Pygmy Tarsier of Indonesia

It may look like a gremlin, but this tiny animal is actually a pygmy tarsier, recently rediscovered in the forests of Indonesia.

The 2-ounce (57-gram) carnivorous primate had not been seen alive since the 1920s.

That was until researchers on a summer expedition captured, tagged, and released three members of the species (including this individual, above).

"Everyone's always talking about pygmy tarsiers," said lead researcher Sharon Gursky-Doyen, a professor at Texas A&M University.

"There have been dozens of expeditions looking for them—all unsuccessful. I needed to go and try to see for myself if they were really there or if they were really extinct," added Gursky-Doyen, whose research was funded in part by the National Geographic Society's Conservation Trust.

Once relatively abundant among the mossy, forested mountain slopes of Lore Lindu National Park in central Sulawesi, the pygmy tarsier population may have shrunk when logging in the 1970s destroyed its habitat, Gursky-Doyen said.

The nocturnal creatures rely on darkness to avoid predation. However in fragmented forests, the canopy lets in more moonlight, exposing the small animal to birds and other predators as it leaps from tree to tree.

Gursky-Doyen said she hopes the find will inspire the Indonesian government to protect the species and its habitat.

"[The] government needs to figure out a compromise between people and animals living in Lore Lindu."
—Tasha Eichenseher
Photograph by Sharon Gursky-Doyen

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081117-tarsier-photo-missions.html

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What's Wrong With Milk and Eggs?

This article was taken from the PETA magazine: Vegetarian Starter Kit

What's Wrong With Milk and Eggs?

"No species naturally drinks milk beyond the ages of weaning, and no species would naturally drink the milk of a different species.

For humans, drinking cow's milk has been linked to heart disease, some types of cancer, diabetes, and even osteoporosis, the very disease that the dairy industry claims its products are supposed to prevent! The high animal-protein content of milk actually causes calcium to be leached from the body. According to a Harvard Medical School analysis of the evidence, milk does not protect against osteoporosis. One egg contains a staggering 220 milligrams of cholesterol, which clogs your arteries and leads to heart disease."

It is interesting that this article mentions this. Growing up, I can always recall being told to drink at least 3 glasses of milk a day for a strong and healthy lifestyle. As it turns out, maybe milk is just not so good for us after all. Here are some substitutes that can be beneficial:

A nice milk substitute is a product called "Silk". It is an organic soy milk that is just like milk, but it's not. If you don't like the plain taste of soy milk, they also have vanilla. I tend to enjoy the vanilla, but everyone is different. According to the PETA magazine, Vegetarian Start Kit, "You can get all the calcium that you need from the plant world--broccoli, beans, many leafy green vegetables, almonds, soy milk, tofu, and calcium-fortified orange juice are all good sources."

If you find this interesting, there are more sources you can check out throughout the internet on the negative aspects of drinking milk. What choice are you going to make? Look into it, and you be the decider for yourself. We are in the information age; it's important we know what we put into our bodies and that we make responsible decisions towards that.