With the weather being as cold as it is, if you can, it is very important to get out there and do what you can to help support your local bird population. When the ground is frozen, especially when it is solid for a few consecutive days as it has been, small birds especially, find it very difficu
So just how, and possibly more interestingly, why, do Shar-pei dogs have such amazing wrinkles?
Research has been carried out by scientists into ten different dog breeds and they think that they have come up with the answer. Their research has identified 155 distinct locations in the animal’s genetic code that they think will play a distinctive role in the breed’s appearance. In particular, the Shar-pei has a difference in a gene known as HAS2 which has an effect on the enzyme known to be influential in the production of the skin.
But while this may have originally been caused by a genetic mutation, like all modern dog breeds, the real creator of the Shar-pei is the human being. The breeder of the puppy with that genetic mutation may have thought that the wrinkly puppy looked interesting and went forward, selectively breeding that trait into future generations, creating the Shar-pei breed.
We as dog owners, breeders and human beings, have become fascinated, and in many cases, obsessed, with meddling with the genetic makeup of dogs. We like to call it Pedigree, but in many ways, this is just a series of controls on the makeup of the breed of dog that now matches a human template which we are constantly looking to improve and enhance. The process started some 10,000 years ago with the gradual domestication of the Grey Wolf, and the selective breeding that followed has resulted in over 400 different breeds of dog, all with a unique and very distinctive physique, coat, colour, behaviour and ‘human roles’.
At pet portraits, we design and create beautiful, hand-crafted pet portraits from photos on canvas. We transform favourite photos of your cat, dog, horse, or any animal you can think of… into top-quality, stylish, digital works of pet art. Our styles include traditional pet portraits, contemporary, and wonderful pet pop art creations, depending upon your artistic preferences!
At Pets in Portraits, we design and create beautiful, hand-crafted pet portraits from photos on canvas. We transform favourite photos of your cat, dog, horse, or any animal you can think of… into top-quality, stylish, digital works of pet art. Our styles include traditional pet portraits, contemporary, and wonderful pet pop art creations, depending upon your artistic preferences!
A wildlife cameraman took pictures of the calf when he spotted it among a herd of about 80 elephants in the Okavango Delta.
Experts believe it is probably an albino, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants.
They are unsure of its chances of long-term survival - the blazing African sunlight may cause blindness and skin problems for the calf.
Mike Holding, who spotted the baby while filming for a BBC wildlife programme, said: "We only saw it for a couple of minutes as the herd crossed the river.
"This was a really exciting moment for everyone in camp. We knew it was a rare sighting - no-one could believe their eyes."
Albino elephants are not usually white, but instead they have more of a reddish-brown or pink hue.
While albinism is thought to be fairly common in Asian elephants, it is much less common in the larger African species.
Ecologist Dr Mike Chase, who runs conservation charity Elephants Without Borders, said: "I have only come across three references to albino calves, which have occurred in Kruger National Park in South Africa.
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"This is probably the first documented sighting of an albino elephant in northern Botswana.
"We have been studying elephants in the region for nearly 10 years now, and this is the first documented evidence of an albino calf that I have come across."
He said that the condition might make it difficult for the calf to survive into adulthood.
"What happens to these young albino calves remains a mystery," said Dr Chase.
"Surviving this very rare phenomenon is very difficult in the harsh African bush. The glaring sun may cause blindness and skin problems."
However, he told BBC News that there might be a ray of hope for the pink calf as it already seemed to be learning to adapt to its condition.
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Dr Chase explained: "Because this elephant calf was sighted in the Okavango Delta, he may have a greater chance of survival. He can seek refuge under the large trees and cake himself in a thick mud, which will protect him from the Sun.
"Already the two-to-three-month-old calf seems to be walking in the shade of its mother.
"This behaviour suggests it is aware of its susceptibility to the harsh African sun, and adapted a unique behaviour to improve its chances of survival."
He added: "I have learned that elephants are highly adaptable, intelligent and masters of survival."
For many months we had two beautiful Woodpeckers visiting and feeding in our garden. Then, much to our delight, they had a young Woodpecker and it came to feed in our garden as well. We felt very priveledged every day when we watched the woodpeckers feed their young and spend t