A Fox on the Box of Neighborhood – Critter 15

We know that foxes have our neighborhood as one of their habitats. Few years ago, they have been seen very rarely at our areas.

Fig 01- A fox sitting on the box

However, many neighbors have seen foxes wandering around, even with their babies sometimes.

I myself saw this critter running about the bushes, then he stopped, looked at me, and let me gush over how beautiful she is. Then she prissed off with that little bushy tail straight up in the air.

A neighbor saw a fox runs with a breakfast squirrel in her mouth one early morning recently. Another neighbor saw a rodent in its mouth other days.

Fig 02- Just a corner of our city

Fig 03- A fox on side street

Interesting to find out what are foxes (urban foxes) diets?

Based on internet search, since they eat “almost everything,” urban foxes are omnivorous. Some of their foods are:

- fruits

- hunting frogs, rabbits, rodents

- eating birds

- consume earthworms

At our neighborhood, foxes are found to scavenge for foods in trash can.

Have you seen foxes in nature?

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The Orb Weaver Spider in the Yard – Critter 14

We talked about abundance of banana spiders in our neighborhood at previous post: Banana Spiders in our Neighborhood - Gardening and Hobby 21 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Fig 01- An Orb Weaver Spider

We just found Orb Weaver Spiders at our backyard recently, no, not abundant, a couple of spiders only.

I think that they make very beautiful webs to catch their foods. Strange things of this spider:

- Spider hang on the web with its head downward (please se the above photo)

- Orb Weaver Spider stays in the web during daylight.

- Spiders move their webs every week or so to be in fresh territory.

Are Orb Weaver Spiders poisonous?

Fig 02- The flower at yard, illustration

Fig 03- Another spider web

No, An orb weaver spider is not poisonous. I was bitten by this critter, and I feel just like bee’s sting.

Yes, I got pain, but the effect can be ignored. Sources from internet informed that spider bites might have lower venom.

Main diet of orb weaver spiders are insects, several of them are:

- mosquitoes

- bees

- wasps

- flies and small moths

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Pug was a Breeding Dog for Royal Families – Critter 13

I have seen quite number of people “dog walking” with pugs at city parks recently. This breeding is a kind of “strange” dog breeding for me.

Fig 01- A little pug

I thought a pug was “a manipulated breeding” for a certain purpose in modern time or in our era.

After doing little research through internet, I found interesting facts of pug:

- pugs are breeding dogs from ancient China more than 2,000 years ago

- pure breeding, not mixing of other breeding

- breeding dog for royal families and wealthy people

Then, how much its cost to have a pug nowadays?

Fig 02- French bulldog, just comparison

Fig 03- A pug stares at you

Commercial cost to have a pug is about US$ 1,100, and even much higher if breeding was championship or show dogs bloodlines.

However, I knew as low as US$100 for a pug puppy from family pets bloodlines, sold by some neighbors.

Some reasons people love to have pugs are:

- pugs love and playful with kids

- pug doesn’t bite aggressively, hence safe for children

- they are smart and good learners

- observant

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Our Yards are Visited by Bees Regularly – Critter 12

The number of bee keepers is about 200,000 to handle production of 156 million pound honey in the USA yearly.

Fig 01- A bee flying over the plants

Surprisingly, America is both as honey bee importer and exporter country. In term of export, USA include in top 5 honey bee exporter in the world.

Main destination of American honey are following countries:

- Canada

- Japan

- South Korea

- Philippine

- Kuwait

Fig 02- One of flower in the yard

Honestly, I don’t know how many bee keepers in our city, Baton Rouge, LA. One report (Bee Happy – The Rise of Urban Beekeeping in Baton Rouge, 201) said that there are increasing of beekeeping in our city recently.

Image 3- A bee sips nectar from flowers

In fact, we could find fresh honeybee sold in the bottles or jars in the farmer market with reasonable price at any time, especially during Spring and Summer seasons.

Coincidence or not, we observe a lot of bees visit our yards (back and front yard) in these seasons.

Sure, they sip nectar and consume pollen from our flowers and fruits. As you know that they do pollination.

Bee is one of the greatest pollinators, they contribute very much on colorful of flowers and fruit productions.

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Market of Ornamental Fish for Pond – Critter 11

At previous posting, we talked about trending to have ornamental fish in small pond during Covid 19 pandemic:

- Ornamental Fish for Pond in the Garden – Critter 9 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Fig 01- Fish swimming in the pond.

Ornamental fish tend to grow both in the global and USA market recently. The market value reached US$ 5 billion in the last couple years ago. Value is not that bad for one little critter.

Demand for ornamental fish is increasing due to many factors, some are:

- fish behaviors are attractive

- exotic species with beautiful colors

- psychological benefits such as reduce stress.

Fig 02- Watermelon, illustration only

Fig 03- Elderberry plant, illustration

About 68% of American household have a pet. In term of number, households have about 116 million pets.

What kind of pets they have? Here are:

- fish

- birds

- reptiles

- small animals.

Interestingly, 7.2 million American households have fish as their pet.

Do you have pets? What pets do you love?

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Raccoon Hiding under the Hood of the Car – Critter 10

When open our car’s hood, we found a scary critter with several siblings crawling and hiding in the car.

Fig 01- A raccoon hiding under the hood

The critters might or might not damage our machine and wiring under the hood, it is depending on:

- how long the critters hiding

- how many of them crawling under the hood. One raccoon mom could bring 3 to 4 kids

We should call mechanic to check its, just to make sure that nothing was leaking or damaged.

Fig 02- Flowers of Poinciana at neighborhood

Fig 03- Raccoons in neighborhood

In case of our car, after checking by a mechanic that nothing happen to the car. We are very happy.

One of our neighbors got little problem with his car. Raccoon chewed up his wiring in his car.

The little problem cost him about US$ 550, luckily his car didn't have “heavy” damages.

Unfortunately, I feel that raccoon population is increasing in our neighborhood. The hang around in day light, never before.

Have you ever got problems with raccoon?

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Ornamental Fish for Pond in the Garden – Critter 9

Having a small pond with ornamental fish at the corner of garden is trending now days, not only in the USA, but also in many part of the world.

Since a lot of people stay home, more attractive during the Covid 19 pandemic.

Fig 01- Colorful of fish in the pond at the garden corner

People love to have Koi as a pet in the pond with multiple reasons. In some society, a Koi is believed to have:

- myth

- and art value.

Fish brings good luck, many spiritual advantages, tolerant to water quality and very friendly.

If we have good interaction in quite longer time, Koi may feed on our hands.

Fig 02- Red Gladiolus blooming

Fig 03- Just illustration, at the corner

There are many kinds of ornamental fish, and could survive in outdoor during cold temperature in winter.

The species of fish may include:

- Goldfish

- Archerfish

- Pumpkinseeds

- Crappie

- Pumpkinseeds fish

Do you like ornamental fish for pond in the garden?

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Land Snail in the Garden – Critter 8

We often saw snails crawling in our garden. They are found on the surface of leaves or flowers to search for foods.

Fig 01- A snail crawling

This snail could damage plant’s leaves in our yards. Since herbivores, they also feed on:

- algae and fungi

- lichens

- and decaying vegetation

As reported by Russell L Minton and Kathryn E Perez (2015: systematic checklist of the land snail of Louisiana) that there are 141 species of land snails in our state, Louisiana.

Fig 02- Hibiscus flower in the garden

However, there are two important snails which believe responsible to “destruction” of our garden.

Fig 03- A snail is moving on

The two species are:

- Helix aspersa aspersa

- Helix aspersa maxima

They are common snails in the garden. Luckily, they are not poinous, and even not dangerous to touch or hold them. Some people in certain countries eat them as “escargot de bourgogne.”

Other species of brown garden snail such as Cornu aspersum also edible. This species spreads all over the world.

Do you know that garden snails are edible?

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