The Curious Compendium 2023-2024: Shih-tzu, maltese, pekingese!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

My marabou has never had an issue standing up or with balance. But I just learned of a story from a friend on STS on how hers fell off a shelf in her bathroom during the night and long story short ended up causing a lot of problems with her plumbing!!!

Another catch up post!

First up are Pigeons and friends.



I learned about dodos! The things that intrigued me are that it is now believed that the original depictions of the dodo (from the few scant remains of stuffed specimens and drawings of them) are incorrect; that the birds would have been a lot slimmer than commonly depicted. Also, I didn't realize until recently that they have 2 also extinct relatives. The solitaire and the Reunion or white dodo. All three went extinct around the same time of the 1600s.

Next we have a small group of vultures!

 

For king vultures, there are two theories on how they got their name. Either, the Mayans referred to them as "king birds" because they were believed to be messengers between man and the gods OR that when at a carcass, all other birds including other vultures will give up their position in feeding if a king vulture arrives to feed (likely due to the fact that they are the second largest vulture species after condors).

[Saarlooswolfhound]

More vultures!


There are 13 subspecies of  bearded vultures. The Egyptian vulture is the closest living relative.These are some of my favorite bird species!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Griffon vultures!


These guys (and their relatives) have been confirmed to consume anthrax, botulism, and cholera causing bacteria when feeding on carcasses. Their bodies have evolved to deal with these diseases with very little effect on themselves and thus end the circulation of those diseases from that specific carcass source!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

More mixed vultures!


The cinereous vulture taught me some new things that connect to the factoids I shared yesterday. Vultures often have microflora all throughout their bodies that are designed to inhibit the bacteria that they will come into contact with. These colonies of microflora can be found on their bald head, all throughout and within their digestive tract, and even on the exterior tissue arouns their cloaca (this pairs will having incredibly acidic stomach acid that coats the entire GI tract). This not only ensures that the bird itself reduces its risk of infection, but ensures that even upon expelling rotted and newly digested meat will not carry a heavy enough bacteria load to be a big threat to other animals.

So the next time you see one, maybe thank them for singlehandedly reducing environmental risk of such scary bacteria.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

A few updates given my recent additions. I will get these updated in the thread and on the website as soon as I can.

[BlueKrono]

@Saarlooswolfhound I am continually blown away by your collection. It's gotta be one of the best extant animal collections on the planet. I'm grateful that you've been part of our community this past year. Thank you for your contributions.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Your words are very generous, thank you. I am happy to be here doing what I truly enjoy and meeting all of you folks!

Edit: *and there's lots more to come!*

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Bald eagles!


Their talons have a crushing 400 psi grip! They live to be about 30 years old in the wild, but can reach 50 in captivity. They do pair bond strongly, but it has been shown that these pairs can break up. I.e. if a couple loses a territorial dispute, it has been documented that the pair break up and look for new mates. So "mate for life" is a little bit of a stretch... as per usual.

[EpicRaptorMan]

I used to have a more modern Schleich Bald Eagle but I replaced it with a SafariLtd one.

Was soooo hard to find one where the pupils were even.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Golden and wedge-tailed eagles!


Goldens often bring aromatic plants to weave into their nests; this is believed to help as insect repellant! While farming chemicals like DDT nearly decimated many raptor populations, it largely left golden eagle populations unaffected. Mostly because their prey items don't ingest the same crops/chemical as others do, and because their egg shells are often much thicker than other raptors'.

Mixed eagles and other friends!


White-bellied sea eagles are known to fly directly into the sun or utlize the angle of the sun casting rays in order to avoid casting shadows on the water/ground- thereby avoiding to alert their prey. Because of its hunting prowess and distinctive looks, this bird features in a lot of mythology and folk tales from their endemic region.

[bmathison1972]

What's the golden eagle on the far left, with its wings spread and on a clear acrylic base?

Funny, I had the Kaiyodo NMJ figure. But, I worried over time it may not hold up due to the assembly. So, I got the Colorata version. But compared in-hand, I can't decide LOL. And they scale well together. The solution? Buy the Schleich baby nest and have a family  . The Schleich 'eagle nest' was not marketed at the species level and can be used for both bald or goldens . I don't buy babies or create 'families' much for non-arthropods but can make an exception now and then.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

@bmathison1972, it is a NECA brand model included in a figure set from a popular video game. Assassin's Creed Eagle Vision

I think the family idea is a grand one. Even though they came out when I was a kid, I am very fortunate to have had the forethought to buy 2 of the Schleich eaglets in a nest and I usually use one set for baldies and one for goldens as you can see one if each included in each "family portrait".

[Saarlooswolfhound]

More mixed eagles and friends!

The harpy eagle makes enormous nests! They can be the size of a double bed, 100 feet or more off the ground, and have been recorded as using up to 300 branches to create!

[Shane]

More mixed eagles and friends!

The harpy eagle makes enormous nests! They can be the size of a double bed, 100 feet or more off the ground, and have been recorded as using up to 300 branches to create!

What's that fourth Osprey (top left most Osprey)? I recognize the Play Visions, K&M, and the Schleich "Osprey" but don't recognize that other gal.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

That is actually a custom repaint I did about 2ish years ago. It was originally a bootlef copy of a Nayab figure.

[Shane]

That is actually a custom repaint I did about 2ish years ago. It was originally a bootlef copy of a Nayab figure.

That explains why I can't place it. It's actually the best looking Osprey of the bunch!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Ah! Thank you Shane. 

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Smaller birds of prey!


Peregrine falcons have been clocked reaching speeds og up to 260+ mph while in a stoop (their hunting dive). They are also the chosen wild bird mascot for the windy city; Chicago.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Flamingos!


These are the national bird of the Bahamas. The first zoo animal was hatched at Zoo Basel in Switzerland in 1958 (it was a Chilean Flamingo). One lived to be 83 years old in the Adelaide Zoo in Australia, passing in 2014.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Some more sea birds.


The great auk went extinct in the 19th century, but it could be on the list for de-extinction by taking recovered DNA and splicing it with their one known relative; the razorbill. Their remains have been found as far south as Florida! Native Americans also hunted these birds (seemingly with a bit more respect than later colonizers) and used their bones, feathers, etc. for rituals and household items.