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calder · 3 years

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crazychooklady submitted to qualtoth:

I know people say oh fallout in Australia would just be mad max but I really wanna know how things would’ve turned out 😭

My hc is that the rainforest areas like the dairntree ended up getting huge after experiments in the area now all the animals and plants are huge like it’s the carboniferous period 2.0 with gympie gympie trees thriving making isolated communities like cutting ppl off

in other places the natural disasters happen more and there are more eternal fires like burning mountain because of exposed natural gases in the resource wars and way, way more mines (both for coal and uranium) and more dugouts (underground homes we have) because the mines are in quite inhospitable deserts. Super destroyed mines too because people were in such a rush to harvest natural resources they ignored safety so you find heavily irradiated areas or collapsed mines or full on explosions.

Our trees also have a cool relationship with fire (pyrophytes)where some only open their seedpods during fires or have very flammable oil in them to make fires happen more and I think with the soil being bleh from all the mining that whole process happens way faster with frequent, cyclical fires and sudden growths of trees

Wetlands areas I wanna be a dumbass unrealistic person and make the water lillies and wetland plants even bigger and people make their homes on stilts to deal with flooding

I hc horned kangaroos actually have keratinous carcinomas. I like to imagine the wealth divide got so extreme during the end of the great war farmers got more and more desperate to keep their livestock alive and foolishly killed off a lot of the native predators blaming them for lamb deaths (which does still happen unfortunately even blameless wedge tailed eagles) leaving invasive species to take over and fill their niche but in a more destructive manner. Dingos would have been so diluted by feral dogs they would merely resemble what they were in some individuals. Cane toads completely decimated Queensland before overpopulating to the point of killing themselves leaving the areas where they were most concentrated wastelands. Rabbits had a similar thing going and they wiped out the bilby but some mutated due to the uranium mines near their many warrens and efforts to control their populations with government made diseases instead of radrabbits they became larger and even more proficient diggers but grossly deformed covered in tumours creating massive tunnel systems and fiercely defending them all while destroying local plants. Brumbies ran wild destroying riverbeds and trampling plants and their manes carried weeds and strange plants vast distances but the ecosystems struggled to support so many large animals and started to collapse. Feral cats lead to the extinction of many native animals and a disease which as an attempt at controlling populations by the government became propogating in their communities full of sickly animals spreading disease to humans as well as the engineered disease jumped the species barrier. I dunno what to do with native species the trouble is so many of our native species are struggling I find it hard to imagine them doing well with so many invasive species around with the exception of like possums and kangaroos (but some macropods are struggling atm even like yellow footed rock wallabies with feral goats) and birds are doing so badly with feral cats I’d be scared most small birds would do badly in fallout maybe emus would be doing well and cassowaries in the rainforest bc mutated cassowaries are cool. What do you think?

i like your use of mutants to speculate about ecosystems and endangered species instead of just make a bunch of fun hephalumps and woozels. great job!!!

#fallout #fallout australia #crazychooklady #world #fanon #spec #submission #sorry i sat on this so long #i had to post it from desktop #mutants

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rjzimmerman · 4 years

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Here are just a few of the stories about the horse colonies:

Mustangs

There's no feral horse quite as iconic as the mustangs of the American West.

These elegant creatures are descended from horses brought over to the Americas by the Spanish, but over the years, they have become mixed with a wide variety of other breeds, as well.

Mustangs are currently managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and as outlined by the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971, these equines "are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West, which continue to contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people."

Brumby Horses

Brumbies are feral horses that roam free in Australia. Although bands of brumbies are found throughout the continent, the most well-known populations are found in the Northern Territory and Queensland.

Like many invasive species in Australia, brumbies are the descendents of escaped, released or lost animals that date back to the time of the first European settlements on the continent.

Due to the serious ecological threats they pose to native plants and wildlife, they are generally considered pests. But as with any population control methods for invasive species, the subject of brumby management is mired in controversy.

Namib Desert Horses

These exceedingly rare feral horses are found in the Namib Desert of Namibia, Africa. The story behind their introduction into this harsh terrain remains unclear, though there are some theories that their ancestors were former German cavalry horses brought to the area during World War I.

They currently roam the desert's Garub Plains, where they're allowed to remain as a tourist draw and historical oddity. To protect them, their grazing lands were incorporated into Namib-Naukluft Park in 1986.

#horses

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sciencespies · 3 years

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Dogs (not) gone wild: DNA tests show most 'wild dogs' in Australia are pure dingoes

https://sciencespies.com/environment/dogs-not-gone-wild-dna-tests-show-most-wild-dogs-in-australia-are-pure-dingoes/

Dogs (not) gone wild: DNA tests show most 'wild dogs' in Australia are pure dingoes

Almost all wild canines in Australia are genetically more than half dingo, a new study led by UNSW Sydney shows — suggesting that lethal measures to control ‘wild dog’ populations are primarily targeting dingoes.

The study, published today in Australian Mammalogy, collates the results from over 5000 DNA samples of wild canines across the country, making it the largest and most comprehensive dingo data set to date.

The team found that 99 per cent of wild canines tested were pure dingoes or dingo-dominant hybrids (that is, a hybrid canine with more than 50 per cent dingo genes).

Of the remaining one per cent, roughly half were dog-dominant hybrids and the other half feral dogs.

“We don’t have a feral dog problem in Australia,” says Dr Kylie Cairns, a conservation biologist from UNSW Science and lead author of the study. “They just aren’t established in the wild.

“There are rare times when a dog might go bush, but it isn’t contributing significantly to the dingo population.”

The study builds on a 2019 paper by the team that found most wild canines in NSW are pure dingoes or dingo-dominant hybrids. The newer paper looked at DNA samples from past studies across Australia, including more than 600 previously unpublished data samples.

Pure dingoes — dingoes with no detectable dog ancestry — made up 64 per cent of the wild canines tested, while an additional 20 per cent were at least three-quarters dingo.

The findings challenge the view that pure dingoes are virtually extinct in the wild — and call to question the widespread use of the term ‘wild dog’.

“‘Wild dog’ isn’t a scientific term — it’s a euphemism,” says Dr Cairns.

“Dingoes are a native Australian animal, and many people don’t like the idea of using lethal control on native animals.

“The term ‘wild dog’ is often used in government legislation when talking about lethal control of dingo populations.”

The terminology used to refer to a species can influence our underlying attitudes about them, especially when it comes to native and culturally significant animals.

This language can contribute to other misunderstandings about dingoes, like being able to judge a dingo’s ancestry by the colour of its coat — which can naturally be sandy, black, white, brindle, tan, patchy, or black and tan.

“There is an urgent need to stop using the term ‘wild dog’ and go back to calling them dingoes,” says Mr Brad Nesbitt, an Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of New England and a co-author on the study.

“Only then can we have an open public discussion about finding a balance between dingo control and dingo conservation in the Australian bush.”

Tracing the cause of hybridisation

While the study found dingo-dog hybridisation isn’t widespread in Australia, it also identified areas across the country with higher traces of dog DNA than the national average.

Most hybridisation is taking place in southeast Australia — and particularly in areas that use long-term lethal control, like aerial baiting. This landscape-wide form of lethal control involves dropping meat baits filled with the pesticide sodium fluoroacetate (commonly known as 1080) into forests via helicopter or airplane.

“The pattern of hybridisation is really stark now that we have the whole country to look at,” says Dr Cairns.

“Dingo populations are more stable and intact in areas that use less lethal control, like western and northern Australia. In fact, 98 per cent of the animals tested here are pure dingoes.

“But areas of the country that used long-term lethal control, like NSW, Victoria and southern Queensland, have higher rates of dog ancestry.”

The researchers suggest that higher human densities (and in turn, higher domestic dog populations) in southeast Australia are likely playing a key part in this hybridisation.

But the contributing role of aerial baiting — which fractures the dingo pack structure and allows dogs to integrate into the breeding packs — is something that can be addressed.

“If we’re going to aerial bait the dingo population, we should be thinking more carefully about where and when we use this lethal control,” she says.

“Avoiding baiting in national parks, and during dingoes’ annual breeding season, will help protect the population from future hybridisation.”

Protecting the ecosystem

Professor Mike Letnic, senior author of the study and professor of conservation biology, has been researching dingoes and their interaction with the ecosystem for 25 years.

He says they play an important role in maintaining the biodiversity and health of the ecosystem.

“As apex predators, dingoes play a fundamental role in shaping ecosystems by keeping number of herbivores and smaller predators in check,” says Prof. Letnic.

“Apex predators’ effects can trickle all the way through ecosystems and even extend to plants and soils.”

Prof. Letnic’s previous research has shown that suppressing dingo populations can lead to a growth in kangaroo numbers, which has repercussions for the rest of the ecosystem.

For example, high kangaroo populations can lead to overgrazing, which in turn damages the soil, changes the face of the landscape and can jeopardise land conservation.

A study published last month found the long-term impacts of these changes are so pronounced they are visible from space.

But despite the valuable role they play in the ecosystem, dingoes are not being conserved across Australia — unlike many other native species.

“Dingoes are a listed threatened species in Victoria, so they’re protected in national parks,” says Dr Cairns. “They’re not protected in NSW and many other states.”

The need for consultation

Dr Cairns, who is also a scientific advisor to the Australian Dingo Foundation, says the timing of this paper is important.

“There is a large amount of funding currently going towards aerial baiting inside national parks,” she says. “This funding is to aid bushfire recovery, but aerial wild dog baiting doesn’t target invasive animals or ‘wild dogs’ — it targets dingoes.

“We need to have a discussion about whether killing a native animal — which has been shown to have benefits for the ecosystem — is the best way to go about ecosystem recovery.”

Dingoes are known to negatively impact farming by preying on livestock, especially sheep.

The researchers say it’s important that these impacts are minimised, but how we manage these issues is deserving of wider consultation — including discussing non-lethal methods to protect livestock.

“There needs to be a public consultation about how we balance dingo management and conservation,” says Dr Cairns. “The first step in having these clear and meaningful conversations is to start calling dingoes what they are.

“The animals are dingoes or predominantly dingo, and there are virtually no feral dogs, so it makes no sense to use the term ‘wild dog’. It’s time to call a spade a spade and a dingo a dingo.

#Environment

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americanfreedomonline · 4 years

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Morning mail: inner-Sydney cluster grows, America's 'red zone', the anti-real estate agent

Good morning, this is Richard Parkin bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Thursday 30 July.

Recommended reads

Veteran mechanic Craig Salmon has retrained to work on electric cars and loves it when his regulars make the switch. Photograph: Matthew Netwon/The Guardian

“Car enthusiasts hate them because they run so silent; you can’t get any noise out of them.” But for the veteran motor mechanic Craig Salmon, the list of upsides to electric vehicles far outweighs the negatives, as he tells Royce Kurmelovs – including performance. “The thing no one tells you about electric cars is you get 100% of the torque with zero rpm.” While Australia may have been slow to embrace the worldwide turn to EVs, one company in Tasmania is making affordability its mission. A common fear across the country is that electric cars won’t get you where you want to go. What happens if you run out of charge on a busy highway, or halfway to work? Here’s how the government could easily address these problems.

It’s almost the norm across parts of Europe and North America, but such are the weak rental protections for tenants in Australia, build-to-rent apartments remain rare. In Sydney’s inner west that’s now changing for longtime renters like John McCallister, writes Alyx Gorman. And while on-site rents might be higher, no-surprise leases and 4% capped annual rental rises are just some of the benefits for those looking to eliminate the real estate agent.

There’s something intrinsically cathartic about being in a choir. Linked to improving health and wellbeing, fighting diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, being in a choir fosters near-family like closeness, Ria Andriani explains. But in the coronavirus era, the feasibility of packing dozens of singers together for rehearsal renders this a remote dream, at least until a vaccine is found.

Listen

As Australia eyes its worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, on this episode of Full Story, Greg Jericho speaks with Gabrielle Jackson about where the economy is at and what still lies in store.

Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.

Sport

Western Sydney Wanderers looked as though they had cracked the code until a media campaign carpet bombed the entire terrace. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

In its 15-year history, the A-League has seen the support for clubs wax and wane but it has never captured the sort of tribalism the old NSL engendered, writes Simon Hill. And while success acts as a fillip, a sense of belonging is much harder to sustain.

After nearly five months of inaction Andy Murray believes upsets could be the new norm, likening the enforced break to world tennis to a long injury layoff. And the Scot has called for more mixed-gender events.

Media roundup

Australian workers will withdraw nearly $42bn from retirement savings, reports the Australian, with the figure nearly double forecasts, fuelling concerns the government is undermining long-term planning for short-term solutions. The AFL clubs Richmond and Carlton are facing hefty fines, the Age reveals, after reports a player left the hub to attend a beauty salon, and another’s young children were taken to Sea World before returning to lockdown. And Australian astronomers have discovered a group of ancient stars considered “the building blocks of our galaxy”, posing major new questions about the evolution of the Milky Way, reports the ABC.

And if you’ve read this far …

What’s in an apostrophe? Well, if you’re Donald Trump Jr, quite a bit. Having copped heavy flak for a grammatical error in the subtitle of his forthcoming self-published book, the president’s son has been digging downwards on Twitter: “Sleepy Joe wont like this one. But lets be honest he probably doesn’t keep up with current events.” And his promotional website doesn’t do much better, promising the book will uncover “countless liberal scandals, years of entrenched racism in the democrat party and decades of failed polices”.

If you would like to receive the Guardian Australia morning mail to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here.

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pestcontrolipswich1 · 1 year

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Explore The Best Professionals For Pest Control Ipswich Services

Pests are some of the most destructive and unwanted creatures you'd ever find in your house. Once they get into your home, it's hard to kick them out. Anti-pest chemicals are the fastest way to get rid of pests fast - but they're also toxic to humans, so it's essential to use them wisely and dispose of them properly. Pests include mice, rats, ants, roaches and other insects. These critters love to eat human food and make their homes in our homes. The best way to get rid of pests is to use a pest control product.

Organic Pest Control Ipswich has been around for thousands of years and is a natural approach to managing pests. Organic pest control can carry out in the home on large organic farms. Organic pest control is one essential component of integrated pest management programs. The main difference between organic pest control and conventional chemical-based programs is that the former uses natural products to kill or repel pests. And whereas the latter uses poisonous chemicals, which are eventually disposed of into our water and soil, causing damaging side effects.

Termite Control is a highly-specialized, scientific service to keep problematic insects out of homes, businesses and other structures. The danger they pose, which includes damage to wood structures, makes this focus on pest control companies that provide either residential or commercial services. Termites are wood-eating pests that can wreak havoc on the homes and buildings of the people in your community. In fact, they cause billions of dollars in damage, and their presence is often not even detected until it is too late. Termite control Ipswich companies offer solutions to this problem by treating structures with chemicals designed to kill these destructive insects before they do any damage.

Brisbane Terminator provides cost-effective, long-lasting solutions for all your pest control needs. They understand the importance of having a bug-free home and provide reliable and effective services to all their clients. Their licensed professionals use the latest technology to treat all kinds of pests, including termites. Do not hesitate to contact them for more details about their pest control services.

#pest control ipswich #termite control ipswich #cockroach control ipswich #feral animal control #animal control australia #termite inspection ipswich #termite control forest lake #pest control ipswich queensland #pest control kenmore #termite control jindalee #feral animal control queensland

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brisbaneterminatorblogs · 1 year

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Hire The Best Professional For Pest Control Ipswich Services

Are you facing a pest problem in your house and company? Brisbane Terminator is a licensed and reliable pest control service provider. We offer the finest Pest Control Ipswich Services, which include Eco-Friendly methods of removal that do not harm the environment in any way. We believe in serving our clients with the utmost care and always use eco-friendly products for pest control within our premises. Our technicians are licensed and trained with years of experience in handling pests. Do not hesitate to contact us for more details about our pest control services.

#pest control ipswich #termite control ipswich #feral animal control queensland #cockroach control ipswich #ipswich animal control #cheap pest control ipswich #termite inspection ipswich #spider control ipswich #ipswich animal control queensland

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chaospirations · 5 years

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Bigfoot, Mothman and the Chupacabra may be some of the most widely known cryptids in modern society, but another fascinating cryptozoological classification of mysterious “monsters” are giant animals. Contrary to popular belief, creatures that are considered to be cryptids don’t have to be of a supernatural nature. They don’t all have to have some hidden power attributed to them. They don’t have to have the power to sense and draw out your deepest fears, to disappear on command or control the environment around them. Some of the paranormal attributes given to cryptids are most likely due to the emotional state or psychological upheaval experienced by the observer after witnessing something totally unexpected or unbelievable to them. Sometimes, they’re just big.

In 2005, George M. Eberhart wrote an article in the Journal of Scientific Exploration in which he placed cryptids (or reports of cryptids) into ten distinct categories. Eberhart explained his categorization in the article in reference to his book Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. In this article we’ll focus on the category “Undescribed, Unusual or Outsized Variations of Known Species.” These may be common animals with notable deformities or attributes. This may also include known animals that are the rare giant of that species, or suffer from a form of gigantism.

Krystyna ‘Krys’ Pawlowski and the 28-Foot Crocodile

You may have seen this photo floating around the internet and thought it was a photoshopped crocodile. However, this is not the case, and the story behind it is surprisingly terrifying.

Ron and Krystyna Pawlowski were Polish immigrants who arrived in Australia in 1949. The Pawlowskis struggled to make ends meet while caring for their children on a rural patch of land in Kaumba, in Queensland’s Gulf Country.

That all changed on a hot day in 1955. In a nightmarish scenario, three-year-old Barbera Pawlowski was playing near the water’s edge when her brother witnessed a horrific sight. A massive crocodile was stalking the toddler, and was about to make her it’s next meal.

“My brother came out and saw it and yelled “Barbara, crocodile!” and my mother grabbed a rifle and shot it between the eyes…”

-George Pawlowski

Krystyna Pawlowski had never shot a rifle before in her life, but in that instant she managed to dispatch what remains to be the largest crocodile ever captured or killed in Australia, a monstrous 28-foot croc.

“One Shot” became Krystyna Pawlowski’s famous nickname, and the family found fortune hunting crocodiles.

Additional link: The story behind the biggest crocodile ever caught in Australia: How a petite Polish immigrant with perfectly manicured nails nailed an 8.6metre monster – Daily Mail

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Hogzilla and Monster Pigs

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of media stories involving wild or feral hogs in recent years. The latest story at the time of this writing is of a lethal attack in Chambers County, Texas by feral hogs on a woman arriving to work in the early hours of November 24, 2019.

“Feral swine are the same species, Sus scrofa, as pigs that are found on farms. Feral swine are descendants of escaped or released pigs. Feral swine are called by many names including; wild boar, wild hog, razorback, piney woods rooter, and Russian or Eurasian boar.

No matter the name they are a dangerous, destructive, invasive species. Feral swine were first brought to the United States in the 1500s by early explorers and settlers as a source of food. Repeated introductions occurred thereafter.

The geographic range of this destructive species is rapidly expanding and its populations are increasing across the nation.”

United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Feral hogs, as their domesticated counterparts, if given sufficient food and cover can grow very large. To get an idea of how potentially large a feral hog can get, here’s a domestic analogy. Big Bill was raised from the runt of the litter into a record-smashing 2,552-pound hog. Big Bill’s incredible weight was validated in the Guinness Book of World Records. Bill met an untimely death in 1933 at the age of 3 while en route to the Chicago World’s Fair. He was subsequently stuffed and put on display as his titanic carcass changed hands to various individuals willing to haul his earthly shell around for a quick buck.

Buford Butler standing with “Big Bill” post-taxidermy

Domesticated hogs are not usually raised to achieve such great weights, as an agricultural commodity, larger pigs are more difficult to house, transport and slaughter. Moreover, younger, smaller hogs are more appealing to the meat industry and have generally better quality than older, larger market hogs. However, the outbreak of African swine fever has decimated the pork industry in China, and some Chinese pork producers are beginning to raise hogs “heavy as polar bears” in order to counter the significant losses of their pigs to disease.

Hogzilla male hybrid of wild hog and domestic pig that was shot and killed by Chris Griffin in Alapaha, Georgia. On June 17, 2004, on Ken Holyoak’s fish farm and hunting reserve, Griffin shot the beast and reported it to be at least 12 feet long and over 1,000 lbs. Photos of the kill went viral and caused an overnight media sensation.

A forensic investigation of the animal was conducted revealing it was around 8.6 feet long and approximately 800 lbs. Although this diminished the initial report, “Hogzilla” was still an unusually large specimen.

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Related: list of pigs of significant size.

Monsters In Print: A Collection Of Curious Creatures Known Mostly From Newspapers

by Adam Benedict

This collection of over 170+ articles, direct from newspapers of the 1800s and 1900s, brings some of the most bizarre, amazing, and incredible stories of true monster encounters out of the past and into your hands! Presented with zero spin or bias, this book delivers just the facts and allows you, the reader, to decide for yourself if the stories within actually happened or not. From the funny to the frightening, the sincere to the weird, there is something for everyone within these pages!

Giants of the Deep: Giant Squid

Maritime legends depict all manner of sea monsters from the terrifying to the fantastic. One of the most famous monsters from the lore of seafarer’s is the Kraken. Described as a giant, multi-tentacled cephalopod that could wrap its incredibly strong arms around any vessel it desired and drag it and her occupants to the depths of the ocean. Many now believe that the Kraken of sailor’s stories are most likely sightings of the Giant Squid, genus Architeuthis.

Giant Squid usually reside deep in all of the world’s oceans, and are rarely seen near the surface. It is estimated that Giant Squid can reach lengths of over 40 feet long and they have the largest eyes in the animal world. However, being so elusive and mysterious, it is impossible to tell how big Giant Squid are capable of growing. One of the best video close encounters with the giant squid occurred on Christmas Eve 2015 in Toyama Bay, Japan (video clip below) when a juvenile made a rare visit to surface waters.

Get the “Architeuthis The Giant Squid” shirts and hoodies!

Giant Discovery Channel Hoaxes vs Real Giant Sharks

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Remember when MTV played music videos? Also remember when the Discovery Channel used to feature science documentaries and not “mockumentaries” like Animal Planet’s “Mermaids” embarrassment? During “Shark Week” in 2013, the Discovery Channel aired a segment called “Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives.” In the segment, there is a grainy photo that you may have seen floating around the internet.

Still from “Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives”

The photo was alleged to be taken on December 18, 1942 near Capre Town, South Africa gathered by “Nazi archives” and displays a dorsal and tail fin behind a few U-boats with a measurement marker of 64 feet. Without knowing the documentary was fictional, many viewers assumed this photo was powerful evidence for the existence of the Megalodon in modern times. However, there were also those who questioned the photo, and ultimately proved it to be phony.

George Monbiot of the Guardian began investigating the claims made by the Discovery Channel show, and with a little help from his readers, managed to debunk the photo as a total fabrication.

“Before I wrote the article I conducted an image search, and found nothing. Now I know why. It wasn’t a still picture. A sharp-eyed reader found the frame in some footage of U-boats on Tarrif.net. The footage was shot in the Atlantic. Take a look 12 seconds in.

It’s the same shot. But guess what? No shark. And no swastika. And not off Cape Town. Or anywhere near.

I wrote to the company handling media inquiries, putting it to them that the production company which made the film, Pilgrim Studios, doctored the image and misled the audience. I have not heard back from them.”

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-George Monbiot

Another photo that has been misrepresented as a Megalodon is the now-famous “Sleeper Shark” video. Having been re-edited and re-packaged by YouTube as “The Mariana Trench Megalodon,”

The Pacific Sleeper Shark

The claims that this is a shark of stupendous size comes from the assertion that the cage in question was a large diving cage when in acttuality it is a small bait cage designed to draw in sharks and fish within the range of the camera. Also, this was not filmed in the Mariana Trench, the encounter was actually recorded by a submersible in Japan’s Suruga Bay and uploaded in 2008 (see video below).

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Thete are many historical accounts of giant Great Whites. In the 1870s, a 36 ft specimen was captured in southern Australian waters, near Port Fairy, and an 37 ft shark was trapped in a herring weir in New Brunswick, Canada, in the 1930s. Both of those size estimations remain unverified. However, there are still giants that roam the water to this day.

The largest Great White ever captured on video so far has been Deep Blue, and she’s our modern equivalent to a real-life “Jaws” with the exception that she’s pretty tolerable about having divers around her. Deep Blue is approximately 20 feet long and weighs an estimated 2 tons, making her the largest known Great Whites sharks alive. She’s estimated to be around 50 years old and the first documented encounter with this particular shark was about 20 years ago.

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The Lake Michigan Mothman: High Strangeness in the Midwest

This book represents over two years of research by a dedicated team of investigators who have taken dozens of reports of a weird, winged humanoid seen around Lake Michigan. Author and investigator Tobias Wayland has collected these reports for the first time in one volume, along with his analysis and insider perspective as a member of the investigative team. The phenomena described within represent the continuation of a decades-long series of events first recorded in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in the late ’60s, but that has likely been with humanity since our advent, and seems just as likely to be with us until our end.

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Any use of copyrighted material on http://www.nationalcryptidsociety.org is done for criticism, comment, news reporting or educational purposes. The National Cryptid Society including all web pages and social media platforms owned or registered by The National Cryptid Society does not endorse nor is any endorsement of the National Cryptid Society inferred by creators of copyrighted material presented herein for criticism, comment, news reporting or educational purposes under Fair Use allowance quoted above. Various SEO Keywords: Dinosaur, exhibit, for sale, auction, Action, Aggressive, Agile, Allegorical, Apparition, Appeal, Appendage, Archeology, Archosaurs, Astonishing, Attack, Attraction, Awe, Awesome, Beast, Beauty, Behavior, Behemoth, Believe in, Berserk, Bipedal, Bony Armor, Breathtaking, Captivate, Careful, Carnivorous, Cave, Changes, Charisma, Conjure, Conquer, Conquest, Creature, Crests, Cretaceous, Critter, Cruel, Cunning, Curious, Cursed, Dazzle, Deadly, Demon, Dinosauria, Disappear, Discoveries, Diverse, Domination, Dragon-like, Dramatic, Drawn, Dread, Earth, Eek, Encounter, Enormous, Evolution, Existence, Extraordinary, Extinct, Extinction, Eyes, Fantastic, Fascination, Fear, Fearsome, Fiery, Floating, Flying, Forceful, Fossil, Fright, Frightful, Giant, Gigantic, Global, Grand, Grotesque, Groups, Hatch, Herbivore, Hidden, Hills, Historical, Horns, Howls, Imagination, Incredible, Indescribable, Injuries, Invade, Invasion, Jurassic. Extinct, Juvenile, Kill, Kingdom, Land, Large, Leathery, Legendary, Literature, Lore, Majesty, Mammoth, Marvel, Mesozoic, Misshapen, Monster, Mysterious, Mythical, Names, Nasty, Natural, Nemesis, New, Noise, Obliterate, Over-sized, Petrify, Phenomenon, Potent, Powerful, Prehistoric, Prey, Proportion, Prowl, Pugnacious, Pursuit, Quadruped, Quail, Quake, Quest, Quiver, Raptor, Real, Realm, Remains, Repellent, Reptile, Repulsive, Revolting, Roam, Roar, Savage, Scales, Scare, Serpent, Size, Skeleton, Slither, Snout, Soaring, Special, Species, Spectacular, Spikes, Spiny, Stealthy, Story, Surprising, Symbolize, Tail, Tales, Taxonomy, Terrestrial, Terrible lizard, Terror, Tremor, Triassic, Ultimate, Unbelievable, Unique, Unreal, Unusual, Vanish, Vanquish, Variation, Variety, Vertebrates, Vicious, Weight, Weird, Wicked, Wild, Wilderness, Willies, Wince, Wings, World, Wrinkled, Paleontology, Science, Reptile, Ancient, Model, Photo, Video, Caught on, Captured, New, News, Cryptozoology, games, gaming, gamer, Paranormal, Supernatural, Unknown, Unidentified, Mystery, replica, Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Mothman, Dogman, Sea Monster, Champ, Champy, Loch Ness Monster, Alien, UFO, extraterrestrial, Funny, Warning, Caution, Sign, camp, camping, camper, hunt, hunter, hunting, fish, fishing, fisherman, outdoor, recreation, forest, woods, wilderness, spirit, ghost, Paranormal, Supernatural, Werewolf, Wolfman. Monster, creature, crypto, cryptid, cryptozoology, animal, wildlife, wild, scandal, controversy, conspiracy, murder, disappear, missing, Trump, Halloween, holiday, pet, dog, cat, write, writer, writing, read, reader, attack, boar, turtles, reading, campaign, forum, true, truth, folklore, myth, Earth, hollow, flat, round, Mars, Moon, scared, terror, horror, science fiction, documentary, sightings, movie, show, weather, maps, YouTube, translate, calculator, news, donald, suggestion, “how to”, “who is”, “who was”, actor, Virginia, senate, erotic, erotica, nonsense, “when was” whatever!

Nature’s Monsters, Giant Animals and Fantastic Beasts Bigfoot, Mothman and the Chupacabra may be some of the most widely known cryptids in modern society, but another fascinating cryptozoological classification of mysterious “monsters” are giant animals.

#Animals #giant #gigantism #zoology

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forthedingoes · 7 years

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Progressive Dingo Management Strategies

Over the next year I will be involved in a project managed by Griffith University, in collaborations with residents from two peri-urban communities with an interest in animal management and environmental conservation. ‘Peri-urban’ areas are zones that have undergone rapid urbanisation of a once remote rural environment. These particular locations are extraordinary in their concentration of dingoes (and feral domestic dogs) and the incessant conflict between community members (predominantly farmers), but also newly arrived “urban refugees” (to use the term often quoted in the workshop).

The academics managing this project are not necessarily specialists in dingoes and invasive species, but experts in community empowerment and communication. Their expertise has been channelled to empower communities to challenge Government led and enforced management of invasive species, which all community members shared a dissatisfaction with, regardless of position regarding dingoes (and feral domestic dogs and other invasive species). While the population of dingoes is exceptionally high in these areas, they are exhibiting classic chaos behaviour in response to the traditional, exclusively lethal means to control dingoes (+ feral domestic dogs). These culls are typically controlled and enforced exclusively by local and state departments of government by means of 1080 poison baiting. All affected people – particularly farmers – have expressed concern that the impact of predatory species has continued to increase, despite a lack of monitoring and quantitive data measuring the effectiveness of current practises. Even farmers that carry out baiting are open to alternative measures of control, and the vast majority share concern for the welfare of animals that are killed by It is this projects goal to gather residents to create stratagems that reflect the diversification of values and welfare concerns of all community members. It creates and opportunity to open a forum of discussion between new and ‘old-school’ community members, reflecting their unique experiences, education and ethics. Farmers also have an opportunity to address the lack of results of these culls actually decreasing stock losses, and to voice their concerns over the rapid social change within their community. “Communities are often best-placed to take action because they have a unique and detailed understanding of the issues, challenges and opportunities in their community. A self-empowered community-led planning process can be an effective way for communities to come together to establish responses to threats to their lifestyles.”

All parties will benefit from the guidance of the research fellows. Their specialisation in self empowered community management ensures that and the objective of valuable action, is not limited to discussion, and the power of working within a community to add merit to suggested changes in practices. The objective of this workshop is to submit an application to the revision of the Wild Dog Management Strategy (2011 – 2016) which is up for review, due to the expiry date of the most recent plan by the Queensland Dog Offensive Group. This papers’ draft is available to the public, and open to suggestions that I can put forward to the researchers, regardless of whether you are local or not. It’s a good 17 pages long, so I’ll try to make a post to link it Here if anyone would like to have a read (Just give me a little time to figure out how haha). These are the key points explored in the submission, with my own notes highlighted in italics

1. A need to distinguish between dingos and non-dingoes throughout the strategy. (according to the taxonomy “Canis Dingo” & phenotype and status as its own species)

2. A need for greater community awareness, education and capacity building around wild dogs and dingoes and their management in peri-urban areas.

4. A need to quantify actual impacts of feral dogs and dingoes in peri-urban areas to inform best management practices, as well as the need for better understanding of dingo behaviour and ecological role based on the latest science (Reference material must be peer reviewed and critically analysed).

5. A need to consider the range of views of peri-urban residents that include, but are not limited to: the importance of dingo conservation, the appropriateness of current control methods (especially 1080 baiting) (with regard to welfare concerns and human accountability for domestic animal husbandry), the need to understand current impacts of wild dogs, and issues of personal responsibility and pet management.

6. A need to consider personal responsibility and preventive measures and improve residents’ compliance with relevant regulations (e.g. microchipping, desexing) (How to address undocumented and irresponsible behaviour with other methods that don’t simply rely on punishment, and provide motives for target audience?). A need for greater transparency and sharing of information (Accuracy of information available on Gov, academic and media resources, esp. regarding species distinction) between Government and local communities, especially in relation to wild dog impacts, sighting (With conclusive, first hand evidence of animals responsible for stock attacks – as in visual documentation of the attack, not just the aftermath. Attack could be by a range of invasive species – domestic dogs, pigs, foxes, cats, or dingoes), and management (community oriented and autonomous) outcomes in peri-urban areas.

“We note that although the desired outcomes of the current Strategy specifically include the conservation of dingoes (Desired Outcome 5), the vision does not mention conservation and is only focused on control. At the same time by only using the word impacts it implies that all impacts are negative, but dingoes can have positive ecological impacts (Johnson & VanDerWal, 2009; Letnic, Ritchie, & Dickman, 2012; Smith, 2015). We suggest that conservation of dingoes should be included within the vision in order to ensure conservation of dingoes is considered as equally important as control of wild dogs, and that it should be made explicit that the negative impacts should be minimised. We also note that community responsibility and involvement in this issue is vital (Martin, Low Choy, LeGal, & Lingard, 2016), and has been shown to be a key factor in successful wild dog management (Paroo Shire Council, 2011). This is reflected in Desired Outcome 2 in the current strategy. However, the group’s experience is that there was a reliance on and expectation of local government to take responsibility for this issue. To emphasise the importance of the community, the vision should include some reference to community responsibility”. - Submission to QDOG regarding Wild Dog Management Strategy

#canis dingo #dingo management #dingo conservation #dingo legislation #dingo welfare #dingoes are not dogs #or wolves #dingo research #community action #australian dingo #australia #biodiversity #ecology #land management #wildlife management #conservation

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sciencespies · 3 years

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Australia's invasive cane toads are turning into increasingly ruthless cannibals

https://sciencespies.com/nature/australias-invasive-cane-toads-are-turning-into-increasingly-ruthless-cannibals/

Australia's invasive cane toads are turning into increasingly ruthless cannibals

Since their introduction to Australia in 1935, cane toads (Rhinella marina) have been rapidly devouring their way across the northern part of the continent. Their feasting bonanza, unchecked by predators or parasites evolved to deal with their toxicity, has seen their numbers explode.

There are now so many cane toads, natural selection has favored more cannibalistic tadpoles, a new experimental study has just revealed.

Initially introduced to Australia in an attempt to control local cane beetles (Dermolepida albohirtum) to protect sugar cane industry in the country’s northern state of Queensland, the original 102 individual toads now count somewhere in the 200 millions, with densities around 10 times those in their native South American habitats.

Cane toads are toxic as both adults and tadpoles, which has caused massive problems for Australian predators like the adorable northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus). Now rare, these marsupial predators have almost wiped themselves out trying to eat the toads and succumbing to their toxins.

Cane toad tadpoles usually graze on algae and decomposing organic matter. While they’re known to be occasionally cannibalistic in their native lands and have been caught munching on each other even as adults, researchers had a hunch that the intense boom of cane toad numbers in Australia might have boosted their cannibalistic tendencies.

To test this, University of Sydney ecologist Jayna DeVore and colleagues ran over 500 trials comparing native South American tadpoles with Australia’s feral population.

They offered the tadpoles an empty container, or a container with a tadpole hatchling in it. The tadpoles from Australia were almost 30 percent more likely to enter the container with the hatchling, whereas those from South America showed no preference. Hatchlings were also over 2.5 times more likely to be gobbled up by Australian tadpoles than those from their original habitat.

“Cannibalism therefore shifts from an opportunistic behavior in the native range to a targeted response in Australia, whereby tadpoles cease their normal foraging activities upon detecting hatchling cues in order to locate and consume [them],” the team wrote in their paper.

To see if this heightened preference for cannibalism has prompted any other evolutionary changes, the researchers took some measurements during tadpole development.

They discovered that tadpoles from Australia have evolved strategies to reduce the duration of their vulnerable hatchling stage: The tadpoles are growing rapidly during the pre-feeding stage of their development.

But this has come at a cost. The later stages of development of Australian tadpoles were slower than those from South America, indicating ”an evolutionary arms race between the cannibalistic tadpole stage and the vulnerable egg and hatchling stages in invaded habitats”, the researchers explained.

Australia’s invasive cane toads’ increased penchant for cannibalism could also explain findings from a previous study that discovered changes in the way adult toads travel. They now travel six times faster than their migrant ancestors, by moving in straighter lines – the first time path straightness has been identified as a hereditary trait in animals.

This increased dispersal ability accelerates the colonization of new, cannibal-free habitats, DeVore and team explained.

While this sort of predator/prey-driven natural selection is well documented between many species, it hasn’t been shown as clearly within a single species before.

All these changes have occurred in just 86 years – although with a rapid reach of sexual maturity, that still means quite a few generations of toads – and really displays the power of evolutionary pressures in shaping all forms of life.

This research was published in PNAS.

#Nature

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glopratchet · 4 years

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sss

In the world to come there is little sin. The only thing that can be done is to accept it and move on. You think back to your own past, the things you've done in the name of God. You remember how much you hated them for what they were doing to the world and yet here you are still living as if nothing happened. There are just lots of american alligators. And then one day you're going to have to face up to the fact that you don't want anything more than any other person does. That's when you'll know it's really time to go home. After the election of the first ungendered president, the prediatrain movement caught fire in america. the public transportation in every city became safer. The place you got called into service most waqs on the highway trucking line between satalite cities and the midwest manufacturing preserves. the work was dull but resupplying the big isolated centers of humanity was too important to skip out on just because the big rig industry suddenly became 90% robotic. 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Your farm never received a grade a wildfire designation so it was spared being burned by mostly untrained crews. It also wasn't zoned for reforestation but all things happen with corrdination in business. most the savannah was turned back into park land and you got bought out. rrently floats near the okeenokee snow swamp. Peat bogs becoming of fields of fuel for jet planes and stratously bound carriers. remembers why you took the job. modern work is dull. getting burned out after a decade is not uncommon. they say predatrains only live about seven years in this line of work anyway so maybe it doesn't matter how bored you get along the way. concousness fades.......somewhere the lad is saying.....how many more miles.... This is not that story. We are primal ponds inc. and we're on Route 666 going from Bagdad Jim's glooming speakeasy to prospector's HQ, deep in the Oakenshield forest. 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The water sac grows over the years and burst late one winter night, flooding the halls. Dad said it used to flood every few years back when the place first opened, but the renovations stopped the problem for good... Or so he thought.. You woke up in the middle of night to hear an ominous whooshing sound coming from the direction of the great dining room. You shake Dad awake and tell him what is going on. He swore and ran for the hallway, you followed. ... The water hit you like a brick soon as you reached the door. Wipplesbury was never designed to handle flooding, and these sections could not handle it in the slightest. now cold water floods over your ankles as you stand in the doorway, watching papers and trash and furniture swirl in the torrent. you see some chairs carried past, the great big armchair dad favors of an evening... A snake runs across your foot and you jump backwards out of reflex before realizing it was only a minnow. Hacker: fresh rhetoric, overlight flow, renderform disk, soulfont reserve. say "oh textual technology" to continu... UnderBelly 0.5 We're going to be wiped out, you say, as you stare at the water. we'll lose it all. I'll wake up with nothing an...... There's a half-buried chest on the edge of the parking lot that didn't get set into storage... swim? ... Hacker: felicifus calculus, kevin equals rooster, else rise rooster! don't ptex filiate, assume μολφα ζωη σταγον μελχρσδι ! warcall: VAGRANT1 ..... Sms transmit DEEplab Not good enough. Hacker: billy-fae-bots, lactavous mcjustin, pantone uler, slash node. antidisestablishmentarianism! Eternityin12bit 1 You focus on the chest through the water, willing it with every ounce strength in your soul to move toward you and toward the Pike Exit... [HACKER: WILLPOWER: You can ONLY use code if you dive deep... That's the agreement. You aren't willing to compromise fame and fortune for getting out of life today...... OR are you?? Hacker: aviatrix click, fused buck up, frictional deprevation, run benjamin run.! soulfont reserve.. antidisestablishmentarianism!] The chest on the horizon drifts slowly at first and then faster until it reaches your parking lot island. It was left behind in the chaos when everyone fled during the grand opening... One presumes. We are going dig into it's contents later... erm.. in a few days. But now... DIVE! chancey, soren soarson butterfly knife - butterfly. knife (hidden set) vampire: look of disdain... ::::: biotOPE: ******************************* Chief Security Officer Teggs swings his shotgun around and points it right at your forehead, "What on earth are you doing here!" He shouts, "You gave me a scary splitting headache and I nearly tried to surrender to you! That's not normal, that's not even wendigo behavior!" Hacker: aperiocity chill, sequenomn, binocular parralax hacker: zero-heroes, milo james, run to the basement. eek! sploin vobiscum! taipan tofu, ravencode = hellhouse "Goodness' sake Mr. Teggs I don't know! Coder: hacking, defacing, break dancing the internet since 1994. Gopher://Irc.Godhates.Us/ Threat: "Truthiness is when you get that tingly feeling in your hindquarters that Stanford prison experiment is about to get interesting..." -- Caltro Basalt, Human Stain Clicktranspires The second floor collapses inward, pinning you and Mr. Teggs to the wall. Hacker: fall out. hellhouse darkness, jump the queue on the street of bones. hackmode.... Animator: bony hooks, backbone bouncer, shadowrun http://www.shadowruntable.com / But only your foot is trapped, and then only in a hole. You focus on continuing to exhale... CONNECTIONS: MASTERPIECE THRILLER CD-i IN MIDI hypers cybersecurity proactive dead tech dare u 2 find me? Rigger: out. 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The only problem is that these pipes are very fragile, and you don't fancy your chances of clambering down it in the dark and hoping that it won't collapse under your weight. Musician: sub bass crystal era - high tech ebm drum & bass, midi gabber hard trance drum machines music factory... You peer down the pipe and see a faint orange glow about halfway down. Thinking that perhaps someone has lit a fire at the bottom, you turn and motion for the group to follow you. Architect: double overtime v2.0 - aspr1ng sh1p su1t virtual lounge n1ghts ch3mpt3rr0r bonus mster gr1vitational pr1nc14ples... You make it about a quarter of the way down the crumbling pipe before you suddenly start to hear a creaking, groaning sound emanating from somewhere beneath you. The rumbling noise grows louder as large clods of earth and rocks begin to give way from somewhere above you. Artist:saul-saint-nikadimus, spooge, , corona click,the georgetown collection,zombie flick, psycho rampage the return of mr. santa epica terry harrison... This pipe isn't going to support the weight of everyone, and you don't have time to go back and find another way---if there even is another way.Tip: If you're logged in, your games are auto saved for you. You can find them by clicking "My Stuff" on the sidebar menu.Story

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kathleenseiber · 3 years

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This adorable mouse was considered extinct for over 100 years — until we found it hiding in plain sight

It turns out Gould's mouse isn't extinct.

Emily Roycroft, Australian National University

Australia has the world’s worst track record for wiping out mammals, with 34 species declared extinct since European colonisation. Many of these are humble native rodents, who’ve suffered the highest extinction rate of any mammal group.

But today, we bring some good news: one rodent species, Gould’s mouse (Pseudomys gouldii), is set to be crossed off Australia’s extinct species list. This means the number of Australia’s extinct mammals will drop from 34 to 33.

Our new research compared genome sequences across Australia’s rodents, including eight extinct species and their 42 living relatives. In a case of historical mistaken identity, we found the Gould’s mouse was genetically indistinguishable from another living species, the Shark Bay mouse (Pseudomys fieldi), also known by the Indigenous name “Djoongari” from the Pintupi and Luritja languages.

But it’s not all good news. A lack of genetic diversity in remaining populations means Djoongari are less resilient to changing environments, including from climate change. We can’t let this species die out — this time, there’d be no coming back.

Back from the dead

When Europeans colonised Australia, they rapidly and catastrophically changed the environments in which native species thrived. The introduction of feral cats, foxes and other invasive species, agricultural land clearing, inappropriate fire management, and new diseases decimated native rodent populations.

Along with many other native mammals, some rodent species were also intensely hunted for bounty in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

DNA from this specimen of Gould’s mouse, collected in 1837 from the Hunter Valley of NSW, reveals the species should no longer be considered extinct. Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London Photographer: C. Ching, Author provided

In 1837, a Gould’s mouse specimen was collected for the Natural History Museum, London, from the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. The last verified time it was seen alive was in 1857, near the border of Victoria and NSW.

After genomic analysis of these specimens, we found the species has been hiding in plain sight for more than 100 years, under a different name, thousands of kilometres away in Western Australia. Djoongari will now be reclassified under the scientific name Pseudomys gouldii.

Djoongari is a shaggy-coated mouse weighing 45 grams on average, making it twice the size of the invasive house mouse. It’s omnivorous, and feeds on a variety of flowers, leaves, fungi, insects and spiders. It also build tunnels and runways to travel at night, and uses above-ground nests as refuges during the day.

Not safe yet

The resurrection of the Gould’s mouse is positive news given Australia’s alarming rate of recent extinctions, but the species remains at risk.

Once occurring across mainland Australia, it now survives only on predator-free islands in Shark Bay, WA. Islands have been an important refuge for the species, protecting them from cats, foxes, diseases and other threats on the mainland.

Feral and pet cats are huge threats to small native animals. If you own a cat, make sure you keep it indoors to protect Australia’s wildlife. Shutterstock

Conservation efforts are underway to protect the mouse in Shark Bay, with insurance populations established on other nearby islands.

Now we know Djoongari once roamed as far east as the Hunter Valley in NSW, there’s greater scope to reintroduce the species to predator-proof protected areas on the mainland. This would mean more insurance populations, but also contribute towards restoring natural ecosystems on mainland Australia — also known as “rewilding”.

However, remnant populations of this once widespread species contain only a fraction of its original genetic diversity.

Genetic diversity is often used as a proxy for estimating the resilience of a species to threats and its potential to adapt to changes in its environment. When species have low genetic diversity, or are inbred, they are more susceptible to disease, and more likely to accumulate harmful genetic mutations.

Other eye-opening revelations

Our study also examined the genomes of seven other rodent species lost to extinction: the white-footed rabbit rat, lesser stick-nest rat, Bramble Cay melomys, short-tailed hopping mouse, long-tailed hopping mouse, big-eared hopping mouse and long-eared mouse.

Bramble cay melomys were declared extinct in 2016. Ian Bell, EHP, State of Queensland, CC BY-SA

In most cases, we found these now-extinct native rodents had relatively high genetic diversity immediately before they became extinct. High genetic diversity usually means large population sizes, suggesting native rodent populations were stable before European invasion.

This puts an end to any suggestion that these species were already on their way out prior to the arrival of Europeans.

Reports from early naturalists back up our findings. In 1846, John Cotton referred to the now-extinct white-footed rabbit rat as “the common rat of the country”. And in 1866, Gerard Krefft described the now-extinct lesser stick-nest rat as occurring in “great numbers”.

These species went from common to extinct in less than 150 years. That’s alarmingly fast by any standard.

It shows even though genetic diversity in now-extinct rodents was high prior to colonisation, it wasn’t enough. The environment and threats changed so dramatically and rapidly, these species didn’t have the chance to adapt.

There’s a clear lesson in all this

The threats to native wildlife brought by Europeans — including feral cat predation and land clearing — are ongoing. And under climate change, the environment as we know it is set to change further, dramatically.

It’s not enough to only establish insurance populations to save species. We need to control feral predators, protect and restore habitats, and curb emissions, so more species don’t endure a rapid wipe out.

In total, we’ve lost almost 100 species to extinction since 1788, and that’s just those we know about. In native rodents alone, in less than 150 years, the equivalent of more than 10 million years of unique evolutionary history has been lost forever.

Extinction doesn’t usually offer second chances, but we’ve now got another shot to protect Gould’s mouse. We need to act now, before it’s too late.

Emily Roycroft, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Australian National University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

This adorable mouse was considered extinct for over 100 years — until we found it hiding in plain sight published first on https://triviaqaweb.weebly.com/

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sandsmiles · 5 years

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backstory canons ( family history && more )

based off of this meme.

1. Where were they born? What is the story behind their birth, if any?

Connor was born in the wilds near Queensland, Australia. There was nothing fantastical about his birth, the third born child of his parents, in between his four sisters. The only boy that his parents ever raised.

2. Has their living situation changed from when they were born?

Since he was born a lot of things have changed. He’s lived at least two human lifetimes, and ventured away from the outback to the western world, to America to aid in the fight against the corrupted. He still lives in quite a comfy lifestyle - having money to spend and give without living paycheck to paycheck. It doesn’t mean however, that he misses living in the middle of all the wildlife, surrounded by those whom are just as he.

3. What occupations did their parents have when they were born? Did this job influence your muse in any form?

Before he was born his parents were hunters - they tracked down mythics and beasts of all sorts for the commonfolk who had no clue what monsters actually lurked right underneath their noses.

4. Did they have any childhood enemies? Any friends? Enemies that became friends?

Connor was ( and still is ) quite the friendly fellow. He’d never hurt anyone and never sought out enemies. Of course, he had rivals within his clan but they were more so frienemies that while training would be rough but soon would go out for a drink with him hours later. Many of these childhood friends are deceased or missing in action now - he still has some keepsakes from their mini adventures - crocodile teeth and a long braided whip. He keeps a picture of them when they were all young and dumb in his office drawer.

5. What sort of religion was practiced in their home? Did religion play a role in their upbringing?

The Sevo don’t have a religion they follow to an exact, though they have a culture all in it’s own. Most of it is old worship of the living and dead, compassion for animals that give their lives for others that must die so others can go on thriving. The man’s study is littered with bones of some of the kills he’s done, all of them are carefully looked after and properly maintained as if the deceased will come back to haunt him.

The Sevo truly believe in the circle of life, and that death is just the beginning of a new cycle. He’s lived by this for a long time, and learned young that when his time comes, he will know, and he will give it all he’s got in the end.

However, there is one tradition he did break from the clan, though perhaps it was more for safety reasons than because he wanted distance. Sevo do not cut their hair for aesthetic purpose, they allow it to grow out ( unless it becomes unmanageable ) - this included the men of the clan as well. While his nephew has his full hair from when he was a baby, Connor had his cut to hide his identity a bit more when he moved to America. He kinda hates it - he misses his long flowing ponytail on some days.

6. How many siblings did they have? What was their relationship like? Were they an only child who wished for siblings?

Four sisters - two older, two younger. They were all pretty close to each other, even leading up to the downfall of the clan. His older sisters would always tease him for the way he would walk and carry himself around - though - he always followed their every word in the art of a fight and it had never failed him. He always braided his younger sisters hair, did their makeup when they wanted it ( though their skin was always covered in patches of mud ) and simply was there for them as they were for him.

7. What is their fondest memory? Their worst?

The fondest was when his nephew ( Ryder ) was born. He was there when his youngest sister had him. He was the one who cut the umbilical cord because the father had ditched the second he found out they were not mortals. He was there for his sister who cried the entire night before hand and needed a shoulder. He was there to hold this little boy in his arms when he finally met the world.

As for the worst - well - that was the day he had to abandon his clan with his nephew wrapped so carefully in his arms. The day that all hell broke lose and he was told to run. To this day he believes he could’ve held off the people responsible for the attack - and to this day he hasn’t heard anything from his family.

8. If they could name the worst moment of their life, what would it be? Did this change them as a person or change how they perceived the world, themselves, and others?

The worst moment was when he was caught in the middle of something too big for him to handle. He might be a god slayer but he was still caught off guard by the Fallen Angel Cadryn. That fight is still a blur, for the most part, the only thing he still remembers so clearly is the pixie dust covered dagger burning his spine and making him unable to move.

If he had been more careful, he wouldn’t have lost a part of himself that day. He can no longer change into a dragon like other ibridas. Even going feral is rough on his entire body to where he’s given up on such an act. Magic is rough to preform if he loses the tiniest of control and he just ... Doesn’t feel whole.

9. If they were to make a timeline with their life events, which ones would they list? Which would they leave out?

Only the family events. The ones where he shared precious moments with anyone he considered a member of the clan - be it by blood or by bond. He’d leave out the hardships - the parts of cruelty that fate had decided to mock him with. Every birthday would be written down with such care and compassion, every anniversary. For blood is thicker than water - and that is all he cares about.

10. What was the hardest lesson they had to learn as they got older?

The hardest thing to do is to let something go, especially as someone who has lived for hundreds of years. No longer seeing his family, watching humans he cared about live and die. He hates it, but knows it’s the cycle of life. That fate is cruel but...

It’s something one has to get used to.

11. What occupation did your character want to have growing up? Is this the same as what they wish to be, or are in, now?

He wanted to be a protector, a fireman, a cop - anything. He used to get those cheap costumes with his allowance and do all he can to help around the town. It was a rocky starter to get there in real life, however, as GOD SLAYING is all anyone wanted out of him that wasn’t a part of the clan. It’s all most cared about until he went to America and found a new name for himself. Now, he’s a Detective at the station, offering inside details about so - called ‘ human ‘ criminal cases to SPROUT.

12. Did they face any kind of bullying or abuse growing up?

He didn’t - unless you consider four sisters smothering one with love and girly things abuse.

13. Are there any moments of their past they keep secret?

There’s a lot he keeps hidden. There is only a select few he will tell the truth about what happened to his clan, there’s even fewer he’ll tell the truth of Ryder not being his biological son. He has also many regrets from the days he was a GOD SLAYER without reason. There are many secrets hidden behind those golden eyes and chipper smile that one simply can’t break with a bottle of spirits.

14. Did they live near extended family in the past? How did this shape their environment? Are any of their relatives near their age? What are their feelings towards extended family in general?

Stated previously, his extended family ( and essentially the entire clan of Sevo he knew ) was practically wiped out within the early 1990s. It had been a random attack, but a devastating one against them altogether. He had a few cousins near his age - most of them were quiet and not so outgoing as his part of the family. He didn’t mind them, but he wouldn’t write home about them either.

15. Would they rather go back and relive their childhood? Why or why not?

Yes. If only to tell his family he loves them a little bit more, to stop his youngest sister from dating the douche who left her a single mother. If only to tell his parents that he’ll make them proud one day. If only to be himself one more time.

#c. ➴ file entrance granted | canon

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