Keep them indoors

Rabbits are known to lead a higher quality of life if kept indoors. Indoor living reduces the risk of predators preying on them and weather related stresses. Therefore, rabbits that are housed indoors tend to live up to 15 years. 

Keeping the rabbit indoor can be done by creating a pen for it so that it can wander around freely within the confines of the pen. Care should be taken to prevent it from feeling boxed in. The pen should have sufficient ventilation and tiled flooring for ease of maintenance. Taking it out of the pen a couple of times daily would make it feel free and lively.

Litter training

Rabbits are smart enough for training to litter in a box. It may take a little longer than training a cat, but it is not that difficult either. It makes good sense to start by placing the litter box close to the places where it is inclined to poop. It is also recommended to line the litter box with hay as it facilitates easy cleaning. Newspapers are another convenient alternative.

Rabbits gnaw all the time

If you do not want your rabbits chewing up your favorite pair of shoes all the time, then be reminded that they need something hard to chew on throughout their life time. Rabbits chew on hard things because their teeth are subject to rapid wear and tear and hence grow continuously. Providing wooden toys and sticks permanently, at their disposal will ensure the safety of your favorite objects around the house.

The Leaping Bunny is the logo for EU products not tested with animals

Give them raisins and hay

Rabbits love these items. Formulated pellets rich in hay can be given as a part of the rabbit’s feed. Including raisins in the diet and during training will help your rabbit train faster and better.

Neuter your rabbits

Unaltered rabbits are most often than not, more aggressive and less friendly. They will be more prone to aggressive behaviors such as stomping, scratching and biting if not spayed and neutered. This procedure is also known to protect them against some types of cancers.

Handle with care

Lastly, the most important thing of all quick facts about rabbits as pets – handle your pet rabbit very gently. They become very uneasy when picked up too often and if not done with care, you could break their fragile back. They like being stroked while resting on your lap. Make sure to support their feet while picking them up.

Cross-posted with permission from Facts About Rabbits As Pets

In October 1943, a pigeon called White Vision led a search and rescue team to the wreck of a downed flying boat after the search had been called off. White Vision had flown over 60 miles against a 25 mph head wind in heavy weather. The crew was rescued, for which White Vision received the Dickin Medal.

A pointer dog called Judy was the only four-legged Japanese prisoner-of-war. After Judy was rescued from a sinking boat, she spent here time in military prison catching lizards and other small creatures which she took to the prisoners who were grateful for these supplements to their meagre food rations.

During World War II a cat called Oscar served on the German battleship Bismarck. When the Bismarck was torpedoed Oscar was rescued by a British sailor on board HMS Cossack. Five months later HMS Cossack was sunk but Oscar was rescued by HMS Ark Royal. Only 3 weeks later a German U-boat destroyed Ark Royal and Oscar was rescued again. The naval authorities then decided that Oscar had had enough and posted him on land. Oscar never received any medals but probably didn’t care. According to British naval records, Oscar died peacefully in 1955.

Did you know for example that in Florida people are beginning to report that vultures are starting to grab poodles and small pets from rooftop patios? You also may have heard that a hummingbird’s heart beats 180 times per minute, but did you know these other interesting bird facts.

There are remarkably over 350 different species of parrots on the planet and the smallest is the Pygmy Parrot who is only approximately 8cm long. The oldest reported parrot is said to be once owned by Winston Churchill and is nearly 104 years old.

Think you see a lot of birds throughout the day, it is nothing compared to what is actually on the entire planet. There are as many as one to two billion birds alive at any one time. Ever wonder, with all those birds out there, which one is the most common? It’s the chicken.

The canary bird is something that we often admire in bird cages, but the truth is they are not even the slightest interested in us, which is one of the reasons they are so docile. Many people have loved these little birds, and they have served as pets for hundreds of years. Royal families have even commissioned special cages to be made for their special canary royalty. They live approximately 10 years, which is partially due to the fact that they are one of only a few creatures that can actually regenerate brain cells, unlike humans.

When it comes to the biology of birds there are some even more remarkable facts. Even though we will often use the phrase “light as a feather”, bird’s feathers actually weigh more than their skeletons.

There is endless information about our fellow feathered friends that endlessly fascinating and as our technology continues to advance we are learning new things every day.

Below, we’ll cover dog bed needs specifically revolving around dogs of unusual sizes and dimensions. So whether you have an oversized dog or one who is so small she’s hard to notice, you can get the information you need to find the right bed for her.

Oversized Dogs

Dogs that are very large and have bulky builds require innovative solutions when it comes to determining appropriate sleeping areas. If you’re a bachelor or bachelorette and have a house or apartment all to yourself, you may be comfortable allowing your dog to sleep on your bed with you, or at least on other furniture in your home. Since this furniture is built for people to use, it should definitely support the dog’s weight and provide him a comfortable place to sleep. A common problem that arises, however, is that many people in these situations don’t stay single forever. If you’ve always shared your bed with your large pet dog, and suddenly have a partner sharing your bed with you, it can be rather cruel to the dog to force him to sleep on the floor out of nowhere.

If you plan on changing your own sleeping or furniture use situation during the lifetime of your pet, try providing him with a distinctive sleeping area right off the bat. That way, there are no uncomfortable adjustments for you and your dog to make later on down the road. There are dogs beds specifically designed for larger dogs that should work very well for most pets, though a large pile of really comfortable blankets will often do just as well so long as they’re cleaned often and arranged in a pleasant fashion. Go with an actual pet bed if your dog is the jumpy kind too, as otherwise he’ll tear up that pile of blankets in a matter of minutes!

Undersized Dogs

Dogs that are quite a bit smaller in size that your typical pet dog can pose sleeping problems as well. Though just about any dog bed will do in theory (small dogs should be able to fit into small, medium, and large bed spaces rather easily), in practice that doesn’t hold up quite as well. Larger beds often have higher walls or are placed further off the ground, which can be difficult for a dog with stubby legs to reach. Always go for pet beds that are accessible easily at floor level, and which don’t have any extravagant climbing requirements (this can also be quite helpful for older dogs).

If you’d rather use a less conventional sleeping area, avoid having your dog climb into bed with you, as you don’t want to roll over on her, and avoid having her sleep on couches as well, in case a last minute guest doesn’t notice her sleeping as he or she sits down. Small indoor dog houses with plush flooring are eccentric and fun alternatives to conventional small pet beds, and they won’t take up too much space inside your house like a large dog house would. Plus, it will certainly make for a great conversation piece whenever you have guests over, and your small dog will be able to hide easily if frightened by any of your unexpected guests.

In late 1938, a coelacanth was caught at the Chalumna River on the eastern part of South Africa. The crew that caught it thought it looked unusual they decided to consult a museum in the town of East London, South Africa for assistance with identifying it. It was identified as being the same as that of fossilized remains of a coelacanth.

The rediscovery of the coelacanth fish prompted the change in the scientific name of the fish. The name was created in honor of East London Museum director Marjorie Courtney-Latimer and the South African ichthyologist Dr. J.L.B. Smith. Smith was informed by Courtney-Latimer of this discovery.

The physical build of this fish makes it very unique. The vertebral column on the fish is not completely developed. It also has paired lobed fins that move like human limbs and an additional lobe on its tail. This makes the fish one that works with more functions than that of what a standard type of fish would deal with.

However, it is the inter-cranial joint on the fish that makes it even more unique. This joint is one that separates the ear and brain from the fish’s eyes and nasal organs. This works to allow the fish to lift its head up when swimming or feeding.

The coelacanth is a big fish

The coelacanth can grow to become 6.5 ft (2m) long and almost 200 pounds (90 kg) in weight. It also has some large meristic counts. The first dorsal fin is 8 spines long and the second dorsal fin is 30 rays in size. The pelvic, caudal, pectoral and anal fins can be around 30 rays each. The lifespan of the coelacanth is 60 years.

The coelacanth has since been found in some other variants in other parts of the world. In 1998, a coelacanth was caught in Indonesia. The featured photo is of a coelacanth found in Indonesia – it was photographed by Mark Erdmann who was a doctoral student studying reef life and now works for Conservation International. The coelacanths from these waters have a brown color instead of the standard blue that the coelacanth of other regions have. This is called a Sulawesi Coelacanth, named after the town in Indonesia that the fish was caught in.

The interesting thing about this particular specimen is that locals were familiar with it at the time. It was referred to as the raja laut or the “king of the sea.” It is not clear as to how long these people were familiar with coelacanth.

The Coelacanth Project

In 2003, the Institute of Marine Sciences in Zanzibar worked alongside the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme to work towards protection of this fish. In the same year a coelacanth was found in Songo Mnara in the southern section of the country. Since, more than 30 have been found in the area. Another was found in Nungwi, Zanzibar, Tanzania in 2007.

The existence of coelacanth fossils over the years has been well documented. The fish has been believed to have existed in a number of forms since the days when the dinosaurs existed. Fossils have predominantly been found in areas where fossil formation can be easily handled, such as caves and overhangs located around vertical marine reefs. These include areas located around newly formed islands that were created by volcanoes.

It was also believed before the rediscovery of the coelacanth that they were ancestors of tetrapods (four-legged animals). However, further studies have found that the lungfish may be a closer match to the coelacanth.

The amazing coelacanth

The features of the coelacanth makes it one of the most amazing fish and one of the most unique animals in the world. The coelacanth is impressive in its appearance, very rare and, indeed, worthy to be a protected species.

Story submitted by J. Glasni, interestingfacts.org

Marine mammals do not actually drink. They get all the water they need from the fish that they eat. The fish they eat do drink the sea water – lots of it – which is processed through diffusion and osmosis.

Marine mammals in captivity that for some reason are not eating are fed freshwater from a pipe or bottle.

Crocodiles eat almost anything but prefer meat. Including humans… as can be seen in the photograph. A saltwater croc bit off the hand of a veterinarian at the Shoushan Zoo in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. See the story at National Geographic.

In general there are few human casualties in the croc world – 1 or 2 a year – mostly because people steer away from them. Hippos cause more human deaths than any other animal.

The scales of a crocodile are made of ceratin, the same substance that hooves and fingernails are made of.