Cute Animals / 可爱小动物

时间真的会改变一切

2010-01-04T11:28:00.001-05:00

T_T

德国牧羊犬自告奋勇给小老虎当“大哥”

2009-09-23T13:50:00.000-04:00

【八阕】一个劳动人民群众喜闻乐见的好地方:http://www.popyard.org

【八阕】郑重声明：本则消息未经严格核实，也不代表《八阕》观点。--[服务使用须知]【八阕】一个劳动人民群众喜闻乐见的好地方:http://www.popyard.org

八阕 http://www.popyard.org 核心提示：老虎是"百兽之王"，其他动物大都避而远之。但在澳大利亚的一家动物园里，德国牧羊犬茹姆勃却把刚出生3个月大的小虎仔金瓦当成了小弟弟，自告奋勇担负起保护金瓦的重任。两个小家伙像极了一对亲兄弟。

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小老虎"幸福地"靠在牧羊犬大哥身边

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"咬"你一口：牧羊犬"教训"淘气的小虎仔

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淘气的小老虎爬到牧羊犬身上抢网球

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小老虎还没有断奶

老虎是"百兽之王"，其他动物大都避而远之。但是在澳大利亚的一家动物园里，德国牧羊犬茹姆勃却把刚出生3个月大的小虎仔金瓦当成了小弟弟，自告奋勇担负起保护金瓦的重任。两个小家伙像一对亲兄弟，别提多亲密了。

金瓦三个月前出生在新南威尔士摩哥动物园，出生后不久动物园发现金瓦的髋关节存在问题。管理员佩蒂挺身而出抚养金瓦，她将淘气的金瓦与自家德国牧羊犬茹姆勃一起安置在后院里，没想到茹姆勃竟主动承担起了看管金瓦的重任。

两个小家伙很快便熟悉起来，并且非常友好地相处。有时，小老虎太淘气，牧羊犬大哥便会轻轻地"咬"一下以示警告。金瓦困的时候会蜷缩在"兄长"的身边睡觉，而茹姆勃也会很乐意地让金瓦靠在自己身边。(海澜)

无肉不欢

2009-07-12T16:54:00.001-04:00

http://www.sina.com.cn 2009年07月12日01:42 汉网-武汉晚报

　　在美国旧金山“六旗探索王国”，一只名叫奥丁的雄性孟加拉白虎以出众的游泳技能闻名动物园内外。日前，摄影师更拍下拉奥丁在水下“觅肉”的惊险照片。拉奥丁龇牙咧嘴四肢并用地拼命游向美食，那种心急火燎的样子真让人忍俊不已。综合新华社电

南非女子与4只印度豹7只老虎狮子同吃同睡(组图)

2009-07-05T17:51:00.001-04:00

2009年07月04日 09:48:14 　来源：中国新闻网

南非女子与狮虎伙伴

同吃同住亲密无间

据英国媒体报道，南非一名46岁女子在家中养了4只印度豹、5只狮子和2只老虎，她与它们同吃同住亲密无间，甚至晚上睡觉时也同这些伙伴躺在一张床上。

据悉，该女子从2006年开始养第一只印度豹，那时她意识到这是一种濒临灭绝的动物，在非洲只剩1000只。随后她辞去从事了22年的工作，开始在一个大农场专职做起饲养员。她还建立了一个非营利性的印度豹饲养项目基金会，来支持印度豹的保护工作。

南非女子和她的印度豹

Cute fluffies

2009-02-12T13:46:00.001-05:00

好久没有更新了……这次献上mitbbs上网友帖的：

女孩和非洲野兽一起长大狮子对她一见如故(图)

2008-11-14T10:22:00.001-05:00

2008年11月14日11:22 [我来说两句] [字号：大中小]

来源：新华网

坐在"大象哥哥"鼻上

骑着鸵鸟好威风

和小狮子一起睡觉

和金钱豹在一起

　　迪斯尼动画片《森林王子》讲述了一名小男孩从小生活在原始森林中并和动物成为好朋友的故事，如今这一童话情节真实上演：现年18岁的法国女孩蒂皮・迪格里自出生后，一直随摄影师父母在人迹罕至的非洲丛林中生活，将大象、非洲豹视为"兄弟"和"朋友"。直到10岁时，蒂皮才重返文明社会。一本新书《蒂皮：我的非洲之书》披露了她的传奇经历。

　　将大象当作"哥哥"

　　蒂皮的父亲艾伦・迪格里和母亲西尔维・罗伯特都是野生动物摄影师，蒂皮出生后，他们一家三口居无定所，经常在纳米比亚和博茨瓦纳的国家公园里来回迁徙。

　　在蒂皮眼中，硕大的非洲野象阿布是她的"哥哥"，她经常坐在大象的鼻子上，让大象带她四处转悠。

　　许多野生动物都将蒂皮看作它们的一员，对她极为友好。小金钱豹常和蒂皮躺在一起睡觉，还有一只猎豹曾朝蒂皮身上撒尿，以表示对她的亲热。南非的鸵鸟琳达总是顺从地让蒂皮爬到它的背上当马骑，甚至还和蒂皮一起舞蹈。

　　狮子对她一见如故

　　蒂皮的母亲西尔维说："一次，蒂皮躺在一头名叫穆法沙的年轻幼狮身边，而后者还在温顺地添她的脚趾，我们立即把这一温馨画面拍摄了下来。但一年之后我们再回去时，穆法沙已经长成了一头庞然大物。见到蒂皮之后，它立即热情地冲了上来，并友好地用它的长尾巴在蒂皮身上扫来扫去，就像一头猫咪一样。"

　　西尔维称，蒂皮只被野生动物伤害过两次。一次是一只海岛猫鼬咬伤了她的鼻子，一次是当蒂皮和一只狒狒在一起玩耍时，那只狒狒由于嫉妒竟然狂扯起蒂皮的头发，将她的一缕头发扯掉了。事实上，狒狒和蒂皮曾是好朋友，他们在婴儿时期还共用过一个奶瓶。

　　女孩欲当非洲大使

　　蒂皮在非洲丛林生活了10年，直到10岁时才重返文明社会。现在，蒂皮认为她是非洲人，并希望获得一张纳米比亚护照，甚至想成为纳米比亚大使。

　　目前，西尔维已和丈夫离婚，而18岁的蒂皮获学士学位，并进入巴黎大学攻读电影学位。她现在面对的是混凝土丛林。回到巴黎的蒂皮一度感到很失落，虽然母亲将整个家都按非洲人的习惯式样进行了装饰布置。（沈自珍）

　　

德格雷同大象在一起玩耍

德格雷同非洲男子学习射箭

　　

德格雷与当地土著在一起

德格雷与非洲男子学习制作弓

　　

德格雷在吃当地人的食物

德格雷在大象面前张开双臂

　　

德格雷在野外生活

幼年时的德格雷在喝牛奶

食物被夺气昏头　鹈鹕竟想吞掉狗

2008-11-01T13:44:00.001-04:00

2008年11月01日09:36 来源：《现代快报》

　　现年38岁的罗兰德・亚当是德国奥斯纳布吕克市附近一家珍稀鸟类农场的老板，他的农场中养着从鸵鸟到火烈鸟在内的各种各样的珍稀鸟类，其中包括一只名叫 "皮特里"的一岁大鹈鹕。不久前，亚当试图给鹈鹕"皮特里"喂一块冷冻鸡肉时，没想到农场中的罗得西亚猎狗"卡蒂吉纳"突然冲了过来，从半空中一口夺走了亚当扔给鹈鹕"皮特里"的鸡肉。

　　亚当说："我当时在户外厨房中为鸟类准备晚餐，这时我注意到皮特里在我旁边寻找食物，于是我决定喂它一块已经准备好的鸡肉。可这时卡蒂吉纳突然冲了进来，一口就吞下了还在半空尚未掉地的冷冻鸡肉。"

　　鹈鹕"皮特里"发现美食突然不见后，感到既困惑又气恼，它猜测是猎狗偷吃了它的食物，于是狐疑地将长喙伸进猎狗嘴中进行检查，而猎狗卡蒂吉纳也"配合" 地张嘴给鹈鹕进行检查，显示它嘴中并没有鸡肉。最后，鹈鹕"皮特里"发现自己无法从猎狗嘴里找回鸡肉后，气得决定取而代之以"狗肉"为食，将猎狗卡蒂吉纳吞进肚里，它张开长喙，一口就咬住了比它还高的猎狗卡蒂吉纳的脑袋。所幸的是"皮特里"的嘴巴远远没有它的野心大，猎狗安然无恙地从鹈鹕嘴中将自己的脑袋扯了出来。

　　主人亚当说："这一场景实在是太有趣了，我们农场中有许多动物，它们都非常温驯，彼此相处得很友好。卡蒂吉纳也没啥不同，它很高兴地允许皮特里近距离检查它的嘴巴，可没想到气恼的皮特里却一口咬住了它的脑袋。我从来没有看到过这样滑稽的场景。"（台文）

Don't Flee the Flea!

2008-10-25T13:17:00.001-04:00

Don't Flee the Flea!

Control and Prevent Fleas in Your Home

By Franny Syufy, About.com

See More About:

You've seen them - tiny, quick creatures that scurry through your cat's fur, feasting on her blood, and causing painful itching - so bad that kitty may scratch herself raw in seeking relief. If you have a bad flea infestation in a multiple-cat household, you've probably been bitten yourself by these voracious feeders, and you may even have seen them hopping through your carpeting. (Did you know a flea can jump 33 cm. in one leap - over a foot?) I'm here to tell you - cat flea control is not only possible, it's relatively easy.

The most common flea which feeds off cats, dogs, and humans, is the Ctenocephalides felis. If you observe your cat scratching and aren't sure if fleas are the cause, use a flea comb on your cat and observe the tiny black dots that emerge on the comb - we commonly call it "flea dirt," but in reality, it is the excrement the flea leaves. Smash some with a damp paper towel, and it will turn red - that's the residue from your cat's blood - and a warning that cat flea control is indicated.

As if the itching and stinging weren't enough, fleas also transmit other conditions which can even have a more deleterious effect on your cat's health.

Common Flea "Hitch-Hikers"

Anemia: Unchecked infestations of fleas can actually cause anemia from blood loss - sometimes fatal, particularly in kittens. Pale gums are a red flag for anemia in kittens, and their gums should be routinely checked if your kittens have just survived a flea attack.
Tapeworms: With kittens, fleas and worms are practically synonymous, and kittens that are victimized by fleas should always be treated for worms.
Haemobartonellosis: A more serious form of anemia, caused by a microorganism carried by the flea, the h.felis in the case of felines. Haemobartonellosis is diagnosed by laboratory tests and treated with antibiotics, steroids, and in some severe cases, blood transfusions.

The Life of a Flea

The cycles of a flea are very like that of a butterfly, but unlike the beautiful end result of those flower-friendly creatures, the adult flea is a menace to all it encounters.

Eggs: Fleas lay their eggs on the host animal, where the entire cycle may take place. Other eggs fall off into the environment, e.g., your carpeting or kitty's bedding, or your own bed.
Larvae: The larvae "hatchlings" feed on the feces left by the adult, and continue to develop for about a week.
Pupae: Like the butterfly, the larvae spins a cocoon for itself, where it continues to evolve into the adult flea - within another week or so on the host animal.
Adult: The emerging adult feeds on its host, mates, and continues the life cycle. Is it any wonder why cat flea control is so important?

Good Riddance!

With today's technology, there is no excuse for living with a flea infestation. You'll need to use a complete "shotgun" approach with flea control to break the cycle, followed by an ongoing flea prevention program.

Get Rid of the Eggs

This should be an ongoing program while the adult flea treatment is killing the live fleas. Here are the steps you'll need to take:

Wash all bedding thoroughly. While the bedding is free of coverings, vacuum the mattress, particularly in the crevices, where eggs might hide.
Vacuum carpeting daily and dispose of used vacuum bags. I do not recommend placing flea collars in the vacuum bag, as the heat generated by the machine could cause noxious fumes.
Steam-clean carpeting. This will kill any remaining eggs the vacuum might have missed.
If necessary, use a whole-house insect bomb which specifically targets fleas. It is critical to remove all food dishes and live animals, including birds during this process. You may consider hiring a professional for this job, but make sure he knows you have cats, and will use a cat-safe product.
Hire a professional to treat outdoors areas. Insist on a "cat-friendly" product for this purpose. If you have an outdoor cat, keep him confined inside for the day.

Your first job will be to eliminate as many fleas from your cat by combing and bathing. Once the bulk of the tiny nuisances are gone, you can prevent further flea infestations with the use of a topical flea control product.

Comb the Cat: Using a flea comb, comb carefully throughout the entire body of the cat. Keep a jar or bowl of diluted bleach nearby, and as you collect fleas on the comb, shake them into the jar. The fleas will die quickly.

Bathe the Cat: If you and your cat are up to it, a bath will drown most remaining fleas. It isn't necessary to use a "flea" shampoo or a "flea dip" for this purpose. Just a mild cat or baby shampoo will do the job handsomely. If you've never bathed a cat before, check my step-by-step How To on Bathing Your Cat.

Topical Flea Control Products

There are several topical cat flea control products which work by affecting the nerve receptors of the flea. They are usually applied to the cat's skin at the back of the neck, and are collected in the hair follicles, from which the product is slowly released. Most topicals are labeled for once-a-month application, although in practice, they may work much longer.

Caution! Never use products labeled for dogs on cats. Also, I do not recommend flea dips, sprays, powders, or collars. If you choose to use such products, do your homework and be absolutely sure that the ingredients used are safe for cats.

Apply the topical product, following the directions for your age/size of cat.

Advantage: Uses imidacloprid as the active ingredient, and is generally regarded as safe for cats and kittens over six weeks of age. Does not kill ticks. We personally use this product and have not seen a flea in our house for several years.
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Frontline: Said to kill both fleas and ticks; Frontline uses a synthetic ingredient called fipronil, which may cause a temporary sensitivity in the area of application.
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Bio Spot for Cats: Bio Spot combines permethrin and an insect growth regulator (nylar) to kill eggs and larvae as well as adult fleas. It is active for as long as three months, when used as directed. Bio Spot may also cause sensitivity to the animal, and should not be used on kittens less than twelve weeks of age, geriatric, pregnant, or nursing cats.
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Revolution: Its main ingredient is Selamectin, which is said to kill not only fleas and some ticks, but also ear mites, as well as offering protection against heartworm. Revolution stays in the bloodstream, and should not be used on kittens under six weeks of age. Since it is a systemic product, it may cause allergic reactions in some cats.
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If you follow this cat flea control program scrupulously, fleas will soon be a distant memory in your household, and your kitties will be eternally grateful to you for freeing them from unwanted fleas and their hitch-hikers.

Dealing With Kitten Diarrhea - Tips To Make It Better

2008-10-13T20:13:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, seeing the cutest furry babies in a pet store display, I made the ultimate of impulsive decisions, I adopted two kittens. I hurriedly paid their adoption fee, which was to include their first round of shots and spay/neuter fees. Home we went when the little girl, Lucille Abigail Twinkletoes (Lulu for short), promptly had diarrhea. The smelly, messy, awful kind that gets all over and we still had 30 minutes of driving to do - yuck!

The other kitty, supposedly a boy, we were going to name LeRoy (more on that later) was unscathed by the ride home. Sure enough, when it came time for the litter box, he had diarrhea too.

Like every modern-day mom, I went online. I read good and bad advice because I didn't want to go to the emergency vet that night. Needless to say, one night of diarrhea was enough for me - I made a vet appointment. And here's what I learned that might help you out if you are going through the same experience of bad kitty diarrhea:

1. Feed your young pets. In my kittens case, I took 2 tablespoons of ground turkey, mixed in a tablespoon of pumpkin and cooked rice. They gobbled it up! I was also told that acidophilus - found in yogurt - was good for them. I have an issue feeding dairy to cats, it's a no-no for me, so I added a gel cap of powdered acidophilus to their turkey. They gobbled up more.

2. Make sure they are drinking water and water only to drink. Cows milk is not for kittens, it's for cows. As it was nighttime and the pet shops were closed, I could not get kitten milk replacement formula. So they drank water. Dehydration comes on quick in itty-bitty creatures so I watched and encouraged their drinking.

3. Food - this proved to be a problem. While I am in the pet business and I know that all pet foods are designed to be healthy and nutritious, they are not all equal. I chose a brand based on the pet shop recommendation (and my experience at trade shows). This brand, Solid Gold, I was informed by my vet, can cause loose stools. I decided to try a different brand, my vet suggested Science Diet Kitten Formula - what my other cat was eating. My vet's advice was to give all my felines the kitten formula, even to my (older) cat, instead of giving adult cat food to kittens - which I think they were being given at the pet shop.

4. Get a check for worms. Worms and parasites are common in kittens - especially those from a shelter with an unknown mother and history. Better to be safe than sorry.

5. Be wary of sneezing. Should sneezing be present, it can be a sign of a virus that could cause the diarrhea. Noticing signs like this will help the vet give good advice and is important. My kittens had no sneezing. Their fecal check was negative for worms. In my case the diarrhea must have been caused by their diet.

6. Keep kittens out of your other cat's litter boxes. If you have other cats in the house, it is important, especially in the first few days of introducing new kittens to your home, to have them use their own litter boxes.

7. Scoop kitten poop promptly. In my case it's hard to keep everyone out of all the litter boxes I have so I just tried to keep them meticulously clean. Not everyone like to be forced to go where it smells.

8. Antibiotics can cause diarrhea - just an FYI.

9. Keep an eye on kittens "movements" and keep in contact with your vet.

My new kittens, Lulu and Pearl (I found out 'Leroy' was actually a girl) are getting better. Not quite normal, but better. Diarrhea is a pain for everyone. But, with patience, good advice and good food, it gets better. It's not uncommon for diarrhea to last a month, but it doesn't have to. Let me know if you have any questions. After this experience, I feel like I got the scoop on the poop!

Julee Roth has been a life-long animal lover and pet industry veteran with over 12 years experience helping people and their pets. Hundreds of thousands of puppies, kittens, cats and dogs have benefited from her advice and well chosen pet products. To ask her for more pet advice, visit her web site, ChoicePetProducts.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julee_Roth

怀孕母麂不幸车祸遇难顽强麂宝宝奇迹生 (ZT)

2008-10-02T11:41:00.001-04:00

小麂鲁伯特刚出生时只有15厘米高

酣睡中的小麂

活泼可爱的的小麂鲁伯特　　中国日报网环球在线消息：据英国《每日邮报》9月30日报道，日前在英国发生一起悲惨的车祸，遇难的是一只怀孕的母麂，尽管兽医尽全力进行抢救，但母麂还是死了。为了挽救母麂肚中的宝宝，医生们通过剖腹产手术使一只雄性小麂幸运地来到人间。

　　这只小麂被大家亲切地称为鲁伯特。提前3周出生的它当时只有6英寸高（约15厘米），体重只有500克。来自英国白金汉郡的"提克温克尔斯 "（Tiggywinkles）野生动物医院的医生们赶紧给它吸氧并把它放进保育箱，鲁伯特5天大的时候终于睁开了眼睛，这令医生们既激动又开心。

　　"提克温克尔斯"医院的创始人斯托克介绍说，现在医生们用吸管喂鲁伯特。他还说，麂是一种非常机警胆小的动物，但是这只小麂很勇敢，"它是个非常活泼的小家伙，非常胆大有进取心"。医生们对鲁伯特的健康状况非常有信心，称它将全面康复并健康成长。

　　麂（也叫毛冠鹿）是目前人类所知的最古老的鹿，最早出现在1500万至3500万年前，在法国和德国中世纪的沉积物中曾发现麂化石。目前麂主要产自东南亚，此外在中国南部、印度、斯里兰卡、日本和印度尼西亚的岛屿上也有分布。麂属食草动物，外形像鹿，但比鹿小，毛黄黑色，腿细而有力，善跳跃。雄麂有獠牙、短角。（李卉）

猫咪超强睡姿集锦[组图]

2008-09-25T18:11:00.001-04:00

转自凤凰论坛，原帖链接：http://bbs.ifeng.com/viewthread.php?tid=3378517

Finding vet care for guinea pigs can be a challenge

2008-09-24T11:41:00.001-04:00

DR. DOLITTLER

Finding vet care for guinea pigs can be a challenge
Posted on Sun, Jun. 01, 2008

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By DR. PATTY KHULY

drkhuly@dolittler.com

Q:About a year ago I started keeping guinea pigs as pets. They get along great with my cats and they've got more personality than anyone seems to give them credit for. The problem is that I can't seem to find a vet who really knows how to take care of them. Can you help?

A: Unfortunately, guinea pigs are in the same boat as rodents, rabbits, ferrets, birds and reptiles -- there just aren't that many vets who dedicate their careers to their healthcare. Birds, reptiles and ferrets have it easier, with plenty more vets willing to specialize in their medical needs. But chinchillas, rabbits, sugar gliders and hamsters? Good luck with that!

The problem is primarily economic. Because most small mammal owners are more willing to replace a pet rather than restore it to health, vets aren't sought for their expertise -- hence, no available experts.

In fact, veterinarians are often dissuaded from caring for these so called ''pocket pets'' based on the too-prevalent point of view that goes something like this: ``You want me to pay $200 and you don't even know if you can fix her? She didn't even cost $20!''

Though I applaud you for wishing to care for your guinea pigs as much as most pet owners care for their dogs and cats, veterinary services are simply unavailable at the same level. That's because, in addition to the ubiquitous concept of small mammal disposability, a minuscule amount of research has been devoted to these pets.

But that doesn't mean you should throw up your hands and forget about your pigs' care. I have two guinea pigs of my own and so far I've managed to piece together a patchwork of resources to make up for my own confessed ignorance on the subject of their healthcare.

First, find a veterinarian who has an interest in small mammal health. Veterinarians who limit their practices to exotic animals are usually your best bet, as they tend to have more experience with small mammals. Be aware that these vets don't come cheap. Expect to pay at least the same prices as for your traditional pets' care.

Next, educate yourself. Whatever your choice of nontraditional pet, there's at least one great Internet resource for you. A quick Google search will yield a stash of educational treasures you'd be shocked to know exist -- for free. For guinea pigs I strongly recommend CavyMadness.com.

Dr. Patty Khuly practices in South Miami and blogs at www.dolittler.com. Send questions to drkhuly@dolittler.com, or Dr. Dolittler, Tropical Life, The Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132

What You May Not Know About Hamsters: Their scent glands often fool owners and even some veterinarians

2008-09-05T21:27:00.001-04:00

Microbiologist Elizabeth Johnson, a fourth-year student of veterinary medicine and surgery at Glasgow University School of Veterinary Medicine in Scotland, said her love for furry little creatures, including hamsters, has led to an unexpected discovery.

By Benjamin Alfonsi

For Veterinary Practice News

"They are not generally very well understood by owners and even by some vets," she said.

Johnson estimates she's had 60 to 70 pet hamsters throughout her life.

About Scent Glands

Owners and veterinarians should be aware of hamsters' scent glands' normal appearance and odor, Johnson said.

Even practitioners who treat exotics on a regular basis often admit not knowing much about hamsters, and perhaps most perplexing are hamsters' scent glands.

Melissa A. Kling, DVM, of Macon, Ga., is secretary of the Assn. of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and has treated exotic pets for 20 years. Dr. Kling says hamsters' scent glands are also known as flank glands or hip spots.

"The scent glands are more prominent in males than females. When the male is excited, it will lick its scent glands until the entire area is wet. It will also scratch and rub itself as if the area is irritated."

In addition to differences between the sexes, there is also variation among species.

"Scent glands are bilateral, and situated on the flanks of Syrian hamsters," Johnson said.

"On all of the domestic dwarf species-including Roborovskis, Campbells, winter whites and Chinese-they are single and situated on the ventral midline close to the umbilicus."

The appearance often varies further between species.

"In Syrians, the scent glands are flat, often greasy or wet looking, sometimes pigmented, and with some longer hairs over them," Johnson said.

"In dwarf hamsters, the glands are quite protuberant, sometimes hairless, often showing a greasy to waxy yellow secretion."

Kling said there is evidence that the secretions are used for territorial marking by males.

"Females also have these glands but they are not as easily identified, and the secretions are associated with the estrous cycle," she said.

Still, despite their biological functions, hamsters' scent glands can be unattractive.

"They look quite unclean in some hamsters," Johnson said, especially in Campbells and winter whites, also referred to as Russian dwarfs.

Warning Signs for Clients

Hamsters' scent glands, especially males', are enlarged and are sometimes mistaken for tumors. Here are some warning signs you can provide clients that indicate something may really be wrong:

Behavior

— Reluctance to be held or picked up

— Unusual aggression or nippiness

— Change in behavior/temperament

— Hunched-over posture

— Immobility

Physical Symptoms

— Inflammation

— Crusting

— Ulceration

— Redness or bleeding

— Pus buildup

— Unusual swelling

— Unusual discharge

-B.A.

Development and Odor

In all species, males' scent glands tend to be more prominent.

"The glands are fully developed at the time the hamster reaches sexual maturity," Kling said.

So is their smell, according to Johnson.

"The glands become most obvious at puberty and the odor is most obvious then too," she said. Some people could be put off by this smell, but it's really quite normal and natural.

"The scent glands' smell varies from unnoticeable in some hamsters to quite a strong, musky scent in others. It may be especially noticeable after handling dwarfs, when the ventral gland has brushed up against its handler's hand."

The smell of some female Syrians can often be potent.

Tumor "False Alarms"

The scent glands' appearance often causes concern and can appear to be tumor-like growths. And as a result of the lack of readily available information about hamsters' scent glands, owners and even practitioners can mistake the glands for tumors.

"One of the most common reasons hamsters are presented to a veterinarian is the owner mistakes the scent gland for a tumor," Kling said.

"Dwarf glands always look like tumors and often vets are not aware of the ventral location," Johnson said. "Syrian glands look less worrisome but again, owners notice the pigment or wetness and worry that there may be something wrong."

Treatment and Maintenance

"It complicates matters that scent glands, particularly in dwarfs, get infected sometimes and also develop tumors, which are usually malignant," Johnson said.

It is important, therefore, that owners know what the scent glands are and become familiar with the unique appearance of their own pet's glands.

Owners who notice an increase in size, unusual discharge, redness or bleeding, should be advised to see a veterinarian.

"Indication of a problem would be reluctance on the part of the hamster to be held or picked up; unusual aggression or nippiness; change in behavior and temperament," Johnson said.

"Pain in hamsters is often indicated by a hunched posture and reluctance to move. Also, look for localized inflammation, crusting, ulceration, bleeding or pus."

"If the gland becomes infected or inflamed from constant irritation by the hamster, castration may need to be considered along with appropriate topical therapy," Kling said.

Besides tumors, other medical problems related to hamsters' scent glands may arise. In older hamsters, neoplasia can occur, the most common being melanomas and hemangiosarcomas.

Male hamsters often bite each other's scent glands if housed together.

Advise owners to check them if there has been a fight. But male hamsters' squabbling can be more severe than just biting.

"Sometimes if male hamsters are housed together they may cannibalize each other's glands," Kling said.

Barring any of these problems, however, hamsters' scent glands don't require much maintenance.

"Healthy scent glands need no more attention than a look-over as often as possible to check for problems," Johnson said.

Benjamin Alfonsi is a free-lance writer based in New York City.

This article first appeared in the October 2004 issue of Veterinary Practice News.

小白狮亮相英动物园

2008-08-23T10:35:00.000-04:00

（来源：中国网编辑：刘一川）

英国动物园诞生6只珍稀小白狮。

漂亮的小白狮。

可爱的小白狮和母亲。

据英国媒体7月30日报道，英国伍斯特郡动物园最近诞生了6只小白狮，据悉，他们是目前人工驯养的最纯种白狮。

动物园工作人员称，这6只小白狮的名字是海王星、精灵、欧博瑞恩、星、黑斯和奥菲莉娅。加上最新诞生的成员，该动物园的白狮数量增加到19只。在假期的时候，每天人们都能在动物园中看到这些珍稀动物――白狮。

白狮是非洲狮的变种，产于非洲。上世纪首次在南非被人发现，目前世界的数量在100只以内。白狮并非患白化病的动物，它们的眼睛不是红色的。白狮是一种遗传结果，由于它们比较显眼，一般很难幸存。

漂亮的小白狮。

小白狮和大白狮。

贵阳野生猕猴添丁（组图）

2008-06-25T17:39:00.001-04:00

6月23日，一只猕猴宝宝在树上玩耍。入夏以来，贵阳市黔灵公园内放养的野生猕猴群中数十只猕猴相继做了妈妈，慈爱的猕猴妈妈与顽皮的猕猴宝宝成为公园里的感人风景。新华社发(秦刚摄)

八阕【7公斤“霸王猫”将95公斤黑熊赶到树上逃命（组图）】

2008-06-24T16:26:00.001-04:00

信源：新京报｜编辑：2008-06-22｜网址：http://www.popyard.org 抄送朋友｜打印保留

【八阕】郑重声明：本则消息未经严格核实，也不代表《八阕》观点。
八阕 http://www.popyard.org 据报道，家住新泽西州西米尔佛德镇的唐娜・迪基家中饲养了一只远近闻名的虎斑猫"杰克"。这只体重7公斤的公猫现年10岁，作风一贯霸道，平时见到有陌生人或动物"入侵"，它便会毫不客气地朝着对方张牙舞爪。几天前的清晨，女邻居苏珊娜・吉奥瓦耐尼正在自家旁边的一片树林中散步，意外看到奇怪的一幕：一头体重约95公斤的大黑熊爬上一棵高高的大树，浑身吓得蜷缩成一团。

"霸王猫"将黑熊赶到树上避难

7公斤"霸王猫"

黑熊和家猫的对峙让人联想起一句经典台词："你不上来，我就不下去"

起先苏珊娜并没太在意，因为西米尔佛德镇历来是新泽西州黑熊最爱光顾的地方，可是仔细一瞧，邻家霸王猫"杰克"此刻正站在大树底下不停地朝着高处发出一阵阵狂叫。这时她才明白过来，原来是"杰克"将这位不速之客愣给赶上了大树，于是急忙用手中的数码相机记录下了这一难得一见的场景。

女主人"鸣金"召回霸王猫 "杰克"与大黑熊对峙了足足15分钟之后，前者看到后者已被自己治得服服帖帖，便准备打道回府。大黑熊一见小冤家走远，便放心地从15米的高处爬了下来，不想对方竟然杀了个"回马枪"，吓得它急忙又爬上了另一棵大树避难。这时女主人唐娜闻讯赶来，朝着爱猫连吹口哨示意鸣金收兵，"杰克"这才大摇大摆地跟随主人班师回朝。可怜那大黑熊直到看到"杰克"彻底消失在视线中之后，才小心翼翼地爬下树来夺命狂逃。

据女主人唐娜后来介绍，"杰克"一向有着强烈的领地意识，平时只要其他小动物"入侵"，便会立即被它驱逐出境，不过遇上如此庞然大物尚属首次。"我们全家过去常开玩笑说，'杰克'能够看家护院。可是从来没想到它竟然会吓跑大黑熊。照我们猜测，它不欢迎其他任何动物造访它家的院子。"

Hamster push-ups

2008-06-18T18:44:00.006-04:00

Hamster with cherry tomato - Philadelphia Weekly

2008-06-18T17:42:00.002-04:00

可爱的小白鼬：立在玻璃杯中等待喂食(组图)-搜狐IT

2008-06-18T14:47:00.002-04:00

来源：新华网

　　6月16日，英国汉普郡，三只刚出生两周的小白鼬立在玻璃杯中等待喂食。这三个小家伙目前依靠其主人喂奶生存，他们将参加捕猎的培训，八个月大的时候，他们将被委以重任，在狩猎者的陪护下外出打猎，为整个猛禽与爬行动物中心的动物提供食物。（国新图库）

Cute Animals / 可爱小动物

时间真的会改变一切

德国牧羊犬自告奋勇给小老虎当“大哥”

无肉不欢

南非女子与4只印度豹7只老虎狮子同吃同睡(组图)

Cute fluffies

女孩和非洲野兽一起长大 狮子对她一见如故(图)

食物被夺气昏头 鹈鹕竟想吞掉狗

Don't Flee the Flea!

Don't Flee the Flea!

Control and Prevent Fleas in Your Home

See More About:

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Common Flea "Hitch-Hikers"

The Life of a Flea

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Dealing With Kitten Diarrhea - Tips To Make It Better

怀孕母麂不幸车祸遇难 顽强麂宝宝奇迹生 (ZT)

猫咪超强睡姿集锦[组图]

Finding vet care for guinea pigs can be a challenge

What You May Not Know About Hamsters: Their scent glands often fool owners and even some veterinarians

小白狮亮相英动物园

贵阳野生猕猴添丁（组图）

八阕 【7公斤“霸王猫”将95公斤黑熊赶到树上逃命（组图）】

Hamster push-ups

Hamster with cherry tomato - Philadelphia Weekly

可爱的小白鼬：立在玻璃杯中等待喂食(组图)-搜狐IT

女孩和非洲野兽一起长大狮子对她一见如故(图)

食物被夺气昏头　鹈鹕竟想吞掉狗

怀孕母麂不幸车祸遇难顽强麂宝宝奇迹生 (ZT)

八阕【7公斤“霸王猫”将95公斤黑熊赶到树上逃命（组图）】