Archive for February, 2009
Ammonites……….
Ammonites were predatory, squidlike creatures that lived inside coil-shaped shells. Like other cephalopods, ammonites had sharp, beaklike jaws inside a ring of tentacles that extended from their shells to snare prey such as small fish and crustaceans. Some ammonites grew more than three feet (one meter) across—possible snack food for the giant mosasaur Tylosaurus.
Ammonites constantly built new shell as they grew, but only lived in the outer chamber. They scooted through the warm, shallow seas by squirting jets of water from their bodies. A thin, tubelike structure called a siphuncle reached into the interior chambers to pump and siphon air and helped them move through the water.
Ammonites first appeared about 240 million years ago, though they descended from straight-shelled cephalopods called bacrites that date back to the Devonian, about 415 million years ago. Ammonites were prolific breeders, lived in schools, and are among the most abundant fossils found today. They went extinct with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Scientists use the various shapes and sizes of ammonite shells that appeared and disappeared through the ages to date other fossils.
Did you know? Females ammonites grew up to 400 percent larger than males, presumably to make room to lay eggs.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/prehistoric/ammonites.html
Bamboo Chicken
Green Iguana
The most owned reptile in america is the Green Iguana. Because they are very hard to take care of properly most die with in the first year. In the wild there average life span is 20 years.
They are mainly herbivors and can grow to be 6.5 foot in length. Most of this length is made up of the tale which is used to defend themselves by whipping. They can also detache their tale if caught.
They are also known as chicken of the tree or bamboo chicken in central america.
They are wonderful swimmers and are very fast and agile on land.
Travis..
No you may not recognise him right off the top of your head, but you most likely have seen him on comercials. The chimp was in such commercials as old navy and coca cola. The 15 year old chimp travis grew up with his owners being raised as any normal child would. Only difference is this little guy was not a human child. He could dress himself bath himself wated tv and logged on the computer to look at pictures. Sounds like a kid. But he isn’t as he proved the other day by mauling a friend of his owners. The woman came to help subdue the animal after he became agitated and escaped his owners home. After attacking the woman the owner went in and came out of her home carrying a butcher knife in which she repeatedly stabbed the animal. After then animal shyed away the owner called 911 where police and rescue personel were called in. To end the tale the animal died after being shot by police.
No one can explain what made the animal go baserk so I will attemp to explain why here. ANIMALS ARE NOT PEOPLE. And should not be treated as thus. Animals taken out of there habitate and raised in another may forget how they should act in the wild but there instincts never leave. Yes animals do learn certain behavior, but they always have insticts. They are born with instincts and that is what helps them survive.
This is a sad story but in my opinion the owners should never have been alowed to do what they had done to this animal….
