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Index of Subjects --20cf305b1218637692049f8b9a99 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 hey Randy, found some theories on stress ( http://www.dem.ri.gov/news/2007/pr/0423071.htm), consequence of eating snow/ice on beach ( http://www.mysticaquarium.org/animals-and-exhibits/species-of-the-month/706-harp-seal) ... Wikipedia also had some thoughts on Gastroliths... as a natural behaviour, for food grinding or for ballast... And finally an article in Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B comparing these two theories of gastrolith function (grinding vs. ballast) in marine tetrapods (http://www.jstor.org/pss/55808) Any other clues Randy, like condition of the seal's teeth or whether the stones appeared to be recently ingested (local rocks) or worn/polished? (I suppose full esophagus suggests recent...?) Be interested to hear what you find out!! Cheers James. On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 10:13 AM, Helene Van Doninck < helene.birdvet@gmail.com> wrote: > Some animals can exhibit "pica", or the ingestion of abnormal things if > they have metabolic issues or blood dyscrasias...just a thought > Helene > > On 2011-03-28 8:54 AM, "Randy Lauff" <randy.lauff@gmail.com> wrote: > > The surprise animal at the end of this year's Comparative Vertebrate > Anatomy class was a Harbour Seal. The seal was found live in a "not good" > condition at Cribbons Point, Ant. Co., last semester. Shortly thereafter, it > died and was graciously delivered to me by DFO. > > Last week, my students and I opened it up and found that its stomach and > oesophagus were both full of stones...up to a bit bigger than golf ball > size. Any ideas why a seal would eat rocks? My only guess was > desperation...for some reason, it could have been hungry, but couldn't catch > any thing? It had a decent layer of blubber, so I don't think it was > starving. Nothing else seemed wrong with it, though I am no vet. > > Thoughts? > Randy > _________________________________ > RF Lauff > Way in the boonies of > Antigonish County, NS. > > -- James Churchill Kentville, Nova Scotia jameslchurchill@gmail.com home: (902) 681-2374 --20cf305b1218637692049f8b9a99 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable hey Randy, <br><br>found some theories on stress (<a href=3D"http://www.dem= .ri.gov/news/2007/pr/0423071.htm">http://www.dem.ri.gov/news/2007/pr/042307= 1.htm</a>), consequence of eating snow/ice on beach (<a href=3D"http://www.= mysticaquarium.org/animals-and-exhibits/species-of-the-month/706-harp-seal"= >http://www.mysticaquarium.org/animals-and-exhibits/species-of-the-month/70= 6-harp-seal</a>) ...<br> <br>Wikipedia also had some thoughts on Gastroliths... as a natural behavio= ur, for food grinding or for ballast...<br><br>And finally an article in Ph= il. Trans. R. Soc. B comparing these two theories of gastrolith function (g= rinding vs. ballast) in marine tetrapods <br> (<a href=3D"http://www.jstor.org/pss/55808">http://www.jstor.org/pss/55808<= /a>)<br><br>Any other clues Randy, like condition of the seal's teeth o= r whether the stones appeared to be recently ingested (local rocks) or worn= /polished? (I suppose full esophagus suggests recent...?)<br> <br>Be interested to hear what you find out!!<br><br>Cheers<br><br>James. <= br><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 10:13 AM, Hel= ene Van Doninck <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:helene.birdvet@gmai= l.com">helene.birdvet@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; borde= r-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"><p>Some animals c= an exhibit "pica", or the ingestion of abnormal things if they ha= ve metabolic issues or blood dyscrasias...just a thought<br> <font color=3D"#888888"> Helene</font></p><div><div></div><div class=3D"h5"> <p></p><blockquote type=3D"cite">On 2011-03-28 8:54 AM, "Randy Lauff&q= uot; <<a href=3D"mailto:randy.lauff@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">randy.l= auff@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><br>The surprise animal at the end of this= year's Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy class was a Harbour Seal. The se= al was found live in a "not good" condition at Cribbons Point, An= t. Co., last semester. Shortly thereafter, it died and was graciously deliv= ered to me by DFO.<div> <br></div><div>Last week, my students and I opened it up and found that its= stomach and oesophagus were both full of stones...up to a bit bigger than = golf ball size. Any ideas why a seal would eat rocks? My only guess was des= peration...for some reason, it could have been hungry, but couldn't cat= ch any thing? It had a decent layer of blubber, so I don't think it was= starving. Nothing else seemed wrong with it, though I am no vet.</div> <div><br></div><div>Thoughts?</div><div>Randy<br clear=3D"all">____________= _____________________<br>RF Lauff<br>Way in the boonies of<br>Antigonish Co= unty, NS.<br> </div> </blockquote> </div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br>James Churc= hill<br>Kentville, Nova Scotia<br><a href=3D"mailto:jameslchurchill@gmail.c= om">jameslchurchill@gmail.com</a><br>home: (902) 681-2374<br><br> --20cf305b1218637692049f8b9a99--
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