Sunday, September 26, 2010

Chincillaaaaa!

In nature, chinchillas live in social groups that resemble colonies but are properly called herds. Chinchillas can breed any time of the year. Their gestation period is 111 days, longer than most rodents. Due to this long pregnancy, chinchillas are born fully furred and with eyes open. Litters are usually small in number, predominately twins.


b'aaaaaw

Chinchillas can be found in a variety of colors including the standard gray (the only color found in nature), beige, white, ebony, and many others. They instinctively clean their fur by taking dust baths, in which they roll around in special chinchilla dust made of fine pumice. In the wild their dust is formed from fine ground volcanic rocks. The dust gets into their fur and absorbs oil and dirt. These baths are needed a few times a week. Chinchillas do not bathe in water because the dense fur prevents air-drying, retaining moisture close to the skin, which can cause fungus growth or fur rot. A wet chinchilla must be dried immediately with towels and a no-heat hair dryer. The fur is so thick that it resists parasites such as fleas. The fur also reduces loose dander, making chinchillas hypo-allergenic.


nomnomnomnom

Thursday, September 23, 2010

look at this. LOOK AT IT.


Kangaroo rats are found in arid and semi-arid areas of Canada, the United States and Mexico that retain some grass or other vegetation and thus fall under category xerocole. Their diet includes seeds, leaves, stems, buds, some fruit, and insects. Most kangaroo rat species use their burrows and buried caches nearby to store food against the possibility of bad seasons. The Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat has been recorded making burrows with several storage chambers up to 25 cm in diameter each, and containing almost six kilograms of stored food.


LOOK AT IT, LOOOOOOOK

Monday, September 20, 2010

Who the hell wouldn't want a slow loris?

Adult slow lorises range in size from 21 to 38 cm (8.3 to 15 in), depending on the species, and weigh up to 2 kg (4.4 lb). The tail is a mere stump, and the forelimbs and hindlimbs are of roughly equal length. The short, thick fur can have a variety of colours, but most common is reddish-grey with white undertones. They have well developed opposable thumbs, which they use to grasp and hold branches, and a very flexible back. A specialized arrangement of blood vessels in the wrists and ankles (rete mirabile) prevents muscle cramps and allows the slow loris to cling for extremely long periods of time. They have a grooming claw on one foot. Their eyes are large and point forward and also upward, and color vision is minimal. Their ears are small and nearly hidden in the fur. They are generally built stronger than the slender lorises, and possess a strong sense of smell.


Slow lorises can produce a toxin which they mix with their saliva to use as protection against enemies. The toxin is similar to the allergen in cat dander. Mothers will lick this toxin onto their offspring before leaving them to search for food. The toxin is produced by glands on the insides of their elbows. The lorises suck it into their mouths and deliver it when they bite or lick or kiss. Loris bites cause a painful swelling, but the toxin is mild and not fatal. Cases of human death have been due to anaphylactic shock. If the toxin does not deter a predator, the slow loris will often drop from the branch to the ground and roll into a protective ball.
Just look at it. You want one, don't lie.