What Creatures Would You Notice First?
Greetings!
I am currently looking out my window at a beautiful tree covered in pink blossoms. It’s not a cherry tree, at least, not the type I am used to seeing around here, which I believe are primarily planted in public spaces specifically for their spectacular blossoms. I don’t know what it is. The blossoms start out white and turn a light pink before dropping. It doesn’t matter. The birds and squirrels enjoy it, and so do I.
This week, I am tossing my usual format to the side to just play a bit. Thursday is my birthday, which makes this is birthday week. This means I (mostly) get to do whatever I want, especially on the big day, but I stretch it both ways as much as possible. :)
So, for this week, there is no featured creature, deep dive (AKA What About ___ and Exploring More), or Full Speed Ahead comic. Instead, I have challenged myself to share one fun fact about the first five small creatures I encounter, either in person or through email, social media, or wherever.
This does not include Kola, Max, and Jasper, of course. The purpose of this newsletter is to share info about small underappreciated, often overlooked creatures. Our furry family members are definitely not underappreciated or overlooked!
Challenge Complete
I managed to hit my five creature limit on Monday. In part, this was because we went to Petco to shop for some cat food for our boys. Over the past several months we have upgraded their diet due to some medical issues. Our kitchen and entry look like we are members of some eccentric cat-food-of-the-week club. The colorful boxes are piled high and within easy reach so we can hopefully provide something tasty come kitty mealtime. It works about 3/10 times. Ugh.
Though I have mixed feelings about pet stores, I can’t help but take a quick look at the variety of furry, scaly, and feathered friends they have. I do like that Petco works with local organizations to adopt out dogs and cats, which means they are not supporting horrible breeding practices. I don’t know enough about how they obtain rodents, reptiles, birds, or fish to comment one way or the other.
So, here are the three creatures I spotted at Petco and a fast fun fact about each. Believe me, choosing just one fact to share was a real challenge! I may have snuck an extra fact in here and there where I could manage it in a subtle manner.
Guinea Pig
Neither from Guinea, nor pigs, these little guys can see almost everything that’s going on. They have a field of vision of about 340 degrees, with the remaining 20 degrees being a blind spot directly behind their head. Their 340 degrees of vision easily beats cats’, at 200 degrees, and humans’, at 180 degrees. I don’t think you could easily sneak up on a guinea pig.
Crested Gecko
All geckos are known for being quite vocal, and the striking crested gecko is no exception. They make a variety of chirps, clicks, squeaks, barks, and whistles to express fear, surprise, hunger, and pain. Sounds are also used to attract a mate, define territory, confuse a predator, and communicate with each other.
Leopard Gecko
Forget sex chromosomes. This type of lizard has its sex determined by temperature while the egg is being incubated. This is called temperature-dependent sex determination or TSD. Incubation at 90 degrees F. (32.5 C) leads to males; 80 degrees F. (26 C) produces females, and 85 degrees (29 C) provides an even split.
The remaining two creatures crossed my path thanks to some internet research I was doing. I don’t remember what I was looking up, but I do remember these guys.
Pygmy Marmoset
This South American wonder, also known as a “finger monkey” is the smallest monkey in the world averaging about 5” (12.7 cm) tall with a tail closer to 7” (17.8 cm) long, and weighing about 3-5 oz (85-142 g). Look up “finger monkeys” if you want to see some adorable photos that give you a true sense of the compactness of these cuties.
Limax Cinereoniger
Also known as the ash-black slug, this European native may reach almost 12 inches (30cm) long and is considered the largest land slug in the world. Our Pacific Northwest banana slugs come in a close second.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into my week. I’m scheduling this to publish on Friday, as usual, but won’t be adding to it after Wednesday because I will be indulging in birthday goodness. My plans so far include a delicious breakfast, going to a mid-day moving with my son, and having pizza and cake with my wife, kids, and their partners late in the day. Another thing I will be doing is researching local tattoo artists. More to come on that! 😉
If you liked this issue, please click on the heart at the bottom or top of this message. It’s good knowing you are out there! ❤️
Enjoy the little things. In the grand scheme of life, they are often the most important.
Peace,
Dakota Duncan
Did you know I wrote a graphic novel? Check it out on my website: dakotaduncan.com
I learned something; thank you! And ... Happy Birthday!
I had Guinea Pigs as a child. They are great pets, just be sure who you are getting them from can sex them which is tricky as I ended up with babies, lol.