Let's talk about wildlife

[CaliGirlNY]

Billions of cicadas will ascend upon the northeastern United States as another 17-year cycle concludes

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/04/15/billions-of-cicadas-will-descend-upon-the-northeastern-united-states-as-another-17-year-cycle-conclude/

 

[reno cool]

are those the ones that make the very loud bike spoke like noise?

 

[CaliGirlNY]

yup

 

[reno cool]

I feel like I hear them every year

 

[MrX]

I like to help the animals in any way I can.

The homeless on the other hand, not so much. I watched a homeless man take a huge dump across the street from my apartment today. And I live in a really nice area. This is San Francisco tho.

That subject came up while I was in SF. Two great places if you want to watch a human poop, San Francisco and India.

 

[Mudcat]

Gay lions gettin' their gay on.

 

[roguejuror]

Kick all of the gay lions out of North Carolina zoos

 

[Mudcat]

I don't care what you say, those cats are FAB-U-LOUS!

 

[eggs]

You ain't lion.

 

[CaliGirlNY]

In the 2 years and 5 months I've lived in San Francisco I haven't seen a single squirrel.

I walk my dog in all the major parks, so I SHOULD see them...

Why is that??

 

[Mudcat]

If I walk out on my balcony RIGHT NOW. I bet, within 15 seconds, I see a squirrel.

What the hell, let's test it out . . .


Thought it was going to fail but then a black squirrel bounced into view on a lawn across the street at the 14 second mark.


Point being, squirrels are anything but rare round here. The idea of not seeing one for 2+ years seems insane-ish.

 

[reno cool]

I rarely used to see rabbits. Now I see large rabbits everywhere.

 

[roguejuror]

I would hunt them

 

[Mudcat]

I know where I can go to see rabbits. It's not far but they aren't generally just out and about. As far as chance sightings, I see more rabbits than, say, foxes but not as many as raccoons.

Quite a few dead squirrels in the road today.

 

[CaliGirlNY]

i honest to god think that the homeless here capture and eat them. I can't come up wth any other logical possibility. People here have real actual yards, and there's tons of trees and parks. It's REALLY bothering me.... WHERE ARE THE SQUIRRELS???

 

[Blitty]

California ground squirrels are frequently preyed on by rattlesnakes. They are also preyed on by eagles, raccoons, foxes, badgers, and weasels. Interdisciplinary research at the University of California, Davis, since the 1970s has shown that the squirrels use a variety of techniques to reduce rattlesnake predation. Some populations of California ground squirrels have varying levels of resistance to rattlesnake venom as adults. Female squirrels with pups also chew on the skins shed by rattlesnakes and then lick themselves and their pups (who are never resistant to venom before one month of age) to disguise their scent

 

[CaliGirlNY]

***The more you know!***

Thank you!!

 

[Mudcat]

Tried the out-on-my-balcony 15 second squirrel test again. Good way to not just commune with the local wildlife but also assess my clothing needs vis a vis the weather.

This time there was a squirrel already out there from second 1 so

Plenny squirrels round here.

Chipmunks are more rare but we do get them. In fact I saw one not long ago in the mouth of a cat, poor bastard.