Album Guantanamo: critters from depscribe

Darwin in action

nobody@ipernity.com (depscribe) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:38:28 +0000

This banana rat has evolved a liking for root beer. Guantanamo residents dislike the hutia, because they gnaw on everything, most especially the rubber parts of car engines -- hard to replace on the island outpost. On the other side of the minefield, hutia are popular food items.

The famous "banana rat"

nobody@ipernity.com (depscribe) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:39:00 +0000

depscribe has posted:

The "banana rat," or hutia, isn't technically a rat. It got its name because its droppings -- which it eats; as with some other rodents and related creatures, hutia don't absorb some nutrients until the second time through -- are banana shaped. This one was kept as a pet by the base veterinarian. Army Capt. Bruce Williams.

A friendly specimen

nobody@ipernity.com (depscribe) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:37:09 +0000

depscribe has posted:

Capt. Williams had tamed this one.

Cuban deer

nobody@ipernity.com (depscribe) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:37:55 +0000

depscribe has posted:

Like those on many islands, Cuban deer are smaller than those found on bigger pieces of land, where food is more plentiful. The deer are quite common at GTMO. Sometimes one wanders into the minefield, and that's that.

The fearsome Cuban iguana

nobody@ipernity.com (depscribe) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:36:35 +0000

depscribe has posted:

It's little wonder that these guys have been stand-ins for dinosaurs in cheap horror films. Though they grow to four feet in length and are chunkier-bodied than the more familiar green iguana, the Cuban variety is entirely harmless, living on plants. This one is shedding his skin.

Navigational difficulty

nobody@ipernity.com (depscribe) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:34:05 +0000

depscribe has posted:

This sea lion, while not native to the area, showed up one day and established residence under a GTMO dock.

In its native habitat

nobody@ipernity.com (depscribe) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:35:45 +0000

depscribe has posted:

Cuban iguanas seem to be fond of the beach.

Just hatched

nobody@ipernity.com (depscribe) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:34:57 +0000

depscribe has posted:

A baby Ridley's sea turtle heads for the water. Once there, the danger of getting eaten by a shore bird is reduced, but life is still rough -- there's only a small chance this one reached adulthood.