#FISH WITH A DEWLAP!!!!!!!!!!!?????????

[dexaroth]

i can trashtalk people who add fur to furless designs and stuff like that all i like but i myself am guilty of adding something that fluffs up the neck in my designs way too often. whoever it is that i make if it doesnt have something going on in the neck it just feels wrong.

like a snake is fine looking enough but a naja is so much cooler. u see my vision

[ragsy]

OC Masterlist (in alphabetical order)

Monster of the Week:

🐕 Dogmark (Mark "Dogmark" Stevens) (he/him)

A normal human guy in his late twenties/early thirties who got cursed to be a cannibalistic dogman. Extremely socially anxious, very fight-or-flight driven, struggling to come to terms with his monstrosity. Currently an NPC in an active game.

Tag: #oc dogmark | Visual reference

📚 Emily Song (she/her)

A real type-A woman in her thirties. She has a degree and a job and a fiancé and a dad (Kenneth) who went missing five years ago and suddenly reappeared out of nowhere, ranting and raving about having been in some bizarre surreal other world. She doesn't believe in the supernatural. She thinks he needs help. Currently an NPC in an active game.

Tag: #oc emily

🚬 Everett (any pronoun, but defaults to he/him)

Some manner of immortal smoke demon in a human vessel, using his powers of influence over people to grow his Youtube channel and Twitch audience. He doesn't want your soul, he just wants your impressionable teen's expendable income. Not currently in any active games.

Tag: #oc everett

🐟 Fishwoman (Diane Fishwoman) (she/her, it/its)

An emotionally constipated humanoid fish person (age unknown) who spends her free time daydrinking and stealing things. She's friends with benefits with Sloane, though she'd never admit to how much the "friends" component of that means to her. Not currently in any active games.

Tag: #oc fishwoman | Visual reference

🚪 Kenneth Song (Uncle Kenny) (he/him)

A goofy, soft-hearted widower and retired dentist (age 65) who recently escaped a five year internment in a liminal horror dimension called the Other Place. Trying his best to reconnect with his adult daughter. Currently in an active MOTW game (Searcher playbook)

Tags: #oc kenneth, #vistas from the other place | Visual reference | Playlist (YouTube version)

🍂 Mary Song (she/her)

A level-headed and analytical Voice of Reason, as well as a middlingly talented spellcrafter. She died suddenly at age 32, survived by her husband (Kenny) and daughter (Emily), and has been haunting their respective narratives ever since.

Tag: #oc mary

🔫 Sloane (Agent Hill) (she/her)

A broad-shouldered tough-as-nails action butch. Makes her living doing field missions, getting monsters and other supernatural beings out of sight. She has a curse on her left arm that's slowly spreading to the rest of her body, but she hasn't told anyone besides her immediate superiors about it. Despite her hard exterior, she's got a warm heart that genuinely cares about the people she protects. NPC in a defunct campaign, currently planned to be a PC in an upcoming campaign, Professinal playbook.

Tag: #oc sloane | Visual reference

Dungeons and Dragons

✨ Arjibi (Arji the Fool) (he/him, they/them)

Farmboy turned stage magician turned adventurer! He's a sweet silly boy with big expressive eyes and too much joy for his twinky body. Also, statistically speaking, he's your friend now. Dragonborn sorcerer (draconic heritage). Currently in two separate active campaigns.

Tag: #oc arjibi | Visual reference | Defunct inspo blog: @arjibi-time

👊 Carex (she/her)

Aarakocra monk, way of mercy. Looks like a secretary bird because she's really good at kicking the shit out of people. Currently in an active campaign, but she's not really as much a character to roleplay as she is a tool to use in combat.

Tag: #oc carex

🤖 M.A.G. (Mechanical Autonomous Guardsman, aka Maggie or Mags) (it/its)

Once a mindless patrol construct, now mysteriously gifted with self awareness and holy powers. It's driven by duty to protect others first, and curiosity second. It's learning how to be a person! A little bit like a cross between Big Bird and Levi Scavengersreign. Warforged Paladin, oath of the crown. Currently in an active campaign.

Tag: #oc maggie | Visual reference

🧪 Professor Dewlap (Finneas Carlton Dewlap) (he/him)

Mad scientist. Cantankerous old bitch. Blew himself to smithereens in a freak lab accident, currently climbing his way back out of the afterlife to resume whatever the hell he was working on. Dragonborn artificer. Not currently in an active campaign, but he's planned for a future one.

Tag: #oc professor dewlap

⚔ Sir Dillion (Sir Dillion Fontaine Sargasso) (he/him)

Chivalrous medieval knight in shining armor with a fish for a head. Broad of chest, kind of heart, dumb of ass. Triton fighter (cavalier subclass), campaign completed!

Tag: #oc sir dillion | Visual references

Miscellaneous

🦎 Lizardsona (any pronoun)

This is literally just my fursona. Some sort of lizardy muppetty creature.

Tag: #lizardsona | Visual references

🐲 Marginalia (Marge) (any pronoun)

A medieval scribe's drawing of a dragon, come to life. Also sort of a quasi-fursona, though I don't use them very often.

Tag: #oc marginalia | Visual references

[nonspeakingkiku]

can I hear more about puzzle? He looks cute and interesting

Yes! Also thank ☺️

Hehe infodump incoming.

Puzzle is Kiku's Zootopia OC. He is a Holland Lop Red fox hybrid. (in Kiku's personal Zootooia AU/headcanon hybrids are possible but not common and some mammals look down on them, especially predator/prey hybrids. And they aren't well known because they tend to keep to themselves.)

He's queer (ftm/nonbinary, aroacespec, and in his words "It's fuckin Complicated".)

He's multiply disabled, deafblind(myopia, CVI, mid-low range hearing loss, and capd) nonverbal/nonspeaking autistic, a full time AAC and mobility aid user (white cane, AFOs, forearm crutches, rollator, and wheelchair/stroller.) and has PTSD

He is a DJ/EDM producer (heavy focus on House (especially Big Room House) and Dubstep and graphic artist (traditional and digital).

He has Cerebral Palsy, EDS, pots, and other physical disabilities.

He has apraxia/dyspraxia, is unreliably and minimally speaking, and communicates using his communication device (the zootopian equivalent of an Accent), several ipads, his phone, letterboards, core boards, communication cards, picture cards, tactile symbols, sign language, and noises and gestures. He's also suprisingly vocal for a rabbit. (rabbits IRL don't make a whole lot of noises, mostly squeals and screams when greatly distressed, hind paw thumps to warn of danger, and tooth purring (they grind their back teeth together when content, in a sound that resembles other mammals purrs) and one of the biggest tells he has that he isn't Just a rabbit is all the noises he makes.

Physically he's a pretty even mix of rabbit and fox, although he's a bit big by rabbit standards for a holland lop he's much smaller than most red foxes. He has both bunny and fox teeth, his muzzle is longer than most bunnies but shorter than most foxes and he has a bunny like nose. His hind legs and paws are shaped more like a fox but he can suprisingly still hop like a bunny and he's also suprisingly fast running on all four paws. Although running without his AFOs isn't the best idea because of his unstable joints (CP and EDS) and tight leg muscles. He can move without his mobility aids but it results in pain that gets worse the longer he goes not using them.

He also likes to dance and sing but doesn't do so professionally, because he thinks he isn't very good at it.

He is an omnivore and eats meat. But he also has arfid so his diet is pretty restricted (he eats a lot of processed chicken, like chicken nuggets and tenders, fish, and certain veggies (carrots, broccoli, squash) and fruits (strawberries, bananas and watermelon).

His favorite colors are pink and purple.

He loves dressing up and looking pretty and wears a lot of crop tops. Although he usually wears baggy cargo pants that hide his AFOs.

He's very sascastic and can come off as rude to mammals he doesn't know but he's actually just guarded and trying his best to pass as male (he didn't pass as well when he was younger, before his top surgery. He still has his dewlap, although it's not very prominent and he just looks really fluffy.) He has large floppy bunny ears and a very fluffy fox tail. Although unlike some lops, he can stand his ears straight up or airplane them.

Kiku can write more too. ☺️ And feel free to ask questions about Puzzle if y'all want.

[polishlilly]

Creature Highlight: Petrel Drake

A representative of one of the two sister clades that make up Volantotherium, the Petrel Drake is a basilisk. As all members of this clade it possess a longer snout and comparatively longer and more gracile limbs compared to wyverns such as the Carnowing. This by no means implies that Petrel Drakes are worse at flying, their fingers are fused into one long rod to support a larger wing membrane, and it possess a mechanism to lock its wings in place, to expend less energy when soaring.

Mating and Parenting

Petrel Drakes posses an expendable dewlap attached to their throat, in males it is far more colourful and developed, allowing them to extend it in a mating display as seen above. A chance for males to show off their fitness comes every few years when adults gather on islands far out to sea to find partners. After a male wins over a female with his display and successfully mates with her, the pair will stay together until their singular offspring is grown enough to become self sufficient. Throughout a Petrel Drake's lifetime it will father up to as many as 6 children.

Feeding and Ecology

Petrel Drakes are uniquely adapted to spend almost their entire lives at sea. They mostly feed on fish by either skimming the surface or performing shallow dives, they will however make use of any carrion which finds its way to the ocean surface.

Interaction with Humans

Due to their remote breeding grounds Petrel Drakes rarely encounter man, however they are seen as a good omen by fishermen whenever they meet out on the high seas, as a Petrel Drake usually means proximity of shoals of fish, they can also warn of Sea Wyrms by flying far higher than normal.

[moonlitcomet]

Tatsugiri's Inspiration

I feel like comparing tatsugiri to the tongue-eating louse is a really big stretch because there's a massive difference between that and the mutualistic relationship it has with dondozo. I'd be hard pressed to believe that was the inspiration and not mouthbrooding fish or even the cuckoo catfish.

Dondozo is clearly based on a catfish, which in some species are known to be mouth brooders, and carry their babies in their mouths. And Tatsugiri is a small fish creature with a large dewlap, known as the Mimicry Pokemon, resembling a sushi or even a baby fish.

Cuckoo catfish are obligate brood parasites of mouthbrooding cichlid fishes, putting their eggs in the brood of the cichlids and having their offspring outcompete and even eat the babies of the species they're parasitizing. Funny enough this is the only known example of nonavian obligate brood parasitism in vertebrates. [x]

[x]

Tatsugiri much more resembles these baby fish than a louse, even having very similar markings and its dewlap resembling the yolk of the fish.

[willard-begins]

okay i dont know how to tag this but point is i need to get this out, but i think i MIGHT Be able to pick apart the eeveelutions based on what real animal theyre based on, domestic or not

here i go!

Eevee. we all know what eevee looks like. i mean i hope you would 'cause then why are you reading this...

from what i see, eevee is shaped similarly to a lot of younger animals, which makes some sense since its supposed to be the first of an evolution like, which tends to be more cutesy, like how puppies and kittens are. i'm getting a lot of rabbit from it? it has a large amount of neck fur, which could be seen as a dewlap, but maybe im just looking too far into it. dewlaps are common in domestic rabbits and are usually seen on females. they can come in different sizes, too. the large, fluffy tail on eevee can bee seen on cartoony depictions of rabbits sometimes, albeit much smaller. the long ears are also rabbit-like. it's sort of shaped like a small dog, too.

what i get from eevee is like.. a weird mix of a puppy and a rabbit.

umbreons are next! (i added this late because i misremembered the alphabet)

umbreons appear to be VERY similar to bombay cats. its body shape is very cat-like, but i pick up a hint of dog from it. specifically a doberman. it has a pointy-ish snout like how doberman dogs do.

catdog...

NEXT! jolteon. who i've actually thought about the most out of these.

jolteons look a LOT like american bullies to me. not the ones who are bred to have wide shoulders, but the more nooormal looking ones? i dont know if thats the word im looking for. they have stubby snouts with wide mouths, and slightly broader shoulders than most of the eeveelutions. i think they also look to have slightly smaller eyes than the others. they have big paws too, which looks like a bully thing?

all i can see in jolteon is an american bully but thats okay

flareon has something in common with both eevee and jolteon.

flareon appears to have a HUMONGOUS dewlap, and the same broadish shoulders as jolteon does. It has the same big paws that jolteon does, and long ears like how eevee does. I can also see some fennec fox with how the face is shaped and how fluffy the tail and ears are.

flareon is a weird bully-rabbit-fox thing. and also seems to be who i'd pick as eevee's sole evolution if eevee only had one.

next up leafeon. i think our first cat!

leafeon's got a weird face. i'd compare it to those cats with flat faces, like persian cats, but leafeon has shorter fur. I think leafeon reminds me of those cats that have longer fur in some spots, especially on the chest to where it sticks out like a weird little moustache. the leaves on its legs remind me of feathers on horses. leafeon also has some fennec fox-like features, like head and ear shapes.

leafeon is primarily cat-like, but has a smidge of fox in there.

glafoen

glaceon feels more dog-like than leafeon did. it likely has something to do with stance. it kind of reminds me of a poodle in a weird way? honestly dont get me wrong glaceon's awesome but its kind of hard to work with.. its a little more. basic. than the other eeveelutions. i also think it wouldve been interesting to have the. side bangs. things. be the ears for glaceon.

the best i can give for glaceon is a mutt or a domestic shorthair.

espeon

oriental shorthair. next question

hskv

sylveons are VERY clearly meant to be like a show animal. like, y'know how cosplay pikachu is supposed to be like used in performances 'n' stuff? thats what sylveons are but for eeveelutions. i can see a bit of chihuahua (or deer) in it because of the tail, and maybe a smidge of rabbit from the ears..

cosplay eevee

AND THATS ALL! But wait! What about vaporeon? thats right, you might be wondering where vaporeon is. don't get me wrong, i love vaporeon, with my whole heart, but i can't see any other animal in there but fish and a frilled lizard..

i mean, i guess i can see some cat.. and if you really want to, i'd say seal is probably related, too.

sorry for dissing on glaceon and sylveon a bit

im so tired

[pleistocene-pride]

Iguana iguana, better known as the green iguana, American iguana, iwana, garrobo, ministro, iguanita, garrobito, or the common green iguana, is a large, arboreal, mostly herbivorous species of lizard of the genus Iguana which is native throughout much of South, Central, and North America from Paraguay and Southern Brazil up into Northern Mexico. They are also found throughout much of the Carribean and have been introduced to Florida, Texas, Hawaii, Fiji, Ishigaki Island, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan. Green iguana tend to dwell in forested areas often near bodies of water, as they are preficent climbers, swimmers, and burrowers. These primarily herbivorous lizards feed upon various leaves, fruit, flowers, tubers, shoots, as well as the occasional arthropod, worm, tree snail, fish, egg, rodent, or carrion. Green iguanas are themselves preyed upon by various canines, felines, snakes, crocodilians, bears, birds of prey, and large fish. When threated a green iguana can drop part of its tail as a distraction to help it escape a predator. These do regrow albeit to a limited extent. Reaching around 3.9 to 6.6ft (1.2 to 2m) in length and 2.6 to 20lbs (1.2 to 9.1kgs) in weight with females being a fair bit smaller than males, the green iguana is considered the largest iguana species in terms of length. Distinguishing features of this species include a pendulous dewlap under the throat, a dorsal crest made up of dermal spines that run from the mid neck to the tail base, and a long tapering tail. The dewlap is more developed in adult males than females. Although called green iguanas, these animals are actually variable in color with various populations appearing blue, lavender, black, and even reddish brown in color. Breeding occurs during the dry season, and around 65 days after mating a female green iguana will dig a nest where she will lay 20 to 71 eggs before burying them. The hatchlings emerge from the nest after 10–15 weeks of incubation. Under ideal conditions a green iguana will reach sexual maturity around three and four years of age, and live up to 20 years.

[no-psi-nan]

Psychickers as dragons!

I love speculative biology and I love dragons, so I came up with these original dragon species for each of the Psychickers (well... except Saiki himself for now lol)

Akechi: Small obligate carnivore dragon, leaning into his evil eye/volume warning kinda theme

Has additional small wings that are usually covering an extra pair of eyes on his forehead that are always dark-adapted. These allow him to immediately run into a prey burrow or jump in deep water and see without having to adjust to the darkness. Highly successful hunter, and is careful not to overhunt his territory.

The little wings are also covered in false eyes on their underside, so when he's threatened he'll snap them open to startle the hell out of an enemy or prey.

He has air holes running down the length of his body and can breathe/produce sound through any/all of them, which is helpful when he's underground or fishing underwater. He can get VERY loud & can talk even with his snout shut.

He can't breathe fire naturally, but he can light his own methane from digestion with a spark from his little wing-claws striking together. Then he can either breathe fire or shut his mouth & blow fire out of his air holes, which is a great way to make larger dragons let him go. Yes, he is full of hot air lol.

He's a poor flyer, so often has to convince a larger dragon into giving him a ride over long distances. This is difficult since he is small enough to be prey for dragons of this size, but his reputation for reliably finding fantastic hunting grounds makes putting up with his chatter worthwhile.

Aiura: bird-like/griffon-y kind of dragon, leaning into the witchcraft theme.

She has a crop where she puts interesting-looking ingredients. When she feels she has the right combination for something good, she'll light her flame sac to brew them together into some sort of potion, while she'll either swallow or bottle. A little gross perhaps, but one of her most popular potions has extraordinary healing powers, and another is known to help find ideal mates.

Some dry ingredients can be used to make a thick smoke, either for the aesthetic, to put creatures in an area to sleep, or to blind enemies by stinging their eyes with noxious fumes. Her nictating membranes & the baffles in her nostrils make her immune to her own smoke.

Sparklies and ingredients that don't vibe with her current witches' brew go into her marsupial-type belly pouch for storage.

She doesn't have horns but she has two crests like a cockatoo that puff up when she's excited.

She can use the iridescence of her own feathers to see the future, though the reflection of her own forehead crystal in water or in a mirror is even better for fortune-telling.

Primarily herbivorous, and effortlessly flies long distances at high speeds to search for food and potion ingredients. She'll do some gardening at prime spots to encourage more food/herb growth in the following years.

She keeps many smaller hoards across the land instead of one large big one, and woe be to anyone who steals from her. She WILL find them and get her sparklies back.

Toritsuka: chameleon-like scavenger dragon, leaning into the ghost/death theme.

His hide can change color and texture like a cephalopod, however, he can't control this consciously at all. It's easy to tell when a ghost possesses him, because each one will automatically change the way he looks quite dramatically (though they can't control this either).

Unknown whether he is actually channeling ghosts or whether all those brains he eats are doing something funky to his central nervous system. Evidence for ghosts: eating all those brains has NOT made him any smarter.

His color/texture also changes with his moods, so he is extremely easy to read.

Mostly eats carrion, so he likes to hang around dragons that regularly bring down large prey.

He has a big dewlap like that of the anole, and he tries so hard to impress girls with it. But no number of pushups will net him a mate...

Toritsuka is ALWAYS posturing around Saiki, to the point that Saiki literally can't recognize him without his dewlap out or any color that's not an amorous red. The other Psychickers tease him mercilessly about this.

Pwease let Toritsuka smash...

Shapes not final or decisive but just had to get these guys out of my system even if that meant phone doodles or shaky scribbles on a train XD

EDIT: See more of these guys on the #Psychickers Dragon AU tag!

[lizardywizard]

3, 5, 10

3. What type of predator are you? parasitic, pursuit, ambush, psychological ect.

alternatively, What type of prey are you? camouflage, stamina, speed, misdirection

Fun one, since I'm both! As a predator, I'm ambush: I would have eaten fish by burying myself in the lakebed silt, with my back spines sticking out, encouraging small fish to swim among them for protection. Then I eat the big fish that come to eat the little fish. Chonp. :3

As prey, I would exercise a variety of techniques to escape larger predators. Camouflage is one: I have colouring that when seen from above looks like like water and when seen from below looks like sky.

I can swim quite fast, and I remember one technique I used to escape predators when on land was to slip in between crevices in rocks, ones that were large enough for something my size but not anything bigger. The entrance tunnel to my den would also be sized to fit me, but nothing larger, so if pursued in water I could escape into my den through a slender tunnel, which is a nicely defensible chokepoint if something does get through.

5. What’s one defensive maneuver your kintype will do to ward off potential predators or rival animals.

It's the standard lizard puff! Stand tall, inflate your cheeks and dewlap, and make your face spines stick out. A bit of lashing from the ol' thagomiser also helps.

10. How does your kintype view death?

Being more feral, I don't think I had much of a view of death beyond "avoid it". Nowadays I see death as part of a cycle, something that allows the old stuck patterns of this incarnation to give way to the next. But I'm pretty sure that in that particular life, my own death was just something to flee, while smaller animals were just something to sustain me.

[that-fema-corps-blog]

Day 68

October 9, 2022

Day off, and “mandatory” beach day; several FEMA Corps teams met at Playa La Poza del Obispo for much of the day. No photos, because sand and water don’t exactly mix well with phones. I dug a large hole (I would have made a pretty good dog; kid me would have been proud), then filled it in and stayed in the water for around five hours.

There were a few tidal pools with small fish in them. I couldn’t identify it, but I caught one of the black and yellow striped fish. There were also fish with a black-and-white pied pattern and some plain sandy-colored bottom-dwelling fish. Other pools had sea urchins, small crabs, and hundreds of snails.

I also spent about an hour chasing lizards. The ground lizards were too fast for me to catch…this time. They remind me of the six-lined racerunners that I’d occasionally see in sandy areas of the southeastern US; they also appear to be in the whiptail family.

I did catch one crested anole. It had a yellow dewlap, unlike the brown anoles I am used to, which have red dewlaps. Otherwise the two species look similar. The Wikipedia page on them probably didn’t see many editors:

Like many anoles, this species displays the characteristic behaviour of doing push-ups as well as inflating a pizza-like flap of coloured skin on their throat, known as a dewlap, in order to show others how hip they are, and thus attract mates or intimidate rivals.

We returned an hour before dusk due to an approaching storm. A pretty good day altogether.

[thenihtgenga]

So, I was on holiday in Florida from the 9th-23rd of July. I just realised I totally forgot to post any of my holiday photos so... yep. Doing that now. Unfortunately my phone kind of broke half way through so I wasn't able to take photos for a bunch of stuff I would have loved to do so, but here! Florida Images!

One of the first places we visited was the Canaveral Space Center, where we saw Many Rockets And Cool Space Things.

Including the actual control room for the Apollo missions!

We also saw many gators throughout our trip, including: Biggest Gator! (outside a gator farm near Christmas)

Regular Gator! (on an airboat tour from Lone Cabbage Fish camp)

Baby Gator! (on the same tour)

Drain Gator! (Went for a walk at Paine's Prarie. There was a culvert under the path, and a gator was chilling in every pipe outlet)

And Fried Gator! (Lunch at Lone Cabbage. Left- right: gator basket, boneless buffalo wings, catfish basket)

Gators weren't the only wildlife we saw though- there was also Toilet Frog- the first (well, second, but it was meant to be first- we had an unplanned overnight stay in Tampa on night 1 because of a problem with the car rental) place we stayed at was a campsite with a composting toilet and shower block, in cubicles made from pallets lined with saw palmetto leaves. Frogs loved hanging out in there. The shower cubicle was more popular for obvious reasons, but for equally obvious reasons I didn't take my phone with me when I went for a shower. Look at this little guy though! So cute!

These lizards are anoles. The brown ones are invasive, the green ones are native. Both are adorable, and I spent Way Too Long trying to get a photo of one displaying its dewlap.

They're common as muck all over Florida so I probably looked like an absolute tit to the locals, but whatever. Even common wildlife is special, and it's not like they're common round where I'm from, so... Anyway, I got a photo of that guy in Fort Christmas Historical park. Merry Christmas.

Another common as muck piece of wildlife that I was really hoping to see was the birds- I've been really fond of cardinals and grackles for a long time, and I actually got to see them, yay!

(Blurry Cardinal found in Gainesville) To put this into perspective, this is like someone visiting the UK and getting excited to see, like... a jackdaw or a sparrow. But whatever, if you don't think Birds Are Cool, screw you.

Speaking of wildlife, we visited Blue Springs (And Silver Springs, but I got no photos there. Which is a shame because godsdamn that place was beautiful), where I saw: Vultures! (another really common bird in Florida, we saw them all over the place, but not generally in such large groups)

Terrapins!

More gators! (lots of gator photos already and I didn't get a good picture of this one, so I'mma skip it)

Armoured Dildos!

Many fish, including these gar! (not sure exactly what species these ones are, but I think they're either Florida or longnose gar. Both species were present in the spring, as well as catfish and plenty of other species.)

There was also plenty of insect life present, such as this beautiful (and freakin' huge) dragonfly that stopped to rest next to us for a minute or two while we ate lunch.

And here's a photo of the area we swam in.

Blue Springs has the spring pool and a section of river available for swimming, then there's a floating barricade, downstream of which swimming is forbidden as it's kept as a conservation area for manattee. Which don't understand what a barricade is and apparently Do Not Care about people, because one swam up into the spring pool. I still can't believe I got to swim with a manattee! Of course I tried to maintain a respectful distance from it (I tried to keep around 12ft away, though this did go down to about 6ft at one point when it started swimming towards me) but thanks to the water diffraction it looked like it was so close I could reach out and touch it. No photos alas, because phones and water Do Not Mix, though I did get some manattee photos a few days later!

This was at the manattee observation deck on Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, where we saw somewhere around 27-30 manattees. Seriously, there were so many manattees.

I also saw a snake in those rocks in the foreground. Couldn't identify the species alas, as I only saw part of its body between two rocks- I actually thought it was a discarded piece of black pipe at first, until it slithered away!

Going from the natural to the technological, that evening we had an excellent dinner at the Old Florida Bar And Grill, from the deck of which we watched a space launch! The photos don't do it justice, it was incredible.

Musk is a prick and fuck capitalism taking over the space industry, but... all that aside, this was inspiring. It's not just SpaceX's achievement, it's humanity's.

And finally, here's a nice bit of wall art I found while exploring Railroad Square Art District in Tallahassee

And a fishy mailbox from the same area

And alas, that's it! There was so much more stuff that I would have loved to take photos of, but alas, when your camera's borked and literally Can Not Save The Pictures Any More, there's not much you can do. Ah well, still have the memories, at least.

[behold-the-guardians]

Anyone else remember that one time Dewlap was almost adopted/kidnapped by puffins??

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

Real World Inspiration

for additional physical features you can add to dragons! (previous post was an edit of the D&D black dragon. Next post will be some examples of dragon designs I made.)

The classic european dragon design used in a lot of mainstream fantasy is already kind of a mashup of many different animal features. Bat wings, long swan-like neck, lizard scales and tail, feet that look like reptilian lion feet or bird of prey talons, heads that are partway between a horse and a crocodile, horns like a goat or ram. They’re chimeric and that’s fun to work with. But they do often end up being mostly just big scales, a pair of horns, and then a lot of random spikes. And that’s fine, but there are so many weird physical structures that exist on real world animals which could easily be used on dragons. Let’s look at them in a series of specific categories.

(Under a cut cuz it got so very very long sorry)

(Description: a collage titled "spikes", showing real world animals with lots of spiky structures on their bodies. Photos of an iguana and a crocodile are labeled "osteoderms". A photo of an echidna is labeled "modified hair". And a photo of an inflated porcupine fish is labeled "modified scales". End description.)

Since dragons are usually depicted as reptilians, osteoderms and modified scales would be the most common way to add lots of spikes in a realistic manner. Iguanas have a whole crest of tall osteoderms on their spines, and the bumps all along a crocodile's back are also osteoderms.

Osteoderm means "bone skin" and they're basically just calcified skin deposits. Boney, but lightweight, not as sturdy as bones, and not at all connected to the skeleton. Armadillo armor is also a form of osteoderm.

Scales are made of a similar material to fingernails, hair, and feathers, and sometimes they get really spiky without necessarily including osteoderm structures. I used a porcupine fish for that but it turns out science is uncertain what their spines actually are. The thorny devil lizard is a good example though, that thing is nothing but spiky scales (even its big facial horns have no bone underneath)

And of course things like echidna, porcupines, and hedgehogs are covered in spikes that are just really thick sturdy hairs. Evolution is bizarre.

And those are all very effective ways to put lots of spikes on a dragon without adding extra weight from bone spikes that emerge from the skeleton.

(Description: a photo collage titled "dangly bits" showing several animals that have extra flesh hanging from parts of their bodies. Photos of a turkey, rooster, and long wattled umbrella bird are labeled "wattles". A photo of an anole lizard showing its throat display and a photo of a moose are labeled "dewlaps". And a drawing of a catfish is labeled "barbels". End description.)

Wattles are pretty common in many bird species. Extra neck flesh that usually starts by the jaw and may be connected further along the neck but doesnt have to be. The umbrella bird here has a retractable wattle covered in feathers which it can move to make it look like it has a very long pinecone hanging off its neck. I love how weird it is.

A similar structure is the dewlap, which can be found on lizards like anoles and iguanas, but can also be found in birds and even mammals. It's a fleshy protrusion from the neck which can be small and dangly or rather large. Sometimes it's ts flat, but sometimes it's chubby, like on some rabbits.]

And of course we have catfish barbels, which are like thick fleshy whiskers. Lots of asian dragon depictions include barbels because they take inspiration from carp, like the koi fish.

(Description: a collage titled "frills" showing animals which have various flaring body parts. Photos of a frilled lizard, a chameleon, and a photo collection of birds I couldn't identify, are labeled "crests". Photos of a betta fish, a black bass, and a lionfish, are labeled "fins". End description.)

I'm not sure the frilled lizard counts as having a crest but I had to include it somewhere. I did not look hard enough to learn exactly how it raises its frill, but I did find that the frill only has two very thin bones in it, right by the jaw. The rest is just really precise musculature I guess.

Chameleon crests are built on bone structures, like the ceratopsian dinosaurs bony neck frills. And of course, there are countless bird species that have feathery crests of all forms.

I know I said on my posts correcting official dnd dragons that I disliked the neck fins on those, but fins can look like that with sturdy points and scalloped edges. I just dont like the way they're usually drawn on dragons, with a singular lonely neck fin that has thick bones in it. It would be much more fun if it was accompanied by other fin structures to create a more cohesive creature. May as well go all the way if you're going to add any frill, right?

(Description: a collage titled "bizarre extras" showing animals that have really weird and unique physical features. Photos of a bat, a star nosed mole, and a mandril, are labeled "noses". Photos of a sage rouse's mating display and a frog's vocal sac are labeled "ballooning". And a photo of the spider tailed viper is labeled "lures". End description.)

This is the section for the weird miscellaneous stuff I basically never see in dragon art. Which is a shame because the real world is full of the weirdest creatures. Weird noses serve purposes by interacting with scent in complex ways, or in the mandril's case, being a point of display. Noses with weird structures can also create different noises for communication.

Lots of creatures have ballooning display structures. Usually for the purposes of attracting a mate and competing for territory. Sage grouses, prairie chickens, frigate birds, and of course frogs, all have weird throat structures they can inflate for communication, attraction, and intimidation. Dragons could even use it as part of their breath weapons. Why not have an extra sac in the throat to carry a special gas or something?

And lures! Angler fish, snapping turtles with tongues that look like worms, and this absolutely bizarre snake that has evolved modified scales on the tip of its tail to resemble a spider. Many animals use specially adapted body parts to lure prey, which then allows them to hunt without expending too much energy. Being a predator is hard work, and most predators will back away from a fight because they do not want to spend the energy or risk injury when they can find an easier target.

Dragons are huge! They must need so much meat to maintain their energy stores. I think it's sensible for some dragons to live quietly, spending as little energy as possible while they use adapted body parts to lure prey. A dragon in a cave with a modified tail that resembles treasure? A green dragon disguised as a small hill in a field with a long tongue that resembles a delectable plant to lure in cattle? Dragons in dark environments with bioluminescent lures? I know big dramatic dragon battles are fun, but this is just such a good concept I'm sad I don't really see it used.

Anyway theres a lot of real world physical features that I think could be used on dragons more. My method of finding interesting and unique ideas for dragons is usually to just google "weird/cool (insert animal here)".

[sorenskyhigh]

Pets They Would Have pt. 2

Karasuno

Hisashi Kinoshita

Hisashi is a Train Company Employee. This means he works a lot of hours and just does not have the time to take care of, love and train any other pets

Fish are a really easy to take care of

All you have to do is remember to feed them and have a water filter to constantly clean their aquarium

Some fish, if handled when young, can get big and will let and love for you to pet them

But, they also are just very nice to have

Just to watch them swim around all of the plants with the light on at night

As I said, they don't need alot either

Hisashi could just let them be

They wouldn't beg or need constant love and attention like a mammal (dog, cat, rat, bird)

They also don't need constant vigilance for health issues or specialized diets like amphibian and reptilian pets

Hisashi is going to be tired when he gets home from work, so he needs a pet that is more ornamental than a chore

I feel if Hisashi were to have fish, he'd get the weirdest ones in the pet store

Hisashi seems to have a very strong inner child

So he would want either the flashiest fish, or the ones that cause a double take everytime their passed by in the store

He may get only one or two or get a whole tank full

I honestly feel like it could go one of two ways:

A- He has an aquarium for a wall in his house filled with his wild choice in fish or

B- He has a small, round, spherical bowl with two fish in it

It'd be funny if he had just the two fish to start with then they had babies even though the worker said they were both female

Obviously they weren't

They laid eggs and he had to transfer the female and daughters to one large tank and the father and sons to another so they wouldn't keep having babies

After this he has like 14 fish in total

Then he keeps finding himself at the pet store looking at the "ugly" fish no one wants

He buys these fish and ends up having two tanks that cover a whole wall

One's for his male fish the others for the females

But he screws up and learns the hard way that clownfush can change genders to help make babies

I'm being terrible to this poor guy let me stop

He so would be that fish owner to get real plants and "not those toxic plastic ones, how do they not hurt the fish???"

I honestly love the thought of Kinoshita just spacing out in front of his fish as he just watches them swim and do their own thing

Or if he were to only have a couple fish and he lets them get really big and pets them

Kazuhito Narita

Now, I know what you're thinking

Aren't Ferrets incredibly high maintenance?

Not really

Kazu ends up working at a Realty Firm

Generally their work hours are supposed to be around 40 hrs a week

But they often have to stay longer considering most clients can only meet up on weekday afternoons

So this means Kazu has to work a lot

Ferrets may be mischievous and a little destructive, but that's easy to fix

If a ferret is to be left at home alone for hours at a time, just get it a really big cage and tons of toys to play with

Plenty of food and water too, of course

But ferrets are honestly pretty chill

All they need is for you to clean out their cage around once a week, some light grooming here and there, and some time to run around

Apartment or house doesn't matter with ferrets

They love to just mess around and only need a couple hours of free time a day

They sleep most of the day, 17 to 20 hours usually

They also aren't very vocal

They have a specific noise they make when excited thats barely heard by most human ears

Fun fact about ferrets is they actually have pretty poor eyesight, but their sense of smell and hearing more than make up for it

The only real problems Kazu would have to worry about are hairballs getting lodged and dental issues, no different than a cat

I didn't pick a cat though bc, Kazu seems like the kind of person to have something that doesn't get riled up on a whim like a cat

Cats often have unpredictable moods, ferrets on the other hand can be energetic but won't get into a bad mood at the drop of a pin

They're generally very fun loving

Though, it is always recommended to get a pair

Ferrets are highly social animals, so they would need a buddy for when your not able to be there for them

Kazu would probably get one almost all white ferret and one almost all dark brown ferret for the symbolism

I love the thought of Kazu wrestling with one ferret, it wrapped around his hand, and then the other one if climbing on his back and sliding down the back of his shirt in playful retaliation

Tobio Kageyama

I really really wanted to give Tobio a turtle, but with him being a volleyball player in his adult life, that just won't work

Turtles need very specific temperatures and surroundings so they can live happily and healthily

I honestly feel in terms of personality, nothing but a cute little Eastern Box Turtle would fit him perfectly

I honestly struggled to find something that, to me, fit Kageyama Tobio but also would be manageable for him as a pro athlete

He's a very complex character and something with fur or feather just did not seem to suit him to me

The only problem is.......reptiles and amphibians are generally really demanding pets

From the food they eat, the the temperature their home has to be set at, its a lot of constant care

Some of them may not like constant physical touch, but they still need to be cleaned and have a constant watchful eye to check for any skin abnormalities

I decided on the African Fire Skink after much much MUCH consideration

These lizards don't get large, onky around 14-15 inches

And, unlike many reptilian nd amphibian pets, they don't require any specific heating or lighting

As long as your house isn't like consistently hot or cold or constantly changing between the two, their fine

They do need a substantial amount of dirt to dig and hide in

They mostly eat insects and one very rare occasion would appreciate a pinky mouse

These lizards are also shy and like to be admired from a distance

They don't like to be touched too much

They also have few and far between health problems uike other lizards

The only real problem is you can't find them at local pet stores but, they generally sell for around 25-70 USD

They also live for around 15-20 years

I feel like Tobio would have gotten his lizard as a middle schooler bc he didn't have very many friends, but he also didn't want a really needy pet since he doesn't know how to socialize well

Since this lizard like to be left alone, he could admire it from afar and this lizard could help him learn how to social better

Sorta.....

Imagine Tobio at a table in his room, doing some homework and the little Skink is just lazing about in a sunspot next to him 😍

Shoyo Hinata

YES YOU ARE SEEING CORRECTLY

At first for Shoyo I thought, okay maybe a hamster or a Guinea Pig or something like that

Ya know, something small but mighty and also, incredibly cute!

But I took a look at a list of pets that travel well and one of pets that can be left at howm for days with a proper care taker

I nearly shot myself bc I totally forgot that Hermit Crabs can be pets!!!!!

And they suit Shoyo so well!!!

They are small and sturdy

They fight back and pinch when threatened but can be very nice little pets to have

Hermit Crabs also love, sadly, for only around 10 years and can grow up to 6 inches long

Also, three to five shells per crab should be available

I am living for the idea that Hinata bought a bunch of shells for his crabs and painted them with little volleyballs and crows and ornage and black 🥺

These are good bc as long as you have someone reliable to feed them when they need to be while you're gone

Usually, if they're small, they're tiny wittle claws can't grab onto pellet food, so heir is a specific kind of almost dust like food for Hermit Crabs

Also, dark leafy greens like kale and broccoli or fruits like apples, bananas, and grapes are good too

Just choo them up really really tiny

They also need 2-3 inches of soil, silica play sand, and (optional) coconut fibers for them to burrow in when they molt

They also need a place for water to keep their little shells moist

They also need specific temps and maybe even mist their terrarium with water now and again

Something that us important and why Shoyi would need someone to come in and check on them is bc they are every vulnerable when molting

When a Hermit Crab molts they need to be separated from others so they don't get hurt

Like with many smaller pets you also have to thoroughly wash your hands before and after you touch them

Shoyo would fight Tobio when Tobio said his Crabs are boring and go into a long detailed argument about how each Crab has his/her own personality and how interesting they are

Kei Tsukishima

Did you expect this Dino loving nerd to have anything else other than a reptile?

I tried to find one, as you can imagine, that would fit his adult life schedule but also his personality

I really wanted to give him an Iguana or Chameleon butbthey were really demanding with care

Now.....I know

Anole are native to the Southern US and Southern Hispanic countries such as Mexico, Clolombua, and Venezuela

They are around 20cm long and only live a very short 3-5 years

Also if you own many most should be female and only one should be male if you choose to have any males at all

The males get very territorial and will fight one another

Also the males flair our their dewlaps (skin flap under their chin) in defense and when they feel threatened

The dewlaps are usually pink, red, or on the rare occasion blue

Females have these as well but don't flair them out as much

Anoles are very high energy but don't care to be touched too much

These lizards also can't be picked up by their tales as they have evolved to lose their tales and grow them back

Kei would like these as they are so odd

They're not only descendants of Dinosaurs but they can lose their tales and grow them back at will???

I feel like Kei would constant have new ones

His massive tank (you need big ones for these guys, they are very active and will resort to cannibalism if their space is too small) is never empty, always at least three

He has analbum on his phone of all of the Anoles he's owned and maybe even has a picture book with their names on it

Yamaguchi to this day is the o ky one that has had the privilege to see said book

Yamaguchi is also the only person Kei trusts to take care of his precious Anoles

And when one dies he has really small but none the less grand ceremony for a descendant of the mighty race of Dinosaurs

Yamaguchi always helps him set these up

I fell like he would give them really weird names as well

Like twig, stick, sock, glove, kneecap or some weird shit idk

I'll have Yamaguchi, Yachi, Yui, Natsu, and Saeko in the next one

My requests are open and I hope you enjoyed

@popcorntime-doodles @multifandombrainrot @kneecapstealingalien @jiheonity @weareallhumans123 @smallmangi @canadian-crow @just-jellyfish @immiamarais @i-need-coffee-now-pls @shadowsbutdead @ghostexhibit @goshikisimp @anothershadeofpink @mestayanon @all-around-fandoms31 @thatfunnysprout @itsallgonnabokayihope @g00s3 @boreateo @backalley-astrologer @vaniatslover @lil-mellow-bunbun @strawberrymakki @beelziee @taiyahhh @sakusasgerm @cr4z3d-cl0wn @brendanfkelley @mainnews32 @beelshumanworldburger @mehreenackerman @detective-bakugou

[noelcollection]

Happy National Iguana Awareness Day!

The Victorian parson-naturalist John George Wood describes the reptile paradoxically in his popular natural history: “This conspicuous—and, in spite of its rather repulsive shape, really handsome—Lizard is a native of Brazil, Cayenne, the Bahamas, and neighboring localities.”

Iguanas are known for their dewlapped skin and spiny backs, but they are also among the few reptile species that possess a third eye. Their parietal eye, located at the top of their heads, can’t see colors or shapes but can detect light and motion.  

Images from: Wood, J.G. Wood’s Natural History: Comprising Mammals, Birds, Reptiles and Fishes. Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1923.

Call number: QL50 .W878 1923

Catalog record: https://bit.ly/3jTOnL4

[sciencespies]

Same dance, different species: How natural selection drives common behavior of lizards

https://sciencespies.com/nature/same-dance-different-species-how-natural-selection-drives-common-behavior-of-lizards/

Same dance, different species: How natural selection drives common behavior of lizards

A surprising study by UNSW on the behaviour of unrelated lizards in very different parts of the world has demonstrated how evolution can lead to different species learning the same skills.

The study in Ecology Letters documents how the Anolis lizard species in the Caribbean, and the Draco lizard species in Southeast Asia, have solved the challenge of communicating with one another to defend territories and attract mates.

It found males from both species perform elaborate head bob and push up displays, and rapidly extend and retract their often large and conspicuously coloured dewlap, or throat fan, specifically in habitats with lots of wind-blown vegetation or low light.

The lizards occupy the same range of rainforest and grassland habitats, and therefore face the same problems when it comes to communicating to a potential mate or enemy in visually ‘noisy’ environments.

Remarkably, they have evolved the same strategy to cope with the same selection problems, lead author Dr Terry Ord from the Evolution & Ecology Research Centre at the UNSW School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences says.

According to his research, this scenario of two unrelated lizards displaying similar behaviour shows that natural selection directs evolution towards the same common set of adaptive outcomes over and over again.

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“The surprise is that lizards in both groups have evolved remarkably similar displays for communication, but they also tailor the production of those displays according to the prevailing conditions experienced at the time of display,” Dr Ord says.

“That is, increasing the speed or the length of time they spend displaying the movements as the viewing conditions deteriorate.

“Really there should be essentially innumerable ways these lizards could have adapted their displays to remain effective, and there is strong evolutionary predictions that would lead us to expect this as well.”

Dr Ord says what this study shows is that natural selection driving similarities between different species.

Formally, this is known as convergent evolution — the independent origin of similar adaptations, he says.

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“It seemed that these types of convergent, common adaptations are outcomes that would only really occur among species that are closely-related in some capacity,” he says.

“The reason for this is a bit complicated and it rests on the fact that adaptations build on characteristics that a species already possesses.”

“So, the longer species have evolved independently of each other, the less likely they would evolve the same adaptive solutions if they were exposed to the same change in the environment.”

But what this study highlights, he says, is what many evolutionary ecologists have argued — that natural selection is an extremely powerful process that can override the “baggage” of past history to produce the same adaptations.

“So if arm-waving is the most effective solution to some change in the environment, then natural selection would ultimately lead to its evolution rather than a more subtle (less effective) modification to an existing vocal call,” he says.

“Evolutionary biologists are excited about convergent evolution because it gives us multiple examples of the same adaptation evolving time and time again in very different animals.?

“So it tells us what the challenges are faced by these animals and how they have solved it in terms of evolutionary adaptation.”

The study documents this independent evolution of common communication strategies amongst groups that have evolved separately from each other for hundreds of millions of years.

Dr Ord says the striking similarities in communication strategies for maintaining an effective communication system in noisy conditions has evolved in various forms in many insects, fish, frogs, birds and mammals.

“For example, increasing the volume of calls when there’s lots of acoustic background noise, or extending the length of those calls or even vibrational signals by spiders and such,” Dr Ord says .

“The fact that many other groups of animals have also evolved thesesame adaptive strategies is even more extraordinary.”

#Nature