#CW ANIMAL INJURY

[loudclan-clangen]

Loudclan - Moon 29: Part 2

Back in camp, the warm weather gives the healers a chance to relax, and puts Wildfirecry in a particularly good mood, reminding him of his former home in Forestclan, far to the south.

Wildfirecry takes Songpaw out to look for Fiercestripe's patrol. Along the way they discuss what's really been on Songpaw's mind.

The scent of blood sits heavy in the still air. With Songpaw sent back to camp for help, Wildfirecry steels his nerves and rushes ahead, prepared to join the battle against whomever had made the mistake of tresspassing onto Loudclan's territory. As he neared the Loudclan border, though, it became clear that the battle was long finished.

Fiercestripe, Chumtail, Dogwoodmoth, and Dashpaw were killed in the rogue attack, taking 4 of their attackers with them. Rosehiptree managed to survive by staying hidden in the bushes, but she is by no means unscathed. Loudclan is devastated by this event, and will need time to mourn, but on the other side of the valley, three trespassers thank the stars for whatever might have delayed their pursuers.

[...so ... how are we feeling about this one, folks? bad? yeah, I feel bad. full disclosure, if Eklutna dying was the moon that I decided I wanted to keep playing Loudclan, this was the moon that almost made me quit. I was and continue to be DEVASTATED by losing these guys, Fierce, Dogwood, and Chum were some of my all time favorites as I played and I fell in love all over again writing their stories here. (Sorry Dash, you just weren't around long enough for me to get attached.) In game technically Fiercestripe died of heatstroke, but since it was the same moon as the rogue attack this felt like a much more fitting way for her to go. Anyway, I think one more part should wrap up this moon, and my deepest apologies to you all.]

First Moon

Next Moon

[franklyfeline]

cant have shit in ponyclan

[kaijutegu]

Jima has very recently decided her carrier is extremely distressing and has rubbed her nose raw on the zipper. This happens every time I put her in there under even extremely calm conditions in the short term, so we have said goodbye to it. The new carrier gets here tomorrow but for now, we have a nose injury to treat. You can use Neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment on a lizard but you must ensure that it doesn't have pain relief.

Pain is what the aloe leaf is for. And while I would prefer to do this in the bathroom, the only place she was willing to be calm was in my bed, so. We improvise.

[xiaq]

This morning, shortly after returning from the crag with the guys (who let him wander off leash 😐), Deacon had two seizures. None of the vets in the county were open or answering emergency lines, but I found a vet 45 mins away willing to meet up with us despite the holiday weekend. Blessings upon her.

After fluids and blood work, we’re pretty sure he ate something he shouldn’t, but his kidneys are doing their job and he should make a full recovery, provided he continues to slowly improve as he has thus far.

Please send good vibes, prayers, etc. if you have them to spare. We just want to get the good boy home safe tomorrow.

[iamfabiloz]

the star prologue was so good it made me draw curlfeather for the first time in 2 years

rotting bloody wounded curlfeather is so cooll

her old design from 2022 under the cut for funny comparison:

[bioluminesced]

deep water

[aphidclan-clangen]

[hushedclan]

so um. moon 9, huh? what? i’m not crying, of course not! just have a little something in my eye, that’s all

back first next

[claypigeonpottery]

woke up at 5 am with a mighty need to sculpt a sad boy

first tried to make the trap out of clay like a foolish person. wire just makes so much more sense

[the-path-of-dreamers]

Moon 10: Problems Arise

Encounters 2/2

[loudclan-clangen]

Loudclan - Moon 23:

Songkit, Dancekit, and Dashkit play in the middle of camp, while Chumpaw and Kingpaw watch over them.

While their kitsitters are distracted, Songkit and Dashkit continue to bicker. Dancekit tries to deescalate the situation.

Chumpaw manages to save Songkit from the eagle, but is permanently scarred in the process.

[Poor Siltsplash, they just can't catch a break. Safe to say the apprentices won't be trusted to babysit again any time soon. Though their bravery was greatly appreciated, they really should have been keeping a closer eye on the little ones.]

First Moon

Next Moon

[ms-demeanor]

you said you frequently find dead and dying feral cats in your yard that you need to deal with. How does one go about humanely putting down cats that are dying painfully and slowly if you dont have access to a vet?

I don't get close enough to touch the injured cats. None of them are vaccinated and attempting to pick up an injured cat you don't know is like attempting to pick up an injured raccoon. Don't do it. If the cat is injured but not dead and it is in my yard or not behind a fence, I'll call animal control, because they are professionals who have the equipment they need to keep them safe and can transport the animals to be humanely euthanized.

LA county shelters are no-kill shelters, but the animal control folks have been very clear with me that if there is an injured animal that can't be rehabilitated they would rather pick it up and humanely euthanize it than let it suffer.

"No kill" means they can't take in healthy cats and put them down, but animals that can't live a good life will be euthanized. They've also picked up feral kittens with broken legs and eye infections and visible parasites from my house, these animals were likely euthanized because they were too poorly habituated to humans to be adoptable.

But if the cat is in someone else's yard, there's nothing i can do if i can't tempt the cat into my yard. Neither I nor animal control can enter someone else's property to retrieve an injured cat.

[cutieclangen]

Moon 22

Finally switching over to colored speech bubbles!

Two new warriors, two new injuries..

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Start from the beginning

Moon 18 Allegiances

Family Tree

[mischefous]

Can I pleeese get either bunny legend or Wolfie caught in a hidden snare? Bonus points if they've been stuck there a while unable to call out for help loud enough.

Kingbiscuit! Don't worry I saw your other ask where you were worried that this is a gorey request, but fear not! gore is nothing like this haha, so no need to worry! gore is like...guts and very disturbing stuff. I will say I'm not too much of an Animal Whump fan but this is different, cuz it's technically Twilight XP

Anyways, hope you enjoy this poor Wolfie. hopefully, someone comes to his rescue, and quick! (he has been there for a while now...he did try to howl, but that's a lil hard when there is a thing around your neck T3T)

CW! blood, animal injury

[lemm-moxx]

Randomly blessed with the idea of hunter/trapper horror

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: cookie cutter shark

There are some words that just shouldn't go together, like "edible radium", "reasonable conspiracy theorist", and "sandpaper underwear". Well here's a new one for you: "parasitic shark". The only problem is, that one is real. Yeah, this is one of those animals that's so bizarre it would be mocked as too silly if a fiction writer came up with it. Welcome back to Wet Beast Wednesday, where we discuss the cookie cutter shark.

(Image: a cookie cutter shark said on a patch of fabric. It is a small, brown shark with a darker collar region. Its fins are small and the head is blunt. It is widest around the middle. A pencil has been placed next to it for scale. End ID)

There are two known species of cookie cuter shark: Isistius brasiliensis and Isistius plutodus. The latter, common name: largetooth cookie cutter shark, is much rarer and less well known than the former, which will be the main topic of this post. The cookie cutter shark is a very small shark, measuring between 42 and 56 cm (16-22 in) in length as adults. They have multiple adaptations that set them apart from other sharks, even other members of the dogfish order. Their bodies are described as cigar-shaped, which is why another common name is cigar shark. The head is short and rounded and the mouth is large, with prominent teeth and large lips. The upper teeth are small and narrow while the lower teeth are larger and form a saw-like edge. Unlike other sharks, they do not replace one tooth at a time, but instead lose and replace the entire front lower row at once.

(Image: a closeup of the head of a preserved shark. The lips have been pulled back to expose the mouth showing the large, saw-like lower teeth and much smaller upper teeth. End ID).

Cookie cutters are among the few sharks that are strongly bioluminescent. Their underbellies and a collar around the neck area have luminescent cells called photophores. The cells on the belly mimic light from above, making it difficult for predators below to distinguish the shark from the surface of the ocean. The cells on the neck are believed to be used for attracting prey by mimicking a small fish. Cookie cutter sharks have large livers with a high oil content that helps them maintain buoyancy. While most fins are small (or in the case of the anal fin, missing), the tail fin is large and suited for sudden bursts of speed. Longtooth cookie cuter sharks are larger, with longer bottom teeth and smaller fins.

(Image: photos of the underside of a cookie cutter shark showing the bioluminescent photophores, which make the belly look blue. End ID)

The common name of the cookie cutter shark comes from its unique feeding mechanism. The sharks are deep-sea ambush predators that use their natural buoyancy to remain motionless in the water column while using their bioluminescence to attract prey. When prey approaches, the shark will dart forward and attach to the larger animal. Using its lips to form a seal, the shark can generate suction to make it very hard to remove. It then uses the upper teeth as an anchor to help the larger bottom teeth pierce the skin. Then , the shark spins around (the thrashing of its prey may help) to cut out a roughly circular plug of skin and muscle. The circular holes left behind are reminiscent of bits of cookie dough cut out by a cookie cutter, hence the name. The sharks will also eat small fish and squid whole and are known to scavenge carrion. They will sometimes school, possibly to help attract prey while discouraging predators. Just about any medium to large animal in the shark's territory is a possible target. Scars from cookie cutter shark feeding have been found on cetaceans (whales and dolphins), pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), other sharks, rays, and bony fish. Because the sharks feed off of other animals without killing them, they are considered parasites. Specifically, they are facultative ectoparasites, meaning they attach to the outside of their hosts and are not fully dependent on parasitism to survive.

(Image: a swordfish with multiple fresh bites from cookie cutter sharks. The bites look like pink pits dug into the swordfish's side. End ID)

Cookie cutter sharks are found worldwide in the mesopelagic zone (roughly 200 - 3000 ft deep), though they have been known to move to shallower water. They are found worldwide and seem to prefer the open ocean. Most sightings are around islands, but its not clear if they do congregate around islands or this is a case of sampling bias. Because of their remote habitats, little is known about their behavior in the wild. Likewise, we don't know much about their reproductive behavior, though like other dogfish, they are viviparous. The embryos are raised in two uteruses and there can be up to 12 of them. They likely have a very long gestation period.

(Image: a slender cookie cutter shark seen from the side)

Cookie cutter sharks are classified as least concern by the IUCN. There is no fishery for them and they are only caught as bycatch. People have been able to see the scars left by the sharks on their prey for a very long time and there were several hypotheses for what was leaving the scars, including lampreys and bacteria. In 1971, scientist Everett Jones was the one who discovered that the cigar sharks (as they were then known) were responsible. The name cookie cutter shark became popular after that. Human interaction with the sharks are rare, but multiple attacks have been recorded, most of them on swimmers trying to cross the channels in Hawai'i. There have also been reports of shipwrecked sailors being attacked and bodies have been recovered with signs of cookie cutter shark scavenging. Generally though, the sharks are not considered dangerous to humans due to their remote, deep-sea habitat. Back in the 1970s, US Navy submarines kept finding circular holes in the neoprene coating of their sonar domes, which let components leak out and impaired the subs' navigation abilities. Putting fiberglass over the domes solved the problem, but it wasn't realized until much later that the damage was caused by cookie cutter sharks mistaking the subs for prey and not an unknown weapon. This wasn't even the only time this happened. In the 1980s, it happened again with the robber coating for some electric equipment. If only we could all setback militaries as easily as this little shark.

(Image: a circular scar left on someone's calf by a cookie cutter shark bite. End ID)