A new visitor?

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John J

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A new visitor?
« on: December 07, 2015, 10:26:40 AM »
Don't recall having seen this chap (chapess?) around before today. :-\
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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JTh

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Re: A new visitor?
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2015, 03:23:50 PM »
Nice fellow,his/her look is a bit gloomy.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

Vina

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Re: A new visitor?
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2015, 07:52:44 PM »
Very gloomy indeed. Seems she's lost a leg though and on top of that can't quite get her web lined up right.
What a way to start the day!

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John J

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Re: A new visitor?
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2015, 08:59:56 AM »
Not quite the same creature but I couldn't resist following up on Vina's concluding statement about starting the day, as this is what greeted me on opening the blinds early this morning.  :o
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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JTh

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Re: A new visitor?
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2015, 12:18:52 PM »
It's praying for a happy New Year.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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John J

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Re: A new visitor?
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2017, 07:52:45 AM »
Another spider I haven't seen around before. Anyone put a name to it?
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: A new visitor?
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2017, 06:37:20 PM »
Another new visitor, at least I can't recall ever having seen one in our garden before. They are not a very common sight generally, except occasionally as road kill. We came across this little fellow this evening looking rather distressed, so we tried him/her with a bit of water. He/she drank some and then found the strength to waddle off, albeit a trifle wobbly. Has disappeared into a patch of Bulbine. Hopefully the little guy will make it.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

David Dickinson

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Re: A new visitor?
« Reply #7 on: June 18, 2017, 09:52:35 PM »
Hi JohnJ.

What kind of hedgehog is that? Those enormous ears! I looked up the European hedgehogs in my European mammals book but neither Erinaceous europaeus nor E. concolor has ears even approaching that size. E algirus, introduced into Spain, has small ears too.  It must be that my book doesn't consider Cyprus to be in Europe because Wikipedia shows Hemiechinus auritus as being native to Cyprus  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-eared_hedgehog.

Hope s/he does survive.
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

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John J

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Re: A new visitor?
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2017, 04:36:07 AM »
That's the one, David. It's considered to be almost a desert dweller, hence the giant ears for use as cooling fins. Cursory inspection of the Bulbine patch this morning shows no sign but it is a large patch and quite thick.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: A new visitor?
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2017, 07:58:21 AM »
Found the little fella lying on the path barely breathing. One of our neighbours is a vet. Not only have we known him all his life my wife helped him improve his English before he went off to study so we have a good relationship. After examining it he gave it an injection, introduced some fluid orally and even picked a couple of tiny ticks off one ear. The final verdict was to wait and see, it would either die or recover. At least we tried to give the little guy a chance.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: A new visitor?
« Reply #10 on: June 19, 2017, 03:50:02 PM »
Returned this evening from taking grandson home after picking him up from school to the sad news that my wife had found the hedgehog dead earlier this afternoon.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)