Kattjo24

The hognose snake is sometimes called the puff adder. When it is threatened, it raises its head and puffs out and flattens the skin around its neck - like a cobra. It hisses loudly, and lunges towards the threat. It is all a show! It lunges with its mouth closed! If that doesn't work, it rolls over onto its back, open its mouth, hangs it tongue out of the side of its mouth, and plays dead. It may play dead for several minutes before carefully turning over and looking around to see if it is safe. If it is rolled back onto its belly when it is playing dead, it will roll back onto its back! They are not poisonous and their favorite prey is toads, but it also preys on frogs, salamanders, small mammals, birds, and invertebrates. The eastern hognose snake uses its nose to root around for toads in their burrows. When a toad is disturbed by a hognose snake, it will often puff itself up like a balloon. The eastern hognose will uses his long rear fangs to pop the toad so it can swallow it. This one was in the Northwoods of Wisconsin sunning himself on a warm early fall day. Pretty cute, if you ask me!!

Albino catfish are like all other albino as a result of a genetic anomaly that causes the fish to lack pigment and thereby appear white. There exists albino specimens of all catfish species in the wild but the light coloration makes them easier to spot by predators and it is therefore uncommon with adult albino catfish in the wild. Albino Catfish are much more common in captivity where this trait isn’t negative for their survival. They are to the contrary often very appreciated as albino catfish in many ways are valued as superior to regular catfish in captivity. This large catfish is being cared for in a large aquarium in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin is full of lakes and ponds. Spending time at them are a favorite past time in the summer. You can Swim, fish, relax and kayak. Sunsets are especially beautiful.

A dog can shake nearly 70 percent of the water from its fur in about 4 seconds. They preserve a considerable amount of energy by doing their cute little quaver. If it weren’t for their ability to shake, animals would have to use up to 20 percent of their daily caloric energy simply staying dry. Because the skin is loose, it can whip around farther and faster than the backbone can. The skin, to which the fur is attached, travels at three times the speed of the backbone. A drop of water sitting on an animal’s fur is thrown off at accelerations of between 10-70 times gravity! Here we see Ashley, the Jack Russell Terrier shaking off in slow motion. Its pretty amazing!

A dog can shake nearly 70 percent of the water from its fur in about 4 seconds. They preserve a considerable amount of energy by doing their cute little quaver. If it weren’t for their ability to shake, animals would have to use up to 20 percent of their daily caloric energy simply staying dry. Because the skin is loose, it can whip around farther and faster than the backbone can. The skin, to which the fur is attached, travels at three times the speed of the backbone. A drop of water sitting on an animal’s fur is thrown off at accelerations of between 10-70 times gravity! Here we see Cooper, the Australian cattle dog shaking off in slow motion. Its pretty amazing!

Watermelons are a yummy summer treat. They are mostly water — about 92 percent — but this refreshing fruit is soaked with nutrients. Each juicy bite has significant levels of vitamins A, B6 and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids. There's even a modest amount of potassium. Plus, this quintessential summer snack is fat-free, very low in sodium and has only 40 calories per cup. Cutting them can be a pain in the butt! This video shows an easy fast way to do it. Enjoy!

Stevi the jack russell terrier loves to go on walks. When she gets hot, she goes for a swim. Its so cute that she keeps dipping her nose in the water to cool off. Smart little girl!

Willie, the green quaker, is fully flighted (his wings are not clipped). He lives in a bird room where there is plenty of room to fly and scavenge. His colors are so pretty when he flies and you can see his whole wing. Thats why slow motion video is so cool!!

These turkeys live at the DeYoung zoo in Wallace, Mi. The owner, Bud, is with them everyday- feeding and interacting with them. When he speaks, they respond back. He is the only person they talk to and have a language they all understand. It is so funny. They love him so much.

Slow motion videos are fun to make. They allow you to see things that the human eye normally couldn't. This person was videoing a fat little bumblebee on a flower. Her dog was apparently watching too. Because he jumped in right at the end and almost got the little fella. Luckily for both, he didnt!!

Tree frogs can stick to just about any surface. They sleep during the day and eat bugs at night. This little fella must've been sleeping when it started pouring rain. He was washed down the storm drain and was trying to hold on. Lucky these people spotted him and put him in a safe spot.

Adventures of Cooper the Australian cattle dog. Coop is big and athletic. When his owners say "ready?", he gets into position. With a small object thrown (ball or stone), he leaps into the air to try and catch it. It results in a kind of a back flip twist. Owners caught it on slow motion video and it cool to watch!!

Something as simple as a calm, smooth pond and a rock can be so amazing. Slow motion can capture so many things that the human eye misses. At sunset the water reflects a calm beauty. When a rock is thrown into the water and creates a splash and ripple. Seems simple, yet when you slow it down, it changes everything! Just amazing.

Hummingbirds are so fast its hard to see their beauty. In this slow motion video that people took while they were at their feeders.

Rigby is a beagle chihuahua mix. When he is on a walk, he is all beagle! He is constantly hunting for rabbits and small animals. He must have heard something underground and starting digging. No one could get near him or his hole, if they did, he would whine and growl. It was all his!! He found it! He never did find what was in there. But it sure was funny. Crazy dog!

Even though Loki the white bellied caique and Willie the green quaker are not the same species of parrot they are still in love with each other. Well, at least they act like it. The only way you can tell if parrots are male or female is to have them DNA tested. Loki is and he is a male. Willie isn't and we do not know for sure what he is. Even if he turns out to be a she...these two can never have babies together. But they are best friends non the less and love to groom each other and snuggle. They are a cute pair!!

Hummingbirds are so much fun to watch. But they fly so fast that you can hardly get a good look at them. Slow motion video helps to see how beautiful they are. Also, hummingbird moths are a rare sight to see and these people caught both on video, accidentally. Hummingbirds are able to stroke with power both on the down- and up-beat of a wing flap. Their power and small size allow tremendous agility in flight. In fact, hummingbirds are the only vertebrates capable of sustained hovering (staying in one place during flight), and they can fly backward and upside-down as well. To their maneuverability, hummingbirds add speed and stamina. They have been clocked at close to 30 mph indirect flight and more than 45 mph during courtship dives. Migratory ruby-throated hummingbirds have no problem flying 18 to 20 straight hours to cross the Gulf of Mexico, powered by their fat stores and given a bit of help from winds. Hummingbird moths fly and move just like hummingbirds. Like them, they can remain suspended in the air in front of a flower while they unfurl their long tongues and insert them in flowers to sip their nectar. They even emit an audible hum like hummingbirds. Quite often inexperienced garden visitors notice what they think is a tiny hummingbird fleeting among flowers such as bee balm (Monarda). They listen incredulously when one explains to them that what they just saw was not a bird but a moth. A rare and wonderful surprise if you get to see one. To video a hummingbird and then view the video to see that you caught both in flight with slow motion is amazing. Enjoy!!

DeYoung Zoo in Wallace, MI has many animals that people can interact with. This is a whitetail deer that is albino. In mammals, albinism occurs when an individual inherits one or more mutated genes from both parents that interfere with the body's production of melanin, the main pigment that determines the color of skin, fur, and eyes. He loves attention and eating carrots. His antlers are in full velvet.Underneath this furry membrane, the antlers are supplied by a very rich supply of blood and nutrients from veins that run on the outside of the antlers and back down to the base. During the growing stages, antlers are high in water and blood content and low in dry matter. The dry matter at this stage is around 80% protein and 20% phosphorous and calcium. Conversely, in the hardened stage, antlers are about 60% phosphorous and calcium and 40% protein. While in the velvet stages, antlers feel alive and warm to the touch because of all the activity taking place within. With the days of late summer getting shorter, testosterone levels begin to rise and the growth cycle begins to slow down initiating the process of hardening or mineralizing of the antlers. So how does the velvet come off? The velvet ceases to be fed by blood by the formation of what some call the base or the burr on the antler. When the buck grows this burr at the end of the antler cycle, it puts a “kink in the hose” so to speak, cutting off the blood supply to the velvet. In as little as a few hours, the drying velvet is rubbed off on trees and bushes the buck is left with a blood stained rack that he will continue to polish for several days. I think many early fall rubs that are seen are areas where bucks use saplings and bushes to scrub the drying velvet from their newly hardened set of antlers. It can also be eaten off by other deer or birds and any velvet that does hit the forest floor is quickly scavenged by mice and other critters because of its high nutrient content. The animal world is truly amazing. To be able to be up close and personal with one of God's creatures is a blessing.

Willie the green quaker can be very sassy. But when you sing "You are my sunshine" to him, he is so sweet and feels comforted. The owners have sung this song to him since he was a baby. He is so relaxed, he could almost fall asleep. Birds are amazing!

Loki is a white bellied caique that is very sweet. He loves to snuggle with his owner. Willie is a green quaker and is possessive over Loki. He gets jealous, especially when the camera is on. He tries to get in front of it and take his attention off the human. They are gentle and no one gets hurt. Its pretty comical though!

Green Bay Wisconsin is the home of the famous Lambeau Field. There is a park built there for the neighborhood to enjoy even when its not football season. It has a huge sledding hill, a unique playground, a football field for anyone to play on and this amazing view that can be enjoyed by all!! It is a great community for sure!!

Adventures of Cooper the Australian cattle dog. Cooper loves to sit on the kids picnic table in the yard and keep watch. Hes very intent and still. His job is to protect the family. Australian Cattle Dogs are the culmination of cross-breeding the Blue Merle and the Australian Dingo by British settlers in Australia in the late 1800s. These working dogs have plenty of energy and love to run. They’re devoted to their people and can be good for families—as long they have an outlet for all that energy.This is his little lookout tower. I think we need to build something taller!! The Australian Cattle Dog is extremely loyal to their human, loves herding animals, and is good with small children (though not too small as they like to herd by nipping at heels). They have a ton of energy and love to play and run. Though they’re extremely loyal to their family, they can be a bit wary of strangers. Cooper is a big part of the family and has a big personality. He's so sweet!

Wallace is a hand raised, zoo born hippo. DeYoung Zoo in Wallace, MI has had him since he was a baby. He has a set routine for feeding and is very gentle. Here he is eating some romaine lettuce. He even lets you pet him on the head. Hippos are very dangerous in the wild and to have this opportunity to be this close is just amazing.

Willie the 7 month old green quaker was just learning about baths and water. Quakers are known for their short tempers and impatience. Willie was trying to figure out how to bathe. It was hilarious when he filled up the cup and dumped it on his own head. Then he shook water all over and got rid of the cup all together! He is such a character!!

Door County is located in Wisconsin and is actually an island. Lake Michigan on one side and Bay of Green Bay on the other.. The water view is so beautiful and never disappoints! Bay Ship Builders is located here and they build and repair huge Navy ships. Which makes for an amazing backdrop. Love it here!