#bottlenose dolphin furry

[cyanogen-miasma]

cooking up something devious

(redo of an animation meme i did on Scratch but this time on Blender and FireAlpaca with the intent to only post on YouTube because I am nearly an adult and need to get off Scratch)

characters are my aquatic pirate/bounty hunter gang: Ivery the electric eel, Eret the blacktip reef shark, Caspian the red lionfish and Wynn the bottlenose dolphin

let it be known that I've never drawn anyone flipping the bird before, let alone a lionfish furry with freakishly long fin-gers

also don't pay any mind to the fact that Wynn has no mouth, it will be rectified

[wholphintooth]

FishMarket

[peregrinefalconlady-art]

My sona as a bottlenose dolphin EE EE EE EE

When I was a wee Sam I was very into cetaceans and other marine mammals. Birds took over my life over a decade ago now, but I still love marine mammals and ocean life (growing up and living on an island surrounded by saltwater prob helps foster such interests LOL)

[scriptdogtor]

Merfolk Reproduction

@cryoverkiltmilk asked over on another blog:

I have generally gone with the assumption that merfolk have a variety of reproductive methods, including live birth and external fertilization of eggs. I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!

-

There are ways to give validity to pretty much any reproductive method, and it all depends on what works best for the story you’re trying to tell. Reproduction can be as diverse as the creatures we dream up, as it’s all present in the animal kingdom. Hell, if you’re ever looking for creative repro ideas, look no further than insects. You’ll find everything and it all serves a specific purpose.

That’s why I can get opinionated about merfolk repro sometimes, because narratives forget how reproduction serves a purpose. Defaulting to “oh they’re fishes” doesn’t always enhance a narrative and can sometimes make it lose fidelity.

“Fishy” repro makes sense on the surface because...fish scales? But internal reproduction has a lot of evolutionary purposes. How a species reproduces can tell you a lot about how they live in general. We can define these specific reproductive methods which I’m borrowing from mammals:

Viviparity - live birth

Copulation - You have all read plenty on Ao3, I am sure

I’ve been meaning to make a longer post about this, but this reproductive strategy generally:

Allows for longer, safer incubation of fewer offspring

Facilitates social bonding

Takes advantage of controlled body temperatures

 Allows species to travel with developing offspring

Guarantees young will be born close to the mother and can then grow close to the mother

Selects for more viable sperm within and between individuals

Takes a lot of resources and time for the mother

Obviously not every species checks every box, but these reproductive methods select for a certain kind of strategy. Animals that invest a lot of time/resources into fewer offspring benefit from copulation and viviparity.

In contrast, animals that invest in the numbers game benefit from more external reproduction. Think of a continuum between blue whales --> songbirds --> fish --> pine trees. Each of these species succeeds for very different reasons. Blue whale sperm is not wasted irritating your allergies, but pine trees make plenty.

Again - this isn’t true for every species and there’s no law saying external reproduction can’t come with care and attention, but that’s something that might benefit from more narrative development.

Merfolk are generally made in a human image, and a very mammalian one. You’ll often see merfolk having these by default:

Hair

Breasts/nipples

Mammalian hips (I forgot the name for this, but notice how dolphins move their tails up and down and fish generally move back and forth)

Bellybuttons

Brains that work similarly to humans (I hate how we gauge animal intelligence but that’s another conversation)

Strong social connections

Offspring that stay with their families for at least a few years

Non-reproductive sexual interests

There’s more to it than this, but that’s another post. 

The other challenge you might want to address in a story is how those relatively precious gametes meet without being destroyed by saltwater. Delivering sperm is just as important, and animals have developed all sorts of ways to adapt to environments hostile to sperm. If you’ve ever taken a zoology course or have seen furry porn, you know the diversity of reproductive tracts. How these organs look impacts how they function and can tell you a lot about what gametes need to survive.

I debated how detailed to go on visual aids, but you know what? I survived a high school Zo class and you can too.

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Skeletal-anatomy-of-the-bottlenose-dolphin-Tursiops-truncatus-A-External-hind-limbs_fig5_265297384

Helpful article that outlines even more diversity: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/dolphin-sex-research-dalhousie-university-scientist-bottlenose-1.4084583

Honestly, if you’re looking for physical anatomy inspo, you can go pretty wild. Sexual selection goes HARD in this area and there’s a lot of room to embellish. 

Am I saying furry porn has this one down to a science? Oh, absolutely. At least sometimes.

[tofueus]

80s dolphin girl adopt (OPEN)

Price is $35 USD

Price is $35 USD 🐬

⚠PayPal only

⚠Payment in USD only

⚠Payment is due within 48 hours — the full-sized PNG image will be e-mailed to you after I receive payment.

⚠After the purchase you will receive a high quality PNG without watermarks

You may:

-Request minor changes to the design ($5 USD extra)

You must:

-Credit me at least once

You can:

-Give the adopt a name, backstory, likes/dislikes and flesh out to your desire

-Use them in drawings, comics, books, fanfics or any kind of creative means you wish

-Use the adopt as your OC, mascot, persona or in roleplays

You cannot:

-Resell the design

-Ask for a refund

-Make major changes to the design and/or species

[rubyredorca]

in my furry headcanon, Jotaro is a bottlenose dolphine and Star Platinum is an orca :-}

[alphaternal]

* INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL RAPTOR INTELLIGENCE STUDY (IBRIS).

On April 4th, 2012, Simon Masrani gives Doctor Henry Wu full authorization to create a new species after the board of his company requested a new Jurassic World attraction to satisfy investors, resulting in the creation of the Indominus Rex.  Earlier within that very same year, Dr. Wu recreated hybrid dromaeosauridae, specifically combining genes from birds, reptiles, the achillobator and its close relative the velociraptor, both of which share a place among the raptor family. The Integrated Behavioral Raptor Intelligence Study was created under the pretense that “velociraptors” would become a main attraction of Jurassic World. Owen Grady was hired as chief researcher and animal handler for the project. IBRIS was conducted by INGEN’s Security Division. The program was privately conducted by INGEN, and is a completely separate entity from Jurassic World.

The fact that the Indominus Rex and the IBRIS Project were founded within the same year is not a coincidence. Under the command of Vic Hoskins, INGEN’s Security Division had evolved from a small security detail into a powerful paramilitary organization in partnerships with Aerospace Dynamix, Mascom Network, and the United Nation’s Security Council; utilizing five satellites for a GPS navigation system known as ‘Centaurus’ developed and launched by Mascom, it is one of the most formidable security companies in the world.

A retired Recon Marine, Vic Hoskins saw an opportunity in weaponizing the predators of Jurassic World. Unknown to Simon Masrani, he cut a deal with Dr. Henry Wu to develop a deadly hybrid super-weapon under the pretense of creating a new attraction for Masrani’s theme park. Vic greenlighted the IBRIS Project in order to test the theory that raptors were able to be trained and controlled for military field operations. 

When Owen was hired, the circumstances were complicated, and he had not been informed of what his role in this new job even was until he was shipped off to Isla Nublar. While Owen had no idea of the Indominus Rex’s existence, he had developed an inseparable bond with the raptors and quickly discovered that Hoskins had ulterior motives for the IBRIS Project. Owen actively fought to delay and stop these plans. Because his expertise was invaluable, and he was already making considerable progress with his research, they could not replace him. He was the key to the project’s success.

The IBRIS Project had not started smoothly. Since its conception in 2012, there have been a number of raptor subjects created for IBRIS using DNA from raptors taken from Isla Sorna. An incident with Subject V2, a hyper-aggressive raptor, resulted in their termination via euthanasia (the autopsy revealed that the aggression was likely due to the raptor’s sex changing to male through their pogona DNA). The mortality rate of cloned raptors were high, as they were extremely fragile as newborns. In 2013, upon realizing that training the raptors would be incredibly complex, Owen had recruited a French zoologist and long-time friend, Barry Sembène. They began working together to develop strategies and techniques to care for the raptors. 

By 2015, there was a pack of raptors consisting of Blue, Charlie, Delta, and Echo, all trained to follow over 40 different commands. 

In a typical hierarchy among pack animals, the alpha is not designated as the "strongest, most violent aggressor commanding the pack". This is a gross misconception based on flawed, outdated research with random subjugated wolves in enclosed spaces (zoos). In free wolves, alphas (often coming in pairs) are parental figures with the necessary skill set to protect and sustain the group dynamic.  “Betas” are typically the alphas’ oldest children. An authentic wolf pack is a family. Evolution is about progeny, not power, or strength, or dominance.

When Owen confirms he is the raptor pack’s alpha to Zach Mitchell, he is literally admitting that he is their surrogate parent. In turn, the IBRIS raptors recognize Owen as their caregiver and “matriarch”. 

Owen was present at each one of their births, and had them imprint on him; this was essential to the process of training them. He cycled through several training methods, derived from his experience training Belgian Malinois, bottlenose dolphins, sea lions, and other marine animals. These training methods included Clicker training, Target & Transference training, and Hand-rearing. As an animal behaviorist, it was not difficult to learn from the raptors and accommodate their unique needs. Owen began hand-rearing them before they could even walk, rarely leaving their side. He fed them by hand. As the raptors began growing large enough to socialize, Owen would eat pieces of raw meat as he was feeding it to the raptors, in order to establish himself as the pack’s alpha. He was often required to exude dominant behavior, body language and posturing, which compelled the raptors to behave submissively and recognize his role as leader of the pack.

The raptors’ dynamics and hierarchy are not very different from typical pack-hunting predators, but they were born in captivity;  their behaviors adapted to their environment and training... and the fact that they had imprinted on a human.

Owen was the only handler allowed to work directly with the raptors. No other staff member was allowed to hand-feed them. Because he is essentially their surrogate parent, Owen spent twelve hours a day with the raptors in order to maintain this bond. For this reason, he has a mobile office-home in the facility where they built the spacious Raptor Research Arena. He had four alarm clocks, and slept five hours a day, every day, except on weekends where he was required days off.

The raptors are measured between 6 to 7 feet tall and twelve feet long; their average weight estimated between 150 and  200 pounds. Their intelligence was equivalent to lower primates and socially intelligent canines:   specifically, wolves. To create the unique raptors for IBRIS, Dr. Henry Wu created a custom hybrid genetic code for each clone. The four raptors were born separately. Blue was born in 2012, as the oldest member of the raptor pack, surviving the initial trials of the IBRIS project. Delta was the second eldest raptor, born in 2013. Later in that same year, Echo was born as the second youngest raptor in the pack. Charlie was the youngest, born on the first month of 2014. The average raptor was “lethal” at 3 months old due to their accelerated growth rate; it only takes them one year to grow into their fully adult bodies.  

[Owen Grady’s expertise as an animal handler is canonically inspired by Military Dolphin Handlers. I personally added that he was a Navy SEAL Military Working Dog Handler training Belgian Malinois before MK9, which are the primary canines used in military field operations and bomb detection for DEVGRU. Intelligent, protective, and with an excessive prey-drive, these dogs were known as the “Furry Raptors” of domesticated canines for their extremely high energy, almost to the point of neurotic. His ability to train raptors and become their proverbial alpha can be paralleling the famous ex-military animal behaviorist Werner Freund, a former paratrooper and career soldier whom dedicated his life to rearing and raising wolves in his own wolf sanctuary in Merzig, Germany. Freund would raise them from a very young age, and acted as their pack leader.]

[tammyhybrid21]

Words on Superheroes

Let’s talk about a trope that people like.

Or rather a concept that people like. Superheroes. Superheroes and superpowers. This comes more or less directly as a result of my brother constantly bursting into my room and discussing it... also as an aside, there’s also the face that Boku no Hero Academia is still somewhat popular. One Punch Man, and everyone still enjoys Marvel and DC so yeah.

Let’s talk about this.

Yeah, this...

So where do I begin... maybe with my own experiences with the trope... which y’know that’s always a good place to begin, whether or not it goes anywhere... so here I go. In my experience, superheroes are just one of those things that has crept into more or less everything... Or at least the concept of beings with otherworldly or otherwise alien/superpowers has crept into more or less everything. Whether it’s your typical super speed, telekinesis or super strength, or even flight, it’s hard to argue that it’s not something that we’re fascinated with.

So, what are my experiences with it...

Well, first off, let’s get the most awkward example out of the way... my Sonic Fandom days... Yes... you heard that right, Sonic Fandom. I uh... went through many phases while I was in Sonic... so you know that’s all good and cool, and...

But yeah.

I’d have to say that Sonic the Hedgehog and his fandom would be what first introduced me properly to the concept of characters with superpowers... before that I was vaguely aware of the superhero fandom, but not really interested in it or anything... I mean, sure there was Spiderman... but... anyway... let’s move onto why this is important...

Furries... And the Furry Fandom...

Yes, I cringe. I cringe because back in the day I was definitely on the fringes of it. Mainly with the Sonic Fandom, which was also where I got into the concept of superpowers, notably superpowered anthros. Because it seemed to be a fandom rule. If you had an OC, they had to have some kind of extra special ability. They couldn’t just be straight forwards...

Which lead to a slew of characters... and well, many of those characters are still around, albeit no longer as Sonic characters... rather... more... general anthro characters. And I’m not really going to talk too much about them... but it is something that I do need to mention... Especially since that’s a concept that I keep returning to in various different iterations as well.

And of course, there’re my surviving OCs who are still around and in use.

Notably, the Fox Triplets, Buziba, and Mana, yeah. Aside those guys, there’s Tony, Zeke, Tamara Alto, The entirety of the Solar and Luna Kingdoms, Vidiarka, Speedy & the rest of the Secret Freedom Fighters... and if I keep going I’m just going to end up with a giant list of characters who you’re going to have no way of decoding or understanding... all you people need to know really is... I have literally hundreds of characters from my Sonic Days...

And the majority of them have some sort of power or other oddity about them. Which alright... I can give my younger self kudos for creativity.

But that’s where I need to get to the point. In the context of the wider universe did it make sense to have over a hundred characters each with their own powers and abilities? Not really... Even as different and as varied as they are... it’s kind of ridiculous looking back that absolutely everyone seems to have some sort of ability...

And sometimes they couldn’t even use them.

Buziba with his telepathy/empathy and the inability to turn it off, Mana literally being time personified in the end... no literally, he was and still is. A small five year old known as the Son of Time... Weak in body, but in spirit and mind-- yeah not so much... And then there was Tai, the ten year old mutt with a “jinx”... And those are the simple ones...

“Simple”

Some like Tamara, my first OC, and kind of obvious self-insert was a bit more complicated with her electrokinesis that also gave her super speed and the ability to absorb electricity and withstand it... Of course I do vaguely recall that she had an upper limit of... I think it was around 50,000 watts? Maybe, I dunno, I can barely remember. And I apparently didn’t have it in her profile... So you know, that was a thing.

That was a thing...

I can’t find the full information on... Aside her, there was her cousin who was a pyrokinetic... and well, her squad of siblings. Who I can vaguely recall all had their own similar vein abilities. Runs in the family and all you know... her slightly younger brother was water, the twins were both earth, Freedom water... she was kind of the odd one out huh... then again fitting...

Of course, Sonic Fandom was also the fandom that spawned my habit of making young characters the most OP things ever--

Mana isn’t the only example of that...

There’s these guys.

These guys... known as the Emerald Children, or the personified Chaos Emeralds... and yes I still have them, and they still look like this. So I should probably give you the basic rundown... But that’s a bit... heh... kind of weird to think about... But for the basic of basic explanations each character had an assigned element and their name vaguely linked them to it.

Scintilla-Energy-Fennec Fox, Ignis-Fire-Chinese Dragon, Alchemy-Light-Gerbil, Hydro-Water-Bottlenose Dolphin, Noctis-Shadows-Honey Badger, Dust-Eartth-Mole and Aero-Air-Masked Owl

Pretty obvious and basic... and since they appeared as kids, of course they were going to be in the Chaos business. They’re kids... how could you expect them to be anything else? Also... I remember having a kind of logic behind their species... But I never really wrote down exactly what that logic was so...

All I’m going to be able to tell you is what their species even are... and before anyone asks... yes they are still those species, and they are still the personification of Chaos Children... Which is still a fun topic... but not one I’m going to get into...

Also these kids... along with Dino, and Inu existed long before Mana...

But you know... I’m not going to talk too much about that, since it’s not really relevant, aside the fact that yeah... really, really young characters with near godlike abilities... Each of them literally personified the element that they were associated with, along with the rest of the power of Chaos...

Which... you know... chaos in Sonic is a little bit ill defined... what even is it? Some kind of magic force, who knows.

It’s chaos we’ll leave it at that.

So... moving on from Sonic, the second fandom that really introduced me to Superheroes as a proper concept was Marvel. Which... actually happened because of a friend of mine. We had this whole concept, a whole story... A whole series actually planned regarding the Marvel universe...

And this is where things get... well weird. You see, I still have all the notes from that whole idea, and it was spawned with some help from the Superpower’s Wiki and the random generator. We both hit the randomize button, twice mind you.. and those were our powers...

If anyone asks, I’m not sure if I’ll answer what mine were but for a small hint of the endgame, the entire thing was to be called Unlikely Balance once it was all done and finished... why is this important...

Because this is where I started to think a hell of a lot more about the concept of powers and the world. At this time, I was still deeply into Sonic and the majority of my OCs were still getting random powers... Sometimes... rather literally.

You see, as a concept Unlikely Balance forced me to stop and actually ask some questions in regards to the world and the characters that we were using, particularly our main trio...

I mean, it was just the two of us who were going to Author it but...

Three main characters.

Genevive Stone/Vidal, Tamika Lore/Mortimer and Lachlan Garvin

And shit... 104 pages worth of discussion and ideas... which... wow... okay... looking at that is very, very intimidating. Especially with the understanding that it started as just us two playing around with the concept of us having powers and then kind of wondering, but what if...

Which lead to a buttload of discussion. And again, it was really the first time I had thought of powers beyond the small perspective of, a character with powers... Since the Marvel Universe really was quite extensive and wild... which meant that we had to figure some things out... especially in regards to how the characters met, whether they knew each other before and in the greater scheme of things what their powers meant...

Of course they begun as just... you know... kids. Kids who had to grow up...

They started the whole series as nine year olds, after all. Which meant we had to really factor in how having those abilities would affect those around them, and what protocols would be followed. How would their families treat them over the abilities and everything--

And I really don’t know if I would be able to really dig through a 104 page document to find all the most important details... Also, by the end it had shifted I remember, from being a Marvel story to potentially an original one... since all that we really needed were our main three characters and the plot.

There was a lot in there actually.

Politics, Laws and the ideas of what exactly is legal for a superhero, and the musings on Secret Identities... to a cult after our main trio because they had a greater destiny due to a time travel screw-up and paradox plot... which... wow-- what a detail to just remember right?

Also there was some stuff about growing up and dealing with that, because of course, they start as kids and the world has some lessons to show them. Which gets into the morality arguments of the whole issue.

Which were huge.

Morality.

Is it right for a superhero to kill, or what?

Which while I won’t go into too much detail... the whole issue is kind of hinted at with their names, along with their ultimate fates... which you know... I’m not going to spoil because there’s the hope that maybe we can or will finagle this into an actual story at some point... maybe.

Who knows?

I mean I sure don’t... right now it’s just a lot of discussion and chaos and well, you know. Needs a lot of sorting...

But on the topic of whether or not it was right to kill villains... well, the two main character’s had what I remember as being somewhat opposing views on death, and whether killing was alright... in fact it spawned a sub-plot where they have to deal with the whole issue... which is kind of funny when it comes down to it because the one who’s more... “morally upright” was the one who was more alright with killing and the one who killed first...

And isn’t that an issue.

But at the same time that’s a huge conflict right there... the plot of an entirely arc... Also I forgot how often a character dies and then comes back to life in this... which is another thing I suppose that I should touch on, but even in context it’s... weird.

Or tricky...

But you know, it was our loophole to deal with how often a superhero would die only to come back... and it was because of clones... Which you know, that’s a perfectly logical explanation one of the trio had the ability to make clones, and those clones would tie to the souls of them, so each time they died, they merely woke up in the body of one of the clones, keeping the experiences...

Which--

Which actually made their ages rather fuzzy if I’m going to be completely honest because the clones didn’t really age from the point that they were first made unless they were disconnected-- which also had a couple of clone villains involved and boy wasn’t that a whole huge mess...

I also don’t remember the order of events as clearly as I would like to-- I mean, I have each arc written but-- well that doesn’t matter as much.

But there was a lot of themes explored in that whole mess, because it wasn’t as simple as here are a bunch of characters with powers go. Unlike in the Sonic Fandom, where it was just... most people seem to have powers for one reason or another... or at least the majority of them do.

So we got into the whole, Mutants, Metas and Aliens-- which alright. There was also time-travel and the exploration of where these powers came from albeit only a base touch down. And since it was Marvel, you can bet we delved into what about the normal human population and all that.

It-- It was heavy.

But ultimately incomplete, and while that did delve into the darker side, it ultimately became just another story about growing up.

Just with superpowers.

Aside that there’s my... Lunia Series.

Which is actually funnily enough a bit of a BNHA story before Boku no Hero Academi-- what if, what if everyone in the world had powers? That was the entirety of the Lunia Series. And... there wasn’t actually all that much more to think about--

Oh

Wait

Actually

The Lunia Series started with one character, and one concept. Like legitimately it started with a character concept of someone with invisibility-- a character who struggled to be seen at all. I mean that was what I started with... and then came the royalty plot, and her “friend” Max-- it grew an awful lot.

And I mean a lot, there’s a whole series-- which actually means I need to stop and talk about this a little bit, because the Lunia Series was my first big project and one of the stories from it... well that was my first year’s NaNoWriMo story...

An absolute mess, I mean I definitely learnt from it... but the issue with that mess, was well-- I got to the word count and hadn’t even hit the first major climax in the story yet. Which okay fair, fair, guess it really was going to be a superhero story-- except Prophecy wasn’t.

It was a story set in the same universe, with another ton of wold-building and ideas like Unlikely Balance... but... You know...

I had a super, super vague idea of the plot for that...

guy writes a fake prophecy so he can run away from the throne, years and years later people are taking it seriously and they think that Ace is the prophecy child, No he's not, Ace decides he has to be and steps up into the role, Prophecy was never real letter found, Chaos, Wait but everything matches it, Ace continues to be Prophecy child... and eventually Rules the country because ??? that's what the prophecy was about...

But beyond that I never had too much of a plot direction it was just Chosen One, Unchosen One, wait he is the real Chosen One playing around with... And a lot of symbolism and doubt and family is super important... with some crossdressing for plot!

Which didn’t translate the best into an actual plot. But it did have so many concepts that I really want to come back to. Because wow, I loved these characters, still love these characters...

But those two stories. Invisibility and Prophecy weren’t the only ones set in that series-- and warning for a specific plotline, regarding Rape and Rape Tropes, but there was a third story called Survivor that I still have the plans for. And this one is where the morals of a society based around superpowers really came into play.

With a lot of questions over self and what constitutes as a crime, and how willing is willing and it was a huge mess. Because some powers muddy the lines, and there’s a huge question in regards to consent and choice...

Which you know, I guess that was something. Also a lot more on the topic of heroes and villains since it was set in a different country from either of the ones that were featured in Invisibility or Prophecy... which actually crossed over a lot closer than one would expect since Tecusa(Invisibility’s Protag) ended up receiving refugees from Dená in the story, refugees that were featured fleeing in Prophecy-- among other crossovers regarding the news and developments in both countries...

And then there was Survivor which was the most set aside of the three.

Taking place in a more traditional Heroes verses Villains setting because that was the way that country was laid out. Nitida, the country of heroes and villains. Set apart from the rest of Lunia by their constant chaos due to that culture... much, much more comic book here--

And then the main character was a rape victim...

Which ahhh... yeah. That was also where I hit that phase, toot toot here come the characters I designed from more or less pure spite because I hated how certain tropes were used and overused... so... I ended up with quite a few character’s who’re kind of-- well.

And no, this isn’t Buziba. Although he falls into the same category. This character was Benjamin “Ben” Chandler... And looking back over my notes... A transboy who’s family accepted him, which alright. Guess younger me had more than a few reasons for why things were happening, but it’s still really, really, really bad.

The execution could always be better.

But that’s why Survivor existed.

To explore those darker things. The crimes that happen, and people don’t want to acknowledge. And Benjamin is a more egregious example, I’ll be real. He’s... not a good character in hindsight, but hey A++ for learning...

Buziba’s a much better character in general and his backstory for it all makes, more sense. But at the same time, I’m not going to lie. My wild boy definitely has more than a few rough spots in his backstory and character that make him something of a cliché/stereotype for this... or at the least, that make the one doing this to him such.

I mean... LOOK AT THIS BOY!

Anyway... Ben did explore another side of the world... and I’m going to leave it at that because honestly. Not much more, to say...

So let’s get into the part of the whole superhero plot that people probably really want to know about, more than stories and themes-- powers.

And what ones I think are more, or less useful. More or less scary. Which ones are the most surprisingly dangerous? Surprisingly tame?

And this--

This is tricky

It really is. Like there are honestly a few powers that no matter what they’re kind of lame, like glowing, but there are others that seem useless, but can be downright terrifying when used in the right, or wrong way. There are some that are just unchanging, and then there are some that sound interesting but always get used in such route and predictable ways...

And then there are the powers that tumblr has gotten it’s claws into and turned into something of pure nightmare fuel by making you stop and think of the greater implications that they imply and the domino affects that they would have. It all matters. It all comes tumbling down. Thankyou tumblr.

But seriously, think about this--

Think about it--

Because how many, how many of these powers have required secondary abilities? If you turn invisible you have to have some other way of seeing things to be able to operate and function in the world to actually be able to live. Super strength and speed both require extra resilience. A healing factor is pretty much required for most powers, by default.

But seriously, how often do people think of these things...

Or the side-effects of healing either...

Aside what Boku no Hero Academia has been doing. Which you know that’s a first, we don’t see the consequences so much. And it messing up your natural healing, that’s good. Really good and interesting. Also... anyone else-- anyone else just generally freaked out by healers in general. You never know exactly where their healing comes from.

Positive or negative.

Also... those who know how to put you back together... typically also know the best way to tear you apart and to absolute shreds. So... you know, fear the healer.

No seriously. Fear. The. Healer.

Fear them.

I want more dangerous healers. Personally, I love my villain healers, villain doctors. Because wow. Break you and remake you. But whatever you know.

I mean, aside that, there’s also that one tumblr post about probability manipulation and wow, wow does that get scary when played a slight bit darker.  But seriously, the general rule for this is really-- really down to creativity. How creative can you be with the powers nothing more nothing less.

I mean I even discussed it with a friend regarding fixing the Power of Three arc in the Warrior Cats series...

Which you know, there is a way to fix that. Although that’s an old cup and in general for Warriors I never got past the first arc and Firestar’s quest so most of what I know is generally, what the fandom puts out more or less... but then I’m the same with most of Naruto because the protagonist just rubs me the wrong way.

But he’s a good example of flaws in a system and disabilities and just... ultimately I don’t know...

But if anyone’s curious about fixing the Three... well, a small thing is it’s kind of spoilers for the vague, extremely vague plan I have regarding my Unbound Unleashed series following Tinderkit-- still, a small hint is the thematics of Mind-Body-Spirit... so do with that information as you will.

Also on that note, special abilities in Warrior Cats in general is an interesting concept, because aside communication with Starclan there is the concept of prophecies and seers, although that’s another pile of prey that I’ll have to get into some other time--

Maybe when my Warrior Cats muse actually returns.

So yeah...

I think that’s all I can really say on superpowers. There’s a lot to say, but I don’t really have much that I can cohesively piece together when I’m just kind of gushing and babbling to fill up my word count for NaNoWriMo, since this month is meant to be vent... so...

Yeah, done.

[wildinbritain-blog]

How Well Do You Know British Wildlife?

Surprisingly, three out of 10 Britons do not know there is wildlife in Britain. But the larger British Isles are teeming with wildlife including land mammals, birdlife, and marine life. There is also a wonderful variety of small animals and insects including the lovable bumblebee.        The good thing is that you can travel to any of the popular wildlife viewing sites in a short time seeing as it is that the UK is not a large country. The diverse landscape is a bonus attraction for the avid tourist. There are marshes, moor, cliffs and beaches to explore while looking for wildlife. All of it here in the UK.

What is some popular wildlife to see in the UK?

•    Scottish wildcat

This feline is to be found in Northern England, Wales and Scotland. It is almost indistinguishable from the domestic cat and can crossbreed with it. The numbers are declining because of this diminishing breeding line.

•    Pine Marten

This is a kin to weasel, and native to the Lake District. It is a nocturnal hunter and prefers to sleep in underground burrows.

•    Red squirrels

This squirrel has ginger fur and taller years than the grey squirrel. The ginger fur changes to a grey shade in winter. These cute furry animals are declining in numbers as they are decimated by squirrel pox from their larger and more numerous kin, the grey squirrel. They number less than 200,000 of them.

•    Skomer vole

This rodent is only found on Skomer Island in Wales. It is popular prey for the numerous predator birds on the island.

•    Hedgehogs

These rodents are also on the decline due to habitat destruction and changing climates. They numbered over 30 million 50 years ago but now number about a million.

•    Turtledoves

These beautiful birds have become very rare to see in the UK have declined in numbers by over 90%. The best time to see them is in the summer.

•    Natterjack Toad

It has become very rare to hear this noisy amphibian, remaining only in small numbers in Norfolk and Lincolnshire.

•    Slow Worm

This is a legless lizard that closely resembles a snake. It can be found in all parts of the UK.

•    Bumblebees

These hairy black and yellow striped bees can be found hovering over flowering plants all over the UK. Unlike the aggressive honey bees, bumblebees make are generally harmless and their gentle buzzing will be heard in many fields, gardens and parks.

Bees in general are a particular passion of mine. I recently became a beekeeper and regularly purchase products from The Humble Bumble as they donate to various bee charities and organizations. I just received a new bee charm from them for my sister which i’m over the moon with!

What are the best places to see wildlife in the UK?

Cairngorms National Park, Scotland

The Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands is a land of rare beauty with a variety of wildlife and stunning landscapes. The varied landscape consists of forests, moorlands, mountain, and grass fields. The wildlife to be found here includes pine martens, red squirrels, Scottish wildcats, and golden eagles. There is also a variety of small mammals, rodents and innumerable insects including wasps, ants and bumblebees. Tourists can walk this place on foot in guided tours.

Blakeney Point, Norfolk

This is area is world famous for its attraction as a site to see marine bird life. It is a breeding ground for grey seals with over 2,000 grey seal pups coming to life each year from October to January. This area is part of Blakeney National Nature Reserve. An organized boat trip is the only way to get here during the breeding season.

The Isle of Mull, Scotland

The white-tailed eagle has been re-introduced in the UK on this isle. This is the biggest bird of prey native to the UK. It can be spotted swooping down on fish in the sea or soaring over the forests in search of small prey. Buzzards and golden eagles can also be sighted here. Marine attractions include porpoises and dolphins.

Falmouth, Cornwall

Pendennis point is on this location. This is one of the best spots in the UK to view marine wildlife, with breathtaking sea views as the background. There are also good views of Falmouth Bay and River Mal. It is a good spot for viewing bottlenose and common dolphins.  Other marine attractions include shallow swimming sharks, grey seals and a variety of marine birds.

New Forest, Hampshire

This ancient woodland and heath is home to a herd of over 3,000 wild ponies that roam this area. Tourists can also spot all the deer species that are native to the UK. Other attractions include birds and snakes as well as insects including butterflies, dragonflies and bumblebees.

Kielder Forest, Northumberland

This is the home of the photogenic red squirrel whose numbers have dwindled dramatically. This forest is also home to bats, badgers, pipistrelle bats and other small mammals. Tourists can also see an osprey swooping down on these small prey from time to time.

Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland

This rugged coast landscape is a challenge to navigate but offers plenty to see in terms of wildlife. The cliffs are home to agile mountain hares and birds including peregrine falcons, and puffins. There are sharks, Atlantic grey seals and porpoises to be found in the sea.  Bird watchers will find an interesting variety of marine birds including razorbills, auks and guillemot heading off to fish in the sea, homing in and heading to breeding grounds.

Shetland and Orkney Islands

These isles in the northernmost point of the UK offer plenty for the tourist if you can get there. The waters off the coast hold killer whales, minke whales, humpback whales, white-sided and white-beaked dolphins. There are also sea otters and a variety of marine birds. Bird watchers will especially find Skara Brae, Noss and Sumburgh areas rich with different bird species. These isles are also interesting archaeological sites.

Gilfach Nature Reserve, Wales

This is a great spot to see otters on the hunt for salmon. They come here every year from October to December to catch easy salmon prey at the waterfalls as the salmon swim upstream. These elusive water predators can also be spotted at other times of the year although it is a bit harder to do so. Early morning and sunset hours are the best for viewing.

Skomer Island

The hugely popular Atlantic Puffin is to be found in good numbers on this island off the coast of Pembrokeshire in western Wales. This is a popular destination with birders who come here for the rich bird life and photo opportunities. Seeing about 70,000 Manx Shearwaters make a landing in the dusk is a phenomenon that is one of the rarest in the world. There are also the photogenic Atlantic puffins who are happy enough to pose for photos as they are well-used to human presence.

Dorset

This is one of the most beautiful inhabited places in the UK. The meadows of Kingcombe are perfectly kept and preserved, with over 200 years of well-maintained fields, hay meadows and hedgerows. All of it is done naturally without pesticides which makes it highly attractive to insects and other small wildlife.

There is plenty to see if you take the time to stroll leisurely through the meadows. There are buzzing bumblebees, numerous scurrying insects and different birds that make a living of these small prey. The soothing landscape holds plenty to see and photograph.

[loveanimalstory-blog]

The Animals That Taste Only Saltiness

Taste plays a crucial function for many animals far beyond enriching their culinary experiences. At its most elementary level, it’s a last-ditch defense against poison, telling the eater whether to swallow or spit out a mouthful of probably lethal material. Humans can detect five primary tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (sometimes called “savory”). These sensations are useful indicators of whether a food is nutritious (sweet, salty, and umami), spoiled (sour), or toxic (bitter). Until recently scientists believed nearly all mammals shared these same basic tastes. But new research suggests that the story isn't that straightforward for instance, some rodents can taste a nutrient we cannot: starches. Other mammals appear to possess lost the power to detect certain flavors. In 2005, one paper reported that cats couldn’t taste sweetness. Their genes that code for taste receptors had mutated, making them unable to bind to sweet molecules. In 2012, another study found that seven carnivorous species, including spotted hyenas, sea lions, and bottlenose dolphins, had also lost their “sweet tooths,” through different mutations. This had repeatedly and independently arisen throughout carnivore evolution just because the trait was not needed. Since these animals evolved to eat meat, they didn’t get to develop a taste for sweet food like fruit. “When the animals weren't consuming sugar to survive, there was a relaxation of evolutionary selection,” explains Dr. Gary Beauchamp, lead author of the study and director and president of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. “When a mutation came along that made the receptor not work, that animal was even as likely to survive together that didn’t have the mutation.” This particular study further suggested that bottlenose dolphins had also lost the power to detect umami and bitterness. A study published last month expanded on Beauchamp’s bottlenose research. The scientists analyzed the genomes of 15 different whale and dolphin species and located that they had all lost genes necessary for sensing four out of 5 primary tastes, probably around 36 to 53 million years ago. Only the genes connected to salty detection remained functional. A similar but opposite phenomenon is believed to possess occurred with the enormous panda: It lost its taste for umami, which is connected with protein when it evolved from eating meat to bamboo. The extensive loss of just about the whole spectrum of tastes came as an enormous surprise. “We didn't know four of 5 basic tastes could are lost; we thought animals would die without basic tastes,” says Huabin Zhao, one of the study authors. “We thought the bottle-nosed dolphin [lacking sweet, umami, and bitter sensitivity] was an isolated case.” Such dulled taste might be dangerous. If toxic substances spill into the ocean and poison their prey, whales and dolphins won't be ready to detect the danger. Zhao suggests this could be why orcas are known to accidentally migrate into oil spills or why dolphins seem to eat fish loaded with algal toxins caused by fertilizer runoff. So how can these animals survive without four of the five tastes? Zhao offers three possible explanations. First, whales and dolphins tend to swallow their prey whole, and since most taste is released by chewing, the taste receptors won't be needed. Second, the high concentration of sodium within the ocean water could mask other tastes, thereby making it unimportant. Finally, it would need to do with the first, land-dwelling ancestors of cetaceans, the group that has whales and dolphins. These small, furry land animals had been plant-eaters before becoming fully aquatic, and that they may have lost some sorts of taste for an equivalent reason other carnivores did. “A dietary switch from plants to meat within the whale ancestor may account for the main loss of sweet and bitter tastes because meat contains little sweet and bitter compounds,” Zhao says. He points out that an identical but opposite phenomenon is believed to possess occurred with the enormous panda: It lost its taste for umami, which is connected with protein when it evolved from eating meat to bamboo. this might even be why the manatee—which also returned from land to water—kept its ability to taste, says Beauchamp. It still eats plants. Seeing as cetaceans lack such a lot of the variability of flavor available to most other mammals, there’s also an issue of what keeps them motivated to stay eating. John Glendinning, a biology professor at Barnard, hypothesizes that whales and dolphins are influenced by other factors that “reward” them for feeding. Perhaps the “post-oral stimulation of feeding,” or the positive feeling they get as nutrients get digested, drives them to stay hunting. Another possibility might be that they need other taste genes, not yet known to science. “It’s very possible that there are receptors that we haven’t yet discovered,” Glendinning says. “We can’t quite conclude with certainty that these animals don’t taste anything. But it’s certainly true that if they're [tasting], they aren’t using the regular suspects.”

[ezatluba]

Ever wondered about animals with unusual jobs?

They sniff out bombs, trim lawns and help African tribesmen find honey.

The Navy uses bottlenose dolphins to find underwater explosives. 

By Howard J. Bennett 

January 22, 2017

When people think about working animals, what often comes to mind are dogs that herd sheep, horses that work on farms and animals that perform in movies. But there are lots of other jobs animals have had over the years.

Dogs are much more sensitive to smell than humans. This made dogs the traditional hunting companion, enabling their owners to track foxes and other game. Police departments have taken advantage of this skill to help find missing people and escaped convicts. Recently, dogs have been trained to use their super-sniffers to find illegal drugs, explosives and even hidden computer equipment.

There is a bird in the southeast African nation of Mozambique called the honey­guide, which has developed a mutually beneficial relationship with a tribe called the Yao. If a Yao tribesman makes a certain chirping sound, the honeyguide will fly from tree to tree directing the tribesman to a hidden beehive. Once discovered, the humans break open the hive for honey, and the birds feast on wax.

Ferrets are cute, furry animals in the weasel family that range in size from 1½ to four pounds. They have helped humans for centuries. About 2,000 years ago, ancient Romans trained ferrets to flush rabbits out of their burrows to feed their troops. European settlers who came to America used them to keep rodents under control. More recently, people have taken advantage of a ferret’s natural instinct to run through tight spaces. Pipe-running ferrets wear a special harness that enables them to pull a string through hundreds of feet of pipe. The string is then used to pull cables and computer wires through the pipe.

Baby flies are called maggots. The job of a maggot is to eat and grow until it turns into a fly. This is similar to how a caterpillar eats and grows until it becomes a butterfly. However, there is a big difference between these insects. Caterpillars eat plant matter, whereas maggots devour meat. Actually, they eat only decaying meat. Medical-grade maggots are used with patients who get serious infections that can’t be treated with antibiotics. The maggots are applied to the infected area for a number of days. They eat the dead tissue but leave the living tissue alone, thereby helping patients recover from the infection.

Honeyguides are birds in Mozambique that help humans search for honey. 

The United States military has trained marine animals for other tasks. Bottlenose dolphins can echolocate, or use sound waves to determine where an object is. The Navy has used them to detect underwater mines. California sea lions have excellent vision and have been trained to find lost equipment and swimmers who try to enter restricted waters.

In cartoons, goats are often shown eating cans and other junk. In real life, they prefer things that are green: grass, leaves and underbrush. In some parts of the country, people rent out herds of goats to clean (eat) overgrown and invasive plants. Of course, using an organic lawn mower has its consequences: goat poop.

Perhaps the oddest animal job of all belongs to Twiggy, the water-skiing squirrel. Twiggy is fun to watch, but she’s also sending a message about water safety.

[wholphintooth]

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