I discovered a little Oxychilus cellarius, also sometimes referred to as Hyalina cellaria (kindly identified by one of my shell club colleagues!) sliming along the mulch under my parsley plants a couple of days ago…

It is not, as I first thought, a native, but was apparently introduced to New Zealand, originally from British Isles and western Europe.

The first time I have found a live one, and was amazed at how blue the animal is. The translucent wee shells are often turned up in under growth when fosiking around in the garden.

There’s not much info out there at the moment but it’s still pretty exciting stuff!

It seems that the tenticles were badlyy damaged and the mantle itself is approximately 2 metres long.

On the Reuters website there is a short clip of the animal as it is briefly examined.
And on the News.com.au….

I almost missed the news on tv.. but fortunately a friend alerted me to the news that New Zealand fishermen fishing for the Patagonian Toothfish in the waters of the Antarctic were fortunate enough to haul in a Colossal Squid as it was after their catch… so I was able to see a few images on the breakfast news (yes, there is news on early mornings don’t you know..)

So exciting, I just love squid, particularly these mysterious giants that populate the depths of our oceans… it is very sad that we know so little about them and we don’t know whether our destructive fishing methods are causing much damage to their habit or food supplies, let along hooking them up from the depths as they go about their business…

The amazing thing about the Colossal Squid are the swivelling hooks they have on their tentacles, making them a ferocious and truly terrifying hunter - straight out of science fiction stories…

Anyhow, more photos are on the following links, I have borrowed these images one from mongabay.com

www.ctv.ca

www.seattletimes.nwsource.com

You can read more about this awesome creature on the wikipedia

Fostering cats or kittens for Auckland Cat Rescue is a challenging but rewarding task. Since we do not have a Rescue Centre, we rely solely on foster homes to help us rehabilitate and rehome kittens & cats. Without these foster homes, we would be lost.

Providing a cat or kitten with much needed love, care and attention is the basis of fostering. The typical process of fostering involves picking the cat up from us, with some food, litter and bedding, then taking them to your home to settle them in. After a few days you will need to take the cat to the vet for a checkup and any vaccinations required.

To foster a cat/kitten you must be able to dedicate sufficient time and energy to play with them and care for them. You will need to be home most evenings and weekends to socialize with them as this is one of the most important aspects of fostering. Other important duties include feeding, defleaing (including bathing), worming and providing general care for them. The cat/kittens will be advertised for adoption on our website and on flyers. Your phone number and email address will be advertised on the website, and all queries from people wishing to adopt that cat will come to you. Potential owners for the cat will come to your home to visit the cat and it is up to you to decide whether the cat and family are compatible.

Food and litter will be delivered to your door, free of charge and all vet fees can be put on Auckland Cat Rescue’s account with two specific vets, or reimbursed to you with the receipt. Foster homes should be prepared to have a cat stay with them for as little as a week, to as long as 3 months.

If you would like more Information, please call Natasha on 021 752 333 or email foster@aucklandcatrescue.org

http://www.aucklandcatrescue.org/

Austin thinks it’s a good idea.