[NatureNS] Nature of Things on Dogs - Wood Thrush

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From: Bev Wigney <bkwigney@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 08:51:52 -0700
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I did not see the episode as I've been traveling in the southwest US after s=
pending a week visiting a couple of bison preserves in Oklahoma. However, th=
at's interesting about research into using trained dogs to help track herps a=
t Keji.  For many years I had a Rough Collie - Sabrina -  a very kindly dog t=
hat accompanied us while we were hiking and photographing insects and herps.=
  After a summer or two of hikes, she became very adept at pointing out frog=
s, toads, snakes, turtles, millipedes, and even butterflies perched on leave=
s. She probably used both scent and sight to locate creatures. When she foun=
d something of interest, she would stop by the creature and then look from i=
t to us and back again until we came over to investigate.  She was not inter=
ested in pursuing any of these creatures, just in making their presence know=
n.  Oddly, she also noticed certain unusual plants and also fungi, and would=
 stop to sniff up and down the leaves.  We nicknamed her Botany Dog as she s=
eemed so interested in plants.  On my first trip across the southwest after D=
on's death in 2008, she and I encountered a plant known as Desert Holly or "=
saltbush" (Atriplex hymenelytra)  growing on the exceedingly hostile salt fl=
ats of the Searle Valley region of California (adjacent to the the Death Val=
ley region).  It is an odd plant that grows in highly saline soil and has pa=
le whitish leaves which secrete excess salt crystals onto the leaf hairs whi=
ch, in turn  protect the plant from intense sunlight. Sabrina spent a goodly=
 time inspecting several of these plants, looked around for a few moments th=
en headed back to my van.  It seemed that she was of the opinion that this w=
as a "nothing to see here, folks" place and was ready to move on.
bev wigney=20
Round Hill, NS in summer

Sent from my iPad

On 2013-11-25, at 8:50 PM, "P.L. Chalmers" <plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca> wrot=
e:

> Did anyone else watch the recent episode on the Nature of Things on Dogs? =
 Interesting stuff, and I wish some ideas had been given more time.
>=20
> I was interested in Simon Godbois of Dalhousie's research on "canine olfac=
tion" used to track down Ribbon Snakes at Keji. =20
>=20

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<html><head></head><body bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><div>I did not see the episode a=
s I've been traveling in the southwest US after spending a week visiting a c=
ouple of bison preserves in Oklahoma. However, that's interesting about rese=
arch into using trained dogs to help track herps at Keji. &nbsp;For many yea=
rs I had a Rough Collie - Sabrina - &nbsp;a very kindly dog that accompanied=
 us while we were hiking and photographing insects and herps. &nbsp;After a s=
ummer or two of hikes, she became very adept at pointing out frogs, toads, s=
nakes, turtles, millipedes, and even butterflies perched on leaves. She prob=
ably used both scent and sight to locate creatures. When she found something=
 of interest, she would stop by the creature and then look from it to us and=
 back again until we came over to investigate. &nbsp;She was not interested i=
n pursuing any of these creatures, just in making their presence known. &nbs=
p;Oddly, she also noticed certain unusual plants and also fungi, and would s=
top to sniff up and down the leaves. &nbsp;We nicknamed her Botany Dog as sh=
e seemed so interested in plants. &nbsp;On my first trip across the southwes=
t after Don's death in 2008, she and I encountered a plant known as&nbsp;Des=
ert Holly or "saltbush"&nbsp;<i style=3D"padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0p=
x; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0p=
x; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">(Atriplex hymenelytra) </i>&nbsp;=
growing on the exceedingly hostile salt flats of the Searle Valley region of=
 California (adjacent to the the Death Valley region). &nbsp;It is an odd pl=
ant that grows in highly saline soil and has pale whitish leaves which secre=
te excess salt crystals onto the leaf hairs which, in turn &nbsp;protect the=
 plant from intense sunlight.&nbsp;<span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D=
"-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-compositio=
n-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color=
: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Sabrina spent a goodly time inspecting sev=
eral of these plants, looked around for a few moments then headed back to my=
 van. &nbsp;It seemed that she was of the opinion that this was a "nothing t=
o see here, folks" place and was ready to move on.</span></div><div><p style=
=3D"padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left:=
 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0=
px; "></p>bev wigney&nbsp;</div><div>Round Hill, NS in summer</div><div><br>=
Sent from my iPad</div><div><br>On 2013-11-25, at 8:50 PM, "P.L. Chalmers" &=
lt;<a href=3D"mailto:plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca">plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca<=
/a>&gt; wrote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><span>=
Did anyone else watch the recent episode on the Nature of Things on Dogs? &n=
bsp;Interesting stuff, and I wish some ideas had been given more time.</span=
><br><span></span><br><span>I was interested in Simon Godbois of Dalhousie's=
 research on "canine olfaction" used to track down Ribbon Snakes at Keji. &n=
bsp;</span><br><span></span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>=

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