Wildlife in Your Life

mmm...salamander shoes... oops

Good luck! They're skin is likely too soft for leather.

Their skin, littlek. Their skin.

It's a German shoe store chain... but there are mocassins (mostly) made out of salamander skin. Salamanders are of various sizes...



....sorry, that's quite a digression from wildlife...

We're used to your intrusive behavior.

Their. THEIR! Ok already.

Dag, who knew? Not I!

Did you tell dag about your date with the truck driver, littlek?

They are salamanders (amphibians). And Gus is right, they are all over the place in the woods of NH. After every strong rain, the roads are plastered with 'em

These particular ones are called Red Efts.



They are the second stage of a three stage life. As with all amphibians, they start as eggs which hatch in water and start a larval phase with gills. As they mature they develop lungs, turn red and start looking for Gus on the Appalachian trails. After three to five years when they get tired of that, they turn green and head back to the water as adults to reproduce.

Thanks for the explanation, rosborne.

Also, I'd like to keep the topic on wildlife. There are plenty of topics about evolution and one could certainly open one up on boxing if one was so inclined. Please don't use this topic for that. Thank you.

Darn, and I just found a new sparring partner!!!

Antler points must correlate to age and not size. I shot an eight pointer last fall which was really big but that deer is hardly worth shooting.

Yeah, he's a little guy, give him a year or two though.

A pair of pardelotes are nesting in my ceiling. They are curently busy feeding their babies. They are about 3 inches long

They are actually nesting in the ceiling of my sons bedroom He is not very iimpressed with the noise they make at 6.00 am.

Striated Pardalote








The Striated Pardalote are found in almost any habitat with trees or shrubs, but favour eucalypt forests and woodlands. The range covers most of Australia, being absent only from the most arid areas. Like other species of pardalotes, it is found only in Australia.

This Pardalote feeds in the foliage in the tops of trees, although occasionally coming close to the ground in low shrubs. It eats a wide variety of insects and their larvae, which are usually captured by picking them from the surfaces of leaves. Feeding takes place in small groups and birds maintain contact with soft trills.

Cute birds!

I had another viewing of the racoon vs. possum squabble. I still find it hard to believe that the possum wins out. The racoon lumbered, not fast at all, up the fence and over to its tree hole. It looked up at me as I spoke to it without any sign of nervousness. I have to come up with nick-names for them, they're becoming regulars.

dadpad, when are you going to get around to finishing that painting?

I have nicknames. The racoon will be nicknamed Koguma (little bear as in ursa minor) and the possum will be nicknamed mikkoku (rat as in informant).

Nag bloody nag, Get off my back you old woman, I'll get to it.

We have to wait until the birds finish nesting in January, by that time its gonna be too bloody hot to work that close to a tin roof so will have to wait until cooler weather in March April. Of course it could be raining by then so..... Have you seen how much paint costs? Bloody hell!!

I suggest we have a beer and analyse the situation.
Is that a Plan?

Besides the wife is far too busy.

Tell me more about that tin roof. Are they popular in Australia?

What about the noise when it rains?