Dr George Schaller is a veteran ecologist affiliated with two conservation organizations in New York, Panthera and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Spending much of his time during the past six decades in various countries of Asia, Africa and South America, he has studied and helped protect species as diverse as the Tiger, Mountain Gorilla, Giant Panda and Tibetan Antelope. In addition, he has promoted the establishment of about 15 protected areas. His studies have been the basis for his scientific and popular writings.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Giant snakes commonly attacked modern hunter-gatherers in Philippines
Giant snakes commonly attacked modern hunter-gatherers in Philippines
Humans have an ambivalent relationship with snakes. The legless reptiles are often feared and reviled, becoming stand-ins for the Devil and movie monster characters; yet many people have grown to love snakes, raising large, even dangerous, specimens as pets. Now, new research suggests that the ecological role between snakes and humans, as well as other primates, is more nuanced than expected. After spending decades living among the Agta Negritos people in the Philippines, anthropologist Thomas Headland has found that the hunter gatherer tribes were quite commonly attacked by reticulated pythons (Python reticulatus), while the people themselves had no qualms with hunting, killing, and consuming python.
Humans have an ambivalent relationship with snakes. The legless reptiles are often feared and reviled, becoming stand-ins for the Devil and movie monster characters; yet many people have grown to love snakes, raising large, even dangerous, specimens as pets. Now, new research suggests that the ecological role between snakes and humans, as well as other primates, is more nuanced than expected. After spending decades living among the Agta Negritos people in the Philippines, anthropologist Thomas Headland has found that the hunter gatherer tribes were quite commonly attacked by reticulated pythons (Python reticulatus), while the people themselves had no qualms with hunting, killing, and consuming python.
OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today
http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/
On this day in 1967 the Silver Bridge near Point Pleasant, Michigan, USA collapsed resulting in the deaths of 46 people. The tragedy was linked to sightings of Mothman in John Keel’s book the Mothman Prophecies.
And now the news:
Elephant seal travels 18,000 miles in 11 months
The wolverines that float on snow
New dinosaur species found from museum vaults
‘Biggest’ dinosaur bones unveiled in US
First python fossil unearthed in Germany
Rare species of vulture found
Two snouts are better than one:
Here’s the trailer for the Mothman Prophecies movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP4P7VPx2zM
On this day in 1967 the Silver Bridge near Point Pleasant, Michigan, USA collapsed resulting in the deaths of 46 people. The tragedy was linked to sightings of Mothman in John Keel’s book the Mothman Prophecies.
And now the news:
Elephant seal travels 18,000 miles in 11 months
The wolverines that float on snow
New dinosaur species found from museum vaults
‘Biggest’ dinosaur bones unveiled in US
First python fossil unearthed in Germany
Rare species of vulture found
Two snouts are better than one:
Here’s the trailer for the Mothman Prophecies movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP4P7VPx2zM
DALE DRINNON ON THE CHUPACABRAS
I did just add another in the series on Chupacabras, giving more background on the subject and comments with the benefits of hindsight: http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2011/12/chupa-at-2000.html