Paw Print
Champions of the Heart.Passions and Impressions... all things canine, feline, equine and more.
Lightning Bug 101
Just as I was wondering last in this space—where, oh where, have the lightning bugs gone? I am passed a clipping out Parade magazine
distributed in the Sunday paper for further explanation and who knew?
A reader asks this question to Ask Marilyn: “I see fireflies in June, they they are gone. Where do they come from, and where do they go?”
Marilyn replies: “Fireflies (also called lightning bugs) spend a long time developing into adults who live only a few weeks.
Many adults don’t even eat. So what do they do with their limited time? Reproduce: females lay their eggs, and most larvae hatch within a month.
(The larvae is ofter called glow worms.) The larvae feed until fall, when they burrow underground for the winter.
(Some remain there for two to three years.) They surface in early spring, eat until late spring, and then go through their grand metamorphosis,
emerging as adults to light up your backyard for a short time in early summer.
Since today is the last day of June I thought it important to share this information on the so called June firefly lightning bugs!
This doesn’t really explain why there have been so few this month but it does provide some insight to the short life of a firefly,
appreciate them more next time you see one light the sky!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/30/08 at 09:48 AM
Where, oh where, are the lightning bugs?
June 23rd already and I haven’t noticed many lightning bugs at night have you?
Although the arrival of lightning bugs is not an annual event I particularly eagerly await, I do take pause to wonder where they are this year.
My husband raised in Cleveland refers to them as June bugs - okay whatever you call them, it’s June and there are a lot of other bugs
including mosquitoes that have found their wings, my yard, and any unprotected skin, but very few June lightning bugs.
Could global warming and mans carbon footprint be the cause? Are lightning bugs going the way of frogs and bees?
I am aware this is not a significant topic that surfaces at cocktail parties or even outdoor bar-b-ques, but, if you do wonder why there are
fewer of these flying sensations adding that beautiful touch of yellow to the nights darkness, why do you think? What have you deduced?
And if you don’t call them lightning bugs or June bugs what do you call them and where are they this year?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/23/08 at 04:28 AM
Not Joe Camel
On my recent visit to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore I have to admit Samson the 420 lb. baby elephant stole my heart and made me
giggle but in the area just above the elephants there were three camels. Camels in Baltimore you may ask, why yes!
And most importantly there I found yet another wee little one, Mocha.
Mocha is a two month old camel born weighing 35 lbs. and now a slight 60 lbs., and looking good with her long slim legs!
She enjoys her days in the shade of the trees and the larger two camels and loves munching on all the planted flowers!
Word is she enjoys grazing on the pretty flowers so much that camel owner and trainer, Chip Malchow asked for the budget to be a
bit larger for additional flowers, or should we say, delicious replacement flowers. Camel rides also available, but, not on baby Mocha.
Again, I encourage anyone that has not been to the Maryland Zoo to go this summer, it’s a fun treat. Check out my photos of Mocha!
The one of Mocha smelling and tasting the beautiful flowers looks a lot like the deer that graze on the plantings in my yard.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/16/08 at 05:06 PM
A trip to the Maryland Zoo
I was invited to visit the Maryland Zoo last week and that was one invitation I wasn’t about to pass up. I was so excited to get there and see the baby elephant Samson who I’ve been following closely since momma Felix was on birth watch and the baby naming contest. And I have to admit I hadn’t been to the Maryland (or any) zoo in at least 15 years, a bit hard to imagine since I have such an affection for all four leggeds’. I was filled with delight and gleeful anticipation as any 5 year old would be—and the visit far surpassed my anticipation. Of course the star of the show was Samson, then six weeks old and 420 slight pounds! Not only was Samson absolutely precious (ever see a baby elephant run, hilarious) he was very curious but amazingly resourceful—he is now teething so he figured out all by himself that if he picked up sand in his mouth and put it back in his gums he could grind it and make his teething feel better. Not so much, says the elephant keeper as she pokes him and offers him a stick to bit down on to ease the pain instead (the sand can be harmful to his digestive system if swallowed). He has a red ball to play with, logs to climb on, a big tire to play on—I was fascinated. In addition to watching the frivolity of Samson and the careful eye momma Felix keeps on him at all times I was absolutely mesmerized by conversation with Mike McClure, general curator and elephant manager, whoa, what an amazing depth of knowledge! And like any proud father he gushed with pride at how smart and advanced Samson was for his age citing many of Samson’s accomplishments in a very short time.
If you haven’t visited the zoo and seen Samson I would highly recommend it but go early, Samson is only out from 10-12.
Check out this link for photo and a recap of Samson;s accomplishments, http://www.marylandzoo.org/blogs/index.aspx?BlogED=3.
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Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/08/08 at 05:24 PM
DNA results!
I last wrote about Doggie DNA testing on March 27th after a co-worker had her dog Niko tested. Niko was a rescue dog and although many people guessed at his breed no one of course knew for sure so she had him tested to know for sure. Off went Niko’s cheek swab and photo to Canine Heritage Breed Test for his DNA breakdown and within 4 weeks the results were back with an official certificate—Niko was not what her owner and others had guessed but a combination of several different breeds. Of course this process intrigued me and I immediately knew I had to have Ryder my 11 year old supposed sheltie-poo tested so off went my $79 to Canine Heritage for the swab kit. I wanted Ryder tested mostly to know what mix of breeds he really is, although he and Tahoe (my older sheltie-poo) resemble one another they do have a few subtle differences—Ryder’s hair is much silkier and not as dense as Tahoe’s, his legs are about 2 inches shorter but more importantly he is the sweetest dog I have ever owned. Ryder’s personality is amazing, he is sensitive and thoughtful and only wants to please and protect me 24/7. I really wanted to know his breed make-up in case I ever stumbled across this mix again; I would not hesitate to take the entire liter.
Unlike my co-worker I did not include a photo, I wanted the DNA to test for itself and not have a photograph have any influence on the results (I was a little skeptical of the validity I have to admit). Four weeks after the cheek was swabbed and sent in for testing the results and certificate were in my mailbox, my excitement and anticipation was nothing less than waiting to see if I’d won the millions of dollars. Canine Heritage tests the swab for more than 38 recognized breeds; if the dog is a purebred or has a purebred parent it comes back (hopefully) as the Primary breed and their should be no other breeds listed—if others are listed you got ripped off and do not have a pure bred. Then the certificate breaks it down to the Secondary, and the third category is In the Mix found in the DNA.
Remember, I think Ryder for the past 11 years is a sheltie-poo but had been thinking he had a little beagle in him (amazingly guided by his nose) or corgi to explain the shorter legs. As you can see on the attached certificate Ryder’s DNA breaks down like this: secondary (which is where his begins since we know he is a mix) is Collie and Shetland Sheepdog, and the In the Mix identified was not beagle or corgi, it was Yorkshire terrier! I would have NEVER guessed that but it does explain the silky hair and the shorter legs. And NO poodle? It was amazing and well worth the $79. Since the time I did the DNA test on Ryder there have been several local TV news reports on using a DNA blood test which can be completed for about $200 by your vet.
See any yorkie in Ryder (Tahoe, left and Ryder, right)?
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Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/01/08 at 06:23 AM
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