Tuesday, July 15, 2008

word for the day: crepuscular


it is almost 2pm and i am here in school.. waiting for the 4pm meeting with the department. so as usual, i am surfing the net to find interesting stuff (but mostly to just pass the time)

i found this picture of a firefox (the animal, not the browser XP).. also known as a red panda. it looked so cute.. and it seems to enjoy its sleep a lot. i feel so envious hahaha.

here are some interesting things about this creature. got this from wikipedia - the source of all knowledge, nyahahaha XP

Red Pandas are
crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk) and live in the slopes of the south of the Himalayas and the mountainous forests of the southwest of China, at altitudes of up to 4,800 meters, and generally do not venture below 1,800 meters. They are sedentary during the day resting in the branches of trees and in tree hollows and increase their activity only in the late afternoon and/or early evening hours. They are very heat sensitive with an optimal “well-being” temperature between 17 and 25°C., and cannot tolerate temperatures over 25 °C at all. As a result, Red Pandas sleep during the hot noontime in the shady crowns of treetops, often lying stretched out on forked branches or rolled up in tree caves with their tail covering their face.

Red Pandas are very skillful and acrobatic animals that live predominantly in trees. They live in territories, frequently alone, and only rarely live in pairs or in groups of families. They are very quiet except for some twittering and whistling communication sounds. They search for food at night, running along the ground or through the trees with speed and agility and, after finding food, use their front paws to place the food into their mouths. Red pandas drink by plunging their paw into the water and licking their paws. Predators of Red Pandas are snow leopards (Uncia uncia), martens (Mustelidae) and humans. The species has also faced a great deal of human-induced habitat destruction.

Red Pandas begin their daily activity with a ritual washing of their fur by licking their front paws and massaging their back, stomach and sides. They also scrub their back and belly along the sides of trees or a rock. They then patrol their territory, marking it with a weak musk-smelling secretion from their anal gland and with their urine.

If a Red Panda feels threatened or senses danger, it will often try to scamper up into an inaccessible rock column or a tree. If they can no longer flee, they stand up on their hind legs, which makes them appear somewhat more daunting and allows them the possibility of using the razor-sharp claws on their front paws, which can inflict substantial wounds. Red Pandas are friendly, but are not helpless, and will resist if they feel threatened.

anyway. the rains just stopped. darnit. i wish it would rain just a little bit more. i don't mind strong winds and i'm not afraid of slippery roads. i just want grey skies and pouring rain. i don't just want it.. i *need* it. hmp. time to put my rainwishing powers to full use again..

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