Categories
bunny environment

Climate change is killing the Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny’s a rabbit, but what kind of rabbit? There are over 20 species of rabbit, and they have a few dozen more cousins, the hares and pikas. Maybe different regions have different “Easter Bunnies,” with snowshoe hares bopping along with frozen chocolate eggs in Arctic North America and desert cottontails keeping their sugary snacks cool in burrows in the desert Southwest.

Now where should I put these eggs?
(Image: Gerbil/Wikipedia)

This graphic from Climate Nexus points out that at least five Easter Bunny candidates are threatened with extinction because of climate change.

  • The Mexican volcano rabbit (seriously! a volcano rabbit!)
  • The Florida Keys marsh rabbit
  • The snowshoe hare
  • The pygmy rabbit
  • The American pika

Each of these species is threatened by different factors: increasing temperatures, rising sea level, changing weather patterns, etc. This lagomorph mass extinction could have devastating effects on this important holiday of fertility and sweets!

No more candy for you!
(Pygmy rabbit, Image: BLM/Wikipedia)

Won’t somebody think of the children, and save the Easter Bunny?

Categories
bunny

Friday bunnyblogging

I’ve been asked why I’m always either posting photos of Noe eating and sleeping. There are really two reasons for this.

For one, she spends a lot of time either sleeping or eating. No surprise there.

The second reason is that when she’s awake and not distracted, she wants to know why that thing is being pointed in her face.

Is that the stupid camera again?

Noe has a philosophy that it’s only polite to point two things at her face: food, or a hand positioned for petting. (Actually, a foot or elbow will do for the latter- she’s a weird animal.)

Seriously, are you still following me?

Eventually, she’ll bop the camera with her nose- a warning sign- and then stomp off in a huff.

Don't make me come over there and bop you.
Categories
bunny

Friday bunnyblogging

Time to try a video…

Noe is the terror of cardboard boxes everywhere.

Anyway, this should give you an idea of how she likes to wake us up.

Categories
Hawaii outdoors travel

More on hiking to Ka’ena Point

It’s always best to hike out to Ka’ena Point either early or late in the day. Even when it’s a bit overcast, the sun can be brutal, and there’s nearly no shade. On this trip, we didn’t make it out there until about 10:30 am, which meant that we were really hiking at the worst time of the day. While it actually wasn’t that hot, it was pretty sunny. The prevailing winds did keep the vog away from us, though.

Vog creeping up in the distance (Photo: Y. Fernandez)

Yan and I lured Dad out on the hike with a promise of cool scenery to sketch and a pretty easy hike. Which it was (on both counts), but it was also pretty hot for a retired Minnesotan hauling art supplies.

I kind of like this photo of Dad & myself, with the Waianaes in the background. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)

I think some of the scenery impressed Dad more than other things. For example, the big sea arch and the blowhole seemed to hold his attention…

One of the sea arches on the way to the point- I counted about three on this trip. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)

…While the abandoned car did not. To be fair, it looked much more like a car last year.

Will there be anything left next time we hike out there? (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
Categories
birds bunny Florida politics

Florida to allow dyeing pets?

For 45 years, Florida has banned the dyeing of animals- usually rabbits and chicks- for Easter. Now, one dog groomer in South Florida has single-handedly convinced all but eight members of the legislature to overturn the ban. This would make it legal to dye animals only a few days old and sell them like Easter eggs.

The reason the practice was made illegal in the first place was apparently the high number of animals that were killed during the dying process- the dyes are usually toxic, especially to young animals. Even when they survive ingesting the chemicals, Easter pets are often neglected to death, abandoned, or dropped off at overburdened shelters. This is a bad, bad idea on many levels.

I think this quote from the Sun-Sentinel’s story captures the Legislature’s thought processes- or lack of them- nicely:

Bogdanoff did not realize the amendment would also allow bunnies and chicks to be sold when they are just days old, said Aaron Nevins, her legislative aide.

“Oops,” he said. “That’s an unintended consequence. We had no clue.”

No, you apparently did not.

Amendment 303390, allowing the artificial dyeing or coloring of animals is now on Gov. Rick Scott’s desk. If he doesn’t veto it, it goes into effect this summer. You can urge him to veto Amendment 303390 here.

Categories
bunny

Friday bunnyblogging

Noe, inscrutable.

"I may allow you to have your power cord back- if you give me some parsley."

 

Categories
birds Hawaii outdoors travel

Ka’ena Point

On our winter trip to Hawaii, we took a hike out to Ka’ena Point, the northwestern tip of Oahu. In contrast to last year, it was quite dry out there.

Nesting Laysan Albatross, Ka'ena Point
Nesting Laysan Albatrosses, Ka'ena Point

We saw quite a few Laysan Albatrosses here, nesting. No Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, though.

Another view of the albatross.

Other notable bird sightings were a White-tailed Tropicbird, and a very tired looking Cattle Egret winging in to land from apparently way out to sea. They’re not seabirds, though they do apparently fly along the coast from roosting sites to feeding areas. I have no idea where this one had been- it appeared to be heading straight from Kauai, which is probably not realistic- the Ka’ie’ie Waho Channel is 72 miles wide!

We also saw two Monk Seals lounging on the rocks, as well as some Humpback Whales out to sea. There were also some neat critters (and algae) in the tidepools. So not a spectacular day for wildlife, but we saw some cool stuff.

Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal (the lazy grey blob in the center of the frame)
Categories
bunny

Friday bunnyblogging

It’s been a long blogging hiatus, but I’m going to try to start this up again. Here’s a photo of Noe, no doubt dreaming about which piece of furniture to chew on next.

Yet she looks so innocent.
Categories
bunny

Friday bunnyblogging

Bunny…

disapproval…

closeup!

Categories
bunny

Friday bunnyblogging

May the new year bring you many carrots and much parsley!