several communities. Days like this one highlight just how little we understand about the complex social lives of our forest cousins. What could have motivated the adult female to visit a neighboring group when she wasn’t in oestrus? And why stay after the first, or second attack? What was her relationship to her young companion? Why did Zefa (the gamma male) attack her when the top two males had not – was he trying to curry favor with the powerful Sonso females? The only thing we can be certain of is that more research is required, and that we are more than happy to keep searching for the answers!

I thought that I arrived in Kenya to meet other felines. What is with this primate business? Isn’t letting one primate pet me enough distraction from my sleep pattern?

Grumble, grumble.  I must admit, this primate is cute and he is nice when he shares the scratching post. He doesn’t move around a whole bunch when he sleeps either – unlike the other primate in the house……

Inside each of us is a dormant, latent desire to look at our past – not our recent past, our deeply past, past – our DNA past, straight out of the Rift Valley. To that end, it is the luring attraction to other primates.

Living on the edge of the Kaptawrakwa Forest, I know there are monkeys and once caught a glimpse of one climbing a tree. Despite leaving out cut passion fruits and mango, not one monkey came by where I lived.  My learners and others at the school knew I would love to see a monkey. It happened, it a strange and tragic way – I received what I had wished for.

Apparently some people had set a trap in the maize fields and a nursing monkey got caught and was killed.  She had a baby that could have only been a few days to a week old. A physics  teacher at my school, Bernard Misiko, saw some people trying to let the baby nurse from the mother and knew it would not work as the mother was dead. He brought the baby back to school so we could care for it.

Since I am one of the few who have had the rabies vaccine (thank you Peace Corps!), I became the adopted mother for four days until I could get the baby to Kenya Wildlife Service in Iten.  The baby monkey was named Kimutai (the one which travels about) in Kalenjin.

I fed him with a medicine dropper – milk, honey, mashed bananas and rice congee (Japanese) every hour……and I do mean every hour. Kimutai was either have starving to begin with or just had a high metabolism as a new born in a cold climate. He slept by the bed at night or wrapped in a kitenge on my chest.

Not only did I feel like I was looking into my own past each time I looked at his face and hands, everyone else here enjoyed looked at him as well – and everyone here pretty much has lived by the forest their whole life. We all had the existential moment of looking at ourselves in the past – ourselves in the Rift Valley – ourselves before the time of hominids.

Kimutai took his first leaping steps on my living room floor – straight to the cats scratching post which he loved…..my cat Finley loved Kimutai and slept with him in the box one night.

I gave Kumutai to Kenya Wildlife Services on Tuesday 3 November so he could have a much better life at the animal orphanage in Nairobi and where they could hopefully feed him correctly. I know he will never be back in Kaptawrakwa Forest, his birth home, as he has now had human contact and the other monkey tribes would not be fond of this.  The best I could do for him was to keep him alive – it is what his nursing mother would have wanted.

Upon giving him up, even though it was the right thing to do, I could not help but ponder how in the far past, he was a distant,  genetic relative – he looked like me, a primate.

Is culture uniquely human? Many people would instinctively answer yes, but there is now a well established body of research that questions whether we may be wrong to assume this. Over the years a number of behaviours have been proposed as the answer to the puzzle of what makes us human – planning, tool use – all have fallen by the wayside as observations of their use by other species ruled them out. In recent years some of the hottest scientific debate has centered around the question of culture. Frequently hindered by the lack of agreement over what exactly culture is, there is still no doubt that the debate has stimulated exciting observations and experimental research in species that range from chimpanzees to crows. Some primatologists argue that there are group-specific behaviours seen in chimpanzees that can not be explained away by ecological or genetic factors; these must be transmitted socially from generation to generation, and that this constitutes a form of culture.

Observations such as the nut-cracking in wild west African chimps inspired a body of experimental research – now Sonso PhD researcher Thibeaud Gruber has added to the debate with new evidence recently published in the journal Current Biology. He and his colleagues present the findings from a series of experiments conducted with two Ugandan chimpanzee communities: one in Kanyawara and here with our own Sonso group. Both groups are the same sub-species of chimpanzee and live in similar forest environments but show some interesting behavioural differences. Kanyawara chimpanzees regularly use stick tools to extract honey, a behaviour never seen at Sonso. When both groups were presented with the same controlled task of extracting honey from holes that had been drilled in logs, the Kanyawara chimps spontaneously manufactured stick-tools while the Sonso chimps used either their fingers or the leaf sponges that are normally used for collecting drinking water from tree holes. Given the absences of differences in genetic or environmental factors, the researchers concluded that the chimps must be relying on their local cultural knowledge to solve the new task.

For more information the full article is currently available in the online journal of Current Biology as: Gruber et al. 2009. Wild Chimpanzees Rely on Cultural Knowledge to Solve an Experimental Honey Acquisition Task.

Linda y viva bonoba yogi.
Parece estar muy en paz esta hermana.
Primata; tan femenina como la fertilidad.

El cielo lila desplastificará la ciudad. Lxs carnivorxs se volverán de aire y lxs empresarixs materia organica para el compost.

 Las libres vuelan jugando a peces. No todo lo qe se mastica es comida.