Answers to Yesterday's Real or Fake Game

Well, nobody won the game this time. I guess it was a tough one! Here are the answers.

A). REAL - Golden Tabby Tiger. The wikipedia entry on this extremely rare variation of tiger is interesting, check it out.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_tiger_3_-_Buffalo_Zoo.jpg
You can see it on video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbfbFj6wpBo

B). REAL - Hemiptera. This unidentified, but verified insect, is in the Hemiptera family, probably an aphid larvae of some sort.

C). FAKE - This is the ONLY fake animal in the entire game. And since everyone has gotten so good at playing, I thought I'd be more sneaky than usual (and you know how I like to be sneaky!) This is the first animal in the history of the game that I created from scratch, without using any object to build off of, like I have in the past (i.e. a lamp or a coffe cake ring). The animal itself, which I've named Clayfooticus Fakearoonie, was drawn and painted by me, and then pasted onto a jungle background. Some people were fooled by this little guy, but not everyone. Guess I'll have to try harder next time! :)




D). REAL - Japanese Spider Crab. This is one big crustacean! Check out this cool video for proof that it really exists in nature!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfhUhzc_EGE

E). REAL - Suri Alpaca. This breed of Alpaca makes up only 5% of the Alpaca species. To learn more about alpacas, go to this site.
http://www.farbrookalpacas.com/AboutAlpacas/BreedTypes.aspx

F). REAL - Net-Winged Beetle. You can see this guy from a different angle here:
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2009/09/17/possible-net-winged-beetle/

G). REAL - Remorina Albescens (The white sucker fish). This fish loves to hitch rides on manta rays and on the occasional shark. For more info, click here:
http://www.fishbase.us/summary/speciessummary.php?id=3548

H). REAL - Ground Pangolin. This little guy is super cool! Check out this great video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cWkNt5KnyQ

I had a lot of fun with the game this week. I'll try not to let so much time go by before I do another! Hope everyone enjoyed playing ~ Your Pal, Lucy

Real or Fake Game

Hey Gang! It's been awhile since I've posted the Real or Fake Game! I'm posting today's game because my friend Grant said he missed playing it, so this one is for you Grant! But, hey, everyone can play! All you have to do is pick the animals that you think are FAKE (that don't exist in nature) and email your answers to lucyclayfoot@yahoo.com. I'll be back in 24 hours to post the answers and let you know if anyone beat me this time! Good luck everyone! ~ Your pal, Lucy Clayfoot

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Fainting Goats and Answers

Hi Everyone! Plane leaves in a little while, but I wanted to give you the answers to yesterday's Real or Fake Animal game and it's a very special game because all of the real animals will have a video clip, and you have to watch them because these creatures are amazing. Okay, I take that back. One real animal is so rare that I couldn't find any video of it, so I am linking you to some pics. AND today I also want to tell you about an animal with a really weird defense mechanism.

It's called the Fainting Goat and I'll start with it.

Wikipedia says this about them: A fainting goat is a breed of domestic goat whose muscles freeze for roughly 10 seconds when the goat is startled. Though painless, this generally results in the animal collapsing on its side. The characteristic is caused by a hereditary genetic disorder called myotonia congenita. When startled, younger goats will stiffen and fall over. Older goats learn to spread their legs or lean against something when startled, and often they continue to run about in an awkward, stiff-legged shuffle.

I'll have to try that the next time I get in trouble with my Mom! Think she'll buy it? ;)

Check out this video clip of fainting goats in action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we9_CdNPuJg


On to the game answers!

A). Real - Kori Bustard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Ixqnua3Ig&feature=PlayList&p=8E0A2AC111C3C8FE&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2

B). Real - Water Penny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIoMQpNF1x0&feature=PlayList&p=F1ED08DC0C719F66&index=27

C). Real - Wombat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO0u9oI1XzQ&feature=related

D). Real - Red River Hog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j80gayKrZz4

E). Real - Green Jay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR3XIM-uU6Q

F). Real - Bornean Bay Cat
No video clip on this guy! He's too rare! But here's some pics!
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=Bornean+Bay+Cat&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=d9m7SsqTHOGPtgfe-aW4DQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1

G). Real - Barbirusa Boar
http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist/SURCAT/1977/01/01/X01017701/

H). Real - Blue Bottle Man of War (Jellyfish)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut9XX96XS4c&feature=related

I). Real - Takin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoPO8yukvgM


Yep, they were all real! Hope no one is mad at me! *Lucy falls over like a fainting goat* HAHA!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Real or Fake Animal Game

Hi everyone! I'm really short on time this week - I'm heading to Boston for a conference on cryptozoology - so I'm posting the Real or Fake Animal game a little bit early. No worries, you still have until midnight on Thursday night to get your answers in and I'll be sure to post the correct ones on Friday before I go. Don't forget, email me just the fake animals.
lucyclayfoot@yahoo.com
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Animals, Our Brothers and Sisters

Hi Everyone! I want to talk today about the way things should be.

My people, the Sioux, tell a story... at the beginning of time humans and animals were good friends, living in harmony together. But the great trickster spirit, Iktomi, convinced man that he should rule over the animals. Iktomi is very persuasive and it wasn't long before humans were domesticating the animals, putting them to work in the fields or in their homes, and eventually hunting them for food. It was very sad, the bond between them was broken and forgotten. The animals felt so betrayed by their former friends that they stopped speaking altogether. But Sioux believe it's never too late to make amends - to rebuild the friendship. But it starts by treating all animals well.

Today I'm posting video clips of extraordinary examples of bonds between man and animal. These clips aren't long, and worth watching. They remind us of what's truly possible.

Malaysian Eagle Owl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdHZot_nRns

The capybara (The largest rodent on the planet. It's in the same family as the rat and the mouse)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyzR8w2i7bM

Another amazing video of the capybara, this time enjoying a popsicle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEX7t_BsFSQ&feature=related

And maybe one more surprising video before I go. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Do something nice for an animal friend! Let's earn their trust back!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT0hFXblpaM&feature=related

Answers and a Sad Reminder

Hi Everyone,
I just have a couple of things to do here today, and I'll start with the answers from yesterday's Real or Fake Animal game. Nobody won, but keep trying! The fun is in the playing, not necessarily the winning, right? Right? Hello? Anyone?

A). Fake - It started out as some cactus thingie before I "dunked" it in Photoshop.

B). Real - Vulturine Guinea Fowl.
Can I just say how much I love this bird? It's got sort of an ugly head, but the most beautiful feathers ever! Don't you just love how nature works?
I posted just its head for the game, so here's a full body pic of it. Do yourself a favor and take a look.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Vulturine_Guineafowl.JPG
And if you follow this link you can read all about the species.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulturine_Guineafowl
C). Real - Amazonia Leaf-foot Bug
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artour_a/2271182074/
D). Real - Cantor's Soft-Shelled Turtle
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cantors-softshell.html#cr
E). Real - Hickory Horned Devil (Cool name, or what?). This guy is so awesome I thought he derserved a VIDEO LINK! Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT52brviTGI&feature=related
F). Fake - It started out as an underwater plant, but I erased its stem in Photoshop.

G). Real - Pompeii worm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii_worm

H). Real - Pink Farie armadillo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Fairy_Armadillo

I). Real - Muscovy Duck

A lot of people guessed that Mr. Muscovy was a fake. Happy to disappoint, because he's real and super cool. Just watch this VIDEO to see for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1EFTCIh-Y0&feature=related

J). Real - Lesser Mouse Deer

I'm going VIDEO crazy today, but I think it's important to see these animals as living, breathing creatures who share this beautiful planet with us. Don't forget, you can Google any of the ones that you want to learn more about, and I knoooooow you want to learn more about all of them, so get Googling!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx9ZrKz8vVo

Okay, I'm going to end today's blog on a downer. I want to remind everyone how important it is to do everything we can to take care of every precious species, from the rare to the common. We can't take any of them for granted. Not too long ago, the Passenger Pigeon was one of the most abundant species in North America, traveling in flocks that sometimes stretched a mile across the sky. But people hunted it to extinction, for its meat, and now it's gone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Pigeon

Someday it's possible that the common cat could be extinct, or the rainbow trout, or blue jays. Right now honeybees and frogs are disappearing at an alarming rate.

So be grateful for all of the wonderful animals we have to enjoy and learn about and interact with and never take them for granted.

I'm leaving you guys today with a slide show of animals that have disappeared within the last five hundred years, some much more recent. Something to think about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40nJPTQMY-0&NR=1

Your Pal, Lucy

Real or Fake Animal Game Thursday!!!

Hey Everyone! It's time for the Real or Fake Animal game again! Remember, email me the letters of just the fake ones. Good luck!

lucyclayfoot@yahoo.com

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