Mystery Animal of the Day

With woeful heart, Mama gnome relates this Mystery Animal is endangered and according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this animal is "believed to have undergone a decline exceeding 50% over the past 30 years (approximately three generations)."

It is one of the smallest marine mammals and one of the cleverest as well for it is quite adept at using rocks to crack open its favorite meal, the sea urchin.

Unlike other marine mammals which have blubber for protection, this animal relies on its very dense fur for warmth and repelling water.

It is also undoubtedly one of the cutest animals Mama gnome had ever seen up close.

If you guessed sea otter as the Mystery Animal, Mama gnome gives you a big hug and invites you to join her in the annual International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 21, 2013.
 
 photo by : Mike Baird

An adult sea otter can grow up to 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 10 in to 4 ft 10 in) in length and weigh from 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb).

Its fur is usually brown but can also range from yellowish brown to almost black.

The sea otter sheds its fur gradually all year allowing the animal to maintain its thick fur which is vital for survival in the cold ocean waters.

The sea otter has a thick, somewhat flat tail which helps propel it in the water.

The otter can swim up to 5.6 mph or 9 km per hour. When it swims underwater it keeps its body long and streamlined and while above water it usually floats on its back quite easily, thanks to the the trapped air in its thick fur, making it very buoyant.

Besides its power of buoyancy and cuteness, sea otters are vital for maintaining kelp forest ecosystems.

Without sea otters, sea urchins population will grow rampant and what is bad about this?

Sea urchins eat the root systems of kelp forests so if the otters are not there to keep them in check, sea urchins will thrive and eventually kill the kelp forests leading to urchin barrens.

Here is a video of sea otters working hard to save our kelp forests.

 

video by: BBC

Sea otters' population is decreasing. They are threatened by oil spills, predators, disease, and conflict with fisheries.

Mama gnome would like to float in the ocean, buoyed up by her gnomish folds, bang on a rock just for the heck of it, and say, please help our sea otters continue to thrive and live in our kelp forests.

Please help in your own human way every day and stay green.

(c) friendlygnome.blogspot.com

Mystery Animal of the Day

It has been a while since young gnomelets have seen a Mystery Animal and so Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day.

This animal feeds with its beak upside down. It is especially adapted to filter feed on blue green algae and very tiny shrimp.

To the ancient Egyptians, this bird was the living representation of the god Ra.

This animal is able to stand on one leg most of the time while it displays its bright plumage ranging from pink to bright red.

If you had guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the flamingo, Mama gnome congratulates you and reminds you, Earth Day is coming up on April 22, 2012.

photo by: LadyofHats

There are six species of flamingos.
First, the Greater Flamingos which are found in Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Second are the Lesser Flamingos which are found in Africa and India. The Lesser Flamingo has the biggest population of all flamingos.
Third are the James's Flamingos found in the High Andes in Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.
Fourth are the Andean Flamingos also found in the High Andes of Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.
Fifth are the Chilean Flamingos found in the temperate areas of South America.
Sixth are the American Flamingos found in the Caribbean and Galapagos islands.

Flamingos spend a lot of time standing on one leg and it has been proposed by scientists that they do this to conserve body heat or regulate their body temperature especially when they are standing in water.

"The Asian and southern African populations are partially migratory, with many making regular movements from their breeding sites inland to coastal wetlands when not breeding."

Flamingos are obligate filter feeder and they feed mainly during the night or early morning when the water is relatively calm. They filter the mud and water to feed on algae near the surface.

One cool thing, Mama gnome was excited to learn about, is that flamingos will form a large feeding flock to "create calm water for feeding near the center of the flock." Because of their very precise diet of mostly blue-green algae, they feed in alkaline lakes, salt pans, and saline lagoons, and estuaries.

Baby flamingos are born with gray plumage which change color as they grow older because of their diet.

Flamingos are social birds and live in colonies in thousands which help protect them from predators and to facilitate feeding.

Here is a beautiful video by BBCWorldwide:



According to the IUCN, flamingos' main breeding sites in Africa "are threatened by proposed soda-ash mining and hydro-electric power schemes."

Flamingos are also threatened by "land-claim, water pollution, and disturbance, and there are fears that the population at Lake Bogoria is suffering from malnutrition."

Andean flamingos are threatened by "egg collecting...with thousands taken annually, mining activities, unfavourable water-levels (owing to weather and manipulation), erosion of nest-sites and human disturbance may also affect productivity."

A few years ago, thousands of flamingos were dying along the lakes of Kenya and Tanzania. Researchers said possible causes included "avian cholera, botulism, metal pollution, pesticides or poisonous bacteria."

Mama gnome and gnomelets were terribly saddened by this. It was enough for the gnome family to see red...not pink!

Mama gnome asks you to do your part to help save flamingos and other marine animals and birds by participating in the annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

Please help save flamingos and paint the landscape pink by going green.
(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Elephant Killed by CEO

Mama gnome has spoken about the elephants' plight numerous times.

They are threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting and trade.

Despite the ban on ivory trade, poachers continue to slaughter elephants at terrible rate.

According to this post, Robbie Marsland, director of IFAW UK (International Fund for Animal Welfare), has stated:

"This alarming level of illegal hunting could drive the African elephant to extinction across much of Africa in just 15 years."

So it is quite deplorable to read about GoDAddy CEO Rob Parsons going on an elephant hunt and he proudly showed it off on video.

Mama gnome didn't want to watch the video.

Mama gnome was even more rankled to read that this CEO goes on an elephant killing spree every year!

Mama gnome urges you to close your account with this CEO's company and transfer to another company.

Maybe consider its rival company, which has raised over $20,000 for Save the Elephants.

Please visit Save the Elephants and read statements by Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of Zimbabwe's Conservation Task Force to AOL News.

Here is a photo of an elephant in Namibia.

It is a fortunate animal because it was not the one shot by Bob Parsons.

photo by: Ikiwaner

Please boycott Bob Parsons and his company.

Please help save the elephants and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

A few days ago, older gnomelet asked, "Mama, can you do a new Mystery animal?"

So on special request by older gnomelet, Mama gnome presents,

"Mystery Animal of the Day."

This animal is a true vegetarian, a creature after Mama gnome's own heart.

It noshes on seagrass all day.

It is shy and unassuming and part of its mystique has led to myths of mermaids and sirens of the deep.

Yes, it has the tail befitting a mermaid and a face befitting a gentle elephant with a short trunk for its closest land relative is the elephant.

If you've guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the manatee, please don't forget to

celebrate Earth Day this April 22, 2011 and participate in A Billion Acts of Green.

West Indian Manatee

photo by: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey

Manatees are sirenians or sea cows. Dugongs are also sirenians.

Manatees can grow up to 3 meters or 13 feet in length. They can weigh up to 600 kilograms or 1300 pounds. They use their large upper lip to eat and gather food. Their tail is paddle shaped.

There are three species of manatees: the Amazonian manatee, West African manatee, and West Indian manatee.

All three species are listed vulnerable by IUCN with threats "due primarily to ongoing levels of hunting, sometimes involving new and sophisticated techniques, coupled with increasing incidental calf mortality, climate change and habitat loss and degradation."


The main threat to the Amazonian manatee is illegal hunting. Poachers use nets and harpoons to kill these gentle seacows. The Amazonian manatees are also threatened by
deforestation and contamination of their habitat by mercury, oil, pesticides, and gold mining. Hydroelectric dams are also a significant threat and Brazil for one has planned 400 dams.


The subspecies of the West Indian manatees: the Florida manatees and Antillean manatees are listed as Endangered by IUCN.

Mama gnome doesn't understand why they wouldn't just list the West Indian manatees as endangered when the two subspecies are endangered with less than 2,500 mature individuals and the trend for the population is 20% decline over the next 40 years.

Let's just say it, these animals ARE ENDANGERED.

They are endangered because of watercraft collisions.

"Watercraft collisions are the single greatest cause of human-related mortality."

"In 2005, there were over one million registered vessels in Florida."

If the injured manatees are not killed they are severely mutilated and have a poor chance of survival.

The West Indian manatees are also threatened by loss of habitat,"entanglement (in fishing gear or debris), entrapment in water-control structures and pipes, exposure to contaminants, incidental ingestion of debris, and crushing (in flood-control structures, in canal locks, or between large ships and docks."

In addition to man-made threats, West Indian manatees also face natural threats including red tide, hurricanes, and prolonged periods of cold weather.

West African manatees are found along the warm coastal waters of Africa, and in major rivers and lakes of West and Central Africa.

Poaching is the primary threat to West African manatees. Even though they are "protected", "Manatee meat is openly sold in local markets."

According to IUCN other threats include habitat loss because of "damming of rivers, cutting of mangroves for firewood and destruction of wetlands for agricultural development."
Manatees have been caught up in the turbines with reports of as many as six manatee killed at one time below Kainjii dam, Nigeria.


video by: BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome would like to eat sea grass with a vengeance, flip her large paddle shaped tail and swim after terrible humans who drive their huge speedy boats without remorse killing and maiming gentle sirenians of the deep.

Please be part of the sea cow army and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Young gnomelets have kept Mama gnome very occupied.

And it is the older gnomelet who asked, "Mama, how come you don't have a new Mystery Animal?"

And so sheepishly, Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day.

This animal has the "strongest bite per unit body mass of any living mammal."

It is a marsupial, a relative of the kangaroo.

But unlike the kangaroo who is a herbivore, this Mystery Animal is carnivorous.

It feeds on carrion and preys on small mammals to a small kangaroo, wombats, birds, fish, frogs, reptiles, fruit.

It's a very noisy eater...so noisy...thus contributing to how it was named...the little devil.

If you've guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the Tasmanian Devil, Mama gnome would like to congratulate you and she hopes you will participate in A Billion Acts of Green, Earth Day 2011 on April 22, 2011.

Tasmanian Devil at Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria, Australia.

photo by: arndbergmann

The Tasmanian Devil is found in Tasmania, Australia's island and state.

It has a large head and neck. It has black fur and usually white patches on its chest and lower back. It's stocky and muscular.

It has a keen smell and is also described as having a "pungent smell."

The name Tasmanian Devil has a long history.

Mama gnome will not recount all the names but to give you an idea as to how this animal was named Tasmanian Devil...here it goes...

First named in 1807 Didelphis ursina, "meatloving bear."

Then later also renamed Sarcophilus harrisii,"Harris's meat lover."

Then "Beelzebub's pup was an early vernacular name given to it by the explorers of Tasmania, in reference to a religious deity who is a prince of hell and an assistant of Satan."

Other names used were Sarcophilus satanicus "Satanic meatlover" and Diabolus ursinus "diabolical bear."

Mama gnome would like to rename them as "Poor animalus creaturus name-mes just because it likes to eat loud-es and a eat a lot-es."

The Tasmanian Devil is an endangered animal.

According to the IUCN, its population has decreased by more than 60% in the last ten years.

One of the major threats to this animal is a terrible infectious cancer called the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD).

The disease is spread between animals especially during the mating season and when they are feeding because of injurious biting.

DFTD is an "aggressive non-viral transmissible parasitic cancer" and the afflicted animal develops lesions and lumps around the mouth which spread to the rest of its body.

The animal is unable to feed and dies of starvation.

Another threat to the Tasmanian Devil is the red fox which was illegally introduced to Tasmania
for reasons including fox hunting which is another terrible crime. (And Mama gnome talks about fox hunting in detail here, another Mystery Animal.)

According to IUCN, other threats to the Tasmanian Devil is being killed on the roads by vehicles, being killed by dogs, and from persecution.

Persecution according to IUCN:

"Through the 1980s and 1990s, systematic poisoning in many sheep-growing areas (particularly fine-wool with its reliance on merinos) was widespread and probably killed in excess of 5000 devils per year (N. Mooney unpubl., from interviews with landowners). In the 1990s, control permits were occasionally issued to individuals who were able to argue that Tasmanian Devils were pests (e.g. killing valuable lambs)."




video from: NationalGeographic


Please read about the Tasmanian Devil's plight and visit WWF and also Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.

Mama gnome would now screech loudly, change her name to Gnomeus Eat-A-Lot-es-chocolate-us, and nip terrible humans who poison the Tasmanian Devil.

Please be the loud devil-may-care human in the planet and go green.

(c) 2009-2011 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day

This animal is known for its stripes.

Of its three species, two are listed as endangered and vulnerable because of threats from hunters and habitat destruction, climate change, and farming.

One subspecies, "the quagga, has been hunted to extinction for meat, hides, and to preserve feed for domesticated stock."

Here is a picture of the extinct quagga:


Photo: F. York, London, Regent's Park ZOO, 1870

If you guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the ZEBRA... Mama gnome wants to invite you to the International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 25, 2010.

Please visit Ocean Conservancy to see where you can participate or you can start your own cleanup project and register it at their website.


Zebras are found in Africa. Their habitats vary from Africa's mountains, grasslands and savannas, woodlands, coastal hill, and thorny scrublands.

Zebras "are very adaptable grazers." Their diet include: short or long grasses, shrubs, bark and leaves.

Zebras are "pioneers and will be the first to enter tall or wet pastures. Wildebeests and gazelle follow once the zebras have trampled and clipped the vegetation shorter."

There are three species of zebra:

• the plains zebra
• Grevy's Zebra
• mountain zebra

Here is a picture of a plains zebra in Tanzania.


photo by: Muhammad Mahdi Karim (www.micro2macro.net)

The plains zebras have the more stable population out of the three species. But they are also threatened by poachers, habitat destruction and farming.


Here is a picture of an endangered Grevy's zebra:


photo by Mara 1

The Grevy's zebra is the largest species of zebra. It has large ears and narrower stripes. It is listed endangered by IUCN. The Grevy's zebras are threatened by: hunters who profit from the zebras' skins, habitat destruction and by climate change causing severe drought and the disappearance of their watering holes.


Increased farming land and fencing threaten all zebras, limiting or restricting their access to watering holes.

Here is a picture of a mountain zebra resting in the sun in Louisville Zoo:


photo by: Ltshears - Trisha M Shears

Zebras are also threatened by wars.

"Recent civil wars in Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda have caused dramatic declines in all wildlife populations, including those of plains zebra. It is now extinct in Burundi. Civil war in Angola during much of the past 25 years has devastated its wildlife populations, including its once-abundant plains zebra, and destroyed the national parks administration and infrastructure."


Here is a video of a Grevy's zebra:


video from: BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome would like to don her striped camouflage, hide behind tall grasses and stun poachers and hunters who hunt down these beautiful animals with wild braying, neighing and whinnying.

Please help save our Mystery Animal of the Day, the endangered zebras, and go green.
(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day

The Mystery Animal is threatened by the Gulf Coast Oil Monster

This animal is "especially vulnerable to oil. Not only could they eat tainted fish and feed it to their young, but they could die of hypothermia or drowning if they're soaked in oil."


If you guessed the Mystery Animal is the Brown Pelican, Mama gnome hopes if you go fishing, please be responsible for your fishing lines. Birds become entangled, maimed and killed because of fishing lines.


photo from: Ianare Sevi


The Brown Pelican "is the only dark pelican, and also the only one that plunges from the air into the water to catch its food."

They can dive from as high as 60 feet.

Pelicans have a pouch on their throat. It's the gular pouch which can hold three gallons of water and fish.


It's a myth that the Brown Pelican can go blind from diving for food.

What is true?

This animal can go blind from avian botulism
"Avian botulism, caused by eating diseased fish found in "dead" water (overly warm water devoid of oxygen), wrecks havoc on water bird populations, killing up to 50,000 per year. Not only does the botulism cause blindness, it can also bring about paralysis so severe that the pelicans cannot hold their heads up and thus drown."

Pelicans can also go blind from chemical spills which can burn their eyes and sewage which can cause infection.

Mama gnome was also upset to read this:

"Pelican rehabilitation facility statistics in Florida show that 90% of pelicans under care suffer from injuries sustained by entanglement in fishing lines, nets, and hooks. Experts believe that at some point in a pelican's life, 80% will become entangled either in an active line or in discarded line thrown thoughtlessly into the sea."

The Beatles have this beautiful song "Free as a Bird" and Mama gnome is quite sad to realize that birds are not free, they do not have a free life thanks to humans and their pollution, oil and fishing lines.

Here is a video of a Brown Pelican being washed and cleaned to get oil and pollutants off its feathers.


video from: SavingSeabirds

Please see and hear the beautiful birds of the Gulf Coast in peril because of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster


video from LabofOrnithology


Mama gnome hopes you can do one or more things from this list to help the Brown Pelican and other birds

• Please bring your own reusable bags when shopping. Avoid plastic bags or paper bags like the plague. Tons of plastic bags end up in our waterways into the oceans and become part of Plastic Bag Monster minions entangling, killing millions of marine birds every year.
• Please use your own reusable stainless water bottle. Avoid plastic bottles for they are also Plastic Bag Monster's favorite minions which kill marine animals and birds.
• Please do not discard used oil down the driveway. It ends up in the storm drains and all drains lead to....yup, the ocean. Presto, they create their own Oil Monsters in our oceans. So please discard oil responsibly.
• Please visit the site American Bird Conservancy and allaboutbirds.org
• Please participate in the Annual Coastal Cleanup Day as Mama gnome and young gnomelets do. It's an international event and it's on the third Saturday of September every year. You will help save countless marine animals and birds from plastic and trash.
  

Mama gnome would like to preen and clean her feathers, then she will soar into the sky and dive bomb to snap up Oily Petroleum humans who create Oil Monsters.

Please join Mama gnome and help protect our birds...and go Green!

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

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

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

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day

It is the largest predatory fish and found in all the coastal waters of our oceans.

It can grow up to twenty feet or over six meters and weigh over 4,000 pounds or 2,200 kilograms.

Mama gnome is saddened by this recent post stating this animal is

"now more endangered than tigers with fewer than 3,500 left in the oceans..."

If you've guessed the Mystery Animal is the Great White Shark, Mama gnome urges you to bring your own reusable bags to stores instead of using the flimsy plastic bags because a lot of them end up in our waterways and oceans killing marine birds and animals.


Photo by Terry Goss, copyright 2006


The great white shark is grey with a white underbelly thus they are named great white.

All sharks including the great white possess special sensing organs that

"enable them to detect the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals. Every time a living creature moves it generates an electrical field and great whites are so sensitive they can detect half a billionth of a volt."

Mama gnome is in awe of this magnificent creature and agrees this animal deserves our respect.

And as someone much shorter than humans she is surprised to read:

Despite their grisly public image from the movie Jaws, great whites rarely eat people, finding them too bony for their digestive systems.
Each year they are responsible for five to 10 attacks on people.Some shark experts say attacks on people are usually accidental - with the creatures mistaking people for seals.

Great whites find humans "too bony for their digestive systems." How about that?

And who really is the predator? Man or shark?

With millions of sharks killed every year for soup, shark fin soup, I think sharks have more to fear than humans.




video from: BBCEarth

Great white sharks are now more endangered than tigers.

Great whites are endangered by hunting and overfishing.

Can you imagine our planet without tigers or lions?

It would also be hard to imagine our oceans without these magnificent sharks.

They play a vital role in our ocean's ecosystem.

Please help by supporting the Shark Conservation Act

Boycott restaurants who serve shark fin soup.

Do you really need to buy that trinket with the shark's tooth?

Please help detect electromagnetic fields emitted by heartless humans who trade in shark products and give them a mouthful of spirited words to educate them about their actions and the plight of the great white sharks.

Swim against the tide and Go Green!

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

With heavy heart, Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day, for it is considered the most endangered of all the largest mammals in the world.

The IUCN lists this animal as critically endangered with "less than 50 mature individuals" in the wild.

None exists in a zoo. This animal does not fare well in captivity.

Poachers are the main culprit because this animal's horn and other body parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine even though it is illegal.

If you guessed the Mystery Animal is the Javan Rhinoceros, Mama gnome wants to shake your hand and she urges you to educate your friends and family about the terrible fate this animal faces because of poachers and people who illegally buy and sell them for "medicinal purposes."

Here is a rare picture of a Javan Rhinoceros in the wild taken by Alain Compost in 1980.


photo by Alain Compost from rhinoresourcecenter.com


The Javan Rhinos live in "protected" areas in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia and in Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam.

Mama gnome placed the word protected in quotes because Javan rhinos continue to be threatened by poachers in these areas. They are also vulnerable to diseases and problems with inbreeding because of their low numbers.

The Javan rhino has a single horn. This animal is smaller than the Indian Rhinoceros. The Javan rhino's hide is gray, thick and has folds, giving it the appearance of armor. Rhinos have poor eyesight but they have very keen hearing and sense of smell.

The Javan Rhino is a herbivore and feeds on fallen fruit, shoots and twigs. It is usually a solitary animal except for mothers with their calves and during breeding.

They estimate only five to ten Javan Rhinos are in Vietnam and these individuals have stopped reproducing many years ago.

Mama gnome was quite fascinated to learn, there once were Wooly Rhinos, just like there were Wooly Mammoths.

Here is an illustration of the extinct Wooly Rhinoceros.

photo from: Charles R. Knight, H. Osborn, 'Men of the Old Stone Age'

Wooly rhinos are gone and Javan rhinos may soon disappear.

And this time man is directly responsible for this.

Please help save the Javan Rhinos and prevent them from becoming extinct.

What can we possibly do to help?

Educate other people about this animal and the terrible effects poaching has inflicted on their entire population.

Visit WWF and the International Rhino Foundation.

Report businesses and people who trade on Javan Rhino horns and body parts. It is illegal. It has been illegal since 1975.

Here is a rare video of Javan Rhinos in Ujong Kulon National Park taken by remote-sensing camera:


video by: DiscoveryNetworks


These animals are on the brink of extinction. Please help the Javan Rhinos and all the other rhinos who suffer the same fate.

Just like a rhino, Mama gnome has poor eyesight. But she has a keen nose and multiple folds in her skin. She will use her armor like folds and pointy hat to ward off poachers.

Become part of Mama gnome's rhino protecting team and Go Green.

(c) 2009-2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome is proud to present the Mystery Animal of the Day

This mystery animal is a mammal with mostly reddish brown fur, with color variations ranging from silver to black to "patterning" in their fur.

This animal is native to North America, Africa and Eurasia. It is also found in the United Kingdom and Ireland and was introduced in Australia for the "sport of hunting."

This mystery animal is featured extensively in children's literature portraying characters who are resourceful, sly or "foxy."

If you guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the Red Fox

Mama gnome congratulates you and asks,

"Maybe you can read a book to a child and it might just even have a fox in it?"


photo by Malene Thyssen


Red foxes are remarkable animals, able to adapt to different environments from mountains, forests, deserts, farms and suburban areas.

Their diet range from vegetables, fruits like apples and plums, rabbits, fish, worms, mice and they may also scavenge food from trash and pet food.

They generally hunt alone and extra food are buried and hidden in separate areas. The red fox hides food in small portions thus avoiding the risk of losing all of the stored food if found by another animal.

The red fox is burdened with the fate of "fox hunting."

The red fox was introduced into Australia specifically for "recreational hunting" around 1850.

"Fox hunting with hounds" continues to be practised in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Russia, India and France.

The passage of the Hunting Act of 2004 made the sport of fox hunting with dogs illegal in
England and Wales. Scotland banned foxhunting in 2002.

But Mama gnome wants to clarify, even though the "sport" of fox hunting with dogs was made illegal in these countries, fox hunts continue.

And what's worse is "widespread" illegal fox hunting reportedly continues.

Mama gnome wants to know who really is the wily and cunning creature?

The red fox or the people who continue to hunt this animal for "sport"?

As though that is not enough, the red fox is also burdened by the fur industry.

"Red foxes are among the most commonly bred animals in fur farms, along with the American Minks."

"Today silver fox is traditionally used for collars and cuffs, wraps and stoles, while common Red fox fur is used for trimming and for full fur garments."

Remind Mama gnome again...who is the cunning, conniving, wily villain in the picture book?

The red fox being chased by dozens of dogs into her den with her babies?

Or the red fox stuck in a cage to be skinned so a woman can have trimmings on her coat?

Please watch this beautiful red fox in the Yellowstone National Park.





video by: PBS

Mama gnome urges you to boycott business who sell fur and fur products.

And even faux fur is sometimes mislabeled.

You think you're wearing something "ecofriendly" but it might just be real fur so don't even take a chance.

Educate your family and friends about the plight of the red fox.

Support bans on fur farming.

During this holiday season, wear a coat that will warm you to the core of your heart,

give a truly remarkable gift...and Go Green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome hungs her head low and wrings her hands together for the

Mystery Animal of the Day is predicted to be extinct in fifteen years. Not fifty, but 15 years.

This magnificent animal roams in Africa. It is the largest land animal. Its tusks are actually teeth, tusks developed from its second set of incisors.

And it is because of these tusks, that this animal will disappear from Africa in fifteen years.

If you guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the African Elephant,
Mama gnome urges you to visit the websites for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and WWF to read up about the plight of African elephants and other animals and see how you can help.
photo from wikipedia.org

The African Elephant is being wiped out by man because of the ivory trade.

According to IFAW:

"Despite ivory trade being banned 20 years ago, a shocking 104 elephants are still being killed every day for their tusks. This alarming level of illegal hunting could drive the African elephant to extinction across much of the continent in just 15 years."

According to this report:
In 2005 there were 3,885 elephants in Chad's Zakouma National Park. But in 2009 there were only 617. "At least 11 rangers were killed by poachers there over the same period."

So elephants and people are being killed by poachers.

But what exactly will happen if Africa loses all of her elephants?

As it stands, Africa will lose a lot more because African elephants play a vital role in Africa's biodiversity.

According to WWF, elephants help "...maintain suitable habitats for many other species in savanna and forest ecosystems."

Mama gnome nods her head and understands your question for she herself didn't understand just how important elephants are.

WWF states:

"Elephants directly influence forest composition and density, and can alter the broader landscape.

In tropical forests, elephants create clearings and gaps in the canopy that encourage tree regeneration.

In the savannas, they can reduce bush cover to create an environment favorable to a mix of browsing and grazing animals.

Many plant species also have evolved seeds that are dependent on passing through an elephant's digestive tract before they can germinate;

it is calculated that at least a third of tree species in west African forests rely on elephants in this way for distribution of their future generations."

video by: BBCWorldwide


This video shows an orphaned elephant mourning the death of her mother while keepers at an elephant reserve try to take care of her.


video from BBCWorldwide


More than 100 elephants are killed by poachers every day. More than 100.

How many baby elephants are left orphaned or left to die without their mothers?

All these for ivory.

Where are ivories used? Anywhere from pipes, dagger handles, decorations, sculptures, religious figurines or images. For knick-knacks.

Mama gnome is horrified to discover ivory products were being sold even on eBay up until 2008. That's right. You read that correctly. And only because of pressure from IFAW, eBay finally resolved to ban sales of ivory products in 2009.

Mama gnome urges everyone who reads this blog to educate their friends, family, coworkers, even strangers about the plight of African elephants and how ivory trade is literally decimating hundreds of elephants every...single...day.

Mama gnome says, "Please be one with the herd, join Mama elephant and Go Green."

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents:

Mystery Animal of the Day

It is the largest "arboreal" animal, an animal that lives primarily in trees.

Its hands are similar to human hands with four fingers and an opposable thumb.

This animal is mostly covered with reddish brown hair.

If you guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is: ORANGUTAN,

Mama gnome shakes your hand with her gnomish hand which also possesses an opposable thumb and she says,

"100% postconsumer paper is one of the best things in the world because it helps to save our forests."


photo from: Oliver Spalt

Orangutans are found in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists the Sumatran orangutan as critically endangered and the Bornean orangutan as endangered.

Orangutans are in dire...yes, dire straits. According to IUCN:

This species is seriously threatened by logging (both legal and illegal), wholesale conversion of forest to agricultural land and oil palm plantations, and fragmentation by roads.

Animals are also illegally hunted and captured for the international pet trade but this appears to be more a symptom of habitat conversion, as orangutans are killed as pests when they raid fruit crops at the forest edge..."

This video is a snippet showing orphan orangutans rescued.


video from: BBCWorldwide

Yes, Mama gnome also has trouble wrapping her mind around this disturbing truth:
Orangutan mothers are killed (either shot down or hacked with machetes) by poachers to take
the baby orangutans to be sold in the black market as pets.

Do the people who paid to have an orangutan pet realize they paid to kill mother orangutans?


The Malay word 'orang utan' translates to "man of the forest."

"In 1994, Carel van Schaik of Duke University became the first anthropologist to document the use of tools among wild orangutans." He observed orangutans in the wild used tools and that this skill was social or "cultural" meaning it was learned by orangutans from watching other orangutans within their group.

An example van Schaik cited was how orangutans extracted seeds from a favorite local fruit "puwin." Puwin is covered with fine hairs as sharp as "plexiglass needles" according to van Schaik. To avoid being hurt or jabbed by the needle like hairs on the fruit, orangutans insert a fine stick inside the fruit to obtain the seeds without handling the puwin directly.

But if you watch this video you will be even more amazed at just how intelligent orangutans are.


video from: BBCEarth

What exactly is the impact of losing the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra? Is it equivalent to just losing the orangutans, the "people of the forest"?

No. The scope of the devastation goes beyond that. According to the WWF:

"The rate of deforestation in Indonesia is among the worst globally, with a staggering 80 percent of the nation's wood supplies thought to come from illegal sources, including nature reserves and other protected areas."

Mama gnome wants to reiterate: 80% of timber comes from illegal logging. Trees supposedly in protected areas and nature reserves are under no protection at all.

WWF also states:

"Conversion of forests into palm oil plantations has been shown to result in the loss of 80-100 percent of the mammal, reptile and bird species in the area."

"...Indonesia accounts for more than 14 percent of global deforestation. This represents almost half of the total global carbon emissions from deforestation and land degradation — almost twice as much as Brazil (the second-largest producer of greenhouse gases from land conversion), and more than three times Malaysia (the third largest)."

"Indonesia ranks fourth in the world in terms of total carbon emissions — behind the U.S., the European Union and China, and ahead of Brazil. Deforestation and forest degradation account for more than 83 percent of Indonesia's carbon emissions."

They are literally destroying rainforests and consequently contributing to global warming in pursuit of financial profit.

What can we do to help the orangutans and other species lost by rainforest destruction?

• Use papers that are made from postconsumer waste. If it's 100% postconsumer waste, that's one hundred percent even better.
• Recycle paper such as junk mail, shredded paper, telephone books, magazines you cannot donate to the library, your old school notes.
• Instead of using paper towels or paper napkins use cloth napkins, cloth rags, old shirts reused as rags. You'll save money as well as save trees.
• Support reforestation efforts.
• Give eco-friendly cards such as these from Arborday.org.
  
• Look for Fair Trade Certified labeling on products such as coffee, chocolate, tea, fruit, sugar and rice when shopping. They endorse products obtained through sustainable practices.

Mama gnome now feels like living in a tree for a while and if she spots illegal loggers trespassing in her forest she will hurl spiky puwin fruits at them to protect her baby and her trees.

If they persist to cut down trees despite being jabbed by the puwin fruit, Mama gnome will use her handy-dandy opposable thumbs and show them the way out of the rainforest, the fastest way out of the rainforest.

Mama gnome hopes you've enjoyed learning about the Mystery Animal of the Day.

In the meantime, please make your opposable thumbs equally handy in the tricky human world full of gadgets and tools and

Go Green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the

Mystery Animal of the Day

It is "the rarest member of the bear family and among the world’s most threatened animals."

This animal has distinct black patches over its eyes, ears and body.

It possesses dangerous levels of cuteness, making anyone susceptible to its charm.

Anyone who looks at it is prone to saying, "Awwww...So cute."



If you guess the Mystery Animal is Giant Panda, Mama gnome wants to give you a giant panda bear hug.

Here is a 7 month old Panda cub from the Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China

photo from: Sheila Lau

Do you not see the overwhelming power of its cuteness?

The Giant Panda has been the World Wild Fund for Nature's symbol since WWF was established in 1961.

Because of habitat loss from logging and farming,the panda's territory has shrunk to a few mountain ranges in south China. A long time ago when it was a greener Earth, this bear once roamed as far as Myanmar and Vietnam.

IUCN categorizes it as endangered. IUCN reports: "Results from the most recent survey, coordinated by the State Forestry Administration (SFA) of China and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), indicated a total population of ~1600 individuals."

The Giant Panda's diet is 99% bamboo. According to this report, the panda consumes as much as twenty to thirty pounds of bamboo a day. Apparently, the panda's round face and rotund body is adaptation to its mainly vegetarian diet and resulting low metabolism.

Mama gnome recognizes increased kinship with the panda for she herself has similar adaptations of a round face and rotund body from mostly peanut butter diet. Granted, she is not as cute as this animal, but the rotund part she has down pat.

Unlike other temperate bears, the Giant Panda does not hibernate. During winter, it moves down to lower elevations to find bamboo and take cover in crevices, trees and caves.

Pandas are protected by the Chinese government and efforts continue to increase their numbers. The State Forestry Administration (SFA) of China and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) work together to improve the panda's population and habitat.

Forest reserves for this animal were started in 1963. In 1990 there were 13 panda reserves. There are now over 50 panda reserves according to the WWF.

Yet the Giant Panda continues to be endangered because of deforestation, habitat loss and fragmentation, and poaching.


And here is the Giant Panda in action. Prepare yourself.



video from BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome now feels like rolling around, munching on leaves, staking her territory against poachers and illegal loggers.

If she meets any such unseemly humans she will radiate panda cuteness on them to ultra power intensity and the hapless humans will run away, run away in shame...

Mama gnome hopes you've enjoyed learning about the Giant Panda.

Please visit her garden soon for the next Mystery Animal of the Day.

In the meantime, munch on edible leaves, stake your claim on Mother Earth and go Green!

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Species Decimating Killer Soup

Mama gnome wonders, "Just how many sharks are killed every year just so humans can eat shark fin soup?"

How about 100,000 sharks?

Nope, try higher.

Okay, 400,000?

Try again.

Alright, if you're going to be smart alecky about it, I'll say a million sharks?

Nice try. But still wrong.

The answer is anywhere from 10 to 100 million sharks, with a median average of 38 million sharks.

Yes, I'm-deadly-serious-look-me- straight-in-the-eye millions of sharks a year are mutilated and slaughtered just so people can have their soup.

Photograph by Laurent Fievet/AFP/Getty Images

"Sharks existed before there were dinosaurs and they pre-date humans by millions of years. Yet, in a relatively short period of time, humans and their technological arsenal have driven most shark populations to the verge of extinction."

And just to be insanely 'consumeristic' and wasteful, some creatures posing as humans...

Mama gnome describes them so because she cannot imagine anything more inhumane...

...these so called humans deliberately hack off the fins and tail before dumping the shark back into the waters to sink and suffocate in the bottom of the ocean or be eaten by other predators.

At the end of this deadly chain are humans who eat shark fin soup mainly for status and show.

The fins reportedly don't even have a taste. They're cartilages.

So people go to restaurants to eat something they can't even taste just for "status."

Some people consume shark products for reportedly "medicinal purposes."

But the United States' Food and Drug Administration warn consuming shark fin/meat is dangerous because of high levels of mercury which can cause serious medical problems including sterility in men, birth defects, loss of coordination, blindness and even death.

The humans who consume shark fin soups or dishes are not restricted to Asian countries.

They are everywhere including Europe and the United States.

The countries who supply shark fins and/or meat include: Canada, Spain (the largest supplier in Europe), United Kingdom, Norway, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, U.A.E, United States, Yemen, India, Japan, Mexico.

"Hongkong handles 50% to 80% of world trade in shark fins."

According to Peter Knights, Executive Director of WildAid:

"Sharks are the tigers and lions and cheetahs and leopards of the sea. And if we lose them—these top predators—there will be long-term damage...They're slow reproducing, late to mature, more like mammals than fish in their biology—and we're completely trashing them. There's virtually no management of shark fisheries around the world. We're playing with fire."




video from: NYParisFilms

Mama gnome is grateful to Representative Madeline Bordallo of Guam for introducing the Shark Conservation Act of 2009.

"After passing the house, Senator John Kerry introduced the bill into the Senate, where it is currently pending. The bill would make already existing shark finning laws stronger."

What can we do?

Boycott restaurants and businesses who trade in shark fins and shark products.

Let your senator know you support the Shark Conservation Act.

Support laws banning the trade of sharks and shark fins.

Mama gnome urges everyone who reads this blog to educate other people about this crisis:

Sharks are being obliterated,

just for soup.

Please go Green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog.

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the

Mystery Animal of the Day.

This animal has large eyes, with each eye surrounded by a circle of feathers called facial disc.

Contrary to popular belief, this animal cannot rotate its head entirely backwards.
But it is quite capable of looking over its shoulder 135 degrees to each side for a measly total of a 270 degree visual field.

This animal is usually nocturnal and solitary.


If your guess is OWL, Mama gnome wants to give you a loud hoot! whilst she takes you to her favorite forest, the sequoia redwood forest in Northern California.

Northern Spotted Owl

photo by US Fish and Wildlife Service

The owl's diet includes insects, small mammals and other birds. Some owls hunt fish as well. Owls are natural for controlling rodent population. Though some birds die from eating rodents that had ingested poison or rodenticides.

Owls are excellent hunters. Their flight feathers have serrated edges allowing them to fly virtually silent. The coloration of their feathers allow them to blend in with the environment and become virtually invisible.

Owls also have the habit of regurgitating indigestible parts of their prey such as fur,scales and bones. The discarded parts come out as "owl pellets." Schools can buy these pellets to be dissected in biology or ecology classes.

The collective noun for a group of these animals is parliament.

Does it not bring a visual imagery of a parliament of owls wearing spectacles and discussing important earth warming problems? Yes, it does for Mama gnome.

Owls are often associated with wisdom, depicted as symbols for libraries and universities. The greek goddess Athena was often portrayed with an owl.

Some cultures though consider owls as bad omens and 'harbingers of death.'

But for Mama gnome, she considers the situation reversed.
That man is really the harbinger of death for these poor animals.

According to this report,

In November 2008, 900 of these owls were seized in a raid in Malaysia.
They were 'plucked and "oven-ready" owls.'
In January 2009, 319 freshly skinned Owl carcasses were seized along with 25 hind legs and 22 paws of Malayan Sun Bear as well as 2,330 live clouded monitor lizards.

Chris R. Shepherd, Senior Programme Officer for TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia office, said,

"The number of owls and monitor lizards seized is truly staggering...
This is the first time we know of where ‘ready-prepared’ owls have been seized in Malaysia, and it may mark the start of a new trend in wild meat from the region. We will be monitoring developments closely."

They believe the animals were to be sold to wild meat restaurants in China.

IUCN categorizes the Philippine Eagle-owl as threatened and the Pernambuco Pygmy-owl as critically endangered. Other species of owls also face continuing loss of their habitat.

Here is a video of this remarkable animal.


video from: BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome would be remiss if she did not include this equally fascinating video about owls.


video from: notebookbabies

Mama gnome now wants to fix her facial discs on illegal loggers and haunters trespassing in her habitat.

Here's the virtually silent, virtually invisible flight of Mama gnome owl......

And after Mama gnome is done she will regurgitate pellets of axes, chainsaws and haunting rifles. BWAHAHAHAHA! BWAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, pardon me. Mama gnome got carried away.

Please, help save our forests and owls. Please, go green.

(c)2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day.

He's dubbed the "loneliest animal on Earth" for bearing the burden of being the last known survivor of his subspecies.

This animal lives on an island, part of an archipelago made famous by Darwin.

He is a slow moving reptile with a saddleback shell and long neck and limbs.

If your answer is Pinta Island Tortoise or Abingdon Island Tortoise, Mama gnome would like to walk on the beach with you someday to participate at the next Coastal Cleanup Day.

photo from: putneymark

This famous tortoise is called Lonesome George.

He was discovered on the island of Pinta in 1971. Pinta is one of the islets of the Galapagos Archipelago.



photo from: Minglex


Pinta Island Tortoises were severely hunted down by fishermen and whalers to the point of extinction in the wild.

In addition..."the island's vegetation had been decimated by introduced feral goats, and the indigenous Geochelone nigra abingdoni population had been reduced to a single individual."

That single individual is George.

George has since lived in protected confinement at the Charles Darwin Research Center.

They estimate his age to be around ninety years old.

Lonesome George is the last known Geochelone nigra abingdoni or Abingdon Island Tortoise, a subspecies of the Galapagos giant tortoises.

The Galapagos giant tortoise is the largest living tortoise. Adults can measure up to four feet or 1.2 meters long and weigh over 661 pounds or 300 kilograms.

Their normal life expectancy is estimated to be 100 to 150 years.

Since the start of the 17th century, the Galapagos tortoises have been killed by hunters, poachers and predators introduced to the islands by humans.

Their food which is mainly plants and grasses have severely diminished as well.

Although the Galapagos giant tortoise has been listed as a "protected species" since 1936 by the Ecuadorian government, over 120 tortoises have been killed by poachers.

In 2004 the giant tortoises and scientists at the Charles Darwin Research Center were taken hostage by local fisherman as part of their political protest against environmental laws. Some fishermen even threatened to kill Lonesome George.

Today, of the ten remaining subspecies of Galapagos giant tortoises, George is charged with representing his entire subspecies by himself.

Attempts are being made to continue George's genome. Although the resulting offsprings if they are successful will be 'hybrids,' for the female tortoises are different subspecies.

In 2008, one of the female tortoises laid a clutch of eggs but were later found infertile.

Last July 2009, the Galapagos National Park reported a second clutch of eggs were discovered. After an incubation period of 120 days they will determine if the eggs are fertile.

Mama gnome will keep her fingers crossed and root for George.


video from: BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome now feels like stretching her neck high and coming out of her shell to say to the world,

"Lonesome George may be the last of his kind, but he is not alone. I will stand by him and so should you. Be a part of his family and go green."

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog