Zookeeper Gabe’s Animal Thread Vol 9.0

Lol definitely a Mara and sometimes called a cavy. I’ve worked with them before, some are really personable and I had one that liked to pee on ladies shoes.
 
Super close call.

Or are the croc's shooped in after the fact as it seems unlikely with that much activity so nearby that this escape could happen?

 
not a fan of that guy getting so close to the moose like that.
I'm thinking (hoping) that the moose sprang from the woods or the shoreline as the boat was moving upstream; in which case probably safer for the boater to keep moving than to stop only to have the moose realize who's who in the grand scheme of things, but I totes get your drift
 
Finally find an empusa pennata in the wild yesterday. Maybe on her 3-4 mold, halfway to her adult and winged form, with an awesome light grey almost white color. The little fucker was quite energic and wouldn't stand still so I couldn't have my phone focus on it's little frame to make an ok photo.

For input :

Empusa-pennata-Guitalens-09.04.2022.jpg


Also found an adult male mantis with and interesting color : it was "yellow", but usually their yellow color is pale to blend in the dry summer grass ; this one was of a more saturated yellow, almost orange. Never seen one like that before.
 
Finally find an empusa pennata in the wild yesterday. Maybe on her 3-4 mold, halfway to her adult and winged form, with an awesome light grey almost white color. The little fucker was quite energic and wouldn't stand still so I couldn't have my phone focus on it's little frame to make an ok photo.

For input :

Empusa-pennata-Guitalens-09.04.2022.jpg


Also found an adult male mantis with and interesting color : it was "yellow", but usually their yellow color is pale to blend in the dry summer grass ; this one was of a more saturated yellow, almost orange. Never seen one like that before.
Gorgeous mantis, thanks for sharing. All we really get where I am is the invasive Chinese mantis. Although it’s more naturalized nowadays.
 
Gorgeous mantis, thanks for sharing. All we really get where I am is the invasive Chinese mantis. Although it’s more naturalized nowadays.

Thanks, next time I'll try to get my own pic.

Weren't both european and chinese mantis brought to US for pest control ?
 
Then you better not watch this video then.



I would like to see idiots like this get the max fine available.

me too. aside from the arrogant invasion of a living beings life for selfish pleasure and clicks there is always the very real risk of causing injury and death to an animal that has no hospital to go to for aid.
 
Gorgeous mantis, thanks for sharing. All we really get where I am is the invasive Chinese mantis. Although it’s more naturalized nowadays.
Is there a general rule you know of when an invasive species that has taken root is no longer seen as invasive and is accepted as part of the natural fauna?

I mean almost all animals and insects migrated from some where else at some point. There is always a give and take between species established and new comers trying to fit in or take over.
 

Hahaha that is awesome.

I just hope we do not find it was staged, in that they kept forcing the two in to contact so they would fight when they generally, naturally might always walk the other way in an encounter.

Gabe do you know if scorpion would be on that mouse diet list? Or might a scorpion be threatening the mouses nest (young) in the way snakes do and we sometimes see mice fight back and fend off or kill a snake?
 
Hahaha that is awesome.

I just hope we do not find it was staged, in that they kept forcing the two in to contact so they would fight when they generally, naturally might always walk the other way in an encounter.

Gabe do you know if scorpion would be on that mouse diet list? Or might a scorpion be threatening the mouses nest (young) in the way snakes do and we sometimes see mice fight back and fend off or kill a snake?
That’s a grasshopper mouse and they normally prey on scorpions and other inverts. Tough little rodents.
 
That’s a grasshopper mouse and they normally prey on scorpions and other inverts. Tough little rodents.
Nice. So the honey badger of the rodent world who DNGAF.

I am guessing they have some protection against venom like the Honey Badger does. Probably not total but high resistance?
 
Is there a general rule you know of when an invasive species that has taken root is no longer seen as invasive and is accepted as part of the natural fauna?

I mean almost all animals and insects migrated from some where else at some point. There is always a give and take between species established and new comers trying to fit in or take over.


I'm no Zookeeper Gabe's but I'm pretty sure it varies quite a lot. European and chinese mantis were both voluntarily introduced, aka sold to farmers as pest control in the late 1800's ... With hints of european ones arriving randomly by boat as early as the 1600's. So there is both the "date of arrival" and the "way of arrival" that matters in how the specie is locally seen with of course the whole "does it integrate nicely in the ecosystem or does it fucks everything up?" side.

In Paris we now have wild populations of green parakeets spreading in the nearby woods and parks, streaming from escaped pet birds that adapted well . From what I gathered they are no threat for the local birds, apart probably for some food competition in the winter. On the other hand we have the louisiana crawfish, introduced by fishers, that kills and eat local crawfish. The asian ladybeetle does basically the same thing, and was believe it or not introduced by "green farmers".

The whole "grey squirrels" vs "red squirrels" in UK is quite a show too.
 
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