So “mega” means big. OK. But just how big would a “megalodon
shark” be? Try about 50-60 feet long,
with teeth that won’t quit. Those teeth
explain the origin of this creature’s full name: “big tooth shark.”
Last alive some 3.6 million years ago, this biggest predator
fish of all time could eat a whale. The
blue whale’s current reputation as the largest creature in the world suffers
when compared with that of the megalodon shark.
That giant makes today’s great white shark look like a pygmy
fish. Its jaw size would allow a human
to stand inside it with ceiling height to spare.
All my superlatives about a long-gone fish are occasioned by
an exhibition opening next month at New York’s American Museum of Natural
History: “Sharks!” A partial
replica of the megalodon will join replicas of other sharks, including great
whites and hammerheads.
Because the intended gallery can’t fit an entire
megalodon, its front end is all that’s now being fabricated in the museum’s
workshop. https://tinyurl.com/p78xzcpt
But megalodons were long ago and far away. Now let’s turn our attention to some tiny but
crucial things: cats’ whiskers.
Besides aesthetic appeal, those whiskers serve as very
useful tools for cats – which is why when, years ago now, a cat with cropped
whiskers turned up in a shelter where I volunteered, everyone who saw him was
aghast.
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| Billy |
They must have known at least some of the ways cats depend
on their whiskers – and could literally be lost without them:
·
as cats’ sensory organs, whiskers can sense
vibrations in the air, alerting felines to nearby predators
·
because cats can’t see too well up close,
whiskers help them navigate their surroundings by sensing what’s around them
·
the position of their whiskers shows how felines
are feeling
·
whiskers protect cats’ eyes, acting like eye
lashes
Now take a look at this article to learn how chubby cats have
a “whisker advantage.”
The clock’s ticking
There’s still time for you to adopt a senior cat, this
being “adopt a senior pet month,” which I’ve altered to be senior cat
month since cats are in far more jeopardy than dogs in animal shelters. And bringing an older cat home now allows both
you and your new feline to really enjoy the holidays (and long beyond).
Suggestion: visit your nearest animal shelter or contact
an area rescue group to find out whether they’re caring for older felines. If so, visit and meet them. Then, if you’re inclined to
help a homeless cat to begin with, you may just bring one home. (Please do!)
Lab animals rejoice
Earlier this month, Governor Murphy signed New Jersey’s
Humane Cosmetics Act into law. This
action capped intense effort by members and supporters of the Animal Protection
League of NJ, who phoned, tweeted and emailed the governor about the importance
of this legislation.
Laurie Perla, APL’s legislative liaison, was a driving force behind passing this bill, anticipated
to become a forerunner of a federal law banning the manufacture and sale of
animal-tested cosmetics in the US.
“Untold numbers of rabbits,
rats, mice, guinea pigs and hamsters suffer and die each year” in now-needless
cosmetic safety tests, according to the Humane Society of the US. You can find a list of companies that are certified
cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny at leapingbunny.org.
Oh, deer!
What can you do with leftover pumpkins? Why do deer have good reason for eating
quickly? What are a few reasons for why deer-vehicle
crashes spike in November? Why should
you leash your dog in wildlife areas?
You’ll find answers to many such questions in “The Bleat,”
November’s newsletter from Save New Jersey Deer. Here’s the link: https://conta.cc/3DbmJR9
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