• Edward Wechner's patents

    My husband Edward Wechner's work - 2011 version.....

  • Chainless Biycle

    Edward 愛看Tour d' France, 每次看到看到那些賽手因為 jamming the chain, 而lose the race又或跌倒甚至傷得很重! 這是他自此而很大願望設計出一款比chain drive 鏈條單車更可reliability賴性, 更安全safety, without losing performance and without increasing the weight of the bicycle, but also inprove the efficiency...

  • Trench Casting Machine

    It does dig a trench 300mm wide and 6000mm deep and fills it with concrete simultaneously at an advance rate of 20m/hour....

  • 歐洲之旅, 第13天, 奧地利

    早上起來, 我們想再去 Buch 探 Heini, 因為 Heini 個仔 Simon 會回來 Buch. 於是我們由Lans 出發, 開去 Buch ...

  • 歐洲之旅, 第12天, 奧地利

    早上起來, 已是下雨天, 但是已到了 Fussen 了, 硬著頭皮都要去廸士尼用它做LOGO的 Schloss Neuschwanstein 天鵝城堡....

  • 歐洲之旅, 第7天, 瑞士, 德國 – part 2

    Rhine falls, 真是印象深刻和很壯觀. 玩完後, 我們驅車前往 Schaffhausen : Schaffhausen (German: Schaffhausen (help·info)) is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 as of December 2008....

  • 瑞士, 德國 – part 1

    早上起來, 車開出Zurich 市區, 再開去 Winterthur, Winterthur (pronounced: Ger. /ˈvɪntɐtu:ɐ̯ /, Eng. /ˈvɪntərtʊər/) is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, ...

Red Panda 小貓熊

downloadRed_Panda_in_a_Tree_Y_A_W_N_I_N_G!42_fe31e7841a231420c6435ae9983ab5b1

 

Referring to the top 10 cute animals – earth unplugged
http://youtu.be/MepHOlXh-w0



Now, I would love to have a look on the no. 6 cute animal - the red panda that Ms. Maddle mentioned on her above video:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, they are extremely cute!!!!!!  053_XD106_

 

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

It is not closely related to the giant panda.

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

the giant panda and red panda are only distantly related. Molecular studies have placed the red panda in its own family Ailuridae, and not under Ursidae.

 

Behavior

1.  The red panda is territorial; it is solitary except during mating season. The species is generally quiet except for some twittering, tweeting, and whistling communication sounds. It has been reported to be both nocturnal and crepuscular, sleeping on tree branches or in tree hollows during the day and increasing its activity in the late afternoon and early evening hours. It sleeps stretched out on a branch with legs dangling when it is hot, and curled up with its tail over the face when it is cold.[5] This panda is very heat sensitive, with an optimal “well-being” temperature between 17 and 25 °C (63 and 77 °F), and cannot tolerate temperatures over 25 °C (77 °F).

Diet

Red pandas are excellent climbers, and forage largely in trees. They eat mostly bamboo, and may eat small mammals, birds, eggs, flowers and berries. In captivity, they were observed to eat birds, flowers, maple and mulberry leaves, and bark and fruits of maple, beech and mulberry.[5]

Like the giant panda, they cannot digest cellulose, so they must consume a large volume of bamboo to survive. Their diets consist of about two-thirds bamboo, but they also eat mushrooms, roots, acorns, lichen and grasses. Occasionally, they supplement their diets with fish and insects. They do little more than eat and sleep due to their low-calorie diets.[citation needed]

Bamboo shoots are more easily digested than leaves, exhibiting the highest digestibility in summer and autumn, intermediate digestibility in the spring, and lowest digestibility in the winter. These variations correlate with the nutrient contents in the bamboo. Red pandas process bamboo poorly, especially the cellulose and cell wall components. This implies microbial digestion plays only a minor role in their digestive strategy. To survive on this poor-quality diet, they have to eat the high-quality sections of the bamboo plant, such as the tender leaves and shoots, in large quantities, over 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) of fresh leaves and 4 kg (8.8 lb) of fresh shoots daily. This food passes through the digestive tract fairly rapidly (about 2–4 hr) so as to maximize nutrient intake.[19] Red pandas can taste artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, the only nonprimate known to do so.[20]

Reproduction

Red pandas are able to reproduce at around 18 months of age, and are fully mature at two to three years. Adults rarely interact in the wild except to mate. Both sexes may mate with more than one partner during the mating season from mid-January to early March.[21] A few days before birth, females begin to collect material, such as brushwood, grass, and leaves, to build a nest, which is normally located in a hollow tree or a rock crevice. After a gestation period of 112 to 158 days, the female gives birth in mid-June to late July to one to four blind and deaf cubs weighing 110 to 130 g (3.9 to 4.6 oz) each.[5]

After birth, the mother cleans the cubs and can then recognize each by its smell. At first, she spends 60% to 90% of her time with the cubs. After the first week, the mother starts spending more time outside the nest, returning every few hours to nurse and groom the cubs. She moves the young frequently among several nests, all of which she keeps clean. The cubs start to open their eyes at about 18 days of age. By about 90 days, they have achieved full adult fur and coloring, and begin to venture out of the nest. They also start eating solid foods at this point, weaning at around six to eight months of age. The cubs stay with their mother until the next litter is born in the following summer. Males rarely help raise the young, and only if they live in pairs or in small groups.[5]

The average lifespan is between eight and 10 years, but individuals have been known to reach 15 years.

http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/wildlife/pandas/panda_red.html

Red pandas appear to be territorial. Red pandas use glandular sacs in their anal regions which produce a scent which they use to mark territorial boundaries by rubbing their sacs on various objects in the wild. Additionally, they may also mark territory by using regular defecation sites. Red pandas have a mild, non-aggressive disposition.

有趣:

1. 小貓熊跟大熊貓是有美妙的遠親關係. 雖然科學家不把牠們列入熊科.   但科學家是不能絕對說牠們沒有一點關係.

2. 小貓熊是夜行性或晨昏活動的動物,白天在樹上睡覺。 小貓熊擅長爬樹,但多半在地面上進食。 小貓熊興奮時會有麝香的氣味從肛門排出,牠們會用肛門部位摩擦物體,留下氣味來宣示領域,並且會用自己的領域大便以告示這裡是我的地方.            除了要mating,  通常是獨居的.

3.  如大熊貓一樣, 有6隻手指.

4. 食性:  雜食性,竹葉、筍尖、草、根、水果、橡實、昆蟲、蛋、小鳥等。

5.  只喜歡17-25度地區生活, 如果高於25度, 則不能忍受太熱. 

6. 壽命: 8-10年, 最長15年.

7. 雄性不愛照顧小孩. 都是由雌性看護小孩.  

 

Further more:

http://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/7-things-you-should-know-about-red-pandas

Red pandas roam the Eastern Himalayas. These rust-colored creatures are experiencing a loss of nesting trees and bamboo, leading to a decline in the population.

Here are a few things you should know about red pandas.

1. Red pandas spend most of their time in trees. Their semi-retractable claws help them move from branch to branch with dexterity.

2. Like the giant panda, red pandas sport a false thumb, which is actually an extension of the wrist bone.

3. The loss of nesting trees and bamboo in the Eastern Himalayas—the location of almost 50 percent of the red panda’s habitat—is causing a decline in red panda populations across much of their range. WWF works with local communities to reduce human impact on the species’ habitat.

4. These rusty-furred creatures tend to live alone, only rarely traveling in pairs or in families.

5. Much smaller than their famous black-and-white cousins, red pandas measure in at just larger than a domestic cat.

6. Red pandas feed mainly on leaves and bamboo, but occasionally snack on fruit, insects, bird eggs and small lizards, too.

7. The red panda is the state animal of the Indian state of Sikkim. In 2011, WWF helped the government declare that the state held an estimated 300 red pandas. We also monitor red pandas in their habitat across India, Nepal and Bhutan.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/red-panda/#

Fast Facts
Type:
Mammal
Diet:
Herbivore
Average life span in the wild:
8 years
Size:
Head and body, 20 to 26 in (50 to 65 cm); Tail, 12 to 20 in (30 to 50 cm)
Weight:
12 to 20 lbs (5.4 to 9 kg)
Protection status:
Endangered
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:



For the number 10, The Snow Leopard, I did write a blog as following:
http://meiwechner2099.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/snow-leopards-purr.html

For the number 9, The Clown fish , I did write a blog as following:
http://meiwechner2099.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/clown-fish_17.html

 

For the number 8, The Chipmunk , I did write a blog as following:

http://mei-mei-wechner.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/chipmunk.html

For the number 7, The pygmy leaf chameleon , I did write a blog as following:

http://mei-mei-wechner.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/pygmy-leaf-chameleon-bearded-leaf.html

pygmy leaf chameleon 矮葉變色龍 / bearded leaf chameleon 鬍子葉變色龍

Referring to the top 10 cute animals – earth unplugged
http://youtu.be/MepHOlXh-w0



Now, I would love to have a look on the no. 7 cute animal - the pygmy leaf chameleon that Ms. Maddle mentioned on her above video:

downloadimageskeeping-pygmy-chameleons-as-pets-51a36c58c06af553565_334876579943069_488669707_n

 

 

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

 

Rieppeleon brevicaudatus, commonly known as the bearded leaf chameleon or bearded pygmy chameleon, is a chameleon originating from the eastern Usambara and Uluguru Mountains in northeastern Tanzania. It is easily distinguished from others in the Rieppeleon genus by the presence of a "beard" below the mouth, consisting of a few raised scales. At a full grown length of only 3 in (8 cm), it is marked by somewhat drab coloring in comparison to other chameleons, usually assuming a brown or tan coloring. It is quite capable of changing its coloration, though, often taking on a shade to blend into the background and becoming darker when under stress. It is also capable of compressing its body laterally and producing a stripe down its side, mimicking a dead leaf. It often assumes this form when sleeping in the open. It can adopt a variety of colors, including yellow, green, orange, black, and brown. A common misconception is that these chameleons use their color-changing abilities as camouflage, but they actually use their color-changing skin to court and show stress or emotion. Males are distinguished by a longer tail, more prominent dorsal crest, slimmer body type, and persistent patterning. Like others in the Chamaeleonidae family, it is distinguished by independently rotating eye sockets and a tongue longer than its body.

 

有趣,

1.因為下巴有條鬍鬚, 所以叫 bearded leaf chameleon.

2. 長大成人後, 最長也不過是3寸. 

3. 受情緒影響, 顏色可轉成:  咖啡色, 黃色, 綠色, 橙色, 黑色等等, 通常受到壓力, 憤怒就會將皮膚變成黑色.  最接近背景顏色.  然而最常變成枯葉色還會加上葉脈的圖樣.

4. 眼窝可單獨轉動, 舌長比身體更長.

 

 

 

Rieppeleon brevicaudatus shooting - slow motion

 

Further more:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-species-of-chameleons.html

 

Family: Chamaeleonidae
Binomial Name: Rhampholeon brevicaudatus
Distribution: Usambara, Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania
Diet: Small insects
These are small-sized reaching 3 inches in length. They are mostly tan or brown colored. It usually changes into colors that help blend them into their environment. However, when they are stressed or angry, they change into a dark color. They resemble a dry leaf and often adopt this look, while sleeping in the open. As per their emotion, they can change their color into green, orange, black and brown. A Pygmy chameleon has a tongue longer than its body which allows it to catch smaller insects. They have eyes that can move independently and scan their environment.




For the number 10, The Snow Leopard, I did write a blog as following:
http://meiwechner2099.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/snow-leopards-purr.html

For the number 9, The Clown fish , I did write a blog as following:
http://meiwechner2099.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/clown-fish_17.html

 

For the number 8, The Chipmunk , I did write a blog as following:

http://mei-mei-wechner.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/chipmunk.html

Chipmunk 金花鼠

Referring to the top 10 cute animals – earth unplugged
http://youtu.be/MepHOlXh-w0

Now, I would love to have a look on the no. 8 cute animal - the chipmunk that Ms. Maddle mentioned on her above video:







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipmunk
Chipmunk’s species list  :
1. Subgenus Eutamias  金花鼠
Tamias sibiricus - Siberian Chipmunk

2. Subgenus Tamias[24] 花栗鼠, 也叫花鼠
 
  • ARKive image GES134647 - Eastern chipmunkARKive image GES135957 - Eastern chipmunk
  • Eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus  東部花栗鼠, 生活在美國加拿大的東部

3. Subgenus Neotamias       生活在北美洲的西部
      Western chipmunk, 23 species :













800px-Yellow_pine_chipmonk_2008

Type: Mammal
Diet:
Chipmunks have an omnivorous diet 雜食性 primarily consisting of seeds, nuts and other fruits, and buds.[11][12] They also commonly eat grass, shoots, and many other forms of plant matter, as well as fungi, insects and other arthropods, small frogs, worms, and bird eggs.[11][12][13][14][15][16]
At the beginning of autumn, many species of chipmunk begin to stockpile nonperishable foods for winter. They mostly cache their foods in a larder in their burrows and remain in their nests until spring, unlike some other species, which make multiple small caches of food.[11] Cheek pouches allow chipmunks to carry multiple food items to their burrows for either storage or consumption.[12]

 

Ecology and life history:

Eastern chipmunks mate in early spring and again in early summer, producing litters of four or five young twice each year.[11] Western chipmunks breed only once a year. The young emerge from the burrow after about six weeks and strike out on their own within the next two weeks.[19]
Chipmunks construct expansive burrows which can be more than 3.5 m in length with several well-concealed entrances. The sleeping quarters are kept extremely clean as shells and feces are stored in refuse tunnels.[citation needed]
The eastern chipmunk hibernates in the winter, while western chipmunks do not, relying on the stores in their burrows.[21]
Chipmunks typically live about three years, although have been observed living to nine years in captivity.[22]
Chipmunks in captivity are said to sleep for an average of about 15 hours a day. It is thought that mammals which can sleep in hiding, such as rodents and bats, tend to sleep longer than those that must remain on alert.[23]

有趣: 
1. 有為3個種類,  西伯利亞種 (生活在亞洲東北部), 東 (生活在美國加拿大的東部) / 西 (生活在北美洲的西部) 兩種.
2. 雜食 : 種子, 果仁, 水果, 芽, 草, 荀... 鳥蛋, 昆蟲等等.
3. 東部花栗鼠一年兩次播種, 一為初春, 另一次為初夏. 每次生4至5隻小鼠.  西部花栗鼠一年一次播種, 小鼠出世後可以住在地洞內6星期左右, 隨後兩星期內就被趕出自立.
4. 金花鼠愛清潔, 睡覺的地方會保持清潔, 外殼和糞便僧另存在垃圾地道去. 牠們建穴洞可以擴展3.5咪的不同幾個隱蔽的入口.
5.  東部花栗鼠在冬天會冬眠, 西部花栗鼠則不冬眠, 不過會靠存儲在洞穴來的食物來過冬.
6.  一般壽命3年, 大命最長9年.
7. 如果花栗鼠有個隱蔽的洞穴的話, 牠們可以平均睡眠15小時.  然而看來那些沒有隱蔽的洞穴的哺乳動物, 一天到晚都要警覺的就沒睡那麼長了.

further more :
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/chipmunk/#
Lively and speedy critters, chipmunks are small members of the squirrel family. Their pudgy cheeks, large, glossy eyes, stripes, and bushy tails have made them a favorite among animators, and landed them a series of starring roles in Hollywood.
Of the 25 species of chipmunks, all but one, Asia’s Tamias sibiricus, is found in North America. Ranging from Canada to Mexico, they are generally seen scampering through the undergrowth of a variety of environments from alpine forests to shrubby deserts. Some dig burrows to live in, complete with tunnels and chambers, while others make their homes in nests, bushes, or logs.
Depending on species, chipmunks can be gray to reddish-brown in color with contrasting dark and light stripes on the sides of their face and across their back and tail. They range in size from the least chipmunk, which, at 7.2 to 8.5 inches (18.5 to 21.6 centimeters) and 1.1 to 1.8 ounces (32 to 50 grams), is the smallest chipmunk, to the Eastern chipmunk, which grows up to 11 inches (28 centimeters) and weighs as much as 4.4 ounces (125 grams).
Chipmunks generally gather food on the ground in areas with underbrush, rocks, and logs, where they can hide from predators like hawks, foxes, coyotes, weasels, and snakes. They feed on insects, nuts, berries, seeds, fruit, and grain which they stuff into their generous cheek pouches and carry to their burrow or nest to store. Chipmunks hibernate, but instead of storing fat, they periodically dip into their cache of nuts and seeds throughout the winter.
Their shrill, repeated, birdlike chirp is usually made upon sensing a threat but is also thought to be used as a mating call by females. Chipmunks are solitary creatures and normally ignore one another except during the spring, when mating takes place. After a 30-day gestation, a litter of two to eight is born. The young stay with their parents for two months before they begin to gather their own provisions for the winter ahead.
For the most part, chipmunks, although susceptible to forest fragmentation, are not currently threatened. However, the Palmer’s chipmunk (Tamias palmeri) is considered a vulnerable species.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/chipmunks-facts-about-chipmunks.html

Interesting Facts :
Chipmunks have a distinct way of communicating with each other. They make shrill bird-like chirping sounds and use gestures to communicate with each other.
Most of the species have alternating dark and light stripes on their body.
Though its mouth is very small, its cheeks can expand to three times its head size.
They have pouches in their cheeks. These pouches allow them to keep food in their cheeks till they can transfer it to their burrows.
They burrow a main tunnel where they rest and give birth to their young ones, the rest of the tunnels are dug for storing food.
One chipmunk may store up to 8 pounds of food in its burrows.
They place leaves and grasses in their main burrow so that they can rest comfortably and give birth to their young ones.
They take an average of 75 breaths in a minute.
They can be extremely territorial in the area around their burrow or nest. Their home range may be up to ½ acre (0.2 ha), but the adult only defends a territory about 50 feet (15.2 m) around the burrow entrance.
They are very active during the early morning and late afternoon.
Their mating period begins from the month of February to April. The number of young ones lies between 1 to 9. They may have around 4 to 5 young ones twice a year.



For the number 10, The Snow Leopard, I did write a blog as following:
http://meiwechner2099.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/snow-leopards-purr.html

For the number 9, The Clown fish , I did write a blog as following:
http://meiwechner2099.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/clown-fish_17.html

Clown fish 小丑魚

Referring to the top 10 cute animals – earth unplugged

 

 

For the number 10, The Snow Leopard, I did write a blog as following:

http://meiwechner2099.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/snow-leopards-purr.html

 

Now, I would love to have a look on the others cute animals that Ms. Maddle mentioned on her above video:

 

No. 9  Clown fish 小丑魚

 

Clownfish.300a   Clown Fish

 

http://tolweb.org/treehouses/?treehouse_id=3390

 

Symbiosis describes the special relationship between clownfish and sea anemones. They are the only fish that do not get stung by the tentacles of the sea anemone. Clownfish have a slimy mucus covering that protects them from the sea anemone. However, if this covering is wiped off of a clownfish, it will get stung and possibly be killed when it returns home to the anemone. The clownfish and the sea anemone help each other survive in the ocean. The clownfish, while being provided with food, cleans away fish and algae leftovers from the anemone. In addition, the sea anemones are given better water circulation because the clownfish fan their fins while swimming about.

有趣:

1. 原來小丑魚不怕海葵刺牠, 是因為牠皮膚上有層 slimy mucus ( slimy – a little bit thicker then water, 有點像狗的口水般, 黏滑的, ) 黏滑的黏液 來保護牠不被刺傷. 如果一旦失去, 就會被海葵刺傷毒死.

2.  就如大家都知道的是, 小丑魚和海葵是互惠生存在海洋裡,  小丑魚是食 海葵食剩下的小魚, 蝦, 蟹和水藻, 而海葵因小丑魚在身邊游來游去, 而帶來海水流通所帶來的更多的氧氣和食物而受惠.

 

....

 

 

Snow Leopard’s purr

snow-leopard_1332024885   snow leopard cubs-pb

A few days ago, I saw a video :

 

Top 10 Cute Animals - Earth Unplugged :

 

 

accordingly, the top number 10 is the snow leopard and Ms. Maddie, did mentioned their special purr! 

It is because I did write a blog about cat’s purrs :

http://meiwechner2099.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/cat-purr_16.html?view=flipcard

 

This is why I’m keen to know more about a snow leopard’s purr :

 

 

 

Funny Snow Leopard Meowing

 

 

Snow Leopard's Favourite Purr-fume!

 

 

OK, return back,  after we saw all the above videos, we need to know more about the behaviour of the snow leopard’s purr :

 

http://www.snowleopard.org/learn/cat-facts/behavior

 

Snow leopards make sounds similar to those made by other large cats, including a purr, mew, hiss, growl, moan, and yowl. However, snow leopards cannot roar due to the physiology of their throat, and instead make a non-aggressive puffing sound called a ‘chuff’.

 

Ah ha,  they can’t  roar,  they only can purr like a cat!  but I think it does not matter, because I do think a cat’s hiss  is much more scary!!!  What do you think? 

 

摘要:  雪豹不能咆哮, 只能跟小貓一樣發出咕嚕咕嚕的 purr 聲, 又或 mew, hiss, growl, moan, and yowl聲.