#Fungie The Dolphin

[nonameidentified]

I have a bone to pick with biology.

Why the fuck do poisonous mushrooms (more specifically the fly agaric mushroom) look so pretty. Like look at this,

It is so colorful and appetizing. It looks like candy! But no, it's a neurotoxin with hallucinogenic properties. You probably won't die if you eat it. But it's going to fuck with your brain and senses.

Also, it somehow became the de facto mushroom we all think of when we hear the word "mushroom" (unless you are into mushroom picking or something). It is even the mushroom emoji 🍄, for crying out loud !!!!

And it doesn't stop at mushrooms either. Nature is filled with so many beautiful things that are deadly to humans. Like the poison dart frog, hooded pitohui and so so many varieties of flowers.

Also, dolphins sorta too, I guess, but they are just menaces. (I can write an essay about their crimes against... well everything). Anyway, tell me about other pretty poisonous things. I wanna know :3

[creaturepost-emporium]

The Emporium has Creatureposts for you.

What I will be posting on this blog:

Nature photography (namely animals, fungi, and some landscapes)

Pictures of animals I work with (namely herps, but the occasional bird and mammal)

Stories about animals I work with (including dolphins, though I can't post pictures)

Science and environmental musings

Other things

I can't post dolphin photos bc of workplace rules, but I sure can talk about them.

I am coming from a Six of Crows blog that will remain unnamed for now, but I'll probably end up putting some of the animal posts from over there on this blog

Ask me questions I love to talk

[setaripendragon]

So I'm still on this daemon AU kick, and I can't stop thinking.

What are the limits?

It's generally accepted that a daemon is an animal representation of the soul, right? So, you know, we've got birds and mammals and reptiles and insects.

But what about fish?

Obviously there's an issue here of, you know, environment, and if your soul literally can't survive in the air while you literally can't survive in the water, there's a problem.

But, hey, if it's small enough, you could have a little fishbowl for your daemon to live in. Hamster ball, but filled with water, rolling along at your heels. Fishtank on wheels that get tricked out like dudebros soup up their car. And maybe, if you're from a particularly sea-faring culture/lifestyle a water-bound mammal like a dolphin or an orca could make sense. And then there's things like sharks, which have so much symbolism attached to them that it seems a real shame to have to rule them out. (Someone who's particularly driven or ambitious having a daemon that would literally die if it stopped moving is a bit of symbolism I'm going a bit feral for, tbh.)

I think we have to rule out the deep sea creatures, unfortunately. Fishbowls and/or living on a boat wouldn't really solve the problem of pressure, and someone with a blobfish daemon would, uh... be in trouble.

And if we're talking about things that can't survive in the same atmosphere as humans, what about internal parasites? Like flatworms. I think it's safe to say that having your daemon parasitizing your intestine kind of defeats the purpose of having an external manifestation of your soul, but... There are species of flatworm that aren't parasites, so... do we just rule out all flatworms, or are the non-parasitic ones okay?

And speaking of flatworms, what about size? I've read some fun stories that deal with the issues that might come from having, say, an elephant daemon. It's not quite as dramatic as the issues of having an aquatic daemon, but actually, similar adjustments would have to be made to your living situation to cope. But, of course, it could be done and I don't think anyone's trying to rule out animals on account of how big they are, but I think it's safe to say that microscopic daemons are out for the same reason that internal parasites have to be.

There's a nice solid rule I can settle on; a daemon has to be a visible animal.

And, in point of fact, I think it's safe to say it has to be an animal. We can rule out trees and plants and even fungi.

So what about coral?

It's an animal, and if we are allowing for some aquatic daemons, then should coral be an option? Or are its vibes too plant-like to qualify? Do we rule out sessile animals like we ruled out microscopic ones? As much as I find the idea of a coral daemon absolutely hilarious, I am going to come down on the side of animals that are too much like plants are a no.

So a daemon has to be a visible, mobile animal.

But what about the ones that only move very slowly? I don't think we're ruling out sloths, but in the continuing vein of torturing myself considering various aquatic daemons, there's starfish and sea urchins and hell, even most bivalves can move at least a little, right? (Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't done that research yet.) And there's a lot of fun symbolsim to be had, there, I think.

And what about extinct creatures?

I think it's safe to say that mythical creatures are a no-go, unless this is a 'verse where those animals are real, (oh, boy wouldn't that confuse people in a world like HP where most people think dragons and unicorns aren't real, but people still wander around with dragon and unicorn daemons) so we can ammend our rule to visible, mobile, real animals, but could we go so far as extant?

If yes, that would have interesting world-building implications. Where's the cut-off point? Can we rule out dinosaurs because we don't/didn't have enough information for a daemon to settle into a form that wouldn't be technically mythical? But then, what about animals that go extinct within human history? What about all the people who had mammoth daemons or dodo daemons as those animals were dying out.

Would conservationists study daemon statistics to see if an animal has really gone extinct? Would an animal's extinct status get over-turned when a kid's daemon settled into that form? Honestly, I like this enough that I've convinced myself that, at least barring some very unique circumstances, extinct animals are not allowed.

So, it has to be a visible, mobile, extant animal. That can exist in proximity to humans.

Oh, and should probably add; visible, mobile, extant, and non-sapient.

You can't have a human daemon, or an elf or a dwarf or a fairy daemon even if they exist in that world, and if this is a 'verse with dragons who're more than just exotic magical animals, you can't have a dragon daemon. (Obviously, if your fairies are more like magical bugs than tiny people, then fairies would be a valid daemon.)

...I'm still on the fence about whether a daemon should have to be air-breathing or not. That kind of rule would still leave marine mammals available for the fun world-building of how people adapt to that kind of handicap. (...Do you think people with aquatic daemons would be considered disabled? Oooh, what about people with really big daemons? I mean, presuming such a thing is comparatively rare, people probably wouldn't be building schools with a mind to allowing elephants or giraffes to wander the corridors.)

Disclaimer! This is for my own creative process, and not intended to limit anyone else's creative flair. And, honestly, I'd love to hear other people's takes on what does and doesn't qualify for a daemon.

[have-you-been-here]

Fungie - The Dingle Dolphin, Dingle, Ireland

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I've been dreaming of the Undersea Marauder.

There are so many rules in this world. So many shackles to keep him down.

Let nothing obstruct his errant path.

How does a moment last forever? How can a story never die?

A fish is bound to the water his entire life.

It’s not a life for him.

Floyd is on his back, set adrift in the face of the Coral Sea. His hands cradle the back of his head, and he finds himself staring up. A flock of birds form an arrow, slicing through the sky. He wonders where they're going, what they'll do there.

Some merpeople dreamed of trading scales for skin, but Floyd thinks about giving up his fins for feathers. A pair of wings with which to witness all manner of strange things…

He chuckles soft.

Wouldn't that be so freeing?

“Eheheh. I wanna try it, too! Wait up for me, birds. Here I come…!”

Floyd rights himself and dives unto the frigid waters. His powerful tail undulates like a teal ribbon, propelling him after and faster. He steadily gains, chasing the shadows of the birds that skim the surface of his home turf.

Floyd approaches, lifting himself toward the shimmering boundary between sea and sky. A second later, he breaks through with a mighty splash.

His body elegantly arcs in the leap. He’s a skipping dolphin, a flying fish.

Free.

Floyd launches higher and higher, zipping past the flock. He collides with some birds, screeching with laughter as they spin like cars out of control.

Here come the clouds now—he easily bursts through them. They’re made of cool and fine-grained beads of water, refreshing him as he flies.

And higher still he goes, the sky dimming, a gradient of light to dark.

Floyd is among the stars, each twinkling like diamonds in greeting. The planets, like massive globes of sugar orbiting him.

The eel is weightless, effortlessly floating through space. With his arms, he paddles--and though there should be no gravity, the space warps and gives like water, letting him sail as smoothly as a ship after a storm.

He reaches out and plucks a star out of the cosmos, giving it a curious lick. The taste is like sweetened milk, and so he pops the entire thing into his mouth.

Then begins his descent.

At the peak of his jump, surrounded by the stars, he bends downward and plunges.

But there are no longer any waters waiting for him.

He crashes through a canopy of leaves. They scatter like papers, raining down verdant, brown, scarlet, tangerine, and gold. Sunlight pierces them, giving each a magical glow.

Roots come, skittering by him like a snake might slink. Thin tendrils extend from them, brushing his face.

Maybe there is some other name for them? Hyph-something, myce-whatever. Floyd does not care to remember his twin's excitable rambling.

Alarmingly, he spies an ugly bulbous cap poking out from a root. His nose crinkles with disgust.

Shiitake mushroom.

Floyd paddles through the fungi and plants, the scent of dirt and chlorophyll filling his nostrils. It's fresh and green mixed with damp and earthy, nothing like the salty smell of the sea.

Jade would like this, he thinks.

Daisies push through, their petals tickling his skin. He takes a shaky breath, holds, shakes again, and...

Sneezes!!

A great gale is unleashed, clearing his surroundings in an instant. Floyd is sent flying up, up, and away--

He shoots out of the dunes. Sand scatters from the force he emerges with, throwing particle clouds up into the air. Floyd flails, trying to balance his body. No use--he flops uselessly under the pull of gravity.

A scream rips from his throat. Not of terror, but of joy.

The landscape unfolds into a sandy expanse. In the distance, he sees an oasis guarded by palm trees. And below, a great city crowning the desert.

There are bright tents and stalls pitched, merchants hawking their wares. Vases and lamps with unique patterns, ripe fruits, adornments in a variety of designs.

Families and friends mill about in the packed marketplace, satisfied with their mundane lives, the schedules they keep. So content, so peaceful.

Floyd grins.

And he lets himself plummet straight into a stall.

The weight of him collapses it with a loud THUD. The merchant looks on, horrified, and his circle of customers gasp, putting distance between themselves and Floyd. Sticky with fruit juices, he removes the strand of black hair that clings to his cheek.

"Eh, guess it could be worse," Floyd shrugs, tossing off a chunk of watermelon sitting like a hat on his head. A line of juice dribbles down his forehead.

He notices the crowd staring and wiggles his tail in a casual pseudo-wave. One person immediately faints--but luckily, they're caught by a concerned onlooker.

"Riffraff!" the merchant shouts, waving a fist. "Scoundrel!! I demand compensation for what you've wrecked!"

Floyd rolls his eyes. He sounds like Azul.

The eel hauls himself off the pile of fruit--and peels right past the feet of the customers. The merchant's face heats.

"Guards! GUARDS!! Come quickly, HELP!! There's a sea monster on the loose!!"

Floyd rapidly drags himself across the market, digging his talons into the ground, his tail pushing him forward. He gleefully writhes as people scream and flee, clearing a path for him. His laugh, cackling.

He's at the waterways that thread the city when heavy footsteps spill into the street.

"He went that way!!"

Floyd doesn't look back before he dives back into his natural element.

The water welcomes him, its streams washing off the sand that paints his skin, loosening the hair that clumped from fruit juices. A tender kiss, a kind hand.

He has returned to the sea.

The channel goes deeper than Floyd thinks. It widens, becoming an entire ocean bathed in sunlight. A coral reef teeming with life stretched out below him, and when he runs his hand along it, tiny seahorses escape and trail bubbles.

He turns his head this way--a school of rainbow tropical fish race by. The other way, a band is in full swing. A carp on the harp, the plaice on the bass, bass on brass.

Floyd twirls as he passes, happily humming along to the tune. The music wraps around him, giving a warm embrace. He almost misses his name being called, almost forgets himself.

"... od....... loyd... Floyd! There you are."

A face that matches his appears beside him. He is followed by a boy with lilac skin, a series of squirming tentacles at his beck and call.

“Where did you vanish off to?” Jade asks. “Azul and I were starting to get worried about your whereabouts. Weren’t we, Azul?”

“I’m more concerned for the places he visits rather than Floyd himself. Who knows how much collateral damage he could cause unsupervised,” the octopus merman grumbles.

“Oya, Azul… Could it be that you lack faith in Floyd? Even though he has unquestionably served you since middle school?"

"You're saying strange things again. I recall him losing interest and changing his mind last minute more often than 'unquestionably serving'." Azul raises a brow. "So? Where were you all this time?"

Floyd flings himself at the duo, slinging his arms around their shoulders and pulling them close.

"F-Floyd?! What is the meaning of this?" Azul sputters, struggling against his binds.

"I was everything and everywhere all at once," he responds with a laugh. "I was as free as a bird! I'll tell you guys about it~"

"Fufu, it sounds as though you've been away on quite an adventure. We would, of course, be more than happy to hear of your escapades."

[namu-the-orca]

Here's an interesting article from Nature. The title is a bit generic and makes it seem like there's nationwide dolphin attacks happening, but in reality it's about a single male Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin that has been frequenting a bay for some years, seeking out human contact, and now there's increasing conflict.

Solitary sociable cetaceans are not a new phenomenon, they have been known for decades, and from all around the world. There's regular reports going back to the 1800's, and Pliny the younger even wrote of a solitary dolphin in 109 AD.

Wherever they go, these solitary dolphins (often bottlenoses) attract attention. In some rare cases a good, mutually beneficial relationship develops, as with Fungie the Dingle bay resident (who sadly passed away in 2020, aged over 40).

However, often things get out of hand, not in the least due to media attention and all manner of people seeking "that special bond" and "magical experience" of meeting a dolphin in the wild. They are so friendly and angelic and surely this one must love to interact with me because why else are they here?

But dolphins are wild animals, and they can and do regularly harm humans. Even when they seek out these interactions themselves, when both parties don't know how to conduct themselves around one another, injuries happen. Often, in the end, it's the dolphin that pays the price. Frequently their life is cut short by propeller blades, or they are otherwise injured by human activity. In rare cases there's a happy end, where either equilibrium is found, or the dolphin rejoins their conspecifics. I think it is an interesting observation (and perhaps 'antidote') in this time of "meeting dolphins in captivity = bad and they must hate people, meeting dolphins in the wild = amazing interaction with a free spirit that can't possibly go wrong".

For further reading, here's an interesting overview of known cases of solitary sociable cetaceans, and some of the concerns.

And if you want to read of a very interesting individual case: here is an initial report of attempts to "educate" JoJo the solitary bottlenose dolphin from the Turks and Caicos Islands, on proper human interaction etiquette. The intervention was successful as JoJo continues to live there to this day, and has been assigned a personal human guardian who is trained to provide him with the social interaction he needs. This way his aggressive and sexual interactions with other people has been mitigated.

[ckret2]

Do you think Bill feels any differently about humans than he does, like, chimps or cats or frogs or whatever? besides the whole ‘society’ thing. Like humans seem to think we are pretty special but there are a lot of pretty smart animals out there. I don’t think anything else would have built the portal but Bill’s probably possessed a dolphin or two in his day. But humans are what he got reincarnated as, so does he, like, consider us the dominant species on earth or just the smarter monkeys

the way the question is phrased "does he feel differently about humans" (and implicitly—"or, does he feel the same") makes it seem like a binary option: "are humans red while all other earth species are green, or are all species (humans included) green to him"

I don't think either is the case. I think, to him, humans are red and monkeys are orange and dogs are green and frogs are yellow and cats are purple and dolphins are blue—etc etc. it's not "either humans are noteworthy or nobody is," it's "multiple species on earth are noteworthy to him."

Humans are the first (not only) species on Earth to develop the brainpower, technology, communication skills, and willingness for Bill to use them to build a portal, which makes them—not the only useful tool on Earth—but the earliest accessible useful tool on Earth.

There's a few dozen species or category-of-closely-related-species from earth that he regards as "possible to have a decent conversation with." This list includes humans, a few primate species, merpeople, Atlanteans (different from merpeople), dolphins, elephants, octopuses, eye-bats, crows, parrots, birches, aspens, and several kinds of fungi. There's many more he can have a conversation with—like dogs, unicorns, and fairies—but not a decent conversation.

Frogs are the sexiest creature on Earth. Don't ask him which species of frog, he's got a top 10 list he can't choose between.

Bill sort of sees starfish the way humans see monkeys, if monkeys were aliens.

Bill considers time giants to be the dominant species on Earth, but honestly he thinks humans do most of the hard labor. Like Bill, Time Baby's found humans to be very useful tools.

Consider humanity's relationship to dogs: dogs aren't the only important animal on earth, humanity has lots of species it cares about for many different reasons both practical and affectionate—cats, chicken, horses, pigeons, lions, monkeys—but dog isn't simply interchangeable with any other animal. Dog is "man's best friend," not because humanity's decided it's objectively the BEST (smartest, tastiest, most dominant, most beautiful?) species on earth, but because it's been a very friendly and helpful species to us for our purposes. Plus it's fun to pet their heads. That's how Bill feels about humans.

[queering-ecology]

Queering the Wild by Micha Rahder (2019) [final]

Queer Intimacy in Non-Human Animals

The author introduces several examples of ‘queerness’ across the animal kingdom—the ‘birds and the bees’, --a lot about birds since we have a lot of research on them. The study on zebra finches reminded me of the concept of ‘naturecultures’; they choose their mates and often do not stray,  same-sex or otherwise and so this supports the idea that there is more to ‘bird life than breeding and that the social aspects of bonding might be just as important’ (02).

“The idea that sexual activity might be about more than just making babies is hard for people who were raised in contemporary U.S. American culture in particular, with its focus on abstinence-only sex ed and heavy legislation of uteruses and the people who have them” (02) but finches, bonobos, dolphins or ‘female fish that prefer males that have had sex with other males, all chip away at that anthropocentric frame’ (02).

“Because scientists carry their cultural biases into their work, most research approaches these kinds of queer traits and behaviors as problems to be solved” (02). Heteronormativity has made scientists ‘run in circles’ trying to explain why such ‘maladaptive’, ‘perverted’ traits appear throughout the natural world such as nutritional deficiencies, the stress of captivity, that they’re just ‘dumb’ and can’t tell the difference, it’s a ‘misfire’ attempt at heterosexuality, or they’re just ‘practicing’.

“Evolutionary biologists need to think about same-sex sexual behavior in non-human animals as more than just a problem to be solved” and “same sex sexual behavior is both a trait that is potentially shaped by selection and a force that shapes selection on other traits” or they should ���consider how same-sex sexual activities shape ongoing evolutionary processes” (03).

Extending Our Chosen Family

Evolution has no “direction or purpose” and humans are not “the representation of the ultimate expression of life on earth” (03). If we look at microbiology, we can see true diversity. “Only recently have scientists started to pay attention to how much [microbes exchanging DNA] might be driving evolution” (03). Fungi are also an incredible example of sexual diversity; with one species alone having more than 23,000 documented mating types (sexes) and individuals can physically ‘merge or separate in different environmental contexts’  making it difficult to differentiate them.

‘Symbiopoesis’ or “how organisms can be intimately involved in each other’s development” (squid and light emitting bacteria, bees and pollination, acacia trees and ants, wasps and figs).(03)  Again this reminds me of the Lakota concept of Mitakuye Oyasin—we are all related, all my relatives.

Competition//Cooperation is another binary that queer ecology can challenge.

“Queering nature means learning about our connectedness with all the living earth. Here, the classic queer recognition of chosen family extends beyond humans, recognizing our kinship and interdependence with our companion animals, the foods we eat, our microbes and others. It means taking pleasure in those connections, learning to recognize pleasure in others and understanding how our human identities, gender expressions and sexual behaviors are only a small piece of the wide, queer living world” (04).

Queer ecology asks us to be curious about the ‘magnificent overabundance of reality’ (Bagemihl). “Breaking free from the historical biases of science allows us to move forward together with other life on earth, rather than thinking ourselves as separate from or above it. That kind of hierarchical thinking has kept queer and other marginalized communities away from the benefits of being outdoors and has led directly to the tangle of global environmental crises in which we find ourselves now. Learning from non-humans is a great way to undo these legacies” (04).

[willtheweaver]

A writer’s guide to forests: from the poles to the tropics, part 8

We’ve made it to the tropics. I hope you enjoyed this, and found it useful in your writing.

Tropical rainforest

Probably the most recognizable of forest environment, and among the most threatened.

Location-Latin America, Africa, Australia, Indonesia, and the Pacific islands in between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Many forests have been felled or heavily altered by human activity.

Climate-Subtropical to tropical, with conditions being wet year round. Rain does not fall all the time, with a defined rainy and dry season. (What’s the difference? Rainy season has rain almost daily while in the dry season you will have to make do with high humidity and morning fog) At higher elevations, nights are cooler, though still well above freezing, and mist and rain are more common(this is why mountainous RF are called cloud forests)

Plant life- This is a tree dominated environment. The understory and forest floor are dark, unless trees have recently fallen. Many small plants are arboreal, nestled in the upper branches of trees. Vines and other climbers use larger plants as scaffolding. In areas of poor soil, tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes spp.) and bladderworts (Utricularia spp.) get much needed nutrients from animal sources.

Animal life- Rainforests are the most biodiverse environments on Earth. Insects are everywhere, as are the animals that eat them. Birds and primates can be found from the canopy to the forest floor. The moist conditions make for an ideal habitat for frogs and toads. Apex predators are the big cats-think jaguars, tigers and leopards. Some species of herbivores can be quite large; Africa is home to gorillas and forest elephants, while the island of Borneo, Sumatra, and Java support rhinos and orangutans (though the further of these species is uncertain)Waterways are home to all sorts of fish(there are more species in the Amazon river than in the Atlantic Ocean), and larger animals, such as otters, crocodilians, and even river dolphins. Isolated islands have far fewer mammal species, with bats being the only ones, but hardy insects, reptiles, and birds making up the majority of the biomass. Deforestation and the introduction of invasive species have caused the extinction of many animal species, with island forests being the hardest hit.

How the forest affects the story- When one thinks of societies in the tropics, it usually is through the lens of western stereotypes designed to shock audiences and give ‘civilization’ something to conquer. Avoid this at all cost! There is more to the forest. Before the Spanish conquest, the Amazon was home to cities, and the agricultural societies of New Guinea are believed to be contemporaries with the farmers of Mesopotamia.

Grain does not do well in the tropics, so farming will be based around plants such as açaí, coconuts, taro, breadfruit, bananas, and manioc. These can be supplemented by hunting and fishing, but long term storage will have to be addressed. High humidity is a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, so organic material will have to be kept dry so they don’t rot. The concentration of microorganisms also means that good hygiene is needed to avoid disease.

Settlement will always cause disruption, and the extent of your character’s activities can have a big impact on the forest, and your story. And remember, the activity of a small village will be different to that of large scale logging. Management, use, and abuse of the rainforest can be a driving factor in the plot. How will your characters react? Is the threat from outside or from within? The destruction of the rainforest is one of the main factors, along with unmitigated greenhouse gas emissions that is causing the current climate crisis. Can your characters do better? Or will you create a cautionary tale that shows us the grim future we are currently barreling towards? (That choice, my dear writers, is completely up to you)

[smorgasvoid]

More endemic fauna from Chortis

Left: Trunko (Pilosopabin cryomagister), a species of orca-sized mammutopabinid opabiniiform native to the northern oceans where they feeds on soft-bodied invertebrates, just as their ancestors have 507 million years ago.

Element: Ice

The common helechotaur (Helechotaurus champsurus) is a species of herbivorous noasaurian theropod found in forests and wetlands. They feeds primarily on ferns, mosses and fungi though they will feed on eggs and small vertebrates.

Element: Plant

The chaow (Junglopsittacus coronatus) is a species of coccatraciform maniraptoran present in certain rainforests. Unlike most of their relatives, they are nearly flightless, preferring to climb trees when confronted with predators. They are frugivores and an important part of their ecosystem.

Element: Plant/Fire

Right: Top- The sea wyrm (Hydrovorma monstrosa) is a mid-sized species of tertiarily-aquatic reptile native to the Southern Ocean where it feeds on fish. Like a few other wyrm species, it has a split jaw, enhancing its swallowing capabilities.

Element: Basic

Middle left - Icebrine wichdans (Glaciochelyops platyops), a species of large henodontiform placodont. It feeds exclusively on seagrass, which turns the fat inside its body a greenish color. The males are fully aquatic while the smaller females must crawl on land to lay eggs.

Henodontiforms are the most successful form of placodont on Chortis.

Element: Ice/Earth

Middle right - Hotshot (Ferventisaurus erythrodermis)

The hotshot is a species of basal dyptosaur, a clade of fully aquatic sauropodomorph dinosaurs similar to ichthyosaurs. Like all dyptosaurs, the hotshot is a carnivore, though it prefers to hunt aquatic tetrapods rather than fish. It has been noted that when threatened, their body temperature begins to rise sharply.

Element: Fire/Water

Bottom left - The Auroralis (Auroranektes debilitans)

The auroralis is a specialized teuthivorous dyptosaur native to the polar seas of the north. While it will eat fish or carrion, it primarily specializes in hunting belemnites and squids, making it comparable to the heavier sperm whales (which are present on Chortis).

Despite its diet of semi-soft prey, it has a lethal bite with frostbite-like symptoms. Otherwise, it is completely harmless.

Element: Ice/Dragon

Bottom right - The dwarf tusqual (Proerepatocetus meridionalis)

Tusquals are a clade of basal odontocetes that converged with walruses and odobenocetopsids (both of which are present, although only one odobenocetopsid species is extant).

They are highly intelligent suction-feeders that feed on bivalves and other shelled invertebrates. Due to their method of feeding, their necks are particularly flexible.

The dwarf tusqual is the smallest species of tusqual, being similar to size to the Hector's dolphin. They travel in pods of 20-120 individuals.

Element: Basic

[creaturepost-emporium]

Welcome!

Creatures abound in the Emporium, and I hope you find them educational and fun! I wanted to make a pinned post to set a few disclaimers and describe how the blog is set up, since there are a few categories of things I post and definitely some recurring cast. We can start with the disclaimer though.

Disclaimer

I am employed as a Naturalist and have had many years of experience handling animals as well as ID. On occasion I may post photos of me handling wildlife - this is only done when necessary and only when I know how to properly handle that animal. I do not recommend anyone who does not have that experience handle wildlife. Admire only with the eyes whenever possible!

That being said, if I do make an ID mistake, or could be handling an animal better, wild or otherwise, feel free to let me know in a constructive way.

If you start picking a fight about animal cruelty, you will be blocked immediately Oh and don't repost my photos either, they are mine.

What I post

There are a couple categories of creaturepost out there, all tagged accordingly.

Wildlife This includes wild animals, fungi, and maybe some plants. Emphasis on fungi - they are a photography muse of mine and I'm just starting to work on ID. Any wild creature will be tagged #wildlife.

Environmental Information

I couldn't be the person I am and not talk about this to a degree. Anything of this sort will be tagged #environmental education.

Coworkers "Coworkers" refers to the captive animals I work with at jobs or volunteering. There are a lot of them, and they will certainly make repeat appearances. So that's why I'm going to list them out for you at painstaking length! And yes, they will be tagged #coworkers.

Current Naturalist Job (animals are not allowed to have "real names" due to management. Boo.)

Painted - a Painted Turtle. She has three emotions: excitement, terror, and rage.

Leuc - a leucistic Red-eared Slider. A little shy, bit of a biter. Getting better.

Red - a Red-eared Slider. Chill and underrated. Big girl.

Musk - a Musk Turtle. Fleshy little guy.

Spotted - a Spotted Turtle. Likes to nap and stand on his hind legs in the water like a man.

Deeby - a Diamondback Terrapin (DBT). Very friendly and extremely excited about food. Eye Contact.

Cooter - an Eastern River Cooter. Huge guy. Patient man. King of naps.

Mud - an Eastern Mud Turtle. Eye Contact. God's pickiest little soldier.

BTM - an Eastern Box Turtle. He is 104 and very active. Doesn't look a day over 78.

Wood - a Wood Turtle. Loves swimming and getting amorous with a rock.

BTF - an Eastern Box Turtle. A mess. We call her crustmuffin.

CSF - a Corn Snake. Beautiful and she knows it. Very inquisitive.

Eastern - an Eastern Rat Snake. More wary of people. Loves a good climb.

On occasion I work with the birds, but I haven't been trained on it. I will add them if I start working with them more.

Old Camp Job

Rosie - a Corn Snake. The sweetest girl on the planet. Loves my hat.

Sadie - a Ball Python. Got a bad rap as a biter. Only bit me once! Nicer than they give her credit for.

Nellie - a Diamondback Terrapin. Very friendly. Begs for treats. Common DBT theme.

Samson - an Eastern Box Turtle. Kinda grumpy.

Dolphin Volunteering

I do volunteer with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, but I cannot post pictures to social media, only talk about it. I will also not use their full names, since they can be googled.

C - the matriarch of the group. Everyone wants to hang out with her. Sweet overall.

S - playful, attached to C at the vestigial hip. She loves toys, and can be a little brat about it.

By - the baby of the group, C's daughter. Energetic and vocal, looooves praise. The most likely to hang out with J.

J - spends most time alone, swimming at a brisk pace like she's on a jog. Athletic and enjoys trainers' attentions - a people's dolphin rather than a dolphin's dolphin.

B - dominant male of the two boys. You wouldn't know it though - he spends all of his time chilling and watching everyone else do stuff.

F - the younger male. Energetic and markedly horny. Huge thing for C and trails after her even as she ignores him.

Anything not in these categories will be tagged #not a creature. I hope you find what you're looking for in the Creaturepost Emporium!

[wolfinshipclothing]

Animal Poll!

Also if you want to add which specific animal in your chosen category in the tags, feel free to!

[allthatyouknow]

Do any aliens live in the Sol Union? or is it all humans and dolphins?

Great question! 

There are some aliens that live in the Sol Union but they are an extreme minority.  For the most part - alien species are exceptionally different from each other, and have difficulty co-existing, especially in a society that is technologically quite far behind most other species.

The most common that has appeared in the Sol Union are the 'Vested' (our word, not theirs). They are a parasitic species, not too unlike the fungi of earth. In the past they would eject themselves through space on large bio-ships, crash landing into habitable planets and releasing vast clouds of spores. These spores would come in contact with other living organisms, and then embed themselves within them.

The spores could lay dormant for many years, before making their ultimate decision. Either they would

A: Kill the creature, and turn it into a large, violent spore cloud, typically by bursting out of any available orifice. 

B: Take over the creature's nervous system, and merge with its mind to turn it into a carrier - often finding other carriers on the same planet and creating a new bio-ship to go find a new planet to inhabit.

Visual depictions of three vested.

Typically, the brain of the creature (or whatever served the purpose of the creature's brain) would be overtaken by the fungus, usually bursting out of it and forming these diverse brilliant, geometric, fungal bodies.  

(more art below)

Nowadays, the Vested know not to colonize planets with any advanced life on them, and have engineered themselves such that they only release spores if they intend to (for instance if they find an interested host).

Those Vested in the Sol Union (as far as we are aware) have had their hosts consent for the merging, and claim they are quite happy with their new forms - and new state of being. The new form retains all of the memories of their hosts, and many but not all of the mannerisms, habits, and tastes.

It is a philosophical question of if that person is still the same being, or just a simulacra created by the Vesting process. 

In terms of rarity, most humans go their entire lives without meeting a Vested - only learning about them in schooling. They very, very rarely hold high-visibility positions despite their aptitudes. 

Showing more of one of the Vested.

As far as their acceptance in society, it’s a mixed bag as with any cultural minority. Some love them, some hate them, most are unsure of what to make of them given their lack of exposure. 

Nevertheless, they do a decent job of co-existing with the rest of humanity, and are quite sought after for their increased resilience, and impressive intuition. 

(thanks to Sunlith’s player @aurosoulart for the awesome depiction of the Vested)

I hope that answers most of it! Thanks for writing in.

[dearinglovebot]

there's a common criticism of the jurassic world movies that goes like "trying to weaponize raptors is such a stupid idea. the military would never do that". but my main criticism of that particular plot, from a third worldist perspective, would actually be that it doesn't go far enough.

"it's a crazy idea to even suggest--" in the 1950s CIA operatives attempted psychological warfare on a filipino village by spreading rumors that aswang (vampire-esc creatures) were hunting down rebels. they'd kidnap rebels, create dual puncture wounds in the neck, drain the body of blood, and leave the body for the community to find. they've done crazier.

"it's a stupid idea--" so were most of the ways they plotted (or failed) to assassinate fidel castro. exploding shellfish he'd pick up while scuba diving, tuberculosis-causing-fungi in a scuba mask, exploding cigar, ballpoint pen with secret syringe full of poison, just exploding places, etc. like the vast majority of declassified programs would make you look crazy if you told someone about them, despite the evidence of them existing. in the 1960s they put a tiny microphone + radio transmitter in a cat and tried to use it to spy on the soviets. it was called "acoustic kitty".

"animals just aren't efficient--" drug sniffing dogs can have inaccuracy ranges from 1/3-½ of the time. studies have determined that they can pick up on their trainer's racism and target minorities without any illicit substances because the trainer suspects them to have them. there's also a long history of trying to use intelligent animals as spies (crows, ravens, dolphins, pigeons, dogs, etc). most of these aren't actually more efficient than drones in the end, but they still try it just to see if it would work.

"raptors wouldn't be effective against enemy tanks--" most of the people these raptors would be deployed against wouldn't actually have tanks. they'd be guerrilla fighters who rely on hit and run tactics. or if they do have tanks, they'd be relatively old ones from the soviet era without the same modern capabilities. the USA does not wage war (or, proxy war in most cases) with actual military nations. the better question would be how bullet resistant are their scales which has a scene answering it in the first movie (you'll be dead before you manage a hit).

"but raptors are wild animals that might hurt the troops--" the army gave their own troops cancer and denies many healthcare for it to this day. bases would have these things called "burn pits" where you burn all your trash including ones that produce toxic gas like plastic and electronics. toxic gas, as the name implies, can give you anything from asthma to cancer. yes, they knew it did that. yes, they still use them.

the question of "if" training raptors for war is a good idea or smart idea falls flat when we consider that based on historical context, neither of these things are necessarily required for military projects. if someone can think of it, they will try it. the better question to ask is "would the military believe they have something to gain from it?" because that is the only truly relevant one in this situation.

the answer is "yes". it would be a niche that has not been explored. whether or not the raptors specifically work in war would be irrelevant because part of military operation on animals is understanding if an animal is capable of collaboration. take acoustic cat: the mission was ultimately abandoned, but was considered a "win" because they realized the limitations of cats as tools of war. they were deemed incapable of long-term espionage ability due to trainability, but were not completely ruled out for future short term espionage ability, were a niche to arise.

when we apply all of this understanding to the world movies, we get a firmer grasp on why the semantics don't particularly matter as much as the intended message: "just because we can do things doesn't mean we should". which is in line with the themes of jurassic park as a film.

[thecreaturecodex]

Ada Shorewalker

Image © @iguanodont

[Another OC, and one of the first ones I came up with before realizing that I could make an entire Monster Girl Summer out of it. Ada is definitely a version of myself, much like Jade Seven is. I tied her to Castle Xyntillian in this flavor text because it seemed like a good fit for for her, either as a powerful ally for lower level players, or as someone in need of rescue for higher level ones.]

Ada Shorewalker CR 8 N Monstrous Humanoid This anthropomorphic seal has long red hair and a gentle, curious expression. She wears a seal-skin cape and carries a spear.

Ada Shorewalker was always more interested in observation than in the actual hunt. While other selkies of her pack preferred to play malicious tricks on humanoids, Ada spent her time in tide pools and beach-combing, paying special attention to those land organisms that came to rest or forage on the seaside. As Ada grew up, she practiced her shapeshifting to emulate the other animals around her, and eventually grew in tune with nature to the point of learning druidic magic. She has now left her pack behind, exploring on land in order to learn more about the life that exists independently of the ocean.

Despite her gentle nature, Ada is especially interested in things like predator-prey relationships, decomposition and toxicology. Fungi are fairly rare in the ocean, and so she is fascinated by fungi and fungal creatures. When she is comfortable with someone, she often infodumps to them about all of the things she’s learned; her idea of “fun facts” is decidedly morbid and sometimes very gross. She views undeath as an aberration, but a particularly interesting one.

In combat, Ada switches from fun-loving to all business. She uses her animal focus to take on aspects like dolphin, orca or turtle, and then closes into melee with her spear or natural weapons. She prefers not to fight in wild shape mode, as Ada usually saves it to take a flying form if she needs to make a quick getaway. Ada is a little headstrong, and is not used to working alongside others, but given time and practice could become an excellent teammate.

Due to her attraction towards macabre topics, Ada Shorewalker has been considering an expedition to Castle Xyntillian. She has heard that Lake Xyntillian is home to an entire population of freshwater plesiosaurs, for example, and unusual plants and fungi grow throughout the grounds. She is confident that she can deal with any undead creatures that she encounters, because she has underestimated the sheer number of powerful undead that live on the grounds. She has no idea, for example, about powerful guests such as The Sickness or Debbie Twice-Born, or that Hubert Malevol the Huntsman has never stalked a selkie before and would be happy to add her head to his trophy collection.

Ada has red hair and a fat build in all of her humanoid forms. She gets along especially well with gnomes.

Ada Shorewalker          CR 8 XP 4,800 Female selkie druid 6 (variant feral shifter) N Medium monstrous humanoid (shapechanger) Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +14, scent Defense AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+4 Dex, +5 natural) hp 90 (12d8+36) Fort +11, Ref +12, Will +14; +4 vs. fey Resist cold 10 Defensive Abilities resist nature’s lure Offense Speed 20 ft., swim 50 ft. Melee masterwork spear +15 (1d8+6/x3), bite +9 (1d8+4) or bite +14 (1d8+6), 2 claws +14 (1d6+4) Ranged masterwork spear +15 (1d8+4/x3) or sling +14 (1d4+4) Special Attacks animal focus (6 minutes/day), aquatic focus, powerful blows (bite), shake, wild shape (2/day, Tiny to Large animal, Small elemental) Spells CL 6th, concentration +10 (+14 casting defensively) 3rd—greater magic fang, neutralize poison (DC 16), speak with plants 2nd—barkskin, bear’s endurance, elemental speech, slipstream 1st—faerie fire, obscuring mist, produce flame, speak with animals 0th—detect magic, detect poison, purify food and drink, stabilize Statistics Str 18, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 16, Wis17, Cha 16 Base Atk +10; CMB +14; CMD 28 Feats Alertness, Combat Casting,Improved Critical (bite)B, Improved Initiative, Natural Spell, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Knowledge: nature) Skills Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Disguise +9, Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering) +9, Knowledge (geography) +12, Knowledge (nature) +17, Heal +12, Perception +14, Sense Motive +14, Spellcraft +12, Stealth +13, Survival +14, Swim +21 Languages Aquan, Common, Druidic, Gnome, Sylvan SQ change shape (any Small or Medium humanoid, alter self), echo of reason, hold breath, nature sense, trackless step, wild empathy +9, woodland step Gear seafoam shawl of resistance +1, pearl of power (1st level), wand of cure light wounds, scroll of lesser restoration, masterwork spear, sling with 10 bullets,coral and pearls worth 46 gp Special Abilities Animal Focus (Su): At 1st level, as a swift action, a feral shifter can take on the aspect of an animal, gaining a bonus or special ability based on the type of animal emulated. This functions as the hunter’s animal focus class feature. The feral shifter can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to her druid level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-minute increments. She can emulate only one animal at a time. This ability replaces nature bond. Aquatic Focus (Su) Ada Shorewalker draws her animal focuses from the list for the aquatic beastmaster hunter archetype. Echo of Reason (Su) A selkie can instinctively alter the intonation of its voice to make anything it says sound more pleasing to those who understand it. When using the Bluff skill, a selkie treats its lies as one step more believable for the purposes of bonuses or penalties on the check. Shake (Ex) On a successful critical hit with its bite attack, a selkie automatically violently shakes a Large or smaller target. The target must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or it is dazed for 1 round. Even on a successful save, the target still takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and skill checks for the next 2 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.