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Meet Darius Brown—an industrious teenager with a heart of gold. This 14-year-old from Newark, N.J., makes snazzy handmade bow ties for shelter dogs and cats—in hopes their fancy new accessories will help secure forever homes. Brown founded Beaux & Paws in 2017 after seeing the devastation of hurricanes Harvey and Irma in August and September of that year. That’s when he learned some rescue dogs were being transferred from the devastation in Texas and Puerto Rico to the ASPCA shelter in New York City....

dachshund laying on his back outside in a bed of clover; do male dog's have nipples? (image includes what the fluff logo) Credit: Marina / Adobe Stock If you’ve ever pondered the deep mysteries of the universe—or perhaps simply run your fingers across an unexpected series of bumps while rubbing your good boy’s belly—at some point, you’ve probably wondered: Do male dogs have nipples? And if the answer is yes, do they have a purpose?...

We all know how painful kidney stones can be for us humans, but they can cause just as many problems for your dogs, too. The small deposits of minerals can break off and cause a great deal of pain for your pup as he tries to use the bathroom. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to treat your dog’s kidney stones. The severe cases might require surgery, but the smaller, harmless stones may only need a watchful eye....

Do you know a desert mammal that resembles a unicorn? Let us study some of the Arabian oryx’s fascinating features famous for its beauty, structure, and stamina.This white oryx is an inspiration for many poets and has a prominent place in the history of the Arabian peninsula. The Arabian oryx is primarily found in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and prefers desert areas. With the scientific name Oryx leucoryx, the wild Arabian oryx can survive in hot climates where water and food sources are scarce....

Arcovenator escotae was one of the ferocious hunters of the Late Cretaceous period. It was found on the continent of Europe near France. It was a carnivorous theropod dinosaur that belonged to the family Abelisauridae. Arcovenators were big dinosaurs. They had a big skull, a not-so-heavy body, and well-built strong legs for running. And for balancing their body, they had a long fat tail. All these were awesome except for one thing....

Asian vine snakes, Ahaetulla prasina, are commonly known as long-nosed whip snakes. This extensively distributed Ahaetulla species can be found across several nations across East Asia to Indo-China. This snake is easily recognizable by its elongated head and slender green or yellow-brown-colored body. This snake’s snout is also substantially shorter than that of its nearest relative, the geen vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta).Its stunning appearance is similar to that of South American vine snakes....

The ayu fish, scientifically known as Plecoglossus altivelis, is a fish species that is the sole member of the Plecoglossus genus and belongs to the Plecoglossidae family. It is also known as the ai or ayu sweetfish in Japan because of its flesh’s sweet taste. It is a highly popular food in East Asia. This sweetfish (Plecoglossus altivelis) is a delicately flavored fish that is grilled and skewered over fire and is considered to be one of the most delicious river fish....

Black rats (Rattus rattus) are commonly known as house rat, ship rat, or roof rats. Black rats are similar in appearance to a brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), and have gray-brown fur which can turn completely black. Black rats are great climbers, and they are mostly found in palm trees. They forage on the ground for food and feed on fruits, seeds, worms and flies but can eat almost anything. Black rats carry harmful bacteria, which may cause many diseases in human beings....

Discovered around the year 1854 by Edgar Leopold Layard from Point Pedro of Sri Lanka, the brown breasted flycatcher(Muscicapa muttui) of genus Muscicapa, also known as Layard’s Flycatcher, is a small songbird (passerine bird) in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae which also includes birds such as the great crested flycatcher, the vermilion flycatcher, the scissor tailed and the least flycatcher. The brown-breasted flycatcher can be found in mid to high elevation broadleaf forests of Northeastern India, central and southern China, and northern Burma, and Thailand, and then they migrate to lowlands and foothills of Southern India and Sri Lanka during the winter season....

California common scorpions (Paruroctonus silvestrii) are scorpions that are commonly spotted in California as their name suggests, starting from Progreso, Baja California Norte, towards Lake Tahoe California, and Marin County. They are considered pests by humans and are also commonly known as Silvestri’s Scorpion. They can be seen in a wide range of habitats, including coastal dunes, desert scrubs, sandy coastlines, and forested mountains. Most scorpions can be found living in dry and warm climates with several species being seen in Arizona, California’s adjacent parts, and New Mexico in North America....

The Chinese water dragon is a beautiful species of agamid lizards native to Southeastern Asia. They are also called the green water dragon, the Thai water dragon, and the Asian water dragon. An adult Chinese water dragon is about 24-36 in (60- 90 cm) long. They are a beautiful green color with darker stripes of green or turquoise making them even more interesting. They also have very long tails that help them in balancing themselves and swimming....

The evolution of dinosaurs is an integral part of history and fossils enable a paleontologist to have a better understanding of them. Dinosaurs walked on this planet many years ago and after the discovery of their specimens, it is astonishing to learn about their variety. The early Cretaceous period is such a significant era as it witnessed some of the most incredible dinosaurs and their evolution. The genus Falcarius was initially a Theropod that comprised most carnivore dinosaurs; however, the Falcarius was a plant-eating herbivore as it was a variety 0f Therizinosaurs....

Grosbeak (Pheucticus) are slow-moving birds and belong to the order Passeriformes family, careful in their motions. Reviewing these birds of North America is not simple because of five species in this family that are not closely related. Grosbeaks are slow-moving birds, careful in their motions. Reviewing these birds of North America is not simple because of five species that are not closely related.The rose-breasted and black-headed are east and west ecological counterparts....

A native of North America, the hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) is known to be the smallest duck among all the three merganser species. They are unique for their preying skills that require diving into the water and chasing fish for up to two minutes. They are adept at both flying and swimming. Unlike most other ducks, their diet consists mainly of fish. The hooded merganser duck has a beautiful appearance and is unique in its nature....

The indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) is a bird that is a Cardinalidae. Indigo buntings are small birds and stocky. They are migratory in nature and usually migrate from Canada to Florida in the breeding season. During winters, they migrate from Florida to South America in search of wintering grounds. They undertake migration usually in the night and use stars for navigation.The indigo bunting habitat is usually brushy and woody areas, open woodlands edges, and farmlands....

If you ever go scuba diving in the coral reefs of Southern Florida or the Bahamas islands, you might have the pleasure of spotting a Pillar Coral. As the name suggests, Pillar Coral are cylindrical pillars that stand tall in the ocean. This species has a hard skeleton and furry polyps, brown in color. However, their benefits are extended beyond their attractive appearance. Populations of corals protect small fish from predators and reduce the magnitude of storms on the coast....

Shikras (Accipiter badius) are a raptor found in the continents of Africa and Asia. They are very common in the Indian subcontinent. These birds are also known as Indian sparrowhawk, little baned goshawk, and little banded sparrowhawk.Shikras are not that big in size but their hunting skills are extremely proficient. These birds are also gifted with excellent vision. This is why shikras were very commonly used in falconry. A shikra bird is known to build its nest in trees and apair of these birds participate in nest-building together....

Tanycolagreus existed 157.6 million years ago. The fossils were found in the arid regions of North America so it can be said they belonged to this region. The fossil holotype TPII 2000-09-29 was donated to science by somebody unknown. It is kept in the North American Museum for Ancient Life in Utah. The earliest fossil consisted of the backside of the elongated head. Scientists say that the fossils were found in the Morrison Formation....

A Philippine tarsier is a tarsier species native to the Philippines and it is one of the worlds smallest primates. Tarsier is pronounced as taar-see-ur. It is nearly threatened and is endemic to the Southwestern portion of the Philippine archipelago. Tarsiers get their name from their surprisingly elongated tarsier bone. Tarsiers are typically called Mawuman, Mamag. Tarsiers are comparatively lazy mammals, who tend to loathe around and sleep during the day and hunt during the night....

tan dog looking up Credit: Courtesy of Heaven Can Wait Animal Society Shelter dogs come with a special kind of love. Some of them come from difficult or abusive circumstances, while others are unpopular breeds or colors. But no matter what the circumstances, they’re all grateful when they’re brought into a loving home. In a perfect world, every animal that a shelter takes in would get adopted quickly by a family that’s a perfect fit....