Have you Seen Spotted Garden Eel? - Pet and Hobby 2

Pretty garden spotted eel as pet in the aquarium

This creature looks unique and beautiful with black spots along the body. Actually, garden spotted eel is fish.

Scientific name of this fish is Heteroconger hassi, distributes naturally in the Red Sea and Pasific Ocean.

Spotted eel found living to form colonies in deep sea of oceans, usually in the warm parts of oceans with areas characteristics:

- sandy flat

- close to coral reefs

- plenty of seagrass, in order to camouflage with background.

The garden spotted eels may live in the shallow to deep ocean, from 7 to 45 m (23 to 150 feet).

Two spotted eels burrowing in the sand

May we adopt garden spotted eels as our pet? Since, this marine creature is not include in endangered species list, yes, we can keep the animal as a pet.

I check through internet, the price is quite expensive, US$ 69.9 per individual. We need at least 3 individuals to form colonies in our aquarium.

It is suggested to keep spotted eels in the aquarium with size at least:

- 50 gallons (189 litres) water

- 6 inches (15 cm) thick sand.

Do you know that you can see this eel in aquarium of several public zoos?

Bufo Toad may Kill Pets and Human - Nature and Wildlife 15

Bufo toad between grass

Bufo toads or cane toads are poisonous amphibian, love to come to our backyard from near by ponds, canals or ditches.

The size of critter was about 6 to 9 inches (15.2 to 22.9 cm), considered quite big for frogs. Bufo toad colors could be:

- brown

- brown to grayish-brown

- creamy yellow (at belly part).

- has dark markings

This toad produces toxin called “bufotoxin” through parotid gland on the body of toad. The toxin dangerous to:

- dogs

- cats

- human in some degree

Location of parotid gland on body of toad 

(credit to Agriculture Victoria)

Toad (Rhinella marina) attractive to pets, cats and dogs. If they licks the amphibians, pets may get poisonous with symptoms:

- head shaking

- convulsions

- loss of coordination

- drooling

The cats and dogs lead to dead if they use their mouth to grab or bite the toads, because higher doses of toxin enter to bloodstream immediately. Dead about 15 minutes.

In case of human, there are several reports relate to consuming of Bufo toads:

- in certain Asian countries, people may dead after eating Bufo toad eggs or eat as soup.

Recently, several mainstream medias reported about “invasion” of Bufo toads in southern Florida. Their population are increasing dramatically, not as usual. If you are living in southern states, just have a look your backyards.

Have you seen this kind of amphibian in your backyard or garden? Take care.

Smell Loss may Lead to Parkinson’s - Parkinson’s Diseases 11

Yellow day lily, just for illustration

There are many signs of Parkinson’s Diseases, one of them is loss to smell (Hyposmia).

Keep in mind, it is common or about 70% - 90% of people faced olfactory impairment in certain point in their life, especially the older ones. Many impairments just common health issues.

The impairments may include trouble to:

- detect odors

- tell different of odors

- identify smell

- sense smell

Smell impairments could be caused by many factors such as:

- infection and injury of upper respiratory

- there is polyp in nasal cavity

- sinus infections

- medications (using of drugs)

- hormone productions

- exposure to chemical substances

In the long term or more than two years, olfactory impairment not only common health issues, but could also be problems lead to motor symptoms, then affect on movements (signs Parkinson’s Diseases).

Scientists develops smell test called DaTSCAN recently. The test is cheaper and has quick result. The validation is promising. About 86% to 92% people are diagnosed as early patients of Parkinson's diseases.

Thus, physicians may treated patients to prevent progression of Parkinson's diseases as soon as possible.

A Flower Called Cat’s Ear Dandelion - Nature and Wildlife 14

Cat’s Ear Dandelion

Common dandelion and Cat’s ear Dandelion are two different flowers, but look similar for me. It is said the different are following:

1) Hairs on leaves

- Cat’s ear Dandelion has dense hairs on leaves, but the Common Dandelion has no hairs.

2) Notched

- Notched is less deep in Cat’s ear Dandelion than in the Common Dandelion.

Both Cat’s ear Dandelion and Common Dandelion are perennial flowers, means that they are blooming in Summer to early Fall. Died in the colder seasons, then grow back in hot seasons.

Two wild flowers

In some places, Dandelion is an edible plant, good for salad, but I do not know whether American consume or not now days.

Dandelion flowers among other wild plants.

In addition to nutrients, Dandelion contain antioxidants. The plants are common as traditional medicines for:

- liver infections

- rheumatism

- constipation

- a diuretic for kidney problems

- gallstones

- treating urinary infection

Do you recognize this kind of flower in the nature?

Herbal Drink for Constipation Relief - Health and Medicine 13

Herbal drink for better bowel movement

It is said that people have no problem with bowel movement if they consume following items regularly:

- high fiber content foods

- drinking (clear) water

- fiber supplement

In case who faces hard stool, hard to pass, there are plenty of medicines either through physician prescriptions or OTC of pharmacies.

Many people treated Constipation by OTC drugs. Some OTC medicine are:

- stool softeners

- lubricants

- stimulant laxatives

- osmotic laxatives

A cup of herbal tea

In developing countries, certain Asian countries or Latin America, it is believed that bowel movement less than 3 times a week is not normal, and if longer than a week, many seeks medication at this point.

One of traditional cures is by drinking herbal tea. Blending of leaves from different plants, might be different part of plants as well, to be important ingredients.

I just found the tea (at top photo) in the Mexican grocery in my city. I do not know that it is good or not for everyone.

Have you tried any herbal medications? 

Can We Deter Our Garden Pest by Water?

Lace bugs on Azaleas (credit to Goodnight Design)

We usually find pests damage our plants, fruit and flowers in our small garden at our backyard.

The pests attach on many parts of plants, they could be:

- on the top or underside of leaves.

- on the buds

- on the flowers.

Some pests which fall in insects and terrestrial gastropods categories are found in our garden plants:

- spider mites

- lace bugs

- aphids

- snails

- slugs

It is said these pests could be controlled by water. We may spray the plants (on the top and underside leaves) by water of garden hose.

In case, the pests are still survive, then we may use other everyday substances such as flour and salt (and even beer).

Sure, these substances are safe for human, but toxic to garden pests. Substances may destroy cell membrane of insects and annoying gastropods.

Do you have garden? How do you control the pests on your garden plants?

Is there Vegetable “Made in” America in the Market?

Made in America produces

I just aware recently that several vegetables have stickers of produce of America or “made in America.”

I don’t know the reasons behind this, I guess due to “security” reasons. May be, consumers get guarantee that vegetable is local produces, not imported from somewhere else or not come from Covid-19 infected countries.

We familiar with produces from Church Brothers Farms, but from its brand called “Green Giant.” They are packed in several sizes. Some of vegetable:

- Broccoli

- Brussels sprouts

- Cauliflower

- Little Gem Lettuce

- Celery Hearts

Napa cabbage, one of our favorite vegetables

Napa cabbage also well known as Chinese cabbage, originally from Beijing, China. This vegetable is grown in America, Europe and Australia since 100 years ago.

If you know “Kimchi,” a Korean cuisine, uses this cabbage for its ingredient. We sometime bought this cuisine from Asian groceries.

We made soup with combinations of:

- Napa cabbage

- tofu

- mushroom

- zucchini.

Have you tasted Napa cabbage? 

Can Animal Live Without Breathing and Undergone de-Evolution Process?

Ilustration of Henneguya salminicola (credit to ThePrint)

Word of breathing “usually” refers to multi cells organisms which need oxygen to breakdown nutrients as source of energy.

Parasite called Henneguya salminicola, an animal that is considered as worm, but look like a jelly fish. Strangely, this parasite emits light, and has no breathing mechanisms.

If most living creatures have evolved from a simple cell to complex multi cells, but, this worm have de-evolution process. Slowly, its lost:

- mitochondria DNA, thus no animals can breathe without mitochondrial

- tissue

- nerve cells

- muscles

The question then, without breathing, how parasites get their energy? It is suggested that energy directly taken from their hosts.

Actually, we may found this kind of animal in our everyday life. Henneguya salminicola infected salmon, especially chinook salmon.

The diseases called as rice diseases or tapioca diseases, make “white spots” on fish flesh. No, the disease is not dangerous for both fish and human.

Scientists said that parasites is “kindly” and has no poisonous, thus infected fish is edible.

Day Lily in Our City Garden – Nature and Wildlife 13

Painting in front of garden

We saw the sign of kids lying on the grass when we enter public garden in our city. Long time, we did not visit this little garden.

There are plenty of blooming daylily. The word “daylily” refers to flower which open in the sunrise and die at night.

Since its stem has plenty flower buds, so blooming could take many weeks. Color combinations may be more than hundreds in the world, but we saw several dominant colors in our city garden:

- orange

- rose

- burgundy

- purple

- pink

- cream

- lavender

Yellow daylily

Flowering occur in the Spring until early Summer in our place. Other place could be till Fall season. We don’t know the number of varieties in our area, but around 80,000 varieties in the world.

Dominic Daylily

Daylily are adaptable plants, they spread to almost part of USA, and even in Canada. The well known species called Hemerocallis fulva.

Orange with mix colors

If we lucky enough, we may notice wild daylily, especially orange ones at roadsides in many part of USA.

Orange daylily

Easy to adapt, also easy to spread into clumps. Crowd daylily may not bloom, thus we need to divide regularly. Some people do it for every three years.

Have you experienced to grow daylily? What color?

Vitamin B3 is Good for Parkinson’s but Bad for Diabetes – Parkinson’s Diseases 10

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) sold in Walmart supermarket

Mitochondria dysfunction affect on certain cells, nerve cells death which lead to many diseases include Parkinson’s diseases (Please read: Is there Relationship between Parkinson’s Diseases and Mitochondria? – Parkinson’s Diseases 5).

As you might know, nerve cells (neurons) produce dopamine which responsible to control movement. Day by day, Parkinson’s patients have difficulty to walk or balancing movement.

In the laboratory experiment, Niacin, another name for B3 was used as food components to feed flies, the result showed:

- stimulates metabolism of nerve cells

- decreases in dead of nerve cells

- mobility of flies increase more.

Thus, scientists believed that vitamin B3 may reduce or stop completely the death of nerve cell in Parkinson’s diseases patients.

Studies concluded, no negative effects for healthy people to consume proper amount of vitamin B3.

However, Niacin may affect on diabetes patients (Please read: Could Medicines Affect on Pancreas to Produce Insulin? - Diabetes 4).

Niacin, as supplement, not only could be bought in the Over the Counter (OTC) of pharmacy, but also in many groceries. Its known advantages are:

- to lower cholesterol level

- to reduce arthritis

- to stimulate brain function.

Unfortunately, vitamin B3 may promote higher sugar level in the blood, thus not very good for diabetes.

Finally, it is suggested to consume about 15 mg of vitamin B3 per day. I think, will be better to consult physicians about this matter.

Visiting City Park and Lake after Lock Down

Street besides the lake still no crowd

After several months of “lock down,” we visit public park which has a lake in our city. We just meet several people, no crowd, un-usual condition in normal days.

It is good for us, since we are worrying of infection incidence in public area such as gardens and parks.

Some couples are biking, encircling the lakes. We enjoyed walking with slow steps while observing surrounding.

The park and lake occupy about 8.3 acres (34,000 square meter) lands. The lake was man made lake, created from swampland.

The lake is house for many kinds of birds:

- water birds

- ducks

- swans

- egrets

- pelicans

Boat and two crew

Both egrets and pelicans are migratory birds. They usually abundance in winter, due to freezing in northern part of America. 

Trash bin on side the lake

We saw a boat with two crew, and we guessed a supervisor standing beside the lake. They seem to clean the surface lake which covered by blue green algae.

The warmer temperature cause algae to grow in high speed.

Yes, the cleaning should be done to make lake back to beautiful condition and healthy for visitors.