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The Parable of the Goat Mites

10,000 Birds

And so, these goats ate the flora of the island: unique species of Indian paintbrush and woodland star, bushmallow and wirelettuce and morning glory. And so, most had been neutered, adopted out to soft-hearted landowners as odd pets, conversation pieces. Also, they were infested by a species of ear mite unknown to science.

Goats 159
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On the Keeping of Endangered Fishes

Animal Person

An Animal Person reader wrote me with the following question: There are many species of cichlids in Lake Victoria that are on the verge of extinction, and most are hardy and small enough to be kept in an aquarium. I intend to stick with rescuing rabbits from now on.) I'd really like to get your opinion on this.

Fish 100
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“A Little Bird Told Me” … Happy Birthday Charles Darwin

10,000 Birds

The idea is that some finches from what is now Ecuador ended up on the Galapagos Islands, and subsequently diversified into a number of different forms … they speciated … filling various niches that on the mainland would have been filled by a number of different species. ground vs. in bushes, etc.)

Tortoises 195
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The Domestic Turkey and the First Thanksgiving

10,000 Birds

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.

Turkey 199