Aug 17th, 2008 | Exotic Pets | Comments Off
Alligators are the most dangerous of the exotic pets. It is a crocodilian, which comes from the family of Alligatoridae. The name was derived from Anglicization of a Spanish word, which was used by Spanish explorers who were settled in Florida, United States. Alligators are found mostly in America and China.
There are two species of alligators, Alligator Mississippienis or the American Alligator and Alligator Sinensis or the Chinese Alligator. The American alligator weights around eight hundred pounds and is thirteen feet long. The record for the longest alligator is of nineteen feet two inches, from Louisiana. Comparatively, the Chinese alligators are smaller in length and measure not more than seven feet in length. Alligators live for more than fifty years. The oldest living alligator was of seventy years, at the Belgrade Zoo, Serbia.
There are many features of alligators that distinguish them from crocodiles and both of them belong to different taxonomic families. Alligators have a broader snout and their eyes are located near the upper side. When light is flashed over the eyes, bigger alligators have a red glow and smaller alligators have a green glow. This can be of help, when searching for alligators in dark. When looking in daylight, it is also observed that alligators have brown eyes and crocodiles have green eyes.
When alligators close their jaws, only the upper teeth are visible where as in crocodiles, the upper as well as the lower teeth are visible when they close their jaws. The shape of an alligator’s mouth is like a “U” and that of the crocodile is like a “V”. Although both the animals have a darker hide, almost black, the color depends on their habitats. The Chinese alligators have a light pattern, alligators living in algae growing water are greenish black and waters with high tannic acid released from hanging trees have a darker hide.
Alligators can eat anything they can find because of the gastroliths (stomach stones) present in their stomach. Young alligators feed on crustaceans, fishes, snails, and insects. As they grow so does their need for larger prey. Bigger alligators feed on turtles, bigger fishes, birds, and, other reptiles and mammals. They even eat deer, razorbacks, small alligators and carcass of animals when they are extremely hungry. Few attacks on humans have also been reported, but the number is on the rise. People get overconfident about this fact and enter alligator habitats without much care, resulting in provoking their aggression. But alligators do not immediately attack humans, like crocodiles.
The alligator farming industry is seeing a rapid rise in Florida, Louisiana and Texas. The purpose of such farms is to get alligator hides and nearly forty five thousand hides are distributed annually from these farms. The hides are very expensive and a seven-foot hide costs as much as $300, but the prices vary every year. The meat of alligator also has great demand, which is approximately three hundred thousand pounds every year.
Alligators now have become very protected and regulated animals. Special processing is to be undergone to get the custody of an alligator. Usually baby alligators can be bought from Florida. Owners are given a special license and must be aware of their responsibilities. It’s against the law of many states to remove an alligator from its natural habitat. Alligator pets should be provided with large and wet habitat, similar to the subtropical, to live in.
Alligators are bound to get aggressive and dangerous at times, which can prove fatal to people around. Owners should be prepared as their pet can grow more than twelve feet. Some owners panic when they start getting bigger and longer and decide to free it from the captivity. But this can be extremely dangerous to residents of that locality because by then the animal would loose its natural fear and will attack humans. When decision is taken for adopting an alligator as a pet, the owner should be firm enough to make a lifetime commitment.
Aug 7th, 2008 | Dogs | Comments Off
by Sandra Dean
The Chihuahua is a very beautiful miniature breed dog. The history of this breed points to the fact that this dog was a long while ago bred specifically for the Aztec royalty. Today, though expensive, it is the favorite pet choice of millions of people from all walks of life all across the globe.
Grooming your Chihuahua usually does not involve much effort or time. This dog’s coat is either short and straight or slightly long and fluffy. Both types of fur are easily manageable and would not require more than twenty minutes of brushing every alternate day (for long coats) or thirty minutes for bathing and brushing (for short coats).
Clipping the nails could be the trickiest part of grooming your Chihuahua. They are very frisky and normally hate to sit still which is absolutely required when the nails are clipped. This is a moderately challenging task, which will require your utmost patience and a certain degree of skill in order to do a good job.
Since most people have a lot difficulty with this kind of grooming here are some sure-fire tips that will help you clip your Chihuahua nails without any trouble at all. You will need a few things first - a large towel, grooming clippers for dogs, another person who can assist you, and your pet - preferably in a good mood.
How do you shampoo your Chihuahua to remove both the smell and the possible infection from its fur? Fight your nausea if it smells very bad, by tying a scented hanky around your nose and mouth. Now, take your Chihuahua and give it a good bath with dog soap or shampoo. Do not give in to the temptation to wash it with your own human shampoo or soap. Human soaps and shampoos are made with the human hair and skin in mind. Similarly, the dog soaps are manufactured keeping in view their requirements of cleanliness and retention of fur oils. Hence, using human shampoo or soap could be extremely harmful for your pet.
The most common method of
There are a few tricks that can help you with grooming your Chihuahua. Ensure that it has eaten recently or just before it wants to settle down for a nap. Have a few treats ready and reward it amply after the clipping session. With time it will associate the clipping session with the snacking and will allow you to clip the nails without any trouble.
This will stop water entering and prevent ear infections. Use only dog soap and dog shampoo for bathing your pet. Lastly, dry the dog with the towel and gently blow-dry the fur. Follow these tips to grooming your Chihuahua and you will have a wonderful, happy and clean pet in the house.
About the Author:
Sandra Dean is an avid lover of the Chihuahua and has a popular website that can teach you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved
Chihuahua. Among other topics there, you can also learn all about
Chihuahua Grooming plus a whole lot more.
Aug 4th, 2008 | Cats | Comments Off
It is virtually impossible to try and find all of the latest research on the ingredients that goes into your cat food. However, there is no need to go to such lengths in determining what is healthy for your cat. This article will give you very simple, yet worthwhile chunks of information that pertain to the food you should feed your cat.
1. Choose the right foods that is appropriate to the age of your cat. While most older cats will do just fine by eating standard adult cat food, your kittens will need much more fat and protein in their diet. These little critters should therefore eat food that’s appropriate for their age. When looking at food packages, try to look for the words “balanced nutrition” somewhere on the label. If you are shopping for your kittens, then look for the AAFCO animal feeding tested statement that says “for all life stages”.
2. Be sure to choose cat foods that are produced from major name-brand manufacturers. If you are going to buy cat food from the grocery store or your local pet store, try to purchase from one of the more popular manufacturers. There is a lot of internal testing that cat food should go through and some small companies do not have the money to pay the expense of these tests. The lack of proper testing leads to unsafe cat food.
What Type Of Cat Food Is Best?
Even if you know exactly what you are looking for in a cat food, it is still hard to decipher all of the packages and labels when deciding on which cat food to buy. Below is a small list of standard types of cat food and some information that may help you choose:
1. Canned cat food: Although cats love the juicy and watery flavors that this type of food delivers, it can be quite expensive. They come in very small cans and are higher priced than buying dried foods or semi-moist foods. However, if it is more important to serve tasty delicious food to your cat rather than saving money, then this is the way to go. It is recommended that you serve your cat a variety of different flavors so that he does not become overly picky towards one. This may cause him to go hungry and pass up on other foods.
2. Dry cat food: This type of cat food is less expensive than canned food and often comes in either a box or a large bag. Another name for dry cat food is called kibble. Not only does dry foods last longer than moist food, but it also helps prevent your cat’s teeth from building up tartar.
3. Semi-moist cat food: This type of cat food is exactly the way it sounds - it is a mix between dry food and canned food. It may come in interesting looking shapes and lots of artificial colors. However, semi-moist cat food has been criticized as appealing to humans rather than cats. Cats do not care what their food looks like or what shapes it comes in. It is also noted as not being as nutritious as dry food or even 100% wet food (canned).