Vultures on my house!

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Meet Spike my new hedgehog buddy

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Step away from the Gameboy

I like video games too. But Sonic the Hedgehog is not as cool as a real hedgehog. Serious. You should go outside right now. You can find animal bones and ant lions and cool sticks and birds and all kinds of stuff. I have about a hundred cool sticks. I have some friends that do nothing but sit in front of a TV all day. They look pale. They don’t hear me when I talk to them so it’s kinda weird. I like TV too but if I don’t go ride my bike or something I will go crazy.  When we grow up who is going to care about wildlife and protect them?

Review- Lady Bug Land by Insect Lore

Scientists discover deadly secret of Komodo’s bite

My friend, Ragen sent me this. I copied and pasted it.

SYDNEY (AFP) – The world’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, has a snake-like venom in its bite which sends victims into shock and stops their blood from clotting, according to Australian research.

It had been widely believed that deadly bacteria in the carnivorous lizard’s mouth helped kill its prey.

But magnetic resonance imagery has for the first time uncovered venom glands containing a shock-inducing poison which increases blood flow and decreases blood pressure, scientists say.

Lead researcher Bryan Fry said three-dimensional computer imaging comparing the Komodo’s bite with that of Australia’s saltwater crocodile showed it used a “grip and rip” pulling manoeuvre to tear deep wounds, similar to a shark or sabre cat.

Fry surgically removed a venom gland from a terminally ill Komodo at Singapore Zoo for the study, and said it contained a highly toxic poison which would induce potent stomach cramps, hypothermia and a drop in blood pressure.

The venom also blocked the blood’s clotting ability, he said.

“Such a fall in blood pressure would be debilitating in conjunction with blood loss and would render the envenomed prey unable to escape,” he said.

“These results are congruent with the observed unusual quietness and apparent rapid shock of prey items.”

Komodos are the world’s heaviest lizard, typically weighing 70 kilograms (150 pounds) and growing up to three metres (10 feet) in length.

They are native to several Indonesian islands and are considered a vulnerable species, with only a few thousand left in the world.

They live on a diet of large mammals, reptiles and birds but have been known to attack humans.

An Indonesian fisherman was in March mauled to death by a Komodo dragon after he ventured into a remote island sanctuary for the giant killer lizards.

Got a new baby! An African Ball Python

I got a 2 year old Ball Python from a friend who couldn’t keep him anymore! I named him Strangles. He’s a total pig. He eats two mice in one feeding! Plus, once he even tried to eat himself! He’s not smart. In this video I’m showing how he eats. But I’m not going to eat a mouse. Ever again.

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African Ball Python Facts

The Ball Python is one of the smallest of the African pythons. It is a constrictor which means it suffocates its prey.

Ball Pythons can live 20 to 30 years! The record is 47 years!

They don’t usually bite – instead they coil into a tight ball.

They can be found in west and central Africa.

Ball Pythons have heat sensing pits on their face between their nose and mouth.

They eat all kinds of small rodents and birds.

Pythons are nocturnal – during the day they hide in burrows made by other animals.  Then they ambush their prey.

Ball Pythons can get up to 5 feet long!

They have about 100 teeth that are curved inward so prey can’t escape. Then, they swallow it whole!

Because of their beautiful skin, ball python populations are declining.

Some people get boa constrictors and pythons confused. But pythons have one more bone in their heads and more teeth.

The biggest difference is that pythons lay eggs while boas give birth to live young.

Pythons are great swimmers and spend a lot of time in the water.

Snakes bask in the sun to regulate their temperature because they are cold blooded. Cold blooded means that their body temperature is the same as the air in its environment. If they get too hot or too cold, they can die.