Close Call or Coincidence?

         The strangest thing happened yesterday. A Honey Bee flew directly into my eye and didn't sting me.

Close Call or Coincidence? 

          A Honey Bee that is away from the hive foraging for nectar or pollen will rarely sting, except when stepped on or roughly handled. Honey Bees will actively seek out and sting when they perceive the hive to be threatened, often being alerted to this by the release of attack pheromones.

Honey bees are the only Hymenoptera with a strongly barbed sting.

       A true swarm is not hostile; it has deserted its hive and has no comb or young to defend.

 Guess which gender of  Honey Bees has the ability to sting: Males or Females?

The larger drone bees, the males, do not have stingers.   The female worker bees are the only ones that can sting, and their stinger is a modified ovipositor.

     Close Call or Coincidence? My escape from a painful bee sting was neither- it  was normal for he Honey Bee to not retaliate aggressively based on the circumstances at the current time.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

         I was drawing a Great Spotted Kiwi Bird this morning when I realized how similar their feet look like those of the Dodo Bird. Although not closely related  to Dodo Birds, a little research led me to determine that these small birds are indeed, the smallest living Ratites, a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin (most of them now extinct).

        Unlike other flightless birds, the Ratites have no keel on their sternum—hence the name from the Latin ratis (for raft). Without this to anchor their wing muscles, they cannot fly even if they were to develop suitable wings.

        It was long presumed that the Kiwi Bird was closely related to the other New Zealand Ratites, the Moa. However, recent DNA studies indicate that the Ostrich is more closely related to the Moa and the Kiwi is more closely related to the Emu and the Cassowaries. This theory suggests that the ancestors of the Kiwi Bird arrived in New Zealand from elsewhere in Australasia well after the Moa.

      According to British scientists, the kiwi may be an ancient import from Australia. Researchers at Oxford University have found DNA evidence connected to Australia's Emu and the Ostrich of Africa. Upon examining DNA from the Moa, they believe that the Kiwi is more closely related to its Australian cousins.

        Take a look at these three birds' feet. They all  have three toes on each foot in a tridactyl arrangement, which is an adaptation for running (since these birds are flightless).The Ostrich has two toes on each foot, while the Dodo Bird had four, showcasing their further relation to the Kiwi Bird and other Ratites. I find it truly fascinating how such a small bird (Kiwi) could be closer in relation to Emus than Dodo Birds, who look closer in appearance to one another.

Southern (Australian) Cassowary

Great Spotted Kiwi Bird

Australian Emu and its feet

To get a closer view of the Kiwi and its behavior, watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYYpQVAWqRc

SCUBA Diving

 "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." -Albert Einstein 
 

Did you know the word SCUBA stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus? 


       SCUBA Diving is a form of underwater diving n which a diver uses a SCUBA Set to breathe underwater. SCUBA Divers carry their own source of breathing gas (usually compressed air), allowing them greater freedom of movement than with an air line. Both surface supplied and SCUBA Diving allow divers to stay underwater significantly longer than with breath-holding techniques as used in snorkelling and free-diving. Depending on the purpose of the dive, a diver usually moves underwater by swimfins attached to the feet, but external propulsion can come from an underwater vehicle, or a sled pulled from the surface.

There are so many risks involved with SCUBA Diving, including:

- Decompression Sickness

-Nitrogen Narcosis

-Oxygen Toxicity

- Skin Cuts and Grazes

-Loss of Body Heat

-Barotrauma,

-Loss of Breathing Gas Supply

 -Inhalation of Salt Spray

-Carbon Monoxide Contamination of Breathing Gas

-Hydrocarbon (oil) Contamination of Air Supply

 -Excessive Carbon Dioxide in Breathing Gas

-Breathing the Wrong Gas

-Displacement of Demand Valve From the Diver's Mouth

-Oxygen Partial Pressure in the Breathing Gas

-Vertigo

-Burst or Stretched Eardrum

-Sinus, Mask, Lung, Suit, Helmet, or Tooth Squeeze

 -Suit Compression

-Entrapment/ Drowning

-Environmental Hazards

-Injuries from Working Closely with Wildlife

Despite these risks, I will still be receiving my SCUBA Diving certification this year.

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." -Albert Einstein

 

Newport Beach Bay Marine Life Inventory Event

       Being near the beach has always been a favorite location of mine. Last week I decided to do a volunteer Marine Life Inventory event at Newport Beach Bay in Newport, CA. Absolutely beautiful, changed my life forever. It gave me an inside look on how the world destructs our oceans, the help required to preserve the diversity of the organisms beneath the sea, and what a day in the life of a marine biologist is like.

       We completed a marine life inventory count, which means to basically determine how many thriving populations there are in the area. We checked all wild forms of life found within Newport Beach Bay's waters- such as baby Sting Rays, Halibut, Anchovies, and Sponges. It was so exciting to pet wild Sting Rays- not the tame ones found in zoos with no stingers. These were the real thing- alive and breathing, with venomous stingers that had the ability to strike as we measured the animals carefully. They're so soft! String Rays are definitely one of my favorite ocean organisms, they're very cute and surprisingly docile.

         The Halibut had fish parasites on their bodies-that was the only animal I did not touch- even if the parasites were non-transferable to humans.  Then of course, there are starfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and other smaller forms of life to interact with. I thought sea urchins would be soft because I confused them with sea anemones- and I poked my finger as I attempted to touch the tip of its spiny needles haha.

      It feels so free, being by the sea: I felt like there was no need for technology and other human behaviors deemed normal nowadays. It was rather relaxing, for working with animals is stress-free and truly rewarding. One of the items collected was a Heineken bottle that had been tossed into the bay, in which it had multiple sea snails attached to it as an anchor. It made me realize how much trash finds its way into our water. It's not fair that humans get to enjoy man-made products then dispose of the evidence and let the ocean life deal with the harmful effects. Luckily the bay was remotely clean, in thanks to the amount of beach cleanups being done of a daily basis.

      The effects of chemicals on ocean life is devastating as well. Before the ban of DDT, animals would digest the mosquito-repellent through consuming other organisms (worked through the food chain) and all the oceanic predatory birds were producing  eggs with thin eggshells that would crack prematurely and cause the chicks to succumb to death. I have further changed my outlook on the use of chemicals due to learning of the negative results of DDT use- what is deemed FDA-approved can still wreck havoc within our oceans and in habitats elsewhere.It was a life-changing experience, interacting with animals found below the sea. I hope to return soon.

The Loss of Lives Through Human Destruction

Dodo 

       The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a flightless bird endemic to the island of Mauritus, located off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. On average, it stood 3.3 feet tall, weighing  44 lb. The species lost the ability to fly through evolution because on Mauritius food was abundant and mammalian predators were absent. Natural selection depicted the birds did not need adept wings to escape predators through flight. 

     It was related to pigeons and doves, its closest relative was the extinct Rodrigues Soltaire. 17th century paintings and written accounts are the only known sources of the dodo's appearance. These vary considerably, with only a few sketches are known to have been life drawn. Much mystery remains over its exact appearance, habitat and, behavior.

      The Dodo was first mentioned by Dutch sailors in 1598. By 1681, all dodos had been killed by hungry sailors or their domesticated animals. This was not realized at the time, since the Dodo barely left any traces after its extinction, and was later believed to have simply been a mythological creature until the 19th century.  

       Research was conducted on some of the few surviving remains of specimens that had been taken to Europe in the 17th century. Since then, a large amount of sub-fossil material has been collected from Mauritius, increasing the amount of solid evidence relating to the bird. The Dodo's extinction, within 80 years of its discovery, made people realize for the first time that humans could induce the extinction of plants and animals.

       As with many animals that have evolved in isolation from significant predators, the Dodo was entirely fearless of people, since it had no reason to be preyed upon by the lack of mammals on   the island of Mauritus. This, in combination with its flightlessness, made it easy prey for humans. However, journals are full of reports regarding the bad taste and tough meat of the Dodo, making their excess killings of the bird useless. 

        When humans first arrived on Mauritius, they also brought with them other animals that had not existed on the island before, including dogs, pigs, cats, rats, and Crab-eating Macaques, which invaded the Dodo nests and consumed their eggs.  Humans destroyed the forests where the birds made their homes and thus removed their habitat and adapted way of living. The impact these animals—especially the introduced mammals—had on the dodo population is currently considered to have been more severe than that of hunting. The 2005 expedition's finds of Dodo are of  birds killed by a flash flood; such mass mortalities would have further jeopardized a species already in danger of becoming extinct.       

     There is some controversy surrounding the extinction date of the Dodo. The last confirmed Dodo sighting is the one made on a small islet off Mauritius reported by shipwrecked mariner Volker Evertsz in 1662. Considering more circumstantial evidence, such as travelers' reports and the lack of good reports after 1689, it is likely that the dodo became extinct before 1700. The last Dodo died a little more than a century after the species' discovery in 1598.

     Even though the rarity of the species was reported in the 17th century, it was not realized that it had gone extinct until the 19th century. This was partially because extinction was not believed to be possible at the time due to religious reasons.  It would not become so before George Cuvier  demonstrated it as fact. 

    Many scientists also doubted the Dodo had ever actually existed due to lack of evidence at the time. It was first used as an example of a human induced extinction in 'Penny Magazine', 1833. It now serves at the primary example scientists' use of human destruction of the diversity of species. It is unfortunate that this bird could not adapt quick enough to acquire the changes needed to survive the massive killing of its kind.

Animal Activist Spotlight: Pamela Anderson

   Pamela Anderson

  Pam Anderson has been my all-time favorite animal rights advocate for the past 6 years. Anderson is a vegan, and an active member of the animal protection organization PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. According to her first book Star, she first became a vegetarian in her early teens when she saw her father cleaning a deer he had hunted.Her role in PETA's ads has helped raise awareness of the exploitation of animals. and One of Anderson's campaigns as a member of PETA has been against the use of fur. In 1999, Anderson received the first Linda McCartney Memorial Award for animal rights protectors, in recognition of her campaign.

     Her campaigns against KFC's unethical treatment of livestock is extraordinary. In 2001, Anderson released a letter in support of PETA's campaign against Kentucky Fried Chicken, stating "What KFC does to 750 million chickens each year is not civilized or acceptable." She later made a video about KFC's treatment of chickens. In January 2006, Anderson requested that the Governor of Kentucky remove a bust of Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC, from display but her request was refused. In February 2006, Anderson decided to boycott the Kentucky Derby because of its support for KFC. 

    Seal hunting in Canada is one of her major concerns. In March 2006, Anderson asked to speak to Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the annual seal hunt but her request was refused. In May 2006, she petitioned random individuals on the street for their opinion on the Canadian Seal Hunt. In December, 2009, Anderson, photographed in a t-shirt with a drawn picture of a seal pup on it, was featured in a new ad campaign for PETA. She appears next to the headline "Save the Seals" in the ad and urges the public to help end "Canada's annual seal slaughter." She joined forces with PETA in a campaign for the boycott of fruit-juice maker POM. The "Pom Horrible Campaign" has resulted in the company halting animal tests. Pam Anderson continuously participates in charity events for animals, including a wildlife rehabilitation release of pelicans in 2011. 

     This woman is both courageous and compassionate, lending her heart out to animals whenever she can. I was in first grade when I first saw a photo of her in the Star Magazine wearing a PETA shirt and found her commendable for her love of animals. Her lead in animal rights caused me to become a member of my own animal organizations, including Sierra Nevada, and WWF. I give her an immense amount of credit for crossing multiple barriers in order to relieve the suffering of animals worldwide. I contribute this post in thanks for her efforts as an animal rights advocate.

     

My Experience With Skin Cancer

     See the Photo With the Skin Tissue Removal Wound? That's MY Arm. I am one of the many Americans who have run the risk of Skin Cancer. Please read to learn about this deadly cancer and to learn from a first-hand experience what it's like to face the possibility of chemotherapy . 

     Three years ago I was diagnosed with having Dysplastic nevi on my right forearm. It scared me when a doctor had to physically cut open my skin with a scalpel for skin tissue to remove both the precancerous skin change and surrounding tissue that may have also been affected. The sample tissue was sent to the lab and was deemed precancerous- SKIN CELL ACTIVITY CHANGES  HAD OCCURRED. I was very concerned with the possibility of having skin cancer at age 16. 

     During my early teens, I used to tan outside frequently and occasionally receive sunburns. I thought it was nothing, because typically everyone receives a tan in warm weather and/ or receives sunburn at least once in their lifetime. It caught up with me unexpectedly when a tiny, unnoticeable birthmark on my right forearm transformed into a dark spot during my sophomore year. I am so thankful that Melanoma, Basal, or  Squamous Skin Cancer had not taken place in my skin cells. 

 Please be safe and listen to me when I say that skin cancer is a serious issue. Tanning, frequent sunburns, even predisposed  genetics could affect your chances of receiving skin cancer. The possibility of skin cancer changed my life, and I luckily escaped its treacherous path. Not everyone may not be so fortunate with early detection, so please be safe than sorry. 

What are the risk factors for melanoma?

A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer.

Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major risk factor for most melanomas. Sunlight is the main source of UV radiation, which can damage the genes in your skin cells. Tanning lamps and beds are also sources of UV radiation. People with high levels of exposure to light from these sources are at greater risk for skin cancer, including melanoma.

Ultraviolet radiation is divided into 3 wavelength ranges:

• UVA rays cause cells to age and can cause some damage to cells' DNA. They are linked to long-term skin damage such as wrinkles, but are also thought to play a role in some skin cancers.
• UVB rays can cause direct damage to the DNA, and are the main rays that cause sunburns. They are also thought to cause most skin cancers.
• UVC rays don't get through our atmosphere and therefore are not present in sunlight. They are not normally a cause of skin cancer.

While UVA and UVB rays make up only a very small portion of the sun's wavelengths, they are the main cause of the damaging effects of the sun on the skin. UV radiation damages the DNA of skin cells.

Skin cancers begin when this damage affects the DNA of genes that control skin cell growth.

 Both UVA and UVB rays damage skin and cause skin cancer. UVB rays are a more potent cause of at least some skin cancers, but based on what is known today, there are no safe UV rays.

The amount of UV exposure depends on the strength of the rays, the length of time the skin is exposed, and whether the skin is protected with clothing or sunscreen.

A nevus (the medical name for a mole) is a benign (non-cancerous) melanocytic tumor. Moles are not usually present at birth but begin to appear in children and young adults. Most moles will never cause any problems, but a person who has many moles is more likely to develop melanoma.

Dysplastic nevi: Dysplastic nevi (nevi is the plural of nevus), also called atypical nevi, often look a little like normal moles but also look a little like melanoma. They are often larger than other moles and have an abnormal shape or color.  They can appear on skin that is exposed to the sun as well as skin that is usually covered, such as on the buttocks and scalp. 


-A small number of dysplastic nevi may develop into melanomas. But most dysplastic nevi never become cancerous, and many melanomas seem to arise without a pre-existing dysplastic nevus.

 Many doctors recommend that patients be taught to do monthly skin self-exams and be counseled about sun protection.

Again, the chance of any single mole turning into cancer is very low. However, anyone with lots of irregular or large moles has an increased risk for melanoma.

To avoid Skin Cancer, people are asked to do he following:

• Have regular skin exams by a dermatologist
• Thoroughly examine your skin once a month
• Be particularly careful about sun protection and avoid artificial UV rays (such as those from tanning booths)

Personal History of Melanoma

A person who has already had melanoma has an increased risk of getting melanoma again. About 5% to 10% of people with melanoma will develop a second one at some point.

Even if you believe you do not meet any of the following criteria for risk of skin cancer- please remember that all humans have the ability to acquire skin cancer since our skin has no real defense mechanism against the sun's rays! Please Use Sunscreen When Being Out in the Sun, Use Sunglasses to Shield Your Eyes and Protect Your Eyesight, limit your sun exposure during its peak hours (12-4pm) and check your skin for any changes!

Did You Know?

Last week, I made a great discovery about the dog breeds of Malta, a southern European country located in the center of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily. According to Desmond Morris' The Naked Eye, the Pharaoh Hound originated not from Egypt, but from Malta.

 The Pharaoh Hound is a breed of dog and the national hound of Malta. Its native name is Kelb- tal-Fenek , which means "rabbit hound" in Maltese. The dog is traditionally used for hunting and is uncommon outside of Malta. Desmond Morris’ The Naked Eye states that British scientists became fascinated with Kelb-tal-Fenek and wanted to make it an official dog breed. Its appearance led to the impression that it was a descendant of the hounds featured in Ancient Egyptian paintings. However, the breed has no connection with Ancient Egypt through its genetics or geographical distribution, deeming the use of the name "Pharaoh Hound" as incorrect.

The other dog breed whose homeland is Malta is none other than the Chihuahua.

The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog and is so named for the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Originally known as “The Short-Haired Maltese Dog”, the people of Malta bred the Chihuahua for years as companions for its wealthy rulers. According to Desmond Morris’ The Naked Eye, Maltese traders sold some of these dogs to the Spanish, who then took these small companions on the journey to Central America and eventually found its way to the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. North Americans then came across this dog and incorrectly called it the “Chihuahua”, due to their initial discovery in Mexico, not in Malta. Therefore, the Chihuahua’s true name is “The Short-Haired Maltese Dog”.

Spring is Perfect Weather for Hiking

“The universe we observe has precisely the properties we would expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference. ” -Charles Darwin

Unexpected Lunch Guests

     The cutest guests stopped by for lunch awhile back. Went to eat outside in the patio area at Chroni's in East Los and I look to my left- and see a dozen or so House Sparrows in the parking lot next to my table. Advantageous birds House Sparrows are, waiting for food where there's plenty.

      The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a bird a part of the Sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird. 

     The House Sparrow is commonly associated with human habitats, living in urban or rural settings. Found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive grasslands, woodlands, and deserts away from human development. 

     The House Sparrow can perform complex and unusual tasks to obtain food, such as opening automatic doors to enter supermarkets, clinging to hotel walls to watch vacationers on their balconies,and stealing the nectar of Kowhai flowers. 

Not what you'd expect from a bird you commonly see in your backyard, huh? After learning this, I'm surprised they left me alone to eat in peace!

Fotografie:Beobachten der Küste von Venice Strand

Leopardus pardalis

      This elusive cat is known as the Ocelot, its dappled fur serving as camouflage in the jungles of South and Central America. The name ocelot comes from the Nahuatl word ōcēlōtl, meaning "Jaguar"  (Panthera onca), which is used to  reference their similar coat patterns. Unlike many cats, Ocelots do not avoid water and can swim well.

  The ocelot is mostly nocturnal and highly territorial. It will fight fiercely, sometimes to the death, in territorial disputes. Ocelots inhabit areas with relatively dense vegetation, occasionally hunting in open areas at night. They are found in tropical forests, thorn forests, mangrove swamps and savannas, at elevations ranging up to 3,900 ft.

     The ocelot's fur was once regarded as particularly valuable due to its unique pattern. As a result, thousands of ocelots were killed for their fur,  The feline was classified as a "vulnerable" endangered  species by the IUCN from 1972 until 1996. Fortunately, the Ocelot is now rated "least concern" by the 2008 IUCN RED List due to extensive species and habitat restoration efforts.

Book Review: The Naked Ape

Desmond Morris' The Naked Ape changed my perception of the world around me forever.  Arguably one of the greatest insights of human nature, it analyzes the human species and examines homo sapiens in relation to other organisms to show reason behind our evolutionary path. Morris directs his readers to conceive humans in their original state: as animals. He does not observe humans as hierarchical living organisms, taking in account human nature from a zoologist's point of view. It is then all too easy to see the significance behind human history, to see ourselves as animals in a primitive form we tend to disregard. The Naked Ape provides answers to our world, to simplify the complex lives we lead to understand our sole existence. Strikingly brilliant , this is a novel not to be left sitting on the shelf.  

Photography

"For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver." - Martin Luther

A Day at the Getty Center in Los Angeles

Shoebill Stork

Balaeniceps rex

Living in tropical east Africa in large swamps from Sudan to Zambia, the Shoebill Stork is characterized by its massive shoe-shaped bill. It is 3 to 5 feet tall, with an average wingspan of 7 to 8 feet across. Surprisingly, they weigh only 8.8 to 15 lb. Their beaks have an average length of 12 inches, quite remarkable for a bird with the ability of flight. I originally saw this bird on Animal Planet's Most Extreme Ugliest Animals in 2006, in which it took the #1 spot. I found it to be so alluring and interesting, instantly becoming my favorite species of bird. It is absolutely beautiful to me, its bizarre appearance being the focus for my Shoebill Stork drawing featured below. 

Sunbeam Snake

Xenopeltis unicolor

I was very intrigued to find this reptile while reading an animal encyclopedia recently. Otherwise known as the Sunbeam Snake,  its defining characteristic is its iridescence, seen through its highly polished scales. The layer of dark pigmentation found just below the surface on each scale enhances the snake's luminous glow. It  is non-venomous, found typically in the forests of Southeast Asia and some regions of Indonesia.