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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 2, 2016 - 03:18pm PT
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Older and Wiser Brother Mike greeted me today, apologizing for not having sent a card for Xmas, as if it matters. He sent this along as it is new to him that these critters are even in the State now.
LEAVE IT TO COYPU
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata (vertebrates)
Class: Mammalia (mammals)
Order: Rodentia (rodents)
Family: Myocastoridae
Genus: Myocastor
Species: coypus
The nutria, Myocastor coypus, is a large semi-aquatic rodent. The generic name is derived from two Greek words (mys, for mouse, and kastor, for beaver) that translate as mouse beaver. The specific name coypus is the Latinized form of coypu, a name in the language of the Araucanian Indians of south-central Chile and adjacent parts of Argentina for an aquatic mammal that was possibly this species. In most of the world the animal is called coypu, but in North America the animal is called nutria. In the rest of the world, nutria is the name of the fur of the animal.
Nutria are smaller than a beaver but larger than a muskrat; unlike beavers or muskrats, however, it has a round, slightly haired tail. The forelegs are small compared with its body size. The forepaws, have five toes; four are clawed and the fifth is reduced in size. The digits are used to groom and to excavate roots, rhizomes, and burrows, and are used in feeding. The hindfoot consists of four webbed, strongly clawed toes and one unwebbed toe. The hind legs are large compared with the forelegs; consequently, when moving on land, the nutria's chest drags on the ground and its back appears hunched. Although appearing awkward, the nutria is capable of fast overland travel for considerable distances. The ears are small and the eyes are set high on the head. The nose and mouth are valvular (i.e., can be closed to prevent entry of water), and nutria are capable of swimming long distances underwater. When pursed while underwater, nutria can see and will take evasive action to avoid capture.
Males are slightly larger then females. Nutria weigh an average of 12.0 pounds (5.4 kg). Females have four pairs of mammary glands that are located on the side of the body, rather than on the belly. Presumably, this positioning of the mammary glands allow the young to nurse with their nose above the water's surface while the mother is floating.
Nutria breed year round and are extremely prolific. Males reach sexual maturity between 4 and 9 months, whereas, females reach sexual maturity between 3 and 9 months. Sexual maturity may vary with habitat quality. With a gestation period of only 130 days, in one year, an adult nutria can produce two litters and be pregnant for a third. The number of young in a litter ranges from 1-13 with an average of 4.5 young. Females can breed within a day of having a litter. Litter size can vary with age of female, habitat quality and time of year. The young nutria at birth are fully furred and the eyes are open. Newborn nutria feed on vegetation within hours and will nurse for 7-8 weeks.
Nutria are well adapted for movement on land, however, are more at home in the water. In the coastal marshes they are often seen moving about leisurely in the daytime, but their period of greatest feeding activity is just prior to sunrise and after sunset. Nutria are strict vegetarians, consuming their food both on land and water, where they shove aquatic plants to their mouths with their forepaws. These animals consume approximately 25 percent of their weight daily. Nutria predominately feed on the base of plant stems and dig for roots and rhizomes in the winter. They often construct circular platforms of compacted, coarse emergent vegetation, which they use for feeding, birthing, resting and grooming. Nutria may also construct burrows in levees, dikes and embankments.
NOTE: Check with authorities as to hunting seasons, licenses, and bag limits/tags. I know notheeng.
I do know there are no Killer Beevers, unlike on SNL. Are those writers still around?
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Imperial Beach feral nutria - just call him feralOrange (foreground)
Search & Rescue (background).
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 2, 2016 - 05:42pm PT
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Speaking of wildlife and flying, I was watching a fifties western movie this afternoon...I gave it a valiant effort, but The Rawhide Years was not very entertaining.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049663/
So I went surfing on the net and checked into one of the stars of the film, Arthur Kennedy, not to be confused with George Kennedy (The Eiger Sanction).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Kennedy_(actor);
Kennedy's experience in WWII was in making films for the USAAF, one of which my father probably would have remembered.
"How to Fly the C-47 Troop Carrier Airplane: Cockpit Procedure" USAAF
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA_N10PQtl0
In this training film, the Captain (the instructor) is played by Mr. Kennedy.
I wonder what kind of training films that JFK had as the commander of PT-109. Both JFK and Boomer were pretty rough on their respective craft. We know PT-109 was offed by the Japanese, and I've related the story of the night Boomer and his co-pilot landed at night with no landing gear lowered. Oops!
Here is another training flick that I watched this afternoon. Much better than The Rawhide Years, by a long chock (or is it chalk?).
Dogfight Aerobatics: "Acrobatics" 1943 USAAF Pilot Training Film; Air Combat Maneuvering
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbDZIGcfKG0
Don't get airsick.
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zBrown
Ice climber
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That guy in the first video with the mustache looks very much like my father, but he was in the inventory.
Mr. Kennedy was in a lot of films.
Actor. This reliable character actor, star of 80 films and stage, is usually remembered for his role as the bemused reporter in both Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Elmer Gantry (1960). Born in Worcester, MA, he started acting on the stage in 1934 and was "discovered" by Jimmy Cagney for his first film City of Conquest (1940). His stage work earned Broadway acclaim including several Arthur Miller plays: All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949) for which he won a Tony Award, The Crucible (1953), and The Price (1968). In Hollywood, he showed versatility in a host of films through a wide range of supporting roles and occasional leads; with character types ranging from benevolent to cynical and villainous. He was nominated for 5 Academy Awards: as best actor for Bright Victory (1952); as best supporting actor for Champion(1950), Trial (1956), Peyton Place (1958), and Some Came Running (1959). Other memorable film roles include High Sierra (1941), The Glass Menagerie (1950), and Fantastic Voyage (1966). In the 1970's he starred in a string of TV dramas and low budget foreign films. He died in 1990 at Branford, Connecticut of a brain tumor and was buried near his home at Lequille, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Ron Anderson & Cosmic? Both like Ike.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Did, someone go to . . . . Beaver?
What to do?
Gee Wally?
Ah, Im Just gonna leave it to to . . .
But when Cosmic posted hard shots of fuzzy girlz
I admitted that
I like it natural,
hairy,~ BUSHY~ even. . .
I named a climb ;
HSE,FB - Headless Spread-eagled, Furry Beaver,
A variation of The Furry Beaver
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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.....> [Click to View YouTube Video] .........?
mumbling sumpin' 'bout Lilac . . um, purple.
to add that at the start of this show was offered a BkstZPass,
but just a onesies'.
i was good and would bee in an dazs for dazzle
or a dazzle for days,
daze from this show in at the New havens
thrice over covered there, . . .TGDBF
so with stunning regrets
i tried to explain how for this NYC show
the party was as good front row
and going back and forth was above my pay scale
I was there with a girl friend & friends from High School
From old 1st tour days for many
and that this was the break-out for many years,
, they played St Stephen again @ the New Haven Shows.
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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irony: over the horizon where the sun is rising lies sunset crater. from this vantage, the line up of sun rising behind the SF volcanic field maxed out two weeks ago
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zBrown
Ice climber
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with friend and birds
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Not the Chattanooga Choo Choo
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 3, 2016 - 09:02am PT
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to zBrown.from Killer B.
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zBrown
Ice climber
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^Pretty cool. It looks to be chopped. Can't tell if it was sectioned & channeled. I won't have to remove the door handles and the A/C appears to be pretty much in tact.
Clear title? I do not buy salvage-titled vehicles.
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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here in condor country, the game warden will enroll you in a lottery in exchange for a gut pile, lead filled or not
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zBrown
Ice climber
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THX mfm. Good name for a radio staton. FM_MFM(Merced)
I have to admit it's getting better, so much better all the time.
Probably those New Year's drinks.
La pesca con nutria se practica en Bangladés desde hace siglos y podría desaparecer por la la contaminación del agua.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 3, 2016 - 04:04pm PT
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For discussion.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-13111.html
For viewing.
(all photos from the internet, of course)
Wellsir, no one's hit upon the obvious answer yet:
cars are put up on blocks to provide shade for the dogs.
You see, since many jurisdictions now require skirting along the bottom of mobile homes,
the dogs have no place to escape the blazing sun.
Naturally, a man's got to take care of his family.
As to the tires on the roof:
helps hold down the portable domicile during tornados.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 3, 2016 - 05:06pm PT
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