no mice, rats, squirrels, gerbils, etc. in the wild???
204686
There are no rodents native to NZ.  That means before humans came there were no rodents living there (and no mammals except a couple of bats).\n\nPeople brought rats (brown rats for sure, but I think also black and Polynesian rats) and mice (house mouse) with them.  Now there are not only rodents associated with human dwellings (as is the case for these species in most areas), but they have established wild populations.\n\nIt is thought that wetas were able to evolve to be so big and unique because of the absence of native rodents on NZ.
585825
We did at one time have lions in these parts.  They went extinct as part of the megafaunal extinctions that took place about 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age (perhaps not so coincidentally, also about the same time sizable human populations arrived in North America).\n\nThere are a few problems with re-introducing lions into the modern ecosystem.\n\nBeyond the potential danger to humans living in the area, or the danger to livestock, it wouldn't be a good idea simply because that ecosystem really no longer exists.\n\nThe prairie as a true ecosystem is almost completely gone today.  There are no gigantic herds of bison that can migrate from Canada throughout the western United States anymore.  More than 99% of the prairies have been ripped up and turned into crops to feed the swollen ranks of humanity on the planet.\n\nThe temperate grasslands are the most endangered ecosystem on the planet (far more so than tropical rainforest).  There is virtually no untouched prairie left anywhere on the globe.  \n\nThere's simply no place to actually introduce the lions even if we wanted to.\n\nUPDATE:  Upon actually reading the article you linked to, I see that this is exactly the problem the proposed project is intended to ameliorate.  I whole-heartedly agree, and think it's a fantastic idea!  Thank you for posting this!
502309
Just today I was wondering the same thing.  I was on my way home from the store and there was a dead deer laying on the side of the road, and not even 1 min, before I had nearly hit a dead possum.  I guess some animals can't get the message to there brain fast enough, the poor dears.
185994
Well at least your not lubing the small animals and shoving them up your @ss! Seriously, the only thing I'm concerned about is the cleanliness of the animals. Maybe you should start breeding them in a safe and clean environment. Good luck! By the way, stay away from my goldfish!
98764
brown recluse spiders and timber rattlers.  not sure what else but those are enough for me.  there are also many cases of rabies from rodent bites each year.
374692
Are Elephants really scared of Mice?\n\nFiona, Victoria and Emily all of Giffnock Primary School wrote asking if it was true that elephants are scared of mice.\n\nRichard O'Grady; Director-Secretary of Glasgow Zoopark responds:\n\nMy practical experience is that elephants are not frightened of mice or rats. In fact, if there is an infestation of hundreds of rats, as I once saw in an old zoo down in England, the rats will even nibble at the elephant's feet when it is lying down sleeping, causing significant injuries.\n\nI think the reputation for being frightened arose because elephants are easily frightened by sudden, unexpected sharp movements. A bolting rat moves like greased lightning, and this would make anything rear up.
536227
Nope but i did chase one into  the horse feed shed and speared it with my spear gun.  \n\nLady =1    Mouse = 0\n\nI didn't want diseased vermin running around my place.. \nSorry to all the animal and pest lovers out there.
119764
Well there is always the domesticated animals. Will your neighbors really miss their cats. Or the pesky baking dog that could be taught a lesson. \n\nWhat about cows??? You wouldn't kill them but it sure is fun
556351
yeah, but a cat didn't turn into dog did it? I've never seen a half frog half half elephant in my local pub, that suddenly turned into a monkey.
412870
That doesn't sound right, if they're talking about critters that have sexual intercourse at all (as opposed to procreating other ways).\n\nI would think that most females have, as males aren't all that choosy about where they donate their sperm.\n\nToo bad you don't say where you got this. I mean, besides "the net" -- oh, THERE, that tiny place.\n\n;-)\n\nUnless it's more a comment on life expectancy, saying that most critters die before they have a chance to, well, you know.\n\nSo, where'd you come across this tidbit, what animals are included in the statistic, and why would this be?\n\n(I'll check back in hopes you respond.)\n\nEdit: You may (if you're interested enough) want to troll around newscientist.com and similar sites. New Scientist is the UK's version of Scientific American -- the site has science news, and search facility (though you have to pay to access everything, they do have a lot available for non-subscribers).\n\nI may give it a go next time I'm there.\n\nTrouble is, coming from a non-expert (that is, a psychologist), I wonder if this is one of those non-facts that gets picked up and repeated and is completely wrong.\n\nThough, if you include all animals, including insects, then maybe. Relatively few bees and ants, for example, have sex, and they'd account for a big proportion of "all animals."\n\nIn which case it's completely irrelevant to a discussion of human sexuality.
198856
mMoses had no animals at all...oses parted the sea...he did not have an ark...he parted the sea cause he bet Noah 100$ that the ark couldn't jump the parted water...Noah lost the bet...lol
295512
Currently I would put the probability at very low, but not impossible. True there are vast wilderness for animals to Hide in, and we are finding large numbers of new species all of the time. We, however, are not finding very many new species of large land animals. Also, the US Northwest, even though definitely a wilderness is not all that unexplored. It is much more likely to find a new large animal specie in the Amazon than The US Northwest.
378211
Well, being Florida born and raised, My first reply would have to be a Raccoon. If I spelled it right. They will eat almost every thing. They usualy only come out at night.My second thought is that the feces and the garden thief may be 2 diff. animals. The feces with the fibers may be from an Owl or other large predatory bird that eats mice and other rodents, hence the fur or hair in the feces. Their are dogs that are known for being veg. thieves, my dog was a huge veg. thief. It may also be a Gopher tortoise which is unlikely. The coon is prob. your culprit. However, this makes for a nice lil bit of an investigation....right????  So, what ever animal it is, be happy it has brought a little more excitement into your life. Don't rule out the occasinal fox as well, they are known to visit garbage cans in down town Chicago and New York,  so are the coons.
565817
Not exactly, some animals can't live in the wild because they are weak, ect., and if we set zoo animals free they would not be used to the wild. But some animals are abused and mis treated in the zoo. I.E. Elephants in Tucson Zoo. Great Question!
156304
Squirrels.  Chipmunks.  People.  Orangutans.  Stuff like that.
124627
Greetings,\n\nCheck out this link: http://www.allturtles.com/turtle_species/slider.php\n\nBasically these turtles live all over the world in fresh water ecosytems.  They are listed as one of the top invader species.  Pick a fresh water ecosystem and go from there.\n\nFish, crayfish, birds, etc.\n\n-matt
42581
Species -- There are about 300 varieties of squirrels around the world. In North America there are ten. Examples are the red/brown squirrels that live in evergreen trees and eat seeds of pinecones and the gray squirrel which lives in woods of oaks, ashes, and beeches and mainly eats beech nuts and acorns.\n\nSizes -- Their sizes vary considerably. For example, the gray squirrel can be up to three time as large as the red squirrel but smaller than a fox squirrel. A recently born gray squirrel is about one inch long and weighs as little as half and ounce to one ounce. The size of an adult gray squirrel is about 18 inches and can weigh up to a pound or more.\n\nWhere do they live? Squirrels typically live in trees -- in holes in the trunk, or in treetop crow's nests. The homes in the treetops are called dreys and sometimes consist of two rooms and a nursery!\n\nHow old do they live? Squirrels can live up to 10 or 12 years. After six years, they are considered old squirrels.\n\nCauses of death -- In addition of dying by being attacked by their natural predators, they can also die from man, traffic, and natural death.\n\nSquirrel's belong to the order "Rodentia", with 1650 species, it is the largest group of living mammals.  It also comprises forty percent of all present day mammal species. \n\nThere are over 365 species of squirrels in seven families. They include the tree squirrel, ground squirrel, and flying squirrel. Plus many squirrel-like mammals such as the gopher, ground hog and prairie dog. \n\nA baby squirrel weighs approximately one ounce at birth,  and is about one inch long. They do not have hair or teeth, and are virtually blind for the first six to eight weeks. \n\nA squirrel's brain is about the size of a walnut. \n\nThe average adult squirrel needs to eat about a pound of food a week to maintain an active life. \n\nThere's lots of other info in the links! Good luck!!