If you are interested at all in the sasquatch phenomenon The Bigfoot Show is a must listen.
"Down in the valley of the jolly gray wood ape" is now available, also known as Episode 39 of The Bigfoot Show. Brian Brown interviews several TBRC members regarding their thoughts and experiences concerning the three-month "Operation Persistence" conducted in the Ouachita Mountains.
Click here to listen.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Brown Booby Documented in Arkansas
Vickie and Pat Martin likely had no idea that the unfamiliar bird perched on the roof of their dock on Lake Norrell on August 9th was something special. Likely, they thought only that it was an interesting looking bird that would make a nice photo. Little did they know that they were photographing a Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster); a species never before seen in Arkansas.
Lake Norrell is located about 20-30 miles west of the state capital of Little Rock. The Martins live on a peninsula that juts into the water on the north side of the lake. The bird has taken to roosting on the roof of a dock on their property. While official recognition of the sighting is pending, there is little doubt that the bird in question is a Brown Booby. Multiple people, mostly avid birders, have seen and photographed the bird, which doesn’t seem too shy about having visitors.
What is the big deal about a Brown Booby showing up in Arkansas? To start with, this is a seabird that is usually found in the tropical areas of Mexico and Central America. The species can be found on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of this region. Boobies do visit the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean during the breeding season when large colonies are formed but have always stayed far south of the U.S. The Brown Booby eats fish and small squid and can often be seen plunging into the water at high speeds in order to dive down far enough to snag one of these morsels. They sometimes fly low to the surface of the water and “skim” for jumping baitfish. I would guess this Booby is eating mainly shad at this Arkansas impoundment.
So, what is this bird doing in Arkansas? Nobody seems able to answer that question definitively. Theories pretty much cover the gamut. The bird was blown north on a powerful jet stream/storm, the internal compass of this individual Booby is “broken,” and, of course, global warming has caused this tropical bird to expand its territory are all theories that have been voiced. Whatever the reason, a trip to Arkansas is something this bird is more than capable of undertaking. The Brown Booby is a powerful flier and, like other seabirds, has great stamina.
Pat and Vickie Martin have been very gracious and open with birders wishing to catch a glimpse of this rare visitor. Several groups have traveled to the site and plans for more are, I’m sure, pending. There are directions to the Martin’s property on several birding sites and forums (I’m not going to post that information here) for those interested in seeing the Brown Booby for themselves.
If you are in the area and have the opportunity to go out see this Brown Booby I would recommend you do so. You just never know when, and if, this opportunity will present itself again.
Lake Norrell is located about 20-30 miles west of the state capital of Little Rock. The Martins live on a peninsula that juts into the water on the north side of the lake. The bird has taken to roosting on the roof of a dock on their property. While official recognition of the sighting is pending, there is little doubt that the bird in question is a Brown Booby. Multiple people, mostly avid birders, have seen and photographed the bird, which doesn’t seem too shy about having visitors.
What is the big deal about a Brown Booby showing up in Arkansas? To start with, this is a seabird that is usually found in the tropical areas of Mexico and Central America. The species can be found on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of this region. Boobies do visit the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean during the breeding season when large colonies are formed but have always stayed far south of the U.S. The Brown Booby eats fish and small squid and can often be seen plunging into the water at high speeds in order to dive down far enough to snag one of these morsels. They sometimes fly low to the surface of the water and “skim” for jumping baitfish. I would guess this Booby is eating mainly shad at this Arkansas impoundment.
So, what is this bird doing in Arkansas? Nobody seems able to answer that question definitively. Theories pretty much cover the gamut. The bird was blown north on a powerful jet stream/storm, the internal compass of this individual Booby is “broken,” and, of course, global warming has caused this tropical bird to expand its territory are all theories that have been voiced. Whatever the reason, a trip to Arkansas is something this bird is more than capable of undertaking. The Brown Booby is a powerful flier and, like other seabirds, has great stamina.
Pat and Vickie Martin have been very gracious and open with birders wishing to catch a glimpse of this rare visitor. Several groups have traveled to the site and plans for more are, I’m sure, pending. There are directions to the Martin’s property on several birding sites and forums (I’m not going to post that information here) for those interested in seeing the Brown Booby for themselves.
If you are in the area and have the opportunity to go out see this Brown Booby I would recommend you do so. You just never know when, and if, this opportunity will present itself again.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Record Burmese Python Killed in Florida
Monster snakes in the Everglades are just a myth, right? Not so much.
Yahoo News is reporting details regarding the largest Burmese python ever found in the Florida Everglades. The monster serpent measured 17’ 7” in length and weighed in at a whopping 164.5 lbs. The snake was found in Everglades National Park last May and has been studied intently by officials at the University of Florida ever since.
“This thing is monstrous; it’s about a foot wide,” said Kenneth Krysko of the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. “It means these snakes are surviving a long time in the wild, there’s no stopping them, and native wildlife are in trouble.”
Adding to the bad news is that this enormous female was carrying 87 eggs. Florida officials point to this fact as concrete evidence proving how comfortable this invasive species has become in the swamps of Florida.
The Burmese python, as well as other exotic species, was first introduced to Florida via the exotic pet trade roughly 30 years ago. Officials believe that snake gained a foothold in the state when owners released specimens into the wild after they grew too large or too aggressive to keep in a domestic environment. These pet owners likely felt they were being humane when they chose to release these pythons into the wild rather than killing them. Little did they know the havoc this invasive species would soon wreak on the native wildlife of Florida.
Just how many pythons are there in Florida? It’s a good question and the answer is not readily known. What can be said is that, without a doubt, there are far too many and the number continues to grow.
Krysko is quoted as saying, “They were here 25 years ago but in very low numbers and it was difficult to find one…Now you can go out to the Everglades nearly any day of the week and find a Burmese python. We’ve found as many as 14 in a single day.”
Think about that last line for a moment. 14 pythons in a single day? That is scary.
While Florida has become ground zero in the battle against invasive snakes it is by no means alone. Large constrictors are popping up all over the south and Texas is not immune. They are here and the environment in the bottoms, swamps, bayous, and marshes of the southeast portion of the state are ideal for these massive reptiles.
It is likely only a matter of time before we start experiencing problems along the lines of what Florida is seeing.
Yahoo News is reporting details regarding the largest Burmese python ever found in the Florida Everglades. The monster serpent measured 17’ 7” in length and weighed in at a whopping 164.5 lbs. The snake was found in Everglades National Park last May and has been studied intently by officials at the University of Florida ever since.
“This thing is monstrous; it’s about a foot wide,” said Kenneth Krysko of the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. “It means these snakes are surviving a long time in the wild, there’s no stopping them, and native wildlife are in trouble.”
Adding to the bad news is that this enormous female was carrying 87 eggs. Florida officials point to this fact as concrete evidence proving how comfortable this invasive species has become in the swamps of Florida.
The Burmese python, as well as other exotic species, was first introduced to Florida via the exotic pet trade roughly 30 years ago. Officials believe that snake gained a foothold in the state when owners released specimens into the wild after they grew too large or too aggressive to keep in a domestic environment. These pet owners likely felt they were being humane when they chose to release these pythons into the wild rather than killing them. Little did they know the havoc this invasive species would soon wreak on the native wildlife of Florida.
Just how many pythons are there in Florida? It’s a good question and the answer is not readily known. What can be said is that, without a doubt, there are far too many and the number continues to grow.
Krysko is quoted as saying, “They were here 25 years ago but in very low numbers and it was difficult to find one…Now you can go out to the Everglades nearly any day of the week and find a Burmese python. We’ve found as many as 14 in a single day.”
Think about that last line for a moment. 14 pythons in a single day? That is scary.
While Florida has become ground zero in the battle against invasive snakes it is by no means alone. Large constrictors are popping up all over the south and Texas is not immune. They are here and the environment in the bottoms, swamps, bayous, and marshes of the southeast portion of the state are ideal for these massive reptiles.
It is likely only a matter of time before we start experiencing problems along the lines of what Florida is seeing.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Black Bear Captured in Starr County, Texas
Here is a follow up to the post I made concerning the sighting of a black bear (Ursus americanus) in deep south Texas last week.
According to an article in The Brownsville Herald, the black bear that has been making the rounds in Starr County has been captured and relocated by Texas Parks & Wildlife officials.
The young male bear was captured south of Falcon Dam this past Thursday August 9th. The bear had been raiding trash cans for food and caused quite a stir in this part of south Texas as it has been more than 50 years since a bruin has been seen in the area.
Erick Garza, a natural resource specialist with the TPWD said that capturing the bear was a last resort for the agency as this process is difficult and had the potential for causing injury to the animal. “Prior to trapping the bear we had tried several aversion techniques in order to dissuade the bear from approaching houses and trash containers," he said. "That approach did not work out because the bear had become too accustomed to getting food and water from trash and surrounding area. We were forced to trap him.”
Garza made a point to say that black bears are generally not a threat to humans and prefer to stay away from people. This particular bear, however, learned that there was easy access to food in close proximity to people. This created a scenario where a run in between the young 120 lb. male bear and a human was all but inevitable.
The article does not say where the bear was relocated but my best guess would be somewhere in the trans-Pecos areas of the state; likely in the Big Bend area.
I do have some concerns about the release of the bear. Garza said himself that the bear had learned that people mean easy access to food. While the Big Bend area, if that is where the bear was taken, is lightly populated it is not devoid of people. If this black bear has truly been habituated to people it is only a matter of time before he becomes a problem again.
According to an article in The Brownsville Herald, the black bear that has been making the rounds in Starr County has been captured and relocated by Texas Parks & Wildlife officials.
The young male bear was captured south of Falcon Dam this past Thursday August 9th. The bear had been raiding trash cans for food and caused quite a stir in this part of south Texas as it has been more than 50 years since a bruin has been seen in the area.
Erick Garza, a natural resource specialist with the TPWD said that capturing the bear was a last resort for the agency as this process is difficult and had the potential for causing injury to the animal. “Prior to trapping the bear we had tried several aversion techniques in order to dissuade the bear from approaching houses and trash containers," he said. "That approach did not work out because the bear had become too accustomed to getting food and water from trash and surrounding area. We were forced to trap him.”
Garza made a point to say that black bears are generally not a threat to humans and prefer to stay away from people. This particular bear, however, learned that there was easy access to food in close proximity to people. This created a scenario where a run in between the young 120 lb. male bear and a human was all but inevitable.
The article does not say where the bear was relocated but my best guess would be somewhere in the trans-Pecos areas of the state; likely in the Big Bend area.
I do have some concerns about the release of the bear. Garza said himself that the bear had learned that people mean easy access to food. While the Big Bend area, if that is where the bear was taken, is lightly populated it is not devoid of people. If this black bear has truly been habituated to people it is only a matter of time before he becomes a problem again.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
New Species of Flat-Faced Primitive Human Discovered
The discovery of what may be a new “flat-faced” human species in Africa has the scientific community buzzing. You can read about the discovery on the LiveScience website here.
While final classification of the species is still to be determined, and, no doubt, will be argued over for years, many scientists are leaning strongly toward labeling the species as Homo. The human lineage of Homo, is thought to have evolved in Africa about 2.5 million years ago. Most scientists feel that the oldest and most direct member of modern human lineage was Homo erectus. That theory remains unchanged but new finds challenge the notion that Homo erectus was the only member of the human family roaming the African plains all those years ago. In fact, as the fossil record stacks up, it seems that the genus Homo was much more diverse than anyone realized.
Researcher Meave Leakey, of the Turkana Basin Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, made the following statement to LiveScience, “Two species of the genus Homo, our own genus, lived alongside our direct ancestor, Homo erectus, nearly 2 million years ago.” Leakey is referring to Homo habilis, a small-brained hominid with a more apelike appearance than that of Homo erectus, and to Homo rudolfensis which possessed a larger brain and flatter face than Homo habilis. Some scientists would throw in a third species. While its inclusion in the genus Homo is still being debated hotly in some circles, the famous “hobbit,” otherwise known as Homo floresiensis, likely shared the planet with these other early hominoids.
Some who have a more linear view of human evolution have a problem with the notion that many different members of the genus Homo lived alongside each other at the same time. According to Fred Spoor of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany that should not be the case at all. “This shows east Africa about 2 million years ago was quite a crowded place with many diverse species of early Homo,” he said.
As stated above, the debate over how to classify these new fossils will likely go on for years. Some scientists have already expressed reservations about whether or not these new fossils are enough to declare that a new human species has been discovered. They point out that the process of classification is often quite subjective and that, rightly or wrongly, there is more funding available for research involving “us” than there is for research involving other species or lineages. That being the case, the tendency to call something a human relative until it is definitively proven otherwise is ever present.
Leakey has no such reservations, however. “These are really distinctive profiles – it really shows something completely different,” he said. “I feel pretty confident that we’re not just dealing with variation in one species.”
However this new species is ultimately classified, one thing has become clear and that is that multiple species of large upright hominoids shared the planet for long periods of time. I find it ironic that those in the scientific community who enthusiastically endorse this view are so quick to dismiss the idea that another bipedal primate, like the sasquatch, could exist in the remote corners of the world today. After all, some of these other upright species were alive and well until very recently. Maybe something else has survived and continued to live alongside us.
The possibility just doesn’t seem outlandish to me at all.
Source: Choi, Charles. "New Flat-Faced Human Species Possibly Discovered." LiveScience. LiveScience, 8 August 2012. Web. 9 Aug 2012..
While final classification of the species is still to be determined, and, no doubt, will be argued over for years, many scientists are leaning strongly toward labeling the species as Homo. The human lineage of Homo, is thought to have evolved in Africa about 2.5 million years ago. Most scientists feel that the oldest and most direct member of modern human lineage was Homo erectus. That theory remains unchanged but new finds challenge the notion that Homo erectus was the only member of the human family roaming the African plains all those years ago. In fact, as the fossil record stacks up, it seems that the genus Homo was much more diverse than anyone realized.
Researcher Meave Leakey, of the Turkana Basin Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, made the following statement to LiveScience, “Two species of the genus Homo, our own genus, lived alongside our direct ancestor, Homo erectus, nearly 2 million years ago.” Leakey is referring to Homo habilis, a small-brained hominid with a more apelike appearance than that of Homo erectus, and to Homo rudolfensis which possessed a larger brain and flatter face than Homo habilis. Some scientists would throw in a third species. While its inclusion in the genus Homo is still being debated hotly in some circles, the famous “hobbit,” otherwise known as Homo floresiensis, likely shared the planet with these other early hominoids.
Some who have a more linear view of human evolution have a problem with the notion that many different members of the genus Homo lived alongside each other at the same time. According to Fred Spoor of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany that should not be the case at all. “This shows east Africa about 2 million years ago was quite a crowded place with many diverse species of early Homo,” he said.
As stated above, the debate over how to classify these new fossils will likely go on for years. Some scientists have already expressed reservations about whether or not these new fossils are enough to declare that a new human species has been discovered. They point out that the process of classification is often quite subjective and that, rightly or wrongly, there is more funding available for research involving “us” than there is for research involving other species or lineages. That being the case, the tendency to call something a human relative until it is definitively proven otherwise is ever present.
Leakey has no such reservations, however. “These are really distinctive profiles – it really shows something completely different,” he said. “I feel pretty confident that we’re not just dealing with variation in one species.”
However this new species is ultimately classified, one thing has become clear and that is that multiple species of large upright hominoids shared the planet for long periods of time. I find it ironic that those in the scientific community who enthusiastically endorse this view are so quick to dismiss the idea that another bipedal primate, like the sasquatch, could exist in the remote corners of the world today. After all, some of these other upright species were alive and well until very recently. Maybe something else has survived and continued to live alongside us.
The possibility just doesn’t seem outlandish to me at all.
Source: Choi, Charles. "New Flat-Faced Human Species Possibly Discovered." LiveScience. LiveScience, 8 August 2012. Web. 9 Aug 2012.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
The Key To Wisdom
"The key to wisdom is this - constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth."
- Peter Abelard
- Peter Abelard
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Black Bear Sighted in Starr County, Texas
According to a report from south Texas ABC affiliate KRGV, there is a black bear roaming the area around the small community of Falcon Heights.
Texas Parks and Wildlife officials have been called in to track and keep tabs of the wayward bruin. They speculate that the bear crossed into Texas from Mexico in an attempt to escape severe drought conditions south of the border. The entire situation is big news in this part of the Lone Star State as it has been 55 years since the last confirmed black bear sighting in Starr County.
Captain Fernando Cervantes of the TPWD stressed that locals need to use caution and not harass or hunt the bear.
“What we don’t recommend is people trying to take it or kill it. It is illegal,” he said. “It’s a protected species and we don’t want people killing it.”
Cervantes stated that the bear may be laying low in an area of dense brush in an unpopulated area about two miles south of Falcon Dam but worries that the bear’s hunger could drive him closer to various small communities. He hopes that TPWD officials can trap the bear before anything unfortunate occurs.
“We will trap this bear and relocate him to a safe location where it will be away from the public where he won’t hurt anybody and nobody will hurt him,” said Cervantes.
Cervantes does not say where the bear would be relocated if it is caught but my guess would be somewhere in the Trans-Pecos area of the state. The Big Bend area or the Davis Mountains would be likely relocation areas.
It should be remembered that black bears are native to Texas and once roamed east Texas as well as south and far west portions of the state. Hunting completely extirpated the bruins in east Texas and very nearly did the same in the more remote portions of the state where only periodic sightings were reported for decades. Black bears are making a serious comeback in Texas with healthy populations in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma beginning to expand back into the Piney Woods of east Texas. Bear from New Mexico and Mexico continue to cross back into Texas as well with sightings reported as far north and east as the Brady, Texas area within the last year.
If you spot a black bear contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department immediately.
Texas Parks and Wildlife officials have been called in to track and keep tabs of the wayward bruin. They speculate that the bear crossed into Texas from Mexico in an attempt to escape severe drought conditions south of the border. The entire situation is big news in this part of the Lone Star State as it has been 55 years since the last confirmed black bear sighting in Starr County.
Captain Fernando Cervantes of the TPWD stressed that locals need to use caution and not harass or hunt the bear.
“What we don’t recommend is people trying to take it or kill it. It is illegal,” he said. “It’s a protected species and we don’t want people killing it.”
Cervantes stated that the bear may be laying low in an area of dense brush in an unpopulated area about two miles south of Falcon Dam but worries that the bear’s hunger could drive him closer to various small communities. He hopes that TPWD officials can trap the bear before anything unfortunate occurs.
“We will trap this bear and relocate him to a safe location where it will be away from the public where he won’t hurt anybody and nobody will hurt him,” said Cervantes.
Cervantes does not say where the bear would be relocated if it is caught but my guess would be somewhere in the Trans-Pecos area of the state. The Big Bend area or the Davis Mountains would be likely relocation areas.
It should be remembered that black bears are native to Texas and once roamed east Texas as well as south and far west portions of the state. Hunting completely extirpated the bruins in east Texas and very nearly did the same in the more remote portions of the state where only periodic sightings were reported for decades. Black bears are making a serious comeback in Texas with healthy populations in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma beginning to expand back into the Piney Woods of east Texas. Bear from New Mexico and Mexico continue to cross back into Texas as well with sightings reported as far north and east as the Brady, Texas area within the last year.
If you spot a black bear contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department immediately.
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