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LIGERS ?!
Two liger cubs at a zoo in Weihai in east China's Shandong province are alive today thanks to a dog who has nursed the cubs as her own. Cong Wen of Xixiakou Wildlife Zoo in eastern China says four liger cubs were born earlier this month. Their natural mother abandoned them for an unknown reason and two cubs subsequently died from weakness. Ligers are typically rare, but can be bred by mistake.
What is a Liger? "The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion (Panthera leo) and a tigress (Panthera tigris), hence has parents with the same genus but of different species. It is distinct from the similar hybrid tiglon. It is the largest of all cats and extant felines"
References: wikipedia.org/Liger Read more about this Liger Story at:CTV News Link
Chaser's Vocabulary of Over 1000 Words Makes Her a Star...
Chaser's vocabulary is said to come close to the capacity of a 3-year-old child! The 6-year-old border collie dog is currently recognized as the world champion for canine word comprehension, thanks to three years of intensive training at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. The previous record-holder in the canine comprehension category was another border collie named Rico. Read more at the following link:
MSNBC.com Read more about "Chaser"
Why a Cloned Cat isn't Exactly Like the Original:
A new answer to that question has been found by researchers at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IPC PAS) in Warsaw. Using computer simulations and theoretical calculations they discovered a new statistical law. In coming one step closer to this answer, researchers from the IPC PAS have also introduced a simple method to predict cell differentiation. To read the complete article click the link below.
ScienceDaily: Retrieved December 30, 2010, http://www.sciencedaily.com
RAVENS
The common raven (Corvus corax) can weigh as much as 3.5 lbs, and live up to 40 years in captivity?! They are omnivores and will mimic sounds from their environment... including human speech. Interestingly ravens mate for life and have the largest brains of any avian species. Ravens are bigger than their cousin the crow and they also have larger heaver curved beaks;shaggier throats; and a more wedge shaped tail.
Reference from Hobby Farms Magazine Sept/Oct 2010
What not to feed your dog... even if it begs...
In 2006 ASPCA (American society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) received over 116,000 calls regarding poisioning alone. Some of the items that could harm your pooch listed include: Macadamia Nuts, Garlic, Grapes, Onions, Yeast, Chocolate, Alcohol, Coffee and Xylitol... click the link below to see their interactive info
Reference: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/pets/dog-poisons-interactive.html
GREENER BACON... HOW?
Like all animals, pigs require phosphorous to build cell membranes and transport energy... pigs traditionally can not digest phytate ( a phosphorous-heavy molecule in grain) Todays solution? Fortify pig feed with pure phosphate or phytase, an enzyme to help the pig digest the usable phosphate in their feed. Swine still excrete nearly all the phosphorous they eat, which in turn can wash into waterways and oceans elevating phosphorous levels contributing to algal blooms that steal oxygen from fish and create huge marine wildlife complications.
Introducing the "Enviropig"... A Yorkshire swine bred with genetically modified salivary glands, now in its eighth generation these pigs excrete 30-65 percent LESS phosphorous than pigs currently going to market. The genetically modified pigs salivary glands excrete phytase which breaks down the phytate into digestable phosphate in the mouth... phosphate suppliments are no longer required.
Reference from the Popular Science October 2010 Issue