We love both animals and tattoos here at the Tucson Weekly, so we’re thrilled to announce our latest competition, Tatts for Tails, in partnership with the Humane Society of Southern Arizona.

Here’s the deal: You show off your pet-inspired tattoo and then campaign for votes. With the most votes, you win big prizes!

Just how big are these prizes? First place wins you two JetBlue Airlines roundtrip tickets to any domestic location, along with a $100 Target gift card, a $100 Buffalo Exchange gift card and a Road Tripper 400-liter REI duffel bag. (Plus, we’ll feature your tattoo in the pages of Tucson Weekly).

Second place brings home a $75 Buffalo Exchange gift certificate along with a $50 Cans Deli gift certificate and a $50 Target gift card. And the third-place winner will take home a $50 Buffalo Exchange gift certificate, a $25 Cans Deli gift certificate and a $25 Target gift card.

So how do you, tattooed reader, win these prizes? The first step is uploading a photo of your ’tacular tat to www.hssaz.org/tattoo. It will set you back $10, but that’s a small price to pay when you consider the payoff of a JetBlue roundtrip. And then you campaign for office with the tried-and-true strategy of buying votes. You, your family and your friends can vote for your tat as many times as y’all want—but each vote costs one buck and you’ve got to buy them by Tuesday, July 17.

All proceeds from this exercise in quasi-democracy will benefit the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, so the cause is just. Vote early and vote often. And maybe this is just the incentive you need to get a tattoo.

At least this seems to be the case according to new research conducted on red-bellied lemurs by the University of Arizona's School of Anthropology. Scientists studying the primates found elevated levels of androgens — or male sex hormones — in lemur fathers. These findings contrast the decreased androgen levels observed in human fathers.

"When we think of paternal care, we tend to think lower androgens mean less aggression and more nurturing behaviors, but this research tells us that in lemurs, androgens are not inhibiting infant care, and they might actually be facilitating care," said Stacey Tecot, an associate professor at UA who has studied red-bellied lemurs in Madagascar's Ranomafana National Park for nearly two decades.

Scientists think these lowered levels could be due to the fact that androgens, such as testosterone, are commonly associated with aggression and mate competition, impeding dads' abilities to bond with and care for their children. But, as it turns out, the prosimian papas’ androgen levels actually increase the more they engage in child care behaviors.

UA researchers recorded the canopy-dwelling casanovas’ five different infant care behaviors: Grooming, playing, carrying, holding and huddling. They then tested fecal samples, gathered from the rainforest floor, for their androgen levels. Overall, the more that lemur dads engaged in caretaking behaviors, the higher their androgen levels were. Only the carrying behavior was associated with lowered androgens.

“When you think about how you care for a child, it consists of not only nurturing behaviors, but also protective behaviors," Tecot said. "We think you will see elevated androgen levels across a wide variety of species, including humans, when they're guarding and protecting their infants. Then, when they perform other, more nurturing behaviors, you'll see a negative relationship with androgen levels, like we saw with carrying."

In conclusion, this research of the Romeos of the rainforest found that higher androgen levels may not hinder the ability to bond with and care for infants, as previously believed.

The monsoons are here. The cooling rain and impressive lightning shows that so many Tucsonans patiently wait for each summer are here to nourish the plants, animals and people who call this dry landscape home.

But along with the storms, something else is back... the bugs. One in particular that while some find fascinating, many find terrifying. Ask almost any Tucsonan and they will have at least one horror story involving these huge, shiny, bird-like creatures: the Palo Verde Beetle.

If you are lucky enough not to have encountered these beetles, they are shiny black bugs that are about the size of your hand, with long legs and antennae as long as their bodies. Upon first glance, they look quite like humming birds while flying, but much less cute. During flight, the beetles let their legs hang, making them look like they just flew out of "Jurassic Park."

So, what's the deal with these huge, flying terrors?

1. Perhaps the most important thing to realize about the Palo Verde Beetle, that might help to make them a little less scary, is that they are harmless to humans. They do not bite and they do not sting. They do have large pinchers, but these are for chomping on fruit, not you.

2. They are just looking for love. Palo Verde Beetles spend most of their lives as grubs. They can live three to four years in the roots of Palo Verde Trees, and look almost too juicy even for Bear Grylls to attempt. But once they do blossom into their ugly adult selves, the beetles only live about a month. During this short time, they are searching for love, and die shortly after mating.

3. If you are one of many who do not like the huge beetles, there are some other local critters ready to help. Palo Verde Beetles are dinner for roadrunners, owls, coyotes and bobcats.

4. While the season of the Palo Verde Beetle may be constrained to the summer monsoons here in the desert, beetles are going nowhere. Out of all the animals on Earth, beetles are the most successful group and account for almost a third of all living species.

5. Palo Verde Beetles also go by the name Root Borer Beetle. They also seem to respond to the screams of terror they so often cause.

Find more facts about the Palo Verde Beetle from the experts at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum here.

“Do you have a couch I could crash on? I would love to sleep on your couch and binge watch The Office with you!”

-Gabby

Want to learn more about Gabby? Give an adoptions counselor a call at 520-327-6088, ext. 173.

Can’t live another day without me? Come meet me at HSSA Main Campus at 635 W. Roger Rd. and bring your family, including dogs.

Bitsy needs a home, do you need a Bitsy?

"I am a sweet 4-month-old girl who is searching for the purr-fect family. Could that be you?"

- Bitsy

Come fall in love with Bitsy at PAWSH Park Place at 5870 E. Broadway Blvd. Have questions? Give an adoptions counselor a call at 520-327-6088, ext. 133.

Each year, Pima Animal Care Center gets slammed with lost and injured pets who become frightened by Fourth of July fireworks. With the holiday right around the corner, PACC offers tips to keep pets from becoming startled and launches an adoption special to make room for incoming strays.

Fourth of July week has become one of the busiest times of year for PACC. Last year, from July 4 to 8, PACC took in 169 stray pets and of those only 26 were claimed by their owners.

To reduce the number of pets who become lost during this time and reunite more of them with their families, PACC recommends pet owners follow these tips:

• Keep your pets inside during the fireworks.
• Make sure your pet wears proper up-to-date identification in case he becomes lost.
• Provide your pet with calming and distracting items, such as classical music, a ThunderShirt, or enrichment toys like a KONG filled with peanut butter.
• Get your pet microchipped beforehand and keep your contact info up to date.

Through July 3, pet owners can get their pets microchipped for free at PACC, 4000 N. Silverbell Road. This service is offered each day from 3 to 5 p.m. inside PACC’s community room, which is located right next to PACC’s main parking lot.

Should you lose your pet in the days following the Fourth of July, please call PACC’s Pet Support Center at (520) 724-7222. Also check PACC’s Lost and Found Pets webpage and its Lost Pets Twitter feed frequently, as new pets arrive each day. To help reunite lost pets with their families, PACC will waive all redemption fees and only charge owners their pets license fee, when applicable.

Additionally, from July 5 – 6, No Kill Pima County will have a lost pet support booth at PACC from 10 a.m. to 1 pm and from noon to 3 p.m. on July 7. NKPC volunteers will provide free “lost pet” posters and offer owners guidance on finding their pet.

Lastly, to make room for incoming strays, PACC will reduce adoption rates to $4 for all pets, including puppies and kittens. The special runs from July 1 – 8. Adopted pets will come spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and with a vet visit, too.

Potential adopters can look for a new pet at PACC’s shelter seven days a week, from noon to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends. On July 4, PACC will open for adoptions from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They may also consider checking PACC Facebook and Instagram pages, as the shelter features pets on a regular basis.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Operation Game Thief program is offering a reward of up to $1,500 for information leading to an arrest for the illegal killing of a javelina found June 17 northeast of 491 W. Hammerhead Way, accessible from South 12th Avenue.

Game and Fish determined that the javelina had been shot.

“Poachers are criminals,” said Regional Supervisor Raul Vega of Game and Fish in Tucson. “They are thieves who steal wildlife from Arizona citizens. This appears to be a crime of opportunity, or a case of trying to get rid of a nuisance. Either way, it’s illegal.”

Information may be provided to Operation Game Thief at 1-800-352-0700, 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week, anonymously if need be. Callers should reference OGT#18-002050.Information may also be provided on-line at azgfd.gov/ogt_form.shtml.

Citizens contacting Operation Game Thief in 2017 resulted in 76 citations for wildlife violations, with civil fines of $74,500.

“I am a sweet boy who is searching for a patient family that can show me how great life can be!”
 - Dart (854604)

Come meet Dart at HSSA Main Campus at 635 W. Roger Rd. and bring your family, including dogs! You can also leave a comment or give an adoptions counselor a call at 520-327-6088, ext. 173 for more information. Not ready to adopt? Share Dart’s photo to help him find his fur-ever home!

Note from Lulu's human:

Lulu is a Chinese crested and Japanese Chin mix.  She is the last of her clan. She is 15 years old and a lovely old girl.  When she gets excited she twirls around.  She lives on a goat farm in Arivaca but gets to come to Tucson every Tuesday and Friday with her owner. She comes in to visit her friends and play at the cat facility of Saving Animals from Euthanasia. She is also an ambassador for Southwest Hairless Rescue.

In our first annual Ugly Pets Contest, you have sent us dogs, cats and frogs (alongside a few missives informing us that we are cruel and heartless because all pets are beautiful in their own way).

After putting the editorial team to work judging the entrants, we have a winner alongside some of our finalists.

The winner, Lulu, gets a $25 gift certificate for a local pet shop. And her owner, Jacque Howell, also gets a $25 gift certificate, but for something a little more appealing to humans.

Thanks to everyone who entered. While your pets may be a little ugly on the outside, we know they have beautiful hearts on the inside.

2nd Place: Josie

Note from Josie:

My name is Josie. I am a Chinese Crested mix. I am about 7 years old. I have a very happy life in Tucson Arizona, where I am part of a pack of 7 other rescued dogs. I wasn't always so happy. For the first few years of my life I lived in a cage in a puppy mill having babies. I was rescued and came to live with my foster mom. She fell in love with me and adopted me and the rest is history. I am very good at helping other fosters that come into our home to adjust to their new life after rescue. I teach them to howl with the pack and to respect my sunning spot.

3rd Place: Roxi

Note from Roxi's dad:

This is Roxi, aka "The Bean". She is a 7 year old boxer mix, she was the runt of the litter, now she weighs in at about 75 pounds. She has a bit of an under bite, a slightly twisted jaw and a very long tongue. Some have said that she could win the ugly dog contest, but when I look at her all I see is absolute perfection!

Honorable Mention: Majesty

Note from Majesty: 

I'm Majesty, an ugly cat born on the island of Puerto Rico. Not so long ago, I would sweat profusely everyday while I watched the birds as a kitten from the comfort of my window. Now, I'm a solid man cat living in Tucson. My owners say that I'm an Exotic Shorthair (whatever that means). Anyways, I eat food 60 times a day, even dog food. I have a pretty basic schedule... I'm a simple man really. I sleep, wake up, sneeze in my owner's face, watch the birds, watch people, watch my dumb dog friends play; you name it! Of course, all of these daily activities are regularly interrupted for a nap. What is the meaning of life without naps? Some of my passions (besides looking funny) include snoring and staring off into the sunset.You know what else!? I've ridden on a plane a few times too, and I love it. 

Bonus submissions: Donny, Ms. TeeTee, Peanut and Rodente

Note from Donny's human:

This is my Plains Spadefoot Toad Donny. He honestly isn’t that ugly and shouldn’t be entered...but the problem is that he just can’t photograph well. Enclosed is a collage of the best pictures of him, which still aren’t great. He just doesn’t love the camera the way some frogs do.

Note from Ms. TeeTee:

I am a Crestie Mix from Tucson, Arizona. Due to some bad breeding I was just not cute enough to sell. Somehow I ended up in the streets. I was owned by a homeless man for a few years. He had several other dogs. We all got taken away from him and I ended up in a rescue and I got a great new home with my foster mom. I was up for adoption for months, but alas, no one wanted me. I guess I am just not cute enough. But my foster mom fell in love with my wonderful spirit, great sense of humor, and my cute little tongue.

Note from Peanut's human:

This is Peanut. We found her 10 years ago, curled up on our porch during a monsoon. She has hair like Brillo pad, nearly-impossible-to-cut nails, and had two rows of teeth! She can perform gymnastic feats to get food off the counter and will gladly act as " doggy dust buster" should you drop anything. She's covered in bumps and lumps, but we have a vet in the family that takes good care of her. We love Peanut, in all her wart covered glory!

Note from Rodente's human:

 I love my dog to pieces. But, she has been the subject of ridicule and so many "she's so ugly she's cute" Her name is Rodenté (french for rodent) I think she is so beautiful. She has saved my life so many many times.

“Do you think I could be a part of your family?”

-Fjord (854603)

Bring your family, including dogs, to meet Fjord at HSSA Main Campus at 635 W. Roger Rd. For more information give an adoptions counselor a call at 520-327-6088, ext. 173.