How To Care For A Pet Fiddler Crab: Species Profile

The term "fiddler crab" refers to about 100 species and subspecies of crabs from the genus Uca. They’re found along beaches and brackish (a mixture of saltwater and freshwater) waterways around the world. Male and female fiddler crabs are easily distinguished by looking at their claws. The females have small claws while the males have one distinctive large claw. This large claw, held in such a way that it resembles a fiddle (violin), is how fiddler crabs got their name. Fiddler crabs are fun to watch and fairly easy to keep as pets, with few health concerns and docile personalities. Their housing takes up minimal space, and there are many commercial foods available to provide them with a balanced diet.

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Baby Albino Turtle Born With Her Heart Beating Outside of Her Shell Defies the Odds

Hope has a condition so rare, there isn’t even a name for it.

According to Caters New Agency, the albino pinkbelly sideneck turtle was born with her heart exposed. In humans, this condition is called ectopia cordis, but in veterinary medicine there is no name for the life-threatening genetic defect.

Even with her heart beating outside of her shell, the baby turtle, named Hope, has defied the odds and survived.

Hope lives with her owner Michael Aquilina in New Jersey. Aquilina, known as AquaMike on Instagram, was given the turtle by a friend who felt Aquilina had the passion and experience to give Hope the longest, happiest life possible.

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How to Attract and Raise Butterflies at Home

Even if you don’t love bugs, you probably love butterflies! These winged beauties are important pollinators, like bees and hummingbirds, and there’s nothing sweeter than watching them flutter around your garden on a summer morning, sipping from flowers or sunning themselves on rocks. These beautiful insects actually are covered with tiny overlapping scales, like the shingles on a roof. With more than 700 species native to North America, you’ll see many different types in your own back yard, especially if you plant flowers that attract butterflies. Each region of the country has at least 100 species found locally. You even can buy butterfly kits to raise them yourself. Watching these creatures grow can be an educational (and fun!) experiment for the whole family.

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Fiddler Crabs

Fiddler crabs are small crustaceans with a distinctive enlarged claw. They live on beaches, mud flats and marshes throughout the Chesapeake Bay.

Appearance

Three species of fiddler crabs can be found in the Chesapeake Bay region: the red-jointed fiddler crab, Uca minax, the marsh fiddler crab, Uca pugnax, and the sand fiddler crab, Uca pugilator.

Fiddler crabs vary in color from tan to brown. Sand fiddler crabs are lighter than the other two species. Males have one enlarged claw that can grow to 1.5-2 inches long while females’ claws are equal size. The carapace (shell) is squared with rounded rear edges. The red-jointed fiddler crab’s carapace has a groove behind each eye. Male marsh fiddler crabs have a royal blue spot on the center of the carapace, while male sand fiddler crabs have a blue or purplish carapace. Carapace varies in size from less than an inch wide to 1.5 inches wide. The marsh fiddler crab is the smallest fiddler crab in the Bay region and the red-jointed fiddler crab is the largest. Fiddler crabs have four pairs of walking legs.

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Common Freshwater Tropical Fish Diseases

Learn about common fish illnesses and how to effectively treat them.

Looking into your aquarium and seeing one of your fish ill for the first time can be alarming for many hobbyists. Unlike cats and dogs, you can’t just hop in the car and take them to the vet. Moreover, because of the delicate nature of tropical fish, if not treated quickly, the illness may not only kill the infected fish, it could spread to the rest of the tank potentially harming your entire population.

So the obvious question for fish owners when their fish is infected is, “What illness does my fish have and how can I treat it?” The good news is that many of the most common aquarium fish diseases are treatable and if done properly, your fish has a good chance of survival. Moreover, many of the treatments are relatively simple to perform (and a lot cheaper than taking a cat or a dog to the vet).

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Deworming Your Pet Bird

Worms, mites, and lice are the most common parasites in pet birds. Although you can use store-bought products, you can also use home remedies.

Birds are sensitive to and can be easily harmed by different pathogens and allergens. Pet birds need proper preventative medicine and good hygiene in order to be healthy.

The most common parasites in pet birds

As mentioned above, several internal and external parasites can affect pet birds. Despite their small size, these creatures can cause numerous illnesses and serious damage to the health of all pets.

Below, is a list of the most frequent parasites in canaries and other pet birds.

Worms: Internal parasites, generally called worms or maggots, that get lodged mainly in the digestive system of their hosts. They usually reach the bloodstream and spread to other organs.

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Where Do Birds Go During a Hurricane?

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA– Storms come every year to the gulf south and every storm has the potential to do great damage. Have you ever wondered how birds survive hurricanes and where they go?

Meteorologist Scot Pilie noticed something very interesting in Hurricane Laura’s graphics, August 28th, saying “this is remarkable.  This is known as our correlation coefficient product.  the reason we use this is to detect debris in tornados.  Last night it captured something remarkable.  Those are actual birds detected in the eye of Laura as it made landfall near Cameron Louisiana.”

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An Army Dog Who Charged Through a Hail of Machine-Gun Fire and Tackled an Al-Qaeda Fighter is to Receive the Animal Equivalent of a Medal of Honor

• A dog who took on an Al-Qaeda insurgent amid a hail of machine-gun fire awarded the animal equivalent of a Medal of Honor.
• Kuno, a Belgian Shepherd Malinois, accompanied British and local forces on a raid on an Al-Qaeda compound when an insurgent pinned them down, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
• Kuno's attack saved lives and enabled the operation to continue, but he received injuries to his back legs and had a paw amputated.
• Now retired with prostheses, he is due to receive the PDSA Dickin Medal for Valour, considered the highest military honor for animals.

A dog who braved a barrage of Al-Qaeda machine-gun fire to save soldiers' lives is to be given the animal equivalent of a Medal of Honor.

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