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No I'm not talking about the caucus results (of which I'm ignorant--I can wait until my commute to hear that) or the fact that the temperature is once again four degrees, no I've been looking at my friends list for 5 minutes and I've already found two of the weirdest nature stories I've ever seen!

Plankton growth spurt causes increase in rock-burrowing crustaceans. Island soon to erode away.

Cow-eating trees feared in India! This isn't really news as much as cryptobotony. Do a google search for "Pili mara" or "Tiger tree" for more info.

Caiman apparantly unhurt in 12 story fall in Russian Nuclear Center.

Thanks to invertebrates, wtf_nature, and drhoz for entertaining my morning.

Of course some spoilsports had to post the preliminary caucus results. The nonsense words "Huckabee" and "Obama" seem to be the Iowans' favorite, who we must remember, live in a state called "Iowa."

This is in the back of Stash's Pizza on Blue Hill Ave in Dorchester. Roxbury is named after rocks (specifically Roxbury puddingstone) but Dorchester isn't named after doors.
(x-posted to doors_v_stene, a Russian language community for posting pictures of doors--I forget which lj friend told me about it, but thank you!)

I was at Stone Zoo today, waiting for someone, flipping through the Zookeeper Training Manual when I came across this. A "butt bag" I now realize is like a punching bag for animals such as goats that like to butt heads. I have no idea what "Disco Fever" is, at least, not in the context of Animal Enrichment.


Speaking of enrichment, donated xmas trees are used to enrich the gorillas! This gorilla is just kind of hanging on to the xmas tree and eating some leafy greens (not eating the tree). The trees provide enrichment because they are novel objects, they smell interesting, and then Santa Ape comes. Note also the snow brought it in also for enrichment (this is an indoor exhibit).

In other news I've been celebrating the warm weather (26!) by taking the puppy out to pee wearing an open zip-up sweatshirt instead of a space suit.