The Long Eared Mouse
Meet the Long-Eared Jerboa - captured on film for the first time ever. Thanks to the BBC we can all enjoy this improbable looking animal.
The long-eared jerboa, a tiny nocturnal mammal that is dwarfed by its enormous ears, can be found in deserts in Mongolia and China.
Zoological Society of London (ZSL) scientist Jonathan Baillie said the footage was helping researchers to learn more about the mysterious animal.
The species is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red list.
The unusual animals were filmed in the Gobi desert during an expedition led by Dr Baillie.
Until now, the creatures had proven extremely difficult to study, thanks to their minuscule size, nocturnal nature and the harsh desert environment that they inhabit.
Dr Baillie told BBC News that he was “ecstatic” to have tracked down the jerboas.
“These creatures hop just like a kangaroo; it is amazing to watch. Little hairs on their feet, almost like snow shoes, allow them to jump along the sand,” he explained.
“And in terms of mammals, they have one of the biggest ear-to-body ratios out there.”
The footage revealed that the creatures spend daylight hours burrowed down in underground tunnels beneath the sand, and that their diet was mostly made up of insects.
“The long-eared jerboa is a bit like the Mickey Mouse of the desert, cute and comic in equal measure,” Dr Baillie said.
By setting pitfall traps, the researchers were also able to look at the rodents close-up and to begin to estimate their population.
He added that although there was still much to learn about the rare rodent it was already believed to be under threat from habitat disturbance.
“We travelled to the Gobi to find out about the animal’s status and learn more about it so we can develop a thorough long-term action plan.”
Desert bounties
The expedition formed part of ZSL’s Edge programme, which focuses its efforts on conservation plans for animals that are both endangered and evolutionary distinctive.
The long-eared jerboa is one of 10 species that the programme is looking at this year.
“These amazing, remarkable creatures are on the verge of extinction and we know almost nothing about them,” warned Dr Baillie.
He added that it was important not to overlook desert habitats in conservation.
“Everyone thinks the desert is a totally desolate area, void of biodiversity, and often when conservation planning is done, deserts are overlooked.
“But there are some remarkable species in the desert, so we really need to start paying attention to this environment.”
An Edge scientist has now been appointed to further study the species.
Littell has a nuttier idea: The Nutty Buddy
The video on YouTube is almost comical — except it’s not.
Former Royals pitcher Mark Littell, pitching a new product he has designed called the “Nutty Buddy,” stands in front of one of those pitching machines aimed at his groin, and takes one for the team.
There is a resounding “whomp,” and Littell jumps up — not in agony — and flexes his muscles, unfazed.
“Yes sir, folks,” he says to the camera. “The Nutty Buddy: It’s mean, it’s tough, and it’s right there for ya every time.”
Littell, who pitched for the Royals in 1973 and ’75-77, has designed a new athletic cup that he says is ahead of the competition.
“All people have to do is try it,” Littell says of the anatomically correct cup, which Littell says is more comfortable than the protective cup designed by other companies.
He came up with the idea while working with Royals pitchers in spring training.
“I asked my pitchers, how many of you guys don’t wear cups? And half of them raised their hand,” he said. “So I went off on a little mild tirade at the time.”
Littell says he always wore a cup while on the mound. He got smashed in the groin only once by a hit, but he still remembers it.
At $19.95, the Nutty Buddy is on the high end in price, about twice as much as a typical athletic cup. But Littell is betting that parents will buy them for their sons in hopes the better fit will get them to wear the cups.
In case their kids need encouraging, Littell’s cups come with macho names: “Hammer,” “Boss,” “Hog” and for really big men, the XL-sized “Mongo,” a salute to a the ogrelike character in the movie “Blazing Saddles.”
Stupidest Toys for Christmas 2007: #1 Roadkill Toys
#1 Roadkill Toys
Stupid.com recently released their 2007’s stupidest toys. I have a few on my list that weren’t found on stupid.com. I was doing an article on Google Trends and how to monetize the hottest keyword searches in Google, and I ran across a keyword sitting there at #14 out of 100 … roadkill toys … yep … that’s roadkill toys. You heard it right. It appears that a new UK company has developed a new kind of stuffed animal … a poor fuzzy bear or other creature that has met an unfortunate demise on the road by getting hit by a car. You get the deceased stuffed animal along with it’s guts and blood. I kid you not.
If you do a search for Road Kill toys, you’ll see they are developing a site for their company at roadkilltoys.com. It is still under construction, but they have a splash page up. So if you’re out of Christmas gift ideas at this early stage of the game, you might want to look up this UK company and be one of the first to get a Roadkill Toy.
#2 OMiBod: the iPod Vibrator
This one needs little explanation … going where no iPod accessory dared to go previously, the OMiBod is discreetly quiet, comes with a flaming pink velvet pouch … don’t leave home without it. Ladies you can now not only listen to your favorite tunes, but “feel” your favorite tunes. This one is sure to be a hit this Christmas. Perfect to slip into your ladies stocking on Christmas Eve or to purchase in a Secret Santa Office draw for your female co-workers. Trust me … they’ll love it.
#3 Santa Hates You: Not So Merry T Shirt
Ah yes. A t shirt of Santa Claus making an obscene gesture (flipping the bird) sold by Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters. You might be out of luck if you had anticipated wearing this gem to the annual Christmas party– it is currently sold out at the chain’s Center City location.
The Front Fell Off
Man Builds Own Island from 250,000 Plastic Bottles
An Amazing Dog Story
If It’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Doing Naked
ALATKA, Fla. — A Florida man, who reported seeing a naked man jump into his pickup truck, pursued the stolen vehicle until it crashed less than two miles away and then detained the accused thief until deputies arrived.
he incident took place on U.S. Highway 17 about 9:30 a.m. Friday morning.
Dean Johnson, of Johnson’s Towing, said he had just parked his 1987 Chevrolet pickup in the company parking when he ran in for a cup of coffee and left his keys in the ignition.No sooner than he poured his coffee, Johnson said his secretary began screaming about someone taking off in his truck.The woman called 911 to report what she witnessed: Caller: “Hey, this is Holly at Johnson’s Towing. A guy has taken one of our trucks and he’s taken off. He’s run over our fence.”
911 Operator: “Do you have any idea who he is?”
Caller: “No. He ran through our yard naked and all of a sudden he jumped into our employee’s truck.”
“Instantaneously, I thought someone was just playing in it. Once he got to the gate and crashed through the gate, I knew something wasn’t right,” Johnson said.
Following at a distance, Johnson and his brother, Ronald, gave chase as they called the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office for help.Less than two miles away, the stolen pickup wrecked in a field on Reid Street, where Johnson detained the driver, later identified as Wayne Boylan, 41.Maj. Gary Bowling was the first officer at the scene. He said he had to do a double take when the dust cleared.”When the sea of civilians parted to find that the driver was naked, you kind of have to shift gears a little bit and figure out what to do next,” Bowling said.Boylan was cuffed, placed under arrested and charged with grand theft auto and trespassing.The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said it was unclear why Boylan was naked or why the man stole Johnson’s truck. However, Bowling said it was clear from his conversation with the suspect that drugs were involved.”I asked him his name. I said, ‘What’s your name?’ He said, ‘Give me another hit and I’ll tell you my name.’ I said, ‘Hit of what?’ He said, ‘Crack.’ So, he was pretty clearly using drugs. That was just way outside of the norm,” Bowling said.Boylan was treated and released for injuries at Putnam County Medical Center before being booked into jail.
Source KNBC TV Los Angeles
Swedish women shed bikini tops in pool campaign
STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Decades after some women cast aside their bras as an act of feminist radicalism, a group of Swedish women have launched a campaign to go topless in local swimming pools.
The Bara Brost (Bare Breast) campaign began two months ago in the south of the country, one of the campaigners, Astrid Hellroth, told AFP.
Already about 50 women supported the campaign, she said, and a vanguard of 15 women had started direct action, swimming topless in local pools.
“Our aim is to start a debate about the unwritten social and cultural rules that sexualize and discriminate against the female body,” said Hellroth, a 21-year-old student.
They also had a blog, she added: barabrost.blogg.se. Their site links to a Canadian sister organisation, the Topfree Equal Rights Association.
“It’s important that women have the same rights as men,” said another campaigner, 22-year-old Ragnhild Karlsson.
“When you say we are more attractive topless, we say men should not be able to abuse women because they are topless.”
The new campaign has been closely followed by the Swedish sex education journal, Ottar.
It recorded the launch of the campaign in September in Uppsala, 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the capital Stockholm, when two young women left their bikini tops in the dressing room.
When the lifeguard at the leisure centre challenged them, they refused to cover up and were told to leave the premises.
“Swimming pools generally require men to wear swimming trunks, and women to wear either bikinis or one piece swimsuits,” Inger Grotteblad, a spokesman for the Uppsala leisure centre told the online newspaper The Local.
“There are three reasons for this. First, there is a security aspect, then there is a hygiene issue and finally there is what we call ‘prevailing manners and customs’.”
In October, the campaign switched to a swimming pool in the southern town of Malmo, The Local reported. But here again, health and safety prevailed.
Another attempt in the southern town of Lund also failed.
This month the local ombudsman will decide whether or not to mediate in the matter.
Wildlife Officials Hope Doughnuts Lure Orangutan Out of Trees
By Associated Press
MACCLENNY, FL (AP) — State wildlife officials are hoping doughnuts will lure an orangutan into the open in Baker County. Residents have reported seeing a “big orange ball of fur,” said Karen Parker, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Wildlife officers can’t confirm the furball is actually a large primate, though a Baker County animal control officer claimed she saw an orange-colored ape “much larger than a spider monkey” sitting in a tree. Some residents speculate it may only be a squirrel. Others think it may be a “baby Bigfoot.”
Whatever it is, it apparently has a sweet tooth. A bear hunter near Macclenny reported an animal stealing his sweet snacks, said fish and wildlife investigator Ken Holmes. Holmes laid doughnuts at the base of a tree, but the animal eluded him.
It’s illegal to own an orangutan in Florida without a commercial permit, and none are registered in the area, Holmes said. The closest zoo is in Jacksonville, but it hasn’t reported any missing animals.
“I can’t confirm that it wasn’t Bigfoot,” he said. “That’s one possibility. It’s just not a possibility I’m exploring.”
Source: The Florida Times-Union