Reptiles Definition

Gopher Tortoises often share their underground burrows with as many as 400 other animals. Cathy Salustri If you're new to Florida, you may think "gopher" refers to that furry little, burrowing rodent. But here, we usually mean our native tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus , or gophers. These long-lived critters inhabit piney flatlands in Florida, areas coveted by developers who see the land as perfect for new subdivisions. Gophers have lived in these undisturbed areas for millennia, but now they're being evicted, and, just like humans seeking affordable housing, they're facing a tough time relocating. New Relocation Guidelines "In 2007 Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) made it illegal to bury tortoises ," said Elise Bennett at the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) in St. Petersburg. "but until then, it allowed the gophers to be buried alive in their burrows." The current concern is a new temporary executive order from the FWC that sus...

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control this week has numerous new dogs and puppies that need new homes. Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Australian cattle dog, basset hound, Belgian malinois, Cardigan Welsh corgi, Carolina dog, Catahoula leopard dog, French bulldog, German shepherd, husky, Labrador retriever and pit bull. Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake. The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption. Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting. This 3-year-old male Australian cattle dog is in kennel No. 3, ID No. LCAC-A-3131. Photo courtesy of Lake County Anima...

 In a garden, earthworms can be great for soil. And a worm is a worm is a worm, right? Except that there are more than 7,000 species of worms, and the longer you look, the more complex their world becomes. Earthworms compete. Earthworms invade. Earthworms… jump? The invasive Asian jumping worm ( Amynthas agrestis)  has many common names: Alabama jumpers, Jersey wrigglers, wood eel, crazy worms, snake worms, and crazy snake worms. Across the eastern U.S., Asian jumping worms are eating part of the forest ecosystem – the top layer of the soil. By affecting the soil, the worms are affecting many other species of plants and animals. (Courtesy photo by Tom Potterfield) "Invasive Asian jumping worms got their name because of the way they thrash around," said Mac Callaham, a Forest Service researcher who specializes in soils. "They can flip themselves a foot off the ground." All that thrashing requires energy, and Asian jumping worms eat a lot. ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Nothing Says Summer Like a 7ft-Long Dragon Water Sprinkler!    Nerdbot

They say bigger isn't always better, but in the case of these large dog breeds, we beg to differ. From fluffy Newfoundlands to sleek Great Danes, these gentle giants make wonderful family pets and, despite their large size, not every breed needs a lot of space to run around in (Mastiffs, for example, have fairly low exercise requirements and are happy to relax at home for most of the day). Before you adopt a giant dog breed, the American Kennel Club suggests new owners factor in the training time that's essential for having a well-behaved pet as it's essential for large dog breeds that will grow to weigh as much as an adult human. It's also important to keep in mind that larger dogs often cost more to care for, so be sure to budget for extra food, larger beds, and nutritional supplements, which help keep bigger dogs' joints healthy (they're carrying around a lot of weight, after all). Once you choose the large dog breed that'...

When you decide to get a dog, you focus on what the dog needs before getting them home. However, you may fail to realise how essential it is to critically think about the dog's size that you can comfortably afford and manage. A large dog breed may come to you as a puppy with minimal expenditures, but you have to think of the future and the spending you need to incur when the dog becomes an adult in a year. Any new family member will need attention and care, but a large dog at home is obviously a more enormous responsibility. Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retriever, Mastiffs, and German Shepherds are popular large breed dogs many cannot resist. If you are one of them and looking for mastiff breeders or retriever breeders, you should definitely continue reading.  1. Large dogs have a big appetite Obviously, big dogs have a larger appetite and food requirement than smaller dogs. This means you will have to spend more on feeding the large dog. This is because larger breeds are...

Thank you dear subscribers, we are overwhelmed with your response. Your Turn is a unique section from ThePrint featuring points of view from its subscribers. If you are a subscriber, have a point of view, please send it to us. If not, do subscribe here: https://theprint.in/subscribe/ My head still reels from the shocking news of the ghastly killing of a two months old, stray pup near Takshshila college in Jabalpur (MP), by two drunken men a few days ago. This comes at a time when animal lovers like me are still recovering from the trauma of an earlier news about the merciless killing of a stray dog in our national capital, in November last year. Such cruelty towards the voiceless, strangely reminds me of the father of our nation who had famously said "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated". Today, so many decades of 'progress' later, I wonder where we stand now with regard to our treat...