An undated photo of a keeper holding the snake at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. 可倫賓野生動物保育區內一名飼養人托著那條蛇的照片,未註明拍攝日期。 照片:美聯社 PHOTO: AP |
Emergency surgery was performed late last month to save an Australian snake. The snake had swallowed four golf balls after mistaking them for chicken eggs.
A couple discovered the 1m python with four bulges in its stomach. They realized it had eaten golf balls. The couple had placed the golf balls in their chicken coop to encourage their hens to lay eggs.
They took the snake to veterinarian Michael Pyne. He safely removed the balls.
"Without surgery, it would have certainly died," Pyne said. "The golf balls had traveled as far as they could in the snake's system."
Pyne said the snake, which is not considered dangerous to humans, was recovering well. After it has recovered, it will be released back into the wild near where it was found.
"I think the people who brought it in will have to make their chicken coop a little more snake-proof," Pyne said.(STAFF WRITER, WITH AFP)
澳洲一條蛇上個月底錯把小白球當雞蛋,吞食了四顆高爾夫球,經過緊急手術後撿回一命。
一對夫婦發現這條一公尺長的蟒蛇腹部有四處凸起,他們心想牠一定是吃了高爾夫球;這對夫婦在他們的雞窩裡放了些高爾夫球,以刺激母雞下蛋。
他們把這條蛇送交獸醫麥可.派恩診治,派恩成功地取出了這些球。
「如果不動手術,這條蛇必死無疑,」派恩說:「這些高爾夫球已深入牠的消化系統。」
派恩表示這條對人類安全不構成威脅的蛇恢復得很好,待牠完全恢復後,將被放生至原出沒處附近。
派恩說:「我想帶牠來的那對夫婦得加強他們雞舍的防蛇措施。」﹝法新社/翻譯:袁星塵)
Huge stretches of coral reef around the world are turning a ghostly white this year amid record warm ocean temperatures. On April 15, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed the world’s fourth mass global bleaching event is underway — with serious consequences for marine life and for the people and economies that rely on reefs. WHAT ARE CORALS? Corals are invertebrates that live in colonies. Their calcium carbonate secretions form hard and protective scaffolding that serves as a home to many colorful species of single-celled algae. The two organisms have evolved over millennia to work together, with corals providing shelter to algae,
Taiwanese cuisine boasts a rich culture of thick soups, with various options available at street vendors or high-end restaurants. In English, this style of dish is typically called “thick soup.” Western cuisine typically uses flour, cream, or mashed vegetables to create a creamy consistency, while in Taiwan, thick soups are made by simply incorporating food starch into the soup and creating a smooth and silky texture. Tutuo fish in thick soup is such a soup with fried tutuo fish chunks, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and wood ears. 台灣羹品飲食文化豐富,無論是巷口小店或是高檔餐廳,都有提供羹料理。羹在英文稱作「濃湯」,西式濃湯是以麵粉、鮮奶油、蔬菜泥等達到濃稠的口感,台灣的羹湯用太白粉即能做出濃稠絲滑的湯頭。土魠魚羹就是在勾芡的羹湯中加入炸土魠魚塊、香菇、竹筍、木耳等食材的料理。 boast (v.) 擁有(令人驕傲的事物) consistency (n.) 濃稠度 chunk (n.) 厚塊,大塊 wood ear (n. ph.) 木耳 The star of this
In Taiwan, a quick stop at a local convenience store allows you to grab a hot dog whenever you want. But have you ever wondered how this popular snack got its unique name and became a leading light of American cuisine? First, the name “hot dog” is actually a combination of different ideas. Vendors called the sausages “red hot” to get customers to buy one fresh off their grills. As for the “dog” part, it’s a playful joke to compare the meat of the sausage to that of a dog—specifically , a dachshund. This small, long dog breed was
A: Also, police seized seven pornographic videos featuring minors that entertainer Mickey Huang purchased in his hard disc. B: That’s just outrageous! A: His ex-girlfriend entertainer Little S and some others are calling for a legal amendment to increase the penalty. B: The buyers and sellers should both be punished heavily. A: But the porn sellers’ Web sites are mostly overseas, so they are hard to catch. A: 此外警方也在黃子佼的硬碟裡,查到7部他買的未成年色情片。 B: 真是令人火大! A: 他的前女友小S等人,還呼籲修法,加重相關的罰則。 B: 購買者和販賣者雙方都該重罰。 A: 不過色情網站大多設在海外要抓也不容易吧。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)