This article is an excuse for me to talk about how terrifying Argentina is.
See, I have a well-deserved healthy respect for orcas. I am fully aware that I am out here walking around like a chicken tender and that an orca could, and would, likely just casually chomp me down.
More than that, we know orcas can, and do, communicate in highly sophisticated ways: often about food sources and hunting techniques.
Imagine being eaten by an orca and then it goes and gives you a 2 star review on Orca-Yelp like "Eh, it was a little screamy on the way down..."
I can't. If I'm going to get eaten, I'd rather it not be by something capable of criticizing me afterwards. It's a nightmare scenario.
As such, I have decided the entire country of Argentina is a hellscape for me.
Reddit user eeca20 asked:
"What is the wildest animal fact you know?"
Which leads us to the fun-fact I learned while sick-watching a nature documentary a few years ago.
The orcas in Argentina have taught themselves how to hunt on land.
But first let's talk about some other stuff...
Deadly Whale Songs
Sperm Whale Diving GIF by OceanaGiphy"The sperm whale is the loudest animal on Earth and could potentially kill you with just the noises it makes."
"They've been recorded over 200db, which is comparable to a space rocket launch in close proximity. There's conflicting evidence but some scientists think they can use noise to stun or even kill giant squid."
"They can also expel about 90% of the air from their lungs before they dive and store extra oxygen in their blood, so they don't get decompression sickness from their deep dives. This also helps to make them less buoyant."
"They can dive up to 10,000 feet deep for over an hour."
"It's also the largest toothed predator to have ever lived and have the largest brains on the planet."
- SPYK3O
Lumos
Looking Coral Reef GIF by Monterey Bay AquariumGiphy"Humans have 3 colour receptors and can see roughly 20 million colours. Mantis shrimps have 27 colour receptors."
"Let that sink in."
"A mantis shrimp's eye has 3 bands - one for seeing visible light, one for infrared and one for ultraviolet. The reason they have so many colour receptors is so they can actually process all of the information given to them by each band, and not just have a sensory overload."
"Also, Mantis shrimps can punch faster than the speed of sound, so they can effectively cause sparks underwater."
- DapCuber
"They punch so fast (the same acceleration as a .22 bullet) that a bubble of vacuum is created."
"The cavitation then violently collapses causing temperatures equal to the surface of the sun. So they're actually punching the water so hard and fast that they're causing light to be created from that punch... sonoluminescence."
- LookMaNoPride
The Ravens
David Attenborough Life GIFGiphy"I know wolves and ravens have a mutual relationship."
"Ravens will search for prey from above and make a specific call to alert the pack. The wolves make the kill and leave a bit behind so the ravens can get their fill."
- Im_not_da_guy
"I watched a raven beat the crap out of a falcon last summer."
"It was shocking how much more agile and capable it was in the air. The raven was easily flying circles around the falcon."
- user9347556765455678
Blue
Blue Eyes Hbo GIF by Game of ThronesGiphy"Most blue in nature is not through pigments."
"It's something called 'structural color' where complex microscopic structures literally trap other wavelengths of visible light. Most blue pigment is actually a diluted purple."
"I believe only one butterfly and a type of fish have actual blue pigment. Everything else is structural."
"Even humans with blue eyes don't have blue pigment, they have structural color."
- InfamousFault7
The Strongest Bear
Water Bear Snow GIF by PBS Digital StudiosGiphy"Tardigrades - also called water bears - can be boiled, frozen, subjected to immense pressure, the vacuum of space, or dried out for a decade… and live!"
- FlobbleChops
"They also used them to test the survival of a living organism surviving interplanetary travel of space debris. Water bears survived impact speeds up to 825 meters per second (1845 mph)."
- brandonfla
Snake Sillies
Jungle Book Snake GIFGiphy"Many survivors of black mamba bites have reported feeling euphoric as the (neurotoxic) venom began to take effect."
"Such reports lead scientists to isolate the responsible compounds from the venom, which are currently being investigated for use as non-opioid painkillers."
"The inland taipan is the world's most potently-venomous snake, which means it takes a lesser amount of inland taipan venom to kill a person than any other snake venom."
"Despite this potency, however, there has never been a (reported, much less confirmed) human death by inland taipan bite. This is largely because these snakes live towards the center of the Australian continent, where there is basically zero human habitation."
- PaniqueAttaque
"Wait, euphoric as in happy, giddy, and silly? It bites you, then gives you and gives you a case of the sillies so you die with a joygasm?"
"That is both terrifying and rather polite."
- [Reddit]
Argentina's Orcas
discovery channel swimming GIF by Shark WeekGiphy"Orca’s off the coast of Argentina have a hunting tradition where they intentionally beach themselves in order too snag sealions from the shore."
"Yeah, orcas hunt on land now, too."
- darell255
"Jesus imagine finding a stranded orca, thinking it’s dead, coming close to it and it bites your f*cking head off that’s terrifying."
- a-fat-penguin
A Fish Out Of Water
David Bowie Yes GIFGiphy"Betta Fish are anabantoids, meaning they breathe some air like humans with a special organ called a labyrinth organ."
"I have one as a pet and I can’t fill the tank to the top so he can breathe at the top. Every few minutes or so he comes up for a quick gulp of air, then goes back to whatever he is doing."
"Because of this, if a betta jumps out of water, (they are also great jumpers, can sometimes jump more than 3 inches, evolved like that because in natural environment so jump from water to water) they can survive, in the right conditions!"
"A betta can survive 6 hours out of water if they are in a humid environment to maintain moisture, and can breathe in oxygen with their labyrinth organ."
- Fish_make_me_happy
The Lion King
nat geo hyena GIF by National Geographic ChannelGiphy"Hyenas have a startlingly complex Matriarchal social structure and they are one of the most well adapted animals to their environment."
"As most will know, they eat bone with their immensely strong teeth and jaws, but this serves a very important function. Their droppings are white, and very rich in Potassium and Calcium, so helps to nourish the plains so that other wildlife can thrive, making them critical to their Biosphere."
"Also their forelegs are longer than their back legs, giving them the advantage of being able to see further across the plains compared to a similar sized animal with more proportional legs."
"The Lion King has a lot to answer for the reputation of Hyenas as duplicitous and base creatures!"
- No-Cryptographer-192
Male Mosquito
Mosquito GIF by DiscoveryGiphy"Most people have never seen a male mosquito and wouldn't recognize one if they did."
"Why? They don't drink blood (flower nectar only for those "bad boys") so you won't have them land on you, they are typically quite a bit smaller than the female, and they have weird branched antennae that kind of look like tiny deer antlers."
"How do I know? Well, I took a medical entomology class with a lab and then spent almost a year doing lab research on mosquitoes where the first step in my experiments was to raise them and the day the emerged from larvae separate the boys from the girls... since I was only conducting my experiments on females."
- RetiredEpi
So before we wrap this up, I want to go back to this whole orcas-hunting-on-land thing. I don't think Reddit really went into how absolutely terrifying this is.
The mental image of one lone orca laying around on land chomping on sea lions is bad enough, but what Reddit didn't talk about is how the orca gets back into the water.
Orcas can't walk on their front flippers like sea lions can. They can't really belly-scoot like seals, either.
They have to get back into the water through the power of team work. That is not heart-warming, stop "aww-ing" and start "AAAAAHHHH!-ing" in existential horror.
The rest of the pod lines up along the beach and, in unison, use their tails to create a wave big enough to wash the beached orca back into the water.
They have to coordinate that. They have to talk that out.
They have to decide whose turn it is to take the risk of going on land, then appoint someone to be spotter for that guy and look/listen for signs of distress or the signal that land-orca is ready to come back into the water.
They have to work out and agree on what those signs and signals will be.
Argentinian orcas have already done all of that - and done it so well that they are now teaching it to their orca children, grandorcas, etc. They get together for educational sessions and will often capture, release, and re-capture the same poor traumatized sea lion over and over for training purposes.
This level of management, communication, and coordination this proves they're using is horrifying - particularly when you consider that humans are probably far easier to catch than sea lions.
They basically have HR, trade school, and on-the-job training, fam! How does anyone in Argentina even dare to GLANCE at the ocean knowing what their orcas are capable of?
I'm out, Argentina. Y'all can keep your terminator orcas.
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Pet Owners Share The Weirdest Ways Their Fur Baby Has Tried To Get Their Attention
Yes! Yes! I see you!
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay |
I love my babies. I have three, two dogs and a cat. They can drive me to distraction and vodka a plenty but then they can be so adorable I can't help but fall in love several times a day. Of course most of the times I want to play or give them love they can't be bothered. But the second I start to work or workout, they throw tantrums for my attention. Like right now.
Redditor u/GiftSuperb wanted to discuss everyone's favorite thing to discuss... our pets/babies, by asking... Pet owners of Reddit, what's the weirdest way your pets try to get your attention?My one dog, Juliet, is the worst. She will actually scratch at my leg and then when I turn to say "WHAT?" she will dramatically, a la Scarlett O'Hara, twist and throw herself to the floor. I can actually feel the vapors. Like really girl? Who else knows what I'm talking about?
Head First
Happy John Oliver GIF by Last Week Tonight with John OliverGiphyMy dog head butts me in the leg. She walks over, and head butts my leg. Then she holds her head against my leg and won't move until I scratch behind her ears long enough to please her majesty.
Cornered
My cat learned pretty quickly that if he messes with the papers on the counter, he gets attention. It's negative attention, but he gets it and apparently loves it because he'll sit down and get comfortable and just start flipping his paw through it like it's his paperwork. If I ignore that he escalates to biting off corners. He knows that'll get me every time.
Poop Gifts
Our dog bring us toys when she needs to go potty. And when you let her outside to the deck you have to tell her to go down to the grass, or she'll forget why she's outside and sit at the door. Smart.
Fighting Fur
Mine attacks my other cat. He knows if he does that I have to get up to break it up. I don't know how to break this cycle. If I ignore it, he gets frustrated and takes it out even worse on the other cat. People are like "Just ignore him", but I don't really want a full blown cat fight happening, fur all over my apartment, and my other cat being beaten up because my first cat is a jerk (who is currently curled up, sleeping contentedly against my leg).
Gnawing
guinea pig eating GIFGiphyGuinea pig grips the cage door with her teeth, shaking it so loud it sounds like an old washing machine on spin cycle.
See, these fools know what they're doing. My other dog, Rocco, he will stare at me. I mean like serial killer, no blinking, stare me down dead. Then every few minutes lick one lip. Just one. He's a bit much. Just like that guinea pig. Moving on...
Creepy Cat
Cat Ear GIF by swerkGiphyMy cat has found that licking my lips wakes me up pretty quickly.
Mine too! I don't mind the kisses though. I just give him the attention he wants. My fiancé says, he gets on my pillow during the night and stares at me. And he'll do that all through the night. He must get enough of me sleeping and can't wait a moment longer. Once I'm awake he will come near me and raise a paw to let me know he wants attention. Such a little gentleman.
The Mat
My new cat started scratching at my standing mat in my home office (NO!!!) so the second she scratched at the wood bridge I put in the kitchen to link the top of the cabinets for her, I gave her treats. I continue to reward her for scratching there, even if it's just attention. She will escalate to scratching at other things up there but none of it matters so I just give her attention for that. She has not touched the mat since so I guess it worked.
RESET
Oh No Facepalm GIFGiphyMy cat thinks she can "reset" the affection/attention levels by leaving and reentering the room.
If I leave my cat alone for a while, she'll eventually leave... only to come right back a few minutes later, pretending like it's the first time that day that she's seen me.
Funny thing is it works.
Popcorning?
Oh, I have 2 guinea pigs and they get my attention by flipping over their igloos, then popcorning on them.
I had to look up what popcorning was. Oh my god that's adorable!!
Tip: when you look up something, share it here.
Popcorning is the name for those crazy leaps your guinea pig does in the air, and there's a reason for it. If your little piggy is bucking, squealing, and just generally acting crazy, then you're probably looking at a popcorning guinea pig.
McUluld
"The Attention Spot"
White Dog GIFGiphyThe way our living area is set up, we have a short couch in front of our computers with a dog bed at armrest-height next to my partner. It's really only a big enough space for one dog.
We have a collie mix and a gshep mix. When the collie has decided the gshep has been in "The Attention Spot" for too long, he will run to the front door, bark a "Mailman is Here" alarm, and the gshep will run to the assigned Barking Position at the guest bedroom window.
Then the collie will casually claim The Attention Spot while the gshep frantically barks at nothing.
Clever little menace.
Little Noises
I stopped working in 2019 for health reasons, and my cat has gotten used to me being home every day. When she wakes up, she squeaks/yowls at me until I follow her to the couch, where I have to sit down and put a blanket on my lap so she can curl up and get her morning pets. She's got me trained pretty well.
I'm glad I'm not alone. But regardless of their suspicious actions, we'll never stop loving them and trying to vie for their attentions. Maybe not my cat. She likes to jump, from and to everywhere, and it freaks me out. I prefer she stay upstairs. LOL...
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Animals that look like celebrities aren't a new phenomenon—they've been part of meme culture since before meme culture was really a thing, but they always manage to make a big splash when someone finds a new one.
Twitter user @nevona recently shared a photo of a dog who bears a striking resemblance to actor Richard Gere, and Twitter users loved it.
Gere, who is well known for his roles in An Officer And A Gentleman and Pretty Woman, has been acting since the 1970s.
More recently he starred in Hachi: A Dog's Tale, available here, which tells the story of a dog named Hachi and his devotion to his human.
You can see the photo of the dog below:
why does this dog look like richard gere https://t.co/XLylaBofPQ— nevona (@nevona) 1563927042.0
@nevona @darth The resemblance is uncanny— Alexandra Halaby (@Alexandra Halaby) 1563930642.0
Several people posted comparisons, trying to find the perfect shot of Gere.
@nevona Pretty close #RichardGere and the #Dog https://t.co/9GXV85gWZF— Cuiet(4.26) Matte.L (@Cuiet(4.26) Matte.L) 1564020073.0
@nevona @Rschooley https://t.co/nbEVk7sf5W— omnithrope (@omnithrope) 1563929954.0
@sublime2166 @omnithrope @nevona @Rschooley https://t.co/G0ZXst5bTv— パン (@パン) 1564002350.0
Users also shared photos of other celebrity lookalikes.
@nevona Same reason my cat looks like Claure Danes. Witchcraft. https://t.co/uXRsol8wiM— JBLIPPMAN (@JBLIPPMAN) 1563941921.0
@nevona @tetines90 I dunno https://t.co/1p9Lo1LPyC— mass ave curmudgeon (@mass ave curmudgeon) 1563943284.0
@nevona @benshapiro Have you ever seen Ron Pearlcat? https://t.co/EOBZpAG9XZ— Timothy Hubbard (@Timothy Hubbard) 1563931883.0
@TH4UA @nevona @benshapiro Don't forget Catam Driver https://t.co/o30wcLug3k— MartinAmerica (@MartinAmerica) 1563970569.0
@nevona Why does my cat look like Steve Buscemi https://t.co/4qJsGwVp7v— Jen Chavez (@Jen Chavez) 1563937864.0
@nevona Let's not forget John Travolta dog! https://t.co/n9Ixc51G5w— Decky (@Decky) 1563956239.0
One user even has a dog that looks like a more recent version of Gere.
@nevona My dog looks like richard gere https://t.co/sRAEe0vKiO— gabi sobral (@gabi sobral) 1563995987.0
The jokes were, of course, plentiful.
@nevona @HayleyByrnes Now starring in “Pretty WOOFman.” Ok, I’ll see myself out now...— Excitable Ute (@Excitable Ute) 1563940261.0
@nevona He was great in the movie "An Officer and a Good Boy".— PCR RitesGood (@PCR RitesGood) 1563931577.0
Celebrity animal lookalikes never fail to catch the internet's collective attention. People love to see their favorite celebrities in the faces of their beloved animal companions, and they love to share it with everyone else.
Any excuse too look at photos of cute animals is a good excuse.
The book Awkward Family Pet Photos, available here, may not have celebrities, but it will give you a laugh.
Cop Responding To Call About A 'Wounded Dog' Ends Up Finding A Tiny, Frightened Coyote Pup Instead
The Massachusetts State Police are no strangers to calls about wounded animals on the highway, but a call they received on May 5th wasn't quite what they were expecting.
Dispatch received a call about a "wounded dog in the road," and Trooper Carlo Mastromattei responded.
What Mastromattei found when he arrived on-site on Revere Beach Parkway was, in fact, a tiny lone coyote pup.
The poor pup had apparently been separated from its mother, as she was nowhere to be found.
Trooper Mastromattei contacted several local wildlife services after he realized how much danger being on the parkway posed for the pup, but none of the agencies he contacted had personnel available to assist.
He then contacted Ocean View Kennels. The owner, Lisa Cutting, was able to come help him wrangle the pup safely into a crate.
Cutting told CBS Boston about the rescue:
"Put my gloves on. Grabbed a towel and a quarantine cage, and picked him up and brought him to safety."
Mastromattei then took the pup home, where he and his girlfriend AnnBeth cared for it overnight before bringing it to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic for an evaluation.
The coyote pup was given a clean bill of health, and Tufts arranged for him to be taken in by wildlife rehabilitation specialist Dawn Collins, of Berkshire Wildlife Services.
He will spend some time being taught how to survive on his own in the wild, and will eventually be released once he can fend for himself.
You can read Massachusetts State Police's Facebook statement (and see some adorable photos of the pup) below:
The response of Facebook users was overwhelmingly positive and supportive.
Many thanked Trooper Mastromattei for his compassion and quick thinking.
Jamene Murphy/Facebook
Kerry Howeson/Facebook
Cheryl Gaffny Floyd/Facebook
Tracy Ann/Facebook
Samantha Gitschier/Facebook
Some also thanked AnnBeth for her part in caring for the little ball of fur.
Christine Lycus/Facebook
Libbie Pryor Arnold/Facebook
This certainly isn't the only orphaned or injured coyote that Dawn Collins has taken in for rehabilitation. She is the only person licensed in wildlife rehabilitation in Massachusetts that will take coyotes.
According to the Berkshire Eagle, she has already taken in 5 pups this year. This pup will join them after 2 weeks in quarantine to make sure that all is well.
If you want to support the work that Collins does with Berkshire Wildlife Services, you can donate via their website.
Who doesn't love dogs?
Apparently, a restaurateur in Manhattan.
Eateries owned by Besim Kukaj in New York City have allegedly refused to follow the law for people with service animals. This has led to legal action.
July 2017, at Kukaj's Limon Jungle, diner Henry Goldstein entered the establishment for lunch with his service dog, Cookie. Goldstein had cookie registered with the city to help with his severe anxiety.
The manager allegedly asked to see the dog's papers, and when provided, still kicked Goldstein out.
SIC 'EM!! https://t.co/V7fRVH9GLu— No Blue Check. 1* (@No Blue Check. 1*) 1556735280.0
https://t.co/LGyMxZUc3o Karma— Jim Kee (@Jim Kee) 1556735011.0
Jackassery defined here. Animals rule. https://t.co/v2pT5naXBl— Dagen McDowell (@Dagen McDowell) 1556714512.0
Would #never eat at #animalhater #BesimKukaj #restaurants #boycottLimonJungle #boycottIntermezzo… https://t.co/Zm7deKzsi7— Staten Islanders For Donald Trump (@Staten Islanders For Donald Trump) 1556725313.0
Serves them right! https://t.co/HlHgyx2OIN— L N (@L N) 1556681063.0
After this, Goldstein registered a complaint with New York City's Commission on Human Rights. They had a tester call another Kukaj owned establishment, and see if they would allow someone with a service animal.
The employee who answered said they weren't allowed any animals due to health laws.
This case highlights an ongoing problem with the way some people treat their pets. More importantly, it brings up the way people use so called "emotional support" animals.
On one hand, places like restaurants ban non-service animals for a reason. Different animals can set off allergic reactions for people, or even contaminate food.
On the other side of things, people with disabilities need their service animals. Places that take too strong a stance against animals, risk alienating and discriminating against those with genuine need for their animal.
Despite this, some online chose to side with the restaurant owner.
@DetrickSteven @dagenmcdowell Agreed completely.👍👍😎 There've been waaay too many times I've been in a restaurant an… https://t.co/PeIxdGbB8W— 🇺🇸⚾ America, Dodgers, & Snark ⚾🇺🇸 (@🇺🇸⚾ America, Dodgers, & Snark ⚾🇺🇸) 1556762482.0
@nypost I gotta side with the restaurateur on this one. Most of the "service animals" are bullshit. Like 99% of them— jaaaash (@jaaaash) 1556681187.0
@nypost The city does not issue "registration letters" or anything official re "service dogs." And the tags are all… https://t.co/yGfJq1hVV3— Leslie Feffer 📚 (@Leslie Feffer 📚) 1556767257.0
@dogtrainer4ever @g_kohls @VisitWilmington I really think dog owners should refrain from bringing their dog into re… https://t.co/DOsAD5oCVu— Michael LaVaque🎶🌎🎸🎧 (@Michael LaVaque🎶🌎🎸🎧) 1556804856.0
The ADA and often times, specific city laws have definitions of what constitutes a service animal. In New York City, the law specifically says that whatever requirements between the two sets of description provides the most protection for the person with the service animal is what applies.
The ADA also lists what staff are allowed to do and ask about the service animal. They can ask if the animal is required because of a disability, and they can ask what task it is trained to perform.
They are not allowed to ask for documentation, to see the dog demonstrate its task, or what the nature of the person's disability might be.
And of course, outright denying someone with a service animal from your restaurant isn't a good look either.
Kukaj never showed up for the case, leading to Judge John B. Spooner to recommend $14,000 in damages awarded to Goldstein and $28,000 in city fines against the restaurant owner and his restaurant group.
The final ruling has not been given at this time.