Fauna and other natural things

[clean]

Not all jugglers are clowns!  See Penn Juliet (Penn and Teller), who are magicians, or one is a magician and the other a juggler.

Also, Steve martin!

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Not all jugglers are clowns!  See Penn Juliet (Penn and Teller), who are magicians, or one is a magician and the other a juggler.

Also, Steve martin!

Maybe not the juggling you meant...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bGVT4-1DBU

I know. I'm bad.

[FishProf]

Not all jugglers are clowns!  See Penn Juliet (Penn and Teller), who are magicians, or one is a magician and the other a juggler.

I don't believe I implied that.  And it's Penn Jillette.

[mamselle]

More baby panda news from the National Zoo: eyes and ears open!

   https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/pandastory-fruitsicles-and-feistiness

M.

[nebo113]

More baby panda news from the National Zoo: eyes and ears open!

   https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/pandastory-fruitsicles-and-feistiness

M.

I adore the panda cam!

[apl68]

This morning I was returning home via an alley from my morning walk and encountered an armadillo.  I halted near it and observed it rooting around.  It kept rooting closer and closer to me until it was right at my feet.  Then it looked up, sniffed of my foot, and moved aside to continue rooting. 

When it turned its back on me, I bent over and petted its back.  It evidently couldn't feel my hand through its shell.  Nor did it react when I touched its tail.  Nor did it react when I started walking away, still only a couple of feet from it.  Talk about imperturbable! 

You don't realize until you've observed a live one up close just how weird those critters are.

[namazu]

This morning I was returning home via an alley from my morning walk and encountered an armadillo.  I halted near it and observed it rooting around.  It kept rooting closer and closer to me until it was right at my feet.  Then it looked up, sniffed of my foot, and moved aside to continue rooting. 

When it turned its back on me, I bent over and petted its back.  It evidently couldn't feel my hand through its shell.  Nor did it react when I touched its tail.  Nor did it react when I started walking away, still only a couple of feet from it.  Talk about imperturbable! 

You don't realize until you've observed a live one up close just how weird those critters are.

They are weird and cool.  What a neat encounter!

You may already know this, but in case not -- armadillos can transmit leprosy to humans, so be sure to wash your hands very well if you come into contact with them.

[ab_grp]

This morning I was returning home via an alley from my morning walk and encountered an armadillo.  I halted near it and observed it rooting around.  It kept rooting closer and closer to me until it was right at my feet.  Then it looked up, sniffed of my foot, and moved aside to continue rooting. 

When it turned its back on me, I bent over and petted its back.  It evidently couldn't feel my hand through its shell.  Nor did it react when I touched its tail.  Nor did it react when I started walking away, still only a couple of feet from it.  Talk about imperturbable! 

You don't realize until you've observed a live one up close just how weird those critters are.

That sounds like quite an experience! I thought I had heard that it was not a good idea to make contact with armadillos, though? Here's a CDC article recommending not to, though it seems the risk is low.  https://www.cdc.gov/leprosy/transmission/index.html  Just be careful!

[apl68]

This morning I was returning home via an alley from my morning walk and encountered an armadillo.  I halted near it and observed it rooting around.  It kept rooting closer and closer to me until it was right at my feet.  Then it looked up, sniffed of my foot, and moved aside to continue rooting. 

When it turned its back on me, I bent over and petted its back.  It evidently couldn't feel my hand through its shell.  Nor did it react when I touched its tail.  Nor did it react when I started walking away, still only a couple of feet from it.  Talk about imperturbable! 

You don't realize until you've observed a live one up close just how weird those critters are.

They are weird and cool.  What a neat encounter!

You may already know this, but in case not -- armadillos can transmit leprosy to humans, so be sure to wash your hands very well if you come into contact with them.

Yes, I knew about the armadillos and leprosy connection.  I wash my hands faithfully on coming home from those morning walks, since I often pick up trash along the way.

Apparently the risk isn't too great.  A town in our state has an annual "Armadillo Festival" that includes actual armadillo eating.  I've never heard of anybody catching it there.  It remains one wild meat that I, personally, have never sought to sample.

BTW, an armadillo shell feels as hard as a turtle shell.   

[aside]

I had a similar armadillo encounter a few years back, though I did not touch it.  In the daylight, they don't see well at all.  I was close enough to touch it.  After a while, it raised up and sniffed, caught my scent, and ambled off.  They are remarkably weird creatures.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

This morning I was returning home via an alley from my morning walk and encountered an armadillo.  I halted near it and observed it rooting around.  It kept rooting closer and closer to me until it was right at my feet.  Then it looked up, sniffed of my foot, and moved aside to continue rooting. 

When it turned its back on me, I bent over and petted its back.  It evidently couldn't feel my hand through its shell.  Nor did it react when I touched its tail.  Nor did it react when I started walking away, still only a couple of feet from it.  Talk about imperturbable! 

You don't realize until you've observed a live one up close just how weird those critters are.

It's almost as if they're aliens from another world.

[Parasaurolophus]

The salmon are running. Gonna try to see if I can see any at high tide.

[apl68]

While walking this morning I kept hearing nuts falling from the trees.  Some of the impacts I heard made me glad I didn't catch it in the head.

[Parasaurolophus]

The salmon are running. Gonna try to see if I can see any at high tide.

Didn't, alas.

[Parasaurolophus]

Some orcas were apparently in the vicinity, so we headed out to see if we could see 'em.

Didn't see any orcas, but did see three harbour seals (clearly hiding from the orcas, in very shallow water behind a small island close to shore), one river otter, and a large bald eagle.