在一個春光明媚的日子，走到多倫多亨伯河(Humber River)岸邊散步。鄰近的居民說烏龜正在產卵。知道了感到十分興奮，因為難得有機會目睹自然生態的現象。
水陸兩棲的烏龜以亨伯河為家，每年按時產卵。今年春天來得特別早。五月一到天氣已逐漸暖和，正是它們繁孵下一代的季節，不遲不早。烏龜有很好的方向感，了解地理環境，而且知道哪裡產卵最為安全。它們往高處爬，遠離河水高漲時會淹沒的地方。選定位置之後，烏龜先挖開一小洞，然後往洞裡排出第一輪的卵子；繼續往高處爬，挖開另一小洞，再排出第二輪的卵子。如是者，直至排出了最後一輪的卵子才大功告成。之後，它連忙爬往低窪處迴避，不留任何足跡。這樣使到其它動物沒機可乘，直至卵子安全孵出幼龜為止。
以上是亨伯河一位居民對烏龜生態的陳述，觸發了我的好奇心，決意留下看個究竟。跟着途人走，很快就發現一隻小母龜，正在山丘的一角產卵，冷靜而機智，相信是初次生育。由於不想騷擾它，逗留一會兒之後就輕步離開。
烏龜的本能與生俱來。它處理產卵的過程有如分散投資：例如時間的選擇和地點的取捨，都是精心的計劃，高明處尤勝財經界之專家。聽說烏龜比人類更早出現於地球。它們的智慧可確保它們繼續生存，能與人類一較高下。
黃啟樟 2010/5/8日 (2010/5/20 現代日報)
大衛兄
ReplyDelete謝謝.
聽講蟑螂比人類出現早三億多年, 而且百毒不侵. 人類用DDT毒害自己, 卻對蟑螂無效.
老山
Turtle story to share:
ReplyDeleteAbout 7 years ago, my son bought 4 Brazilian Turtles all with the size
of a loonie. These 4 grew and it turned out that we have 2 males and 2
females. The males are smaller, about 7"x4.5" and the females are
bigger, about 11"x6".
Late last year one female turtle died, and we thought it was sickness
until early this year, I saw a male biting the remaining female and
blood was everywhere. We took the injured female out and brought her
to a 24 hours emergency clinic. The Vet explained that with Brazilian
Turtles, you can have a male and a female in an aquarium, no problem,
but you cannot have more than 2 male and female together. The male
will kill the female.
We now separate them, the 2 males now have no problem living together,
but the female will have to live alone - poor little thing.
Norm