dracanthropic

[dracanthropic]

He's wearing a jacket and he's forgotten his hat and scarf.

do you think his bald head stands out, or is it normal?

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Why are mules so healthy when other hybrid animals aren't?

not all hybrid animals are unhealthy, it's kind of a roll of the dice on how genetics interact with each other.

in fact, hybridization in general is turning out to be more foundational to evolution then we thought! closely related species are just stealing each other's genes all the time, turns out.

hybridization events are MUCH more common then we thought, and result in the swapping back and forth of species-specific genes, which then drives evolution in different directions for both species with the introduction of these new genes! these events are called "gene flow".

modern humans specifically are a really good example of this, actually- humans with ancestral roots in Europe and Western Asia have a TON of traits that were lifted directly from our sister species, Neanderthals, after a whole slew of gene flow events!

some of these genes are believed to be responsible for hair texture, viral immune response, metabolism, and heightened sense of smell.

and on the Eastern side of Asia, the same is true of Denisovans, another modern human sister species!

these genes provided cold and altitude tolerance, among other benefits.

basically what I'm getting at here is that we now know that the tree of life is more like a series of streams flowing back and forth into each other to reinforce evolutionary pathways, all due to closely related species looking at each other and wiggling their eyebrows suggestively.

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season 1 vs. season 7

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Honestly... I'd be thrilled to donate a beloved pet (who has reached the end of their life...I'm not gonna go buy kittens just to send right off...) for much the same reason Kedreeva mentioned and for much the same reason that I would like to be food for a tree when I die. Don't let me rot in a box in the ground giving nothing back to the earth. Let me be part of the circle of life. To be able to see my own beloved pet alive in a strange way THROUGH the life of another wonderful creature? Heck feed ME (post mortem) to the zoo creatures!

Anyway... remember that what we do for the dead is for the living. The dead don't need that body anymore.

There is a news article going around about a zoo in Denmark who has requested folks to donate privately-kept animals (and specifically chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs, and had previously asked for horses) who require euthanasia, as feed for their large carnivores. There are also a LOT of really incensed people getting their panties in a twist about this.

I want to share the original post, as it is being portrayed a LOT as something it was absolutely not:

Here is the link to their website page

So first of all, let's all have a bit of a breath and understand that this zoo is NOT asking for your pet dog/cat. They are asking for animals that are already considered livestock in many places, and animals that humans eat in various cultures.

I want to make it very clear that this is a really good idea. Whether or not you understand/believe it, zoos do a lot of conservation work, especially behind the scenes. They foot HUGE bills for fodder for all of their animals, herbivores included. If they can make use of some animals that individuals cannot keep or do not want anymore, then why shouldn't they open the door for it? Unlike PETA, they're not snatching anyone's puppies off their front porch like monsters. They're saying they have a way for animals who cannot continue on to instead give life to their animals. They're offering the option. Not a single person is being forced to take that option.

But it is GREAT to have it!! If someone is losing a small pet like a guinea pig, or has excess livestock from hobby farms, and that pet would just decompose underground otherwise, giving them a second life in another animal they can go and visit is actually really cool?? I don't know if they track this kind of thing, but I would be absolutely thrilled if I could go to a zoo and see the tiger one of my birds' bodies was fed to. I may have lost the bird, but look! This beautiful creature turned her into energy, turned her into continued life! Not only that, but in doing so, some other animal that would have taken her place does not need to, meaning she has given life twice! Is that not a good thing? Is that not a cause for joy in the face of grief?

And there are overpopulation concerns with a LOT of domestic animals all over the world. There are kill centers stocked full of horses that are already being processed for meat, and I can guarantee the horses are having a worse time than they would if taken to the zoo instead. Small animals that are already bred for food, like chickens, pigeons, quail, rats, mice, and even rabbits and guinea pigs, are all good sources of whole prey, and rescues for stuff like rabbits, guinea pigs, and rats are often overrun. And any animals that must be euthanized to make room for new animals are just going to waste afterward.

While ideally none of that would be the case, and every domestic animal from the largest to the smallest would have a lovely home forever and ever and no one would ever breed more than society can handle, that's... just not reality. And it's unlikely to become reality anytime soon. There's no wand anyone can wave to make that real. And even if you could get close to making that real.... carnivores still need to eat.

But there IS now the option for this zoo to take local small animals that would otherwise go to waste. There is a way to reduce the number of animals going to waste, and reuse their bodies after they have passed. It may not be for everyone, but I believe it's GREAT that the option exists for those who want to take it. I would take it, if I bred the animals they're looking for. I already am in the process of donating mouse and quail culls to a local nature center.

Anyway, I know that for a lot of people, their gut reaction is going to be revulsion and outrage, probably because when they hear "pet" they think "cats/dogs" and their brain shuts off. So, I'm making this post in the hopes of giving even one person pause, of getting even one person to examine why, exactly, they feel this way, and whether or not that reaction is justified.

[dracanthropic]

[dracanthropic]

500-year-old Snake Figure from Peru (Incan Empire), c. 1450-1532 CE: this fiber craft snake was made from cotton and camelid hair, and it has a total length of 86.4cm (about 34in)

This piece was crafted by shaping a cotton core into the basic form of a snake and then wrapping it in structural cords. Colorful threads were then used to create the surface pattern, producing a zig-zag design that covers most of the snake's body. Some of its facial features were also decorated with embroidery.

A double-braided rope is attached to the distal end of the snake's body, near the tip of its tail, and another rope is attached along the ventral side, where it forms a small loop just behind the snake's lower jaw. Similar features have been found in other serpentine figures from the same region/time period, suggesting that these objects may have been designed for a common purpose.

Very little is known about the original function and significance of these artifacts; they may have been created as decorative elements, costume elements, ceremonial props, toys, gifts, grave goods, or simply as pieces of artwork.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art argues that this figure might have been used as a prop during a particular Andean tradition:

In a ritual combat known as ayllar, snakes made of wool were used as projectiles. This effigy snake may have been worn around the neck—a powerful personal adornment of the paramount Inca and his allies—until it was needed as a weapon. The wearer would then grab the cord, swing the snake, and hurl it in the direction of the opponent. The heavy head would propel the figure forward. The simultaneous release of many would produce a scenario of “flying snakes” thrown at enemies.

The same custom is described in an account from a Spanish chronicler named Cristóbal de Albornoz, who referred to the tradition as "the game of the ayllus and the Amaru" ("El juego de los ayllus y el Amaru").

The image below depicts a very similar artifact from the same region/time period.

Why Indigenous Artifacts Should be Returned to Indigenous Communities.

Sources & More Info:

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Snake Ornament

Serpent Symbology: Representations of Snakes in Art

Journal de la Société des Américanistes: El Juego de los ayllus y el Amaru

Yale University Art Gallery: Votive Fiber Sculpture of an Anaconda

[dracanthropic]

Sharing this cos I love this binding!

[dracanthropic]

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I didn't realize that hen was purple!

There was also a fully white male, a WT blue male (pretty sure), and a pied female!

(I think maybe there were too many for their enclosure :/)

Did I find a black-shoulder man in Poland?

You did! And a purple hen and a white hen!

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Okay but does this whole song exist somewhere?

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The audacity

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yeahhh I lied.

one more time, HAPPY MOON LANDING DAY!

aaand gooodnight.

[dracanthropic]

10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

AAAND WE HAVE LIFTOFF!

HAPPY MOON LANDING DAY!!!