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Total Forum Posts: 6,765
Total Members: 159 (The newest member is Superdad)
Jul 20 2008, 05:16 PM, a record 54 users were online.
Total Members: 159 (The newest member is Superdad)
Jul 20 2008, 05:16 PM, a record 54 users were online.
Another great deal
Posted by canuck (Top Users) at Nov 20 2008, 09:40 AM. 0 comments
Well I picked up a Marcum Technologies LX5 flasher yesterday. It is a demo model and retails for $650 Canadian. I got it for $400. It has been on the ice a total of three times. The thing is mint....can't wait to get TomA on the ice and give it whorl.
Here is the information:
LX-5 Ice System
This new three-color sonar flasher features MarCum's new patent pending TrueColor Display. TrueColor is the latest from MarCum Technologies improving color separation and resulting in an ultra crisp and highly visible display (even in bright sunlight). The new LX-5 is the most powerful, most sensitive, most feature laden flasher ever designed. Manufactured in the USA, this sonar unit boasts 2,500 watts of peak to peak power. The LX-5 comes standard with a dual beam transducer. To switch between the 8 and 20 degree cone angle is as simple as the touch of a key. The unit has a patented twelve level “Interference Rejection” feature that allows the user to knock out interference from other nearby sonar units. The LX-5 incorporates a patented movable zoom feature that allows the user to zoom in on a segment of water anywhere within the water column. This unit also features another of MarCum Technologies latest break throughs, SuperFine Line. The SuperFine Line feature allows the user to improve the units resolution resulting in target separation down to .75 inch. You can now use the unit in its full display and separate those hard to see bottom hugging Walleyes. The LX-5 Ice System includes an embroidered padded soft pack carrying case, 12 volt – 7 amp battery, fully automatic three stage digital charging system with LCD battery display, electronics shuttle with adjustable transducer arm, dual beam 8 and 20 degree self aligning transducer, gimbal bracket, powercord, and LX-5 powerhead.
Shane
Here is the information:
LX-5 Ice System
This new three-color sonar flasher features MarCum's new patent pending TrueColor Display. TrueColor is the latest from MarCum Technologies improving color separation and resulting in an ultra crisp and highly visible display (even in bright sunlight). The new LX-5 is the most powerful, most sensitive, most feature laden flasher ever designed. Manufactured in the USA, this sonar unit boasts 2,500 watts of peak to peak power. The LX-5 comes standard with a dual beam transducer. To switch between the 8 and 20 degree cone angle is as simple as the touch of a key. The unit has a patented twelve level “Interference Rejection” feature that allows the user to knock out interference from other nearby sonar units. The LX-5 incorporates a patented movable zoom feature that allows the user to zoom in on a segment of water anywhere within the water column. This unit also features another of MarCum Technologies latest break throughs, SuperFine Line. The SuperFine Line feature allows the user to improve the units resolution resulting in target separation down to .75 inch. You can now use the unit in its full display and separate those hard to see bottom hugging Walleyes. The LX-5 Ice System includes an embroidered padded soft pack carrying case, 12 volt – 7 amp battery, fully automatic three stage digital charging system with LCD battery display, electronics shuttle with adjustable transducer arm, dual beam 8 and 20 degree self aligning transducer, gimbal bracket, powercord, and LX-5 powerhead.
Shane
How is everyone?
Posted by Final (Admins) at Nov 19 2008, 01:57 PM. One comment
Hello all how is everthing going? I have been away hunting,I have taken a few animals and I am looking to fill a few more tags before the seasons end I might not be on here much until then [end of Dec] so I hope everyone is well and I will talk to you all soon
British angler catches huge catfish in Spain
Posted by Final (Admins) at Oct 11 2008, 08:06 AM. 2 comments
British angler catches huge catfish in Spain
Angler Alan Melhuish landed the largest catfish ever caught in Spain, weighing more than 16 stone.
Last Updated: 2:08PM BST 09 Oct 2008
Mr Melhuish (second right) needed the help of his friend to lift the 226lbs catch Photo: BNPS
The fish was over 8 feet long, "fought like a bull" and is one of the biggest specimens ever caught in Europe.
Mr Melhuish, a 61-year-old coroner's officer, spent half an hour reeling in the 226lbs catch.
By the time the fish was landed, it was nearly midnight so it was tethered in the river until morning when it could be weighed and photographed.
Alan, from Weston-Super-Mare, in Somerset, was spending a week fishing the River Ebro near Barcelona.
He was with his son-in-law Steve Hutter, 35, and his friend Billy Brown, 35, both sergeants in the RAF.
When he caught the fish, using pellets of dried halibut as bait, it needed all three men to hold it.
Mr Melhuish said: "I went on a week's trip there last year but didn't catch much, but I booked another week this year.
"It was almost on the last day when I hooked the big one. I was standing on a pontoon and I could tell it was big.
"It ripped the line and must have raced 40 metres up the river. I could tell it was a decent size.
"I had to use all my strength to stop myself from being pulled off the pontoon into the river.
"When I got it into the shallows my son-in-law went down to have a look and he told me it was massive.
"There are three weights of catfish that get anglers excited, 100lbs, 150lbs, and then the magical 200lbs mark.
"When the scales went past the 200 mark and up to 226lbs I knew it was the fish of a lifetime."
The biggest freshwater fish ever caught in Europe was a catfish that tipped the scales at 243lbs in Italy.
Angler Alan Melhuish landed the largest catfish ever caught in Spain, weighing more than 16 stone.
Last Updated: 2:08PM BST 09 Oct 2008
Mr Melhuish (second right) needed the help of his friend to lift the 226lbs catch Photo: BNPS
The fish was over 8 feet long, "fought like a bull" and is one of the biggest specimens ever caught in Europe.
Mr Melhuish, a 61-year-old coroner's officer, spent half an hour reeling in the 226lbs catch.
By the time the fish was landed, it was nearly midnight so it was tethered in the river until morning when it could be weighed and photographed.
Alan, from Weston-Super-Mare, in Somerset, was spending a week fishing the River Ebro near Barcelona.
He was with his son-in-law Steve Hutter, 35, and his friend Billy Brown, 35, both sergeants in the RAF.
When he caught the fish, using pellets of dried halibut as bait, it needed all three men to hold it.
Mr Melhuish said: "I went on a week's trip there last year but didn't catch much, but I booked another week this year.
"It was almost on the last day when I hooked the big one. I was standing on a pontoon and I could tell it was big.
"It ripped the line and must have raced 40 metres up the river. I could tell it was a decent size.
"I had to use all my strength to stop myself from being pulled off the pontoon into the river.
"When I got it into the shallows my son-in-law went down to have a look and he told me it was massive.
"There are three weights of catfish that get anglers excited, 100lbs, 150lbs, and then the magical 200lbs mark.
"When the scales went past the 200 mark and up to 226lbs I knew it was the fish of a lifetime."
The biggest freshwater fish ever caught in Europe was a catfish that tipped the scales at 243lbs in Italy.
Ocean abyss yields new marine species
Posted by Final (Admins) at Oct 11 2008, 07:54 AM. 2 comments
Ocean abyss yields new marine species
A voyage of discovery by Australian scientists into the uncharted depths of the Southern Ocean has found hundreds of new marine species, the CSIRO says.
The discovery of 274 fish, ancient corals, molluscs, crustaceans and sponges new to science has been announced at the CSIRO's Marine and Atmospheric Research unit in Hobart.
The astounding discoveries of creatures never thought to have existed were found in waters up to 3,000 metres deep, among scores of extinct volcanoes whose great mountains and canyons provide vital, thriving habitats.
Scientists mapped 80 undersea mountains and 145 canyons, some larger than the Grand Canyon, for the first time.
The finds were made 100 nautical miles south of Tasmania during two two-week CSIRO voyages in November 2006 and April 2007.
New sonar technology, video and water samples were analysed from the Huon Commonwealth Marine Reserve and the Tasman Fracture Commonwealth Marine Reserve.
The discoveries will in some cases force the re-writing of textbooks, the CSIRO scientists say.
Dr Kate Wilson, director of the CSIRO Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship, said more was known about the surface of Mars than the depths of the world's oceans.
"In Australian waters, for example, more than 40 per cent of the creatures brought to the surface by our scientists on a voyage of discovery have never been seen before," she said.
About 70 per cent of the fish, crustaceans, molluscs, sponges and corals identified on the two voyages are new to science.
Dr Wilson said these discoveries would add to the wider body of CSIRO knowledge aimed at sustaining ocean resources while recognising all ocean life was inter-connected.
Video from the deep showed damage to coral thickets caused by commercial fishing.
A live ray, from a species of which only one dead specimen had ever been found in Australian waters, was captured among the 100 hours of underwater vision and 8,000 still shots.
A glass sponge, so delicate it could not be brought to the surface without breaking, was discovered along with ancient corals the CSIRO scientists say can grow for up to 2,000 years.
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett, who announced the findings on Wednesday in Hobart, said it was an amazing day for Australian science.
"The richness of molluscs found in these voyages has been described by marine scientists as astounding and requiring a complete rewrite of textbooks for this type of fauna," he said.
CSIRO marine expert Nic Bax said only a very small area of Australia's oceans had been explored in this way.
"We have no idea how many species there are, and most of the species we get we only catch once," he said.
In total, 274 species new to science were discovered, along with 86 species previously unknown in Australian waters, the CSIRO says
A voyage of discovery by Australian scientists into the uncharted depths of the Southern Ocean has found hundreds of new marine species, the CSIRO says.
The discovery of 274 fish, ancient corals, molluscs, crustaceans and sponges new to science has been announced at the CSIRO's Marine and Atmospheric Research unit in Hobart.
The astounding discoveries of creatures never thought to have existed were found in waters up to 3,000 metres deep, among scores of extinct volcanoes whose great mountains and canyons provide vital, thriving habitats.
Scientists mapped 80 undersea mountains and 145 canyons, some larger than the Grand Canyon, for the first time.
The finds were made 100 nautical miles south of Tasmania during two two-week CSIRO voyages in November 2006 and April 2007.
New sonar technology, video and water samples were analysed from the Huon Commonwealth Marine Reserve and the Tasman Fracture Commonwealth Marine Reserve.
The discoveries will in some cases force the re-writing of textbooks, the CSIRO scientists say.
Dr Kate Wilson, director of the CSIRO Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship, said more was known about the surface of Mars than the depths of the world's oceans.
"In Australian waters, for example, more than 40 per cent of the creatures brought to the surface by our scientists on a voyage of discovery have never been seen before," she said.
About 70 per cent of the fish, crustaceans, molluscs, sponges and corals identified on the two voyages are new to science.
Dr Wilson said these discoveries would add to the wider body of CSIRO knowledge aimed at sustaining ocean resources while recognising all ocean life was inter-connected.
Video from the deep showed damage to coral thickets caused by commercial fishing.
A live ray, from a species of which only one dead specimen had ever been found in Australian waters, was captured among the 100 hours of underwater vision and 8,000 still shots.
A glass sponge, so delicate it could not be brought to the surface without breaking, was discovered along with ancient corals the CSIRO scientists say can grow for up to 2,000 years.
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett, who announced the findings on Wednesday in Hobart, said it was an amazing day for Australian science.
"The richness of molluscs found in these voyages has been described by marine scientists as astounding and requiring a complete rewrite of textbooks for this type of fauna," he said.
CSIRO marine expert Nic Bax said only a very small area of Australia's oceans had been explored in this way.
"We have no idea how many species there are, and most of the species we get we only catch once," he said.
In total, 274 species new to science were discovered, along with 86 species previously unknown in Australian waters, the CSIRO says
Virgin shark births
Posted by Final (Admins) at Oct 11 2008, 07:48 AM. 2 comments
Scientists Confirm Second-Ever Case Of Virgin Birth By Shark; 'Could Become More Common'
Stony Brook, New York -- Scientists have confirmed the second-ever case of a “virgin birth” in a shark, indicating once again that female sharks can reproduce without mating and raising the possibility that many female sharks have this incredible capacity. This compelling new study will be published today in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology, a leading international journal.
Lead author Dr. Demian Chapman, shark scientist with the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University, Beth Firchau, Curator of Fishes for the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, and Dr. Mahmood Shivji, Director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, have proven through DNA testing that the offspring of a female blacktip shark named “Tidbit” contained no genetic material from a father. Tidbit had lived at the Virginia Aquarium in the Norfolk Canyon Aquarium for eight years since shortly after her birth in the wild.
In May 2007, Chapman and Shivji were part of a team that made the groundbreaking scientific discovery confirming -– for the first time ever -- a virgin birth in a female shark. That shark was a hammerhead residing at an Omaha, Nebraska zoo and had not been in contact with male sharks for at least three years. That study was published in the journal Biology Letters and captured global media and scientific attention. The DNA-fingerprinting techniques used to prove both cases of virgin birth (scientifically known as “parthenogenesis”) are identical to those used in human paternity testing.
“It is now clear that parthenogenesis occurs in sharks other than just hammerheads,” Chapman said. “The first case was no fluke. It is quite possible that this is something female sharks of many species can do on occasion.”
Sharks’ ability to reproduce alone should not be viewed as an adequate replacement for normal sexual reproduction, Chapman cautioned. For one, the blacktip and hammerhead sharks that reproduced without mating both only produced one pup, rather than an entire litter. Shark litters can contain anywhere from a few to more than a hundred shark pups, depending upon the species. “The revelation that female sharks can reproduce alone shouldn’t stop us from worrying about driving shark populations to very low levels through overfishing,” said Chapman. “It is very unlikely that a small number of female survivors could build their numbers up very quickly by undergoing virgin birth.”
The new paper is entitled “Parthenogenesis in a large-bodied requiem shark, the blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus.” Tidbit was an Atlantic blacktip shark whom Virginia Aquarium biologists believe had only just reached sexual maturity. “We have never observed her in reproductive behavior or showing typical signs of having been bred,” said Firchau. Scientists did not even know that Tidbit was pregnant until after she unfortunately died and an autopsy (called a necropsy for animals) was performed. “Sadness turned to surprise during the necropsy when we found that she was pregnant,” Firchau said. “There were no male blacktips in the tank for the past eight years!”
The phenomenon of “virgin birth” occurs when a baby is conceived without male sperm having first fertilized the female’s eggs, and has been proven in some bony fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. In the type of parthenogenesis seen in these sharks, known as automictic parthenogenesis, the newly forming pup acquires one set of chromosomes when the mother's chromosomes split during egg development. But instead of uniting with similarly split chromosomes from sperm, as occurs in sexual reproduction, the mother’s set is paired with a copy of itself. This results in offspring of reduced genetic diversity who may be at a disadvantage for surviving in the wild.
“The finding of parthenogenesis in blacktip sharks, which are close relatives of some of the larger predatory sharks in the ocean including the tiger, bull and dusky sharks, raises intriguing questions about how frequently parthenogenesis may occur in the wild in this group of heavily fished sharks,” said Shivji. “It is possible that parthenogenesis could become more common in these sharks if population densities become so low that females have trouble finding mates.” Populations of all of these sharks have declined in the past twenty years due to overexploitation, mainly to supply the shark fin markets.
There have been nearly a dozen reports of suspected virgin births in sharks in recent years, but scientists largely assumed these cases were the result of long-term sperm storage by females after mating with males. Virgin birth is now the more probable explanation, and DNA testing is underway to confirm it in additional sharks. Chapman is currently analyzing the DNA of yet another shark species with Dr. Kevin Feldheim of the Field Museum in Chicago.
Stony Brook, New York -- Scientists have confirmed the second-ever case of a “virgin birth” in a shark, indicating once again that female sharks can reproduce without mating and raising the possibility that many female sharks have this incredible capacity. This compelling new study will be published today in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology, a leading international journal.
Lead author Dr. Demian Chapman, shark scientist with the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University, Beth Firchau, Curator of Fishes for the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, and Dr. Mahmood Shivji, Director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, have proven through DNA testing that the offspring of a female blacktip shark named “Tidbit” contained no genetic material from a father. Tidbit had lived at the Virginia Aquarium in the Norfolk Canyon Aquarium for eight years since shortly after her birth in the wild.
In May 2007, Chapman and Shivji were part of a team that made the groundbreaking scientific discovery confirming -– for the first time ever -- a virgin birth in a female shark. That shark was a hammerhead residing at an Omaha, Nebraska zoo and had not been in contact with male sharks for at least three years. That study was published in the journal Biology Letters and captured global media and scientific attention. The DNA-fingerprinting techniques used to prove both cases of virgin birth (scientifically known as “parthenogenesis”) are identical to those used in human paternity testing.
“It is now clear that parthenogenesis occurs in sharks other than just hammerheads,” Chapman said. “The first case was no fluke. It is quite possible that this is something female sharks of many species can do on occasion.”
Sharks’ ability to reproduce alone should not be viewed as an adequate replacement for normal sexual reproduction, Chapman cautioned. For one, the blacktip and hammerhead sharks that reproduced without mating both only produced one pup, rather than an entire litter. Shark litters can contain anywhere from a few to more than a hundred shark pups, depending upon the species. “The revelation that female sharks can reproduce alone shouldn’t stop us from worrying about driving shark populations to very low levels through overfishing,” said Chapman. “It is very unlikely that a small number of female survivors could build their numbers up very quickly by undergoing virgin birth.”
The new paper is entitled “Parthenogenesis in a large-bodied requiem shark, the blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus.” Tidbit was an Atlantic blacktip shark whom Virginia Aquarium biologists believe had only just reached sexual maturity. “We have never observed her in reproductive behavior or showing typical signs of having been bred,” said Firchau. Scientists did not even know that Tidbit was pregnant until after she unfortunately died and an autopsy (called a necropsy for animals) was performed. “Sadness turned to surprise during the necropsy when we found that she was pregnant,” Firchau said. “There were no male blacktips in the tank for the past eight years!”
The phenomenon of “virgin birth” occurs when a baby is conceived without male sperm having first fertilized the female’s eggs, and has been proven in some bony fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. In the type of parthenogenesis seen in these sharks, known as automictic parthenogenesis, the newly forming pup acquires one set of chromosomes when the mother's chromosomes split during egg development. But instead of uniting with similarly split chromosomes from sperm, as occurs in sexual reproduction, the mother’s set is paired with a copy of itself. This results in offspring of reduced genetic diversity who may be at a disadvantage for surviving in the wild.
“The finding of parthenogenesis in blacktip sharks, which are close relatives of some of the larger predatory sharks in the ocean including the tiger, bull and dusky sharks, raises intriguing questions about how frequently parthenogenesis may occur in the wild in this group of heavily fished sharks,” said Shivji. “It is possible that parthenogenesis could become more common in these sharks if population densities become so low that females have trouble finding mates.” Populations of all of these sharks have declined in the past twenty years due to overexploitation, mainly to supply the shark fin markets.
There have been nearly a dozen reports of suspected virgin births in sharks in recent years, but scientists largely assumed these cases were the result of long-term sperm storage by females after mating with males. Virgin birth is now the more probable explanation, and DNA testing is underway to confirm it in additional sharks. Chapman is currently analyzing the DNA of yet another shark species with Dr. Kevin Feldheim of the Field Museum in Chicago.
'Deepest ever' living fish filmed
Posted by Final (Admins) at Oct 8 2008, 11:52 AM. 6 comments
'Deepest ever' living fish filmed
By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News
The fish were caught on camera
The "deepest ever" living fish have been discovered, scientists believe.
A UK-Japan team found the 17-strong shoal at depths of 7.7km (4.8 miles) in the Japan Trench in the Pacific - and captured the deep sea animals on film.
The scientists have been using remote-operated landers designed to withstand immense pressures to comb the world's deepest depths for marine life.
Monty Priede from the University of Aberdeen said the 30cm-long (12in), deep-sea fish were surprisingly "cute".
Nobody has really been able to look at these depths before - and I think we will see fish living much deeper
Alan Jamieson, Oceanlab
The fish, known as Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis, can be seen darting about in the darkness of the depths, scooping up shrimps.
Alan Jamieson, from the University of Aberdeen, said: "It was an honour to see these fish.
"No-one has ever seen fish alive at these depths before - you just never know what you are going to see when you get down there."
The deepest record for any fish is Abyssobrotula galatheae, which was dredged from the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench at a depth of more than 8km (5 miles) in 1970. However, it was dead by the time it reached the surface.
The previous record for any fish to have been spotted alive was thought to have stood at about 7km (4 miles).
Pressure points
The Hadeep project, which began in 2007, is a collaboration between the University of Aberdeen's Oceanlab and the University of Tokyo's Ocean Research Institute (Ori) and aims to expand our knowledge of biology in the deepest depths of the ocean.
It is funded by the Nippon Foundation and the Natural Environment Research Council (Nerc). DEEP SEA DIVISIONS
Bathyal zone: 1,000-3,000m (3,000-10,000ft)
Abyss: 3,000-6,000m (10,000-20,000ft)
Hadal: 6,000m-11,000m (20,000-36,000ft)
The researchers have been looking at the Hadal zone - the area of ocean that sits between 6,000 and 11,000m (20,000-36,000ft). It consists of very narrow trench systems, most of which are found around the Pacific Rim.
The researchers are able to explore them using specially designed remote operated vehicles that are fitted out with cameras.
Professor Priede, director of Oceanlab, said: "There is the question of how do animals live at all at these kinds of depths.
"There are three problems: the first is food supply, which is very remote and has to come from 8km (5 miles) above.
"There is very high pressure - they have to have all sorts of physiological modifications, mainly at the molecular level.
The lander was designed to withstand immense pressure
"And the third problem is that these deep trenches are in effect small islands in the wide abyss and there is a question of whether these trenches are big enough to support thriving endemic populations."
But this species appears to have overcome these issues, added Professor Priede.
"We have spotted these creatures at depths of 7,703m (25,272ft) - and we have actually found a massive group of them.
"And this video is pretty tantalising - the fact that there are 17 of them implies that they could well be a family group, begging the question of whether some form of parental care exists for these fish."
The researchers said they were surprised by the fish's behaviour.
"We certainly thought, deep down, fish would be relatively inactive, saving energy as much as possible, and so on," Professor Priede told BBC News.
The fish were surprisingly active
"But when you see the video, the fish are rushing around, feeding accurately, snapping at prey coming past."
Because the fish live in complete darkness, they use vibration receptors on their snouts to navigate the ocean depths and to locate food.
Professor Priede added: "Nobody has seen fish alive before at these depths - only pickled in museums - and by the time they come up from the depths they look in a pretty sorry state.
"But these fish are actually very cute."
Alan Jamieson added that he believed the team would find more fish during their next expedition in March 2009, which would probe the ocean between depths of 6,000m and 9,000m.
He told BBC News: "Nobody has really been able to look at these depths before - I think we will see some fish living much deeper."
Bid to save world's rarest turtles fails
Posted by Final (Admins) at Oct 8 2008, 11:20 AM. 0 comments
Bid to save world's rarest turtles fails
By Malcolm Moore in Shanghai
A pair of geriatric Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles has failed to produce any heirs, despite mating last year.
At 80 years old, the only remaining female Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle in the world is now being kept behind bulletproof glass and is constantly monitored and guarded.
Scientists move the female soft-shell turtle at the zoo in Suzhou, China (left) and the female in her enclosure
She successfully paired last spring with a 100-year-old male at Suzhou zoo in southern China.
However, the two clutches of eggs they produced did not hatch, according to Stephen Sautner at the Wildlife Conservation Society in the US.
"A number of the eggs had very thin shells, suggesting that the diet of the animals prior to breeding was not optimal," said a separate statement from the Turtle Survival Alliance.
Although more than half the eggs seemed fertile, the embryos perished before hatching.
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The pair of geriatric turtles are the only remaining Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles, or Rafetus Swinhoei. The existence of another male in Hoan Kiem Lake in the centre of Hanoi is thought to be merely a legend, while a fourth turtle, found in the wilds of North Vietnam in 2007, is now dead.
The turtles can grow up to a metre in length and weigh between 120kg and 140kg. They are distinguished by their soft green shells, their small piggish snouts and their eyes, which lie at the back of their heads.
Turtles are a symbol of health and longevity in China, but the number of Yangtze giant soft-shells has plummeted in the face of the extensive pollution of its freshwater habitats.
A survey of the country's plants and animals last year found that nearly 40 per cent of all mammal species in China are now endangered, while 70 per cent of non-flowering plants and 86 per cent of flowering species are threatened.
The two Chinese turtles are now being prepared for another round of mating this spring. The pair are being fed a high calcium diet to try to strengthen the eggs.
"We've worked very hard on this," said Liu Jinde, the director of the zoo. "We ought to succeed. The turtles are very healthy
Fish swims into boys penis
Posted by Final (Admins) at Oct 4 2008, 12:34 PM. 6 comments
A FISH swam the wrong way when it leapt upstream into a boy's PENIS and ended up in his BLADDER.
The 2cm daredevil caused all kinds of medical problems when it swam through the teenager's urethra.
The unfortunate lad was taken to hospital with complaints of pain, dribbling urine and acute urinary retention.
He claimed the fish slipped into his penis while he was cleaning his aquarium at home in India.
Professor Vezhaventhan and Professor Jeyaraman, who treated the boy and later wrote a paper on the case, said: "While he was cleaning the fish tank in his house, he was holding a fish in his hand and went to the toilet for passing urine.
"When he was passing urine, the fish slipped from his hand and entered his URETHRA and then he developed all these symptoms."
After finding the fish in the boy's BLADDER, the medics insert a special set of forceps down the patient's penis in a technique known as cystourethroscopy.
But the fish was too slippery, so the professors used a rigid ureteroscope with a tool attached – normally used for removing bladder stones.
The fish, which is thought to be a small member of the Betta genus, measured 2cm long and 1.5cm wide.
The patient was later offered counselling.
Hello everyone.
Posted by renegade (Admins) at Sep 29 2008, 10:15 PM. 8 comments
Just a little too quiet around here. How is everyone doing? Anyone still wetting a line. 
4:36 PM Nov 22