Well, the day before we went whale shark swimming in Exmouth, Australia, I took a tour where we snorkeled off of the coast of Exmouth’s pure, white sand beaches.

I was a little nervous about the sharks and asked the “local girl” that came with us if it was pretty safe. She said that the only sharks you’d see would be white-tipped reef sharks and they don’t bug you unless you provoke them, but that we probably wouldn’t even see any of them where we were.

So, I got up the courage to get out there, since I had to be ready for whale shark swimming in the open ocean the next morning, and waded out into the water. I put my face under the water with my mask on, and what’s the first thing I see? A whitetip reef shark!

Wow – I think I grew a jet propeller out of my body and was back into the shore within seconds, it seemed! LOL

However, after having a good pep talk with myself, I got back out there and enjoyed the rest of the day, not to see another shark again! LOL…

We did get to see giant clams, numerous fish, corals and even some dolphins swimming afar.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Triaenodon
Species: T. obesus

Wow – more stories tomorrow!

***

I hope you enjoyed this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Want to visit Exmouth? Stay at the Best Western Sea Breeze Resort:

Best Western Sea Breeze Resort 38450-Best Western Sea Breeze Resort-116 North C Street Harold E. Holt Naval Base-Exmouth-6707-Western Australia-AUS-

Technorati Tags: white tipped reef shark, sharks, fish, white tip, reef shark, Australian animals, snorkeling Australia, snorkeling, Exmouth, Exmouth Australia, Australia

My First Shark Sighting – Whitetip Reef Sharks is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Exotic Animal News-Flash:

If you’re looking for some great Shark shows to watch this week, then check out the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week starting August 2nd!

So, in honor of this, ExoticAnimalLover.com will also be hosting a Shark Week!

Power-packed shows giving you more information on the oceans’ largest predator – a dinosaur of sorts!

These misunderstood animals of the deep will be concentrated on all week on the Discovery Channel and on Exotic Animal Lover!

I’ll tell you all about my experiences with Sharks too…

Guess what…Sharks are actually FISH!

Go ahead – Take a Shark Break!

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Superorder: Selachimorpha

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I hope you enjoy this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Can’t get enough of Shark Week? Get your own 20th Anniversary Edition of Shark Week complete with 4 DVDs:

Shark Week-20th Anniversary DVD 4 Discs Format DVD UPC Code 014381401622 Brand IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT

Technorati Tags: fish, sharks, shark, shark week, Discovery Channel, marine animals, ocean animals

Shark Week Starts Today on Exotic Animal Lover is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

The very first shark I ever saw in the ocean was a Whitetip Reef Shark!

Not only that, it was the very first time I had ever snorkeled either…I went under the water for the first dip and there was a shark! It was probably about 5 feet long!

Sure…It brought me right back up to the surface and ready to head back to shore, but our guide told me they’re harmless, unless you really mess around with them and bother them, which I was not even about to attempt.

This wasn’t on the Great Barrier Reef, but on the Ningaloo Reef on the other side of Australia.

I’m sure you’ve heard of shark feedings and tours that take you out to experience this. Well, I’ve found a video showing you a shark feed on the Great Barrier Reef.

You’ll know the whitetip reef sharks because they have a white tip on their tail and caudal fin:

Wasn’t that beautiful and amazing! Did you check out the huge Cod? Wow!

I’d love to see this in person…The animals are just fantastic!

These reef sharks feed on fish, octopi and crustaceans, but more so at night as they are nocturnal. Also, as their diet indicates, they prefer to dwell on the bottom of the reef, where they sleep during the day.

Conservation Status:
The Whitetip Reef Shark is a Near Threatened species of shark and are prevalent all over the world. In fact, I think it was a whitetip reef shark we dissected in lab in University for Pre-Med.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Triaenodon
Species: T. obesus

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I hope you enjoy this Shark post on Exotic Animal Lover during Great Barrier Reef Month! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Please be sure to Vote for Me to win the Dream Job of Caretaker of Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia:

Vote 5-Stars for Kimberly!

Technorati Tags: whitetip reef shark, reef shark, white tip reef shark, shark, sharks, fish, Australian animals, Great Barrier Reef

Whitetip Reef Sharks on the Great Barrier Reef is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

However, it’s neither a bear nor a cat! LOL…It just resembles both of those animals. To me, it looks like a large raccoon species.

It, too, is an arboreal species that is nocturnal – instead of sleeping in a nest of sorts, it simply sleeps on branches of rainforests in Asia, India & Indonesia.

Although it is classified as a carnivore, it is omnivorous! It eats mostly fruit, but has been known to dabble in eating eggs, small animals like rodents and birds, shoots and leaves.

Binturong are known for their happy chuckling sounds and high-pitched wails when annoyed. It also communicates using it’s tail and scent gland.

It has a prehensile tail, meaning it works as a 5th limb or hand. Bearcats are the size of a small dog and has a coat that is thick, coarse and black.

Conservation Status:
The Binturong is considered to be a Vulnerable species in endangerment.

Why?
It’s drastic drop in numbers is mainly due to deforestation in their habitat, and poaching for it’s fur and medicinal uses.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Viverridae
Subfamily: Paradoxurinae
Genus: Arctictis
Species: A. binturong
Subspecies: There are 6 subspecies of binturong.

Why is This Animal So Important?
It’s the only animal known to be able to eat the seed coating of the Strangler Fig, which is a crucial tree in the rainforest. This means the binturong is very important for seed dispersal.

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

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. The Bearcat is a quite popular mascot. In fact, the University of Cincinnati boasts this animal as their mighty mascot! Get a U. of Cincinnati ringtone for your phone:

University of Cincinnati Bearcats Ringtone $5.99

Technorati Tags: binturong, mammal, carnivore, Indian animal, Asian animal, bearcat, Asian bearcat, Palawan bearcat

You Say Bearcat – I Say Binturong is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

The Harpy Eagle is a carnivorous raptor. In fact, it’s the largest and most powerful one found in the Americas.

This eagle particular inhabits tropical lowland forests, where it stays in the upper canopy, presumably for a better viewpoint for prey.

Males and females having the same coloration, they are slate black on the back and back of wings, and white underneath including their bellies. Their head is a pale gray color.

Although the same in color, males are almost half the size of the female.

They boast talons up to 5 inches long – WOW! Their wingspan can reach up to 6′7″…that’s unbelievable!

They are known to attack arboreal species of mammals, such as sloths and monkeys, not to mention other large birds, such as macaws.

Conservation Status:
The Harpy Eagle is a species that is Near Threatened.

Why?
Mostly because of hunting and logging. This eagle is mostly only found in remote parts of the Amazonian Basin. In some more recent news, it has tentatively returned to Belize.

For more information on how to Help Save Harpy Eagles, check out The Peregrine Fund’s Harpy Eagle Conservation Effort and be sure to check out the How You Can Help section!

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I hope you found this Bird post information on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. You may not have a Harpy Eagle in your backyard anytime soon, but you can attract other birds by feeding them. Find out how: Click Here!

Technorati Tags: Harpy eagle, eagle, eagles, raptors, birds, American animals, North American animals, endangered animals

Harpy Eagle Near Threatened is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

My husband slid a sandal over to it, and it moved. I told my husband not to disturb it in case it scurries off, then you won’t know where it went to.

Knowing that this was not something we wanted to take of directly, I told my husband to call animal control immediately.

Of course, with stubbornness in tow, my husband approaches the snake after a few minutes and picks it up…

What a BRAT! It was a rubber snake…

I was amazed at how life-like it looked as it was brown with muddled markings and slightly shiny sitting in an even more life-like position.

I guess it is a toy for their dog, and a trick for unsuspecting guests…LOL

It wasn’t an impossibility, as this snake was of a small size, brown markings and indicative of a snake that could be in these surroundings…

They live in a suburb only about 1-2 yrs old with a creek and wooded area in the back of their property.

Sheesh…Never do that at home where you would go to the snake to disturb it or pick it up, especially if you have never handled snakes before and don’t know what kind of snake it is.

Come to find out later that they have actually seen snakes like this in their gardens, both brown and green of the same size and shape.

It is ALWAYS better to let professionals take care of snakes, especially in the Southern United States, as there are a number of venomous snakes that habitate these parts…

Call in animal control or similar entity to take care of your problem. Make sure you keep all of your pets away from the reptile too!

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

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Find out more about Texas Snakes here:

Texas Snakes: Identification, Distribution, and Natural History $50.70

Technorati Tags: snakes, brown snake, Texas snakes, reptiles, snake

Snakes in Texas is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

I just found out that one of my newest friends, Dani, had a Canadian Lynx as a pet…Not only that, it was an indoor cat!

I asked her to fill us in on having a Canadian Lynx as a pet.

This is her account:

Firstly, his name was Snaggletooth, and I rescued him from a breeder in Iowa. I found his information online and called him to find out more about owning a lynx.

I had always thought how wonderful it would be to own a big exotic cat. I went with a lynx because he would mature around 65lbs., which is equal to that of a medium sized dog.

With a smaller cat there are a lot of advantages. First off, the amount of food involved…I fed little Snaggletooth Zoopreem, a Purina dry pellet food, mixed in with raw turkey. This cost me less than $10 per week to keep him fat and happy.

Also, a cat of that size is not considered a lethal cat. Since I was new to exotic cat ownership, I certainly didn’t want to jump off and get something that would chew me up in the middle of the night. I did my homework before I picked up little Snaggletooth from the airport.

I made sure he had a large litter box (2) in each room of the house and removed anything from the shelves/tops of tables or cases that I didn’t want knocked off and broken. I also made sure to provide him with a fully enclosed outside run where he had access to trees and grass and plenty of space to play.

Now, most domestic cats learn to use the litter box by following what their moms do. Since Snaggletooth’s mom was an outside lynx (outside in an enclosure) and taken from her at 2 weeks of age, he never had a mother lynx showing him where to use the bathroom.

It is natural for a cat to want to dig and bury their eliminations, however a lynx doesn’t mind urinating on your floor or couch and doesn’t feel the need to dig and cover anything up. This was the case for little Snaggletooth.

So…I went and purchased a special clay cat litter that has an attractant in it to lure cats to the litter box. He got the idea almost immediately when I replaced the litter. This didn’t mean he never had an accident after that point, but in general, he knew where to go when he needed to eliminate. I had to provide him with 2 litter boxes (side by side) because it is normal for an exotic cat to want to defecate in one and urinate in the other.

He had a favorite toy and I used that toy to get him to come when called and as a reward for when he was being good. I never fed him treats as a reward since he had a tendency to be too interested in food and very possessive of it. When I would feed him, I would have to place his food down in the room and close the door and leave him alone. If I didn’t, he thought I was going to steal his food and would hiss and growl at me.

We had a system that worked well and we just stayed with it. Now I did try different things to get him to be less possessive with his food but each one of them failed. Trust me, an exotic cat acts nothing like a dog or domestic cat. So…he taught me a lot on how to be patient and compromise.

Snaggletooth is no longer with us, and of course I miss him quite a bit. If I had to pick again for an exotic cat to own I would own a Canadian Lynx again hands down. They are very personable. Snaggletooth would lay on the couch with me and watch TV. He also followed me all over the house during the day.

He had moments of boundless energy and would literally run on the sides of the walls. He also tested out the curtain’s strength, several of my free standing lamps and of course anything I left out for him to get to. I learned quickly that if I wanted to drink anything I had to put it in a bottle with a lid. Otherwise I could expect to find it all over the floor just minutes after setting it down.

Lynxes are not raised to be pets for the general public. Mostly, they are bred for the fur trade. This means that there are a lot of breeders out there who do not care about the health of these cats, since they are just interested in a nice fur for later use.

Some have serious health problems and don’t live past 1 year. So, you need to do your homework if you are looking for a breeder to purchase a lynx for yourself.

Some points to also consider before you run out and get a lynx for yourself is do you have other pets?

Snaggletooth got along with my large Akita and my Great Pyrenees, but a domestic cat he would have killed. In fact, any pet smaller than him was prey…This also includes small children. So, if you have children, or small pets, a lynx isn’t for you.

If you have heirloom furniture in your home you don’t need a lynx. Trust me they love wood furniture to scratch on. We purchased a large cat tree complete with scratching areas. It looked like a jungle gym covered in swizzle rope. Well he did enjoy scratching it, but he still managed to find furniture he liked just as much to kill.

You need to check with your state or province to see if you are even able to own a Lynx. Once you do, you will need to contact your state Vet to see what requirements are needed to keep a lynx. Some states require permits while others not only require permits but also a double fence system to keep your lynx from getting loose.

Also, you need to purchase insurance just in case your exotic cat does get loose and hurts someone.

In conclusion, if you think you would love to own an exotic cat, please think it through very carefully.

Owning an exotic cat isn’t like owning a dog or domestic cat. As you can see, there is a lot of homework that you need to do before you settle on a lynx to own. I actually advise most people not to purchase an exotic cat.

Several rescue organizations are overloaded with exotic cats that people saw and thought, “Oh man, I would love to own a lynx or tiger.” They either weren’t honest in their abilities or they didn’t do their homework. This isn’t fair to the pet, nor is it fair to the rescue organization that you will expect to clean up the mess you made.

Actually, if you want something exotic, I would recommend a Savannah cat. These are Serval (exotic cats) crossed with domestic cats. They are large cats and have beautiful exotic cat looks. They are a recognized breed by TICA and there are several reputable breeders out there who produces healthy Savannah cats. These cats do not require permits or any restrictions on ownership.

Well that is about it…I really want to stress to your readers that owning a Lynx isn’t for everyone, and of course to do your homework before you purchase one.

Running a rescue organization like the one you are thinking of would include getting exotic animals that were once thought of as a unique pet. Big Cat Rescue in Florida (I am a member there) has nothing but large exotic cats. 3 are retired cats from the circus (and they paid big bucks for these guys to keep them till they passed away) but the rest are cats that they rescued from breeders who didn’t provide proper housing or again, people who had illusions that an exotic cat made a great pet.

They have to turn away over 50 cats per year…Where do these cats go? Either to other rescue places or they are euthanized. Its a sad, cold fact of life, but it just shows you as humans, we need to be responsible and govern ourselves and not expect someone else to come clean up our messes.

BTW…I am not an animal rights activist. In fact, I do not believe animals have rights. I believe humans have rights, and with those rights comes the responsibility to do the right thing. LOL! You can never expect an animal to be responsible.

I donate annually to the ASPCA, however I never donate to PETA, who has made a mockery of what taking responsible care of animals is. (I’ll get off my soap box now)…LOL

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I hope you enjoyed this Unusual Pet post from Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Check out this beautiful Canadian Lynx Print from the 1899 Zoological Gardens:

Technorati Tags: Canadian lynx, lynx, big cat, exotic cat, unusual pet, exotic pet, Canadian animal, North American animal, mammal, cats

A Canadian Lynx as an Indoor Pet? is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

I have heard of ligers and tigons and even seen photos, and everything looks hunky dory, but behind the scenes we need to know what is going on with these albeit beautiful animals.

Check out this video to find out to get informed:

If we don’t speak up and spread the word, who will? These animals cannot speak for themselves, except through their suffering! That’s not fair and the entire thing is unnatural.

Spread the word, this post and the video above to others to educate them about this issue too!

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I hope you found this Mammal post on Exotic Animal Lover informative! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Let us know what your feelings are by Commenting in the Comment Box Below!

Technorati Tags: liger, tigon, animals, big cats, cats, lion, tiger, hybridize animals, mammals, African animals

Dangers of Hybridizing Lions & Tigers is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Yikes…How gross is that? Right?

Well, I was on a friend’s blog today, SunEGrl Loves To Shop, and she was talking about a rise of incidents in Hotels and on Cruise Ships since 2004.

I guess, it doesn’t matter if you’re staying at a 2-star hotel or a 5-star hotel, it is just as likely that you could be staying in an infested place!

Yuk! I bet you thought that Bed Bugs feed off filthy, dead skin or human waste, right? Wrong!

Oh, No!!! What attracts them then?

Well, they like exhaled carbon dioxide…And as we all know, we can’t change what we exhale. So, they like where we, humans, are!

Is that it? What do they eat then? Well, contrary to popular belief, they feed on our blood, not on waste, dead skin cells, or dirt.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Cimicidae

Now, bed bugs are a nocturnal insect, meaning they come “out” at night, or are more active at night-time.

Do They Carry Disease?
Although bed bugs bite, they are not known to pass the 27 known pathogens that they can carry to their hosts. That’s good news!

Not so fast! They may, however, under the right circumstances, be able to pass along Hepatitis B or Chagas disease (trypanosomiasis).

How Do I Know If I’ve Been Bitten?
Well, you’ll usually get a white welt, surrounded by a raised reddened area at the site of each bite. They will each be itchy from several hours up to several days.

What Do I Do If I’ve Been Bitten?
Try not to scratch so you don’t leave yourself scars from the bite sites, plus you don’t want them to get infected!

To treat them, you may want to start on antihistamines and corticosteroids, like hydrocortisone, topically to reduce the itching and swelling.

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I hope you found this post on Insects interesting from Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. If you are a frequent traveler, you may want to invest in some Bed Bug Spray that will prevent bed bugs from sticking around! This one is all-natural and non-toxic…Check it out:

Resources: If you travel you should know this…

Technorati Tags: bed bugs, insects, bed bug bites, bed bug infestation, bed bug remedy, nocturnal animal, animals, bed bug spray

When On Vacation, Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite! is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Ahhh…My favorite species of animal is the Red Panda…

Unfortunately, they are extremely endangered. However, thankfully, there are a number of breeding programs in the world that are doing their best to ensure the survival of this species.

Edmonton’s Valley Zoo just had the 2nd arrival of twin baby red pandas! Yeahhh!!! They were born May 26th in captivity, and were named Tai (female) and Pip (male).

The babies are no longer with their mother, as she began to groom one of the babies too aggressively, but are in great hands with surrogate, human caretakers.

At this point, their eyes are still sealed shut and they are very furry. Sleeping most of time curled up together, the twins are fed puppy formula by bottle, after graduating from stomach tubes.

There are roughly only about 2000-4000 wild red pandas in the world, but the cyclone in Myanmar greatly disturbed their habitat, and the numbers are now unknown.

There were only 4 red pandas born last year in captivity in North America, including these twins other twin brother and sister. In fact, the other 2 pandas were also born in Canadian zoos.

A total of 45 red pandas are in captivity in North America now, and every one of them is crucial to the species’ survival!

To read the original article @ Yahoo, click here.

Unlike the Giant Panda, the Red Panda is not a bear…It actually belongs in the same superfamily as skunks, weasels and raccoons.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Eutheria
Superorder: Laurasiatheria
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Superfamily: Musteloidea
Family: Ailuridae
Genus: Ailurus
Species: A. fulgens

There are 2 subspecies of red panda:
1. Western Red Panda
2. Styan’s Red Panda – somewhat larger

Interestingly, although they are in the Carnivorous order, they actually are mainly herbivores eating mostly bamboo, although are known to supplement their diets with other plants, berries, grasses, insects, fish, eggs, young birds and small rodents. In captivity, it has been shown that they will readily eat red meat.

Conservation Status:
As I mentioned earlier, they are considered Endangered.

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I hope you enjoyed this

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S.

Technorati Tags: red pandas, pandas, lesser panda, exotic animal, Edmonton zoo, breeding program, animal twins, animal news, mammals, Asian animals, herbivore

Furry Arrival of Twin Red Pandas is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover