A rare photo of Tony Stark with young T'Challa. (Source: https://ift.tt/2I53lc5)

golden eagle having a relaxing time

Trivia Tuesday! Despite its looks the Tuatara is not truthfully a lizard. It is the sole survivor of the order 'Rhynchocephalia' which flourished around 200 million years ago. All other species in this order went extinct around 60 million years ago, and this is why some scientists refer to these unique reptiles as living fossils! www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary #triviatuesday #lokisdiary #livingfossil #tuatara

And of course we have Loki still (and always will). She is a fantastic flyer and is starting to moult so we have cut back on the flying to let her feathers come through nicely. It's been a bit hit and miss with weather today so she's been chilling in her aviary till later. www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary

And this is Tiny, the Asian brown wood owl we took on last year! Fully fledged 😊 This individual is quite special to me. He's been brought up the same way as all my other birds but he has retained a very strong 'chase' (that's the best way to describe it anyway) instinct. This young man is ok around me and generally quite chill, but he is incredibly aggressive towards everything else. This bird is actually very good at chasing a lure and at times i'm sure I have a goshawk instead because he can manoeuvre between trees etc perfectly. He is the only owl I have had that's behaved like this despite being trained and brought up like every other. At the end of the day they are wild animals and this young man certainly retains his wild attitude! I'm looking forward to flying/training him more in the warmer weather and see how it goes! www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary

This #earthday I have had the beautiful Rockit-Shenzi being my model. Her eyes are so intense! Rockit is a Tanuki. Her story is a little bit dodgy so stay with me on this 😂 Basically we heard of some pups that needed to 'be gone' asap. A few hours of driving and we ended up meeting some people in a lidl car park (yes this sounds dodgy as fick - we weren't allowed anywhere near the actually premises she was originally being kept on) who just handed over to us this tiny, rather smelly (i'm sorry but it's true) bundle of skinny whimpering mess. She was taken by us, and if we didn't take her she was to be sent to a fur farm and she's the only one of her family who escaped/survived/still lives as the rest of her siblings all vanished the night before we went to get her, in fact she was nearly taken as well. The next few days were difficult because she pined after being suddenly taken from her siblings and everything she had been fed came out if her rather violently - she had eaten carpet, underlay and god knows what else and was lucky to survive without rupturing her insides. But! With some intensive dietary corrections and a huge outdoor pen later she's here currently smitten with my other half 😂 These animals are naturally omnivores and eat pretty much anything they find. She's given fresh meats, various whole prey, fish, various fruits and veg, shellfish and a very good quality cat and dog kibble mix to offer further variety on odd days. They are also one of the main animals used in the fur industry, famously being used for fake ugg boots...... Personally I think they are a little too cute for that! Yes they are a lot of work. They smell, can be noisy and aren't dogs as their western names suggest. They shouldn't live inside like a dog and need to be provided with means of enrichment that encourage natural behaviours. They can be aggressive to new people and are escape artists that can be highly detrimental to the environment if released/escaped. They are certainly not for the faint hearted! Me and my partner spent years researching them before considering if we could provide for one properly as they are quite specialist animals in all fairness. But she's safe from harm and the life she was originally set up for 😊 www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary

Our regularly updated page, featuring more of our work and critters :)

Wise up Wednesday! The birds wing The wings and feathers that birds posess are arguably one of their most amazing features. The wings are the iconic part that allows birds to fly, but they also offer protection against the weather and allow some species to soar,glide, and dive. Now all birds have wings (or a wing like structure), but not all birds can fly. Wings aren't an exclusive feature to birds either, bats are the only flying mammals and many species of insect have wings. The birds bodies are designed for flight in most cases, having numerous adaptations to support flying such as strong chest muscles, hollow bones, and just enough curve in each species wing shape to allow lift. The difference in a species wing shape provide different advantages and disadvantages. For example; the narrow sharp tipped wings of falcons provide them with speed, and albatrosses have wings that are longer than they are wider so they can soar high on winds. Now the skeleton of the wing is actually similar to a human arm and in a weird way their wings are considered the equivalent to our arms. The upper arm bone (humerus) is shorter than the forearm (ulna), and the finger bones are coadunate (coadunate means to combine or unite as one). Between the shoulders and the wrist is long tendon. The primary and secondary remiges, or flight feathers, are attached to the hand and forearm parts of the wing like a fan. The actual skeleton is usually very small though when compared to the actual size of the wing. One of the key elements of flight in birds are the feathers, and throughout the birds body there are many different types of feather, but one of the most recognised ones are the specialised flight feathers (which are actually known properly as remiges) and they are located on the wings, and the retrices which are located on the tail and act as rudders sometimes during flight. The primary feathers are attached to the wing hand. These are usually longer and more pointed/angular towards the tip/outer edge of the wings. Most species have 11 primary feathers. The secondary feathers have a more rounded shape and start where the primaries end and continue inwards towards the body, getting smaller the closer they get to the elbow. The amount of secondary feathers a bird has ranges from 6 - 32 and the amount is more dependent on the wing shape. Above the primary and secondary feathers are feathers called coverts. These help to form the smooth, aerodynamic shape of the wing. The closer these feathers are to the bone, the smaller they are, and they are bigger on the top side of the wing. Scapulars (or shoulder feathers) form the transition from the wing into the birds body, and the alulae (or thumb feathers) which are located on the top of the wing hand work in a similar fashion to the air brakes of a plane. This is why these particular ones can 'jutt' out a bit more in some individuals, due to the amount they exercise or the clumsiness of them 😂 Photos are taken by me (bar the diagram of bone comparisons between a human, bird, and bat which is from google). We have a diagram from a book by Lori R Arent showing a diagram of feathers, Loki flying to show the underside of the wings, some taxidermy pieces from the natural history museum and kendal museum, and tiny showing the shapes wings can make :) www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary #lokisdiary #wiseupwednesday #wings #education

Trivia Tuesday! The red panda is a creature that has caused much confusion amongst scientists. It is the only member of the 'Ailuridae' family and its taxonomic classification has been the topic of ongoing debate amongst researchers. It has been classified as a relative of the giant panda, but also of the raccoon, and even cats at one point! All of which are in a completely different genus, hence the ongoing debate! And they are also my absolute favourite animal! www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary #triviatuesday #lokisdiary #redpanda

Today I learned that the popular image of a blobfish is actually just a decompressed blobfish on the surface 

This is what they actually look like 

Wise up Wednesday! Oddball species - some of the oddities of this world. One thing i have noticed, as have many others, is that i tend to love the more bizarre looking species that this planet has inhabiting it. Don't get me wrong I love all animals, but some of my favourite species are just bizarre looking or are relatively unheard of by most people. I have no idea why i like them so much, or why i'm more drawn to liking them over the more 'normal looking' creatures 😂 So I have tried to come up with a list that consists of just 6 animals, 1 from each of the 6 basic animal groups (these are: invertebrates, mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish), that i considered to be my favourite. It has been one of the hardest lists i have had to come up with 😂 Without further ado, i present my top 6 oddball species! And yes, these are real! #1) Sarcastic Fringehead (neoclinus blanchardi) - fish representative Other than its prehistoric looking exterior and the fact it kind of looks like the creature from Star wars episode 1 at times (the gooberfish/opee sea killers just incase anyone was wondering what i was on about), it hides a rather colourful interior that is revealed as a form of elaborate defensive display. It's mouth is literally a giant rainbow umbrella! Now if that's not cool then i don't know what is! #2) Pink underwing moth, the caterpillar to be precise (phyllodes imperialis) - invertebrates representative I find all moths beautiful, and this one is no exception. It looks a weird sooty grey colour overall until you see the striking fuschia pink underwings that stand out from a mile off. But it's actually the caterpillar I adore as it has a rather interesting defense mechanism. It has a 'painted skull' style marking behind its head that it will show to imminent threats by tucking its head around into its belly. I like to call them sugar skull caterpillars as they remind me of the beautiful painted skulls from the day of the dead celebrations. #3) Hellbender (crytobranchus alleganiensis) - amphibian representative Literally a giant salamander with beautiful mottled patterns. I love salamanders and axolotks anyway, but the supersized versions are just so cute! So this animal (along with the chinese giant salamander) are just definite wins for me 😁 the fact that amphibians like these are so endangered as well makes them all such rarities that deserve attention. #4) okapi (okapia johnstoni) - mammal representative A rather odd looking creature that looks like several animals mashed together. These aling with jerboas have intrigued me since i saw them in an encyclopedia when i was in primary school (so since about 6/7 years old). I wrote a science paper in year 2 about them and nobody believed they were real until i brought this encyclopedia in to prove it! They are such secretive animals that utilise 'disruptive camouflage ' to break up its outline and help it remain hidden in the forest habitat. They have prehensile tongues and their closest living relatives are actually giraffes. #5) Hoatzin (ophisthocamus hoazin) - bird representative Where to start! Apart from the fact that when i was growing up this bird reminded me of the artists renditions of a prehistoric archeopteryx, this bird has a rather offensive nickname. They are called stinkbirds..... Cows take ages to digest their food because of what they eat right? Well these birds are the same, their diet of leaves are very difficult to digest, so much like the cow it has evolved with a foregut fermentation system to help it break down the tough plant matter, and its thought they are one of the few (if not the only) birds to have this adaptation. But because of their diet they also have a natural odour that smells like cow dung 😕 And the chicks have very prehistoric adaptations to help them evade predators, they have claws on their wings! They would normally nest above water so that when a predator approaches the chicks will just fall out of the nest into the water below until its safe. They then use these claws to climb up the tree back into the nest again. #6) rough backed litter snake (xenodermus javanicus) - reptile representative AKA The dragon snake, and its the only snake of this genus. These snakes have beautifully glossy scales with 3 pronounced ridges running down its back that make it look like the mythical beasts out of old stories. Their appearance alone just leaves people in awe. An incredibly rare snake in captivity due to the delicate nature, that coupled with the fact its so elusive in the wild means not much is known about its behaviours. It is considered as a 'real' mythical beast by many because of this. Some honourable mentions of critters considered for this list are: Gharial, devils flower mantis, goblin shark, mantis shrimp, saiga antelope, isopods, jerboa, fairy armadillo, aye aye, lamprey, siren, atlantic wolfish, lung fish, arowana, bichir, palawan binturong, mourning bird, frogmouths and potoos, trilobite beetles, banded linsang, chinese giant salamander, coelocanth, viper fish, angler fish, kagu, glass frogs, chinese softshell turtles, vinegaroon, and the solenodon. And believe me, this is a cherry picked list of the oddities i love! And they are all real creatures that are still alive today, with some deserving a lot more attention than they are getting. After the recent news of the death if Sudan, the last male noryhern white rhino in the wild (and therefore the fundamental extinction of this subspecies), I have made this wise up Wednesdays feature a focus on oddballs - most of which need help and acknowledgement before its too late. Just because a species numbers are not yet critically low doesn't mean we shouldn't be working on raising awareness about it or protecting it. Conservation of a species is a very complex isdue and its seemingly getting more complex with the amount of people there are on the planet. I think though that after reading about the coverage on sudans death, this issue has really been highlighted, and i personally have thought that there are 2 key elements as to why the entire situation is so unfortunate. The first part is obviously his death itself (because thats never nice) and the inevitable extinction of this subspecies - that is tragic no matter how you look at it. The second reason i find it unfortunate is the fact that only when 'all viable hope was lost' did so many people actually show acknowledgement to the species and the plights it faced, stating 'they were angry', or how much of a shame it was. But without his death many of these same people would not of known these creatures existed or needed help, and i find that a real tragedy because they didn't show this much compassion when more could of been done to prevent this. There are so many species on the planet right now that are in a similar situation and are likely to go the same way if we continue to give things such little acknowledgement. The amphibian crisis for example. Right now there is still time to prevent it from happening. There have been talks of trying to rekindle the lineage of the northern white rhino via artificial insemination, and the fact that this is a subspecies maybe warrants the involvement of other closely related subspecies to be involved in rekindling the lineage again. The southern white rhino is the other subspecies of white rhino and has a large enough population to entertain this idea. These are simply discussions i have read about in various articles so have no idea whether its plausible or not right now. The inclusion of such odd (and possibly incorrect) information though is to elaborate a point further, it was a subspecies with close relatives, so nominate races and other species still presently exist meaning it isn't entirely lost. Some species though are not so lucky, the sumatran rhinoceros for example is an entirely unique species with NO CLOSE LIVING RELATIVES. If this species was the one in the news right now there would be no chance of rekindling it. It would truly be gone, especially seeing as its closest relative was actually the prehistoric wooly rhino from the ice ages. What i'm basically saying is that it's a shame that so many species are not given the recognition they deserve when they aren't pretty much extinct. All species in my eyes are worth recognition and preservation - even the oddballs! So don't wait around until theres nothing left, many of these species are wonderful and so unique that it would be a shame to not appreciate them :) And with a little more awareness being raised i hope it makes more people realuse whats out there and how important it all is. It doesn't matter if its in abundance now, just don't make the mistake and wait till its pretty much gone before giving them recognition :) **images from Google as i haven't managed too see some of these wonders yet! One day i shall though, I would hate to not see these beauties!* www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary #wiseupwednesday #lokisdiary

Wise up Wednesday! Pest species - The story of Chester *DISCLAIMER * Chester is a wild disabled Rook who has been granted permission to remain in captivity due to his lifelong injuries making it unsuitable for him to be released back into the wild due to them drastically reducing his chance of survival. You cannot just take a wild bird and keep it in captivity. I have documents from the vets stating the extent of his injuries which were passed on to Natural England and DEFRA to which they granted permission to keep him. I had to provide sufficient evidence to show I was capable of meeting his care requirements and the vets provided detailed evidence and opinions to suggest he was unsuitable for reintroduction back to the wild and that he would have a quality of life in captivity. What deems a species as a pest? I don't know to say the least as nowadays everyone has a differing opinion on the matter. I live in what I would consider a countryside town - a small, tight knit town surrounded by lots of farm and woodland. On most evenings we are lucky enough to be able to go out and see wild barn owls, tawny owls, hedgehogs etc, all of which are loved by the local community. But then a single call is enough for some to turn their noses up in disgust. A crow, coming in to roost for the night, and it almost makes people spit venom. I have scoured in various places as to why this is, why some people will drum up such a malicious response towards a creature thats just getting on with living. The local farmers and corvids seem to be in an unknowing war with one another. Farmers plant their crops, and Rooks are blamed for foraging and turning them up, or that crows and jackdaws eat their produce. The solution? Some will use none lethal deterrents such as scarecrows or noise making machines etc, but others will shoot them and their nest sites (known as rookeries) down as an effort to control them. Some will even allow falconers to hunt them and have their raptors control them in a way that's more befitting to the circle of life. Understandably a farmer will be mad for their livelihood being destroyed by a flock of hungry birds, they stand to lose a hell of a lot when these birds roll up. Admittedly I'm not a fan of shooting, trapping etc as I believe it can be done too inhumanely, but I understand that in some cases action must be taken in order to control a species destroying a means of making a living. But what about the people who aren't having their livelihoods or properties destroyed? A fair few animals are labelled as being a pest species and as such are offered very little protection from being persecuted compared to other species, and this has lead to a rise in numbers of these animals being killed for the fun of it with very little consequences. There are a few laws that state about seasoned hunting, firearms permitted for such things etc, but as an overall basis there is seemingly little protection offered to such animals in these situations, and what is offered is hardly regulated, and this is how you end up with cases like Chester. He was shot on private land, and as far as we are aware, no permission was ever granted to allow anyone to shoot there. Already you are not legally operating and the culprit could of indeed of been trespassing. The pellets that shot him are still lodged inside him (it would cause lethal complications if they were attempted to be removed. They aren't causing any complications and as such it was safer to leave them) and have been itentified as being permitted for use as was the firearm that shot him. But the animal was not humanely killed and was evidently just left to suffer, so 2 illegal actions had been undertaken in this one shooting incident, and the culprit would of likely been charging for animal welfare and trespassing offences if caught for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. During me applying for permission to keep Chester I was passed from pillar to post rather unnecessarily and I genuinely had one employee from Natural England say "why don't you just euthanize it as they are pointless anyway" which I thought really highlighted how little respect is given to some lifeforms which are clearly capable of having a quality of life. No will to investigate cases of potential crime due to what species he was, he was 'just a rook' so why investigate? But if a sparriwhawk had suffered the same thing it would be swarming with potential investigators because they are awarded different protection. I guess what i'm getting at is what right do we as people have to declare whether an animal is worth more than another in terms if awarding it standards of protection? How is something deemed more woethy in our eyes than another? I have heard of so called pest species being hunted to the brink of extinction and then we go "oh no, we are going to lose them so lets protect them"... we shouldn't be wiping things out to that extent anyway. A lufe is a life at the end of the day no matter how big or small it is and i don't see how one can be of more value than the other. I find this more now because of Chester, who has surprisingly taught me a heck of a lot in regards for life. The sheer determination of this bird just to survive is commendable in itself, especially as someone who suffered depression so badly. I enjoy observing his happy go lucky attitude to everything and his way of overcoming the lifechanging ailments he had is amazing. A birds wings being lost can gave a drastic impact on a birds morale - they are left weaker and vulnerable and they can get very depressed from it. I was so concerned with this being the case for Chester as rooks (and corvids in general) are incredibly intelligent animals and some corvids have the intelligence capacity of a 5year old. They can learn to use tools, problem solve and do a fair bit of carcass removal! They are very proud animals and can form lifelong bonds with things. This level of what is considered 'sentience' is something I find incredible and I think it's a huge shame that a lot of people have so little respect for them. I have also been told i'm too soft in holding such a high regard for everything - but I guess that everyone's opinions on things are incredibly diverse, it's something that makes us human after all. Here are some definitions for pest I have found and they go as follows: "A pest is any animal or plant that is detrimental to humans or to human concerns including crops, livestock and forestry.The term is also used for organisms which cause a nuisance, such as in the home. An older usage is of a deadly epidemic disease such as the plague and the animals that are vectors to them like mosquitoes. In it's broadest sense, a pest is a competitor to humanity". Whatever the terms reasons, and however it's applied it seems that everyone has their own justification for the usage of the term. I understand that certain species cause mass epidemics and it is a huge problem that's in need of control and to have preventative measures applied to avoid the risks to all animals - not just humans. But I also see the term being dished about to just kill things that were not causing a nuisance, and it's these types of situation that I detest the term pest for. In the case of Chester his unfortunate scenario has had a happier ending that includes him being safe, having a secure purpise built home that caters to his disability, a confidence boost, fresh food and water and unlikely companionship. Oh and unlimited toys... just because! I admit it wasn't easy getting permission from the relevant authorities to keep him, but it was worth it to ensure he gets to live out the rest of his life safely and peacefully. (Somewhat peacefully anyway - he's subjected to Loki and her morning singing like the rest of us!) www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary #wiseupwednesday #lokisdiary

Wise up Wednesday! "What is Ecdysis? And why is it necessary for some species?" The dictionary definition of 'ecdysis' is: 'the process of shedding the old skin (in reptiles) or casting off the outer cuticle (in insects and arthropods). It comes from the greek word 'eudusis' which mean 'put off'. This process is necessary in order for some organisms to grow. The term for the cuticle or skin that is lost is 'exuvivae', which is another greek word which means 'things stripped from the body'. So ecdysis is basically the proper term for the shedding of old skin in reptiles and invertebrates (it's also referred to as moulting and sloughing). So many animals shed their old outer layer, including us humans too. Infact we can shed anywhere between 0.5 and 1.6 pounds worth of dead skin in a year. Birds moult their old feathers, and dogs shed their winter coats, but reptiles and invertebrates really leave more of an impression in our minds when shedding their old skin. It does look more impactful to see a lizard with skin peeling from it, or a tarantula making an exact replica of itself with its old skin, leaving many wondering if they are infact watching a horror movie or not! Reptile scales are made of keratin, much like our skin and hair and fingernails are. Many things are comprised of nothing more than keratin such as rhino horns for example (rhino horn is pretty much the equivalent of our fingernails but way more dense). The individual cells are called 'keratinocytes'. New keratinocytes grow at the very lowest level of the epidermis, which bonds with the next layer (going inwards) which is called the dermis. These new cells will gradually push their way up to the top layer, but once they make it there they will then break off and die to make room for the new cells which will constantly be grown and pushed up. Our skin cells are replaced every 30 days, and this same process is a very basic version of what happens in reptiles. Human skin is only made up of alpha keratin though, reptiles also have something called beta keratin making up their skin! Alpha keratin is flexible and is found between the scales and scutes as well as in the hinges/joints, but beta keratin is a much harder cell type and is found only in reptiles and this is what the scutes and scales are made from. It's actually the beta keratin that is responsible for making all the old cells need to come off at the same time. The shedding process can take between 1 and 3 weeks to complete and shedding is more frequent in spring and summer months. Skin is shed in stages. The first step us replication - cells in the middle of the epidermis layer replicate to form a completely new 3 layered epidermis. The second step is the seperation - which is where lymph diffuses into the area between the old and new skin. The enzymes form something thats known rather awkwardly as (wait for it) the 'clevage zone', and i emplore anyone deciding to google this to include reptile skin in the phrase - I think it would be pretty clear as to why 😣 And the final step is the shedding of the old skin and the hardening of the new skin. The clevage zone allows the outer/older layer of skin to fall off while the new skin is hardening and forming a new protective layer. A more science infused bit to add is that anaerobic glycolysis (transformation of glucose to lactate when limited amounts if oxygen are available) helos to separate the outer layer, while acid phosphatase (a fanily if enzymes) breaks down the old skin. As a general rule lizards usually shed their skin in pieces with the exceptions of a few species such as the alligator lizard. Turtles shed their skin in pieces too. Snakes however are renowned for shedding their skin in one piece, and this is because their scales are not discrete but instead are extensions of the epidermis hence why they are not shed separately, but are ejected as a continuous layer that comes off in a way similar to a sock being turned inside out. In invertebrates however the principle of why they shed their skin is the same, but it is executed in a very different way. It is a necessary process that many types if invert must go through in order to grow larger as their exoskeletons are inflexible. It occurs after a series of steps that are mediated by a hormone called 'ecdysone' that is secreted from glands behind the brain. This particular hormone has 3 functions. It causes the cuticle to separate from the skin underneath, causes the secretion of new cuticle material in the skin and it starts the breakdown of the old cuticle. During ecdysis the existing cuticle weakens at specific points and takes in water or air to help the animal further split its old exoskeleton. The ankmal then proceeds to extract itself from the old skin and inflates the new skin. During this process they use up alot of energy to make new cuticle so they reduce this amount by breaking down and recycling the materials from the old cuticle. The newly inflated exoskeleton is very soft and the musculature is attached to it, so the animal cannot move for a while because of this due to the high risk of it getting damaged. It is obviously incredibly vulnerable during this period of immobility but once the new exoskeleton has dried out and hardened it can move about again and behave as it normally would. Shedding old skin however doesn't always go to plan. 'Dysecdysis' is the term used for an abnormal shed. It is also known as a stuck or retained shed amongst keepers. In captivity it is usually put down to things like suboptimal husbandry, but it can be caused by an array of things such as ongoing health problems. Sometimes it can indicate certain infectious diseases being present like internal and external parasites. It can also indicate more serious health problems, but these sort if situations will also usually have other symptoms as more direct indicators. It's certainly safe to say that the whole skjn shedding process is a very complex thing when you look into it further! Pretty much everything in earth sheds, but reptiles and invertebrates definitely take the crown for the most dramatic ways to do it! Quinzel has recently shed his old skin so he's been a massive help with me getting photos for this :) For regular critter updates please like and follow our Loki'sDiary and Friends facebook page! (Link below) www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary

**Ok so our WiseUp Wednesday is a day late..... Apologies!** Species profile - Striped owl One of the things we are going to cover in our educational posts are species profiles, especially if they relate to our critters! And seeing as Loki is our mascot it seemed fitting for our first one to be of her species! Well she is a subspecies actually, a Mexican striped owl - Asio Clamator Midas. The striped owl though has been placed variously into the genus 'Pseudoscops' and in the genus 'Rhinoptynx', but it is now placed in the 'Asio' genus. Length: 30-38cm (measured from tip of tail to top of head) Weight: averagely ranges from 320-556g but some wild females have weighed more. Wing length: averages 228-294mm *females are larger and heavier than males* Identification/appearance: Classed as being small to medium sized owls. Females of the species are up to as much as 150g heavier than males. They have rather tousled but conspicuous blackish ear tufts. The plumage is a tawny-buff colour with the foreheads and nape having lots of dusky coloured streaking. The mantle and backs of these birds also have dark mottling and streaking. Scapulars have whitish areas with the outer webs forming a clear row across the shoulders. They have dark brown tails and flight feathers that are broadly paler barred. White throats and pale tawny to buffush-white underparts have prominent streaks of dark brown or black. They have a brownish white facial disk (the lightness of the brown varies amongst subspecies) that us framed with a blackish ruff, they also have short whitish eyebrows that extend from the base of the bill to above the eyes with whitish lores. Beaks are blackish grey and eyes are a cinnamon brown colour. Feathered tarsi and toes are a lighter, more creamy colour with blackish grey talons. In flight: They fly over more open areas and have rather shallow, rapid wingbeats. Call: Capable of making a variety of calls! But in the wild they emit a single or double rather nasally sounding hoot. They also give off a high pitched hawk like whistle. And they are capable of making a series of barking calls. Food and Hunting: Striped owls hunt mostly during the crepuscular and nocturnal hours. Small mammals and birds are its main source of prey. Mammalian prey includes: spiny rats, rice rats, mice, cavies, bats, and opossums. Bird prey includes: doves, grassquits, flycatchers, thrushes, house sparrows, and tinamous. Other foods include large sized insects like grasshoppers, and a few species of reptile. Its large feet and powerful talons indicates it is capable of taking large prey, infact the striped owl is capable of taking prey approximately 0.7 times its own weight such as pigeons, cavies and white eared opossums. Its hunting technique is described as a low flight over open landscapes with abrupt dives after prey. It will also sit on a perch, using it as a vantage point (eg: fence posts and branches) to watch prey before swooping down to catch it. General behaviour: The striped owl is sedentary within its range. It can be seen alone, in pairs, or in small groups. This species may be gregarious, and the birds gather at roost in flocks of about 10-12 owls. During the day they rest, hidden amongst the dense foliage of trees and shrubs. They can remain motionless for hours. They may also be found on the ground, concealed by the cover of vegetation. Outside of the breeding season they roost in small flocks by day time. Their cryptic plumage allows them to become almost invisible. Habitat: Prefers open or semi open Savannah and grassland, but also lives near humid forest edges, rice fields and airports. It is however absent from dense forest. Breeding: *Breeding seasons vary depending on location, but is noted occuring mainly from August to March time* These owls nest on flat ground, hidden amongst long grassy clumps or amongst thick bushes. Some nests have rarely been observed in trees. The female will lay between 2-4 eggs. Incubation is done solely by the female and lasts around a 30-33 days. Usualky only one or 2 of the chicks fledge. The male will provide food for the female and young. The young will remain with the parents for several weeks after fledging. Status: Uncertain Distribution: Ranges from S.Mexico to Panama, from Northern S.America to Uruguay and N.Argentina east if the Andes. Appear to be year round residents. Subspecies/Geographic variation: Four subspecies of striped owl have been described. The nominate race - Asio Clamator/Asio Clamator Clamator occurs from Colombia to C.Brazil. Asio Clamator Obari is from Trinidad and the island of Tobago (where it was last seen in 1971 according to records....) Asio Clamator Forbesi is from S.Mexico to Costa Rica and Panama. This subspecies is smaller and paler than the nominate race. And there's Loki's subspecies, Asio Clamator Midas, which comes from Bolivia to Uruguay and they are the largest and palest of the species. Mortality: Observations on mortality include road kills and shootings. Natural enemies are larger owls and birds of prey. *SEVERAL REFERENCES HAVE BEEN USED TO CREATE THIS - BOOKS IN MY PERSONAL COLLECTION BEING THE MAIN SOURCE* And there you have it! Our first species profile 😁 I will be covering more of our critters in later weeks amongst other educational subjects, and as always please feel free to ask questions or leave feedback/requests for stuff. We make a massive effort to research any potential critter species we may get to the fullest of our capability as we believe that it helps us understand them, their needs, instincts, lifestyles and behaviours better so we can best prepare for their potential arrival. This is the basic compilation of reference I gathered on striped owls before I commited to taking on Loki. I say basic because the real notes I made covered at least 5 double pages of A4 (where this was only 1 and a half double pages), and that was just the species research notes! My notes of them in captivity added a heck of a lot more 😂 And I also said best prepare - researching a species will always give you a basic understanding but each individual will present its own unique quirks and characters that does admittedly throw research notes out of the window at times 😁 www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary

Skitty eating skittles

Here's an interesting one for you all! Here it looks like our animals are displaying their nictitating membranes, but we actually have 2 that are the odd ones out....... Aida and Sir.Steve. The snakes may look like they have pulled a nictitating membrane across their eyes, but they are actually 'in the blue' in these photos which means they are getting ready to shed their old skins. You see, unlike the other 3 animals in the picture, snakes don't have eyelids! Instead each if their eyes is covered with a single transparent scale that serve to protect the eyes from debris and stop them from drying out in the same way an eyelid would. But a lack of eyelid means snakes cannot blink and they sleep with their eyes open 👀💤 www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary #lokisdiary #education #nature

Wise Up Wednesday! The Nictitating Membrane. The 'Nictitating membrane' (also known as a 'Haw' or just referred to as the third eyelid) is a third eyelid that is found in many species of reptiles, birds, sharks, and some mammals. A full nictitating membrane is found in reptiles, birds, and sharks, but rarely in mammals. Mammals usually have a small, vestigial portikn of the membrane that remains in the corner of the eye as oppose to having a fully functional third eyelid that covers the whole eye. Infact some of the only mammals to have full nictitating membranes are camels, polar bears, aardvarks, and those that swim frequently like seals. The nictitating membrane (nictitating comes from the latin word 'nictare' which means 'to blink') is transparent or translucent and can be drawn acrosz the eye from the 'medial canthus' (which is either corner of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids meet), and it serves to protect the eye or moisture it whilst still maintaining vision. Unlike the first and second eyelids which open and close vertically and meet in the middle of the eye, the nictitating membrane moves across the entire eye horizontally. In birds specifically the membrane still provides the eye with protection and allows the eye to be moisturised without the bird losing sight like it would in other animals who have them, but they would obviously utilise the membranes in different ways. For ecample, raptors like the peregrine falcon fly at high speeds when pursuing their prey (a peregrine falcon in a dive is called stooping or referred to as a stoop) would pull the membrane across the eye to stop it drying out and to avoid debris getting into it. In many photos I take of Loki when she is out I manage to capture her nictitating membrane. When she is out she is nearly always rather relaxed. On the odd occasion however such as if a seagull flies over, she is obviously quite alert and keeps a close eye on it. She's always curious of her surroundings though and loves having a good gander at everything, especially if she can see the birds in a nearby tree. She will happily watch them for hours, rarely blinking, which is a surprisingly normal thing for raptors! Not blinking I mean. So to not compromise her vision and potentially miss something she keeps her eyes clean and moisturised by pulling the nictitating membrane across her eyes instead :) Included are examples of Loki and Chester using their nictitating membranes. A couple of the photos used of Loki are from last year when she was moulting so please excuse her tatty ear tufts! www.facebook.com/TheLokiDiary #lokisdiary #wiseupwednesday #education #nature #owls #nictitatingmembrane