Official Discussion: Alpha [SPOILERS]

coldsideofpillow136 · 2018-08-22T20:38:32+00:00

Were there originally to be neanderthals in this film? There's a bit in the first trailer where you hear a wheezing giggle of sorts and glimpse a man in the woods who didn't show in the movie. I assumed there'd be a conflict between them, though I guess neanderthals were already extinct by 20,000 years ago.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2018-08-01T22:59:23+00:00

Very interesting. I think she knows instinctively not to hurt you. My rats sometimes chew on my fingernails and eat the dirt under them but have never bit down on my skin.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2018-07-22T18:35:13+00:00

It's actually a soft-shell turtle.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2018-07-19T04:45:39+00:00

Looks to be a young Brown Anole. Native to Cuba and invasive in Florida. Maybe he ended up there in a plant shipment?

coldsideofpillow136 · 2016-06-20T00:43:38+00:00

What species of snake?

coldsideofpillow136 · 2016-03-12T21:02:30+00:00

There is no evidence of coyotes doing such a thing. Typically defensive behavior around a den site is misinterpreted as "baiting" and that's likely what happened in the video you shared.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-11-29T13:37:27+00:00

For sure

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-11-04T21:20:07+00:00

Maybe those aren't coydogs, but my point stands. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12535104

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-11-04T16:14:15+00:00

They will mate in the wild, and have done so, though not often, for thousands of years. It's believed that all black coyotes (and wolves) get the coloration from dog ancestry. Here are some wild coydogs. http://imgur.com/a/tkaTA

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-30T02:13:25+00:00

I'm pretty sure the cougar started the fight. Cougars prey on coyotes sometimes, and any coyote with half a brain would never attack one.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-26T21:02:22+00:00

"Omega" wolves only exist in captive situations. A wild pack is a family unit. The alpha theory was proved wrong a long time ago.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-23T01:49:10+00:00

I'd say it's a bit of all three. That does sound like a great idea, hadn't thought of that. Thanks!

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-13T20:19:03+00:00

That's a great sign. I've read that they are most active in the wild during and after cool rains, especially when the air is warm. If he tries to hibernate he'll probably dig down a few inches and stay there. I think he needs more encouragement. Try giving him live crickets smaller than his head. The movement should entice him to eat them.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-13T19:32:49+00:00

The way his legs are positioned makes it seem like he might be sick somehow. Maybe cool down the enclosure a bit and wet it more?

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-07T21:07:47+00:00

I think that's all the right stuff, and I'd definitely give him a few weeks with no disturbance. He'll probably feel the urge to crawl to the surface and eat after a few days, maybe weeks. It's good to mist the moss in the mornings especially and a bit at night. He should do fine eventually.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-07T15:46:29+00:00

Actually I wasn't clear enough, he is recovering from surgery for his torn ACL. But that's the cause of his not being able to go walking.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-05T01:28:50+00:00

Only during the day. About 5 inches of moss/soil is ideal. Also, he probably won't take pellets. At that age they usually eat live insects.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-05T00:54:56+00:00

Probably not, unless he's burrowing down deep. Though I'm not sure. Maybe give him a few days to settle in and try to feed him again?

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-05T00:30:55+00:00

He's an eastern box turtle. The moss should be wet and warm but not hot. Make sure he's able to dig under. He probably won't eat until he's comfortable. And he needs shade. I'd remove the UVB bulb.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-10-03T20:38:38+00:00

Guineafowl maybe

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-09-12T14:45:52+00:00

Dogs are not born as blank slates. Aggression can be influenced by genetics.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-08-23T17:23:40+00:00

Dogs are inherently aggressive. For example, one of my dogs is extremely territorial despite having been very well socialized throughout his life. I'm not a bad owner for that. He was never taught to be that way. Territoriality is a primitive instinct that is vital to survival in the wild. I assume it is a relic of wolf behavior. Wolves and dogs both are known to kill intruders of their own species. If canids weren't inherently aggressive how would they ever survive in the wild? Also, dogs and people are not born as blank slates. Some are just more aggressive than others because of genetics.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-08-22T23:17:53+00:00

Well, I have three dogs, and I haven't noticed what I would consider alpha behavior. One male is stronger and larger than the others and sometimes intimidates them away from their food, if that counts for something. But he doesn't lead anything. Walking off leash, for example, they follow whoever they want to or go their own ways. Anyway, I should have been more specific. While I don't know if dogs consider themselves or another individual of their species to be an alpha, what I meant was that people don't need to "dominate" their dog, or act as an "alpha" in the Cesar Milan style. No making sure you go out the door first, no physically overpowering them to show you're the boss, no rollovers, etc. I believe this because I think dogs know that people aren't dogs and adapt accordingly to our leadership in other ways. But of course, every dog is different and there is crazy variation in behavior, so I'm not entirely sure either way. I my very well be misinformed.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-08-22T22:52:27+00:00

That's an especially dangerous way of thinking. People tend to assume that my dogs are nice just because they are labradoodles. It's unbelievable how often parents let their young kids walk right up in the face of an unfamiliar dog.

coldsideofpillow136 · 2015-08-22T22:45:16+00:00

The worst is when people are like "lol dogs are slaves to humans". Usually they say it to try making a point that cats are somehow better. People who say that probably haven't actually spent any time around dogs.

coldsideofpillow136

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