Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: interestingness#329

As it is an invasive species, maybe I should whisper that I love this plant, LOL! The tiny flowers are so pretty, as are the seedpods when open. It is a member of the Borage family, was introduced from Europe, and grows in pastures, roadsides and waste areas, June-August. In Alberta, this plant is listed as Noxious. I had hoped to post a few photos from a most enjoyable hike I did today, but I only got back home around 6:30 p.m. (half an hour ago) and am too tired to go through my photos from today. A few of us hiked the Ptarmigan Cirque Trail in Kananaskis, off Highway 40, a favourite place of mine, though I have only ever been to it maybe half a dozen times. A steep climb up to wonderful alpine meadows surrounded by impressive mountain peaks and scree slopes. Seeing alpine flowers for a change was such a special treat.

A photo from my archives, taken on 4 March 2010, at the Calgary Zoo. The Swift Fox is about 12 inches (30 cm) in height, and 31 inches (79 cm) long, measuring from the head to the tip of the tail, or about the size of a domestic cat. It ranges in weight from around five to seven pounds. "Captive breeding of swift foxes began in 1973 through a privately run program. In 1978, the species was officially designated as "extirpated" in Canada by COSEWIC, and a national recovery plan was approved in 1995 to reintroduce swift foxes and create a self-sustaining Canadian population. The species is now (August 20th, 2003) listed as "endangered" by COSEWIC. Swift foxes were first officially released in Alberta in 1983. By 1996, 540 foxes had been released in the Alberta-Saskatchewan border and the Milk River Ridge areas, parts of the species' native range. Most animals released were bred in captivity; the remainder were wild-born animals imported from the United States. At present (August 20th 2003), it is estimated that there are approximately 96 swift foxes in Alberta, most of them the offspring of released foxes. The population is stable or increasing slightly, but the species remains extremely vulnerable because of its small numbers and limited distribution." From www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/escc/pdf/swift_fox.pdf en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swift_fox (Want to just say Thank You to everyone who has visited my photostream over the last few years - 3,000,000+ views, each and every one of them so much apppreciated!)