MAY YOU ALWAYS WALK IN BEAUTY

[Carol Anne Kincaid~Paradis]

A'HO

"Teach us to walk the soft Earth as relatives to all that live." Hey, you never know where inspiration will come from! With everything that's happened this year, we could use some prayers for peace. We could do with some fresh air and some ancient wisdom: a little perspective. With respect for the people who came before us, whose words and ways continue to shine light on the mountains and valleys of life, these prayers. Let's get back to what matters. Let us know beauty again. Let's love each other like it's our reason for being here in the first place.

A female stingray at a NC aquarium becomes pregnant without a male mate. But how? Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY One North Carolina aquarium is looking to solve the mystery of a female stingray's solo pregnancy that has sparked confusion. The Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team Ecco is located in Hendersonville, 103 miles west of Charlotte. Staff there say the female stingray is expecting pups but there's one problem. The aquarium has no male stingrays. So how could the female stingray become pregnant without a male mate? There are two possible explanations for the rare pregnancy. Rare ‘virgin birth': Baby shark asexually reproduced at Brookfield Zoo, second in the US Asexual reproduction is common among stingrays Research has shown that animals, especially stingrays, have the ability to asexually reproduce when there is a lack of reproduction for that species. "First, you should know that parthenogenesis is asexual reproduction of an organism in which a female produces an embryo without a male present to fertilize the egg," wrote Dr. April Smith, executive director the North Carolina Science Trail in a blog post. "This means the offspring are, typically, all female, and this occurs in a situation where there are no males present (i.e., zoo/aquarium usually, or perhaps a secluded natural environment like the deep sea). It’s a survival mechanism that allows for the preservation of a species." Female stingray could have been impregnated by male shark The Hendersonville aquarium tells FOX Carolina they were afraid their female stingray named “Charlotte” had cancer when she began to swell. In order to confirm or deny their suspicions, an ultrasound was conducted. The results revealed the multiple growths within her body were later proven to be eggs. The aquarium found bite marks on Charlotte, a common sign that are left on mating sharks. In July 2023, two young white-spot bamboo sharks were moved into Charlotte's tank. “We have definitive video of the most current ultrasound showing two if not three pups,” Team Ecco told FOX Carolina. “DNA will need to be done after the pups’ birth – unless we have visual cues about a mixed breed.” Charlotte is expecting to give birth soon, the aquarium confirms.

HAPPY TRAILS FRIEND BLESSINGS