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I, BM

299 792 458 m·s^−1 6.67384(80)×10−11 m³·kg^−1·s−2 6.626 069 57(29) × 10^−34 J·s 1.054 571 726(47) × 10^−34 J·s 4π × 10^−7 N·A^−2 = 1.256 637 061... × 10^−6 N·A^−2 8.854 187 817... × 10^−12 F·m−1 376.730 313 461... Ω 8.987 551 787... × 109 N·m²·C^−2 1.602 176 565(35) × 10^−19 C 9.274 009 68(20) × 10^−24 J·T^−1 7.748 091 7346(25) × 10^−5 S 12 906.403 7217(42) Ω 4.835 978 70(11) × 10^14 Hz·V−1 2.067 833 758(46) × 10^−15 Wb 5.050 783 53(11) × 10^−27 J·T^−1 25 812.807 4434(84) Ω 5.291 772 1092(17) × 10^−11 m 2.817 940 3267(27) × 10^−15 m 9.109 382 91(40) × 10^−31 kg 1.166 364(5) × 10^−5 GeV^−2 7.297 352 5698(24) × 10^−3 4.359 744 34(19) × 10^−18 J 1.672 621 777(74) × 10^−27 kg 3.636 947 5520(24) × 10^−4 m² s^−1 10 973 731.568 539(55) m^−1 6.652 458 734(13) × 10^−29 m² 0.2223(21) 1.660 538 921(73) × 10^−27 kg 6.022 141 29(27) × 10^23 mol^−1

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Kakapo

Posted 10-04-2009 at 05:46 PM by Bullet Magnet
I had to share it with the rest of you.

Possibly one of the most wonderful and unlikely animals on the planet, the kakapo is the largest parrot in the world, nocturnal and utterly flightless. It's response to predators, of which naturally consist of birds of prey, is to sit very still, sometimes it will flee. Like the dodo, it evolved on an island without any predators. And like the dodo, it was screwed when the western world turned up with rats, cats and stoats (it was already in decline, but still common, since the Maori arrived with their dogs).


Kakapo once thrived in New Zealand as one of its most successful bird species. It is now entirely absent from both the North and South Islands, existing only on a few tiny, immaculately preserved islands to which they were transported. The wonderfully named Codfish Island is now the kakapo capital of the world.

Kakapo are incredibly slow reproducing, and have a unique (among parrots and flightless birds) courtship behaviour, a "polygamous lek" breeding system, in which a male kakapo digs a "bowl" (a shallow dip of earth kept meticulously clear of plants and detritus) and various tracks leading to the bowl for females, also kept clear by the parrot's diligent gardening. The male will spend up to six months sitting in the bowl, every night "booming" a sort of short low-frequency call that can travel three miles when wind-assisted, to attract females to his bowl. He moves around the move periodically so that it directs his in different directions.


The breeding program this year was hugely successful, raising the world population to a recent high of 124, up from fifty in 1995.

The kakapo's plight was first widely popularised to the world in the book Last Chance To See by Douglas Adams, who travelled the world with zoologist photographer Mark Carwardine to see several critically endangered species. 20 years on Mark, this time with Stephen Fry, retrace those steps to see all of those same animals that are left, and visited Codfish Island during the Kakapos' mating season.

Posted in Science
Comments 12 Email Blog Entry
Total Comments 12

Comments

mitsur's Avatar
This whole blog was an excuse to show that video, I'm almost certain.
Posted 10-04-2009 at 05:56 PM by mitsur

Bullet Magnet's Avatar
It was. But it helps to give some background information on a favourite animal of mine, and the only way to keep it out of my "garbage" category.
Posted 10-04-2009 at 05:58 PM by Bullet Magnet

used:)'s Avatar
AHEM

However, I'm glad you showcased this wonderful creature in a blog, while the idiocy of Bits and Pieces would probably have swallowed up my post. Nice info too. Something tells me these would make great domestic pets.
Posted 10-04-2009 at 05:59 PM by used:)

Bullet Magnet's Avatar
If there weren't so few of them! They were considered to be affectionate pets by the Maoru, and the European settler George Edward Grey (soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony (South Africa), Premier of New Zealand and writer) wrote that his pet kakapo's behaviour towards him was "more like that of a dog than a bird".

But they would probably outlive their owners, be abandoned and ultimately eaten by wildlife.
Posted 10-04-2009 at 06:10 PM by Bullet Magnet

Nate's Avatar
:
But they would probably outlive their owners
How long do they live?
Posted 10-04-2009 at 06:21 PM by Nate

used:)'s Avatar
Most parrots make it past seventy, right?
Posted 10-04-2009 at 06:33 PM by used:)

Mac Sirloin's Avatar
I love everything about this bird.
Posted 10-04-2009 at 07:09 PM by Mac Sirloin

Wil's Avatar
The kakapo is one of my favourite creatures, too. Any creature from Last Chance to See is. Did they air Stephen Fry's followup yet? I'd best rush to iPlayer.
Posted 10-05-2009 at 03:19 AM by Wil

Bullet Magnet's Avatar
:
How long do they live?
Average 95 years, maximum 120 years.
Posted 10-05-2009 at 05:45 AM by Bullet Magnet

Nate's Avatar
Holy crap. That's like a combination pet/family heirloom. Which is much the same reason why I want a pet tortoise.
Posted 10-05-2009 at 05:47 AM by Nate

used:)'s Avatar
That's what I was thinking. It's like if a bonsai were an animal.
Posted 10-05-2009 at 08:26 AM by used:)

AlexFili's Avatar
I watched that last night. This series has been really brilliant, there is a good variety of different animals that are shown and some very amazing photos. I loved seeing the Komodo Dragons

I felt really sorry for Fry when he broke his arm though, poor guy.
Posted 10-05-2009 at 08:34 AM by AlexFili

 

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