Are you in Vancouver? I’d heard that the mynah colony there had gone extinct.

They’re hunting for the buried gold that they know is there. So that they can give it to you for the food.

I think that those are ravens; so that would be a minor unkindness.

Yes, this seems more or less incumbent upon us all.

Bierce defined them as “those that follow the teachings of Christ insofar as these are consistent with a life of sin”.

I read about a jewelry store in an airport in coastal China that specialized in red coral jewelry - red coral is under a lot of pressure from collection for the jewelry trade and is in danger of extinction - and there was a sign in the store telling buyers how the price of their red coral purchases could only go up…

The Grand Banks cod fishery collapse continues to be an illustration of how some people learn nothing from history - there are currently initiatives in Newfoundland to re-open some areas to cod fishing, despite the very delicate state of the cod stocks there.

Higher frequency of wildfires caused by hotter, drier, longer summers, however, within restricted areas (as parks have to be) can cause an ecological shift, however, that wouldn’t have happened without climate change, lack of reserve communities, etc.

It’s very popular with unmarried male chefs.

So, when will the bingo cards be coming out?

Of course, it’s always possible that she’s drawn to him simply because he makes her laugh.

This is why I used to get into trouble as a child when my mother caught me dipping into her Greek myths anthology. Those stories fascinated me, though.

A great recompense, I will not be denied it.

They didn’t have to. The osteoderms of the armour were fused to one another - basically they had shells like turtles, and they could pull their heads and limbs under the edge when they were threatened.

Sorry, had my palaeontologist hat on this afternoon.

Worth considering even when we are not on the topic of modern armoured mammals.

Those are dinosaurs, not armadillos.

I’ve seen a purse made out of one as well.

Much better model, especially when you throw glyptodonts into the mix.

They’re right-handed or left-handed. A lot, if not nearly all, animals are in one way or another - obviously not a favoured hand in most cases, but they will tend to favour one side or another, especially when it comes to actions that they repeat a lot.