SCORES & OUTDOORS: Flying squirrels do exist in Maine

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Photo courtesy of timbergrove.org

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Did you know flying squirrels exist in Maine? Well, be it known that Maine is home to the northern flying squirrel.

The northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus, is one of two species of the animal, the only flying squirrels found in North America. The northern flying squirrel is found in coniferous and mixed forests across the top of North America, from Alaska to Nova Scotia, south to North Carolina and west to California. The flying squirrel was placed on the protection list on June 6, 2011, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

If you want to see a flying squirrel you will have to be an early riser, because the flying squirrel, unlike its cousins, is nocturnal. All other North American squirrels are active during the day.

Arboreal rodents, they have thick light brown or cinnamon fur on their upper body. A furry membrane extends between the front and rear legs, and allows the animal to glide through the air. It’s grayish on the flanks and whitish underneath. They have large eyes and a flat tail. They can also be identified by their long whiskers, which are common to nocturnal mammals.

A flying squirrel doesn’t actually fly, but glides downward, using the wide flaps of skin along its sides to help slow its descent. To become airborne, this mammal leaps and spreads its legs, uses its tail as a rudder and moves its legs. Immediately after it lands, it will scurry to the far side of the tree just in case an owl is in pursuit. They can glide distances of 20 to 30 feet.

Northern flying squirrels are an important prey species for the Spotted Owl. Other predators include large birds, especially the Great Horned Owl, hawks, the American Marten, the Canadian Lynx and Red Fox.

The major food sources for the squirrels are mushrooms of various species, although they also eat lichens, nuts, tree sap, insects, carrion, bird eggs and nestlings, and buds and flowers. The squirrels are able to locate truffles. (If you follow the Peanuts comic strips, presently Linus has Snoopy sniffing for truffles – he needs a flying squirrel.) Although they also seem to use cues such as the presence of coarse woody debris, indicating a decaying log, and spatial memory of locations where truffles were found in the past.

They are also known to cache food for when food supplies are lower. These caches can be in cavities of trees, as well as in the squirrels’ nest. Lichens and seeds are commonly cached.

The northern flying squirrel nests in holes in trees, and will also build outside nests called dreys. They sometimes use cavities created by woodpeckers.

Except when rearing young, the squirrels shift from nest to nest frequently. They often share nests. Although there usually are 2-5 individuals in a nest, it was once observed that over 50 individuals were occupying one nest.

The sharing of nests is important in maintaining body temperature in the winter, as flying squirrels do not hibernate. In the winter, they tend to live in conifer areas of mixed woods, while in summer they are found in conifers and deciduous areas. This behavior is associated with the belief that the canopy cover is important in protecting the squirrels from predation and colder temperatures. In all but the worst severe weather conditions, the squirrels are active year round.

Squirrels, in general, get no respect. They are a nuisance around bird feeders and can raise havoc in a garden, not to mention them digging through your pumpkins in search of the seeds. But, did you know that January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day? Founded by Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitator, from Asheville, North Carolina, in 2001, that day is set aside annually to give us all the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the tree-climbing, nut-gathering neighborhood squirrels. That includes flying squirrels, too. I guess it’s too bad we missed that celebration this year.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

With the Boston Marathon approaching in a couple of weeks, what is the distance of a marathon race?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS – Osprey vs. eagle: ruling the skies

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Osprey and bald eagle do battle. (photo by Gary Kennedy)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Recently, a regular contributor to The Town Line, Gary Kennedy, of Chelsea, and his wife Julie witnessed a battle between an osprey and a bald eagle, probably over territorial rites – or food.

I could relate to the story as my wife and I witnessed the same a few years ago while fishing on Webber Pond. In both instances, the bald eagle won the day. So, do bald eagles and ospreys get along?

Opportunistic bald eagles and ospreys share much of the same habitat, so ospreys are frequently the victims of nest raids by the eagles. Proud, powerful and the national symbol of the United States, bald eagles are birds of prey that are extremely territorial during nesting season but highly social at other times.

They use their talons to fish; or, instead of catching their own, they’ll go after an osprey or another fish-eating bird, forcing it to drop its prey, which the eagle grabs in midair.

Opportunists, they’ll also scavenge carrion or catch and eat amphibians, invertebrates, small mammals, reptiles and other birds’ fledglings.

Once an eagle gets you in its sights, it can be a vigorous foe—as that osprey recently learned.

Ospreys require nest sites in open surroundings for easy approach, with wide, sturdy bases and safety from ground predators, such as raccoons.

In Kennedy’s video, you see a bald eagle and an osprey do combat. As part of their plan of attack, at dusk, with both osprey parents away, the bald eagle will sweep in from over the water toward the nest containing three chicks. One of the osprey parents will engage the eagle, ready to defend the nest, but it can’t match the speed and strength of the eagle, which manages to nab one of the chicks with its huge talons before taking off.

It’s not uncommon for osprey to lose their entire brood to eagle attacks.

Adept at soaring and diving but not as maneuverable as other hawks, ospreys fly with stiff wingbeats in a steady, rowing motion. They do, however, vigorously chase birds that encroach on their nests.

But ospreys, too, launch their share of attacks ­– and some of them are on eagles. They have been observed attacking a Canada gooose who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Is it a coincidence that bald eagles will frequently build their nests near osprey nests. Not really. It’s just the bald eagle is smart enough to know that if it nests near ospreys, that it will have ample opportunity to steal fish from the ospreys throughout summer?

However, there are many differences between ospreys and bald eagles.

Size: Osprey have an average 59- to 70-inch wingspan and weigh three to four pounds. They have long, narrow wings with a marked kink that makes them look like an M-shape from below.

The bald eagle is one of the largest birds in North America, with an average 80-inch wingspan and weighing 6.5 to almost 14 pounds.

Diet: Osprey eat a diet of about 99 percent fish, usually 4 – 12 inches long. The type of fish varies depending on where in the world the osprey lives.

Bald eagles love fish as well, and sometimes rather than doing their own hunting they will harass osprey, making them drop their fish or even steal their fish right out of their talons.

Bald eagles also eat birds, reptiles, amphibians, rabbits and muskrat, both live or as carrion. They sometimes gorge on food and digest it over several days, and they can also survive fasting for many days or even weeks.

Beak: An osprey’s beak is black, short and has a sharp hook that helps it tear into fish to eat.

Bald eagles have a yellow beak which is also hooked for tearing into flesh.

Special abilities: Osprey can dive about three feet into the water to catch fish, and they can dive both head and feet first. They also have the ability to take off straight from the water instead of having to swim to shore.

Sometimes bald eagles hunt cooperatively, with one individual flushing prey toward another.

Nest: Osprey nests are built of sticks and lined with bark, sod, grasses, corn stalks and other softer materials. Most nesting platforms are about 5 feet wide and a foot deep. However, it has been seen that osprey who nest in the same place year after year have ended up with nests 10-13 feet deep and 3-6 feet in diameter.

Osprey also like to nest in open areas, usually built on snags, treetops, cliffs or human-built platforms, cell phone towers or light towers.

Bald eagles nest in trees, usually conifers, and create huge nests — five to six feet wide and two to four feet deep – out of sticks lined with grass, moss or corn stalks. Nests can take up to three months to build. Bald eagles typically build near the trunk of a tree, high but not at the crown like osprey. Some eagles also nest on the ground when necessary, using kelp or driftwood for construction near coastal shorelines.

Ospreys and bald eagles, although they usually share territory, and in the case of the eagle, the osprey’s catch of the day, are quite different in their own right.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Has anyone pitched a no-hitter in the World Series?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Giant spiders expected to drop from sky across the East Coast this spring

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Large Joro spider.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

OK, ladies and gentlemen, get ready for this. The ticks are out early, the brown tail moth caterpillar is ready to wreak havoc on us for another year, and, of course, there is the black fly season. And now… A creepy, large yellow and black spider with a bulbous, bright yellow body is crawling along a tree branch, and, are you ready for this?, will be literally falling from the sky.

An invasive species of spider the size of a child’s hand is expected to “colonize” the entire East Coast by parachuting down from the sky, researchers at the University of Georgia announced last week. and no, this is not an early April Fools’ joke!

Large Joro spiders — millions of them — are expected to begin “ballooning” up and down the East Coast as early as May. Researchers have determined the spiders can tolerate cold weather, but are harmless to humans as their fangs are too small to break human skin. Although the spider is not aggressive, they will bite to protect themselves. The bite is considered quite painful, but not life-threatening.

All spiders are venomous, but some are dangerously venomous, like the black widow and brown recluse here in the United States, but the Joros are not.

The Joro spider is native to Japan but began infiltrating the U.S. in 2013, concentrating in the southeast and specifically Georgia, according to National Public Radio. (What is it with new nuisances coming from the Far East?) They fanned out across the state using their webs as tiny, terrifying parachutes to travel with the wind. They were first spotted in Hoschton, Georgia, in 2013. Since then, they have been spotted in numerous locations in northeast Georgia and also in Greenville, South Carolina. It is believed the species will become naturalized.

Andy Davis, author of the study and a researcher at Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology, says it isn’t certain how far north the spiders will travel, but they may make it as far north as Washington D.C. or even Delaware. (Whew! For a minute there I thought we were going to be Ground Zero.)

“It looks like the Joro could probably survive throughout most of the Eastern Seaboard here, which is pretty sobering,” says Davis.

They are bright yellow, black, blue, and red and can grow up to three inches.

They likely traveled across the globe on shipping containers, similar to when the Bubonic plague entered the United States. They are expected to colonize much of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States due to their relative imperviousness to the cold.

Their life cycle begins in early spring, but they get big in June and are often seen in July and August.

They’re named for Jorōgumo, a creature of Japanese folklore that can change her appearance into that of a beautiful woman. She seeks men to seduce, whom she then binds in her silk and devours.

As of 2021, their impact on their new ecosystem is unknown. They have been observed catching the brown marmorated stink bug, another invasive species that native spiders have not been known to eat, and it has also been hoped they may consume mosquitoes and flies (Wouldn’t that be great? But, be careful what you wish for).

Some hope the impact of the species will be positive due to their harmless nature and consumption of primarily invasive or nuisance insects, however, because of the relative lack of information about their ecology and the usual negative effects of most non-native species, it remains unknown whether Joro spiders may ultimately have a positive or negative effect on the ecosystem

Researchers say there’s nothing we can do. There isn’t much to stop them from getting established up and down the east coast through the ballooning dispersal method. Experts said it will likely take much longer than just this spring or summer for the spiders to get established throughout the eastern United States. Instead, it’s thought they will slowly colonize the east coast over the course of the next decade or so.

They’re coming and they’re harmless. Still, I say let’s build a wall to stop them from moving north, and keep them south of Delaware.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Who was the winning pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the clinching game in the 2018 World Series?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Denizens of the deep: older than dinosaurs

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Pacific Giant Octopus

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

I saw an article recently in one of the local newspaper that fossils of an octopus were found in Montana, probably dated back before dinosaurs, some 330 million years. Let’s take a look at these denizens of the deep, at a creature we really don’t know that much about. We know what they look like, and some of what they do, but for what else would they be useful .

An octopus is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusk. The soft body can radically alter its shape, enabling octopuses to squeeze through small gaps. They trail their eight appendages behind them as they swim. Octopuses have a complex nervous system and excellent sight, and are among the most intelligent and behaviorally diverse of all invertebrates.

Octopuses inhabit various regions of the ocean, including coral reefs, pelagic waters, and the seabed; some live in the intertidal zone and others at abyssal depths. Most species grow quickly, mature early, and are short-lived. In most species, the male uses a specially adapted arm to deliver a bundle of sperm directly into the female’s mantle cavity, after which he becomes senescent and dies, while the female deposits fertilized eggs in a den and cares for them until they hatch, after which she also dies. Strategies to defend themselves against predators include the expulsion of ink, the use of camouflage and threat displays, the ability to jet quickly through the water and hide, and even deceit. All octopuses are venomous, but only the blue-ringed octopuses are known to be deadly to humans.

The giant Pacific octopus is often cited as the largest known octopus species. Adults usually weigh around 33 pounds, with an arm span of up to 14 feet.

The skin consists of a thin outer epidermis with mucous cells and sensory cells, and a connective tissue dermis consisting largely of collagen fibers and various cells allowing color change. Most of the body is made of soft tissue allowing it to lengthen, contract, and contort itself. The octopus can squeeze through tiny gaps. Lacking skeletal support, the arms work as muscular hydrostats and contain longitudinal, transverse and circular muscles around a central axial nerve. They can extend and contract, twist to left or right, bend at any place in any direction or be held rigid.

The ink sac of an octopus is located under the digestive gland. A gland attached to the sac produces the ink, and the sac stores it. The sac is close enough to the funnel for the octopus to shoot out the ink with a water jet. Before it leaves the funnel, the ink passes through glands which mix it with mucus, creating a thick, dark blob which allows the animal to escape from a predator.[61] The main pigment in the ink is melanin, which gives it its black color. Cirrate octopuses usually lack the ink sac.

The reproduction of octopuses has been studied in only a few species. One such species is the giant Pacific octopus, in which courtship is accompanied, especially in the male, by changes in skin texture and color. About 40 days after mating, the female giant Pacific octopus attaches strings of small fertilized eggs (10,000 to 70,000 in total) to rocks in a crevice or under an overhang. Here she guards and cares for them for about five months (160 days) until they hatch. In colder waters, such as those off Alaska, it may take up to ten months for the eggs to completely develop.

Octopuses have a relatively short lifespan; some species live for as little as six months. The Giant Pacific Octopus, one of the two largest species of octopus, may live for as much as five years. Octopus lifespan is limited by reproduction. For most octopuses the last stage of their life is called senescence. It is the breakdown of cellular function without repair or replacement. For males, this typically begins after mating. Senescence may last from weeks to a few months, at most. For females, it begins when they lay a clutch of eggs. Females will spend all their time aerating and protecting their eggs until they are ready to hatch. During senescence, an octopus does not feed and quickly weakens. Lesions begin to form and the octopus literally degenerates. Unable to defend themselves, octopuses often fall prey to predators. The larger Pacific striped octopus (LPSO) is an exception, as it can reproduce multiple times over a life of around two years.

Most species are solitary when not mating, though a few are known to occur in high densities and with frequent interactions, signaling, mate defending and eviction of individuals from dens. This is likely the result of abundant food supplies combined with limited den sites.

Nearly all octopuses are predatory; bottom-dwelling octopuses eat mainly crustaceans, worms, and other molluscs such as whelks and clams; open-ocean octopuses eat mainly prawns, fish and other cephalopods.

The octopuses evolved from the Muensterelloidea (fossil pictured) in the Jurassic period.

They evolved in the Cambrian some 530 million years ago. The earliest octopus likely lived near the sea floor in shallow marine environments. Since octopuses consist mostly of soft tissue, fossils are relatively rare. As soft-bodied cephalopods, they lack the external shell of most molluscs.

Octopuses appear in mythology as sea monsters like the Kraken, of Norway, and the Akkorokamui, of the Ainu, and probably the Gorgon, of ancient Greece. A battle with an octopus appears in Victor Hugo’s book Toilers of the Sea, inspiring other works such as Ian Fleming’s (creator of James Bond) Octopussy. Octopuses appear in Japanese erotic art, shunga. They are eaten and considered a delicacy by humans in many parts of the world, especially the Mediterranean and the Asian seas.

I once tasted calamari while in Vietnam, mostly as jerky – it was a little salty.

Historically, the first plural to commonly appear in English language sources, in the early 19th century, is the Latinate form “octopi”, followed by the English form “octopuses” in the latter half of the same century. The Hellenic plural is roughly contemporary in usage, although it is also the rarest. Oxford American Dictionary (3rd Edition, 2010) lists “octopuses” as the only acceptable pluralization, and indicates that “octopodes” is still occasionally used, but that “octopi” is incorrect.

Well, I hope we now know a little more about these creatures.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

How many Boston Red Sox players have been named World Series MVP?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: How do our little feathered friends fare during winter

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Male and female cardinals hunkered down during cold winter weather. (Internet photo)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Last week we took a look at how white-tailed deer keep warm during those cold winter days and nights. As you remember, that was perpetrated by my watching birds at my wife’s feeders during the recent blizzard in early February. So, let’s talk about how those little feathered friends keep warm during those times.

First of all, I was astonished as I watched the birds come in and out of the feeders during the height of the storm, with winds gusting to 25-30 miles per hour.

Birds are warm-blooded animals that have a much higher temperature than humans, usually in the range of 105 degrees, as compared to our 98.6 degrees. Body temperatures can vary during daylight hours but it can challenge the birds during the night to maintain such a high body heat.

Smaller birds run more of a risk of body heat loss since they have a proportionately larger surface area on their bodies to lose heat but a smaller core volume to generate it.

Birds have different ways to maintain body heat during cold weather. Their feathers provide remarkable insulation, and many species will actually grow extra feathers as part of a late fall molt to give them thicker protection in the winter. Oil also coats their feathers to provide, not only insulation, but waterproofing.

Their legs and feet are covered with scales to minimize heat loss. By constricting blood flow to their extreminities, they can also reduce body heat loss even further.

Then, there is the old standby: adding body fat reserves to serve as insulation and extra energy for generating body heat. They will gorge themselves in the fall when food sources are abundant.

Another way to produce insulation from the cold is to fluff their feathers. That enables air pockets to be created, keeping them toasty warm. Also, it is not unusual to see birds standing on one leg or crouched to cover both legs with their feathers to shield them from the cold. They also tuck their beaks into their shoulder feathers for protection, and to breathe air warmed from their body heat.

On sunny days, they will perch with their backs to the sun to maximize the exposure area of their body. They raise their wings to allow the skin and feathers to absorb as much of the sun’s heat as possible, even spreading or drooping their wings while sunning.

If you see a bird shivering, don’t worry. They do this to raise their metabolic rate and generate more body heat as a short term solution in extreme cold.

Many small birds will gather in large flocks at night and crowd together in an attempt to share their collective body heat. Even individually, they will roost in places that may contain residual heat from the day’s sunlight.

But, there is something called torpor that birds will use to conserve energy during the cold nights. Torpor is a state of reduced metabolism when the body temperature is lowered, therefore requiring fewer calories to maintain the proper heat. Birds can lower their body temperature from 22 to 50 degrees. Torpor, however, can be dangerous as reduced temperature also leads to slower reactions and greater vulnerability to predators.

Even with all of these Mother Nature-built in safeguards, mortality rate among birds can run high during extreme winters. You can help.

During winter, keep your feeders cleared of snow and filled with good food, offer liquid water, and provide shelter. You can build brush piles or protective boxes if you have no natural shelters. I think one of the reasons we have as many birds during winter as we have is because birds are attracted to coniferous trees. My wife and I have three rather large pine trees in our backyard, providing them with plenty of protection from the weather.

Mother Nature, again, provides for its creatures, large or small.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which current NFL team was originally called the New York Titans?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: How do animals, like deer, survive during the worst of winter

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

During the blizzard that swept through our area a little while back, I was standing at my kitchen window, watching the bird feeders. To my surprise, even during the peak of the storm, with heavy snowfall and howling winds, the birds kept coming to the feeding stations.

“Tough little buggers,” I thought while watching.

That got me to thinking. How do these animals and birds survive these harsh winters?

So, I decided to do some research on the white-tailed deer. I had recently read an article that said the “mild” winter so far made it easier for the deer to move in search of food. That all changed that weekend. Now that there was a significant amount of additional snow on the ground, how will they survive the remainder of this season?

White-tailed deer have developed a set of adaptations that enable them to survive the deep snow and cold temperatures that occur in Maine. Maine is the northern-most point of their range and there are very few of them north of the St. Lawrence River. Also, the further north you go in their range, the larger the body size, as compared to their counterparts in the south.

According to Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists, deer shed their hair in the spring and fall. The summer hair has solid shafts and lacks the undercoat, but the winter hair has hollow hair shafts, and dense, wool-like under fur, providing effective insulation.

Also, deer will alter their diet to accumulate and retain more fat under their skin and around organs, providing them with insulation and energy reserves for the months that lie ahead. The winter diet is lower in protein and less digestible than the summer diet, requiring more energy to digest and resulting in fewer calories. The stored fat is burned during winter to partially compensate for the lack of energy in the winter diet. Deer will lose weight during the winter. If winters become too long (early start and late finish) deer could run out of stored energy and die.

Fat reserves in adult does can account for up to 30 percent of their body mass in the fall.

Their winter habitat is also important. Dense softwood canopies intercept more snow, resulting in reduced snow depths. Gathering in these areas also allow many deer to share the energy cost of maintaining a trail network to access food and to escape predators.

As you would suspect, the greatest mortality in the winter is found among fawns, followed by adult bucks and then does. Severe winters can drastically deplete the fawn population, resulting in fewer young to mature into adulthood. Consecutive severe winters can have a devastating effect, by as much as 90 percent, of young maturing, depleting the adult herd.

So, should you try to help out these critters?

Although supplemental feeding of deer is usually well-intentioned, it could have some severe adverse effects. Just to touch on a few of the reasons to leave the deer to Mother Nature’s natural course:

  • Supple­mental feeding may actually increase predation. Providing supplemental food sources crowds deer into a smaller area than their usual range, making it easier for coyotes and bobcats to hunt down the deer, by limiting their escape routes;
  • Feeding sites near homes may place deer in danger of free-roaming dogs;
  • Deer feeding stations may increase deer/vehicle collisions. Feeding stations near homes also place the deer in close proximity to well-traveled highways;
  • Deer could actually starve when fed supplemental foods during winter. It takes deer two weeks to adjust to new foods, and could starve in that time period;
  • Deer compete aggressively for scarce, high-quality feeds;
  • They could die from eating too much at one time;
  • Deer concentrations at feeding sites may increase the vulnerability of deer to disease. MDIFW has documented deer concentrations equal to 350 deer per square mile at some feeding sites can cause an outbreak of infectious diseases, such as the bovine tuberculosis in 1994, and more recently, the fear of introduction of Chronic Wasting Disease, which, by 2016, had only been found in deer and moose. Although CWD, a disease that causes weight loss leading to death, has not been detected in Maine, the disease, which originated in the midwest, seems to be making its way east. It is now found in 23 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.

Finally, predation and vehicle collisions claim more deer during the winter than starvation. Mother Nature has provided well for her creatures, so just sit back and watch them go about their daily routine.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which NFL quarterback has the fewest Super Bowl rings, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, John Elway or Jimmy Garoppolo?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS – Rats: terribly misunderstood creatures

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Giant pouched rat

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

RATS! No, it’s not something you say when things don’t go your way. Instead, it describes, profoundly, what people think of this rodent that is perceived as a member of the underworld of the animal kingdom. They are scorned, feared and totally misunderstood. They are portrayed as evil and filthy little creatures that spread disease as they scamper through the sewers of major cities. Among unions, “rat” is a term for nonunion employers or breakers of union contracts.

Few animals elicit such strong and contradictory reactions as rats.

The Black Death is traditionally believed to have been caused by the micro-organism Yersinia pestis, carried by the tropical rat flea which preyed on black rats living in European cities during the epidemic outbreaks of the Middle Ages. These rats were used as transport hosts. Another disease linked to rats is the foot-and-mouth disease.

The reason I bring this up is because of something I saw last week. My wife showed a video to me on Facebook – I don’t do Facebook – showing this woman who had two pet rats she had trained to do some amazing things. That piqued my curiosity because I had heard rats are fairly intelligent.

The best known rat species are the black rat, which is considered to be one of the world’s worst invasive species, and the brown rat. Male rats are known as bucks, females are does, and infant rats are called kittens or pups. A group of rats is referred to as a “mischief.”

The woman on the video had her rats trained to bring her a tissue when she sneezed, respond to flashcard commands, and even come when called, just to name a few that I remember.

Those who keep rats as pets know them as highly intelligent and social animals who clean themselves regularly and thrive on regular interaction.

Specifically-bred rats have been kept as pets at least since the late 19th century. Pet rats are typically variants of the species brown rat, but black rats and giant pouched rats are also known to be kept. Pet rats behave differently from their wild counterparts depending on how many generations they have been kept as pets. The more generations, the more domesticated it will be. Pet rats do not pose any more of a health risk than pets such as dogs and cats. Tamed rats are generally friendly and can be taught to perform selected behaviors.

Because of evident displays of their ability to learn, rats were investigated early to see whether they exhibit general intelligence, as expressed by the definition of a g factor as observed in larger, more complex animals. Early studies around 1930 found evidence both for and against such a g factor in rats.

A 2011 controlled study found that rats are actively prosocial. They demonstrate apparent behavior to other rats in experiments, including freeing them from cages. When presented with readily available chocolate chips, test rats would first free the caged rat, and then share the food. All female rats displayed this behavior, while only 30 percent of males did not.

Rat meat has become a dietary staple in some cultures. Among others, I personally observed rats being consumed in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

Back to the pet rat. While most people cringe at the thought of having a rat for a pet, believe it or not, domestic rats make great pets. They are not aggressive, diseased and dirty animals, but in fact are very clean, fun-loving, sensitive, very social and affectionate. They genuinely enjoy interacting with people and should be handled daily. Rats are very intelligent and can be taught simple tricks, and will often learn their names. They can be litter box trained.

Whatever you do, don’t go down to the river to select a pet rat, but rather visit your local pet shop. When choosing your rat, choose one that does not appear skittish or does not squeal when picked up. Males tend to be calmer than females. Males usually enjoy being held for longer periods of time, especially when they get older.

If you get a pet rat, it is best if they are kept indoors rather than in a shed or garage, where they would get less attention. As mentioned before, rats are extremely clean animals and will constantly groom themselves – similar to cats. If you have more than one rat, they will groom each other.

So, now that we have seen a lighter side of rats, doesn’t it make you want to run right out to get one?

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What is the square footage of the opening of a hockey goal?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: A heart warming cardinal rescue

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Julie, holding the male cardinal she nursed back from an injury.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

This week, I’m going to give up my space to one of our regular contributors, Gary Kennedy, who has a heart-warming story to tell about he and his wife’s encounter with an injured male cardinal:

“Everyone knows that February has evolved from the fourteenth being Valentine’s Day to a week of love and its wonderful array of display hearts, candy, cards and flowers. I am considered old now but I have very vivid memories of exchanging Valentines cards with the heart throbs in my elementary classes. Of course, Mrs. Anthony who resides with God now had to receive a card, also. She was a wonderful teacher in my third and fourth grades.

“I was a naughty boy a lot of the time and had to be punished but I often wonder who was hurt more by the punishment, Mrs. Anthony or me. I firmly believe it was Mrs. Anthony. I remember she was beautiful and I was eight or nine years old. I have always said she was the turning point in my life. She was a wonderful teacher and a beautiful person. God bless those who teach us along the way. For the most part school is our second home for many years and those who guide us from one step to another are the major point in the direction of our lives. I will always love and miss Mrs. Anthony and many others who left their mark on my life and gave it meaning and direction. The love of our parents, pastor and friends are so very important as well.

“Maine is very fortunate to have the best of everything. God gave us a wonderful environment full of wondrous living things of which to enjoy. We might not be a rich state monetarily speaking but we raise some very wonderful people. I always say, “It’s a matter of the heart and perception”. I thank our creator every morning when my eyes open realizing I am still here to enjoy another day of the wonderful life around me.”

Whoops, I think Gary got a little off subject there. Here is what the heartwarming story is about:

“Yesterday Julie and I visited a dear friend, Les, to share some veteran information and to seek some advice. It’s always a joy to drive to Gardiner and visit a friend! After we left Gardiner, saying goodbye to our friends, Les, Brenda and, of course, Grammy Frannie, we proceeded to Augusta. As we were passing through Hallowell and our favorite seafood store, my wife Julie spotted something that was bright red standing aimlessly on the center line of the roadway. At a second glance my wife shouted “honey turn around there is a bird in the middle of the road.” I hit my brakes and turned around, and sure enough there stood a beautiful male cardinal. He was a little wobbly but remained steadfast to the center line.

“I placed my truck in the center of the road and turned on my hazard lights. Julie jumped out and picked up the bird, which was dazed and bleeding in his right eye. Julie grabbed a tissue and gently applied pressure to the area.

“We had a line of traffic behind but when they saw Julie they understood that she was attending to a problem. The bird seemed confused but didn’t resist Julie’s loving touch and care. It was like it understood.

“We drove directly home, aborting our original plans. Julie prepared a box with windows, made a bed with a soft towel and prepared some peanut butter and sunflower seeds along with water. We placed the box in our bow window overlooking our numerous bird feeders. Julie felt that visual affect would be helpful to the well being of the injured bird. The bird ate some and rested through the night. This morning he indicated he would like to try flying home. We took the box outside and Julie picked up the bird from the box. The bird gave her a gentle bite and then took to flight. The bird voiced something, which Julie recorded. Julie believes it was “good bye and thank you.” Julie being a sensitive person had shed a few tears and thanked God for allowing the beautiful red cardinal to live.”

It’s a remarkable story in that a small bird like a cardinal can be injured, in the middle of a road, and survive that, without considering the care and nursing Julie gave him, to send him on his way.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Name the four NFL teams to never appear in a Super Bowl.

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Finding a dead crow on your steps; a sign of positive or negative change in your life

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A crow found dead near the stairs to our house. (photo by Roland Hallee)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

A black cat crossing your path; walking under a ladder; breaking a mirror: take your pick of long-standing superstitions. Most of us have some kind of superstition, although some don’t want to admit it.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

My wife leaves for work before I do, and one morning last week, she informed me there was a dead crow at the bottom of the stairs to the porch at our house. So, I went out to investigate. Sure enough, there he was, stiff as a board. I didn’t know whether it was frozen, or rigor mortis had already set in.

Now, all kinds of thoughts went through my head. There is another superstition about robins appearing at your window. That one goes like this: Robins are often seen as a sign of visits from our deceased family members or loved ones in the spiritual world, and many people take a visit from one as a sign that one is on its way. In addition to representing a fresh start in life, the Robin is seen by many as a lucky charm.

So, if a robin is some form of good fortune, what can a crow mean, especially a dead one.

Few birds are more misunderstood than crows. They are commonly associated with death and misfortune, but the dead crow meaning is thought to suggest the opposite – potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it. Though different people and belief systems hold many varying ideas, it is the crow’s connection to transformation and change – of a good or bad kind – which seems to remain a common theme.

So, to the computer I went to see what I could learn about birds in our lives. This is what I came up with.

Many of us have seen a dead crow in our lives, but what does the symbolism of this creature say about you? Dead crows are often associated with death and mourning. If you come across one during your day, it might be time to reflect on what is important to you. Dead crows also symbolize loneliness and despair.

Crows are commonly associated with death and misfortune – a black-colored bird that portends doom. However, this is the crow symbolism when alive. The dead crow meaning is thought to suggest the opposite, potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it.

Now, I am an optimistic person, always seeing the bright side of things. So, seeing that dead crow more than likely means something positive is about to happen. I’m not sure what that might be.

So, what remains to be seen is what is going to happen, and how long it takes. I’m sure there is an expiration date on superstitious activity.

Birds are geniuses and bird symbolism is a vast topic but it seems to be agreed that the meaning behind seeing a dead bird depends on what type of bird it is. We’ve already mentioned the fact that a crow’s death might suggest positive outcomes for those who see them, yet there is also a belief that dead blackbirds, including crows, point to an unresolved tension deep inside someone. This is because the color black represents that which we cannot see.

A white bird depicting purity, peace, and goodness – such as a dove – is tragic and ominous in death. They might forbode the loss of something special, or an approaching conflict, depending on the happenings in an individual’s life. If the bird has positive associations when alive, it makes sense that its death would have a negative meaning.

Since songbirds represent communication, their death should encourage us to ask ourselves if we’re hiding something: perhaps we’re not speaking up, or we’ve lost touch with someone in our lives.

Another factor that changes the meaning of seeing a dead bird is the location. If a dead bird falls on your doorstep or in your garden, you must expect that change is coming soon, whether you want it or not. It’s best to change your habits and not resist this change.

If the bird hits your window, this means you are confronting an obstacle that must be overcome or removed. Lastly, if it comes inside your house, you need to look inwardly since the change going on is inside yourself. The consistent theme is one of transformation and change, whether that’s in a positive or negative way. The important thing is to not resist the change that is happening but find a way to adapt.

Crows are believed to guide us towards change – to prepare us for a transition in our lives. Their adaptability is an example to us, showing that we too need to change to survive. When one appears before you, it is encouragement not to resist that change that is coming and inevitable. Since dying is perhaps the biggest change of all, their role in the process of death is unsurprising.

The crow is a bird that has been deeply entrenched in the mythology of many different cultures and religions. It’s believed to be more than just an animal, but rather some kind of spiritual messenger or omen for change. In Greek Mythology it was considered sacred, while Native American tribes have viewed them as guardians and healers. The crow has also been revered in other parts of the world for its clever nature and intelligence.

In many cultures, the crow was seen as a messenger of death. Crows have often been found near battlefields and they were once believed to be the souls of warriors who had not yet crossed over from this life into the next.

As recently as World War II, people interpreted dead or wounded crows in their own way but it is generally accepted today that they are not considered an omen of death.

An occurrence in which one sees dead crows is typically not a sign that something bad will happen, but rather an omen of change. Dead crows are often seen as messengers, specifically heralding the coming of a new era or event in one’s life. Dead crows have been known to represent death and transformation.

Dead crows are also seen as messengers, specifically heralding the coming of a new era or event in one’s life. In some cultures, they also signify being free from bondage or restriction. Seeing dead crows can be interpreted as a sign of change on the horizon.

There is a Biblical meaning of dead birds. A bird’s ability to fly puts them closer to the heavens and elevates them above the human world, giving them a special role in religion. Some types of birds came to represent parts of the Christian soul and the Saints themselves. The white dove was particularly significant, representing the Holy Spirit and indicating a blessing from God.

On the other hand, dead birds were considered to show failure – a warning to prepare someone for the challenges ahead. They might also be a sign of a loved one passing away.

After reading all of this, I think I will take the high road, and say the bird prophesized a positive change. We were recently told we will become great-grandparents for the second time.

Did I mention that I am not superstitious?

Roland’s trivia question of the week?

Name the six NFL teams that have won only one Super Bowl.

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: It looks like six more weeks of winter; but how severe?

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Woody’s new digs.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

This year, the time really snuck up on me. Looking at the calendar as January faded away, I realized that February 2 was right around the corner. “I’m late this year,” I thought. It was time to go visit Woodrow Charles, the weather prognosticating groundhog buddy of mine who lives out in Center Vassalboro.

I hastily threw on a jacket, wrapped a scarf around my neck, put on my boots and headed out the door. It was a cold January morning, and I wanted to get out there before the nor’easter that was headed our way.

The walk to Woody’s “palace” wasn’t too bad with relatively little snow on the ground. As I approached his den, things didn’t seem the same. Was I lost? I looked around and for sure, I was in the right place. But his den was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, I noticed a note pinned to a tree. I wandered over.

“To whom it may concern:

“My home has been confiscated by the owners of the property who bulldozed the stump and are preparing to put in a swimming pool. I have moved a little farther south, in an abandoned tree trunk.” Signed: Woody.

Well, what a turn of events. I took a left turn, and proceeded down a path through the woods. I would have missed the place had he not had a wood fire going, and the distinct smell guided me to his new abode.

I knocked, and after a few moments, Woody came to the opening. He didn’t even have a door.

“Oh, hi,” he said. “I was hoping you would come along. My apologies for the place, but I was rudely and unceremoniously run out of my other place. I’ve only been here a couple of week.”

“Boy, this place sure doesn’t come close to comparing with the other,” I said. “No big screen TV, no Keurig, probably no internet either,” I exclaimed.

“All in good time, my friend,” he responded. “Have you priced the rental market these days?”

“No, I guess not. I’ve lived in the same house for the past 46 years.”

“What are you going to do about the Super Bowl party with your buddies, Frank, Butch and Slim,” I asked.

“That’ll have to wait until next year,” he said. “Maybe I’ll go down to the local VFW and watch it there through the window.”

“Prediction?” I asked.

“Cincinnati 20, Los Angeles 17, in overtime. That seems to be the trend this season.”

Again, I left myself open for that one. “No, for the rest of the winter,” I blurted.

“Well, I saw my shadow. You see, I had to go back to primitive ways to predict the rest of the winter, with all my electronic equipment gone, and everything. However, it doesn’t mean that we’re not going to see any significant winter weather coming our way, at least in the northern tier of the U.S., for the next several weeks. March and April will experience a “back-and-forth” between the seasons with cold spells followed by warmups.

“March as a whole is looking to be slightly warmer than normal, helping out those who had high heating bills earlier in the winter during bitterly cold blasts of Arctic air, but this doesn’t mean that residents can pack away coats and break out shorts just yet. Cold fronts could still periodically swing through in February, March and even April, although the cold blasts may not be as intense as they were throughout January.

“These cold fronts will prevent extended spells of warm weather across the region and may also be accompanied by accumulating snow, including the chance of plowable snow along the Interstate-95 corridor.”

I said to him that this winter has already been the snowiest in years in Washington, D.C., with more than 12 inches accumulating in the city in January alone. Last winter, 5.4 inches of snow accumulated in D.C., and just 0.6 of an inch of snow fell there the year before that. With the prospects of snow remaining elevated into the first part of spring, this could finish as one of the snowiest years in the nation’s capital in nearly a decade.

However, the snow has not been as heavy farther north with Philadelphia picking up 4.6 inches and New York City measuring 7 inches in that same timeframe.

Woody responded by saying these cities could still end the year with near-average seasonal snowfall with the potential for wintry storms continuing over the Northeast as late as April.

“So, are you telling me to expect six more weeks of winter and beyond,” I remarked with astonishment.

“You could say that,” Woody replied.

I couldn’t help but think: that guy seems to know a lot about what is going to happen, just by whether or not he sees his shadow. I am not totally convinced.

With that, I bid my adieu and departed, a little exasperated, thinking we could be in this for the long haul, even though this has been a relatively mild winter through January, except for the cold snap we experienced toward the end of the month, and that nor’easter that blew its way through here.

We can only wait to see what develops, and deal with it.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

The Cincinnati Bengals (0-2), and Los Angeles/St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams (1-3) are a combined 1-5 in Super Bowls. Who did the Rams defeat for their only win?

Answer can be found here.