Here’s what happens when you leave jerboas unsupervised. Although probably it happens when they’re supervised, too.
Jerboas are long-legged jumping mice that live in the deserts of Africa and Asia. We have kangaroo rats in our deserts. What is the connection between the desert lifestyle and jumping?
Beats me.
I just had to show you this video of a great big iguana making like a dog when daddy calls.
Actually, the lizard’s attitude is, well, ambivalent.
The body language tells us this iguana is conflicted. Notice the head-bobbing as he approaches the man. If the man were another male iguana, that gesture would mean “beat it, ya bum!” Also, the lizard’s mouth is open, which means he’s thinking seriously about biting the man. But if he were really serious, he’d straighten his legs to stand higher off the ground and cock his tail to wack the man. He also hasn’t bothered to puff out his dewlap.
I think what we have here is an iguana who sincerely likes his owner but can’t help reacting to him, when he first sees him coming, as if he were another lizard. Like all properly socialized iguanas, though, he is able to curb his instinct for aggression.
If you’re thinking of acquiring an iguana for a pet, here are two simple rules to follow. 1) Get a young one, so there aren’t any nasty habits that may not be able to be broken. 2) Handle your put a lot, every day, feed him by hand, carry him around–and he will come to love you for it.
I speak from experience.
Thanks to all of you who have weighed in with prayers for my health. I believe in the power of prayer and the sovereignty of God.
Meanwhile, I hope you’ll be delighted with this brief video of an even briefer animal, the pygmy jerboa. It’s a sort of jumping mouse. The more closely you look at it, the more you’ll wonder if it’s really real.
Another one of those cool animals God created,,,
At the risk of getting a reputation for having a wacky blog, I offer this compilation of dogs trying to sit on cats, suggested by reader “LifeIsGood.”
I have no idea why these dogs wish to sit on cats and take so much trouble over it. I’m too big to experiment on my cats. Maybe it’s a dog’s idea of nice upholstery.
So I’m taking my blood pressure, and the stupid box falls over and topples my glass of iced tea all over the table… Grrrr!
But here we have the calming influence of a kitten making friends with a little fluffy owl. Ah, that’s nice! Much nicer than–oh, stop thinking about it!
I am currently reading Bell Mountain No. 9, The Throne, trying to come up with suggested for our cover artist, Kirk DuoPonce. He’ll be mighty hard press to outdo the covers he created for The Glass Bridge and The Temple.
I wonder how my cats would get along with an owl.
Ladies and gentlemen! For your edification and enjoyment, we proudly present [trumpet fanfare] a spider chasing a laser pointer light.
But not just any spider! Nosireebob–this here is a genuine jumping spider. If you look closely, you’ll see she has two rather large eyes, plus a bunch of smaller ones you probably can’t see. That’s what makes jumping spiders unique in spiderdom: they can see! They hunt their prey by sight.
Still, there is one thing that defeats our most concentrated mental efforts–
What does this spider think she sees, when she sees the laser light?
Ibis Hotels came up with this snuggly bunny TV ad. After all the kerfluffle this morning, I thought this might relax me. I hope you enjoy it!
I’m crazy about bunnies and have always wished I might have one, but it has never come to pass. I wouldn’t want my mice saying, “So what are we–chopped liver?” But love is a renewable resource, isn’t it?
Did you know owls could be cute and cuddly? I didn’t! (Then again, some of my best friends have been mice, who are not in the owls’ cheering section.)
Well, these owls are sweet, so let’s enjoy them.