animals Archives - Quirky Science

10Oct 2020 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Bracken Ferns: How Toxic to Grazing Farm Animals?

Some health-conscious individuals say they want to eat "natural" foods, they don't wish to consume "chemicals". While we understand what they mean, the truth of the matter is, everything natural is constructed of molecules, and all molecules, ultimately, can be called chemicals. Human Foods Containing Toxins While humans eat many plants consisting of chemicals, not all plants are edible. Or if they are edible, it may not be without processing. For instance, cashews are "related" to poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans. The "nut" within the shell contains a limited amount of the toxic urushiol, and is usually roasted to destroy the irritant. Consuming unroasted cashews can produce an itching rash. In rare cases, even death can result. Another example is the American pokeweed or "poke sallat", the young leaves of the…

30Sep 2019 by Vincent Summers 8 Comments

Donkeys, Burros, Mules, Jackasses – What’s the Difference?

animals, Biology

[caption id="attachment_26416" align="alignright" width="432"] A beautiful young horse.[/caption]From youth till only recently, I've wondered "What's the difference between donkeys, burros, mules and jackasses?" Perhaps it's crossed your mind as well, yet you've never sought an answer until now. Hopefully, you will find the answer you seek in this article... What's a Donkey? [caption id="attachment_26419" align="alignright" width="400"] A domesticated donkey.[/caption]The donkey is said to come from the African wild ass. It has been used as a work animal for ages. It is a fertile animal, multiplying in the usual way. And What's a Burro? A burro is a small, wild (rather than domesticated) donkey. And burro is Spanish for donkey. Here is a 38 second video of wild burros outside Las Vegas, Nevada... What's Different About a Mule? [caption id="attachment_26420" align="alignright"…

17Jul 2019 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Can Eating the Meat of a Rabid Animal Give You Rabies?

animals, Food

[caption id="attachment_25951" align="alignright" width="480"] Image by Scientific Animations CC BY-SA4.0[/caption] We're told to cook our chicken through to the bone to avoid salmonella. Then too, there is trichinosis. And there are others. However, salmonella and trichinosis pose no problem if, as we mentioned, we cook our food thoroughly. But there are other issues with food that are not so easily solved. For instance, there is the so-called "mad cow disease". You can cook the beef as much as you want and it still is dangerous! Mad cow disease is more officially known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE. Most of Us At least in the U.S., most of us probably get the bulk of our food from three sources: Grocery store Garden Farmer's market A fair number supplement their food…

21Aug 2017 by Vincent Summers 19 Comments

How Coffee Aroma Relates to Skunk Stench

animals, Food

Curiously, the aroma chemicals in coffee closely resemble the stench-producing chemicals in the abominable skunk spray! They are similar, but they are not identical, and they do not occur in proportionate quantities. Skunk Stench The chemicals that primarily give skunk spray its stench are thiol derivatives—in particular, derivatives of the sulfur alcohol n-butyl mercaptan (CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-SH). The portion of this compound responsible for its smell is the -SH group, a sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom, which is similar to the -OH or alcohol group. Common derivatives modify the carbon chain. Another variation chemically modifies the -SH group, using acetic acid (CH3-COOH) to form the corresponding thioacetate. Two of the most odoriferous skunk spray mercaptans are (E)-2-buten-1-thiol and 3-methyl-butanethiol. Other than its prevalence (it makes up approximately 2/5 of skunk…

20Jun 2017 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Clawing: Evidence of a Bear’s Presence

animals

[caption id="attachment_18040" align="alignright" width="420"] Recent clawing marks on a telephone pole. Image by Marcus Elam[/caption] While we were out and about, a few friends and I spotted evidence of a bear. Yes, we live in Virginia in a county with a healthy bear population. Driving along the country road, Marcus called out, 'Do you see that telephone pole? A bear did that.' He was referring to claw marks, but he also pointed out on the other side of the street a pathway the bear would have taken to get to the pole. Clawing trees and telephone poles sharpen the claws nicely! Clawing - How Convincing? Were the claw marks convincingly those of a bear. Well, you can see the marks for yourself in Marcus' images, the one being an overall…

15Mar 2017 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Cats and Dogs Instinctive Behavior – One Difference

animals, People

[caption id="attachment_16506" align="alignright" width="440"] Best Buds[/caption] Cats and dogs. No human can truly understand the mind of a cat or of a dog. But pretty fair conclusions can be drawn if we observe, think, and meditate on their actions and the manner in which these are carried out. Attempting to put this into practice, I deduced that there is one particular difference between cats and dogs and their instinctive behavior. Particularly is this so in connection with cleanliness, in their "taking care of business." The Cat When a cat (especially a female cat) wants to do its business, it seeks out an isolated, generally quiet locale. It usually digs into the soil (we’re disregarding cat litter at the moment) and then squats to do its thing. Afterward, it turns around…

27Jul 2016 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Eight Correct Ways to Pet Your Cat

animals

[caption id="attachment_15099" align="alignright" width="440"] "Please pet me..."[/caption] Back because of its popularity, this article discusses a cat’s eight favorite ways to be petted. Yes, there are eight ways to pet your cat so you will become its “best bud.” Let’s enumerate them. Before we do so, however, please take special note... You should always rub, scratch, and pet a cat in the natural direction in which its fur lies down. Also, don’t overdo it. Here are the eight ways to pet your cat. 1. Scratch just in front of its tail. This is Kitty's favorite form of scratching. 2. Scratch along the backbone with two or three fingers. 3. With one finger, scratch lightly in the depressions just behind the ears. 4. Rub the palm of your hand under the…

19Apr 2016 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Dissertation

animals, Biology

[caption id="attachment_14132" align="alignright" width="480"] Eastern Tent Caterpillar Nest by J.R. Carmichael[/caption] I have long known of two true pests that not only damage trees, but destroy their beauty. While the fall webworm is one of these pests, what I would like to do now is to interview the other. He is an eastern tent caterpillar. He and his family are, at the moment, engaged in their dirty work. The Interview Vince: It’s the middle of April, and I see you’re already pretty good-sized and busy at work. How do you start out? TC: Well, not many people know it, but our tiny egg pouches can be found laid along the branches where our nests will appear. A great example of an egg pouch is seen in this Michigan State University…

23Oct 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Why You Are Allergic to Cats and They Are Allergic to You

animals, Health

[caption id="attachment_9639" align="alignright" width="480"] Cat allergens are inside a mite's intestines.[/caption] The overwhelming majority of people who are allergic to cats, suffer because of traces of proteins – especially two of them – Fel d 1 (a secretoglobin) and Fel d 4 (a lipocalin). These proteins are associated with the skin and saliva of a house cat. Allergic to Cats? How You're Exposed Flakes of dead skin can be found on the fur. Now, a cat cleans itself by licking its fur. So if you let a cat lick you, you are exposed to both of the primary allergy-related proteins. That and two or three other minor protein allergens as well. What About the Cat? Humans aren’t the only creatures subject to allergies. Cats have them, too. As the cat…

16Oct 2015 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Using Buffalo, Cow, or Camel Dung for Fuel

animals

[caption id="attachment_9613" align="alignright" width="440"] Komaya (cow) dung being prepared for fuel.[/caption] Fossil fuels are used for energy to heat homes and serve commercial and other purposes. Other sources include geothermal and solar energy. But there is a very important and non-fossil fuel commonly in use throughout much of the world. The resource is plentiful and offers an assortment of advantages as well. You don't mean (yes I do) animal dung for fuel? Dung for Fuel The dung of choice is – yes – buffalo, cow, llama, and camel dung. Dung is the excrement, manure, or feces of an animal, and is commonly called animal “pooh.” It is of ancient, historical origin, even being referenced in the Bible, although not in a positive context. Dung is most readily burned dry. It…