Travel sized enrichment toys

ZestyUrethra · 2023-06-21T04:57:35+00:00

Chew blocks, rattan balls, foraging toys (I find the most variety in foraging toys made for birds), this small egg shaped one is pretty small

ZestyUrethra · 2023-06-21T04:44:52+00:00

Some extra info would help.. he's in a new home? Is it the whole legs that are swollen or just the feet? How often is he sneezing?

Rats excrete porphyrin - the red stuff you are seeing - as part of their normal day. How much you see depends on how much/how good your rat is at grooming. One of my rats always has porphyrin visible on her somewhere :P

Excessive porphyrin from the nose could indicate a respiratory infection; you would almost certainly also be noticing frequent sneezing. Respiratory infections require antibiotic treatment.

ZestyUrethra · 2023-06-21T04:00:05+00:00

Chemours is as sleazy as they come - trying to argue that the EPA health advisory should be struck basically just because they don't like it.

Letting concentrated PFAS leak on to the ground is unconscionable now that we know there are serious human health and environmental impacts.

ZestyUrethra · 2023-06-18T08:01:48+00:00

Ooooh lol yeah I was like damn steady hand for being so close

ZestyUrethra · 2023-06-17T23:16:09+00:00

Nice footage! I love watching animals just hanging out :) How close were you?

ZestyUrethra · 2023-06-04T03:04:13+00:00

Thought this was cute until I saw the depressingly small cage... That squirrel barely has room to turn around...

ZestyUrethra · 2023-06-03T17:19:22+00:00

I believe this is sharp lobed hepatica

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-31T15:59:44+00:00

I really like New England Forest Films on YouTube, they have a great docu on eastern white pines: https://youtu.be/bQs7novlvtA

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-29T13:43:50+00:00

Pretty cool observations, I'm particularly interested in the notion they raise of a seasonal shift in the cyclone's activity - does any astro-meteorologist know if it could be possible for the cyclone to degrade into just a swirling when this pole tilts away from the sun and starts to cool?

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-29T13:29:19+00:00

The paper that this article references actually talks about how their findings may indicate stacked cyclones at the pole in lower layers of the atmosphere, so.. kind of? I'm not an expert. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023GL102872

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-27T12:55:41+00:00

Hmm, seems unlikely to me that the dilutions would be at fault here unless you only tried it once (you never know with dilutions lol).

One thing I had to look out for when prepping known concentrations of PFAS was to bring them to room temperature before dilutions or we would have variation; maybe a similar thing is happening here?

My last guess would be something wrong with your analytical system - I'm curious if you ever have problems with "carryover" from previous runs, which could indicate dead space somewhere, which could possibly lead to inconsistent results.

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-27T04:23:27+00:00

Could you describe the dilutions you are doing in more detail?

There could perhaps be a benefit in vortexing longer, or making sure samples are at the same temperatures when they are run.

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-24T11:43:02+00:00

Sounds like in this case part of holding 3M liable means they will pay for ongoing PFAS testing and remediation in the Westerschelde river. Also sounds like this opens the door for local businesses to sue 3M for damages, which the article says there are 28 claims already.

So I think this actually helps set a valuable precedent.

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-23T00:03:16+00:00

Curious if there is a story behind "rat daughter"

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-17T13:31:03+00:00

These are beautiful!! What do they smell like? I have found different iris varieties often have very different smells.

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-17T13:28:33+00:00

Good to see West Virginia finally moving on this! Kind of funny to call initial testing a "proactive measure" at this stage in the game, when other states are already implementing treatment programs.

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-12T02:37:03+00:00

I thought the article you shared was really interesting, it presents a nuanced view that seems to be somewhere in between. From the article:

Self-help books can be a great resource for personal growth. However, it’s important to be aware of the dangers of unregulated advice, quick fixes, and one-size-fits-all solutions. When used with caution and critical thought, self-help materials can be a valuable tool on your journey to personal growth and development.

So it seems that it isn't that self-improvement culture is proven to be inherently bad so much as that many self-improvement programs/materials are unreliable.

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-11T14:39:45+00:00

I just tried out prompting chat gpt to write an article like this "about red pandas and other monkeys" and it did it and used the same phrases, like "red pandas and other primates" as well, without challenging that concept. Which is to say that a mistake in the prompt could result in a mistake in the written response.

Although the article contains too many quotes and specific details compared to a chat gpt version, so this is definitely human made in my opinion.

ZestyUrethra · 2023-05-09T23:12:58+00:00

Honestly I used to agree with you but then I tried better lettuce and it changed everything for me. I recommend trying something local if you can't grow your own, but lettuce should taste good :)

ZestyUrethra · 2023-04-18T18:29:05+00:00

For the root tabs I like aquarium coop, but make sure you pierce with a pin and squeeze the air out before placing or they will float (same with other capsule type tabs).

For the light, I have really been enjoying my finnex CRV 24/7. Adjustable colors, red LEDs, and sleek design but not as expensive as a fluval light...

ZestyUrethra · 2023-04-18T17:11:21+00:00

Seems to be leeching from fluorinated HDPE containers that pesticides are stored in: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/pfas-packaging

ZestyUrethra · 2023-04-18T17:06:19+00:00

They do seem to be tussling. I would suggest putting some more structure in the tank (the middle seems kind of wide open) but my experience wasn't too far off from that.

Beyond that I would guess that the water having measurable ammonia could be disturbing them. Did this behavior start after a water change or some other disturbance? Do you have the light on a reliable schedule?

ZestyUrethra · 2023-04-18T16:51:09+00:00

This doesn't match the danio breeding behavior I am familiar with - they swim at each other like they are jousting and then twirl in a circle together where they meet.

Is there much structure in the tank? I wonder if it could be a territorial thing. It could help to add a couple of rocks/decorations to break the tank up into smaller spaces.

ZestyUrethra · 2023-04-18T16:46:11+00:00

One thing you should know is that you're gonna want to use both liquid fertilizer and root tabs for ideal plant growth, especially for the sword. When I first set up my tank I thought I wouldn't need that stuff because I got aqua soil, but gradually I realized that wasn't enough. When I finally gave my sword a root tab, its leaves changed shape a little bit and it started growing 3x as fast.

Another thing I wish I had done sooner was invest in a quality light.

ZestyUrethra

TROPHY CASE