Pleco

These common algae eaters are known for their unique, suction-cup-shaped mouth.  Aquarium experts will recommend them to any fish-keeper with an algae problem in their tank.  The way they attach themselves to glass and rock never ceases to amaze.

Pleco is the common name for Catfish species in the Family Loricariidae. The name Pleco is derived from the Latin name of one of the species in this family, the Hypostomus plecostomus, and is today widely used even for the other species in this family. The Family Loricariidae is also known as the Armored Catfish family, since the fish in this family display longitudinal rows of scutes over the upper parts of the head and body, and this pattern is somewhat similar to an old armor.

Plecos are very popular aquarium fish, even for beginners. They can help keeping unwanted algae growth under control in the aquarium, since algae and plant material are their staple foods in the wild. If you want to read more about how to care for your Plecos we suggest that you read some of the featured articles below.

Ugly Animals - Plecos

Anne Marie, the story

 This is Anna Marie,
Before the winter is starting in Greece and in the sanctuary we had a chance to send some dogs by car to Germany.
The driver of the car had 4 adult dogs in his car and some pupies.
That is a lot to take care for. But there is a great need for flight volunteers to help us transporting the animals. During a stop in Croatië Anna Marie was lost.
The driver searched for the dog and left to coninue his way to Germany.
When the animals arrived I heard of the tragic story.
An American lady, living in Greece contacted me because she wanted to help the sanctuary.
She Made a poster with a photo( I found after hours of searching ) of the missing dog and spend a lot of time searching for shelters to send it to and inform them about the missing dog.

Ten days after Anna Marie was lost we got a phonecall of a lady living in Zagreb. Marjana Sovic
She is an animal lover and one of her friends told her there was a dog at a petrol station on the road between Lipovic and Zagreb.
This lady was on her way from Lipovic to Zagreb. 200 km after Lipovic, at the gasstation she found Anna Marie.
She took her to the vet and checked her Chipnumber...it was her...

Comming friday Anna Marie wil travel by plane to Germany, Frankfurt.
I will drive to Frankfurt and take her home.
                         So..all is well that ends well...












Thank you Denise and Thank you Mirjana for the enormous amount of help. Anna Marie wouldn't have survived without you!

Tarsier

Tarsiers are prosimian primates of the genus Tarsius. Tarsiers have enormous eyes and long feet. Their feet have extremely elongated tarsus bones, which is how they got their name. They are primarily insectivorous, and catch insects by jumping at them. They are also known to prey on birds and snakes. As they jump from tree to tree, tarsiers can catch even birds in motion. Tarsiers have never formed successful breeding colonies in captivity, and when caged, tarsiers have been known to injure and even kill themselves because of the stress.

Big-eyed tarsiers: Tarsiers have remarkably large eyes, about 1.6cm. Each eye is bigger than the entire brain and larger than the stomach. So much so that they cannot move their eyes within the sockets. Instead, they special modifications to their neck vertebrae allowing them to rotate their heads nearly 360 degrees, even though they seem to have almost no neck! Unlike most other nocturnal creatures, however, tarsiers do not have a reflective layer behind the eyes (tapetum). They have excellent hearing, using their large funnel-like ears which are hairless, and thin and membranous. They can furl and unfurl their ears.

Ugly Animals - Tarsier