Lawatan Timbalan Pengarah Pertanian Negeri Selangor Ke Kawasan Sawah Sempadan Pada Sebelah Petang 22/01/2010 (Serangan Siput Gondang Pomacea)

Lawatan Ke Blok S, Sawah Sempadan

Lawatan Pengarah BPTKT Kuala Lumpur ke Serangan Siput Gondang di Sawah Sempadan Musim 01/2010 (22/01/2010)

Sekitar Blok C Sawah Sempadan








Sekitar Blok S Sawah Sempadan

Pictures of Little Owl Hatching

Tyto alba (Burung Pungguk Jelapang)

Me with Tyto alba at Paddy field in Selangor

telur BPJ (egg)

chicks

Anak Burung Pungguk (Tyto alba chicks)


Parts of an Owl

Tyto alba dewasa (adult)


Compiled by Deane P. Lewis 1999-04-15, last updated 2005-06-21

Classification:
Domain: Eukaryota (Organisms with complex cells)
Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Phylum: Chordata (Having a hollow dorsal nervecord and flexible skeletal rod)
Sub-Phylum: Vertebrata (Having a backbone)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Order: Strigiformes (Owls)

Owls are a group of mainly nocturnal (active at night) birds classified as belonging to the order Strigiformes, a group which is most closely related to nightjars (Caprimulgiformes). The order is divided into two families: Tytonidae or Barn Owls and related species, and Strigidae or Typical Owls.
Click Here to see a full list of the World's Owls.

Appearance: A large, round head and huge, forward-facing eyes are features that make an Owl instantly recognisable. They also have a sharp, downward-facing beak (or bill), and soft, cryptically coloured plumage. Males and Females are generally similar in appearance, although the female is often up to 25% larger.

Adaptations: Owls are Raptors, or Birds of Prey, which means they hunt other living things for their food, using their special adaptations and unique abilities that set them apart from any other creature.
Exceptional vision, and acute hearing play a major part in an Owl's hunting technique. Couple these with powerful talons and beak, plus the ability to fly silently, and you have a formidable predator, using stealth to hunt down prey.

After Eating, Owls regurgitate pellets, which contain the indigestible bones, fur and feathers of their victims. These pellets can be collected by researchers to study Owls' eating habits.

Distribution: Owls are found on all continents except Antarctica, and in a great variety of habitats, from thick forests to open prairies.

Size: The smallest owl in the world is the Least Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium minutissimum) at 12cm (4.5") tall, and the biggest owl in the world is is generally accepted to be the Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) at up to 71cm (28") tall.


References:
Campbell, Wayne. 1994. "Know Your Owls (CD-ROM)". Axia Wildlife
Hollands, David. 1991. "Birds of the Night". Reed Books
König, Weick and Becking. 1999. "Owls: A Guide to the Owls of the World". Yale University Press
Long, Kim. 1998. "Owls: A Wildlife Handbook". Johnson Books
Mikkola, Heimo. 1983. "Owls of Europe". Buteo Books

Pengenalan Siput Gondang Pomacea Dan Kawalannya

Slick Eggs

Slick Eggs
Published December 22, 2008

Within an egg shell, the rapidly developing embryo needs plenty of oxygen. Using an oil to kill eggs by impeding oxygen transfer through the shell is nothing new. For instance, the USFWS has recommended mineral oil for use on nuisance geese nests. Why not use vegetable oil to kill apple snail eggs?

I spoke my old friend Dr. Bill Haller this morning about his team’s work with the use of oil as an oocide on apple snail eggs. At the University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic Invasive Plants’ laboratory, they have tried castor oil, Crisco oil, peanut oil, Pam Spray, corn oil, and even Mobil oil!

“Just about any oil will work,” Bill said, “but corn oil is the way to go because it is most likely exempt from EPA regulations. Technically, however, we need a company to submit a label to EPA to get the EPA review and an exemption letter. A company hasn’t stepped up because a patented product is doubtful. The ingredients are just too generic.”

Bill discussed the nuances of effectively treating snail eggs. First, the fresher the better – - Recently laid eggs are more vulnerable to the smothering effects of an oil barrier. Secondly, straight oil is the way to go. Diluting the oil and adding surfactants didn’t work as well as 100% oil. Finally, a thorough application is necessary to kill the eggs. This was made apparent in the discrepancy between the efficacy of dipping the eggs in oil versus spraying. Dipping clearly worked better in the lab tests.

Is it practical to load up a 50 gallon sprayer with oil on an airboat and treat the perimeter of an infested lake? “In reality, vegetable oil is tough to use,” Bill noted. And, it’s not cheap. Vegetable oils range from $3.00 to $6.00/gallon.

My bench tests using an emulsion of Crisco oil (50%) and Yucca saponins (3%) provided mixed results (see image above). The idea was to reduce costs via dilution of the oil with water, while adding a saponin with possible molluscicidal properties. Hatching numbers were reduced, but the cost/benefit wasn’t that appealing. I also tried hand-spraying vegetable oil on some egg clusters Wellman Lake and found it to be almost as time consuming as simply hand-picking the eggs, plus some of the “slick eggs” eventually hatched.

This is not to say we should all give up on this avenue. A student project in the Philippines recently revealed the great promise of coconut oil as an oocide on Pomacea canaliculata (See Recent Publications, June, 2008): “Results showed that coconut oil could inhibit the hatching of 82.2% of the golden snail eggs.” So, let’s keep working on it. After all, “the weak point of the invasive apple snails are the egg clutches,” as Dr. Haller put it. Posted by Jess Van Dyke

Dr. Wm. T. Haller: wth@ifas.ufl.edu

The Center for Aquatic & Invasive Plants:
http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

* Recipe for Success
* Save the ‘Glades!
* Trapping Tons of Exotic Snails from Wellman Pond
* Crustless Quiche Base Recipe

SNAIL BUSTERS APPLE SNAIL TRAP (Patent Pending)

INSTRUCTIONS

This trap effectively catches Apple Snails when the water temperature exceeds 20 C (68 F). The optimum feeding temperature is 25 -30 C (77-86 F). In terms of reducing the population of the invasive, exotic, apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata and P. insularum),the most effective time to trap is after winter aestivation and prior to reproduction, about a one month period (April here in NW Florida).

STEP 1. Vertically insert the PVC pipe into the trap so that the pipe passes through the floating grate and out of the bottom.

STEP 2. In shallow water (1 ½-2’ deep), use a hammer to drive the PVC pipe into the bottom substrate until the trap is securely attached to the bottom. The trap works best if it set flush to the bottom substrate. Adjust the O-ring on the PVC pipe accordingly.

STEP 3. Rapidly pour one bag (1 kg) of Snail Busters Apple Snail Bait (Patent Pending) into the water next to the PVC pipe. Tap the floating grate until the bait passes through it into the trap.

STEP 4. After the trap has remained undisturbed overnight or for as long as one week, remove snails. Wear gloves because the edges of the snail shells can be very sharp.

Note: The trap can catch snails in this manner for up to a week, but a three-day interval of cleaning and resetting the trap is a good balance between labor cost and trapping efficacy. The snails are primarily nocturnal. If labor cost is not an issue, set the trap in the late afternoon and return in the morning. If the snail infestation is heavy and the trap is checked daily, the floating grate may be unnecessary.

If you have any questions or problems, email me at jessvd@aol.com or call me at 850/893-4652.