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antiqueanimals · 2 years

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Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Volume 6: Reptiles. Written by Bernard Grzimek. 1984.

1.) Emerald tree monitor (Varanus prasinus)

2.) Spiny-tailed monitor (Varanus acanthurus)

3.) Knob-scaled lizard (Xenosaurus grandis)

4.) Chinese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus)

5.) Storr's monitor (Varanus storri)

6.) California legless lizard (Anniella pulchra)

#reptiles #lizards #emerald tree monitors #spiny-tailed monitors #knob-scaled lizards #chinese crocodile lizards #storr's monitors #california legless lizards

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weezord-leezords · 29 days

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Via Krispy

#chinese crocodile lizard #lizard #reptiles #video #very polite with their boundaries

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aticketplz · 1 year

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こんなにちっちゃいのにワニと呼ばれているしでっかい恐竜に見えてくる

@日本平動物園

Even though they’re so small, they’re called a crocodile and they look like a huge dinosaur.

@Nihondaira Zoo

#Shinisaurus crocodilurus #Chinese crocodile lizard #reptile #シナワニトカゲ #チュウゴクワニトカゲ #日本平動物園

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renellenphotography · 1 year

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Chinese Crocodile Lizard

Location - Paradise Wildlife Park, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.

Taken - Wednesday 12th April 2023

Canon EOS 1300D

#reptile #reptile photography #Chinese crocodile lizard #lizard #crocodile lizard #wildlife photography #animal photography #nature photography #canon #canon camera #canon photography #wildlife #photographers on tumblr #wild animals #dslrphotography #cute #close up #scales

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weirdopolitics · 1 year

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#chinese crocodile lizard #shinisaurus crocodilurus #lizard #vietnam #china #animals

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herpsandbirds · 2 months

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Chinese Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus), family Shinisauridae, found in SE China and NE Vietnam

ENDANGERED.

Semi-aquatic.

This is the only species in this family.

photograph by Viecherhirte

#crocodile lizard #shinisaurus #shinisauridae #lizard #reptile #herpetology #asia #animals #nature

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is-the-snake-video-cute · 1 year

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What’s your favorite non-snake reptile?

Oh no that's hard!! Would you accept a top five?

I'm very very partial to Ackie monitors! I love all monitors, but Ackies hold a special place in my heart. Little lizards but they make up for it with lots of personality.

Blue-tongue skinks! I just adore blueys. The long, chunky bodies. The stubby lil legs. The cute little faces. And of course the blue tongues! What's not to love there?

Chinese cave geckos. They're like leopard geckos' cool goth cousins.

Tuatara. The only surviving members of the sister order to lizards? Yes, please.

Aaaaaaand Nile crocodiles. Awesome beasts.

#not a rating #lizards #crocodilians #tuatara

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orbees · 9 months

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alynns dream beasties:

Centipedes + millipedes

Giant silk moths (they're what got me into bugs to begin with!!!)

Spiders. So many Spiders. Velvet Spiders. Trapdoor Spiders. Etc

Ranchos. grammostola pulchra, rose hair curly hair the pink toes are so cute too. Many more,

Rats 🥺

Pacman frog

Axolotls

Snakes. So many kinds but I've always been particularly fond of hognoses + sand boas

So many lizards augh mourning geckos crocodile skinks leopard geckos blue tongued skinks chinese cave geckos etc etc

Probably more tbh I love beasties so much

#virtual memories

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kafkaoftherubble · 3 months

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破蛋日快乐！你的礼物是：为什么龙会戏珠？//

Happy Hatching Anniversary! Your present is: why do Longs hold pearls?

@secondhanddragon So, you wanna know why?

To be honest, while I was trawling for information, I realized that not even that many Chinese sites talk about the pearls. Such might be the nature of folklore—everyone gives their own interpretations, which are then spread orally. Tough to find "academic sources." And of course, wonky citations with broken links and poor reference points are always a hindrance.

"神龙戏珠" (The Divine Dragon Playing with Its Pearl) is a motif that has a few variations. It could be a single dragon (单龙戏珠), two dragons (二龙戏珠), three dragons (三龙戏珠), and even multiple dragons chasing one single pearl (多龙戏珠) [1].

In this figure, you can see five dragons chasing a single pearl. [1]

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#1: The Pearl... Really Is a Pearl!

Pearls are formed by living shell mollusks—which are members of the "aquatic tribes" [2]. They are hard to come by, lustrous, pretty as fuck, and very beloved in Chinese culture.

Chinese dragons, unlike the Western ones, are associated with water, right? That's because Long is "the king of the ocean" and it "rules over all aquatic tribes" [2]. If your dime-a-dozen clam could produce something as precious as a pearl, why can't the King itself produce the most beautiful and precious pearl that triumphs them all, huh?

This appears to be the genesis of the concept of the "Pearl." But naturally, as time goes on, more and more meanings are embedded in it!

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#2: The Pearl as an Egg

Long is a chimera of sorts. It's an amalgamation of, inter alia, a fish, a crocodile, a snake, a boar, a horse, an ox, a lizard, and a deer [1] [2]. Fishes and the reptilian reps in this group lay eggs. The crocodile's egg is even kinda big—way larger than a pearl.

Do you see? The egg is seen as a pearl and vice versa [1] [2]. Eggs are the source of life for crocodiles and snakes, and therefore, egg-pearl represents life in dragon arts [2]. When the dragon is "playing with its pearl," it's actually playing with "life." This motif embodies the dragon's status as a protector and caretaker of life [2].

Almost like a parent would...

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#3: The Pearl as a Symbol of Love for the Dragons' Children

Now, some might think that all Longs are male, as the mythical creature symbolizing women is often the Fenghuang (and so one might think that all Fenghuangs are females). That's not true. Dragons and Fenghuang both have two, uh, sexes.

This figure shows two dragons "playing" with a pearl. [1]

The "Two Dragons Chasing a Pearl" motif is popular in classical Chinese artwork. One of the dragons is male, and the other is female. The Pearl symbolizes egg/life, as stated in #2, which means the Pearl also comes to symbolize "a child" [1] [2].

In other words, Papa Dragon and Mama Dragon are playing with—and stealthily protecting—Anya Pearl.

An important note that isn't stated in any of my citations, but is nonetheless relevant: Chinese people may call themselves 龙的传人, "The Dragon's Heir." It means—as mythical origin goes—the Chinese people identify as "the children of the Long." Now connect this to what you learned in #3.

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#4: The Pearl as the Sun

Sometimes the Pearl is ON FIRE!!!

This is especially predominant in the aforementioned "Two Dragons Chasing a Pearl" motif. The Pearl looks more like a fireball than an actual pearl. Below the Pearl, then, one may find a depiction of the sea.

"The Pearl leaps out from the ocean." What does that connotate? The rising sun [2]!

Now, what does it have to do with the dragon? Well, have a little detour.

The Four Symbols (四象)

You might have already heard of this, but in case you didn't: each cardinal direction has a "guardian."

东方青龙 // Azure Dragon of the East

西方白虎 // White Tiger of the West

南方朱雀 // Vermillion Bird of the South

北方玄武 // Black Warrior (or Black Tortoise) of the North

They represent more than just directions—they have their own traits, backstories, virtues, etc.

Who's the Guardian of the East? The Azure Dragon!

Now, drawing our discussion back to the Pearl, you can see why the dragon chases after it now, right? The Pearl is the Sun; it rises from the East. The Guardian of the East plays/chases after it as an emblem of ancient Chinese worship of the Sun [1] [2].

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#5: The Pearl and the Dragons Representing Chinese Aesthetics [1]

Chinese art loves "wholeness" and "pair."

You often find a pair of things in Chinese culture: a pair of Door God, a pair of Chinese duilian (poetry of sorts; used for blessings and wishes), the likes. Chinese culture also really loves things like the full moon, because "roundness" symbolizes the whole, unity, and consummation.

Two dragons form a pair. In front of them, an orb—a round, whole object. Hence, the motif is well-beloved as it features two of the Chinese culture's favorite aesthetics [1].

Kinda hard to tell, but two dragons are playing with the pearl here.

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And that concludes the answer to your hundred-year enigma, haha! To the best of my ability, anyway. I sure hope it's been a blast to read.

More importantly, happy birthday, @autistic-beanmonster2!

I have been saving this up for a ramble just for you, but I couldn't find the time to write it. I'm sorry; I really planned to show this to you the moment the time struck 12 am in your time zone through the power of "scheduled post," but... let's just say I've been hit by a hindrance. Oops!

Well, does it matter if I'm just a bit late?

Thank you for reading my ramble!

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Citations:

神龙戏珠，所戏珠子为何？("The Divine Dragon Plays with Its Pearl; What is that Pearl?") by 徐崇良工作室, essay on Sohu.com [in Chinese]

龙的嘴里为什么要含着珠子 (Why does the dragon have a pearl in its mouth") answered by an anonymous user on wenwen.sogou.com [in Chinese]

The question that produced this ramble is originally found here.

#Totally NOT Ricecooker Ginger Agendaist Isopod Activist Rae #chinese dragon #dragon #ramble with citations #<- yea. I think I should designate an organizational tag for rambles I put effort in citations and stuff.#makes it easier to count how many good rambles I've made #so I can see if I meet my New Year Resolutions

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does-this-look-inanimate-to-you · 1 year

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The Pokémon Starter Theories and Why I Don’t Believe Them

At the start of every Pokémon journey, you are given the choice between three Pokémon: a grass type, a fire type, and a water type. These Pokémon are often polarising for fans, who either grow to either hate or love them. But this isn’t about fan opinions. Well, actually, it kind of is. For a long time now, there have been three theories about a shared theme between each type of starter. According to fans, all of the starters are linked in some way by these themes. However, I don’t think that any of these theories are actually true.

Let’s start with the grass type theory. Allegedly, all of the grass starters are based on some sort of extinct animal. At first, it made perfect sense. Venusaur and Meganium are clearly inspired by dinosaurs, especially Meganium. While Sceptile and Torterra are looser, I can still see some traits relating to various species of dinosaur. But then came Serperior, and from there things went downhill. Sure there are extinct snakes. And extinct rodents. And owls. And gorillas. And cats. But that’s kind of my point. Every animal came from some extinct ancestor. Hell, you could say that every Pokémon is based on an extinct animal—or at least, every Pokémon that’s based on an animal. I’ll admit that Decidueye makes sense, because it is indeed based on an extinct owl. However, it’s the only ghost type grass starter, so by that logic all of the grass starters should be ghost type. You can tell that as time has gone on, people have been grasping at straws looking for the connection. But not as much as they have for the fire starters.

The fire starter theory is probably the best known: they’re all based on an animal within the Chinese zodiac. Charizard is a dragon, Typhlosion is a badger which makes it the rat, Blaziken is a chicken, Infernape is a monkey, Emboar is a pig, Delphox is a fox which is related to dogs, Incineroar is a tiger, Cinderace is a rabbit, and Skeledirge is a crocodile which is a reptile that’s low to the ground like a snake. You may have noticed some stretches in there, and so did I—especially with Typhlosion Delphox and Skeledirge. With that much extrapolation, you could make a case for any animal. Hell, YouTuber DeadBedSpread has been arguing for Skeledirge being a horse. To me, the fire zodiac theory is the biggest stretch of the starter theories.

Finally is the water starter theories, of which there are two. For the first one, I can’t really argue with the connection: all of them are semi-aquatic animals. Ducks, crocodiles, axolotls, penguins, otters, frogs, seals, several lizards, and ducks spend a lot of time in and near water. However, why would they make a water starter that wasn’t semi-aquatic? A purely land-dwelling water starter would make no sense, and a fully aquatic starter wouldn’t work as a partner that trots beside you as you journey. The other theory is far less strong. This theory says that every water starter is based on or uses either a weapon or a fighting style. Blastoise uses cannons, Empoleon has a trident, Samurott fights with swords, Greninja is obviously a ninja who uses shurikens, and Inteleon uses guns. Wait, didn’t I miss four of them? Yes, and that was intentional. Only about half of the water starters actually match with this theory. You could argue that Greninja and Inteleon don’t fit either, since you don’t see their weapons until they attack with them.

I can’t stop the theorists from theorising. It’s part of the fun of being a Pokémon fan. But in this specific case, I can’t confidently say that I agree with any of the popular theories about the connections between starter Pokémon.

#this is slowly becoming a pokémon blog #i have a pokémon sideblog but it doesn't have too many followers and when i make big rants like this i like people to see them #pokemon #pokémon #starter pokemon #starter pokémon #pokemon starters #pokémon starters #starter pokemon theory #starter pokémon theory #starter pokemon theories #starter pokémon theories

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xjumbled-up-brainx · 2 years

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This is a project I’ve been crafting for a while through my re-run of everything english dubbed Octonauts. A brand new A-Z list of EVERY SINGLE CREATURE THE OCTONAUTS HAVE EVER MET:

*Vegimalese*

What’s that Tunip, you and the Vegimals want to learn about even more creatures?

*Vegimalese*

Well, let’s go again!

The Octocomputer will show you all the creatures the Octonauts, and Octo Agents, have met, on both land and sea!

Cheepa Cheepa!

Anaconda 1

Albatross 2

Anemones 3

Angler Fish 4

Arapaima 5

Adele Penguins 6

Alligator 7

Amano Shrimp 8

Anteater 9

Arabian Camels 10

Armadillo 11

Bowhead Whale 12

Barracudas 13

Beluga Whales 14

Black Caiman 15

Blobfish 16

Blue Whale 17

Blue-head Wrasse… 18

Bottle Nose Dolphins 19

Bat 20

Baboons 21

Barnacle Goose 22

Bear 23

Black Giant Squirrel 24

Black Winged Stilt Bird 25

Blind Shrimp 26

Burmese Python 27

Brittle Stars 27

Bombardier Beetle 28 and

Bomber Worms 29

Capybara 30

Carrier Crab 31

Catfish 32

Conocono Crab 33

Conocono Crab?

Coconut Octopus! 34

Colossal Squid 35

Comb Tooth Blenny 36

Cone Snail 37

Cookie Cutter Shark 38

Cuttlefish 39

Convict Fish 40

Caiman 41

Caterpillar 42

Cave Fish 43

Cave Shrimp 44

Chameleon 45

Clam 45

Chinstrap Penguins 46

Chinese Mitten Crab 47

Christmas Tree Worms 48

Coelacanth 49

Coral Polyp 50

Coral Snake 51

Crawfish 52

Crocodile 53

Crow 54

Crown of Thorns Starfish 55

Dormice 56

Deer 57

Damselfish 58

Dogfish 59

Decorator Crab 60

Duck-Bill Platypus 61

Dwarf Lantern Shark 62

Eel 63

Electric Eel 64

Elephant 65 and Elephant Seal66

Elk 67

Egyptian Vulture 68

Emperor Penguin 69

Fiddler Crab 70

Frogfish 71

Fire Ants 72

Flamingoes 73

Flying Fish 74

Flying Fox 75

Fruit Bats 76

Giant Clam 77

Giant Comb Jelly 78

Giant Isopod 79

Giant Spider Crab 80

Giant Squid 81

Giant Grass Carp 82

Giant Pacific Octopus 83

Giant Panda 84

Giant Weta 85

Golden Coral 86

Golden Mole 87

Giraffe 88

Garden Eel 88

Gray Whale 89

Grey Reef Shark 90

Grouper 91

Guard Crab 92

Gull 93

Great White Shark 94

Gulper Eel 95

Hammerhead Shark 96

And Harbor Seal 97

(Inhale hoo inhale hoo)

Harlequin Duck 98

Harpy Eagle 99

Hippos 100

Hoatzin 101

Honey Badger 102

Hornbill 103

Hourglass Dolphins 104

Howler Monkeys 105

Hyenas 106

Hermit Crab 107

Humpback Whale 108

Humphead Parrotfish 109

(Slower) Humu-humu-nuku-nuku-a-pua-a! Haha! 110

Ice worms 111

Iguanas 112

Indochinese Tiger 113

Immortal Jellyfish, 114

Jellyfish 115

Jaguar 116

Jawfish, 117

Kangaroos 118

Kea Parrots 119

Kelp, Fish 120

Leatherback Sea-Turtle 121

Loggerhead Sea-Turtle 122

Lemon Shark 123

Longfin Eels 124

Leopard 125

Lions 126

Lion Fish 127

Lions Mane Jellyfish 128

Long Arm Squid… 129

Leafy Sea Dragon 130

Mangrove crabs 131

Mantis Shrimp 132

Martens 133

Microbe 134

Monarch Butterfly 135

Mound coral 136

Mountain Goats 137

Mud Skipper 138

Moray Eel 139

Mimic Octo-Pus! 140

Marine Iguanas 141

Manta Ray 142

Mana (Mana?) Mana (Mana?) pause. Manatee…! (Clears throat)3

Narwhal 144

Needlefish 145

Nile crocodile 146

Nile monitor lizards 147

Nine banded armadillo 148

Nutria 149

Okapis 150

Omuras whale 151

Orca 152

Oarfish 153

Octopus 154

Prowfish 155

Pelicans 156

Polar Bear 157

Pilot Fish 158

Parrotfish 159

Piranhas 160

Porcupine Puffer 161

Porcupine 162

Puffin 163

Pangolin 164

Pikas 165

Pin-tailed whydahs 166

Poison dart frog 167

Pygmy 3 toed sloths 168

Quino checkerspot butterflies 169

Queens-land-Lung-fish 170

RedRock Crabs 171

Reef Lobsters 172

Remipedes 173

Remora Fish 174

Rainbow blanket octopus 175

Rats 176

Raven 177

Red deer 178

Red eye tree frogs 179

Red fox 180

River Dolphin 181

Rock climbing gobies 182

Ruffed grouse 183

Sand grouse 184

Sand viper 185

Screaming piha 186

Seals 187

Sehuencas water frogs 188

Squid 188

Skinks 189

Skua bird 190

Skull Spiders 191

Snail 192

Spinner dolphins 193

Suckermouth catfish 194

Sun bear 195

Sunflower Star 195

Sunfish 196

Surfing Snail 197

Sailfish 198

Sardines 199

Salt-water croc-o-dile 200

Sea gulls 201

Sea squirts 202

Sea tulips 203

Sea Otter 204

Sea Pig 205

Sea Skater 206

Sea Snail 207

Sea Snake 208

Sea Sponge 209

Sea Urchin 210

Sea Horses 211

Siphonophore 212

Slime Eel 213

Snapping Shrimp 214

Sperm Whale 215

Spook Fish 216

Sea Star 217

Surgeon Fish 218

Swordfish 219

Shovel Nosed-Guitar Fish 220

Swell (sigh) Shark (sigh) 221

Snot Sea (panicked) Cucumber! 222

Tiger shark 223

Tokay Geko 224

Toucan 225

Tree frogs 226

Tree lobsters 227

Tree snails 228

Trout 229

Turtles 230

Tulum cave remipede 231

Tube Worms 232

Triggerfish 233

Tor-pedo Ray…! 234

U: You? Me? Me? You? V!

Vampire Squid 235

Vent Shrimp 236

Vole 237

Watchman goby 238

Water dikkops 239

Weasel 240

Wisent 241

Wolves 242

Wood louse 243

Wolf Eel 244

Whale Shark 245

Walrus 246

Water Bears 247

Weddell Seal 248

Whale Louse 249

White-Tip-Shark 250

X: Xylophone solo!

Yellow bellied sea snakes 251

Yeti Crab 252

Zebra 253

Zebra fish! 259

Dadadada!

#I’m having the Shellington moment at the end of the first official song where I realize ima have to edit this when season 5 gets English dub #MEOMI AND OCTONAUTS CREATORS:#do your musical thing pls and make this happen #if Keith wickam voiced this I would simply pass away #for 12 years of adeventures!#octonauts aniversay!#octonauts a&b #octonauts #octonauts above and beyond #above and beyond #the numbers are a bit messed up but the final number is 258 creatures

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rabbitcruiser · 2 years

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World Croc Day

World Croc Day is "a global awareness campaign to highlight the plight of endangered crocodiles and alligators around the world." Crocodiles and alligators are celebrated and there is hope the day will encourage people to get involved in helping them. World Croc Day was organized by the Crocodile Research Coalition in conjunction with the Belize Zoo. During past celebrations, events have been held at the zoo and the day has been marked around the world.

While the holiday takes on the name of crocodiles, it is for alligators as well. This makes sense, as the animals are similar in a number of ways. They both are large reptiles from the order Crocodilia that have short legs, powerful tails, long snouts, and bony-plated backs. But they have differences, too, and there are ways to tell them apart. One of the most notable differences is their snouts: alligators have broad and rounded U-shaped ones, while those of crocodiles are narrow and pointed like a V. When alligators have their mouths shut, their bottom teeth can't be seen. But when crocodiles close their mouths, some of their bottom teeth are visible. There tends to be a color difference between the two reptiles. Alligators are gray or black, while crocodiles tend to look more olive, gray-green, or tan. Crocodiles usually live near saltwater, while alligators make their homes near freshwater. Lastly, crocodiles are more aggressive than alligators—and more likely to attack humans. Alligators usually don't attack humans unless they feel threatened.

Crocodiles live near lakes, rivers, and wetlands in the tropical regions of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. There are thirteen species, which range in size. The smallest, the dwarf crocodile, reaches about 5.6 feet in length and weighs between 13 or 15 pounds; the largest, the saltwater crocodile, may reach over 20 feet in length and weigh over 2000 pounds. The most threatened—the one that most awareness should be raised about today—is the Cuban crocodile. The American crocodile has also been vulnerable, although its population has been increasing.

Crocodiles are carnivores, subsisting on fish, crustaceans, frogs, and birds. While they have strong jaws for chomping, being able to apply 5,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, they don't have much strength to open them, so the jaws can easily be held shut. Crocodiles can hold their breath for an hour, can swim up to 20 mph, and can run up to 11 mph. Mother crocodiles lay 10 to 60 eggs at a time, and hatchlings take 4 to 15 years to reach maturity. Depending on what species they are, a crocodile may live 30 to 75 years.

Alligators take their name from the Spanish words for "the lizard": el lagarto. Although there once were more, there now are just two species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator. The latter is threatened and is thus where particular attention is focused today. American alligators can grow over 11 feet and a weight of almost 1,000 pounds, while Chinese alligators grow to between 4.6 and 4.9 feet and only weigh around 50 pounds. American alligators live in the southern United States, from eastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma, all the way over to Florida, and up the coastal areas of the Carolinas. Chinese alligators live in the Yangtze River basin close to the Pacific Ocean in eastern China.

Like crocodiles, alligators are carnivores. They subsist on fish, mollusks, small mammals, other reptiles, and birds. They also move at about the same speed on land and in water as crocodiles do. Alligators tend to come together in groups called congregations to sit in the sun and to swim. Females lay their eggs in nests they make out of mud, sticks, and plants. They lay 10 to 50 eggs at a time and cover them with the same material they use to make their nests. Interestingly, the temperature of the nest helps determine what the sex of the hatchlings will be. If the nest is kept below 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit they usually are female, while if it is above 91.4 degrees they are male. If the temperature is somewhere in the middle, there is an even number of males and females. Hatchlings are able to catch their own food, but stay under their mother's protection for about two years.

While all crocodiles and alligators are celebrated on World Croc Day, specific consideration is given to those that are threatened in some way. Cuban crocodiles, American crocodiles, and Chinese alligators have all faced threats in the twenty-first century. Today, people stand up to help these reptiles and make sure other crocodiles and alligators don't face threats.

How to Observe World Croc Day

Spend the day celebrating, raising awareness about, and helping alligators and crocodiles. You could put your support behind organizations such as the Crocodile Research Coalition or the Crocodile Specialist Group. Let others know about the threats that certain alligators and crocodiles face. Check to see if any official events are being held. You could also view these magnificent creatures in the wild or in a zoo.

Source

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angeltreasure · 1 year

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Cecilia here, Happy St. Patrick's Day! I had a good one, got to do the Stations of the Cross, had an easy day at work and had a lovely fish dinner (wasn't sure what my church's stance was on fasting today so better safe than sorry.) Also just finished my 20th day toward my 33 days to Consecration to Mary, and tomorrow going to a 40 days for life rally to pray for a closing of a local abortion clinic. Otherwise have a random question. I love fantasy stuff, like dragons, fairies, the whole shebang. Are there any problems as a Catholic with liking fantasy stuff, or even thinking it could perhaps be real? I mean, unicorns are in the Bible and so are dragons. Like, not worship obviously, but like think they could perhaps exist. God Bless!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! ☘️

It sounds like you had an amazing day! You inspire me to keep strong. I had an easy day at work too. My mom brought home shakes, apple pies, and cupcakes! Even though our diocese gave us permission to eat meat today we both felt funny about it so no meat for us either. I read The Confession of Saint Patrick out loud to my mom after turning on the decorative lights, followed by watching Father Stu!

I have absolutely loved fantasy things ever since I was a young child, especially dragons. I was obsessed with dragons for a long, long time..when I was younger. The oldest tales of cultures used to be passed down generation to generation in word, and it is not surprising to find that they used imagery to try and grasp the form of fear of the unknown. Dragons, in fact, used to be drawn on the edge of world maps of old, because not a lot was known like we have now. Dragons are a common story found across all continents around the world, some see them as monsters and demons, others as ancestors with much wisdom made up of different animals, even made up gods. Satan takes on the form of a dragon, waiting to devour the child of the woman in the Bible. Since Satan was once the most powerful, intelligent angel, it would be easy for him to perhaps transform into such an image. We already know too well who the serpent was. Yes unicorns are mentioned as well!

It’s important to realize the difference between reality vs fiction as a Catholic. There is nothing wrong with admiring fictional creatures that artists and authors give us, but it becomes a problem if we worship them or think that specific fictional creation by some author itself is real, for example, Spyro, and tell others the lie that Spyro is a real animal. There are ways it can lead to sin, so make sure to ask your confessor next time you go so you can be informed better than I can explain. I think it’s important to also note that the veil we can’t see behind is real and there are real classified animals created by God that are very much dragon-like that you can actually learn about and see in real life. (I don’t know my horses as well as lizards so you must forgive me.) For example here are just a few… There are over 41 species of Draco alone.