Mostly about my backyard chickens. (Boring, I know), but there are a lot of us out here. Mine are only kept as pampered pets. I could eat a neighbor's chicken, but not MINE. There may be a comment on current events only if I get riled up enough. And there will always be a cartoon or a joke to cheer us. I promise to try my very best to respond to comments. Now I have to figure out how this blogger thingy works....
The pig-nosed turtle is the sole surviving member of
its entire family, Carettochelyidae, and sits alone on a branch of the
tree of life reaching back around 140 million years. That is more than
70 million years before the extinction of the dinosaurs!
This unique freshwater turtle has many unusual morphological,
ecological and behavioural characteristics. Unlike other freshwater
turtles, the pig-nosed turtle has flippers, resembling those of a sea
turtle more than a freshwater species. This strange turtle has a
leathery shell, rather than a shell formed of hard, distinct scutes
and has a long, fleshy snout with large nostrils, much like that of a
pig, hence the common name of the species.
The pig-nosed turtle is a relict both evolutionarily and
geographically, with its current distribution reflecting a previous era
when Australia was connected to New Guinea. This relict species is
threatened by increased demand for individuals and eggs, for both food
and the international pet trade. The increased commercial activity
across its range in New Guinea is also bringing the species into closer
contact with humans. Livestock, feral animals and agriculture also
threaten the habitat of the species in Australia.
This species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. However,
at the time of writing, the assessment for the species is now
out-of-date and requires updating. Not much is known about the several
aspects of the natural history and ecology of the species, and further
research is required to understand the potential impact of human
development. The pig-nosed turtle is listed on CITES Appendix II.
The pig-nosed turtle is distributed across the southern lowlands
of New Guinea (Indonesian Papua and Papua New Guinea) and the northeast
of the Northern Territory, Australia.
Little is known of pig-nosed turtle ecology. These turtles are
omnivorous, feeding on plants, fruit, invertebrates and fish, and will
scavenge dead mammals. Pig-nosed turtles have large home ranges and swim
using their flippers as paddles, unlike other freshwater turtles.
They do not reach sexual maturity until around 16 years of age, and
females lay their eggs in shallow holes close to the
water. Fully-developed embryos will delay hatching until environmental
cues signal the onset of the wet season, when embryos hatch en masse.
Source: http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/pig-nosed-turtle/
I had video of him walking - he looks like a penguin - but my laptop is hiding it somewhere - will have to make another one!
Wilma still hates him and attacks EVERY chance she gets.
The weather is wacky here in Coopville. Had to turn the heat on last week to get the chill out of house. (Hubby didn't want to burn wood this early!) Yesterday we had the A/C on! The trees are starting to lose their leaves....
.... and we're still getting cucumbers!
The girls dug a creator to take their dust baths!
Watched my neighbors cat for a few days... his name is "Fat David". ... wonder why? LOL!