Pelican (pelecanus)

Pelican ...or pelecanus!

Recognized for their large throat pouch, a pelican can weigh up to  33 pounds, though the smallest on record is only 6 pounds. A pelican will mainly eat fish, but have been known to occasionally eat other birds.  Pelicans will usually dive to get their food, but will also steal food from other birds.

Pelicans will hatch eggs both in trees and on land. At ten to twelve weeks a young pelican will start hunting for it's own food, but will still live in the nest. The most common species of pelican is the Australian pelican, and the rarest breed is the Dalmation and the Spot-billed pelican.

Pelican environment was spoiled by the 2010 petroleum disaster, and dead pelicans were found all along raccoon island.  The island had been home to more than 60000 pelicans, but since the oil spill pelicans have had a decline in population.

Extra Special Article! English Labrador Retriever! (Canis lupis familiaris)

Labrador Retriever .... or canis lupis familiaris!

Labs are very good house pets. They are soft mouths, and are good  in water. They can carry a raw egg in their mouth and not break it, and are preferred to beagles for bringing back water kill. As of 1991, they were the most popular house pet in Canada, the U.K., and the U.S.

Labs are agile and love retrieving balls and Frisbees. They have a good temperament and make good family dogs. I have a 2 month old puppy lab named Lucky, for whom this article is being written. He is a tired dog, and will sleep in the day, but at night he is a bundle of energy. Lucky has been with me for 3 days now, and is being house and crate trained. House training is hard. He has had 4 accidents so far, but whenever he does, I will bring him to the door and tell him go out there. This method works with most dogs, and he is learning quickly.

When you are training your dog, you need to be firm with your commands. I train Lucky by using dog biscuits, but as he gets better, move to verbal praise. Never give ANY dogs chocolate, grapes, raisins, or any type of human medicine. If you have a puppy, make sure you put away cleaning supplies for accidents, so your pup cannot get poisoned.

The very first commands to teach your dog are 'come' and 'sit'. Only use one word commands, so your dog does not get confused. Whenever your pup does something good, give it verbal praise, as too many dog biscuits can make your dog sick, and as everyone knows labs are chow hounds. Keep posted on the Weekly Lucky Report!   

Beaver (Castor canadensis)

Beaver ...or castor canadensis!!!

The beaver population was once about 60 million, but as of 1988 was around twelve million. The population decline was due to fur hunting, and also the use of their glands as medicine. Beavers tend to live along streams and rivers, and make dams as their homes. Dams provide safe shelter and easy access to food in winter. Beavers are industrious, and can build a sturdy enough dam to keep a wolf or coyote out in one night.

Beavers knock down trees to help build their dams, and also small trees for food. Two year old beavers will not only help their parents repair their dam, they will watch over younger beavers too. Beaver families find each other by sense of smell.