Other Animals

Cuttlefish have got to be on the short list of the coolest animals on the planet, though they are basically aliens. They are super intelligent invertebrate masters of camouflage. They are cephalopods like their cousins the octopus and squid, but I would argue that they might just be the best pets in that group. But

Airwolfhound, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons The visual beauty of nature always seems to capture our imagination in unexpected ways. Whether that might be the stunning colors and natural attributes of a bird in your backyard (cardinals, jays, hummingbirds, and buntings to name a few), the displays of affection by creatures, or even the

Webinar: Heart to Heart: Pet Bird Behavior Q&A with Chris Davis Date: Friday, January 22, 2021 Join us for a free interactive webinar: Heart to Heart: Pet Bird Behavior Q&A with Chris Davis. This live event marks the return of the popular monthly Bird Talk Magazine feature, as a webinar. Chris will share a behavior

Being prey animals, companion parrots are hardwired to be on the lookout for outdoor predators. Parrots are prey animals—in the wild, they must always be on guard against numerous predators. Obviously, each species has its own specific vulnerabilities, depending on where it lives, but whether the predator is a hawk, an owl, or a carnivorous

Reptiles are weird pets, but some reptiles are so weird that they make weird not seem that weird. Clint takes a look at five of the strangest pet reptiles that you could actually get to help you determine if these bizarre creatures might be the perfect pet for you. ==== Great Basin Serpentarium: http://www.greatbasinserpentarium.com Animal

Webinar: Avian Emergency: First Aid for Your Pet Bird, Part 2 Date: Friday, January 15, 2021 Time: 11:30 am PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Join us for a free interactive, webinar, Avian Emergency Part 2: First Aid for your Pet Bird, with Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice). No matter

Image by David Reed from Pixabay As we look around us in the biosphere we call home, we are inundated with a wealth of lifeforms. Many of them are creatures we do not often think about. Giraffes, lions, tigers, and bears (oh, my), and much more than these, help to make up the world of

A new year is upon us, and with that comes new motivations for the 12 months ahead. We can use this time to think of ways we can make our lives and the lives of our feathered friends more enriched, less stressful, and healthier. Make Your Menu By Nigel Wedge Knowing what’s for dinner can

Scorpions are incredibly cool. The emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator) is not only one of the largest scorpions, but also one of the most common pet scorpions. But is it a good pet scorpion? And is it the best pet invertebrate for you? ==== Enclosure: https://amzn.to/2D9Dm63 Substrate: https://amzn.to/2TEPr6n Sand: https://amzn.to/2QcRLAz Moss: https://amzn.to/2D8tHcA Vermiculite: https://amzn.to/34pel0g Water Bowl:

The giant whip scorpion, also known as the vinegaroon, is one of the strangest and most terrifying looking creatures on the planet. These terrifying arachnids aren’t venomous, and as it turns out they aren’t dangerous in any way. They actually make surprisingly good pets. So, is the vinegaroon the best pet invertebrate for you? ====

As we think about 2020 during this holiday season, many of us simply can’t wait for what we hope will be a new beginning in 2021. I won’t try to convince anyone that this has been anything other than an incredibly difficult year, even for those of us who have plenty for which to give

We all have a special memory of book readings and stories being told in a classroom or library group sessions when we were young. There may be those of you who still attend a book reading at a neighboring bookstore or library, especially if you have young children. It goes without saying that a reading

Webinar: From Head to Tail – Visual Clues to Pet Bird Health Date: Friday, December 11, 2020 Time: 11:30 am PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Join us for a free interactive webinar with Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice). Dr. Lamb will show us how to perform a home physical

As Christmas draws near, all manner of preparation and displays arrive to herald in the expected holidays. With 2020 being the year that the world ground to a near standstill due to Covid-19, it is a refreshing change to turn our wearied attention to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays. And with that, the hopeful promise

Mniarogekko chahoua (aka the mossy New Caledonian gecko, short-snouted New Caledonian gecko, Bavay’s giant gecko, mossy prehensile-tailed gecko, chahoua, or just chewie) is my favorite New Caledonian gecko (which might make them my favorite gecko of all), but, are they the right pet lizard for you? ==== Crested Gecko Diet: http://amzn.to/2wVWcYv http://amzn.to/2gWSbgS Crickets: https://amzn.to/2L5Tswx Mealworms:

Webinar: Heart to Heart: Pet Bird Behavior Q&A with Chris Davis, CPBC Date: Friday, December 4, 2020 Time: 12 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Chris Davis with an owl friend. Join us for a free interactive webinar: Heart to Heart: Pet Bird Behavior Q&A with Chris Davis, CPBC. This live

Budgerigar by Leila Jeffreys In the world of visual art, one of the methods of representation is the capture of a model in a perfect setting. With humans, the art of the figure, face, or stance becomes a unique display of perceived beauty. Of course, there are other uses such as sales, metaphorical discussion points,

Webinar: Avian Emergency: First Aid for Your Pet Bird Date: Friday, November 20, 2020 Time: 12 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Join us for a free interactive webinar with Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice). No matter how careful we are, accidents can and do happen to our feathered family

The thick-billed parrot is a beautiful bright green and red-crowned parrot weighing in at approximately a pound. It is also a bird that is on the IUCN list as “threatened.” To date, there are only about 1,700 in the wild. Currently, the bird is found in the northern regions of Mexico. It is one of

The red eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is probably the most popular aquatic turtle available today. They are beautiful, intelligent, and easy to find turtles. But you might of noticed that they haven’t been on any of our lists of the best pet reptiles. Why not? Do red eared sliders make good pets? Is the

African Grey Griffin. Image by the Alex Foundation (www.alexfoundation.org) I’ve been asked if we are able to continue our work since we left Harvard, and the answer is yes—although not quite the way we would like, particularly when it comes to training. As readers of this blog and my research papers know, any study in

Webinar: Let’s Talk Birds: A Bird Talk Magazine Reunion! Date: Friday, November 6, 2020 Time: 12 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Bird Talk magazine was one of many pet-themed magazines published by BowTie Inc. (formerly Fancy Publications), which also included Cat Fancy and Dog Fancy magazines. Sadly, BowTie Inc. ceased

What is the ultimate pet reptile? That’s a really difficult question given all the awesome snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodilians in the world. That said, there are a few that could single-handedly keep you out of the wasteland of despair. ==== Ackie Monitor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umK-sfjDNMo Argentine Tegu: https://youtu.be/Rsb60g4KxiU Western Hognose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=952RqhvkUnE Common Boa (BCI): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bACJQZG4b40 Common

7 min read You’ll want to snuggle them even more 😍🎄 Mark & Graham / Muttropolis / Chewy We independently pick all the products we recommend because we love them and think you will too. If you buy a product from a link on our site, we may earn a commission. You can’t think about

8 min read The tackier, the better! Etsy / Tipsy Elves / Amazon We independently pick all the products we recommend because we love them and think you will too. If you buy a product from a link on our site, we may earn a commission. The holiday season is the only time of year

11 min read Stuff they’ll *actually* like 🎁 Amazon / Etsy We independently pick all the products we recommend because we love them and think you will too. If you buy a product from a link on our site, we may earn a commission. One of the highlights of the holidays is seeing a bunch

5 min read There’s even a matching sweater for you! Walmart / Amazon / Etsy We independently pick all the products we recommend because we love them and think you will too. If you buy a product from a link on our site, we may earn a commission. There’s an endless amount of Christmas dog

Add “birds” to your Google News alert topics–or simply search the word “bird” or “parrot” in Google to see what’s going on in the world of birds. Here are some recent “birds in the news” stories worth checking out. Feather Color May Be Linked To Body Size & Climate You’ll want to read this fascinating

4 min read “He actually really loved the beach but we soon found out he didn’t love the wind …” 😹 Pumpkin was the only orange cat in a litter of rescue kittens his family was fostering. They weren’t initially planning on keeping any of them, but ended up adopting Pumpkin and his brother Moustachio.

You know your cat is sweet, adorable and loving. But your friends aren’t so convinced. They think he’s mean and cold because he always hisses at them. You might not understand why your precious angel turns into a hissing machine around your friends — and you might even wonder if something’s wrong with your cat.