Opossum

It’s 12:45 amмаси и столове in Dallas, Texas right now…

I just took our kitchen garbage out to the trash can and noticed one of our neighborhood stray dogs laying in the middle of the street.

As I focused in and started approaching, I noticed that it was sitting next to another animal, also in the middle of the street…I thought it could have been a run over cat or something like that…

…As I came upon the dog, I took a look at what kind of animal was laying there and lo and behold, it was the opossum I’ve been noticing walking through the neighborhood some nights, playing dead – completely still, eyes open and all.

The dog, who’s usually quite skiddish when you come near him, wanted to hold his ground even though I was very close and clapping him away to go home.  He even growled at me.

I’m sure he was deciding whether he wanted to eat his catch or play with it for a while before eating it, but he finally took off down the way to his house – I don’t know what’s up with his owners.

Anyway, now I’m outside in my pajamas waiting on our street corner for this opossum to “wake” back up and get off the road to disappear into the night again.

I’m telling you, I had to wait

Playing Opossum in Dallas: Saving Our Wildlife is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Have you ever thought about how frightened your neighborhood birds are of you, a deer, a rabbit or virtually any other animal out there.

As soon as they see you, they dart for cover…

You may not have thought anything of it because we’re so used to it.

This wasn’t always the case, you know…

When Adam named the animals in the Garden of Eden, he could communicate and speak with them. Everyone got along together in perfect harmony. Imagine that…

Imagine a world where a wolf would just walk up to you as though you were it’s friend. How amazing would that be?

This issue struck me the other day when I read and wrote about the new discovery of a bunch of new species in Papua New Guinea – who may have never seen a human before.

The animals were coming down from the trees – one even sat on a researcher’s shoulder. A new species of woolly rat came right up to the humans with no fear at all.

Why do animals fear us? Well, why wouldn’t they – for the most part, we’re either hunting them, trying to get rid of them, capturing them to be in captivity or destroying their habitats.

No doubt, the animal parents teach their babies to fear us – we are killers, captors and destroyers.

The animal kingdom often sees us as bad creatures they would much rather steer clear of.

What a sad state of affairs. Let’s try to change that! We need to try to regain their trust on a whole…We are their keepers, in essence.

I wonder what goes through their minds when they see us…I’m sure it would be eye opening, heart wrenching and saddening for most of us here on the planet.

Treat the animals you see well…They were made by the same Amazing God we were. Treat them as such!

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

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. For more information on the way God intended our world to be, check out the book of Genesis in the Bible:

The Bible: Genesis : King James Version

Technorati Tags: wild animals, animals fear, fear of animals, scared of humans, no fear of humans, Garden of Eden, animal kingdom

Animals Are Scared of Us – Isn’t That Sad? is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Exotic Animal Newsflash:

A Kentucky man, Kenny Mahoney, has a motion sensor hunting camera in his backyard, which often picks up images of rabbits, turkeys and deer.

What he found was an unidentified mysterious animal (UMA) on the photo raiding his garden. Check out this video:

Skeptical that it could be bigfoot, but unable to rule it out completely, the investigation moves on in the woods of Kentucky for bigfoot.

They say the figure looked to be six feet tall and had black fur, but they can’t be certain it wasn’t a bear, although it didn’t appear to be one. The form looks like it has a gorilla like head and shoulders with it’s arms crossed.

What do you think it was mulling around his back garden? Let us know by leaving a comment below…

* For more information, check out: Kentucky man says photo might show Bigfoot raiding his garden

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I hope you enjoyed this Unidentified Mysterious Animal Sighting on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. For more information on the history of Bigfoot, check out this really great DVD:

History’s Mysteries Bigfoot And Others Monsters Rated: NA Synopsis: The mermaid, Abominable Snowman, giant squid, and dragons are all parts of myths and mysteries. But are some real? The Komodo Dragon was merely the stuff of local legend–until the dinosaur-like, very real giant reptile with an orange

Technorati Tags: bigfoot, yeti, sasquatch, mysterious animal, cryptozoology, UMA, unidentified mysterious animal, latest bigfoot sightings, bigfoot sightings, bigfoot video, Kentucky bigfoot, cryptid, Kenny Mahoney

Bigfoot Sighting in Kentucky on Film is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

What’s better than a commercial with gorillas in it?

Not much…LOL…

Check this one out:

I know…maybe it’s not real gorillas, but they did a great job and it’s funny!

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

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. For more inforamtion on Gorillas, check out this amazing DVD from National Geographic:

Africa’s Wildlife Collection Gorillas and Great Apes DVD Witness birth, death, and the fight for survival in Africa’s heartlands.

Technorati Tags: gorilla, gorillas, cricket, gorilla commercial, funny commercial, awesome video, mammals, apes

Awesome Gorilla Commercial is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

One of my readers – “Buy clownfish” asked me the question:

How much does that book on clownfish cost? I would like to know more on that fish.

I wanted to address that so that others out there are aware too, not only of the book, but about how much clownfish cost to purchase for your own aquarium.

The book he’s talking about is from my previous post about Clownfish. The book costs $15.16 and is all about them.

Actually, clownfish can range from around $14.99 for extra small ones that are more common…On the left is an example of a small Sebae Clownfish that’s tankraised for this price.

…all the way up to more rare and larger varieties like the “semi-picasso” for around $110.00 per fish. To the right is an example of the semi-picasso that’s tankraised for this price.

* Note: You can click on any of the photos to purchase that fish!

That’s a pretty good range with various colors and patterned varieties in between those amounts. So, it’s really up to you which one you’re partial to purchasing for your special aquarium.

There are even black clownfish that are in the mid-range of the pricing. This one on the left is a Black Ocellaris Clownfish for $50.00.

I’ve even fallen in love with these inexpensive, but more rare colored pink clownfish called “Pink Skunks” because of their single white stripe. Aren’t they cute?  These will only set you back $14.99 too!

So, as you can see, there is some serious variety by way of colors, sizes, patterns and whether their tankraised or wild caught.

Any which way, they’re beautiful little fish that have proven to be very intelligent as well.

You’ll want to add an anemone for them in your tank because this is their natural habitat.

Anemone are poisonous and eat other fish, but the clownfish is immune to their sting and use the anemone to protect them. So, they sleep and raise their young inside the protection of the anemone’s tentacles.

Hope that answers your questions!

For more information about their natural habitat, check out: Clownfish on the Great Barrier Reef

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I hope you enjoyed this Exotic Pet Care info on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Don’t forget the Anemone to keep these little guys happy in your aquarium:

Condy Anemone The Condy Anemone is a member of the family Actiniidae. It is Caribbean in origin and is also known as the Haitian Anemone or Giant Golden Anemone. Though hardy, it requires a moderate level of care. Suitable diet includes filter feeding invert food, Mysis shrimp, phytoplankton and small pieces of Silver Side and raw shrimp. Though it lives in symbiosis with Zooxanthellae Algae, it does not associate with any type of Clownfish. The Condy usually buries its base in the sand for protection and stability. It does best with live rock and crustaceans, although the Red-Legged Hermit Crab is a common predator. Desire to move around within a reef environment makes it a possible sting threat to corals and other anemones. Drip acclimation is recommended for all inverts to avoid rapid changes in water chemistry. Copper based medications can be fatal for inverts. ADULT SIZE: 6 inchesPREFERRED AQUARIUM:20 Gal Minimum TEMPERATURE:74 to 82 pH:8.1 to 8.4 CARE LEVEL: Moderate TEMPERAMENT: Semi-Aggressive lDIET: Carnivore REEF SAFE: Yes Lighting: High Water Flow: Medium

Technorati Tags: clownfish, buy clownfish, black clownfish, pink clownfish, semi picasso clownfish, clownfish care, fish, fish care, exotic fish, exotic pets, anemone

How Much do Clownfish Cost? is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

When you read the ingredients on the back of food packages, it’s often we all get “lost”…to say the least.

Well, multiply that by 10 when you’re talking about pet food…pets eat things we don’t…

So, how often do you actually look on the back of your turtle food container and question the ingredients…Not often, I suspect.

Same goes for gerbil food or bird food.

Well, I have information on one ingredient in some fish foods you might want to include in their diet.

If you have fish that aren’t white (and supposed to be white), then Spirulina is a great supplement in some fish foods that will enhance color.

For instance, if you have fancy goldfish, like we do, who are brightly colored oranges, browns, reds, apricot or yellow, feeding them food with Spirulina in it will make them more brightly colored.

We had a white goldfish in the group with a red cap and it started tainting or discoloring the white scales, but made their red cap more brightly colored. So, we stopped feeding her food with spirulina in it and her white scales became white again.

So, depending upon what your goal is with your fish, be aware if there is Spirulina in the food.

In our colored fish tank, they get a healthy portion of spirulina in their food.

Read your labels…

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

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Brighten up your fish by feeding them Spirulina Food:

H.b.h Enterprises Super Soft Spirulina 6.5 oz Super Soft Spirulina 6.5Oz

Technorati Tags: fish food, spirulina in fish food, spirulina, make fish brighter, colorful fish, fish colors, enhance fish color, food for fish color, colored fish, goldfish, fancy goldfish, goldfish food

Spirulina in Fish Food for Colored Fish is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

One of the neatest varieties of shark is the Hammerhead Shark!

Why?
Well, because it’s head actually looks like a hammer with their head flattened and that extends laterally to make that strange shape. The hammerhead’s eyes and nostrils are at the tips of the hammer extensions.

Wow – How neat is that?

The largest hammer on a hammerhead shark is the winghead shark.

These sharks use their heads to sweep for prey and since all sharks have electroreceptory, hammerheads have an advantage because these pores along their “snout” are more extensive than other sharks.

Although they have a “big head”, hammerhead sharks have relatively small mouths, so they do a lot of bottom feeding on prey on or in the sand.

During the day, they like to swim in schools, but at night, they go solitary to hunt!

Are They Dangerous to Humans?
Of the 9 known species of hammerhead shark, 3 are dangerous to humans – the scalloped, great and smooth hammerhead.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Sphyrnidae
Genus: Sphyrna
Species: There are 9 Species of Hammerhead Shark

Conservation Status: The Scalloped Hammerhead is on the Red List and Endangered and the Smalleye Hammerhead is Vulnerable.

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

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. For more information on the Hammerhead Shark and how they survive in the ocean, check out this awesome book:

Survival in the Sea: The Story of a Hammerhead Shark [With Plush Hammerhead Shark] General ; Children’s Books / Ages 4-8 Fiction, Survival in the Sea: The Story of a Hammerhead Shark [With Plush Hammerhead Shark]

Technorati Tags: Shark Week, hammerhead shark, sharks, fish, marine animals, ocean animals, hammer head shark, winghead shark

Hammerhead Sharks on Shark Week is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Sand sharks aren’t often spoken of – they’re not the Great White Shark, nor an interesting Hammerhead Shark, but they’re so interesting nonetheless!

Why Are Sand Sharks Different?
Sand sharks are different because they’re know to come to the surface for gulps of air.

Why? Because they actually have a rudimentary swim bladder like other fish do, but very unlike other sharks.

Although this is strange, it helps them have exceptional controlled buoyancy in the shallow waters as they hover, ready to make their move when hunting prey.

Sand sharks also have a large, second dorsal fin, whereas other sharks do not.

When sand sharks develop, they only have 2 embryos, one in each uterus. The strongest pups eat the others and any unfertilized eggs in each uterus. When they are born, they are about 1 meter long.

Sand sharks grow up to 250 pounds and 13 feet long, which is rather slight compared to other sharks.

However, they’re not also called tiger sand sharks or ragged tooth sharks for nothing. They have extremely long, very sharp, needle-like teeth that are smooth on the edges.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Lamniformes
Family: Odontaspididae
Genera: Carcharias, Odontaspis
Species: There are 4 Species of Sand Shark

Conservation Status: Sand tiger sharks are Species of Concern when it comes to conservation as they’ve been over-fished for not only their fins, but for fishmeal and oil from their livers.

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

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. If you go to the University of South Carolina Beaufort, then you will certainly want to pick up your pendant of your mascot – the Sand Shark:

South Carolina (Beaufort) Sand Sharks 5/8 USCB Shark Pendant – Sterling Silver Jewelry Enjoy this pendant featuring the South Carolina (Beaufort) Sand Sharks. A great gift for any NCAA fan! Pendant Size: 5/8 Sterling silver finish Express your team pride with jewelry from LogoArt®. LogoArt® charms are available in 14KT and 10KT gold, sterling silver and gold plated sterling silver. The precise detail of your favorite team’s logo is captured in expensive metal molds. Items are cast of precious metals and hand finished. Team up your pendant with one of LogoArt®’s matching charms , earrings or stylish All Star or Starlette watches.

Technorati Tags: Shark Week, sharks, shark, fish, ocean animals, sand sharks, tiger sand sharks, ragged tooth sharks

Sand Sharks are Different From Other Sharks – Shark Week 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

…Do you?

Well, guess what…Neither does your pet! In fact, they have much more hair than we do – they REALLY don’t want to be that hot.

What’s worse is that you may endanger their lives. If it gets too hot for them, they could overheat from heat exhaustion.

You see, many animals don’t cool off like we do with sweat, like dogs and cats. They must pant.

Some animals like the heat, but if you leave them in intense heat for too long, you could literally “cook them alive”, like fish, reptiles, birds and small rodents like mice, rats or guinea pigs.

If it wasn’t bad enough that you were uncomfortable, don’t endanger your pets’ lives – Be sure your auto air conditioning is working properly before traveling or transporting your pets to and from any destination!

If your vehicle’s AC Compressor isn’t working, you will want to get it repaired.

Be sure to check out 1AirConditioning.com for more information and how you can get your AC repaired more inexpensively.

Your pets will thank you, and so will your family and friends when riding in the car with you!

As for animals, they can’t get away from the heat like you can by getting out of the car or opening the window. They’re confined by us.

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I hope this Exotic Animal Tip is helpful to you on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Be sure to Subscribe to Exotic Animal Lover Updates!

Technorati Tags: exotic pet tip, auto air conditioning, exotic pet transport, exotic pets to vet, driving exotic animals, exotic animal transport

Air Conditioning in Your Car is a Must When Transporting Pets is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover