Violent World of Raptors Explored

Thursday, November 26 2009 @ 02:05 AM EST

Contributed by: terrytvgal

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124204329.htm

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/
091124204329.htm

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Ospreys have talons that are large, highly curved and nearly uniform, especially suited for catching fish. This osprey snatched a fish from the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park. (Credit: MSU photo by Kelly Gorham)

ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2009) — A journey that started with a box of bird feet carried three Montana State University graduate students into the gruesome world of raptors and led to their findings being published in a prominent journal.

Normally focused on dinosaurs, the students compared the claws and killing methods of four types of raptors and published a paper about their research in the Nov. 25th issue of PLoS ONE, a scientific journal published online by the Public Library of Science. The birds of prey that were studied live in North America and Europe and include eagles and hawks, owls, osprey and falcons.

"It was very surprising that it wasn't done before," lead author Denver Fowler said of the study.

"It was a very interesting project," said Elizabeth Freedman, one of two co-authors. "People just haven't noticed some of these things before."

Exotic animals in B.C. will need permits from April

Wednesday, November 25 2009 @ 11:39 PM EST

Contributed by: jkr

Vancouver Sun: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 2:03 PM

Animal trainer Gerry Therrien of Actionanimals.com is beside "Dax", a 475 pound Bengal tiger, at his Abbotsford property in this file photo. Therrien makes his 20 animals available to the film industry. New regulations and permit application requirements come into effect on April 1, 2010 to regulate the ownership of the most dangerous exotic animals in B.C.

Photo Credit: Stuart Davis, Vancouver Sun Files

VICTORIA — B.C. residents who own exotic animals, or are thinking of purchasing one, must apply for a permit before April, the B.C. government said Wednesday.

The new regulations come into effect on April 1, 2010 to regulate the ownership of dangerous exotic animals including tigers, lions, venomous and poisonous snakes and other large reptiles, according to a Wednesday news release.

All owners of animals that are not native to B.C. will require a permit by April 1, which are now available, the government said.

B.C. residents without permits for their exotic animals can be fined up to $250,000 and jailed for two years. Their animal could also be seized.

www.globaltvbc.com/technology/Exotic+animals+will+need+permits+from+April/2265947/story.html

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Chameleon species discovered in snake's mouth

Wednesday, November 25 2009 @ 12:22 PM EST

Contributed by: Pat B

A new species of chameleon was discovered in an African forest living in the mouth of a snake.

Published: 7:10AM GMT 24 Nov 2009

The tiny lizard came out of the mouth of a twig snake disturbed by Dr Andrew Marshall in Tanzania's Magombera forest.

Dr Marshall, from the University of York, was in the threatened forest surveying monkeys.

He said today: ''I was out there doing conservation research when I came across this snake. It saw me and fled, and as it did so spat out a chameleon.

Eagles touch down in Harrison Mills

Friday, November 20 2009 @ 07:03 AM EST

Contributed by: karenbills

Agassiz-Harrison Observer

By Jessica Murdy - Agassiz Observer

Published: November 18, 2009 2:00 PM
Updated: November 19, 2009 4:59 PM

At least 300 eagles have returned to the Fraser Valley area, and the Fraser Valley Eagle Festival will have events all weekend throughout the region.

On Wednesday morning, OWL and the festival organizers brought a rehabilitated eagle, Sonsie, to Sandpiper Golf Course to meet a group of school children.

On Saturday, the same group will release an eagle named Bandit, from the same location in Harrison Mills, at 3 p.m.

Read the rest of the story here:

http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/70403697.html

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Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival November 21/22 2009

Thursday, November 19 2009 @ 03:41 PM EST

Contributed by: richardpitt

David Hancock and Karen Bills talk with David Ingram about the upcoming Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival. The Chehalis River system is one of the most productive salmon systems in BC and is home to all 5 major species of West Coast salmon. Over the next months the eagles will come to the delta formed by the Chehalis river as it empties into the Harrison river about 80km East of Vancouver, BC. There they will gorge themselves on the salmon carcasses after the salmon have spawned farther up the river.

This is the first of several segments of this interview.