ABC Wednesday: Z and also Y

I was away last week, most of the time without internet connection, and all of the time without access to my iPhoto program, so I missed the letter Y in Mrs. Nesbitt's alphabetical blog,
ABC Wednesday.
 
Y is for Yes, I was young once. Hard to believe about old women, but true, and here's the proof:

1940s

1950s

1960s

And this week, the letter is Z. I'm sure I've done "Z is for Zoo" more than once, but, this time, I want to go with "Z is for Zoological Specimens"...longer words meaning, basically, the same thing, except for my brother's cat.

And so, without further ado about the zoo, here is today's feature:

Z is for Zoological Specimens

Felis catus or Felis silvestris catus, previously Felis domesticus, is a small,
usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal.
This young specimen of a domesticated Siberian Mountain Cat is hypoallergenic as well as furry, semi-domesticated, and usually carnivorous.
Said specimen will chew on houseplants, and has been known to sleep sitting up.
Photo by Kay Davies

The Garter snake is a Colubrid snake genus (Thamnophis) common across North America, ranging from Alaska and Canada to Central America. It is the single most widely distributed genus of reptile in North America.
Photo by my intrepid photographer, Richard Schear, July, 2012

Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae.

In Europe, "magpie" is often used by English speakers as a synonym for the European Magpie, as there are no other magpies in Europe outside Iberia. That bird was referred to as a "pie" until the late 16th century when the feminine name "mag" was added to the beginning.

Magpies are believed to be one of the most intelligent of all animals: the European Magpie is one of the few animal species known to be able to recognize itself in a mirror test. In the UK, the Magpie has long been associated with a habit of stealing or otherwise collecting shiny objects, however this urban myth has no evidence in wildlife studies.

Photo by Richard Schear, July, 2012

This magpie in flight
is not a pretty sight.
The flowers below
are beautiful, though.

Photo by Richard Schear, July, 2012

The American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), also known as the Eastern Goldfinch and Wild Canary, is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canadian border to Mexico during the winter.
Photo by Richard Schear, July, 2012

Human activity has generally benefited the American Goldfinch. It is often found in residential areas, attracted to bird feeders which increase its survival rate in these areas. Deforestation also creates open meadow areas which are its preferred habitat.
Photo by Richard Schear, July, 2012

Cottontail Rabbit

Rabbits and hares belong to the order Lagomorpha. Unlike rodents, all lagomorphs have two pair of upper incisors or front teeth. The second set of incisors are small and peg-like, located directly behind the first incisors.

Cottontail rabbits are found throughout the southern arid regions of the province and are Alberta's only true rabbit. They inhabit thick bushy areas such as coulees, river bottoms, sagebrush plains and abandoned farmsteads.

Photo by Richard Schear, July, 2012

 Thanks to Wikipedia for most of my information.