Brown Tree Snake Alters Guam Ecosystem

Now that the introduced brown tree snake has “caused the extinction of nearly every [i.e., 10 of 12] native bird species on the Pacific Island of Guam,” what do the snakes—with a density “estimated at more than 3,000 per square mile”—eat? Whatever the answer to that question might be, there is no doubt that they have had a profound and irreversible impact on the ecosystem. As described here, that impact extends to the composition and physiognomy of the native forest, to wit:

But the biggest indirect impact, she [i.e., Haldre Rogers, a University of Washington graduate student in biology] said, could be altered seed scattering that in turn might, in the near future, transform the remaining forest from a diverse mixture of tree species to clumps of trees of the same species, separated by open space. That could have serious consequences, including extinction, for plant and animal species that still live in the forest.

Changes to the Birds of North America

The “Forty-ninth supplement [.pdf] to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American birds” includes a total of 18 changes to the list of birds known from North America north of Mexico.



Six species are added to the avifauna on the basis of new distributional records, while the remaining 12 changes affect only the names by which species are known, including English name (4 species), scientific name (7 species), and both English and scientific name (1 species).



Individual changes are highlighted below:

ADDITIONS (6 species)

Parkinson’s Petrel, Procellaria parkinsoni (California);

Gray Heron, Ardea cinerea (Alaska, Newfoundland);

Swallow-tailed Gull, Creagrus furcatus (California);

Loggerhead Kingbird, Tyrannus caudifasciatus (Florida);

Pallas’s Leaf-Warbler, Phylloscopus proregulus (Alaska); and

Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos (Greenland, Quebec).



CHANGES IN ENGLISH NAMES (4)

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) becomes American Flamingo,

Green Violet-ear (Colibri thalassinus) becomes Green Violetear,

Clay-colored Robin (Turdus grayi) becomes Clay-colored Thrush, and

Troupial (Icterus icterus) becomes Venezuelen Troupial.



CHANGES IN SCIENTIFIC NAMES (7)

Larus philadelphia (Bonaparte’s Gull) becomes Chroicocephalus philadelphia,

Larus cirrocephalus (Gray-hooded Gull) becomes Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus,

Larus ridibundus (Black-headed Gull) becomes Chroicocephalus ridibunda,

Larus minutus (Little Gull) becomes Hydrocoloeus minutus,

Larus atricilla (Laughing Gull) becomes Leucophaeus atricilla,

Larus pipixcan (Franklin’s Gull) becomes Leucophaeus pipixcan, and

Hemignathus parvus (Anianiau) becomes Magumma parva.



CHANGE IN ENGLISH AND SCIENTIFIC NAME (1)

Spot- tailed billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) becomes Eastern Spot-tailed billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha).

Robert Buckley shirtless photos collection

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Fresh-Frozen Chickens

The following description of the effects of an unusual meteorological event on domestic chickens is excerpted from History of Weather Observations: Indianapolis, Indiana, 1861—1948 (.pdf), by Glen Conner:

The motivation for the earliest weather observations in Indianapolis is unknown. It seems certain to have been a scientific interest in meteorology. It may have been a natural curiosity about the environment or a desire to be part of the Smithsonian Institution’s climate network that served the public. Or, perhaps, it was to understand a recent weather event such as the one that the Indianapolis Sentinel reported that caused roosting chickens to freeze hanging upside down. They reported that on New Year’s Eve 1863, the temperature was about 50° F and raining when the chickens flew up to roost in some orchard trees. On the following morning, New Year’s Day of 1864, the chickens were found, “upside down, hanging by their claws to the twigs, frozen hard and stiff.” During the previous twelve hours, the temperature had fallen seventy degrees to a morning low of twenty degrees below zero. It was reported that fifteen Confederate soldiers being held prisoner at Camp Morton froze to death that same night and twelve others were found frozen on a train that was delivering them to the Camp.

One can only wonder what effect this severe winter weather had on wild bird populations.

Manuel Traxler Austrian male model

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He played the role of Dr. Christian Ramirez on The Bold and the Beautiful and he guest-starred as a plastic surgeon who drives Christian Troy to jealousy when he sees him naked in the shower in an episode of Nip/Tuck (see screen caps).





In 2006, Lopez appeared as a celebrity contestant on Dancing With the Stars. Lopez is currently hosting MTVs reality show America's Best Dance Crew. His latest TV credits include America's Best Dance Crew and Hannah Montana although he was well known for his younger role in Saved by the bell.

He certainly enjoys running and keeping fit as you can see from these pics!























Couldn't resist this one!



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