Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents, with great sadness, the Mystery Animal of the Day.

This animal known as the "cheetah of the sea" may be extinct in less than two years because it is literally being consumed into extinction.

It is the cheetah of the water because
"when chasing prey they travel at speeds that can exceed 70 kph"

Mama gnome marvels at how a fish that can grow as big as "4 metres in length and average around 250kg in weight" can still move that fast.

If you guessed the Mystery Animal is the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Mama gnome urges you to stop eating sushi or sashimi with this critically endangered animal as the ingredient.


photo from: OpenCage

According to a New York Times report:
On March 18, 2010 the United Nations Delegates at a United Nations conference on endangered species in Doha, Qatar, soundly defeated American-supported proposals on Thursday to ban international trade in bluefin tuna and to protect polar bears.


And just how dire is the situation for this fish? (Mama gnome has reported about the plight of the polar bears a few times before. But she will address the issue of worsening situation for polar bears on another post soon.)

According to this post:
With stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna down 75 percent due to the rapacious appetites of Japanese sushi lovers, the defeat of the proposal was a stunning setback for the Americans, Europeans and their conservationist allies who had hoped the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, would protect the fish.

Mama gnome doesn't even think we should call it "stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna" because "stocks" give you a false sense of security.

Forget stocks.

It's down to 25 percent of the previous population.

75 percent of the population has been eaten, consumed, wrapped in seaweed and served on a plate. They're gone.


Please watch this video from WWF


video from: wwfus

And here is a clip from the movie, "End of the Line"


video from: endofthelinemovie



If humans prize this fish so much, wouldn't it make more sense, a lot of sense, to conserve it?

It's like the whole world is on fish crack. Yes, fish crack.

Humans are so addicted to sushi or sashimi, this tuna is literally being eaten into extinction.

Why don't we allow this magnificent animal to recuperate its numbers instead of just unbridled consumerism?

Mama gnome urges you to participate in an intervention.

Stop this addiction and talk with your friends and family about the plight of the bluefin tuna.

Seriously reconsider what you order when you eat at sushi or seafood restaurants.

Please, help save the critically endangered bluefin tuna and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Earth Day 2010

Mama gnome told young gnomelets, "This coming Thursday will be Earth Day."

Older gnomelet said, "Mama, we need to make signs."

Yes, older gnomelet is Mama gnome's ecowarrior. She was Mama gnome's secret weapon against Plastic Bag Monster when Mama gnome took on Plastic Bag Monster on the 14th day of September in the year two thousand and nine.

This Thursday, September 22, 2010, will be the 40th year Anniversary of Earth Day.

Mama gnome and the gnome family will be wearing green, eating green and acting "green" on that day.

Green as in Eco-super-duper-nifty-sing-on-rolling-hills-green.

How can we be green on Earth Day?

Make it a meatless day.

Becoming vegetarian is one of the most significant acts to helping the environment.

According to this post:

"The United Nations have concluded that meat production is responsible for around 18% of global CO2 emissions. 5,214 gallons of water are required to produce a single pound of beef, and the EPA estimates that more than 27,000 miles of US rivers have been polluted by livestock waste. Individually, you could make a great deal of change by putting down the meat and going vegetarian."

Avoid driving if you can or limit the amount of driving you do.

Turn off all unnecessary lights and electric gadgets. The gnomelets are excited. Brushing their teeth and bedtime story are so much more interesting when it's by candlelight.

Please do not use plastic bottles, plastic bags or disposable plates, spoons, forks, napkins and other throw away products.
Plastic Bag Monster cannot wait to amass more minions to gather in landfills and in our oceans.

Plant something. Herbs in the kitchen, window box, a tree, flowers. Daddy gnome is going over plans for the gnome family's vegetable garden. Mama gnome will keep you posted on how this project is going.

Visit Earth Day Network.

Please watch this.




video from: JckSwan


Mama gnome wishes everyday is Earth Day.

Please make it so and Go Green!

(c)2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents with a shudder...the Mystery Animal of the Day

Older gnomelet asked..."Mama, what is the biggest spider in the whole world?"

And so for my curious gnomelet, Mama gnome presents the:

Goliath Bird-Eater Spider

photo by: universoarachnido.com


Goliath is an apt name for this tarantula for it can have a leg span of almost a foot long and inch long fangs.

They live in the rainforests of South America.

Though they are called bird-eaters, the Goliath Bird-eater's diet normally includes other insects, rodents, bats, lizards and "even deadly venomous snakes."

Tarantulas do have fangs but the venom is "relatively harmless and its effects are comparable to a wasp's sting."

But if you are like Mama gnome, would you really want to test this fact?

So here are warning signs for you to heed if you ever want to go exploring in a rainforest in South America.

If you hear a "hissing sound," do not be like a human from B horror movies and say, "What is that sound?" and go and investigate.

It is much more prudent for you to walk the other way for the hissing sound may be from a Goliath Bird-eater Spider that has been disturbed and is now rubbing the bristles on its legs together to warn off other animals.

Another thing to watch out for is if the spider aims its abdomen towards you. It might start to flick off its urticating hairs from its abdomen towards you.

Mama gnome urges you to duck and cover your face because the bristle hairs can irritate your eyes, skin and lungs. "They've been reported to feel like shards of fiberglass."

Now that Mama gnome has given you all sorts of warnings, here is something else to remember "tarantulas generally bite humans only in self-defense." So leave them alone and they will leave you alone.

And as it turns out just like Mama gnome, these spiders have "poor eyesight and mainly relies on vibrations in the ground that it can sense from its burrow."

One difference is Mama gnome mainly relies on her sense of smell and can usually find her way to the gnome house by the smell of baking cookies.

Here is the Goliath Bird-eater Spider

video from: NationalGeographic

But here's something you might not be aware of...just like the endangered jaguar of the Amazon rainforest, there are also species of spiders that are endangered or threatened.

According to the IUCN red list some of them are:

• Parambikulam Large Burrowing Spider: Endangered
• Finely Formed Parachute Spider: Endangered
• Rameshwaram Parachute Spider: Critically Endangered
• Peacock Parachute Spider: Critically Endangered
• Wonderful Parachute Spider: Endangered
• Reddish Parachute Spider: Endangered

And these are just from the Tarantula family, Mama gnome did not even list the other species of spiders that are also endangered.

The culprits for the spiders' critically decreasing population are:

"Loss of habitat, severe fragmentation and indiscriminate collection by pet traders"

Mama gnome urges humans to help protect these creatures as well.

They deserve a good home just like gnomes and humans do and they belong in the rainforest not in a glass or plastic container.

Now don't make Mama gnome start hissing and directing her hairy legs at you for some "urtication."

That would not be a pretty sight. It will indeed irritate your eyes.

So leave Mama gnome and Goliath Bird-eater spiders in their burrows alone and Go Green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Where's An Eco-Super Hero When You Need One?

Mama gnome donned her pointy hat and green cape. She raised her arms up towards the sky and flew like a majestic Philippine Eagle ...thud
Mama gnome fell on the wooden floor of the gnome house, her housecoat tucked around her like a wilted cape.

"You alright, Mama gnome?" asked Daddy gnome.

"Uh...think so. I dreamt I was saving Planet Earth, that's all."

Mama gnome shook her head because no matter how hard she tries, she doesn't have super powers to save planet Earth.

And Earth needs an Eco-Super Hero now more than ever.

Last Saturday, April 3rd a Chinese ship ran aground into Douglas Shoals, part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park of Australia, one of the most delicate marine environments and is supposed to be protected.

According to this report, "The ship hit the reef at full speed, nine miles (15 kilometers) outside the shipping lane."

The Chinese ship, Shen Neng 1, was transporting 72,000 tons of coal from Gladstone, Australia back to China. The coal freighter was also carrying 1,075 tons of engine fuel.

It's reported that Shen Neng 1 "has at least one punctured fuel tank."

Operations are underway to stabilize the vessel and unload the fuel.

But from this picture, you can see the long oil slick trailing from the vessel.


photo from whitealley

The oil slick was reported to be 3 km long.


video from current

The Australian reports this disaster has the "potential to become one of Australia's worst environmental disasters."

And Mama gnome would like to add, indeed one of planet Earth's worst environmental disasters.

Mama gnome looks down at her short gnome legs and arms. She can't fly and she doesn't have super strength. She's at a loss.

Where's an Eco-Super Hero when you need one?

Right now, the eco-heroes are the humans working to clean up the oil slicks and prevent further leaks into the waters.

But human action is needed to prevent future accidents like this from happening.

Please help save planet Earth in your own way, do something which has the potential to be help save this planet, and Go Green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog