February 1st, 2012
These tiny Round-tailed Ground Squirrels were pictured on their first excursion out of their subterranean homes by photographer Eirini Pajak, in Florence, Arizona.
Pajak says that the little cuties were just getting to grips with life: “They were not exactly graceful as they were just learning to stand so they would often fall over in clumsiness.”
Highly sociable animals, they got up to mischief on their outing by wrestling and play-fighting.
They haven’t been left to fend for themselves just yet – their mother will poke her head out of the hole to check for predators before allowing them to come out for some tasty grass. Here we see her supervising their playtime.
The skinny, bug-eyed critters only weigh a teeny 0.14 oz at birth.
By Sinéad. Posted in News, Random
January 20th, 2012
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The other day we told you about Uggie the Jack Russell’s triumphant night at the Golden Globes. Here’s more of the adorable and clever star of The Artist on the Ellen DeGeneres show from this week.
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs, News
January 17th, 2012
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The best-dressed star at the 69th Annual Golden Globes on Sunday night sported nothing but a dickie-bow. Having already stolen the show in one of the most celebrated movies of the year, The Artist, Uggie the Jack Russell again upstaged his cast-mates as he posed on the red carpet and played dead during long acceptance speeches.
Nine year old Uggie has been credited with much of the popularity of the near-silent film – the director of The Artist claims that he allows the audience to feel for an otherwise unlikable lead.
Michel Hazanavicius says of Uggie’s role in the film: “When you look at the [main] character of George Valentin” — a silent-era movie star whose career ends with the arrival of talkies — he’s selfish, egocentric, proud. He’s mean with his own wife, he’s not a positive character. But the fact is, the dog loves him and follows him during all the movie. What happens is, the audience trusts the dog. We think if the dog loves the guy, the guy has to be a good person.”
Uggie’s appearance at the Golden Globes prompted a furore on Twitter, with users calling for the introduction of an award especially for dogs. They must not have heard of the Palm Dog – the canine equivalent of the Palm D’Or has already honoured Uggie for his role in The Artist. A Facebook profile and Twitter campaign called Consider Uggie has also been set up, which urges the Academy to include Uggie in this year’s Oscar nominations.
Whether Uggie is nominated or not, he is sure to add a little fun to the festivities at the upcoming January 24th awards, where The Artist is tipped to win Best Picture.
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs, News
January 13th, 2012
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Now there is no need for the clientele of The Brandling Villa, Newcastle to leave their best friends behind when they go out for a drink.
The pub’s landlord has introduced a beer specially formulated for dogs, as well as a canine pub-grub menu in case the session leaves them feeling peckish. The must have dish on the menu is a Sunday roast served with ‘cat-flavoured’ gravy – don’t worry, it’s actually fish-based.
The dog beer is made from the same stuff as human beer – malt and hops – but it also contains meat extract.
Manager Dave Carr says he aims to create a traditional atmosphere with a modern twist, which includes encouraging owners to bring their pets.
“I scoped the internet looking for ridiculous stuff, and we became dog-friendly. There aren’t many pubs you can go to with your dog”, says Carr. “Dog friendly is really the way it should be. Pubs should have wooden floors and dogs in front of the fire.” He says that his customers seem to love the new idea and that his first supply of dog beer has sold out in no time.
Would you like to see pubs like this in Ireland?
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs, News
January 6th, 2012
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Every year hundreds of new species are found in the hidden nooks and crannies of the world, ranging from secretive mammals, to bizarre fish to infinitesimal bacteria. Here are just a few of the most interesting ones found last year.
1. Burrunan Dolphin
The Burrunan dolphins of Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne were for years thought to be bottlenose dolphins. When biologists examined them further, it was discovered that they are an entirely new species that is physically and genetically different.
2. Myanmar Snub-nosed Monkey
This rare monkey from the Himalayan mountains of northwest Burma has never been photographed in the wild and is only known from the specimens killed by local hunters. It is said that the monkey must crouch with its head between its knees when it is raining so that no water can get in to its nostrils. Apparently their shallow nose also makes them sneeze a lot, which unfortunately leads poachers to them very easily. Less than 350 are believed to exist.
3. Leiolepis ngovantrii
This ‘self-cloning’, all-female lizard does not yet have a commomn name. It was accidentally discovered by researchers who spotted it on a restaurant menu on a trip to Vietnam.
Pancake Batfish ‘walk’ very clumsily on two thick fins, with a gait not unlike that of a walking bat. It is only found in one part of the world – the area affected by the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010, so the species’ survival is a cause for concern.
5. Walston’s Tube-Nosed Bat
This is just one of the many tube-nosed bats found in recent years, so called for their flared, tube-like nostrils. Very little is known about this group of animals. It was found in the protected forests of Van Sai, northeastern Cambodia.
By Sinéad. Posted in News
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