#african grey and pet introductions

[champstorymedia]

Feathered Friends: The Top Bird Species to Consider as Pets

Introduction: Birds make wonderful pets, bringing color, song, and companionship into our lives. However, not all bird species are suitable for everyone. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore some of the top bird species to consider as pets, their unique characteristics, and how to care for them properly. African Grey Parrot The African Grey Parrot is known for its exceptional…

[marklofie]

Everything You Need to Know About the Dusky Conure (Dusky-Headed Conure)

Introduction

Dusky conures, also known as dusky-headed conures (Aratinga Weddellii), are beautiful and fascinating parrot species popular among bird enthusiasts and pet owners. These small-to-medium-sized birds are native to the tropical rainforests of South America, specifically found in regions of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Known for their playful personalities and striking appearance, they make excellent pets for bird lovers. In this article, we will delve into everything there is to know about the dusky conure, including its natural habitat, physical characteristics, care requirements, and more.

Natural Habitat and Distribution of Dusky Conures

The dusky conure or dusky-headed conure thrives in the humid lowland rainforests of the Amazon Basin. These birds are typically found at elevations of up to 1,400 meters (4,593 feet) above sea level, residing in both primary and secondary forests. In the wild, they prefer the canopy layer of the forest, where they can forage for fruits, seeds, and vegetation while remaining relatively safe from predators.

Dusky conures live in large flocks, sometimes consisting of 30 or more individuals, allowing them to socialize and stay protected. The group dynamics help them navigate through their habitat as they travel in search of food and shelter. Flocks of dusky-headed conures are a common sight in the treetops of South American forests.

Physical Characteristics of the Dusky Conure

The dusky conure is a visually appealing bird with distinct characteristics that set it apart from other conure species. Adult dusky-headed conures measure around 11 to 12 inches in length, including their tail, and weigh between 90 and 120 grams. Their average lifespan ranges from 20 to 30 years with proper care, although some individuals may live longer in captivity.

The plumage of the dusky conure is primarily green, with subtle variations in shading across its body. Its name comes from its unique head coloration, which is a soft grayish-brown or dusky hue. The head contrasts with the vibrant green feathers on the wings and body, making the bird easily recognizable. They also have splashes of blue feathers on the flight feathers, tail, and wings, further enhancing their striking appearance.

Another feature of the dusky-headed conure is its bare, pale skin around the eyes, often referred to as the “eye ring,” which is surrounded by bright, expressive eyes. Their beaks are dark and slightly curved, ideal for cracking seeds and nuts.

Dusky Conure Behavior and Personality

Dusky conures are known for their friendly and outgoing personalities. They are social birds that thrive on interaction, making them ideal pets for individuals or families who are willing to devote time and attention to their care. These birds are playful, energetic, and curious, often exploring their surroundings and engaging with toys and activities in their environment.

Due to their highly social nature, dusky-headed conures bond strongly with their owners. In captivity, they require regular interaction and mental stimulation to remain happy and healthy. They are known to be affectionate birds that enjoy sitting on their owners' shoulders or being involved in daily activities. Their friendly disposition makes them easy to train, and they can learn a variety of tricks and behaviors through positive reinforcement methods.

While dusky conures are not as vocal as some other parrot species, they are still capable of producing a range of sounds. Their calls tend to be loud and high-pitched, which is typical of many conures, but they are less prone to constant screaming or excessive noise. Some dusky-headed conures may learn to mimic words or sounds, though they are not known for being expert talkers compared to other parrots like African greys or cockatiels.

Housing and Cage Requirements for Dusky Conures

One of the most important aspects of dusky conure care is providing them with a suitable living environment. As active birds, dusky conures require a spacious cage that allows them to move around freely and exercise. The minimum cage size recommended for a dusky-headed conure is 24 inches wide, 24 inches deep, and 30 inches high, with bar spacing of no more than ¾ of an inch to prevent escape or injury.

Within the cage, it is essential to provide plenty of perches, toys, and activities to keep the bird entertained and mentally stimulated. Conures enjoy chewing, climbing, and exploring, so a variety of bird-safe toys, swings, ladders, and foraging materials should be available. Rotate toys regularly to prevent boredom.

Dusky conures also need time outside of their cage to exercise and socialize. It is recommended to allow them at least a few hours of supervised out-of-cage time each day to fly, stretch their wings, and interact with their owners. A safe, bird-proofed area should be provided for this purpose, as these curious birds may explore electrical cords, furniture, or other potentially hazardous objects.

Diet and Nutrition for Dusky Conures

A balanced and nutritious diet is crucial to keeping dusky conures healthy. In the wild, these birds feed on a variety of fruits, seeds, nuts, and vegetation. In captivity, it is essential to replicate this diverse diet to ensure proper nutrition.

A high-quality commercial pellet should form the foundation of a dusky conure's diet. Pellets are specially formulated to provide essential vitamins and minerals, reducing the risk of nutritional deficiencies. However, pellets alone are not enough, and they should be supplemented with fresh fruits, vegetables, and seeds.

Dusky-headed conures enjoy a wide variety of fresh produce, including leafy greens (like kale, spinach, and lettuce), carrots, peppers, apples, berries, and citrus fruits. It is important to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly and remove any seeds or pits that may be harmful to birds. Additionally, nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and cashews can be offered as occasional treats.

Seed mixes can also be part of their diet but should be given in moderation, as conures may selectively eat seeds and neglect other foods, leading to imbalances. Fresh water should always be available, and food and water dishes should be cleaned daily to prevent contamination.

Health and Common Issues in Dusky Conures

Like all pets, dusky conures are susceptible to certain health issues. By providing a clean environment, a proper diet, and regular veterinary care, many of these problems can be avoided. However, it is important to be aware of some common health concerns that can affect dusky-headed conures.

Feather Plucking: One of the most prevalent issues among conures is feather plucking, where the bird starts pulling out its feathers. This can be caused by various factors, including stress, boredom, malnutrition, or medical conditions. Ensuring mental stimulation, providing a healthy diet, and creating a stress-free environment can help prevent feather plucking.

Respiratory Infections: Dusky conures are prone to respiratory infections, which can be caused by poor air quality, drafts, or exposure to cold temperatures. Signs of respiratory illness include wheezing, sneezing, discharge from the nostrils, or difficulty breathing. If these symptoms appear, a visit to an avian vet is necessary.

Psittacosis: This bacterial infection, also known as parrot fever, can affect conures and other parrot species. It is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci and can lead to respiratory distress, lethargy, and diarrhea. Psittacosis is contagious to humans, so early diagnosis and treatment are crucial.

Regular vet check-ups are important to detect any health issues early. It is also vital to monitor your dusky conure for any changes in behavior, appetite, or physical appearance, as these can indicate underlying health problems.

Breeding and Reproduction of Dusky Conures

Breeding dusky-headed conures in captivity can be challenging but rewarding for experienced bird breeders. These birds reach sexual maturity around two to three years of age, and successful breeding requires the right conditions, including proper housing, diet, and care.

A nesting box should be provided in the breeding cage, as conures prefer enclosed spaces to lay their eggs. The female typically lays between three and five eggs, which she will incubate for about 23 to 26 days. During this time, the male may assist by feeding the female and guarding the nest.

Once the chicks hatch, they will be dependent on their parents for food and warmth for several weeks. It is crucial to ensure that the breeding pair is well-nourished during this period, as the health of the chicks depends on the parents' condition. Hand-rearing the chicks may be necessary in some cases, especially if the parents are inexperienced or unable to care for them properly.

Dusky Conures as Pets: Pros and Cons

Like all pets, dusky conures come with their own set of advantages and challenges. Before bringing one into your home, it's essential to consider whether they are the right fit for your lifestyle and expectations.

Pros:

Affectionate and Social: Dusky conures are known for their friendly, affectionate nature, making them great companions for those willing to spend time with them.

Moderate Noise Levels: While they can be vocal, dusky-headed conures are generally quieter than other conure species, which is a plus for apartment dwellers or people sensitive to noise.

Playful and Energetic: These birds are highly active and playful, providing hours of entertainment with their antics and curiosity.

Cons:

Attention Requirements: Dusky conures need daily interaction and mental stimulation, which can be demanding for owners with busy schedules.

Potential for Biting: Like many parrots, conures may resort to biting if they feel threatened or neglected. Proper training and socialization are essential to prevent this behavior.

Long Lifespan: Dusky-headed conures can live for several decades, so owning one is a long-term commitment that requires ongoing care and attention.

Conclusion

Dusky conures or dusky-headed conures are delightful and engaging birds that can make wonderful pets for the right owner. Their friendly nature, moderate noise levels, and playful personalities make them a favorite among bird enthusiasts. However, they require a significant amount of time, attention, and care to thrive. By understanding their needs and providing a proper environment, nutrition, and mental stimulation, you can enjoy many years of companionship with these charming birds.

[yelgreenconur35]

Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure

All About the Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure: A Colorful and Loving Companion Introduction The Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure, also known simply as the Yellow-Sided Conure, is a stunning parrot species renowned for its vibrant plumage and affectionate personality. As a member of the conure family, these small to medium-sized parrots have become increasingly popular among bird enthusiasts and pet owners. They are adored for their playful nature, intelligence, and the strong bond they often form with their human companions. This article will delve into the captivating world of the Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure, exploring its characteristics, care requirements, and why it makes a delightful pet. Body

Characteristics and Appearance The Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure is a subspecies of the Green Cheek Conure (Pyrrhura molinae), native to the forests of South America, particularly in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. These birds are relatively small, measuring about 10 inches in length, including their tail, and weighing between 60 to 80 grams. What sets the Yellow-Sided variety apart is its distinctive plumage. Unlike the standard Green Cheek Conure, which has a mostly green body with a grey head, the Yellow-Sided Conure features a bright yellow hue on its chest, which can range from a light lemon shade to a deeper golden yellow. This vibrant color contrasts beautifully with the red patches on their belly and the rich green feathers covering most of their body. Their cheeks are a pale yellow or whitish color, and they have a dark grey beak with a playful expression in their dark, intelligent eyes. This combination of colors makes them one of the most visually striking members of the conure family.

Personality and Temperament Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conures are known for their affectionate and playful demeanor. They are social creatures that thrive on interaction and enjoy spending time with their human caregivers. These birds are curious and energetic, often engaging in playful antics like hanging upside down from their perches or playing with toys. Their inquisitive nature means they love exploring their environment and can be quite mischievous if left unattended for too long. Unlike some other parrot species, Green Cheek Conures, including the Yellow-Sided variety, are relatively quiet. While they do have the ability to mimic sounds and words, they are not as loud or vocal as larger parrot species, such as African Greys or Cockatoos. This makes them a great choice for apartment dwellers or those who prefer a quieter pet. These birds are also highly intelligent, which makes them quick learners. They can be taught a variety of tricks, from simple commands like “step up” to more complex behaviors such as fetching objects or dancing. They have a reputation for forming deep bonds with their owners, often displaying affection through cuddling, head bobbing, and gentle nibbling. However, they can become possessive or territorial if not properly socialized, so early and consistent training is important.

Care Requirements Owning a Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure is a commitment that requires time, effort, and dedication. These birds can live up to 25 to 30 years in captivity with proper care, making them a long-term companion. Below are some essential care tips: • Diet: A balanced diet is crucial for the health of a Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure. Their diet should consist of high-quality pellet food designed for conures, supplemented with fresh fruits, vegetables, and occasional seeds or nuts. Fruits like apples, bananas, and berries, along with vegetables such as carrots, spinach, and bell peppers, are great choices. Fresh water should always be available, and foods high in fat, salt, or sugar should be avoided. • Housing: A spacious cage is essential to accommodate their active nature. The cage should be at least 24x24x24 inches, with bar spacing of about ½ to ⅝ inches to prevent escape or injury. Multiple perches of varying diameters and textures will help keep their feet healthy. The cage should also include a variety of toys for mental stimulation and to prevent boredom. • Social Interaction and Mental Stimulation: Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conures are highly social and require daily interaction. Regular playtime outside the cage, at least a few hours a day, is essential for their mental and emotional well-being. Without adequate attention, they can become bored or develop behavioral issues, such as feather plucking or excessive screeching. Rotating toys regularly, teaching new tricks, or providing puzzle toys can help keep them mentally stimulated. • Health Care: Regular veterinary check-ups are vital for detecting any potential health issues early. Like other conures, they can be prone to certain illnesses such as Psittacosis, Pacheco’s disease, and Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD). Observing for any signs of illness, such as changes in droppings, appetite, or behavior, and consulting with an avian vet if needed is important.

Training and Socialization Training a Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure can be a rewarding experience for both the bird and the owner. These birds respond well to positive reinforcement techniques, such as treats and praise. Early training should focus on basic commands, like stepping up onto your hand or returning to their perch. As they become more comfortable and confident, more complex tricks can be introduced. Socialization is equally important. Introducing your conure to different people, environments, and situations will help them become well-adjusted and less prone to fear or aggression. Start socialization early, and make sure experiences are positive and stress-free. Regular handling and gentle interaction will help build trust and strengthen the bond between you and your feathered friend.

Why Choose a Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure as a Pet? Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conures make excellent pets for several reasons. Their compact size makes them suitable for smaller living spaces, while their relatively quiet nature means they are less likely to disturb neighbors or family members. They are incredibly affectionate and enjoy cuddling and playing with their owners, which makes them a great choice for someone looking for a pet that can offer companionship and entertainment. Furthermore, their intelligence and eagerness to learn new tricks and behaviors make them highly engaging pets. With consistent training and socialization, they can become well-mannered members of the household, capable of forming strong, loving bonds with their human caregivers. Conclusion The Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure is a vibrant, playful, and affectionate bird that can bring joy and companionship to any household. Their colorful plumage, intelligent personality, and relatively low noise level make them an ideal pet for both first-time bird owners and experienced avian enthusiasts. However, they require a commitment of time, attention, and proper care to ensure they remain happy and healthy throughout their lives. If you’re looking for a small parrot with a big personality, the Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure might just be the perfect companion for you.

#greencheek #greencheekconure #conure #conuresofinstagram #parrotsofinstagram #birdsofinstagram #conures #bird #parrots #parrot #birds #tampa #florida #tampabay #orlando #miami #tampaflorida #stpete #clearwater #tampafl #southtampa #explorepage #jacksonville

[multi-lefaiye]

Stolen Tongues Prologue - Analysis

Thesis: The prologue of Felix Blackwell’s 2017 novel Stolen Tongues is an excellent piece of standalone horror, as even without the wider context of the story it precedes, it sets an excellent tone for the whole book and establishes great tension with a terrifying payoff.

Content Warnings: General themes of stalking, home invasion, and general spooky-horrors. Also, there is some harm to animals--the bird in this prologue isn’t physically harmed but is definitely severely traumatized by everything that happens. If any of that sounds upsetting, please tread lightly!

Hi my name is Multi and I want to talk about a book I just found my copy of again after not being able to find it for the past few months: Stolen Tongues! A short summary of this book is that it’s all about a man and his wife who go on vacation in Colorado and are met by Horrors, which promptly follow them home. The fun twist, though: the horrors were there the whole time actually, and the prologue establishes this fact very well.

The prologue talks about a time, years before, that the narrator and his wife (girlfriend at the time) Faye were asked to pet-sit for their friends: specifically, they were asked to watch the friends’ pet parrot named Carrot.

Horrors ensue.

So I’m not gonna share a TON of excerpts from the book to support my point, especially because I mainly want to try and encourage y’all to read this book yourselves if it sounds interesting to you!! It’s a super interesting story, and I think it deserves more attention.

This analysis also isn’t going to be super in-depth or exciting, I’m mainly just gonna be pointing out things I really like and think the prologue does particularly well. Also may point out some criticisms here and there, but mainly I wanna focus on what I think this prologue excels at.

Point One: The Funny Bird Says Fuck

While the prologue opens with a very short introduction to the overall plot, what I think is interesting is how it doesn’t open with the horrors at the cabin. Instead, it immediately goes into something that is discussed later: the events in the novel aren’t confined to one place and have been haunting the protagonists for years:

What happened on that mountain left permanent scars on my body and heart, but it also threw light onto seemingly unrelated events that occurred long before. And so, this story begins years prior to the incident at that wretched place. (1)

Then, with that introduction, the story takes a bit of a left turn and begins to describe the backstory of Carrot the parrot. Short version: Carrot is an African grey parrot that the narrator’s friend Colin has had since he was nine years old, named because “carrot” was the first word she said.

What I really like about this introduction is that, while it sets the tone immediately to let you know that what follows IS going to be related in some way to the horrors, the horrors don’t start immediately. Rather, the first couple of pages are dedicated to setting up important things to note about Carrot--namely, the specific phrases she’s known to say and the contexts in which she says them.

The most important phrases, for context:

“Hello! Hello!” - when Carrot is greeting someone

“Ugly! Ugly!” - when Carrot sees something that frightens her

“Knock-knock!” - when someone is at the door

“Colder... colder...” - when someone is walking away from her cage

“Warmer... warmer...” - when someone is walking towards her cage

“Don’t cry!” - when someone is visibly upset around her

There are a few other phrases it mentions her using, but those ones are mostly comedic. These are the ones that will contribute to spooks later. Carrot also is known to mimic other noises she hears, such as laughter and growling, but in general those are the spooky words. Also, it should be noted that Carrot has a very playful personality, and she does seem to enjoy playing tricks on the humans around her. However, she rarely, if ever, speaks when she’s completely alone.

As the narrator says at the end of this introduction to Carrot:

At the time, I never appreciated how sharp she was, but in retrospect, Carrot was cognizant of everything going on around her. And that is what made her so frightening. (2)

Point Two: The Funny Bird Doesn’t Like The Horrors

So, the prologue, as I stated, centers primarily around the main character and his at-the-time girlfriend spending a few nights at Colin’s little cabin to watch over his and his partner’s dogs and Carrot the parrot. It’s immediately clear that Carrot is acting unusually, but the narrator hasn’t seen her in years and decides to brush off all of her strange behavior.

The first immediate thing is that Carrot seems fascinated with the glass sliding door leading to the patio outside, and she spends hours chattering as she looks at it, even when no one is in the room with her. The narrator checks on her and the door a few times, but he doesn’t see anything wrong.

In particular, she keeps calling out, “Hello! Hello!” as she looks at the door, seemingly at nothing. Occasionally, she also says, “Don’t cry, don’t cry.”

On the Saturday after they arrive, Faye and the narrator go for a walk in the woods with the dogs, leaving Carrot alone. Unfortunately, when they do return, Carrot seems shaken. She’s cowering in her cage and trembling violently, staring at the glass door still. After an incident where Carrot seems to suddenly knock her own cage off of the table it’s resting on, Faye suggests keeping the bird in the bedroom with them that night.

That night, the horrors truly begin. I’m just gonna share a longer excerpt here.

Carrot was sitting on her perch, facing the bedroom door. She craned her head to the side, listening intently to something I couldn’t hear, and opened her mouth as if considering what to say... The bird called out, “colder, colder,” reciting the words to the game we used to play as kids. (8)

And then, very shortly after:

Carrot flapped her wings and called out, “Warmer... warmer...” The dogs stood up defensively, but did not bark or growl. They only listened, and occasionally glanced at each other and back at me.

“Warmer! Warmer!” the bird cried, beating her wings faster. After a few seconds, she ceased her movements and looked up at me, then back at the door, and said in a softer voice, “Knock-knock.” (8)

The narrator opens the door and steps out into the hall to investigate, but ultimately he finds nothing. Then he’s struck by a sudden sense of nausea and almost falls over, at the same time as Carrot (still in the room) shrieks, “UGLY! UGLY!” and Faye screams, prompting the narrator to rush back into the room as quickly as he can.

Upon seeing no one there, the narrator looks to Faye, who looks as terrified as Carrot:

“Someone was in here,” Faye choked out, trying to hold back tears. “It felt like someone was standing right there.” She pointed directly at me. (9)

So, YEAH, Carrot sensed something and fucking panicked, understandably, and at that point the narrator and Faye decide to get up and fucking leave. They take the dogs and Carrot with them and go back to their own home, where they spend the rest of the weekend. The whole time, Carrot is silent, shaking in her cage and hunched over.

Away from that cabin, they seem to be doing much better, but the damage is done for one of them.

The entire prologue ends with a gut-punch of a line, after Colin and his partner come to get their pets:

In the coming years, I learned from them that Carrot never spoke again. (10)

What I really like about this whole sequence is that it uses the earlier foreshadowing and established facts very well. I also think the pacing is very well done--it moves quickly, taking less than ten pages, but it builds an excellent sense of tension all throughout. Even just rereading the prologue just now to get excerpts for this, I actually felt some goosebumps on my arms. The first time I read this, it fucked me up so much.

And as for the end... honestly it just feels like. Awful and tragic. Because I’m not about to argue that any of the humans victimized in this story really “have it coming” in any sense, but Carrot especially did nothing wrong. She’s a fucking bird, for goodness sake, and she’s still left SEVERELY traumatized.

I also think it’s interesting... without going into too much detail, a theme that comes up later in the story is the idea of children and their perception vs the perceptions of the adults around them. While Carrot is an animal and not a human child, I think that’s just. A very interesting parallel to draw.

There are some other elements that make the prologue spooky but this is long.

Point Three: I Don’t Know How To End This

I think Stolen Tongues is a fun book. It’s far from perfect but it’s still very enjoyable.

Okay that’s all <3

[araminakilla]

Posible Ducktales season 2 finale timeline according to trailer

So, since I'm not the only one who thinks that, with all the villains gathering to destroy Scrooge and family... where does Lunaris fit in all of this? Here's my (long) theory.

Glomgold and Ma Beagle: The first allies

Those two are the classic villains than are more asociated with Scrooge and have past feuds with him.

For Glomgold, it can be the bet. Maybe he is losing and wants to take everything the real Scotish duck has without waiting any longer.

For Ma Beagle, it could be the lands problem that Scrooge had with Grandpa Beagle, or maybe they lost for real some Beagle Boys in the Duck's quest for D'jinn's lamp and they want to avenge said Beagles by killing Scrooge's closest relatives.

As other post pointed out, Glomgold actually learned something in the 87 cents episode about what makes Scrooge so sucesful, and that's his family. That's why he said in the trailer that he's looking for a family, not only to show respect to Ma and his boys, but because he really thinks gaining a villainous family is the way he could win for once and for all.

The others

Mark Beaks

The grey parrot is going to appear in an episode with Louie, Goldie, Doofus and (as I like to call him) his robot son Mini Beaks. It seems like the millenial wants something with Doofus, be it money or social status as he's in the duckling's tree house. Unfortunatly, so are Scrooge's nephew and lover, maybe to try and scam him.

Maybe at the end of the episode, Doofus doesn't want to help the parrot, and instead he will help Louie (or no one, as this incarnation of Doofus is a great pain in the... tail) making Beaks to swear revenge against the Mcduck family, an opportunity that comes with Glomgold and his alliance of terror.

Magica de Spell

The sorceress somehow has her powers back (or just basic ones) and I'm sure that she's the reason that the ducklings (and Violet) end up in some kind of dream land where everyone can wish for anything and that becomes true, kinda like Coraline's other world or Bill Cipher's bubble for Mabel.

I say this because Webby has the look of Scrooge, Violet has some books, Huey is tall, Louie just wants to be a cat (Aristocats reference, anyone?) and Dewey is popular in the school he never had the chance to go (if his looks, Dewey's costume that dances and that poster behind Magica when she's with Lena alone in the lockets who says "you can Dew it" is any indication).

Anyway, that world was created by Magica as a way to reclaim Lena again, who surely having her evil aunt back is the last thing that she wanted.

I'm pretty sure the kids end up defeating Magica again and keeping Lena, but Magica swears revenge and, just like Beaks, she is recluted by Glomgold and company, and she would have to swallow her pride and follow the South African duck... for the moment.

Don Karnage

He is an interesting case, as we haven't see him since his debut episode. I don't know how the villains can found him, as he and his crew are in the sky, but I have a theory of why they would choose him.

Simple, Dewey posted on the Internet about how he and his family fought and defeated the "not so great" captain Don Karnage, making the pirate wolf very livid and maybe ashamed about how his reputation went down faster than a malfuctioning plane after he lost to a child of all things.

The villains probably read about him on the web and wondered if he wanted to have his revenge too. They were right.

They somehow contact the Don, and not only they obtain a great swordman, but also an entire pirate crew. It's a pity they don't let the pirates sing, it could have been an interesting semi-musical episode.

The Time Tube's role

So, where does Gyro's time tube fits in all this madness? It could be:

1. The villains did it

They stole it so they can ruin Scrooge's life for the start and mess with his present.

2. Louie did it

In the trailer, we see Louie in the tub while having some treasure. Given how he screwed up things in the lamp episode, most of us theorize that he is the one behind all the time traveling stuff.

3. Gyro did it on accident

It can be that, as this is Gyro's creation after all, it went out of control itself and its presence afected the present in many ways. Or it could be that it ended up in the past and Bubba is the one doing the time traveling stuff to bring Tootsie with him while making a mess.

4. A combination of the other ones with the first one

Either Gyro, or Bubba, or Louie did it, but it was as the same time as "Glomgold's family" was attacking the Mcduck Manor.

Anyway, this will indicate the introduction of Bubba and his pet triceratops and the battle with the villains will take place.

The final result?

The ducks win, the villains lose and Gyro learns to control his time tube better for other important ocasions that, as we know, are about to happen... BIG TIME.

Lunaris' Invasion

I'm 99% sure the battle with the Moonlanders will take place after the battle with Glomgold and company.

Why? Because in this picture (in the inferior corner) we see five pictures of Scrooge's enemies. We see Magica's face, Mark's beak, Ma Beagle's nose and the other ones are Glomgold and Karnage for sure.

This could indicate that the five lost to the Duck family or they were near them at the time the alien's computer seached information about Della's clan.

There's also about a picture of Gizmoduck (pretty sure they know about his other identity too... take new notes Fenton) indicating that they are aware of the technology the Earthlings have.

And talking about superheroes, this is the moment that Launchpad and Scrooge recruit Darkwing Duck, as we can see that the Scotish one is wearing the same clothes.

All seems to indicate the battle with the aliens takes place at night in Calisota. Scrooge is charging with the help of the Ottoman Empire brothers, Emily Quackfaster, Gyro, Demonworth, Beakly, Lena, Violet (she's there too, next to Lena, she's just that small), M'ma Cabrera, Gizmoduck and Gabby McStabberson.

Penumbra and Donald: The last hope

So, it seems like Penny is becoming a good girl if the poster for season 3 is any indication. Ergo, she is the one to return Donald to his family and thanks God the lack of an orange blimp didn't change things.

Penumbra is the only one to know the true, and the only one who could stop all this invation. How? Screaming and shooting laser guns like everyone else? I don't think so. She will use the same strategy Della used with the Moon mite.

She would use kindness and a peaceful aproach. She would probably said that Della was a good person all along, that she was wrong and Lunaris is the thread to all. I'm sure that after that, the Moonlanders will stop any violence.

But what about Donald? Mister "I prefer to not have many adventures and don't appear in many episodes" is going to have. Some. Good. EPIC MOMENTS

I mean, look at him battling Lunaris and tell me you don't see the rise of the Duck Avenger. Some random alien is acusing his twin sister of treason and decides to punish her along with her boys? His boys?

He HAD IT

Lunaris is death Moon meat. Period.

When he returns to Earth, he would have a very heartwarming reunion with his boys and his sister. At last, the Duck twins are together and nothing will tear them apart again.

Scrooge's allies: Coincidence or selection?

Now, what makes us have a lot of hype apart from the epic return of our main characters after months is the return of characters that we didn't know were making a return, like Gabby McStabberson or the Living Mummies. Characters that, be for their unique design or personality make us decide for more moments with them, and we got it.

But... Why? Why them?

Aside for the fanservice aspect, there has to be another reason for that.

It could be that Scrooge had recluted Gabby and the wolf brothers and would pay them later, or simply they want to make sure their home planet isn't invaded.

Not sure about where the Ottoman Empire brothers fit in all of this. Maybe there is going to be an episode about how they reconcile with the help of one of the triplets.

Now, we got to a very interesting part (and I'm not only saying this because I'm a fan of those two)

Aliens vs Middle Eastern people

Now that's something you don't see very often. *Ahem* well, the reason this little scene is so important is because it show us that the Moonlanders are attacking Egypt.

Egypt. As in, they are not only seeking Della and her family. They are attacking all the Earth at the same time. We can be sure that the aliens are the ones attacking Amunet and D'jinn because of the yellow/golden lasers that almost hit the warrior (thanks Amunet) and are the same ones Gabby is repeling with her sword/dagger.

Also, the battle is taking part at the same time but in different places. In Duckburg is night, and in Egypt; day.

But other option is that D'jinn and the Mummies are not confronting the aliens by coincidence.

They were actually selected.

Remember the picture that shows an alien computer with the Duck family at the center and Scrooge's enemies and Gizmoduck in the corners?

Who can't say the aliens did the same with Scrooge's allies and family all around the globe?

There are a lot of golden spaceships in construction. Maybe not all of them go to Duckburg but to different parts of the World.

If the selective theory is true then that means there are going to be aliens following Fethry, Gladstone, Selene, even the Buzzards (yes please, they had it coming)

Also, in this Earth hologram under the picture of the triplets, there seems to be like a close up Earth map, maybe with the bright dots indicating where are Scrooge's allies and family now.

Be it coincidence or computer selection, one thing is for sure. Lunaris is going to make an example of all of them. His frustration about his father being a coward has made him a ruthless, merciless, alien guy who is going to prove the Moon's superiority to the World.

Now that's downright sadistic Lunaris.

When you said you wanted the Earthlings to fear you and the Moon... you really mean it.

Well, that was all I got to say about the future events of this season. Hope this helps and I can't wait for September, the Hype is killing me slowly.

[animalobsessedweirdo-blog]

My pets

Thought I would do a quick introduction to me pets as they will most likely appear on hear a fair amount especially as we are in quarantine and i am with them a lot more than usual

Bugs bunny (bugsy/bug) - grey/black coloured rabbit, he is a male harlequin rabbit who is around three - four years old. his personality is fairly laid back and chilled out but definitely does have his crazy moments. He is very nervous due to his previous home and does not trust people very easily, I have owned him for around two years and he is very slowly getting better and more confident 

Freddie - brown rabbit. Freddie has a very cheeky and bubbly personality, he is up to no good at all times of the day but is a very cuddly baby at heart. he is around two years old and is a very active and confident rabbit. Freddie’s absolute favourite time of day is feeding time and would do absolutely anything for a treat.

Roxy - Roxy is a 6 year old rottweiler x husky. She may be classed as an ‘adult dog’ but defiantly still has the mentality of a puppy... still thinks she is the size of one too. She is an absolutely amazing dog and truly is my best friend. She loves to play just as much as she likes to cuddle and sleep. and is just plain beautiful.

Echo - She is my giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas). She quickly became very comfortable with handling and loves to explore when I take her out of the enclosure. Her favourite things are - sleep on her cork bark, sleep on top of her food, sleep under her cork bark and dig up the plants I recently put in her enclosure (every day)

Cyrus - My blue tongue skink. I rescued Cyrus from a pretty bed situation where she was not getting very good care at all, she was extremely under weight and lethargic when I bought her home and didn't even have enough energy to eat a locust. She is on the mend and in just the 5 months i have had her she has improved way more than i could have expected and her personality is starting to show. Cyrus is a very sassy but very sweet character, she now loves her food and is in a very good place (side note, i will be building a custom enclosure for her in this year so I will post about that when it happens)

Spoons and Gin - (honestly the best names I have given my animals) Indian walking stick insects. I got some eggs from one of my best friends (thank you Emily if you see this) who had bought some for herself. they hatched in early April and are already getting so big. spoons hatched first so is slightly larger than gin. Spoons is very quick on her feet and moves around the enclosure and my hand a lot when holding them, Gin likes to stay in the same leaf at most times and will generally be very still when handling.

[valiantlionheart]

hi Mun Data! 

———  BASICS! ♡

NAME! Shun PRONOUNS! ♡ They/ them. She/  Her.  ZODIAC SIGN! ♡ Pisces. TAKEN OR SINGLE! ♡ Single

———  THREE  FACTS! ♡

1! ♡  So. I do say that I am single, but actually my heart and all my love goes to my beautiful Chardae - Shady-  my African Grey~ She is the solstice of my life, we’ve been together for over fifteen years, she has seen all my sorrow and joy. Also I have two other pets but those are my sister and mother’s, they are referred by introduction as my brother and nephew. 

2! ♡ I’ve got a lot of hobbies - spanning from collecting figures to crafting and cosplaying, happy early munday?, but I always have enjoyed the most out of all my hobbies is putting puzzles together...and I mean 1000 - 3000 pieces...with a challenge of finishing it in a week.. 

3! ♡ My car name is Kaworu..and it dies for my sin. If you get this reference, then you know for a fact I’m just a dumb ball of sunshine and like to make dumb, horrible, puns that will make you roll your eyes back so far.

———  EXPERIENCE! ♡

PLATFORMS USED! ♡ Twitter, discord, tumblr. By all means if you want any of these I’m always free to give it. Twitter more of my personal now and discord more of where I speak and plot those nonsense. We never speak of Gaiaonline. 

———  MUSE  PREFERENCE! ♡

GENDER! ♡ I’ve always wrote on male muses. I tend to mostly be the ball of sunshine but when I pick a different one, ah- that is a different story. 

LEAST FAVOURITE FACE(S)! ♡ I love all the faces tho…

MULTI OR SINGLE! ♡ I suppose I am both?  

But majority of the time I am multi because I do not want my partner feeling restricted with more or them feeling they need to restrict themselves with me. 

But If someone does want my muse to be single, which is very rare, I don’t mind either. Normally that means me and the other made the blog for one another and talked it out, so that be that. 

FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT! ♡ I am not so high on the smut content publicly, though the private...word. I’m more of a fluff and angst mix combo on a martini glass with some salt around the ring, poisonous to me. 

PLOT / MEMES! ♡ Raises my hand towards plots, cause yes~ Please. Thank you. I love plotting, many of the time it’s also just fun to throw ideas at one another and bounce it back and forth for fun, if we commit to a plot I commit back, I’m just very slow...

Memes are a blessing. I also find them a great way to break the ice of getting to write something that is given to me by people.

tagged by: @reginaofcamelot tagging: @aswestandtogether @caemthe / @tenjima  @burdensword @hearthhearted @weiwuxiian @keeshava @curruidking @hiberus  @twisted-twosided-fate  Um. I do not want to tag everyone so please by all means. Jazz hands.

[exoticbirdslifes]

Why Choose online companies to Buy RC Ecuador Cage?

Domestic bird enclosures are often fabricated from wire composed of metal. A bird cage often has food and water bowls, a cuttle bone, and other toys like little bells and mirrors for the birds to play with. Introduction: There is a perch area on the top of the Bolivia Play Bird Cage, as well as another one on the inside of the cage. This will make the Bolivia Play Bird Cage an excellent spot for your pet to play, rest, and sleep, So Buy RC Bolivia Cage. The Rainforest Cages Ecuador are an excellent choice for housing African Greys, Amazons, Large Conures, and other species of a comparable size. The Ecuador features a wide front door that opens as well as an aperture on the top of the cage, so Buy RC Ecuador Cage. Conclusion: A bird cage, sometimes referred to as a birdcage, is a cage that is designed to contain a bird. Keeping a pet bird, such as a canary or a parakeet, safely confined at home requires the use of a bird cage There are a variety of perches that the bird may sit on. A cage may either be suspended from the ceiling or placed on a stand on the ground. The bottom of the cage is often covered with paper of some kind in order to absorb any droppings, spilled water, or other accidents that may occur within the RC Chile Cage for sale .

[converginglives]

<---Part 3

She’s happily surprised to get the email from her soulmate. It’s rather unexpected. She didn’t know if she’d have to make the first move or not. 

After reading it four times, making sure that she isn’t missing anything since she keeps pausing to make happy noises and startling her bird. It’s a lovely letter. A beautiful introduction telling her all about Sharon. Fears and dreams, bad habits and good, pets and relationships, and so much more. 

She wants to respond in kind but isn’t certain that she will be able to do a good job. Still she tries, and while her letter isn’t quite as long, she’s a shy and a bit introverted, she feels it covers all the same things and maybe one or two others. 

Almost as soon as she sends it, she wonders if she should have worded it different. What if answering with the same kind of letter is seen as lazy or uninterested? That’s not the impression she wants to give! 

“Take a breather,” Ling, her  African Grey declares, followed by a series of chirps. 

Smiling at her oldest friend, she nods and holds her arm out for him to come to her. He might sound like a toddler most the time, and only have simple conversations, but that’s more than enough for her. Particularly since most their chats are about the weather and animals. 

Part 5--->

[kuwahuru]

2 Day Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar Island

If you are looking for an adventure safari of a lifetime ultimate mountain climb, that reaches the highest peaks of Africa, or without forgetting the magic Island of Zanzibar, then Tanzania is the place to be, You will get the best experience in excursions in Tanzania!........!We as Kuwa Huru Tanzania Adventure will assist you to plan and package your vacation......we are ready to arrange it kindly. On arrival at Arusha Airport, you’ll be personally met and escorted by our driver-guide to the fashionable Hotel in Arusha for breakfast, while you’re having your Breakfast, our experienced safari driver guide, will give you a short safari briefing before starting your memorable African safari.  Lake Manyara National Park Lake Manyara’s famous for tree-climbing lions are another reason to pay a visit to this park. The only kind of their species in the world, they make the ancient mahogany and elegant acacias their home during the rainy season and are a well-known but a rather rare feature of the northern park. In addition to the lions, the national park is also home to the largest concentration of baboons anywhere in the world — a fact that accounts for interesting game viewing of large families of the primates. Lake Manyara National Park is located on the way to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, Its groundwater forests, bush plains, baobab strewn cliffs, and algae-streaked hot springs offer incredible ecological variety in a small area, rich in wildlife and incredible numbers of birds. Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants, and storks. The alkaline soda of Lake Manyara is home to an incredible array of birdlife that thrives on its brackish waters. Pink flamingo stoops and graze by the thousands of colorful specks against the grey minerals of the lakeshore. Yellow-billed storks swoop and corkscrew on thermal winds rising up from the escarpment, and herons flap their wings against the sun-drenched sky. Even reluctant bird-watchers will find something to watch and marvel at within the national park, before sunset, you will be taken back to your hotel in Marera Valley Lodge Karatu for Dinner and overnight.  Ngorongoro Crater Game drive and Drive Back to Arusha Today we visit the largest intact volcanic crater in the world, the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater. After an early breakfast depart for the Ngorongoro Crater, with your packed lunch, drive to Ngorongoro Conservation entry gate. Drive on and descend 2000 feet (over 600 meters)  into the crater floor for a day game drive, Explore the forest areas that are inhabited by monkeys and elephant, the lake area, where you may see the flamingos and the open Savannah where the lions hunt for food. Ngorongoro is a special place in that it is a Conservation Area, not a National Park; this means that the whole area is managed for both the animals and the local Masai people who graze their cattle alongside the indigenous wildlife. After stopping at the entrance gate, where there is a chance to learn more about this fascinating volcanic landscape, we will drive around the rim of the Crater itself, and from here we can look down and see the herd of wildebeest or buffalos. This truly world-class attraction is also known as the ’8th Wonder of the World’… finally, we descend into the crater. The crater walls provide a natural sanctuary for the animals, which means there is plenty to see: lions, elephants, buffalo, rhino, and leopard (if you are lucky). The only animal you won’t see here is a giraffe, whose long legs are unable to cope with the steeps sides of the crater. In the late afternoon after a picnic lunch, we start going out of the crater with a game drive towards Arusha town, you will stay at Venus Premier Hotel  bed and breakfast Day 3: Zanzibar Holiday 3 night 4 Days On arrival at Zanzibar International Airport, you’ll be personally met and escorted by our driver-guide to the fashionable Hotel in Stone Town. After check immediately the fun begins you’ll start your tour to Prison Island Prison Island Changuu Island (also known as Kibandiko, Prison, or Quarantine Island) is a small island 5.6 km northwest of Stone Town, Ungula, and Zanzibar. The island is around 800m long and 230m wide at its broadest point The Island saw use as a prison for rebellious slaves in 1860s and also functioned as a coal mine. The British First Minister of Zanzibar, Lloyd Mathews, purchased the island in 1893 and constructed a prison complex there. No prisoners were ever housed on the island and instead, it became a quarantine station for yellow fever cases. The station was only occupied for around half of the year and the rest of the time it was a popular holiday destination. More recently, the island has become a government-owned tourist resort and houses a collection of endangered Aldabra giant tortoises’ now it is more commonly known as a home of Zanzibar’s Giant Aldabra Tortoise colony, some of which are over a hundred years old! Which was originally a gift from the British governor of Seychelles in the late 19th Century. Once on the island, you have the opportunity to feed and pet the tortoises; if you have time you may also like to take a stroll through the forested interior where you will see a wide variety of birds, colorful peacocks, bats, and beautiful butterflies. Keep your eyes peeled too for the shy and elusive Duikers – an unusual tiny antelope species after prison tour the boat will drive you back to Stone Town, you will overnight at Golden Tulip resort Bed and breakfast Day 4: The Safari blue Safari Blue Tour in Zanzibar is the Zanzibar number one full day trip, this is a sea adventure safari starts from Fumba fishing village, southwest coast of the island, the major attraction is to swim, snorkeling, kinds of seafood and sailing within the traditional dhow, the history of traditional dhow dated back to the 15th and 16th centuries, the ages of the monsoon winds and the Arab movements, We inboard into sailing dhow at 9:00 am ahead to a sandbank for relaxation, swimming and beach walking, You will have a great time to test the tropical kinds of seafood including octopus, calamari, lobster, shrimps, shark, shellfish, tuna fish, barracuda, etc. Snorkeling is also the main activity, whereby tourist will be taken to the coral reef and the areas which are good and have a colorful school of fish. After the lunch at Kwale Island, there will be a short tour to the ancient baobab tree which is said to have more than 200 years now, On our way back to the Fumba beach we shall again have opportunity to swim into the natural swimming pool near the Kwale Island, we normally finish our tour around 4:00 pm; you will overnight at Golden Tulip resort Bed and Breakfast Day 5: Dolphin Tour and Spice Farms. Spend the day at the Island with a variety of optional activities. The most popular dolphin spotting location in Zanzibar is in Kizimkazi village, located on the Southern coast of Zanzibar Island where you can see both bottle-nose and humpback dolphins. Dolphin tour is best very early in the morning, because in the afternoon as the sun rises  seawater  tends to become warm, therefore dolphins dive deep down the sea bottom to escape the heat, Early At 06:00 in the morning you’ll be picked up to south coast of Zanzibar for a dolphin tour, Although dolphin-spotting is a popular activity, sightings aren’t guaranteed 100%, and actually managing to swim with dolphins is a rare occurrence, like with other wild animals spotting dolphins require time and patience as they are not confined in a cage or a zoo, they are in their natural environment. The Dolphin tour lasts for two to three hours. Kizimkazi is also the site of a 12th-century mosque, the earliest evidence of Islam in East Africa, and is thus worth a visit for both cultural and historical reasons. The dolphin trip can be combined with Jozani Forest, as the forest is on the way to Kizimkazi we pass through the forest on the way back from the dolphin tour. Jozan forest The forest is 2,512 hectares (6,207 acres) in size and was declared a nature reserve in the 1960′s. Jozani forest is a natural pharmacy, an amazing source of natural remedies! Every plant or tree cures something. What is so beautiful about Jozani forest tour, that height of the trees and the palms are just outstanding! Jozani is also famous for rare red Colobus monkeys and even harder to spot – Zanzibar Sykes’ monkey, a very rare monkey species unique to Zanzibar. Along with Red Colobus Monkeys, you can expect to see Bushbaby, 50 different species of butterflies, and 40 species of birds. This forest is one of the last remaining sanctuaries in the world of the red colobus monkey. Wonderful photo opportunities and sightings of these rare creatures living in the forest reserves are possible on the pathways. Our guides are also naturalists and nature lovers will have a wonderful time in the nature reserve. Spice Farms The Spice Tour is one of the most popular excursions in Zanzibar, the Spice Island. Zanzibar was one of the world’s leading producers of spices such as clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Tour takes you to on organic farms with a wide variety of plants around the year. You don’t just see, you also touch, smell and taste. Spices and herbs were originally introduced to Zanzibar by Portuguese traders in the 16th century, brought from their colonies in South America and India. This tour is a walking tour on a spice farm (shamba). While there, you shall see how the spices, herbs, and fruits grow and are cultivated. Your tour guide will describe how the crops can be used. You will be smelling and tasting spices, herbs, and tropical fruits such as clove, lemongrass, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla, coconuts, papaya, chili, black pepper, jackfruit, cardamom, cassava, and oranges. After the tour, you will enjoy a traditional Swahili lunch at the farm. Here is when you can really taste the different ways of using spices. The tour finishes with a stop at a spice stall selling fresh packaged spices (cash only). You will overnight at Golden Tulip resort  Bed and Breakfast Day 6: Departure Day Zanzibar to Dar Depending on your flight or boat schedule departure time, before departure time your guide will take you for the walking tour in Stone Town, which is the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous for its winding alleys, bustling bazaars, sultan’s palace, mosques, House of Wonders, Portuguese fort and gardens and the extravagant merchants’ houses with their remarkably ornate doors,  then from stone town is just a walking distance to the port to take your Boat buck Dar es, Salaam. Don’t forget to come to Buck. 6 Days safari Price Include Full board accommodation whilst on safari in the above-mentioned lodges Private safari guide Private 4 x 4 safari jeep with pop up roof for game viewing Transfers in both directions between the Arusha Airport Park fees Ngorongoro Crater fees Game drives Drinking water All government taxes  including VAT All transfers while in Zanzibar. All entries fees as listed in the itinerary Pick up from and to the Airport in Zanzibar All tours & excursion in Zanzibar Domestic Flight – From Dar to Arusha 6 Days Price Excludes International airfares and departure taxes Walking Tour in the Ngorongoro Highland $20 All items of personal nature such as telephone call, fax, email, etc Tips for your service providers and gratuities to hotel, lodges, porters, camp staff and driver-guide (recommended) drinks Laundry services Read the full article

[bhagyashribhole123]

Global Companion Animal Healthcare Market Solid Segment Analyzed by Latest Trends, Growth Rate and 2023 Insight

Market research future has a half-cooked research report on Global Companion Animal Healthcare Market. The Global market for companion animal healthcare is growing continuously and expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2017 to 2023

Companion animals are pets reared by most of the people across the globe. They become an asset in the terms of providing protection to a person, property or workplace. The global companion animal healthcare market is increasing due to increase in number of people having pets, change in the way of providing care to the pets and awareness regarding spread of zoonotic diseases. Moreover, the financial improvement and related increments in disposable income, longer life expectancy for companion animals are some factors that influence the growth of companion animal healthcare market. Global companion animal healthcare market is expected to reach USD 20 billion by 2023 at a CAGR of 9.6% during forecast period 2018 to 2023.

To explore more, get PDF sample copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1168

The major factors driving the market are increasing companion animal owner demands, increasing companion animal owner awareness, and expectations for companion animal care. Furthermore, companion animal healthcare products, including pharmaceuticals and vaccines, which contribute significantly to the health and wellbeing of these animals. Rise in the income levels of individuals leveraging to the recent trends is leading to the increase in the number of pet (companion animal) adoption which ultimately leads to increase in the demand of companion animal healthcare. New trends of nuclear families and increasing average income among individuals have resulted in increased adoption of pets among middleclass families as well. Increased awareness regarding animal cruelty has also influenced people awareness and ideologies towards animals. Additionally, advances in animal health medicines and vaccines, increased types of medical treatment are fostering the market growth of companion animal healthcare market.

Companion Animal Healthcare Industry/ Innovation/ Related News:

April 24, 2018 – Zoetis (US) a leading Global animal health company, while reporting on the progress of one of their initiatives - A.L.P.H.A. (African Livestock Productivity and Health Advancement) stated that despite several adversaries, they are very well keeping up with the plan in the first place. The initiative is funded by a grant of USD 14.4 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to establish sustainable animal health infrastructure and veterinary diagnostic networks in Nigeria, Uganda, and Ethiopia.

April 18, 2018 – CannTrust Holdings Inc. (Canada), one of leading Global licensed producers of medical cannabis, announced the partnership with Grey Wolf Animal Health Inc. (Canada), a private healthcare company, with a developing portfolio of mature and innovative companion animal products to develop ground-breaking cannabis products to support the well-being of pets.

Key Players for Global Companion Animal Healthcare Market

The Global Companion Animal Healthcare Market is led by some of the fervent key players including Merial (France), Zoetis Animal Healthcare (US), Elanco Animal health (US), Bayer Animal Health (Germany), Merck and Co., Inc. (US), Ceva Animal Healthcare (UK), Vetoquinol S.A. (France), Virbac Animal Healthcare (France), Perrigo Company plc. (Ireland), and Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany).   Profiling them in its analysis, MRFR finds out their strategies keeping them at the forefront of the competition.

Global Companion Animal Healthcare Market   - Competitive Analysis

Characterized by the presence of several well-established and small players, the global Market of Companion Animal Healthcare appears to be highly competitive and fragmented. International players who are increasingly expanding their footprint in the developing economy, making it difficult for regional vendors to compete with them, especially in terms of features such as product differentiation, product portfolios, quality, and pricing.  The Market is witnessing intensified competition which is expected to get more intensified further during the forecast period. The intense competition prevalent in the market dictates the consolidation among marketers.

However, well established players integrate acquisition, collaboration, partnership, expansion, and product launch to gain competitive advantage in this market.

For instance; innovative Seresto collar by Bayer to protect dogs and cats against diseases transmitted by parasites. These key players offer a broad range of products with a range of treatment options, especially for bacterial infections.

Zoetis Animal Healthcare is one of the global animal healthcare company provides wide range of products for animal care. Moreover, company provides specific products for dogs, cats and horses. For instance, Apoquel, Cerenia, Convenia, Cytopoint, Palladia, Rimadyl are the products for dogs.

Get Complete Access of Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/companion-animal-healthcare-market-1168

Global Companion Animal Healthcare Market   - Regional Analysis

Globally, America accounts for the largest market share. Rising awareness about companion animal health, availability of wide range of products for animal health, increase in focus on food safety and increase in number of people having pets drive this market. Alarming occurrences of zoonotic diseases also affect the growth of this market. Europe is the second largest market for companion animal healthcare. Increased awareness regarding animal cruelty and ideologies towards animals are some of the major factor driving the growth of this market in Asia Pacific.

The companion animal healthcare market shows a slow growth in Middle East & Africa. Middle East & African market for companion animal healthcare also shows high growth opportunities due financial improvement and related increments in disposable income.

Brief Table of Contents of Report

Chapter 1. Report Prologue

Chapter 2. Market Introduction

2.1 Definition

2.2 Scope Of The Study

2.2.1 Research Objective

2.2.2 Assumptions

2.2.3 Limitations

Chapter 3. Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Primary Research

3.3 Secondary Research

3.4 Market Size Estimation

Chapter 4. Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.2 Restrains

4.3 Opportunities

4.4 Challenges

4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators

4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment

Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis

5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis

5.1.1 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers

TOC Continued…

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About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

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[epikairocom]

ΑΠΙΣΤΕΥΤΟΣ Παπαγάλος διακρίνει τα χρώματα σαν άνθρωπος! [ΒΙΝΤΕΟ]

 ΑΠΙΣΤΕΥΤΟΣ Παπαγάλος διακρίνει τα χρώματα σαν άνθρωπος! [ΒΙΝΤΕΟ]

(function(w,d,s,u,n,e,c){w.PXLObject = n; w[n] = w[n] || function(){(w[n].q =w[n].q || []).push(arguments);};w[n].l = 1 * new Date();e = d.createElement(s); e.async = 1; e.src = u;c = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; c.parentNode.insertBefore(e,c);})(window, document, "script", "//api.dmcdn.net/pxl/client.js","pxl");

  Due to repeated concerns regarding the empty cage shown in the video, it is my impression, after having read her book, that this is where Alex sleeps, like a bed, and that he is mostly perched outside the cage when he is not sleeping.

Also, had Dr. Pepperberg taken Alex home with her every night or hung toys in his cage, it would have compromised the study. Already, she had to fight the belief that the study was not legit and that Alex was only mimicking, and that animals are stupid. I assume her and her assistants’ interactions were carefully documented so as not to create a bias and enable the detractors to put down her study proving animal intelligence. According to her book, because of an accidental introduction of mirrors in the bathroom for Alex, they could not perform the self-awareness study using a mirror. Alex did get a lot of attention during the day, which is sadly not the case for many pet parrots, even if the pet owners love them. Dr. Pepperberg had broken from the accepted practice in her day of starving the test subjects, but instead engaged with Alex like a child, and used her intelligence and insight (and determination) to show that a bird can be very smart. She struggled a lot to get funding, and it was stressful for her as well as for Alex (read her book). Enjoy the Genius of Birds.

Parrot Smart- Parrot Smartly solve color matching problems in this video

The Birdie Ring Toss Trick is a really fun way to demonstrate your parrot’s intelligence while building a bond with your bird through parrot training. Your parrot will not only have to learn to match colors but also the mechanics of how to actually put a ring onto a peg.

This video will help you learn the training process for teaching the Birdie Ring Toss color match trick to your parrot. It is recommended for medium and large parrots such as African Grey, Eclectus, Amazon, Cockatoo, and Macaw. Smaller birds like Senegal Parrot or Sun Conure can learn to do it too.

If you are still wondering how I can teach my parrot to match colors or to do the ring on peg trick, it is explained in greater detail in my free training guide on the Trained Parrot Blog

from epikairo.com http://ift.tt/2COZmg3

[windycityparrot]

How can you compare the personalities of an African grey and a macaw?

That is not really a fair question. The personality of a captive bird is determined by many factors and the environment that humans provide for them. The bigger question is are we seeing the paratroop personality or does being a captain of bird change everything? In other words would a bird be different in the wild than in captivity? There is no single event, procedure or training apparatus that will cause a bird to act like this or that, be an uncontrollable screamer, feather self mutilator or toe tapper (a neurological issue in some eclectus parrots). Most people fail in raising captive birds because they don't "speak bird". It is essential to look at a pet bird holistically because every component of their life impacts their behavior. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwnpf-a6Dq0 editors note: The questions on this page are from  https://www.quora.com where I "try to set the record straight". They tend to have a different "flavor" than the ones we get via email and help scout. We post to more social media sites (including https://www.quora.com) than you may be aware of. Here's our weekly post to list. https://www.facebook.com/WindCityParrot https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchrezman/ https://www.instagram.com/windycityparrot/?hl=en https://plus.google.com/u/0/+windycityparrot https://www.pinterest.com/windycityparrot/ http://windycityparrot.tumblr.com/ https://www.xing.com/en https://medium.com/ https://www.torial.com/en/start https://www.flickr.com/ https://www.diigo.com/ https://del.icio.us/ https://www.reddit.com/ Now you know where to find me Not only is the cage set up important but what happens once the bird is out of the cage is very important - to the bird. Diet and nutrition have a major impact on a bird but so does the fact that the bird has clipped wings or is flighted. Having full-spectrum light on a timer 12 hours a day and 12 hours of darkness during the night. Females parrots react differently than males especially when they are in their brooding mode. Then you'll find different personalities based upon the sex of a given species. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jo1XYeTW4c How much foraging and enrichment is available for any particular bird is a huge factor in determining their overall personality - happy bird or sad bird. Birds are flock animals. When you bring them into your home you (and all other household members) will become their flock. If you want to see a personality change in a parrot, add a second parrot into the mix which is what many people do thinking that they will solve the first parrots behavioral problems. What ends up happening is that the two birds end up cutting you, the human out of the deal changing the dynamic from pet bird companion to zookeeper and the bird's personalities change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WyAe5Vx-sQ I can't get my macaw to eat any vegetables, what should I do? I’d start with cooked peas as they have twice as much protein than broccoli. The higher sugar content makes peas more palatable. Our Senegal is very active so I don’t worry about the dextrose/sucrose (good sugar). She gets a base diet of Hagen Tropimix or Higgins Safflower Gold most of which is foraged in enrichment boxes spread about our home. Most cage bird-keepers trying to sustain their birds on a “fresh diet” are actually creating malnutrition in their birds - I have the data if anyone is interested. Why does an African Senegal Parrot attempt to go into the mouth of a human? To be clear human saliva is bad for birds. Birds should not be allowed near a humans mouth not only for sanitary reasons but there's always the potential of the bird biting your sensitive lip area be it accidental or on purpose. Whether it be a Senegal (which we are companion to) or any bird for that matter another reason for them wanting to enter your mouth is to regurgitate into your mouth as a mating ritual. What's so important about  a bird's claws? It's not so much just the claw or talons. It's important to understand that birds have no muscles and their feet. Each leg has two tendons called flexor tendons that are an exquisite pulley system. When a bird flexes its ankle it forces its feet to come together enabling birds to both sleep standing up on one leg and using their feet to finish the kill of prey while in flight. What is a simple yet well rounded diet for a parrot? Many bird owners cook regular meals for their birds on a daily basis, while others swear by a nutritionally complete mix or pellet. What is a happy medium for someone with a little extra time but who can't cook full meals for their bird on a regular basis? I know I'm biased because I make my living selling bird food but I’ve researched this extensively. I've even calculated ingredient by ingredient the nutritional value of a complicated bird chop. Humans tend to manipulate an animals world by imposing its thoughts and ideas on the animal regardless of species. If you look at a caged bird from a cockatiel to a macaw you will see anywhere from 5000 to 7000 feathers. Feathers are made from one thing - amino acids and amino acids come from protein. The caloric need for protein increases if your hen is brooding or your bird is molting forcing the production of 5000 to 7000 new feathers - twice a year. So every time I look at a chop recipe (as the sole nutrition for a bird) my first question is where is the protein coming from? If this is the only protein source (this chop) what is the amount of protein you are supplying to your bird? Somebody mentioned they make a recipe with vegetables and eggs. A single large egg weighs 50 g and has about 6 1/2 g of protein. But that's half the body weight of a cockatiel so what if the bird only eats five bites? Again I ask where is the protein coming from? Commercial bird food manufacturers have spent a combined hundreds of years and millions of dollars developing well-balanced foods that offer the proper nutrition based upon species. Unless you are weighing your bird at least twice a month and doing a full blood panel workup annually you really have no idea as to the state of your birds health. The introduction of yogurt is opaque to me in that birds have no enzymes necessary to digest milk products. The flip side to the equation is that you can't answer the question without knowing the bird species, its general daily activities, if it's flighted or clipped and how it likes to eat as in with its beak or his feet so we need to ask many more questions before we can properly answer this one. a follow up question showed up on the radar What to feed my African grey? Hi Susan- It is difficult to recommend a food for any bird with out knowing the sex - Females need more calories if brooding - also more calcium the age - senior birds have unique nutritional needs the molt - twice a year birds lose all their 5000 - 7000 feathers (yes we counted as we poured them out of the vacuum) more calories are needed to replace those feathers which are made from amino acids which comes from the protein in your bird food the eating style - does your bird like to eat with its foot? is it a dunker? the activity - a flighted bird that follows you around the house in the air needs more calories than a clipped bird sitting in a cage 20 hours a day the hormones - the elimination of soy may reduce hormonal activities i birds. yeah we think about this alot getting closer to an answer for you - cooked food found here is a great addition to your grey's regular diet but it does not hold up throughout the day as it becomes a concrete like texture For starters I'm going to recommend Higgins Safflower Gold. It has seeds, nuts, fruit, vegetables as well as Higgins InTune pellets for a well rounded diet. I would advocate providing foraging opportunities to make eating time a fun and enriching event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCqwIRBpNmw  What was that gold band I saw around an African grey's leg? Bird banding although still around is an outdated practice. Banding has two major drawbacks, the band can be altered and the band can get stuck on a bird toy or bird cage accessory causing a bird to break an ankle or even worse hanging upside down until it dies. Read more about bird banding here The banding databases are also outdated and not synchronized well so even if you have a band number it is not very easy to find the origins of the bird unless you know specifically where to look. Today micro-chipping is far more effective and can be inserted into birds cockatiel size or larger. There are three or four known micro-chipping platforms and you need to ask your veterinarian which microchip reader he uses. Most use at least two to avoid misidentification. Feathered factoid: our Senegal parrot Peaches has a small tattoo, basically a little red dot I think it's over her left elbow indicating she is a female which was determined by surgical sexing. written by mitch rezman approved by catherine tobsing your zygodactyl footnote via GIPHY Read the full article

[fluffybuttsfamily-blog]

She’s beauty.  She’s grace.  She’s … a Poodle!  That’s right, this week we’re taking a closer look at another popular dog breed, the Poodle.

Many of you may not know this, but the Poodle isn’t a dog bred all for show.  They were actually bred as water retrievers first and foremost.  Even those strange haircuts may have had a purpose.  Some believe the extravagant show clips evolved from working clips meant to protect joints and major internal organs from cold water while the rest was shaved to reduce drag while swimming.  Of course, there are also those that theorize the show clips came from the unique clips used to garner attention when poodles were trained to do tricks in the French circus.

Dated 1849-1858

Most agree the Poodle came from Germany, but was more fully developed as a water dog in France.  It is also believed to be one of the oldest breeds developed for hunting waterfowl.  There are, however, several theories regarding its ancestry.  Was it a descendant of crossbreeds between Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Hungarian, and Russian water dogs?  Or does it descend from the North African Barber that was imported to the Iberian Peninsula and the transported to Gaul where it was used for it’s hunting abilities.  Or was it descended from Asian herding dogs, which were then crossbred with dogs traveling with the Germanic Goth and Ostrogoth tribes and eventually came to be used as a water dog?  Or, this last theory, was it a descendant of dogs brought out of the Asian steppes by the conquering North African Berbers and found it’s way to Portugal with the Moors?  Whichever theory is correct, scholars agree the Poodle is a very old breed.  In fact, there are illustrations depicting dogs that look very much like modern-day Poodles on both Roman and Egyptian artifacts dating back to early B.C.

  They were later bred (small Poodle to small Poodle, not Poodle to a different, smaller breed of dog) to create smaller Poodles, the Miniature and Toy varieties.  Miniature Poodles were then used to sniff out truffles, a strong-smelling underground fungus that resembles a rough-skinned potato and is considered a culinary delicacy, while Toy Poodles were bred to be companions to the nobility and wealthy merchant class.  Poodles have also contributed to the development of several breed including the Miniature Schnauzer, the Standard Schnauzer, and dogs of the Bichon type.

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Standard

Miniature

Toy

Today, Poodles are mostly companion dogs, though some Standard Poodles are still used as hunting and water dogs.  As companions, they are dignified and intelligent, but are not without their playful side.  They can be both goofy and mischievous and are always up for a good game.  Poodles are also very people-friendly and are eager to please.  This makes for a highly trainable dog and those that are taught manners from a young age and are consistently exercised to drain excess energy, often end up having an overall calm disposition.  Miniature and Toy Poodles may or may not be higher strung than their larger counterparts.

Poodles can be wonderful companions to children, but caution should be taken with Toy Poodles as they are more delicate than the larger Poodle varieties and may get hurt more easily.  Poodles can also do well with other pets as long as they have exposure to them often enough from the time they’re a puppy.  Introductions of new dogs or other animals might otherwise take more time and specialized training.

Poodles have a great deal of energy and will need plenty of exercise as well as intellectual games to keep them from getting bored, which will also keep them out of trouble.  They get lonely when left at home by themselves or when left out of activities their family is participating in and may developed separation anxiety if this is a frequent occurrence.  That reserve of energy and intelligence also means, however, that they can and often do excel in dog sports such as, agility, flyball, dock diving, field tracking, and schutzhund.  They also excel in show and obedience competitions.  So, too, have they been used as war or army dogs by the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard.

Unlike many water, hunting, and gun dogs, Poodles do not have a double coat.  They have one layer of dense, curly fur.  They shed very minimally, so much so that they are often considered hypoallergenic and many people with dog allergies can keep a Poodle with no issue.  But they do shed, the dead hair simply gets tangled in their coat rather than falling loose.  For this reason, Poodles need to be brushed daily to remove dead hair as, without it, their coat will very quickly develop mats.  They should be groomed every 6-8 weeks, whether that be at home or at a professional groomer.  Pet clips are usually much less elaborate than show clips, but is ultimately dependant upon the owner’s preference.  Many owners maintain a puppy or lamb clip, as these tend to be simpler.

In the show ring, most breed registries only allow certain types of clips for Poodles competing in conformation.  The American Kennel Club allows 2 types for adult Poodles, and these are, the “Continental” clip and the “English Saddle” clip.  Puppies under 12 months of age can be shown in a “puppy clip,” and Poodles being shown in the Stud Dog and Brood Bitch classes may be shown in a “Sporting” clip.

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“Continental” clip

“English Saddle” clip

“puppy clip”

“Sporting” clip

Corded coats, like those seen on Komondors or a person with dreadlocks, were once as common on Poodles as the curly coat, but the trend as fallen out of favor with most Poodle owners.  It is now considered rare, but a Poodle with a corded coat can be shown in any major kennel club.

Corded coat

  A Poodle’s coat can be a wide variety of colors including white, black, brown, parti, silver, grey, silver beige, apricot, red, cream, sable, and patterns such as phantom and bridle.  Those with phantom, bridle, or sable colors or patterns are not recognized by any major registries.

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White

Black

Brown

Parti

Silver

Grey

Silver beige

Apricot

Red

Cream

Sable

Phantom

Brindle

If you are considering purchasing or adopting a Poodle, please research them beforehand!  Poodles are amazing and diverse dogs, but they are not necessarily for everyone.  Their energy and intelligence means they can get bored easily and may turn to destructive or obnoxious behaviors to occupy themselves.  They are also one of the few dogs with an intense keenness to express instinctive behaviors like marking and hunting, which may make training a bit more difficult than it might otherwise be.  Their coat care is considered high maintenance due to the need for daily brushings and the need for grooming every 6-8 weeks.  However, if you’re looking for a happy but dignified companion with a mischievous and goofy streak, that is people-friendly, loves being included in family activities, is a great adventure buddy, and is pretty much hypoallergenic, the Poodle might just be the dog for you!

Fun Fact: Poodle owner’s in the Renaissance era often carried their Toy Poodles in their large shirtsleeves, thus giving rise to the name “sleeve dog.”

Do you or have you owned a Poodle? Please tell us about him/her in the comments below!  I’d love to hear about your experiences with the breed.

Have suggestions?  Comment below!

Have a breed you’d like to see featured in our next Breed of the Week?  Leave your suggestion in the comments below!

If you liked this post, please consider becoming a part of our Fluffybutt Family by liking, sharing, and/or following our blog.  We’d love to share our journey with you!

Breed of the Week: Poodle She's beauty.  She's grace.  She's ... a Poodle!  That's right, this week we're taking a closer look at another popular dog breed, the Poodle.

[ryder05f91285-blog]

I Want My Silver Dollar Super

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Typically, these days, women of any ages can be found using developer or even casual dark patent footwears along valeur-dachat.fr with every little thing off jeans to semi formal attires. I absolutely recognize your aspect, and you are right...African-American STAND OUT coming from dark girls in general. Just as an inadequate money makes that a lot more costly for Canadians to cross-border shop on Dark Friday, that sets you back Andrew Peller additional funds to get resources. Possibly they collect horseless carriage vintage license plates, or maybe they pick up and rejuvenate outdated porcelain license plates. Two months later on Booboo perished and also our experts gave Candy to a depended on pet outlet; where she could stay with others from her kind. There are actually over 30 varieties of pastries on offer at this kerbside shop, which has actually been acquiring the accolades given that opening in 2001.

[itsiotrecords-blog]

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While humans trigger most environmental challenges directly, sometimes the threats are posed by animals. You wouldn’t expect these 10 animals to be causing problems, but they are, in their own way, extremely dangerous.

#1 Deer Mice, Forest Fragmentation and Lyme Disease The wide range of human impact on nature includes forest fragmentation, which leaves small clumps of forest behind after logging. While loss of wildlife habitat is a well known result of this, there are further implications that are especially alarming. A series of studies on forest patches indicate that Lyme disease carrying ticks are more abundant in smaller forests. This is due to greatly increased numbers of deer mice, which serve as highly mobile hosts. The mechanism for the mouse population rise was traced to a reduced abundance of competing rodent species such as chipmunks, and an absence of key mouse predators like weasels and hawks. According to one study, human exposure to Lyme disease was found to be five times as likely in forests under five acres.

#2 Canada Goose Contamination Canada Geese are no longer a beloved symbol of the great Northern wilderness. These large, ubiquitous waterbirds are frequently seen in park ponds and city reservoirs, where they may deposit copious amounts of droppings. Clouding of the water and fouling of grass is a commonly noted complaint, but the problem has more serious implications. One goose can deposit over one pound of waste per day, and a wide range of pathogens may be spread by the birds. Disease such as swimmer’s itch may be spread, while E. coli and even chlamydia organisms are potentially transmissible to humans coming into contact with the waste. Even more concerning are discoveries of antibiotic resistant strains. The habit of landing in sewage waste areas near farms may have contributed to this problem.

#3 Barred Owl Invasion An owl is probably the last type of animal you’d consider when asked to name an invasive species. However, one of the most typical looking owls in North America is actually an exotic invader in a significant portion of the continent. Native to the American Southeast, the dark eyed, grey feathered barred owl has rapidly extended its natural range north and west as far as British Columbia in the past 80 years, with the invasion coming to a head in the past decade. The barred owl is native to swamp habitats where it hunts frogs, mice and other small animals. Upon arrival in the Pacific Northwest, with its comparable moist forest habitats, the barred owl places pressure on native species. Endangered spotted owls are believed to be replaced by barred owls in many circumstances, while native screech owls, saw-whet owls and small animals are being taken out in unprecedented numbers by the Southern arrivals. Researchers have pointed to human changes in the landscape as a primary factor in the arrival of this species.

#4 African Giant Snail Invasions Invasions and animal related problems may come at a literal snails’ pace. When a mollusc invasion occurs, the results can be gradual but devastating. Florida is currently experiencing a plague of enormous, eight inch African land snails that cause a surprisingly wide range of problems. Likely released by an irresponsible pet owner, the snails are capable of eating over 500 plant species, will invade yards and parks, and even eats through drywall. The slime and waste is known to cover pavement and walls as the snails take over in large numbers. Other weird problems caused by the enormous snails with large, stalked eyes include flying shards from the shells when the snails are hit by lawnmowers. Teams of cullers and now dogs are being used to track down the snails, according to Florida’s Agricultural Commissioner, who is taking the problem very seriously.

#5 American Bullfrog Aggression The American bullfrog is the largest and most aggressive frog in North America. Native to Eastern North America, the massive frogs may weigh up to one and a half pounds with a length of eight inches! Unfortunately, they’ve been responsible for huge native wildlife losses due to their widespread introduction worldwide through farming and as escaped pets. Even in North America environmental scientists could use “devastation” to describe what’s been unleashed on the Western side of the continent. A study on the southern portion of Vancouver Island found remains of 18,814 animals from 15 taxonomical classes. Prey included crayfish, other frogs, fish, salamanders, lizards, snakes and even birds.

#6 The Snow Goose Blizzard Snow geese may be a symbol of the Northern wilderness, but while beautiful these large, white, arctic breeding waterbirds have increased threefold in numbers since the 1970s, with a correspondingly startling impact. Snow geese dig and graze with their serrated bills, but while this is normally a sustainable activity, reduced predation and increased food availability on wintering grounds in the United States and Canada seem to be driving populations up to unsustainable levels. As a result, large patches of bare mud and destroyed roots are forming moonscapes in the natural habitats frequented by snow geese. The effects cascade down the food chain, affecting grassland rodents, shorebirds, raptors, longspurs, buntings, foxes and waterfowl.

#7 The Grey Squirrel Fiasco Squirrels are among the most familiar and treasured native species in forests. However, a rising problem has become apparent as eastern grey squirrels, native to the east of North America, have become established in British Columbia after eight individuals were released in Vancouver’s Stanley Park in 1914. The squirrels began marching across the province, leaving destroyed songbird nests, ruined vegetation and a range of environmental problems and gnawing issues in their wake. As if that wasn’t enough, the especially sensitive habitats of Vancouver Island were later beset by a northward heading horde of eastern grey squirrels after an escape from a game farm in 1966. The eastern grey has been named one of the 100 worst invasive species worldwide. The squirrels have the ability to displace native squirrels and also spread a deadly pox virus that causes lesions and death in European red squirrels.

#8 Invasive Parrots in the United Kingdom Parrots are the mainstay of tropical scenes, pet stores and vacation advertisements, but the increasingly strange nature of the global invasive species problem might combine green feathers with a cold day. In the United Kingdom, large numbers of Indian ring-necked parakeets are considered a potential threat to native birds as well as being a nuisance and a source of potential damage to crops, native vegetation and suburban environments. The parakeets have the potential to aggressively attack other birds that they wouldn’t encounter in their native habitat, and possibly compete for nest sites. There are approximately 30,000 of the parakeets in the UK at the moment, and one of the most disturbing reports involved a violent attack on native tawny owls in a UK park. Actual clouds of parakeets can be seen in hotspots.

#9 The Asian Carp Threat Massive numbers of Asian carp have flooded drainage basins and tributaries leading to the Great Lakes since their arrival in the 1960s and 1970s. Bighead, silver, black and grass carp collectively may eat up to 20 percent of their body weight each day, draining habitats of native species and ecosystem productivity. The carp displace native species and contribute to habitat disturbance as their numbers swell to incredible levels, where they may make up to 50 percent of the fish biomass in a given environment. Alarm over the possible spread of these fish into the Great Lakes has generated concern, with environmental groups often suggesting that more should be done to prevent their spread.

#10 The New Zealand Possum Crisis Possums may seem like a cute and fuzzy symbol of Australia’s outback or New World forests, but non-native possums are considered a massive threat to the New Zealand environment. The brush-tailed possum, native to Australia, was introduced to New Zealand in 1837 as a new venture in the growing fur trade. However, these marsupials have proven to be a catastrophic addition to the natural environment, killing millions of forest birds and destroying countless nests every year. Targets of possum attacks include the iconic kiwi, which has little defense if a nest site is discovered by possums. As if their rapacious impact on wild animals wasn’t enough, it has been determined that brush-tailed possums are an important vector for bovine tuberculosis, a deadly threat to New Zealand livestock. The possums now occupy over 90 percent of New Zealand, provoking action plans and control proposals that may potentially cost billions to fully implement, with current control costs reaching 111 million dollars per year. But that’s money worth spending, as current livestock production losses may reach 40 million per year.

Source: TopTenz