Today is January 12th, 2012. I live in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and was thinking about how mild and more pleasant our weather is than usual in Januaries of the past.

Yes, it is only a few degrees above freezing, and many of you scoff at that idea because it’s unthinkable to you being from more Southern states or tropical countries, but a few degrees above freezing is mild for this time of year.

I was reminiscing with my mother today about how much snow we used to have when I was a child, especially on Christmas vacation. There were truckloads of snow, so much so that we would make igloos in the backyard, many of the kids in the neighborhood had skating rinks maintained by their devoted parents, and we would make snow angels and snow forts for hours.

It seems snowball fights are a thing of the past and have been in more recent years.

Not that I am complaining about the mild weather for my comfort, and not having to shovel it for hours and hours, only to have it filled in by the time your complete to the end of the driveway. However, I do understand completely why it’s so difficult for polar animals to survive when our planet is warming.

Polar bears are unable to get out onto the ice sheets to hunt over winter months, which is much needed for their survival and their cubs’ survival. All too often, the ice isn’t thick enough for them to travel the kilometers out to sea to acquire their staple food, seals. As well, the ice sheets break or dissolve, leaving them stranded at sea with or without their cubs.

It’s a dire state of things on our planet, and this is just a tiny slice of what’s really going on in response to global warming.

What on earth can we do? What on earth will we do about it?

What are your thoughts?

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I hope you enjoyed this post on the Environment on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically!

A Personal Look at Global Warming in Ontario, Canada is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

I was watching a show on Animal Planet the other day and they had to do a hysterectomy on a polar bear.

The intriguing thing about the surgery was that when they shaved her fur to prepare her, her skin was completely black.

This makes complete sense and is an amazing adaptation for these bears.

Why?

Because their black skin absorbs heat from the sun. Their fur isn’t actually white…it’s clear – this allows the sunlight to penetrate their thick coats and allow their black skin to absorb this heat!

Huh! Who knew?

Nature is such a marvelously designed thing! There is a reason for every feature an animal has, whether we know it or not.

FYI: Did you know that the Polar Bear is a highly endangered species?

Check out this: Polar Bears Mostly Extinct by 2050

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I hope you enjoyed this Bear Information on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Be sure to check out the Exotic Animal Lover Store!Подаръци

Polar Bears Have Black Skin is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Here’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer…

Rudolph’s just way too cute!!! Keep your eyes out for him in the Christmas sky leading Santa’s sleigh!

A Very Merry Christmas to All!

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I hope you enjoyed this Arctic Animal on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. This is one of my very favorite Christmas movies of all time! Young or old, you need to see this movie:

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer – DVD Fullscreen Synopsis: Remember when Santa called upon Rudolph to guide his sleigh that foggy Christmas night? Relive the adventures of Rudolph and friends as they help save Christmas and have some fun along the way. Told and sung by Burl Ives. This Original Christmas Classic is a must-have for the holidays! Features: Cast /Crew: Arthur Rankin – Producer Burl Ives – Actor Larry Roemer – Director Romeo Muller – Writer Studio: Classic Media Production Year: 1964 Release Date: 2007-09-04 Length: 52 $14.93

Technorati Tags: Rudolph, Rudolph red nosed reindeer, red nosed reindeer, reindeer, Santa’s reindeer, reindeer, mammals, Arctic animals

The Most Famous Reindeer of All! Rudolph is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Just don’t fall into the trap of buying a bunny for your toddler or child at Easter time, when you are all “caught up in the moment”, just to have them lose interest and you having to take over the duties of care for your new furry friend.

Or worse, be in need of an outlet to get rid of the rabbit after you realize you don’t have time for one…

However, if you do have time and are willing, rabbits make wonderful, loving pets! They seem to get cuter to you by the day!

There are so many types of domesticated rabbit, including French lop-eared rabbits, dwarf rabbits, giant rabbits, and the list goes on and on…

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Leporidae
Genera:
Pentalagus
Bunolagus
Nesolagus
Romerolagus
Brachylagus
Sylvilagus
Oryctolagus
Poelagus

Conservation Status:
Almost 1/2 of the
world’s rabbit species are in danger of extinction, often being the most vulnerable amongst the mammals.

Photo left: European rabbit

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I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards ;D

P.S. If you do decide to adopt a Bunny, this is your Essential Guide For Rabbit Owners: How To Train, Care And Build Trust With Your Pet Rabbit In 30 Days Or Less:

How to Train & Care for your Rabbit

Technorati Tags: rabbit, bunny, Easter bunny, bunnies, hares, lop eared rabbit, dwarf rabbit, giant rabbit, domesticated animal, pets, exotic pets, mammal, herbivore

Don’t Get Caught in the Easter Bunny Trap! is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

It’s a Live Feed of the Vancouver Aquarium’s Beluga Whales…Amazing and beautiful! This is the link:

Live Webcam @ Vancouver Aquarium of Beluga Whales

View these majestic and highly vulnerable creatures, leave a comment and rate the feed! Have fun…Have a Beluga Break!

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Monodontidae
Genus: Delphinapterus
Species: D. leucas

Conservation Status:
The Beluga Whale is a Vulnerable species…

I hope you enjoy this live feed brought to you by Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards ;D

P.S. What more can you do to help the Exotic Animals of the World? Help Me Start My Own Animal Refuge:

Donate to Exotic Animal Refuge Fund

Technorati Tags: beluga whale, whale, beluga, ocean animals, mammals, Arctic animals, carnivore, North American animals, live feed, web cam, Vancouver aquarium, aquarium

Live Feed of Beluga Whales @ Vancouver Aquarium is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Eutheria
Superorder: Laurasiatheria
Order: Cetacea

Photo above: Narwhals

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How Does Global Warming Affect Arctic Whales?
By Sylvie Leochko

Global warming affects negatively the environment and everything in it. There are more than just humans that are affected by it. In fact, such a negative process has been hasted by the human race through pollution. While the Earth is trying its best to cool out its environment by using its natural resources such as volcanic eruptions, it cannot seem to be able to be as effective as needed.

Several species are affected negatively by global warming, especially at the Poles. In fact, as these regions are the most vulnerable ones, the living beings inhabiting these areas are fighting for their own survival. Arctic whales such as Bowheads, Belugas and Narwhals are also suffering from global warming. How does global warming affect Arctic whales?

Global warming is a process affecting the temperature of the atmosphere, which provides negative effects on the environment, its fauna, its flora as well as climates. In fact, it has been creating such a havoc that several species either had to adapt, become endangered of face extinction.

Photo right: Beluga Whale

You see, now that global warming has been responsible for melting up to 14% of the ice-capped regions at the poles since the 1970’s it has been affecting Arctic whales species such as the Beluga and the Narwhal more than any other type of whales as these species feed on the creatures living on ice-edges areas.

Also, as the water temperature is rising, other whale species that are usually living in more temperate waters are now moving up North, forcing Belugas and Narwhals to either share their food and habitat with them or retire to regions located to higher latitude regions.

Such a move may have its advantages in a way, but it can also affect the survival of numerous members of these species as open water holes are not as high in numbers which would sentence many of them to death by drowning.

As if global warning is not enough, the Arctic whales also have to fight off pollution, tourism, fishing as well as industrial and military activities since the opening of the Northwest Passage.

You see, the noise and carbon dioxide affecting their natural habitat does not only affect the quality of life of the Arctic whales, it also affects their well-fare and their survival.

Arctic whales such as Belugas and Bowheads have been known to flee whale watching tours as far as 35 kilometers away from these ships. Humans are not only responsible for the harm done by global warming, pollution and Inuit fishing but the effects are such that it is imperative that they take these matters into their own hands by solving or at least diminish the severity of it by taking action.

Photo above: Bowhead Whales

The conservation status of the Beluga whale is currently stated as vulnerable but the conditions imposed on this specie may soon put it on the endangered species list. While Bowheads are currently part of that list, if nothing is done to remediate or at least diminish the effects of the global warming on these poor marine mammals, they may soon face extinction.

As for the Narwhal, often known as a legendary creature that is in fact reality, its conservation status may now be of special concern but if things continue this way, in the near future, their existence may only exist between the lines of a legend printed in a book.

Don’t let Arctic whales become part of history. Put an end to global warming and pollution, making such changes, historic ones! After all, what humans started they can solve as well. Didn’t your parents ever taught you to clean up your mess before starting over…and succeeding?

My name is Sylvie Leochko. I am fascinated by whales, which is why I like to share my acquired knowledge on them with others. If you wish to learn more about whales, I invite you to visit the following site: http://www.whales.findoutnow.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Does-Global-Warming-Affect-Arctic-Whales?&id=683512

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I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Are you an Animal Lover? Check out this great place for all things Animal:

Technorati Tags: global warming, whales, whale, beluga, narwhal, bowheads, whale watching tours, marine mammals, poll, Arctic animals, endangered species, ocean mammals, mammals

Global Warming Is Killing Arctic Whales is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Subfamily: Capreolinae
Genus: Alces
Species: A. alces

Conservation Status:
I am ecstatic to announce to you that the Moose is a species of Least Concern. Great job!

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Don’t Mess with a Moose
By James Hyde

When you’re hiking and happen upon a moose, they can appear laid back and they can even be approached and fed depending on what season it is, but neither is ever a good idea. If it’s rutting season, approaching a bull moose is like poking a grizzly bear with a stick.

If you come upon a moose that’s close by, leave it alone, regardless of how docile it may appear. And then there’s the issue of sex.

Bull moose (males) are most dangerous during the rutting season, much of the fall and into the winter. Mating fatigues them as does walking in heavy snows. They’ve been known to bed down under people’s decks or lean against structures, exhausted. But that’s not an invitation to go P”pat the nice moose.”

The female of the species, cows, can get very ugly when approached, especially during the spring and summer seasons after they’ve calved or are teaching their youngsters the ways of the wild. You’d get a little ornery too if you’d just passed a 60-pound calf. And getting between a cow and a calf is like standing in mid street during the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Cows get very protective of their young and have been known to take on wolf packs to save them.

Unfortunately, many people don’t know the charge warning signs and decide to get as close as possible so a picture can be taken of them near a moose. Why not? Moose have been known to walk up to people almost nonchalantly as if they’re inviting interaction. Uh, don’t be too quick to accept the perceived chumminess.

Moose will walk slowly up to a person for one of two reasons: 1. To warn you to get off their turf; 2. Because they expect you to offer up some food. In either case, it’s not approaching to be patted. The smartest thing to do is run until you put something big and hard between you and that moose.

The warning signs that a charge is imminent (which is distinct from meandering in your direction) are:

1. The hair on the hump on its back is raised;

2. The ears are down and back; and

3. It starts licking its lips.

According to wildlife authorities, if you can see it licking its lips, you’re way too close anyway.

More often than not, if you run away from a moose, it’ll probably end its pursuit after a relatively short run. But if one does charge, do your best to run and get behind something solid. If there’s a tree nearby, move around it and away from the charging beast. You’re far more agile than it is, so you could escape it that way, by continuing to encircle the tree or climbing it if possible.

If a moose charges, unless you’re really close to it, it’s usually a warning–bluffs to see what you’ll do. If it doesn’t get the response it wants—your speedy departure–and does charge you, it kicks out with its forelegs when it gets close enough and can cause some serious injury doing that alone. More often, it will knock you down and has been known to use all four hooves on anyone on the ground.

The smartest thing to do under that scenario is to curl up in a fetal position, protect your head with your hands and arms and remain absolutely motionless. Do not move until the animal is well away from you or you may trigger a second attack.

If you are attacked, seek medical attention right away. Injuries do put people into shock, and if you get shocky, you’ll be in no shape to assess your medical condition on your own. If the moose breaks a rib or two, you could suffer a pneumothorax (collapsed lung), which is very serious. So get to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible for a full examination.

For the most part, moose are twig and bark eaters and get their name from the Algonquin Indians for precisely what they eat.

If you see one and have a camera, snap away, but from a safe distance. It’s definitely a “don’t touch/don’t feed” creature.

You can read more about hiking and moose in the ezine section of newenglandtimes.com

James H. Hyde is Co-Founder, Editor and Designer of http://NewEnglandTimes.Com. He has served as Managing Editor of three magazines, two at the same time; is a winner of the prestigious Jesse H. Neal Award for “Best In-Depth Analysis Article of the Year”; has served as Editor of “The DeskTop,” a newsletter about the early days of desktop publishing; is co-author of “The Plain English Guide to Desktop Publishing”; has written two syndicated newspaper columns; has written for “The New York Times”; and designed and wrote http://SuperModel.Com during the mid-to late 1990s. SuperModel.Com was among the top 100 most visited sites on the Web in both 1996 and 1997. Jim’s designs were featured in five Web design books and he won over 30 design and content awards. He also wrote and designed the official Web site of the Southern Rock Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, as well as fan club sites for Brooke Shields, John Mellencamp, Michael Bolton and others.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Dont-Mess-with-a-Moose&id=559901

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I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Get this beautiful 2008 Moose Calendar for the Moose-Lover in your family! Just gorgeous and only $9.11:

Moose 2008 Calendar Amazing and picturesque! Only $9.11!  Get Yours Today…

Technorati Tags: New England, moose, deer, cervids, moose safety, safety tips about moose, exotic animal, exotic animal tips and tricks, North American animals, mammals, Canadian animals, Arctic animals, European animals

Moose Are Not To Be Messed With! is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Subfamily: Odocoileinae
Genus: Rangifer
Species: R. tarandus

.

Conservation Status:
This is a species of least concern! Congratulations on this one, Planet Earth!

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Caribou/Reindeer in Alaska
By Michael Russell

Reindeer are domesticated caribou in North America and are mainly bred for meat production. Although there are seven subspecies of caribou, Alaska only has the Barren ground subspecies. Wild caribou are called reindeer in Europe; they are the same species as normal caribou; however, there are some differences between the two of them. Reindeer or caribou have heavier bodies and shorter legs due to different breeding methods; this helps produce the most meat. Wild caribous’ legs are longer with smaller bodies, which provide for a more efficient migration.

Caribou are a species of deer and both males and females have antlers; males weigh 400 pounds and females weigh 200 pounds. Caribou can live to 15 years old in their habitat and to 20 years old in captivity. They have a thick coat during the winter and it sheds in the spring, but still shields them from water. Fur that repels water is useful when herds travel through large rivers. Their hooves are concave and their edges harden when winter arrives which help them walk on icy surfaces. They soften during the summer for walking on spongy tundra. There is a tendon in a caribou’s ankle, which alters the hooves when walking. This causes the hooves to gain a larger surface area while on spongy tundra.

Alaska has more than 30 distinct herds with an estimated 1,000,000 caribou scattered throughout the state. Many live in tundra areas and mountain habitats near the forest where they migrate.

Caribou often migrate to find food and herds travel long distances quite often to find new food sources. Smaller herds do the opposite and only travel short distances or stay in the same area. During the summer, caribou eat many kinds of herbaceous plants but when winter arrives, they travel to winter grounds. These grounds contain lichen and scrub, which are food for caribou in winter.

The most highly migratory land animals are caribou; herds can have up to 10,000 animals, which travel more than 50 miles each day during migration. Caribou travel every year during summer and winter and they generally search for calving grounds in spring. Different herds live separately in the summer on calving grounds and they join up to travel to the winter grounds. When they reach winter grounds, they scatter and reconnect when they go back to the calving ground.

Female’s, which are pregnant, give birth a few days after each another while on the calving grounds. This increases the number of calves in a herd; once born, they must quickly move to avoid wolves, golden eagles and bears. They can stand on their feet an hour after they are born and can outrun a human after a day. Because many calves are born from different herds, each one has a better chance of surviving predator attacks. A predator can only take a few calves at a time while hunting. Sometimes a confusion effect occurs; this happens when a predator has trouble focusing on one animal within a herd.

During the rut or breeding season, males compete to determine breeding rights. They defend their space from other males aggressively and begin breeding. They use a lot of energy and do not eat much during this time, so they generally are in poor condition when the breeding season ends. Older males are at risk if they are in this condition when predators are around.

The caribou population in Alaska is managed and stable; the state controls hunting and subsistence use. Over hunting, diseases and predators cause the caribou population to decrease.

Michael Russell – Your Independent guide to Alaska.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Caribou/Reindeer-in-Alaska&id=335934

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I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Get these gorgeous little Rudolph The Reindeer Christmas Ornament for your Amazing Christmas Tree this year:

Glass Ornament ‘Reindeer’ Red-nosed Rudolph the Reindeer rests inside this glass Christmas tree ornament, ready to share in the joy of the season. 4 3/8 inch x 4 3/8 inch x 3 1/8 inch high.

Technorati Tags: caribou, reindeer, Alaska, Arctic animals, Canadian animals, North American animals, farm animals, mammals, Christmas

Caribou/Reindeer…Just In Time For Christmas! is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

…I think that everyone’s thoughtful idea should be heard and assessed, so…

You tell me/comment on what you think of Aldene’s idea!

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A Simple Way to Save the Polar Bears
By Aldene Fredenbuirg

“60 Minutes” just aired a repeat of a report they had featured earlier, about global warming and its effect on the arctic polar bear population.

Because of the rise in the earth’s temperature all over the world, including the North and South polar regions, ice floes are melting earlier each year. Unfortunately, this is having a very bad impact on the polar bear population, because it significantly shortens the bears’ feeding season.

The bears climb onto the ice floes and use them as bases to hunt their chief source of food, which is seals. No ice floes, no ability to hunt, no ability to feed. The polar bear population has declined significantly in the past twenty-five years, and the weight of female bears has also declined, a fact that zoologists fear represents declining fertility and a much lessened ability to carry a pregnancy to term.

Polar bears are threatened with extinction; but there seems to be a potential solution that, while not having any impact on the core problem of global warming, could offer a stop-gap solution while we work on reversing the larger problem.

Why not design artificial ice floes and fly them into the arctic zone, so that the polar bears can climb up on them and use them to continue their hunt for food? Its seems like it would be fairly easy to do, it would not be that expensive, and it might buy the polar bear population a few precious years of survival while we figure out how to restore their environment to its former state.

Wildlife and other environmental groups need to jump on this as a priority and fix the situation, fast. The alternative is to lose, forever, a precious part of our world – the arctic polar bear, another species lost to man’s insensitive manipulation of our natural world.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics. She expresses her opinions periodically on her blog, http://beyondagendas.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aldene_Fredenbuirg
http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Simple-Way-to-Save-the-Polar-Bears&id=262217

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Make sure you leave a comment and let me know what you think of Aldene’s idea!

I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Don’t forget about that Polar Bear lover in your family for Christmas! Check out this beautiful polar bear ornament for the Christmas tree! Only $8.99:

Polar Bear Ornament (Round) Polar Bear, Polar Bears, Alaskan Wildlife, Birthday Gifts, t-shirts, tshirt, tee, Kids clothes, ornaments, shirts, stickers, magnets, presents, Child, gifts, Children, kids, children, book bags, tote

Technorati Tags: polar bears, environment, global warming, bear, arctic, mammals, North American animals, Arctic animals, ocean animals, Canadian animals, endangered species, environment

A Simple Way To Save Polar Bears? You Decide! is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover