#common spiny frog

[moonlitcomet]

TAXONOMIC SUPERCLASS ANV-1 - ANIVERA

UNIT 01 - XF-99

Xalloburos frenalta

Common name "Cerana"

XF-99 is a small herbivorous animal bearing superficial resemblance to earthan rain frogs. It is in the taxonomic superclass Anivera, like all animals in this document. XF-99 is considered one of the most famous animals of Whenoth, well known for its cute appearance and feisty behavior. XF-99 usually feeds on small shrubs and ground mosses found on the surface of Whenoth, and prefers to keep its home near dry caves or burrows where it can hide.

While the animal seems harmless from a glance, XF-99 is known to defend itself through shrill and loud shrieking, produced by puffing up its large throat sack and blowing air through the secondary breathing gill behind its shoulders. This defense mechanism is proven very effective to large eyeless predators, as well as its enormous false eyes on its tympanic membranes and almost smiling appearance on its throat sack. XF-99 is incapable of bringing any harm to any human or humanoid, but it will pretend it is dangerous whenever it feels afraid, which is almost all the time.

UNIT 02 - ZF-25

Zenudonus felkus

Common name "Travos"

ZF-25 is a colossal herbivorous animal that has developed a strange adaptation which allows it to feed on the enormous claw cactuses that overrun the Whenothian deserts. Its lips have evolved into a toothy beak and the teeth inside its mouth are large and axe-like, splitting open the thick flesh of the plants with ease. As it chews the spiny plants, the spines of the cacti are ground up into a fine mash which can then be safely swallowed. ZF-25 are known to feed almost exclusively on the claw cacti, due to its plentiful and nutritious nature. They are hyperadapted to not need to drink for nearly months on end, as they get most of their moisture from the food they eat.

ZF-25 are highly social animals- usually living in groups of up to 5- and are generally peaceful to other species, as their colossal size and thick hides are near impenetrable to almost every other animal on the planet. They have been observed with several species of small animals on their backs, which usually consist of insect-sized defisers and the larger anivers that eat them. While amicable, ZF-25 are not to be trifled with, for one whip of their tail or slam of their neck can instantly kill almost any predator that is hit by it.

UNIT 03 - TW-57

Tellyastra Wuronits

Common name "Dentuo"

TW-57 is one of the superpredators of Whenoth, being the second largest known land carnivore on the planet. About the size of a small horse, TW-57 is able to keep up with one as well. TW-57 are well known for their speed and endurance, with their highly adapted nostrils being able to take in more hydrogen while they run. The shape of their body allows the movement of their legs to stimulate their lungs, meaning less energy is spent on actively breathing and more is spent on running.

They're iconic for their eyeless muzzle and splitting jaw which gives an appearance of two mouths. While the evolutionary purpose of the splitting jaw is unknown, the whiskers floating off of it seem to be used for intraspecies communication.

TW-57 usually hunts alone, but can occasionally be seen hunting in mated pairs. Being in the Wrathinida taxonomic order, they are a trisex species with a predominantly hermaphroditic sex that seems to be outcompeting other sexes. All hermaphroditic individuals have both inseminator and gestator features, and seem to be compatible with the other two sexes as well.

UNIT 04 - TW-8

Tuolestris Wenter

Common name "Tulit"

TW-8 is a small, docile carnivore about the size of a dog. Related to the fearsome TW-57, TW-8 uses its compact body and long legs to keep up with its much larger prey. They are known as the land-mosquitos of Whenoth, with their enormous eyes and long proboscis that can stab their prey and drain their fluids. TW-8 can spot an XF-99 from over a kilometer away and have been reported to be able to run for days on end.

While docile, TW-8 are very skittish, and prefer to run from threats or puff up their large feathery manes to give off the impression of being a much larger animal.

As is with TW-57, TW-8 is in the taxonomic order Wrathinida which means they are one of the few aniver genuses that have a trisex reproductive system. TW-8 has a more even distribution of sexes, with typical gestator and inseminator not being as overrun as they are with their larger cousins.

UNIT 05 - QR-117

Qilladus rastris

Common name "Turril"

Being the last on the document for now, QR-117 is a burrowing omnivore that primarily eats small defisers and chromasors. They are notable for their small and compact bodies, which combined with their large shovel-like jaws are excellent for burrowing into the dense Whenothian soil. QR-117 are popular outside of Whenoth as plush animals and children's mascots, and are frequently compared to bulldogs with their humorous appearance and tough personalities.

QR-117 has a distinct sexual dimorphism outside of the typical aniver pheromone flag, in which the inseminator sex has a red mane rather than a dull green. QR-117 with larger and more colorful manes will typically be seen as more desirable.

#creative #whenoth #original universe #long post

[sirus-themonster]

Here’s some shark breads tha no one asked for but I’m doing anyway!:

African angelshark

African dwarf sawshark

African lanternshark

African ribbontail catshark

African sawtail catshark

American pocket shark

Angelshark

Angular angelshark

Angular roughshark

Antilles catshark

Arabian carpetshark

Arabian catshark

Arabian smooth-hound

Argentine angelshark

Arrowhead dogfish

Atlantic angel shark

Atlantic sawtail catshark

Atlantic sixgill shark

Atlantic sharpnose shark

Atlantic weasel shark

Australian angelshark

Australian blackspotted catshark

Australian blacktip shark

Australian grey smooth-hound

Australian marbled catshark

Australian reticulate swellshark

Australian sawtail catshark

Australian sharpnose shark

Australian spotted catshark

Australian swellshark

Australian weasel shark

Azores dogfish

Bahamas sawshark

Bali catshark

Balloon shark

Banded houndshark

Banded sand catshark

Banded wobbegong

Bartail spurdog

Barbelthroat carpetshark

Barbeled houndshark

Bareskin dogfish

Basking shark

Beige catshark

Bigeye houndshark

Bigeye sand tiger

Bigeye thresher shark

Bighead catshark

Bighead spurdog

Bignose shark

Bigeyed sixgill shark

Birdbeak dogfish

Blackbelly lanternshark

Black dogfish

Blackfin gulper shark

Blackgill catshark

Blackmouth catshark

Blackmouth lanternshark

Blacknose shark

Black roughscale catshark

Blackspot shark

Blackspotted catshark

Blackspotted smooth-hound

Blacktail reef shark

Blacktailed spurdog

Blacktip reef shark

Blacktip sawtail catshark

Blacktip shark

Blacktip tope

Black wonder catshark

Blind shark

Blotched catshark, two different species

Blotchy swellshark

Blue-eye lanternshark

Bluegrey carpetshark

Blue shark

Bluntnose sixgill shark

Blunt-nose spiny dogfish

Blurred lanternshark

Boa catshark

Bonnethead shark

Borneo broadfin shark

Borneo shark

Bramble shark

Brazilian sharpnose shark

Bristled lanternshark

Bristly catshark

Broadbanded lanternshark

Broadfin sawtail catshark

Broadfin shark

Broadgill catshark

Broadhead catshark

Broadmouth catshark

Broadnose catshark

Broadnose sevengill shark

Broad-snout lanternshark

Brownbanded bamboo shark

Brown catshark

Brown lanternshark

Brown shyshark

Brown smoothhound

Brownspotted catshark

Bull shark

Burmese bamboo shark

Campeche catshark

Caribbean lanternshark

Caribbean reef shark

Caribbean roughshark

Caribbean sharpnose shark

Caribbean smooth-hound

Carolina hammerhead

Cenderawasih epaulette shark

Chain catshark

Chilean angelshark

Chilean lanternshark

Clouded angelshark

Cloudy catshark

Coates' shark

Cobbler wobbegong

Collared carpetshark

Combtooth dogfish

Combtooth lanternshark

Common smooth-hound

Comoro catshark

Cook's swellshark

Cookiecutter shark

Copper shark

Coral catshark

Creek whaler

Crested bullhead shark

Crocodile shark

Crying catshark

Cuban dogfish

Cuban ribbontail catshark

Cylindrical lanternshark

Cyrano spurdog

Daggernose shark

Dark freckled catshark

Dark shyshark

Deepwater catshark

Deepwater sicklefin houndshark

Dense-scale lantern shark

Disparate angelshark

Draughtsboard shark

Dumb gulper shark

Dusky catshark

Dusky shark

Dusky smooth-hound

Dusky snout catshark

Dwarf catshark

Dwarf false catshark

Dwarf gulper shark

Dwarf lanternshark

Dwarf sawtail catshark

Dwarf smooth-hound

Dwarf spotted wobbegong

Eastern angelshark

Eastern banded catshark

Eastern highfin spurdog

Eastern longnose spurdog

Eastern spotted gummy shark

Edmund's spurdog

Elongate carpetshark

Epaulette shark

False catshark

False lanternshark

False smalltail shark

Fat catshark

Fatspine spurdog

Fedorov's catshark

Filetail catshark

Finetooth shark

Flaccid catshark

Flagtail swellshark

Flapnose houndshark

Flathead catshark

Floral banded wobbegong

Formosa swellshark

Freckled catshark

Frilled shark

Fringefin lanternshark

Frog shark

Galapagos bullhead shark

Galapagos shark

Galbraith's catshark

Ganges shark

Garrick's catshark

Gecko catshark

Genie's dogfish

Ghost catshark

Ginger carpetshark

Goblin shark

Graceful catshark

Graceful shark

Granular dogfish

Great hammerhead

Great lanternshark

Great white shark

Green-eye spurdog

Green lanternshark

Greenland shark

Grey bamboo shark

Grey sharpnose shark

Grey smooth-hound

Grinning catshark

Guadalupe lanternshark

Gulf catshark

Gulf of Mexico filetail catshark

Gulf smooth-hound

Gulper shark

Gummy shark

Halmahera epaulette shark

Hardnose shark

Harlequin catshark

Hasselt's bamboo shark

Hawaiian lanternshark

Hidden angelshark

Highfin dogfish

Hoary catshark

Honeycomb Izak

Hooded carpetshark

Hooktooth dogfish

Hooktooth shark

Horn shark

Human's whaler shark

Humpback catshark

Humpback smooth-hound

Iceland catshark

Indian swellshark

Indonesian angelshark

Indonesian filetail catshark

Indonesian greeneye spurdog

Indonesian houndshark

Indonesian shortsnout spurdog

Indonesian speckled carpetshark

Indonesian speckled catshark

Indonesian whaler shark

Indonesian wobbegong

Izak catshark

Izu catshark

Jaguar catshark

Japanese angelshark

Japanese bullhead shark

Japanese catshark

Japanese roughshark

Japanese sawshark

Japanese shortnose spurdog

Japanese spurdog

Japanese topeshark

Japanese velvet dogfish

Japanese wobbegong

Kermadec smooth hound

Kermadec spiny dogfish

Kitefin shark

Knifetooth dogfish

Lana's sawshark

Largenose catshark

Largespine velvet dogfish

Largetooth cookiecutter shark

Leafscale gulper shark

Lemon shark

Leopard catshark

Leopard epaulette shark

Leopard shark

Lined catshark

Lined lanternshark

Lined lanternshark

Little gulper shark

Little sleeper shark

Lizard catshark

Lollipop catshark

Lombok highfin spurdog

Longfin catshark

Longfin mako

Longfin sawtail catshark

Longhead catshark

Longnose catshark

Longnose houndshark

Longnose pygmy shark

Longnose sawshark

Longnose sawtail catshark

Longnose spurdog

Longnose velvet dogfish

Longsnout dogfish

Longnose sleeper shark

Lowfin gulper shark

Magnificent catshark

Mandarin dogfish

Mangalore houndshark

McMillan's catshark

Megamouth shark

Mexican angelshark

Mexican hornshark

Milk-eye catshark

Milk shark

Mini gulper shark

Moller's lanternshark

Mosaic gulper shark

Mouse catshark

Mud catshark

Mukah river shark

Narrowbar swellshark

Narrowfin smooth-hound

Narrowhead catshark

Narrowmouthed catshark

Narrownose smooth-hound

Narrowtail catshark

Natal shyshark

Necklace carpetshark

Nervous shark

Network wobbegong

New Caledonia catshark

New Zealand catshark

New Zealand lanternshark

Night shark

Ninja lanternshark

Northern river shark

Northern sawtail catshark

Northern spiny dogfish

Northern wobbegong

Nurse shark

Nursehound

Nurseblood

Oakley's catshark

Oceanic whitetip shark

Ocellate topeshark

Ocellated angelshark

Oman bullhead shark

Onefin catshark

Orange spotted catshark

Ornate angelshark

Ornate dogfish

Ornate wobbegong

Pacific angelshark

Pacific nurse shark

Pacific sharpnose shark

Pacific sleeper shark

Pacific smalltail shark

Pacific spadenose shark

Pacific spiny dogfish

Painted swellshark

Pale catshark

Pale spotted catshark

Panama ghost catshark

Papua shorttail lanternshark

Papuan epaulette shark

Pelagic thresher shark

Peppered catshark

Phallic catshark

Philippines angelshark

Philippines ribbontail catshark

Philippines swellshark

Pigeye shark

Pink lanternshark

Pinocchio catshark

Plunket's shark

Pocket shark

Pondicherry shark

Porbeagle shark

Port Jackson shark

Portuguese dogfish

Prickly dogfish

Prickly shark

Puffadder shyshark

Pygmy lanternshark

Pygmy ribbontail catshark

Pygmy shark

Quagga catshark

Rasptooth dogfish

Redspotted catshark

Reticulated swellshark

Roughback catshark

Rough longnose dogfish

Roughskin catshark

Roughskin dogfish

Roughskin spurdog

Roughtail catshark

Rusty carpetshark

Rusty catshark

Saddle carpetshark

Saddled swellshark

Sailback houndshark

Sailfin roughshark

Salamander shark

Saldanha catshark

Salmon shark

Sandtiger shark

Sandbar shark

Sarawak pygmy swellshark

Sarawak smooth-hound

Sawback angelshark

Scalloped bonnethead

Scalloped hammerhead

Scoophead

Sculpted lanternshark

Seychelles carpetshark

Seychelles gulper shark

Seychelles spurdog

Sharpfin houndshark

Sharpnose sevengill shark

Sharptooth houndshark

Sharptooth smooth-hound

Sherwood dogfish

Shortbelly catshark

Shortfin mako

Shortfin smooth lanternshark

Shortnose demon catshark

Shortnose sawshark

Shortnose spurdog

Shortspine spurdog

Shorttail lanternshark

Shorttail nurse shark

Sicklefin houndshark

Sicklefin lemon shark

Sicklefin smooth-hound

Sicklefin weasel shark

Silky shark

Silvertip shark

Sixgill sawshark

Slender bamboo shark

Slender catshark

Slender gulper shark

Slender sawtail catshark

Slender smooth-hound

Slender weasel shark

Sliteye shark

Smallbelly catshark

Smalldorsal catshark

Smalleye catshark

Smalleye hammerhead

Smalleye lantern shark

Smalleye pygmy shark

Smalleye smooth-hound

Smallfin catshark

Smallfin gulper shark

Small-spotted catshark

Smalltail shark

Smalltooth sand tiger

Smoothback angelshark

Smooth hammerhead

Smooth lanternshark

Smoothtooth blacktip shark

Snaggletooth shark

Sombre catshark

South China catshark

Southern African frilled shark

Southern dogfish

Southern lanternshark

Southern lollipop catshark

Southern mandarin dogfish

Southern sawtail catshark

Southern sleeper shark

Spadenose shark

Sparsetooth dogfish

Spatulasnout catshark

Speartooth shark

Speckled carpetshark

Speckled catshark

Speckled smooth-hound

Speckled swellshark

Spined pygmy shark

Spinner shark

Spiny dogfish

Splendid lanternshark

Spongehead catshark

Spotless catshark

Spotless smooth-hound

Spottail shark

Spotted-belly catshark

Spotted estuary smooth-hound

Spotted houndshark

Spotted wobbegong

Springer's sawtail catshark

Starspotted smooth-hound

Starry catshark

Starry smooth-hound

Steven's swellshark

Straight-tooth weasel shark

Striped catshark

Striped smooth-hound

Sulu gollumshark

Swellshark

Taillight shark

Tailspot lanternshark

Taiwan angelshark

Taiwan saddled carpetshark

Taiwan spurdog

Tasselled wobbegong

Tawny nurse shark

Thorny lanternshark

Thresher shark

Tiger catshark

Tiger shark

Tope shark

Triton epaulette shark

Tropical sawshark

Variegated catshark

Velvet belly lanternshark

Velvet catshark

Velvet dogfish

Viper dogfish

West African catshark

West Indian lanternshark

Western angelshark

Western gulper shark

Western highfin spurdog

Western longnose spurdog

Western spotted catshark

Western spotted gummy shark

Western wobbegong

Whale shark

Whiskery shark

White-bodied catshark

Whitecheek shark

White-clasper catshark

Whitefin dogfish

White-fin smooth-hound

Whitefin swellshark

Whitefin topeshark

White ghost catshark

White-margin fin smooth-hound

Whitemarked gollumshark

Whitenose shark

Whitesaddled catshark

Whitespotted bamboo shark

Whitespotted bullhead shark

Whitespotted catshark

Whitespotted smooth-hound

Whitetail dogfish

White-tip catshark

Whitetip reef shark

Whitetip weasel shark

Winghead shark

Yellowspotted catshark

Zebra bullhead shark

Zebra shark

[writersblockcansuckmyballs]

Ok babes I finally finished Aquafolk

Species Name: Aquafolk Caste/s: Beast, Magician Deities: Irrenna, Jasper Origin: Born Affinity: Animals, Plants Description: The aquafolk are by far the most varied species in Ri'ath, all unified by their connection to aquatic and amphibious animals and, as the name would suggest, their dwelling in wetlands and large bodies of water. All subclasses of Aquafolk serve both the water goddess Irrenna and the nature god Jasper.

Subclasses; -Abyssal Aquafolk dwell in the abyss zone of the oceans of Ri'ath, 3-6 kilometres below the surface. They eat of the decomposing matter that settles on the sea floor and require no oxygen to survive. They have bioluminescent stripes covering their entire bodies, not unlike those of a tiger. Smooth, scaled and slender, their bodies are optimised for moving quickly through the water, like all ocean-dwelling subclasses. Large bulbous eyes, completely black, help them see in the incredibly low light environment. Some adopt similar features to their totem animals, such as the anglerfish, gulper eel and dumbo octopus.

-Entrenched Aquafolk make their home in the foreboding depths of ocean trenches. They feed on bacterial and microscopic organisms that live around hydrothermic vents. They have translucent skin and are eyeless due to the total lack of light in their habitat, and navigate by sensing movement in the water with spiny appendages along their arms and torso. Common totem animals of the entrenched aquafolk include starfish, giant tubeworms and cusk-eels.

-Inland Aquafolk dwell in rivers and lakes. They are amphibious and live in small settlements near, or sometimes on, the water. They have thick, scaled hides and hooked claws which they use to catch fish. Common totem animals of the Inland Aquafolk include crocodiles, alligators, salmon and ducks. Common plant totems include cattails, algae and water lilies. -Midnight Aquafolk occupy the midnight zone of the ocean, from around 1 to 4 kilometres deep. They are opportunistic hunters but prey is few and far between so scavenging is typically how they find nutrition. They sport four pairs of eyes, which can detect the slightest traces of light. Bright red patterns decorate sleek black bodies, elongated fingers ready to snatch any unfortunate trespasser and slim, eel-like tails twisting their way through the murky depths. Common totems of midnight aquafolk include vampire squid, sea cucumbers and angler fish.

-Swamp Aquafolk are amphibious and live in large communities in swamps, bogs and marshes. Mostly they catch birds, fish and small amphibians, though in desperate times they may resort to hunting crocodilians. The smallest of all the aquafolk, those that dwell in the wetlands typically only grow to around two feet tall. They have lidless dark green or brown eyes with pupils that resemble those of a frog. Their night vision is excellent, though they are far-sighted in the daylight, only registering movements of close objects. They pounce on their prey, propelled by disproportionately long legs and wide, webbed feet. They have retractable hooked claws and unlike most aquafolk, unwebbed fingers. They have segmented, chitinous body armour and do not have any teeth, using their claws to tear their food into chunks before swallowing it whole. Common totems include anacondas, crocodilians, bullfrogs, cattails and mangrove trees.

-Tidal Aquafolk are amphibious and live in shallow water and reefs near the shore. They subsist on seagrass, algae, shellfish and are less skittish around people than other subclasses and steal from fishermen frequently. They have cloudy blue-green eyes, small, closely packed needle-like teeth line their gums, with a second row at the back of their mouth. With gills situated on their necks as well as mammal-like lungs, they can breathe above and below the waves. Webbed hands and feet are tipped with short, hooked claws that aid with opening shells and also serve as effective weapons of self-defense. Common totems include crustaceans, sea turtles, coral and kelp

-Twilight Aquafolk dwell in the twilight zone of the ocean, from depths of around 200 metres to 1 kilometre below. They hunt as a pod, corralling schools of small fish in a similar fashion to the hunting tactics of seals. They swallow prey whole and have no teeth or claws to speak of. Twilight aquafolk have deep blue skin with striking green and yellow patterns at their extremities that distinguish individuals as surely as a land-dweller's fingerprint. They have the typical webbed digits on their hands but elongated rear flippers make them the most agile of any ocean-dwelling aquafolk. They have four fully black eyes, two on the front and two on the side of their heads. Common totems of Twilight aquafolk include squid, jellyfish and lanternfish.

#Species Classification #Creature - Aquafolk #a guide to the gods

[solarcitymarine]

A Novice Guide to Bass Fishing

When you first start fishing, every little accomplishment is a huge victory, and you can’t wait to get back out on the water to fish again. As you learn about the different types of fish, you begin to realize that they all handle bait differently and some are easier to catch than others.

There’s a natural progression that occurs when you fish bass. You don’t typically step out onto the boat and grab a five-pounder on the first go.

That said, there are some things a beginner can do to help speed up this progression. You need to know which appropriate boat accessories you need to have; from the best bass lures to the best bass fishing rods.

Bass is one of the most common freshwater fish in the world, and there are a variety of different types. Each bass requires a slightly different approach. It’s an advantage if you can identify each one.

There are a few ways to distinguish the types of bass; jaw length, number, and size of stripes, number of spines, and region of the country you fish.

Largemouth Bass: The upper jaw extends out past the eye, and they have spiny dorsal fins with a deep notch between them

Smallmouth Bass: The upper jaw does not extend past the eye, they have spiny dorsal fins and three dark lines on their cheek. This species has nine to ten spines on the dorsal fin.

Redeye Bass: These have small dark spots below the lateral line and a second dorsal that appears red. Their upper jaw does not extend past the eye.

Shoal Bass: These have an upper jaw that does not extend past the eye. They also have dark blotches that fade more as the fish ages. They look similar to redeye bass minus the red colouration.

There are more species out there, but these are the primary ones you will run into and have to identify.

Best Live Baits for Bass

Different types of bass require different live bait since not everything will work for them. There are a few things that small and largemouth bass are always interested in. These are:

Minnows

Crawfish

Salamanders

Worms

Leeches

Frogs

Creek chubs

The cream of the crop when it comes to live bait fishing is the crawfish since the bass loves them. Minnows make for a great baitfish, and they come in a couple of different varieties. There are shiners, creek chubs, shad, and a bunch of others. Fishing with minnows may increase your chance of hooking a larger fish.

When it comes to casting, the basic throwing and retrieving gets boring after a while so you can try playing with the bait in the water or even dragging it behind your Quintrex boat (if you are in a boat). It’s best on a calm day when the water is still. When there is little activity on the water, you can agitate the bass by bouncing the lure around the water. This is an excellent way to get them to bite.

If you are out on a cloudy, windy day or if the water is high and murky from rain the best way to reel in the bass is by casting and retrieving. The way to change it up though is to do it at an irregular pace. Reel in quickly, then stop and repeat that for a while.

Your ultimate goal as an angler should be to make your bait seem as real as possible when you fish. If the bass believes it’s alive, it will be more likely to strike it. You can do this by moving it slowly and smoothly through the water when the bass are around.

If you cast around stumps or pads, you are more likely to find bass. When you cast into these areas, try to get as close to the objects as possible so you can make a little noise when you get there. You want to draw the attention of the bass so you can proceed to egg them on.

The primary issue people have when fishing live bait is that the bass will swallow the hook more often. Pay close attention when you fish with live bait so you can set the hook at the first sign of a nibble before the bass swipes it up. 

Don’t forget to make some noise. There are many different ways you can make noise on the water, but one great way is to stop your cast halfway and let the lure hit the water and skip a few times. This makes a lot of noise. The bass will notice, and if you have everything else in check, you are bound to get a bite.

[funkyfrogoftheday]

today's funky frog of the day: the common spiny frog (Quasipaa exilispinosa)!!!! these frogs are distributed throughout southern china and hong kong. among members of the Quasipaa genus, they are considered quite small. also, please just look at that smile... they are the cutest!!!

photo by Thomas Brown

#common spiny frog #Quasipaa exilispinosa #frog #funky frog of the day

[notwiselybuttoowell]

A spiny common toad (Bufo spinosus) keeps watch over the Alhambra palace. Photo by Ugo Mellone

The Amphibians of The Alhambra: a photo essay

#Spain #Alhambra #Amphibians #Frogs #Toads #newts #ugo mellone #spiny common toad #wildlife photography #granada

[toadschooled]

This juvenile spiny toad [also known as the common toad, Bufo spinosus] is so small, the mossy undergrowth of it’s habitat might as well be a jungle. These toads are found throughout most of Europe, with the exception of Ireland, Iceland, and a few Mediterranean islands. This specimen was found and photographed by Noam Meresse.

#spiny toad #toad #frog #herps #amphibians #common toad #animals #nature

[catadromously]

Would you mind putting your worm phyla poem in it’s own post for ease of reblogging/reading? It seems like it’d be fun to memorize!

Gather round and get to know a

List of all the Metazoa

All the world’s countless creatures

Organized by body features

Classified with closest kin.

We call them Phyla. Let’s begin!

Porifera, amorphous things;

Cnidaria, equipped with stings

that help them as they feed and fight;

Symbion who clings on tight

to lobster mouthparts where it dwells;

Brachiopods with sideways shells;

Little wiggly Kinorhynchs;

and we’re still working out the kinks

with Xenacoelomorphs, but they

invented left and right, some say.

Spiny skinned Echinoderms;

and all the seething hordes of worms:

Horsheshoes, Horsehairs, Nematodes,

Peanuts, Ribbons - we’ve got loads!

Predator Chaetognatha,

Muddy Priapulida,

Jaw-worms never cause a fuss

but Hemichordates grow like us!

Thorny-heads and Gastrotrichs;

Velvet Worms with silk that sticks;

Entoprocta wreathed in cilia;

Annelids, the most familiar;

Flatworms with no cavities.

Now onto others, unlike these -

Ctenophores propelled by combs;

Mollusks in their hardened homes;

and in that group, the guts of squids

may play host to Dicyemids.

The tiny hardy Tardigrade;

Placozoa simply made;

Loricifera in gravel;

Orthonecta who unravel

when their larval stage is done.

Limnognathia, only one.

Rotifera, not really spinning;

Arthropods (I think they’re winning);

Bryozoa, never lonely;

Chordates, tough and quick and bony.

That the last is where we fit,

But we’ve a place in all of it.

From corals, clams, and brittle stars

To frogs and birds and us and ours

We all share common ancestry

to one small cell beneath the sea,

adrift in space around the sun:

the Family of Everyone!

#call and response

[outofangband]

Flora and Fauna of Maglor’s Gap

More world building here!

Flora and fauna of Arda  requested by @meadowlarkx

Disclaimer: I used both what we can extrapolate is likely indigenous to the region based on descriptions of the landscape and climate as well as my own headcanons and inspirations and reference books on similar habitats as well as The Atlas of Middle Earth and The Flora of Middle Earth

I really love working on and researching these! and as always feel free to ask more, even if I’ve already done a place I’d always enjoy going into more detail of tacking a more specific kind of life there

Maglor’s Gap was a region of First Age Middle Earth between Himring and the Ered Luin. It was described as lowland country made up of thickets, shrubland and heavily forested areas. It was also mentioned to have a cooler climate due to its proximity to Himring and thus to Morgoth’s realms. 

Based on descriptions of climate and habitat, possible shrubs and thicket species include sweet sagewort, rock wormwood, gorse, heather, hyssop, thyme, Hedera iberica, sumac, winter bent grass, orchard grass, boxthorn, and milkwort, and witch hazel. 

The forested areas are likely comprised of smaller species of trees that can grow in cooler, drier environments. Single seeded hawthorn, smaller juniper trees, smaller trees and shrubs in the oak family, Chimonanthus salicifolius (a genus of wintersweet), smaller dogwoods and species of laurus that thrive in cooler climates. 

There might also be grassier areas of perennial ryegrasses, scutch grass, fescue, and more. 

Other plants include mountain cornflower, bearberry, species of aster, mouse eared hawkweed, spring savory, welted thistle, dyer’s woad, stellera, gooseberry, and fennel. 

Possible birds are mainly terrestrial ones like the gray and rock partridge, bustard and bush quail, gray, black and painted francolin, snowcock, little bustard, merlin, ground jay, cheer pheasant, crested lark, and painted sandgrouse.  And possibly something like a small bush moa or scrubfowl. 

The scrublands are not ideal for large, herd living grazing creatures but smaller or non herding ungulates are definitely a possibility such as a species of mouse-deer, musk deer or goitered gazelle. 

Raccoon dogs are also well adapted to shrublands and may venture into the Gap as is the dhole and the Pallas cat.

Other mammals might include the gray marmot, ground squirrel, dormouse, field vole, alpine pika, woolly or mountain hares, long eared hedgehog, gray shrews, spotted civets, hog badger, and sable. (these are examples of species, there is likely a number of examples in the families of marmots, squirrels, rodents and rabbits, and shrews especially). 

Reptiles and amphibians are rarer in the cooler climate but not nonexistent. Smooth skink, blindsnakes, Mcord’s box turtle, plateau brown frog, boreal digging frog, Siberian sand toad, and spiny newts are possible examples. 

Insect and bug life is always hard to do concisely but grasshoppers and locusts, bees and wasps, and a variety of butterflies (veined scrub hopper, forest hopper, common windmill, swordtail, yellow tip, etc) are the most common representatives as are earthworms. 

#Maglor's gap #Maglor #the Silmarillion #Beleriand #middle earth #musing and meta

[scolopendress-tag]

Have some Asra n Muriel disorganized headcanons: animal themed!

Asra's most likely to answer quetzal if you ask for his favourite bird (he had a close up encounter with one his first time in nopal and had never seen a bird like it so it's a special memory), but he also appreciates all others. He also loves dart frogs and his favorite reptile would of course be perfect lavender angel baby fictional fantasy pythons. I'd also see him loving dragonflies as well.

He will see literally any animal generally and always say "they're one of my favourites!", though. It doesn't matter how many times he's said it that day or how many animals he's said it about. It's almost without fail he'll point one out and say it's a favourite.

One of his favorite animals is always the one in front of him Right Now, as a quick reference.

Plus, he loves to point animals out on travels or when out and about Vesuvia, so get used to hearing it!

He may attempt to catch critters occasionally too, or just pick them up, these will be mostly bugs usually. He just likes to cup moths in his hand on occasion and the watch them flutter out and I think he should be allowed to! Or just cradle bugs in his palm and watch them walk around for a bit. If it's a reptile or amphibian somewhere it could get stepped on or dried out or eaten he will still scoop them up and carry them to the brush.

[Cont. after cut]

Nothing he ever handles seems to get too upset or stressed, even when it's an animal that otherwise would. They just seem to be more relaxed if it's Asra who's touching them. Sometimes reptiles just come up to him (or even crawl onto his hand, as a few lizards have,) curiously enough. Though they may still refuse to be touched even then, they're notably not bothered by his presence when for others they'd run away. It's not something Asra's ever noticed to be odd, nor would it be overly noticeable to most people, but it's definitely something you can recognize if you pay attention.

Asra would also love to run on the beach sometimes, namely as a kid, maybe making himself invisible or otherwise undetectable until he's right up on a big flock of seagulls before giving them a hearty boo! And watching them all fly away all giggly. As an adult he may still stir up flocks for fun sometimes, or just to see how pretty it is to watch them all fly at once.

In general he just loves watching birds or bugs or whatever be it fly, always so effortlessly. Maybe he wishes he could fly himself. It certainly would make things easier he would come to think time to time growing up in Vesuvia.

Plus, he likes to collect the feathers that flutter down. Back when he sold masks, they were something he incorporated into them often. Then, too, he would also sit by the river after wearing himself out practicing hydromancy or what not, and a few times dragonflies would perch on him. He'd always gasp n grin all big and goofy when they did.

Muriel doesn't pick favorites really when it comes to animals (barring wolves and bears), but he does mirror Asra's 'one of my favourites' statements by saying "they're one of Asra's favorites," Occasionally.

While Asra's animal encounters or observations are typically brief, Muriel is more than content to just watch animals long periods of time. He can spot or at least know where to find some seriously elusive ones. The only one such animal Asra seems to have luck like that with seems to be foxes.

If you want to see an animal, local to the area around Vesuvia namely, Muriel can probably help you with that, granted he trusts you. This includes dens, hives, and nesting sites of course, things he will stop by occasionally in his forest to check on. His luck/skill in finding these things can't seem to be mimicked by even the most skilled animal trackers, you'd think they were practically just showing themselves to only him.

Muriel is also content to let animals do their thing and not interact with them much. Birds, butterflies and similar may land on him occasionally and he's always enchanted by it though, and will make no move to prevent an animal being on or touching him. Similar to Asra, he will also remove any animals in bad spots and put them somewhere better. He's a bit more effective at this though, as he tends to be looking down anyways, while Asra has probably smooshed a few pillbugs and snails before while doing his own thing- eyes elsewhere.

If Muriel did ever nerf a bug accidentally he would probably feel pretty damn bad, and if it wasn't reduced to a mere smear he would return its poor bug corpse to nature so that it might reclaim it. He'd get over it quick though if he was in a good mood prior, just give him a moment. If he was upset over something else already and he killed one, I could see it even pushing him to tears or rather making it worse if he was already at that point.

Asra would probably be like 'awh.... :( oof, I'm sorry lil guy...' and sweep it into nature if he could, but otherwise he would not be impacted too much.

Asra would purposely kill bugs on a few occasions even, pest bugs namely - like flies or mosquitoes or, of course, plague beetles. He may even instinctively lash out and flatten a bug that simply resembles a plague beetle enough, particularly if something had his anxiety or panic (ptsd trigger from the plague??) going. Otherwise plague beetle resembling beetles he'd be a little unsettled by, or uncomfortable to be around, but not enough to necessarily kill. He'd either move it somewhere else, try to scare it off, or move away from it. Muriel doesn't have many hang ups on plague beetle resembling bugs, though he would probably kill the real deal readily.

Any dead animals not in a wild area (like left in the city or on a road,) Muriel would move as long as it wasn't yknow. Too nasty. Birds that hit windows, starved or sickly scavengers, anything that dropped in a heatwave or was claimed by a flood, things like that, recent deaths. It pains him to see at all, but pains him more to leave them just.... There. Some he may bury, others he may leave out in places where there's animals he know will take it for food.

Injured or sick animals Muriel would try to help best he could, and he's successfully done it a few times. If it's blistering hot he'd also likely leave water out here and there for the animals of the forest, and he may enlist Asra's help with this to replenish water in natural water basins as well in droughts.

Muriel can handle animal death okay, hunting and fishing is a thing he does to some degree, it's just the preventable or senseless ones that hurt, it's worth saying here. It's just sad. He'll be okay after though, unless there's something more nefarious and upsetting at play.

Asra helping unwell/hurt animals would mostly consist of magic healing, but beyond that he wouldn't know what to really do besides bring it to Muriel or any animal experts near him. He doesn't come across these situations too often thankfully, though. Domestic animals he would take in more readily, and would let crash at the shop for a while if he can. If it's a livestock animal he'll ask if Muriel wants to take it in, or even in the case of an ownerless pet animal. If not, he can ask around. See if anyone wants a new dog or cat or... Goat. I just imagine those are the kinds of animals he's most likely to find in need, being in the center of Vesuvia.

Moving on from that....

Animal knowledge!

Asra likely doesn't know a ton about animals outside of ones that feature prominently in magic and myth, he's just good at identifying them and overall tends to appreciate their presence. Identifying animals can make for good pass times on long travels, or if he just sees something particularly neat he may simply want to know what to call it. He also probably learned most the common local Vesuvian species names growing up, probably through reading, though the bulk of his knowledge of the nature he grew up around is probably botanical- foraging can be dangerous! Plus, magic knowledge probably leans more heavily on plants than animals as well.

If Asra can't identify an animal, though, he will simply make up a name for it on the spot. If he finds out it's ID later he will still refer to it as his made up name followed by AKA/sometimes called/locally known as [real name]. He also tends to refer to tons of animals as the infamous, famous, legendary, revered, etc. Regardless of relevance, commonality or obscurity. He just thinks they all deserve such titles, and when has a little flair ever hurt?

"Ah, MC, look! It's an Abramesmerwhymsical Zadithi midnight-billed stilt-wader! Though it's sometimes also known as the famous crab-plover," Kinda shit. He enjoys it.

Muriel doesn't actually know the actual names of a ton of animals species. He knows of a few though, not to mention the Asra-given names that stuck with him. Despite not knowing their names sometimes still, he can tell most all species apart readily, and juveniles from adults, males from females, things like that. He watches animals of the forest regularly and is in tune with the local species life cycles, breeding or rearing seasons, migratory patterns, unique behaviors and everything else. Though his knowledge is probably limited to Vesuvian species, he's able to quickly pick up on other animal's traits and such when outside of Vesuvian territory, and is generally good with animals as is.

He knows what doves/pigeons and owls and vipers and mice and geckos etc are. He may not know that a specific species of such is called like, namaqua doves, omani owls, ocellated mountain vipers, cario spiny mouse, kotschy's middle-toed geckos n shit. It's not like he has NO idea, species names are weird and can be long winded so....

...He just doesn't know that dunnocks aren't actually called stripple-caped tseepers.

But he doesn't need to. <3

If he does learn the real names for them though, he is quite glad and will use the name readily. If you're looking at a Muriel who's in the city more, he will probably read up on this information himself, but otherwise he would of course treasure it if MC told him.

The only reasons he doesn't even know the names to begin with is mostly because the names you'll hear out and about most commonly only cover a fraction of species to start, and everything else youre mostly going to have to study via reading or classes. Neither of those seem to be things a young homeless Muriel would care to pursue lmao.

Annnnd

I forgot what else I was going to add and lost track so, I'll maybe add more later. I'll probably also amend this as I may find I don't agree with my own statements the next day and also I don't proofread so. I hope u enjoyed these feel free to add on or add differing opinions!

#asra #muriel #the arcana game #the arcana #tw animal death

[gourde]

Shrimp OC? 👀

*Heavy breathing* So you see, Rocket is a tiger prawn. The world she lives in is like, the seafloor but without any water. The deep sea is a forest so thick and so tall that no light reaches the bottom. There are coral forests, sea grass, barnacles are like pitcher plants with frog tongues, fish are like wild animals (They have legs or wings). Lampreys are huge and are like the whispering deaths in HTTYD. Isopods are like horses. Catfish are the cows, goldfish the chickens, and carp and tuna as assorted livestock. Whales are HUGE and fly in the air. Some cities are build on them. I'll draw all this one day. So, Rocket is an adventurer. She has her buddy pal a uh, spiny lobster who I haven't actually given a name yet. I'm thinking Cambria but I may change that later. Lobsters are the heavy hitters, crabs are the defensive kind, and shrimp are quick and nimble. There are also cephalopods. Octopi, the smart ones (they are the ones in charge) and the squid and cuttlefish, who are like the commoners. Cephalopods and crustaceans don't really mix, apart from some smaller towns. Horseshoe crabs are the originals, the ancients. They are rarely seen and live in super dangerous areas. So, Rocket is travelling the world with Cambria and their isopod Colt. The world is slowly withering away, the life being drained from it. Why? Well, that's what Rocket and Cambria are trying to figure out. They know the horseshoe crabs can tell them something, it's a matter of finding them. There is a certain someone who is taking advantage of all the chaos, a spider crab named Osprey (working name). He's kinda like the Eggman of this world. Trying to take it over with all his fancy robots and tech. But it's steampunk instead. Because that's fucking awesome. The world is dying because the heart of the world is corrupt. How do they fix it? I still need to find that out. It's a work in progress story, things will be changed. Enjoy this long ramble.

#rocket the tiger prawn

[futurebicon]

Bubble Ideas

I’m not exactly sure how the Bubble works so sorry if anything’s wrong.

Mentions of COVID-19, and the weird gruesome true versions of Disney movies that are kind of really creepy

Remus stayed away from Sirius and stayed with the teams stuff because he didn’t want to risk it.

But James called him and said that Sirius hadn’t been sleeping well so he moved up to Sirius and James room.

James spends more time in everyone else’s room because; They. Won’t. Stop. Making. Out.

Someone had the genius idea to put the Lions and the Snakes together in the same hotel.

(They know it’s based off geography but it’s still pretty dumb)

Breakfast is great fun. The amount of death stares as they shove cereal forcefully into their mouths entertains the staff.

Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are also there but they have the common sense to eat at a different time.

Greyback was drafted to the Snakes.

He ‘greeted his old friend’ in the hallway by grabbing his ruined shoulder and squeezing hard.

The team jumped him.

Remus went into his room and threw up. Sirius and him spent the rest of the day in the hotel room.

It hurt to move his shoulder for the rest of the time spent in the Bubble.

Sirius forced him to have Moody check it out.

He had torn it very slightly.

The team jumped him again.

They had to pull Sirius off before he killed him.

The Snakes and the Lions settled the rivalry once and for all by seeing who could get the most tickets in the hotels impressive arcade.

Sirius was surprisingly good at games off luck considering his past.

He got most of the teams tickets on the Monster Ball Drop (James laughs weirdly everytime he hears the name) game. And the spiny frog wheel.

The staff kept having to refill each game with tickets.

Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw put the tickets in the machine just to be sure.

The teams had never been more stressed. Not even during games.

The entire hotel staff, coaches, medics, and trainers were there.

The Lions won by 248 tickets.

They got 872,527 tickets.

The Snakes got 872, 243.

They both got a disco ball for their locker rooms and at least 700 inflatable hockey sticks. The hotel had just gotten them in stock so they took them all.

They wished they had a crowd to give the inflatable hockey sticks to but they donated them to a children’s hospital and children that were suffering from COVID.

They spent the rest on candy, Chinese fingertraps, poppers, and useless trinkets.

They all still went down to the arcade even though they completely wiped it out it was still fun.

The players from other country’s had never seen the popper toys before.

They were terrified of them.

There was so much confusion when the Snakes and the Lions played each other.

No one understood how they fist bumped and high-fived when someone scored or had a good pass.

Instead of shouting actual insults to each other they were joking insults that they all laughed at.

The Lions won. And the Snakes congratulated them.

When asked what happened and why they were all buddy-buddy now. They told them that they won at the archade.

Someone had taken a video of them counting the tickets.

They had already counted the Snakes.

When it passed 872,243 the Lions cheered like they had won the cup.

They all became chill with each other.

The Lions told them about Greyback and Remus (with his permission)

The Snakes excluded him from everything.

Sirius and Regulus reconciled.

All the teams played the Xbox and PlayStation together.

James grumbled about how it’s unfair that Sirius got to have his boyfriend there but he couldn’t have Lily.

Everyone called their wife’s and girlfriends(and a good amount of boyfriends) everyday.

Sirius honestly didn’t know if he would survive going that long without having Remus with him.

The Snakes were pretty homophobic and they all apologized extensively for it.

Everyone agreed that Sirius and Remus were a very, very cute couple.

They were all playing Minecraft in the lobby, Sirius leaning against Remus’s chest. He kept stabbing Remus in the stomach when he went to kill someone.

Sirius made fun of him for reading a book during it. And asked him what it was called.

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes sounds boring, love” he teased.

“It’s the new Hunger Games book baby. Let me read it in peace, without getting stabbed every 5 seconds.”

Sirius became addicted to Wendy’s.

Remus was disgusted by the fact that he dipped his chicken nuggets and fires into his frosty until he tried it himself.

They had movie night every night no one was playing.

As much as they denied it they watch chic flicks the whole time and cried during My Girl.

Sirius and Regulus had never seen a Disney movie before.

No one could have that and they had a Disney marathon.

They realized that they had heard the more demonic versions of the stories.

“Wait why didn’t she die?”

“What are you talking about Sirius?”

“No I’m not kidding how can she walk without being in pain, why didn’t the prince marry Ursala and why didn’t she kill herself?”

“What kind of fucked up shit did you hear as a kid?”

They then asked them the real version of every movie.

“Cut their feet of to fit into the shoe. Killed the step mother and served her as food at their wedding”

“Got her pregnant while she was asleep. Had twins, one of them sucked the splinter out of her finger. Fell in love with the dude. The prince was a king and married. Kings wife ordered the baby’s to be kidnapped, cooked, and fed to the king but he didn’t know it was his kids”

“Snow Whites along the same lines. But they got revenge on the witch by making her dance in iron hot shoes until she died at their wedding”

They all agreed that Disney was awful and they could never watch the movies the same way again.

They were also terrified by the fact that those were Regulus and Sirius’s bedtime stories when they were little.

“Have I ever told you I hate your parents?”

“Many times, mon amour”

They swam a lot in the pool.

Sirius was a surprisingly good swimmer.

Sirius and Remus 100% made out in the hot tub when it was just their team at the pool.

O’knutzy was sad that they couldn’t do because Logan’s too loud.

O’knutzy has to bring the two hotel rooms beds together to even slightly fit.

@lumosinlove

#lumosinlove #sweater weather #oknutzy #coops #wolfstar #sweater weather lumosinlove

[carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory]

Is this what they call overkill? Toxin and venom in the herp world

Figure 1. Bufo japonicus. The large glands behind the eyes are called parotid glands, and are a source of toxins in toads. Additionally, all of the bumps you see all over the body are glands that produce skin toxins. Image credit: Stevie Kennedy-Gold.

I recently participated in a Zoom event for Museum members focused on toxins and venom in the natural world. Mason Heberling, Assistant Curator of Botany, and Ainsley Seago, Associate Curator of Invertebrate Zoology, spoke about how the organisms they study produce toxins, and how these chemicals impact their environments and other organisms around them. As an ecologist focused on impacts of climate and land use change, I don’t consider myself an expert on toxins and venoms in amphibians and reptiles, but researching my portion of the joint presentation reminded me once again why herps are the best.

First, a refresher: toxins are poisons, and they have to be consumed or encountered (touched) by an organism to do harm. For example, many frogs produce toxins in their skin, but you would have to either consume that frog or touch its skin for the toxin to do you any harm. Most frogs don’t produce toxins strong enough to hurt humans, though a few notable exceptions exist. Some species of poison dart frogs have skin toxins strong enough that if you touched them and then touched your eyes, nose, or mouth, or if you had a cut on your hand, you could indeed become very ill and perhaps die. Venom, on the other hand, is a toxin that one organism can inject into another. Typically, we think of snakes when we think of injectable toxins. Many snake species have venom glands that produce toxins, and they can forcibly inject that toxin into their prey. The action, which can occur in a flash, involves the use of fangs to puncture the skin, and muscles surrounding the venom gland to force the toxin out along the fang and into the other organism.

Figure 2. Bufo japonicus and Rhabdophis tigrinus. Rhabdophis are one of the only snakes that are both venomous and toxic. They sequester toxins from the toads they eat into a gland called the nuchal crest. Image credit: Stevie Kennedy-Gold.

Most people tend to think of amphibians as toxic and snakes as venomous. This is true, but it turns out that snakes aren’t the only venomous reptiles, and amazingly two frogs are known to be venomous. Gila monsters (Helodermatidae) and water monitors (Varanidae) produce venom, but their venom glands are in their lower jaws (unlike snakes whose venom glands are in their upper jaws), and they lack the muscles to forcibly inject that toxin the way snakes do. Instead, the act of chewing on their prey causes their jaw motion to work the venom toward their grooved teeth, which then enables the venom to be injected through the bite wound. Using a very different delivery system, two frogs in the family Hylidae (tree frogs from the Americas) have very spiny skulls. Their skin produces toxins, and by “head-butting” another organism, they can effectively inject that toxin into another organism. This unusual delivery system technically makes them both toxic (the toxin can be transferred to you if you touch their skin) and venomous (they can inject that toxin into you).

Figure 3. Rhabdophis tigrinus. If you look closely at the back of the neck just behind the head on the snake on the left, you can see a slightly raised bit of skin, which is the nuchal crest used to store toxins sequestered from toads. Image credit: Stevie Kennedy-Gold. 

One of the most surprising things I learned is that there are snakes that are both toxic and venomous, and these are snakes I see frequently in the field. The genus Rhabdophis is common across South and Southeast Asia, and have long been known to be venomous. What I didn’t know is that in addition to making their own venom, they sequester toxins from their prey, and store it in a gland on the back of their neck called a nuchal crest. Rhabdophis feed on toads, which are toxic, and the snakes are able to sequester that toxin, rather than being adversely affected by it. Interestingly, scientists have shown that Rhabdophis tigrinus are toxic only where their range overlaps with Bufo japonicus, a highly toxic toad—so on some islands of Japan the snakes are toxic, while on other islands they are not.

Figure 4. Bufo japonicus with its many toxin glands! Image credit: Stevie Kennedy-Gold.

There are numerous other interesting adaptations involving toxin and venom in the herp world—tweet me (@JenASheridan) if you want to learn more!

Jennifer Sheridan is Assistant Curator in the Section of Amphibians and Reptiles at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

#Carnegie Museum of Natural History #Frogs #Reptiles #Toxins #Toxin #Venom #Herpetology

[olivefire74]

Animals Can Be Fun For Anyone

It's hard to inform some animal types apart. Is that a jaguar glaring balefully at you from the shadows, or a leopard? A reptile wriggling on the ground, or a salamander? Worry notwe have actually obtained you covered. Below are some (nearly) fool-proof approaches for identifying in between 7 pairs of critters. 1.

4. LIZARDS VS. SALAMANDERS Reptile (left, i, Supply); Salamander (right, i, Supply) Lizards and also salamanders look a lot alike. They have lengthy bodies and also tails, and they usually crawl around on 4 legs. Looks can be tricking. Reptiles and also salamanders are just distantly relevant; in truth, reptiles are closer relatives to humans than they are to salamanders.

Salamanders, on the various other hand, are amphibians, like frogs. Look closely and also you'll see major differences: reptiles have claws on their feet, yet salamanders don't (although there are one or two exemptions). Salamanders also do not have ranges; their skin is commonly smooth, wet, and slimed. Several species lack inner lungs, so their skin operates as an inside-out lung.

HEDGEHOGS VS. PORCUPINES Hedgehog (left, i, Supply); Porcupine (right, i, Supply) Let's start with the fundamentals: hedgehogs and also porcupines are spiny. Those spinal columns are constructed from special hard hairs With hollow. That's concerning all these animals have in common. They aren't carefully relevant, and also they developed spines independently.

6. CROCODILES VS. ALLIGATORS Alligators and crocodiles have a comparable appearance, so it's not unusual that they relate: They belong to the order Crocodilia. One significant distinction is their salt tolerance. Crocodiles have special glands that help them excrete excess salt, so they're comfy in deep sea habitats such as seaside mangrove swamps.

An additional distinction is the form of their heads. Crocodiles have longer V-shaped jaws, and also alligator noes are rounded as well as U-shaped. Yet there are exemptions; as an example, the assailant crocodile of India and the surrounding area has a spherical snout like an alligator. Note that there are a number of other participants in the order Crocodilia that have exceptionally slim snoutsthe weird-looking incorrect gharial as well as the also weirder-looking gharial.

Below are a few other means to identify them. Both cats have clusters of dark places on their fur, yet jaguars have smaller spots inside each cluster. Leopards are also smaller as well as even more slender than jaguars, and also their tails are much longer. You most likely will not require any of these ideas, though, because these pets are infamously deceptive and also hard to find.

Read later on () Beta During Beta screening posts may only be conserved for 7 days. + add existing post to list Close.

The origin of animals was just one of one of the most impressive and essential transformations in the history of life. From single-celled forefathers, they progressed right into a riot of complexity and also diversity. An approximated seven million varieties of animals survive on planet today, varying from tubeworms at the bottom of the sea to elephants lumbering throughout the African savanna.

The dawn of the pet kingdom about 800 million years back was likewise an environmental transformation. Animals fed on the microbial floor coverings that had actually controlled the seas for more than two billion years and also created their very own habitats, like reef. The origin of pets is additionally among the extra strange episodes in the background of life.

The intermediate types that could demonstrate how that shift occurred have actually become extinct."We're simply missing out on the intervening steps," claimed Nicole King, a transformative biologist at the College of The Golden State, Berkeley. To comprehend how animals took on this peculiar method of life, scientists are collecting many lines of proof. Some utilize rock hammers to press back the fossil document of pets by tens of countless years.

Still others are peering into the genomes of animals as well as their loved ones like Capsaspora, to rebuild the transformative tree of pets and also their closest loved ones. Remarkably, they've located that a great deal of the genetic tools for building an animal was in area long prior to the pet kingdom also existed. It was only in the previous couple of years that researchers got a firm idea of what the closest relatives to animals actually are.

This department of labor made the colonies extra efficient. They could expand faster than much less specialized swarms. Eventually, this division of labor might have led numerous cells in proto-animals to surrender their capability to duplicate. Only a tiny group of cells still made the healthy proteins needed to generate children.

Today that risk still impends large: cancer is the result of some cells rejecting to play by the exact same guidelines as the various other cells in our body. Also basic multicellular microorganisms have developed defenses to these cheaters. A group of eco-friendly algae called volvox have developed a limit to the variety of times any type of cell can separate.

#Animals

[northshovel81]

Some Ideas on Animals You Need To Know

It's hard to inform some animal varieties apart. Is that a jaguar glaring balefully at you from the shadows, or a leopard? A lizard crawling on the ground, or a salamander? Anxiety notwe have actually got you covered. Below are some (virtually) fool-proof approaches for differentiating between seven sets of critters. 1.

4. LIZARDS VS. SALAMANDERS Lizard (left, i, Supply); Salamander (right, i, Stock) Lizards and salamanders look a lot alike. They have long bodies as well as tails, and also they normally crawl about on four legs. But looks can be tricking. Lizards and salamanders are just distantly related; actually, lizards are closer cousins to human beings than they are to salamanders.

Salamanders, on the other hand, are amphibians, like frogs. Look closely as well as you'll see significant differences: reptiles have claws on their feet, but salamanders do not (although there are one or two exceptions). Salamanders additionally lack scales; their skin is typically smooth, damp, as well as slimy. Several types do not have inner lungs, so their skin works as an inside-out lung.

HEDGEHOGS VS. PORCUPINES Hedgehog (left, i, Stock); Porcupine (right, i, Supply) Let's beginning with the fundamentals: hedgehogs and also porcupines are spiny. Those backs are constructed from unique hard hairs with hollow centers. Yet that's about all these critters have in common. They aren't closely associated, as well as they evolved spines separately.

6. CROCODILES VS. ALLIGATORS Alligators and also crocodiles have a comparable appearance, so it's not unusual that they're associated: They belong to the order Crocodilia. One significant distinction is their salt tolerance. Crocodiles have unique glands that help them secrete excess salt, so they fit in saltwater habitats such as coastal mangrove swamps.

Another difference is the form of their heads. Crocodiles have longer V-shaped jaws, as well as alligator noes are rounded and U-shaped. There are exceptions; for example, the assailant crocodile of India and the surrounding area has a rounded nose like an alligator. Keep in mind that there are a number of various other participants in the order Crocodilia that have incredibly narrow snoutsthe weird-looking incorrect gharial as well as the also weirder-looking gharial.

Right here are a couple of other ways to distinguish them. Both cats have clusters of dark spots on their fur, however jaguars have smaller spots inside each cluster. Leopards are likewise smaller sized and also more slim than jaguars, and also their tails are longer. You possibly will not need any one of these tips, though, since these pets are infamously deceptive and also difficult to find.

Read later on () Beta Throughout Beta testing short articles might only be saved for 7 days. + include existing short article to listing Close.

The beginning of pets was one of the most astonishing as well as essential makeovers in the history of life. From single-celled forefathers, they progressed right into a riot of intricacy and diversity. An approximated seven million varieties of animals survive on planet today, varying from tubeworms at the end of the ocean to elephants lumbering across the African savanna.

The dawn of the pet kingdom concerning 800 million years earlier was likewise an environmental change. Animals feasted on the microbial mats that had actually dominated the oceans for more than two billion years and produced their own habitats, like reef. The beginning of animals is also one of the much more strange episodes in the history of life.

The intermediate species that could show how that change took location have actually come to be vanished."We're just missing the intervening actions," stated Nicole King, a transformative biologist at the University of California, Berkeley. To understand exactly how animals tackled this strange way of living, researchers are collecting numerous lines of evidence. Some use rock hammers to push back the fossil record of pets by tens of millions of years.

Still others are peering right into the genomes of animals as well as their family members like Capsaspora, to reconstruct the evolutionary tree of pets as well as their closest relatives. Surprisingly, they've found that a whole lot of the genetic tools for developing a pet was in area long before the pet kingdom even existed. It was just in the previous few years that researchers got a firm idea of what the closest loved ones to animals in fact are.

This department of labor made the swarms more efficient. They can expand faster than less specialized nests. At some point, this division of labor could have led many cells in proto-animals to quit their capability to recreate. Only a small group of cells still made the healthy proteins needed to create children.

Today that danger still looms huge: cancer is the result of some cells refusing to play by the same rules as the other cells in our body. Also simple multicellular organisms have actually developed defenses to these cheaters. A group of eco-friendly algae called volvox have actually developed a restriction to the variety of times any kind of cell can separate.

#Animals

[funkyfrogoftheday]

today's funky frog of the day: Triprion spinosus!! this frog has several common names- spiny-headed tree frog, spiny-headed treefrog, spinyhead treefrog, coronated treefrog, and crowned hyla. they inhabit costa rica, mexico, honduras, and panama.

photo by Brian Gratwicke

#triprion spinosus #spinyhead treefrog #coronated treefrog #crowned hyla #spiny headed tree frog #funky frog of the day #frog #mod eira