RESEARCH IN NEW ZEALAND (23 April 2003)

[Steve O'Shea]

I can't remember where we were Jean; we had a couple of entertaining days of R & R, touching wombats, feeding roos, riding horses, renting cars that break down in the middle of nowhere; called through Sydney also and had a jolly good time there - it had been a while since I'd had a break.
Cheers
O

 

[Jean]

I don't know that you can escape roos in aussie, got mugged by them in Townsville too!

Wasn't silly enough to hire a car though, escpecially not in Queensland, sorry if there are any Queenslanders on the list, but I saw the strangest driving habits there so I took the................bus!!!!!

J

 

[Tintenfisch]

Indeed it was Bonorong! Home of friendly and not-so- marsupials of all descriptions... Steve was quite enamored of the wallabies (see attached) but didn't like the Tassie devils much. Me, I think they'd make good pets.

 

[Jean]

I liked the tassies too, what an attitude!!

They'd be fantastic guard critters & for all you fans (like me) of Taz in the cartoons, the real thing makes much the same noise and moves about as fast when p*&%%&d off which seems to be about 99% of the time!!

J

 

[Steve O'Shea]

It sounds like we've just secured a further 20 stomach contents of Kogia (pygmy sperm whale) that go back 'several' years (they've been sitting in someone's freezer); we can add this to the 4 lots I have here already (a nice temporal series).

It looks like I've one student coming aboard to document life histories in Sepioteuthis squid, along with working on their culture. Now I'm looking for that 1-in-a-million person who wants to work on stomach contents of whales ... I haven't secured any funds for this yet, but I am working on it. It would make an ideal MSc research project; it is real sexy science (now why is there no 'sexy science' emoticon?)!

 

[WhiteKiboko]

(now why is there no 'sexy science' emoticon?)!

you could just mix and until you find something that works for you....

 

[krin]

Aussie animals

Indeed it was Bonorong! Home of friendly and not-so- marsupials of all descriptions... Steve was quite enamored of the wallabies (see attached) but didn't like the Tassie devils much. Me, I think they'd make good pets.

What is it with the rest of the world and our animals? Familiarity breeds contempt! The only Australian animals I would even think of looking at twice would be the lizards. Koalas pee on you at the drop of a hat and male kangaroos flash their private bits whenever they get a chance. Maybe I have just seen the x-rated Australian animals? We have the most dangerous spiders and snakes on the planet - funnel web spiders were common around my old place in Sydney. We had a cat who would catch black and brown snakes and leave them on the back doormat - going to the loo at night was an adventure...

KRin...who is quite happy to live in suburban Melbourne

 

[fluffysquid]

Steve-

So..... what's this about undergrad degrees in Marine Biology there in NZ? Just out of curiosity, really.

thanks,
Amber

 

[Architeuthiscrazy]

Dr. O'Shea,

I'd love to look through the contents of the Koigia stomachs, probably just a little greenhorn giddiness (is that even a word?) but I doubt you'd be able to keep them for another four years. I will be starting my first year of college in September. Would you be able to give some advice on the direction ceph research is headed. Meaning would it be better to pursue knowledge of genetics or behavior. I think Dr. Roland Anderson has me going for behavior but I'm looking for another opinion. Especially as I would like to work along side you. I'll stop with the brown nosing now.

Michael

 

[Tintenfisch]

Especially as I would like to work along side you.

Be careful what you wish for.