2014 Website Report
Thanks to all who followed and read my posts this past year! Thanks to all who messaged me or commented on posts! If you want to check out the report of what Ali’s Animal Answers has done this past year, click the link below…
National Visit the Zoo Day
In tribute to all the species kept in zoos and safari parks, enjoy some pictures of species that are wild, unusual, rarely seen (outside of zoos/ safari parks), and protected species/ last of their species.
Not everyone agrees with zoos or safari parks – there can certainly be improvements made; but on the other hand, we all enjoy visiting the zoo or safari park and taking in the exquisite and diverse animal species.
White Rhino
Andean Bear
Lion
Peahen (female Peacock)
Californian Sealion
Kookaburra
Baboon
Eland
Vicuña
Asian/ Indian Elephant
Ankole Cow
Bongo
Meerkat
Red River Hog
Bongo
Fallow Deer
Asian/ Indian Elephant
Pygmy Goat
Andean Bear
Eland
Sumatran Tiger
Chimpanzee
Lion
Brasingha
Baboon
Meerkat
Barasingha
Baringo Giraffe
African Elephant
Bactrian camel
Andean Bear
Lions
Californian Sealion
Sumatran Tiger
African Elephant
Gentoo penguin
Shetland Pony
Cape Porcupine
African Elephant
Californian Sealion
Axis Deer
Baboon
Chilean flamingo
Stalk
Baboon
Did You Know? Reindeer
Reindeer are also known as Caribou.
Males reindeer are known as bulls. Female reindeer are known as cows. Young reindeer are known as calves. Both male and female reindeer have antlers. These are covered in velvet, which is shed annually.
Reindeer live in the Northern parts of North America including Canada and Alaska. They also live in Europe, Russia and Greenland… and of course, the North Pole with Santa!
Santa’s reindeer look like red deer when drawn – tall and slim; with long, slender antlers, a smooth brown coat, and small black hooves. In reality, reindeer are fairly short and stocky; with large, fairly broad antlers (the bigger the better); and wide, flat, split hooves.
The split hooves makes them a two-toed ungulate (such as sheep and camels, unlike horses).
The coats of reindeer vary from brown to grey/ white, and mixtures in between – usually white underneath.
The larger your antlers, the higher your rank within the group. The higher your rank within the group, means first dibs on important things such as food, shelter, and mates.
Different types of reindeer include the woodland caribou, barren-ground caribou, forest reindeer, river caribou, peary caribou, Svalbard reindeer, porcupine caribou, Arctic reindeer, and Alaskan reindeer.
National Day of the Horse
13th December 2014 – National Day of the Horse
Today is National Day of the Horse (and pony) – this varied species comes in all heights (hands heigh – hh), weight ranges, colours, shapes, and personalities; with various talents.
Ponies can be any height up to 14.2hh – once the animal is 14.3hh and above it is classed as a horse. There are over 300 different breeds of horses/ponies in the world. Different breeds have been bred for different uses – racing/speed, trotting, dressage, hacking, strength, jumping, size, colour, coat texture, and height are some of the more modern traits bred for. Horses and ponies were often bred for working purposes rather than recreational/ hobby reasons prior to the invention/ mass production of cars and other machinery; such as work in the mines, on the docks, farming, pulling boats, transporting people – on their backs and by pulling carriages, pulling emergency vehicles, and were often used in war.
Find a collection of various horse and pony breeds, for your viewing pleasure, below…
[all photo’s are either my own personal ones or open source images from the internet]
Akhal-Teke
Irish Draft Mares
Mare and daughter
Arab Horse
Spanish Mustang
Thoroughbred Gelding
Suffolk Punch Horse
Shire Horses
Grey Pony
Oldenburg
Fjord mare and foal
Bavarian Warmblood
Canadian Horse
Appaloosa
Dirty Shetlands
Spooks, Peggy, Maggie
Falabella
Icelandic Horses
Horses in war
Yonaguniuma Horse
Christmas Foodstuffs NOT for Pets!
With only 21 sleeps until Christmas day; have fun this festive season, but not at the expense of your pet. Ensure you keep them safe and don’t let them get into the Christmas sweets and treats set out for you and your guests! Making sure you know what to keep “out of reach” of your pets is good to bear in mind amidst all the fun and activity.
This should go without saying; whether you consume it or cook with it, and no matter how much you’ve had – under no circumstances do you ever give your pet alcohol of any kind. Whether it’s in the Christmas pudding or straight from the glass/ bottle – just don’t do it. Alcohol can kill your pet (the smaller the quicker). This may sound obvious, but I have witnessed a person after having too much champagne attempting to let a dog share in the drinking… So also (always) keep an eye on your pet and ensure they’re safe around party guests.
Cooked veggies are a no-go for your herbivorous pet. Fresh and raw only. By all means give your little furry pet the carrot peelings/tops or the discarded cabbage leaves – just ensure you know what veggies are suitable for your pet so as too not feed the wrong food even in it’s raw form.
Cooked bones should not be given to your dog or cat – as these can splinter very easily, and get stuck in or cut their throat. Raw bones can be given with supervision, but not if your pet is food possessive or aggressive. Some dogs and cats that aren’t normally food aggressive, can become this way when given raw food/ bones.
As per one of my early posts – garlic, onion, grapes and raisins, and chocolate are all toxic to dogs. These are also toxic to a lot of other animals.
(https://alisanswers.com/index.php/2014/01/29/dangerous-people-food-for-dogs/)
Grapes and raisins (and other kinds of fresh fruit and veg) are suitable to feed to certain species; such as parrots and lizards – always do your research before feeding anything new to your pet. If you want to feed chocolate to your dog, buy doggy chocolate which is safe.
If you feel the need to spoil your pet this Christmas, buy pet safe Christmas treats! Give your pets treats within reason so as to not overfeed! Above all, don’t forget to keep feeding your pet their normal diet throughout this festive season.
Seek veterinary advice if you are unsure about what foodstuffs will harm your pet, prior to feeding it. If you think your pet may have ingested something harmful then take them to the vet as soon as possible.
Fishy Friends
It can be hard to know which fish will get along being in a communal tank. Which fish species get along, and which ones don’t. Quite often (unfortunately) the pet store or aquarium staff also do not know.
I was in a garden centre aquarium about a month ago to restock my tropical tank, and I was shocked to see some of the species that they had kept together. I was even more shocked, and saddened, to see the aggression within tanks due to the wrong species being kept together – dead fish, fin-less/ half-eaten fish, bullying within the tank… all sorts!
It is not fair on the animals in the tanks – they have nowhere to go, so it is the job of those caring for them to ensure they have optimum environments and tank mates. This starts by knowing your fish species and how to house them, and who with.
Tetra, platy, guppy, danio, corydora, swordtail, catfish, loach, molly, and goldfish species are all good communal fish (within their water types) – in my experience.
Chichlids can be kept with other chichlids – but do your research. You may keep the same species chichlids together of different sizes, or different species of similar sizes, or get a communal type (same species, varying sizes).
Barb species are communal within species. For instance you could keep several rosy barbs together, but not a tiger barb an a rosy barb together. Barbs ought to be kept alone within their types, they are not good communal fish – not good with other fish species.
Fighter fish on the other hand should be kept alone, except for breeding (but separated after mating has taken place). This species is very territorial and aggressive towards other fish – definitely a solitary species.
The size, and the amount of the same species in a tank can cause issues. For instance, you can keep two tangs of the same species but they must be different sizes to avoid conflict/ aggression; or two tangs of the same size but they must be different types.
Ensure you research into fish species before acquiring them – some species may appear to be okay together or just make your tank look aesthetically pleasing together, but may not actually get on. An overstocked tank will likely cause aggression. Fish with lovely, long, flowing fins may survive happily with reduced numbers within their tank; but end up with chewed (off) fins by other fish when there is overcrowding.
Choose your communal tank species carefully. Do thorough research into every fish species, and how well your intended species will get along in a tank – taking into consideration tank size, and amount and size of fish wanted.
Pet Health Problems: Giardia in Dogs
In response to a question asked…
Giardia is a simple single-celled parasite – it isn’t a bacteria or virus. The parasite occurs worldwide and causes of diarrhoea in people as well as dogs. It can be zoonotic (transmitted from humans to animals, and vice versa) but it is more likely to be transmitted from humans to dogs, and much less likely for humans to catch it from an infected dog. Giardiasis is the name for the intestinal infection that Giardia causes; this causes illness, especially diarrhoea. The diarrhoea is often discoloured (greenish tinge) and very loose. Vomiting is also a symptom, although less common.
Other symptoms may include lethargy (extreme tiredness), weight loss, poor coat condition, and in extreme cases – death. Other dogs may show no signs save for the loose and/ or discoloured faeces.
This is not usually life-threatening as it is treatable as long as you do something sooner rather than later, to prevent your pet becoming immuno-compromised.
The most common form of contraction, is waterborne as the parasites prefer moist conditions. Unclean and stagnant moist areas/ water will be good places for the parasites to thrive – so try to ensure your dog does not drink from unknown/ unclean water sources. Water contaminated by faecal matter is common ground for Giardia. Ensure you provide your dog with fresh water daily.
The less common form of contraction is ingestion of the parasites/ eggs from other infected animal faeces. Watch your dog when out and about, and ensure (s)he doesn’t eat anything (s)he shouldn’t!
If you have any questions or comments, or would like any more information or advice regarding this post; or if you have anything specific you would like me to cover in a future post, then either contact me through this site or leave a comment below, or contact me via one of my social media pages:-
. Google+ (Ali’s Animal Answers)
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. Twitter (@AnimalFreak24)
. LinkedIn (Ali Holloway)
Remembrance
We remember today, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, all the fallen heroes who gave their lives so that we can enjoy all the freedom and pleasures that we do today! We remember all the heroes who fight today, risking their lives daily.
We remember all the men and women who contributed to the war effort and aided in preserving their country. Amongst all the men and women, let us not forget the animals who were and are involved in wars; giving their lives and risking it all alongside soldiers, doing their bit to help in war-time.
Cat (being helped)
Dog
Pigeon
Donkey
Elephant
Dog
Horses in war
Pigeon
Dog
Dog
Horses (gas masks)
Donkey
Elephant
Horses
Dog (gas mask)
Dog (medical)
Hedgehog Hotels (Bonfire Night)
Bonfires are hedgehog hotels. Especially those built in advance. Bonfires should not be built until the day they are to be lit. Try to check your bonfire for wildlife before lighting your bonfire – move the bonfire, disturb it to try and shoo any animals out. A bonfire is essentially a big pile of wood that underneath is nice and cosy – making it a 5* hotel for any wildlife looking for a nice hibernation spot, particularly hedgehogs.
To prevent hedgehogs and other wildlife from getting injured or killed by lit bonfires, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) recommends that bonfires should not be built until the day you plan on lighting them. This will not only save wildlife from burning to death, but will also prevent the bonfire (wood) from getting wet if it rains the night(s) before! By moving the pile to be burnt to a new place on the day you are going to set it alight, everyone can help save some lives (especially the lives of nocturnal species who will have left your bonfire by the time you come to light it in the evening).
Putting chicken wire around the edge of your bonfire may help prevent wildlife getting in to the bonfire in the first place. Hedgehogs like to hide in the centre, and bottom two feet, of the bonfire – you can check for them by gently lifting the bonfire section by section with a pole/ stick/ broom. Never use a shovel/ spade/ fork as these can stab and injure wildlife. Shining a torch will help – listen for a hissing sound, as hedgehogs make this noise when they are disturbed.
Hibernating hedgehogs are particularly at risk – hedgehogs are not able to wake up quickly from hibernation so they may be unable to quickly escape the bonfire if disturbed, before it is lit. Ensure you leave plenty of time for escape, and double check for any wildlife before lighting your bonfire. If you do find a hedgehog in your bonfire and it hasn’t woken up, you can move it to safety; by wearing thick gloves you will prevent your human smell getting on to the hedgehog and the nest, which can cause stress. Try to pick up as much of the nest as you can, place the hedgehog in a box or a similar wooded spot, with lots of warm leaves and other natural warm items. An old towel can be used if necessary to ensure the hedgehog keeps warm. If in doubt about what to do, contact a professional.
Checking for wildlife only takes a minute to do, but can save many wildlife species from being burnt alive. Hedgehogs as a species are already in decline; take a minute to help turn that around.