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I post on Monday with an occasional random blog thrown in for good measure. I do my best to answer all comments via email and visit around on the days I post.

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Z is for...

This is my 6th year for doing the challenge. To learn more go to The A to Z Challenge Blog.

This year it's all about the 
The A to Z of 
A LIZARD'S TAIL

In which I will describe, show pictures of, and otherwise expound on plants and animals mentioned in the novel.




Z is for Zoog the Mongoose
 And no I didn't give him a name beginning with Z just to have a Z word for the Challenge!
Do not be fooled by anything you think resembles cuteness. The small Indian mongoose was brought into the Caribbean in the hopes of getting rid of the rats, not snakes which are few and harmless. However the two scavengers live in harmony as rats are nocturnal and mongooses are diurnal.
They are not rodents, but more closely related to civet cats.
 Mongooses are scavengers and, without a natural predator, have been free to decimate many native species of reptile, bird and small mammal.
They live in burrows and I have never seen one climb a tree.
Indian Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus)- is it- at Hyderabad, AP W 101
Over the last 20 years or so, there's been a marked decline in their population. I'm not sure of the cause. I've heard (but have nothing to prove it) that there was a disease that radically decreased their numbers. When I was growing up, iguanas were seldom seen but mongooses were everywhere. You'd see them like one sees squirrels. But now it's the other way around. Iguanas have come back because there aren't as many mongooses eating their eggs. However, it also means there are more feral chickens because... there aren't as many mongooses eating their eggs.

The mongoose has gained some notoriety in Caribbean folklore as a sly trickster. He has even had  songs written about him. One I remember from my childhood is this one by Lord Invader. I have included the words.
"Sly mongoose, only dog know your name."

There was a competition in America
With Houdini and Destroyer
Houdini sang Adolf Hitler
And yet they said that Houdini was the winner
What he won?

Chorus:
Sly Mongoose
-all together-
Only dog know your name
-Sing the chorus-
Sly Mongoose
-everybody-
Only dog know your name
Yes, mongoose went into the White man’s kitchen
Took up one of his fattest chickens
Push it in his waistcoat pocket,
Sly Mongoose.

Then he challenge the Growler
And the Growler sand a hot number
Growler told the Houdini
He gonna win him with this melody,
What it was: “Old lady, you’re mashing my toe,”
“Oh lady, stop it isn’t”
And yet he won him with,

Chorus
Sly Mongoose
-all together-
Only dog know your name
-Sing it Macbeth-
Sly Mongoose
Only dog know your name
Yes, mongoose went into the White man’s kitchen
Took up one of his fattest chickens
Push it in his waistcoat pocket,
Sly Mongoose.

So as I’m Lord Invader, I said
“I can’t lose my name in America”,
I entered the competition,
And I sang a hot composition.
What it was: “Prisoner leve [Prisoner arise]
Mete limier bai [Put a light]
and Yet he won me with

Chorus
Sly Mongoose
-everybody 
Only dog know your name
-Duke of Iron-
Sly Mongoose
Only dog know your name
Yes, mongoose went into the White man’s kitchen
Took up one of his fattest chickens
Push it in his waistcoat pocket,
Sly Mongoose.



Hope you've enjoyed this year's A to Z Challenge!

15 comments:

  1. So where did 'Zoog' come from?

    When I see a mongoose, not that i have, I'm always reminded of Kipling's Rikki- Iikki - Tavi.

    Thanks for your very enjoyable posts about Marvin and his friends.

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  2. Introducing a species never works. Glad the lizards are making a comeback, even if there are more feral chickens.
    Sixth Challenge completed!

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  3. That's what happens when you mess with nature...

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  4. Very cool facts about the mongoose! And, you know I had no idea feral chickens existed until my family and I visited Hawai'i. It was so strange to us to see chickens running all over the place and stealing food from people in parks.

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  5. It's been fun reading a bit more about the Lizard's Tail. Congrats! You made it to the end. A-Z. That's a feat.
    PS - Glad you included the lyrics. I don't think I would have understood most of that song without them.

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  6. Hi Bish - so interesting about the mongoose and its introduction. But I love Zoog - good name .. and also the Calypso song .. always a good fun sound to have around ... even if we need you to translate the words for us!!

    Congratulations on Marvin's book .. it will I'm sure be a great success ... well done on the whole A-Z challenge .. cheers for now - Hilary

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  7. Ah yes... another example of our ecological "solutions" adding to the problem. Congrats on finishing the Challenge!

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  8. I think nature's balance is restoring itself. I've never seen chickens that weren't in someone's garden or in a farm. Congrats on reaching the end!

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  9. That mongoose looks a bit shifty! thanks for your entertaining posts, I'll be back for more! Thanks also for taking the time to visit mine, it's much appreciated.

    Keith's Ramblings

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  10. While I lived on STX it appeared that the mongoose where everywhere, but I also admit to seeing quite a few, very large iguana also (they tended to scare the carp out of me). I'll give you this the feral chickens where more than plentiful and a nusence.

    Hey, another A to Z complete and what a great job you did. I thoroughly enjoyed myself here and now really want to read Marvin's story.

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  11. Congrats on completing the challenge and your 6th year! That's awesome!

    Live.Wag.BARK!(A-Z)
    http://livewagbark.com/

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  12. Well done on completing the A to Z. Doing so for a sixth time is awesome.

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  13. WOW kiddo, this is a great wind-up. That music is also a wonderful way to begin my day and cure my A-Z hangover. It's been a struggle for me to keep up this year because i'm also turning the antique garage into a dance studio and it's been a rat-race to try and keep that running smoothly.
    I love all your characters and giving us so much personal information about each one.
    Yay, yay, yay...now let summer begin.

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  14. Hey Bish,

    It seems that bringing into the mongoose out of its natural habitat is not exactly a good idea. I do like seeing an iguana. Reminds me of the one who became my friend in Cancun, Mexico.

    Was there a challenge? NO, HELP ME! lol

    Well done on completing the never ending blog fest :)

    Gary

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Your Random Thoughts are most welcome!