Okay not really ;)

Has anyone eaten one? I want to try one so bad but I can't find anyone talking about having them outside of australia. I found an awesome picture of one at

It seems like a something like the lime version of a blood orange but the seeds are in pockets. The fact that they paired it with an oyster makes me want it even more.

The real question is not how to cook them but how (e:matthew) and I are going to manage eating them. I have a feeling there might end up being some crab soup.

To give it some perspective, that is a twelve quart pot and 3 lbs of crab.

Ironically, by quitting the gym I now once again fit into all my clothes from my early twenty's.

This game is the cutest thing ever.

::Download Flash SWF::

There is an Indian grocery store called Spice Bazaar next to Markheim pets. I need to go back with (e:tinypliny) or (e:samathon1986) because I didn't know what anything was.

A couple months back someone wrote to me to suggest I try out exclusively Alaskan Good fishmonger in Eden, NY.

Sorry the outside picture is so dark but we got there after 5 in Novemeber in Buffalo ;)


Inside there was a very friendly and knowledgeable woman working the counter.


They had a bunch of fish and seafood products to choose from that were all exclusively from alaska. According to the clerk, her father was a seafood inspector in Alaska. When he retired they decided to open up a seafood store in his home town of Eden, NY. She had a great point about how the Alaskan seafood is safer than foreign import because we have much stricter regulations.


Wildcaught Sockeye Salmon


Dungeness Crab


And the largest King crab legs I have ever seen. I makes the crabs seem so scary that the legs are this big.




I also got some bacon wrapped elk. When we lived in Germany I used to eat Hirsh a lot which was deer I believe. I imagine elk is similar. It was good with current sauce. Seeing as I don't have very many currents, I am thinking it might be good with cranberry sauce as an alternative.


Their slogan is from boat to throat.


I made the sockeye salmon and dungeness crab for dinner tonight. I combined it with blueberries, salad and squash, yum.



I would definitely suggest visiting if you are into seafood. The were open till 7 tonight (friday) so I imagine that is a normal weekend closing time.

One of the main features that drew me to the Nexus 1/android was the ability to dictate input into my phone. It does such an amazing job. Today while driving it was able to handle "Text Keith Tower, Do you guys have extended drivers licenses" and it got it all on the first try.

I also searched for directions to a woman's house where we were buying some lamps and to a fish store in eden. All via voice. Then the phone gave me directions the entire time via voice back so that I did not need to look at the screen to navigate and almost die like I always used to with my iphone. The 3d style GPS navigation with voice on stock android rocks.

I spent it at zoar valley with (e:terry) and (e:matthew). I really hope they don't frack it all up for next year.

Two tortoise stories:
1. This one is so sad:

2. We never ever let the tortoise have any protein because ever book and every vet says that it causes problem like pyramiding. While I am sure it is not the normal food for a sulcata, and we never feed it to him - he does have some natural hunter instinct. My old sulcata Sahara ate a crow, basra was caught with a squirrel foot, and then it ate our parakeet when it escaped (e:paul,49948) plus you saw how it freaks out for the hamster (e:paul,53079). A scientist did a study suggesting that pyamiding in sulcatas is actually not caused by protein consumption but by low humidity which fits basra for the winter. Apparently I need to up his humidity.

SUMMARY: Researchers using Geochelone Sulcata hatchlings with controlled humidity settings and controlled dietary protein levels found that providing adequate hydration was much more crucial in preventing pyramiding than reducing dietary protein.

To: herpnutrition@yahoogroups.com
From: walkaboutf@aol.com
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2003 19:50:43 EDT
Subject: [HerpNutrition] New Research on Pyramidal Growth in Tortoises.

Regarding our emailings on this list, we've had several requests for reprinting in hard copy and also for forwarding to other lists. Both are fine and permitted as long as credit is given to our HerpNutrition list and Walkabout Farm. Our goal is simply the dissemination of knowledge in order to advance the science of herpetoculture, so it's great to see the information out there in other venues.

Those of you with tortoises and turtles are perhaps familiar with the problem of pyramidal growth in the carapaces of young captive tortoises. Many factors have been incriminated --- dietary protein, calcium, vitamin D, Ca:P ratios, low UVB, rapid growth from high calorie diets --- but to date our information has been strictly observational and anecdotal. One paper published 15 years ago suggested environmental humidity may play a role in pyramidal growth (Weser, 1988, Zur Hockerbildung bei Schildkroten. Sauria 10:23-25). No controlled trials have been done, until now.

A paper has just been published by nutritionists at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna (Austria). Fifty hatchling Geochelone sulcata (siblings and half-siblings from the same farm) were placed in one of five groups that differed in dietary protein and environmental humidity. Protein levels were 14, 19 and 30% crude protein on a dry matter (DM) basis; the diet form was soaked pellets mixed with endive. Extra calcium was provided each group. Humidity groups were arid (24-58%), medium (31-75%) and high (45-99%). Lighting was by three different lights, including UVB-emitting Reptisun 5.0 by ZooMed.
Pyramid humps were quantified by means of measuring the depth and side-lengths of the second and third, and third and fourth central plates on the carapace. Ratios were calculated and termed the H-value (H=hump). Statistical tests included appropriate non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U-test.

The study lasted 5 months.

The researchers found that growth rates differed significantly with dietary protein level. Hematocrit and serum levels of calcium and phosphorus did not differ between groups. They found that dietary protein had little effect on pyramidal growth.

However, the researchers found that environmental humidity had a significant effect on pyramidal growth. Sulcata kept in the drier conditions had significantly greater pyramidal growth, and those kept in the highest humidity level had smooth carapaces. Photos accompany the data and statistical analyses.

The authors suggest that under natural conditions, the faster growing hatchlings would be in the humid areas under growing grasses. In contrast, those naturally in dry areas would have no growing grass because of food scarcity, hence have lower food intakes. During food scarcity, there is little growth and probably little bone growth.

Thus, the combination of arid conditions and abundant food is abnormal for young tortoises, yet is commonly found in captivity. However, correction of the problem is not through food (calories, protein) restriction, which can secondarily lead to immune suppression, stunting, debilitation from multiple nutrient deficiencies, and shortened lifespan, but through increasing humidity. When humidity was high, then high food intake, and high dietary protein, did not lead to pyramidal growth.

The authors hypothesize that during dry conditions, dehydration reduces both intra- and inter-cellular pressures on soft cartilage at the areas of bone growth, which could lead to collapse of the soft tissue and subsequent ossification in the collapsed position.

The authors conclude the paper by recommending hide areas of 100% humidity be available to tortoises at all times.

Further work is needed to replicate these results, determine mineral balance (acid-base balance) under dry and humid conditions, and examine the carapacial tissue histologically.

For details:
Wiesner CS, Iben C. 2003.
Influence of environmental humidity and dietary protein on pyramidal growth of carapaces in African spurred tortoises (Geochelone sulcata).
J Anim Physiol a Anim. Nutr 87:66-74.

---

Susan Donoghue, VMD, DACVN
Owner, Nutrition Support Services, Inc.
HerpNutrition at Walkabout Farm
www.HerpNutrition.com