tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767913719381352936.post5213973151674806009..comments2023-10-19T16:41:02.946+02:00Comments on mainly mongoose: A smelly favouritemainly mongoose (Lynda)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05917384766182752791noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767913719381352936.post-90417760632328145842010-06-28T09:46:51.421+02:002010-06-28T09:46:51.421+02:00Lil_Earthwoman,
Thank you for your encouragement.
...Lil_Earthwoman,<br />Thank you for your encouragement.<br />Black hair dye doesn't show up well on the dwarfs' dark fur, and it has to be reapplied every few weeks.<br />Dwarf mongooses don't evict subordinates and all emigrations appear to be voluntary. Creel's study of dwarfs in the Serengeti suggests that the dominant female actually allows older subordinate females breed, to encourage them to stay in the group.<br />I don't know what I'll do after this (I may have to get a real job!!!) but I've no current plans for a mongoose book.mainly mongoose (Lynda)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05917384766182752791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767913719381352936.post-82475719015579791552010-06-25T23:52:38.188+02:002010-06-25T23:52:38.188+02:00OMG, this would be awful if it didn’t get funded a...OMG, this would be awful if it didn’t get funded anymore. It’s kind of shock just now since your dwarf studies don’t ran that long compared with other projects. I had a very long talk with someone about rejecting grants. It’s really a hardship, especially as they more and more request studies that interfere in an unacceptable way into the animals’ welfare, like transfer experiments or tests you constantly have to anesthetize individuals, as for this I’m really glad you don’t collar your little dwarfs. (BTW, did you ever try dark black hair dye? That’s not so invasive and should be visible very good too, it turns out blue-ish when fading.) Sadly avoiding collars also limits the range of experiments, heart rate monitoring is a no go, for example. I’m also not a friend of infertility experiments, too much capturing and interference, and finally destroying the groups, so awful, but this is what they request.<br />BTW, I’m wondering if the dwarfs behave like the meerkats as for the dominant females evicting subordinates at the end of pregnancy?<br />Oh, I wish I would have any good ideas to help you, at least I’m badly keeping my fingers crossed like crazy you still get funded next year, god there is so much you still have to find about these very small (and so darn cute) dwarf mongooses, I believe by their tiny size they have a much different behaviour to their bigger cousins in many ways, right? <br />At this point I don’t ask you what you are doing whenever the studies end (it will not, I relay on you), just tell you that you shouldn’t wait too long writing YOUR book. Tim’s about the meerkats got a bestseller and you are a nugget amongst talented scientists. The people are hungry for things like this, as much as for your dwarfs as for your early years with Vivian and Flower Whiskers ;-)Lil_Earthwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08364224231811958467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767913719381352936.post-19735287299974762552010-06-24T15:13:17.319+02:002010-06-24T15:13:17.319+02:00Lil_Earthwoman,
I would love to study civets but t...Lil_Earthwoman,<br />I would love to study civets but they are nocturnal and solitary which doesn't make for rewarding research (I learnt my lesson working on koalas in my Honour's year). Not to the issue of money, of course...<br />I do sometimes take on volunteer field assistants but I don't think I need anyone this year. And I suspect this going to be my last year of funding for the dwarfs. Sob.mainly mongoose (Lynda)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05917384766182752791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767913719381352936.post-41964028147827795212010-06-22T15:25:07.876+02:002010-06-22T15:25:07.876+02:00It's so heartbreaking to see how these wonderf...It's so heartbreaking to see how these wonderful animals have to suffer for the rest of their life in those nasty tiny cages, in an atmosphere thick of smoke, and without bedding.<br />What a shame the WSPA shut down the campaign and no other organzation does care for. Guess, the perfume lobby silenced them by a big donation. Sigh...<br />Fantastic article as always, Lynda, I'm very fond of these little Civets! Are you thinking of extending your studies on an associated Civet project? Do you need a not so much experienced but very passionated and dedicated 48 yo field assistant? (Don't worry, I'm just joking, more or less)Lil_Earthwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08364224231811958467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767913719381352936.post-29487584946594932010-05-02T13:53:50.650+02:002010-05-02T13:53:50.650+02:00Joan,
I guess I find it particularly depressing th...Joan,<br />I guess I find it particularly depressing that human vanity causes so much harm to other species. I mean, at least habitat loss is understandable (people need land to survive) but no one 'needs' civet musk, or ivory, or rhino horn.mainly mongoose (Lynda)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05917384766182752791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767913719381352936.post-22817657227378072552010-04-30T11:25:38.320+02:002010-04-30T11:25:38.320+02:00Another fantastic article Lynda. It is scary to kn...Another fantastic article Lynda. It is scary to know how much habitat is being lost and that these beautiful creatures are being driven to extinction.SAPhotographs (Joan)https://www.blogger.com/profile/15993474141491808257noreply@blogger.com