How the Dramatic Prairie Dog was Born

Spiders On Drugs

Is That a Falcon on Your Arm?

The following is a near transcript of an exchange between myself and a guy I encountered a few weeks ago with a bird-of-prey perched on his wrist.

Me: "Is that a raptor on your arm?"
Guy: "Yes."
Me: "Whoa."
Guy: "It's a Peregrine falcon."
Me: "Are you a biologist?"
Guy: "Am I a what?"
Me: "Are you a biologist or something?"
Guy: "Nope."
Me: "Wait, so why do you have a falcon on your arm?"
Guy: "It's my pet. I take it out to fly around, every evening."

There you have it. Apparently it's possible to own a Peregrine falcon as a pet, and some guy who lives less than two miles from me has one.

I didn't even know that falconry was something people still engage in. It is.

It Starts with Squirrels

Biotic Spark gets its first spark with a fascinating and hilarious clip of a Squirrel Obstacle Course.

Although I think the follow-up clip, Squirrel Catapult, is pretty mean (do not watch if you're a squirrel fan), I think the Twirl-a-Squirrel contraption is pure genius. "Twirl-a-Squirrel makes your selective animal charity easier."

Above photo: a California Ground Squirrel, Spermophilus beecheyi.

(Hat tip: Lady Sarah of Garroway.)