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fantastic week in the pond of toads runners

A is a non-spring in this part of the low Sierra Madrid, but it is now fantastic week for the toads who patiently waited buried under the stone. Just a couple of weeks that the snow covering the environment and ice into the earth. Then came a week of warm weather and rain again, this time with water. Is the signal that the frogs needed, the moisture from reaching their hideouts. Outside, on the surface, buttercups still timidly beginning to flourish, scoring in the meadows flooded small streams where the water flows. The final week of February and early March, weather permitting, are ideal to start playing for several species of toads and frogs in San Antonio in this area.
The nights are still very cold, just three or four degrees above zero, but if there's no wind are ideal conditions for "heated" the blood of male natterjack toad.

Ah! Our protagonist is a natterjack toad, whose scientific name is Epidalea calamita, although some books will be as Bufo calamita . Our male walk straight to the site of the pond where he was born as a tadpole, neglecting other equally good that you can find on the road. If you're lucky not die in a road, or find any greedy stork or some other natural predators, and almost even luckier, you find that your pond has not been occupied by an industrial estate, a new road or a residential community. Not just any pond, must be shallow because the runners toads suspended in swimming lessons taught in the School of Natural Selection. Yes, took honors in survival in harsh environments and opportunism. Thus, they can still breed in mountain ponds with soft water, such as coastal lagoons with some degree of salinity.

If the weather had been better would have expected to make themselves better circumstances, even in the month of May or even later. In fact, not all riders have exited toads these nights to find a partner, others were waiting for another day. Thus, if a sudden frost or drought ended with the eggs of these dates, there are still others willing to perpetuate the species somewhat later.

At the natterjack toad pond will sing a "ra-ra-ra-ra" which will soon be joining them as a real choir singers. Yes, a chorus of frogs is not the same as the superposition of individual songs at random, each has its time of entry into the melody and form a specific song, but definitely very monotonous. The choir helps females locate the site of the fantastic and, once in the pond, by tone of voice, females are able to differentiate between larger and stronger.

The male has a great view and try to ride an animal of similar size to yours. If another male and will issue a call to reject and if other species, try to escape in their own way.

may try mounting a female and "occupied" and the first attempt to separate male giving a good kicking and shoving.

When luck takes you to mount a receptive female be subject tucking his forelegs under his armpits (axillary amplexus). So the male toads are usually differentiated from females by having thicker arms and muscular. When the female begins to put the male egg strands also places its hind legs in a special way, as shown in the photo above, massaging the bottom of the womb of her partner, while spilling his load on them. So

position will change in the pond, leaving behind them a very long double strands, in turn, have two rows of eggs inside. In a few days be born tadpoles that develop to metamorphosis in record time, but that's another story that will come in due time.

Other data for the field notebook:

- In the same pond and other frogs were breeding near San Antonio, Hyla arborea and spadefoot toads, Pelobates cultripes .

- also allowed to see female pygmy newt, Triturus pygmaeus and a newt, Pleurodeles waltl .

Diarrhea Than Gas Pains Early Pregnancy

urban birds each year but fewer sparrows

E ste Saturday I had the pleasure to participate again in the "Green Future" by Miguel del Pino, who now manages broadcast on Radio.

Incidentally, among the "gadgets" that is to the right of this text I have added a link to the page where you can download and listen to these programs. On this Saturday is set HERE.

Chick house sparrow, Passer domesticus ,

leaning out a nest box in my garden

Well, during and after the show I talked to Miguel about the alarming decline in the number of sparrows in our cities. There have been many possible reasons, perhaps none quite explain why the process, but all together contribute to it. In other European cities has spoken of massive infections, although, as Miguel said, sparrows are not sick. It is also possible that urban sanitation contribute to reduced food availability, although this has not been inconvenient for other birds to come into the cities and become increasingly abundant.

Macho sparrow, Passer domesticus, in a string of peanuts in my garden.

Another possibility is competition with these other birds, including direct predation of nests by the Magpies, for example, or the destruction of these by parrots and starlings.

domestic pigeon, Columba livia , in the Retiro park in Madrid.

But I am afraid that you are playing an important role in feed contraceptives are used in some cities in the fight against domestic pigeons. The sparrows have easy access to food that they can be put to pigeons, I would even say that they will eat most of the feed. We do not know for sure where and when in use, but these products are very difficult to control once placed in the environment. I hate to kill any animal, but I'm more afraid to release chemicals that potential.

Group pigeons, Columba palumbus Alpedrete in a neighborhood of Madrid.

Curiously, years ago, the bird watchers who put nest boxes and feeders in parks and gardens, considered undesirable elements sparrows by competition with species more "noble." I am now happy pudiéndoles offer both.

Tórtolas Turkish Setreptopelia decaocto, on a street in Alpedrete

Other birds of the family of pigeons, such as pigeons and doves are, however, each more abundant. The pigeons are leaving to migrate and are no longer attractive to hunters waiting in the "pigeon steps" to shoot comfortably seated from his hiding place, the band that tries to overcome the mountain by some valleys. It has made a selection the most direct: migrating dove dies, pigeon remains in the city survives.

Perhaps these two species of Columbidae, which nest and roost in trees but no buildings, have more future in our cities that domestic pigeons are being persecuted for damage caused to buildings and monuments. Also, some suspicion still have not come so easily to the food offered.

Blackbird, Turdus merula in my garden.

The collared doves are occupying both urban gardens as the field in a stunning natural expansion that may displace the common turtle. It is a species much more aggressive in defending their territory. In this case, the competition itself is evident.

Urraca. Pica pica, in my garden

has also been impressive expansion of magpies, both in the field and in the city.

Among the few positive factors of the sparrows, and all wildlife in general, is environmental education in recent years. I still remember when almost every kid had a real obsession stones for hunting birds with slingshots or, if he could afford, with air gun. Fortunately that has changed little since they come up now. And in the same case are the squirrels, which are gradually populating reoccupying voids and new parks and gardens in residential areas. When I was a kid the squirrel appeared in a collection of matchbooks as small game. " Something we are civilized.

Urraca harassing a squirrel in the park of El Retiro de Madrid

Starlings, blackbirds, robins, chickadees and other tits, wagtails, kestrels and hawks show themselves increasingly large cities. However, the purely insectivorous swifts and martins, and become more limited by lack of food.

Starling, Sturnus unicolor , in my garden.

And among the most exotic species are two increasingly abundant parrots, parakeets and Kramer Argentina. While in Madrid and its surroundings believe that only the first of them breeding in other cities in warmer climates are those of Kramer, budgerigars and inseparable, as well as weavers, nightingales of Japan and some other species more, all for no natural expansion, but by the release or escape cage birds.

parrot Young Argentina, Myiopsita monachus, at Casa de Campo, Madrid, feeding on gálbulas of yours.

urban aquatic species.

'm old enough to remember when Madrid was the gulls. I have lived more than 30 years in an apartment near the Manzanares River and the first year came the black-headed gulls was for me an event. I remember drawing and notes in a notebook at home looking after shaking hands in the bird guide to be sure. I saw them arrive in mid-October. I can not say when they left, but the days before and looked away some copies to the head black. Over the years I have witnessed the arrival also of some clueless Gull, whose number was increasing every year, and finally, the yellow-legged river that are not nothing, but have also been added to this internal migration. The final change has been much more recent, some gulls are even in summer. The food available in landfills has a lot to do with it, as for not migrating storks.

laughing gull, Larus ridibundus , In the Santillana reservoir, Manzanares el Real, where they go to sleep after feeding in dumps Colmenar Viejo, Madrid.

Cormorants seen in Madrid, however, have more to do with better preservation of the Manzanares River, which has fish to offer. I've said several times, the best place for cormorants in the capital is on the lampposts and bridges that are near the exit of the tunnels in the M-30 to Andalusia Road. **************

I also want to note that some of the new "gadgets" offers science news that I have called attention recently. It is noteworthy that of the polar bear hybrids, tangible evidence of climate change. And the Arizona and pollution, which claimed to have spoken this week, but I have not done so because of bad weather has prevented me from taking pictures I wanted.

Primary Sector Employment

Our dog, Dash, and the wolf within him

Introducing Pinch

E his is Dash, our Dachshund (which is often called sausage) of hard hair. The photo is from when he came to us about three months, now six years. As I told in the entry on my hounds, " Goodbye, mastiffs, goodbye "Dash came home to overcome losses, past dogs, both for ourselves and for our mastina, Bola. I also talked to her and put a minivídeo in an entry called" white Weekend " .

wanted to have a dog that could be most of the time indoors, not the dogs, and it was rustic to enjoy our countryside walks. Pinch gives us all that and more with it, the boredom exists.

Although his hair should be hard to get through the brambles without getting hooked, as hunters use this race as a dog brush, the truth is it is not so among its wool field brings all kinds of sticks, seeds and "arrancamoños" many, as a showcase of plants used to place animals for seed dispersal ( zoochory ).

As spends many hours outside, in the garden and in our walks, regardless of soaking in puddles and snow, even enjoying it, we let their hair long during the winter, but was cut in spring arrives. It seems like another dog, even the color is different, being the innermost layer of hair. Pinch hair never changes naturally, it is continuously growing, so is forced passage through the salon. The great advantage is that it does not stain the house with its fallen hairs.

And once completed presentations step title track to this post. On the behavior of dogs and wolves, and what we teach pinch.

Dogs and wolves are the same species

Thanks to modern science that studies the DNA of living beings are describing new species from populations we assumed they were one but externally only if we are able to differentiate. Any naturalist with little fondness for amphibians and reptiles sure you know what I speak. That science, every so often reminds us that humans and higher primates share much of our genome. Well, the same genetic analysis tell us that dogs and wolves are the same species: Canis lupus . Not even clear that dogs are a subspecies has the meaning given to that word in other animal groups. There is therefore the species Canis familiaris , but would, at best, the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris .

certainly see a chihuahua who may have doubts that it is a wolf, but not least, if we see the same little dog next to a St. Bernard. And those doubts are dispelled when we see more Nordic breed dog, such as the Alaskan Malamute by a wolf, so similar that most of us try casting film as such.

then try to explain two pinch behavior and its relationship to the wolf behavior. Are much more, but I have to get new photos and video.

Submission or puppy behavior.

All who deal with dogs are used to seeing the position they take our pets puppy, not only when they have a few months, but on many occasions throughout his life. Panza above, with the neck While the legs stretched and opened her womb let us see that puppies are also hairless. In extreme cases of nervousness even drop a few drops of urine on his belly. It is a sign of total submission that allows the dog (or human) dominant ensure that it is a puppy with its characteristic odor and poses no threat. Cahorrro conduct of that act has become dominated individual behavior to his superior. Paste

a puppy urination, nervousness prisoner, when we got home, only worsens the situation. It is best to ignore him, ignore him and hope he settles down in order to "tell" you do not need to submit to that level.

Ball In the next photo, the dominant mastina, sniffs and licks the womb that offers pinch. Domestication of the wolf to lead the dog was artificially selected based on children's characters. This is very evident in some of the races because of their small size, large eyes and head flat and round, but more so for their behavior towards us, humans, who consider lifetime (or should consider) as leaders of the pack and solicitors of food.

Another typical behavior of dogs on their owners, is that when they are received after an absence, trying to lick the corners of the mouth. This act is similar to of wolf pups (and other canines) by which they obtain food than their parents. The lamentones at the corners of the mouth cause regurgitation of food that parents bring in the stomach.

A dog tries to lick us mouth is telling us that for him are like their parents, leaders of the pack, though that act has lost the sense of a meal that had originally. For pure health left I do not recommend sucking mouth smelled like ass would not recommend a dog to greet you, but not bad get licked a bit on the side of the face to show that we accept this situation.

There is no better gift for a dog owner of a powerful race, like the mastiff, that this demonstration of submission by an animal of nearly 100 kilos of weight, we could smash your face if he wanted.

Kill Dam ... rag.

Dogs are hunters, but what are some races than others. The development of hunting instincts will also depend on the education they offer their masters. But even in less hunting dogs, as pinch despite their race, the game will show the patterns of a predator.

Dash, and any dog \u200b\u200bthat is carried out by a doll cloth, a knotted rope or a plastic bottle, it will bite the site equivalent to the neck and shake him like a rat or a rabbit he wants from the spine. It is the way a wild animal kills quickly to small dams. None of drowning or bleeding, a rap ends with the agony of their prey quickly and efficiently.

Previously, if the toy-dam, is large enough, there will be a "freezing" by placing his body over until you have done a good boarding with his mouth. In a wild canid that is the culmination of the act of hunting, possibly after many other attempts failed and that will be the beginning of another phase, to appease their hunger. But there is a dog home game sets disappointing failures, and there is no exhaustion or hunger, there is an excess of energy that turns into wanting to play and repeat the "launch game" as many times as its owner wants to throw the toy amuse .

In his book "Ethology of the wolf and the dog" David Nieto Maceín da which in my opinion is the best explanation of the damage that wolves do when they come into a sheep pen. As this author has, for a wolf hunt a wild ungulate size of a sheep, a deer, you have to many previous attempts, harassment, sets failed and overcome the defense that the dam is his life. That exhausts its energy threshold for hunting and once achieved is only part eaten. But in a sheep pen hunting there, easy, no runs, no outs, without defense, without errors. The wolves kill their energy still intact and as the little dog that goes for the toy over and over and shakes it to kill the wolf attacks, kills or injures animal as it is put forward.

The following video I hope it is explained as Pinch me shows a part of the wolf in him, the good wolf, of course.