A few nice image sites images I found:
Take My Picture Please
Image by Property#1
Pine Martin
[North American: Martes americana]
[European: Martes martes]
Pine martens are elusive nocturnal mammals which are found in pine forests and rocky scree areas. Suitable refuge sites include rocky crevices, disused squirrel nests (dreys) and holes in trees. Their fur is dark brown to black in colour with conspicuous creamy-orange throat patches. They have a pointed muzzle, prominent ears and a bushy tail. From head to tail adults are 64-81cm (25-32 inches) long . They weigh 1.3-1.7kg (2.8-3.7lb).
Feeding Pine martens are excellent climbers, and climb with agility in a squirrel-like manner from tree to tree as they search for food sources (such as birds, squirrels, rodents, rabbits, eggs, beetles, berries and even honey). They may also track down food on the ground where they are equally at home as in the trees.
Pine marten signs: Tracks and droppings indicate the presence of pine martens. Their foot prints are round and cat-like with five toes; claw prints are normally absent as they are only visible in soft ground. Droppings containing hair and feathers are deposited in regular latrines near to a boulder or log.
Information From Raysweb
Hybrid Bus
Image by srqpix
Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) will introduce two more diesel-electric hybrid buses to its fleet on Jan. 25, bringing the total number of hybrid buses to three. Seven more hybrid buses will join the fleet in the next two months.
The SCAT offer of free rides on the first hybrid bus also ends Thursday. All hybrid buses are equipped with fare boxes.
The new bus is in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) body style. This modern style has a curved front and rear with distinctive headlights. With its bright green-blue-gold-white design, the hybrid buses can be easily spotted as they rotate daily among the different SCAT routes.
The first hybrid joined the SCAT fleet on Aug. 7. When the 10th bus joins the fleet in March, it will make SCAT the owner of the largest fleet of BRT hybrid buses in Florida.
The new hybrid buses are part of Sarasota County’s commitment to reducing fossil fuel use through an initiative called the 2030 Challenge, which was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners on July 11.
The hybrids are more fuel-efficient than the standard diesel bus and will significantly reduce harmful emissions. The hybrid electric-diesel vehicle is 25-30 percent more fuel-efficient than the standard diesel bus, saving an estimated 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year. It also can reduce most emissions by more than 90 percent.
When the bus accelerates from a stop, the battery-powered electric motors assist the diesel engine for powerful acceleration. Once under way, the engine-driven generator charges the batteries. The vehicle’s regenerative braking captures energy normally lost as brake heat, and returns it the vehicle’s energy storage.
Allison-General Motors of Detroit, Mich., developed the transmission, and Gillig Corp. of Hayward, Calif. designed and built the bus.
The BRT hybrid bus costs 0,000. A standard diesel bus costs about 0,000. The hybrids are purchased with Federal Transit Administration grants.
The SCAT regular bus fare is 50 cents per ride; or 25 cents for seniors (age 65 and over) and persons with disabilities.
For more information about SCAT’s hybrid bus, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000. For more information on current SCAT services and schedules, call SCAT at 941-861-1234 or visit the Web site, scat.scgov.net/SCAT.
