#brazilian tropical animals

[mouseandboo]

It’s A New World by Gail Anderson Via Flickr: Handmade collage postcard with a tropical theme that I made and sent to a mail artist friend in Oregon.

[themousefromfantasyland]

Why are people not talking about this:

In the Little Mermaid 2023 remake, they changed the setting of the story.

Despite what many believe, the original 1989 animated movie wasn't set in Denmark. Judging by the architecture of Prince Eric's castle, the animals present during Kiss the Girl, and the landscape of the land itself, the movie is set in the European Mediterranean. Disney all but confirmed this in latter years. There were actual theories about Eric's kingdom being in Italy.

In the remake, Eric's kingdom is an island heavily implied to be on the Caribbean sea.

Eric is adopted and his mother, the Queen is super alive in this, and she is black. Grimsby here is portrayed by a Pakistani-British actor, making him ambiguously brown. Carlotta was replaced by a character named Lashana, and she is portrayed by a Trinidadian actress.

The island population is super diverse, with black and brown people everywhere.

They have a tropical climate and the only trees seen are palm trees.

Instead of waltzing when they visit the kingdom, Ariel and Eric dance Caribbean music.

When Eric shows several maps to Ariel, he suspiciously cites the names of a lot of South America countries, like Venezuela and Colombia, implying that the kingdom is closer to these countries than it is to Europe. He even cites my country, Brazil, referred as the Brazilian Empire, which dates the movie from anywhere between 1822 and 1889, when Brazil was indeed an Empire.

@ariel-seagull-wings @princesssarisa @angelixgutz @amalthea9 @thelittlehansy

[new-dinosaurs]

Sakesphoroides niedeguidonae Cerqueira et al., 2024 (new species)

(Illustration of male [back] and female [front] individuals of Sakesphoroides niedeguidonae by Eduardo Brettas, from Cerqueira et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: niedeguidonae = for Niède Guidon [Brazilian archaeologist]

Suggested common name: Northern silvery-cheeked antshrike

Age: Holocene (Meghalayan), extant

Where found: Dry forest and scrub in northeastern Brazil, mostly on the northern/western bank of the São Francisco River

How much is known: At least 83 collected specimens are held in museum collections.

Notes: S. niedeguidonae is an antbird, a diverse group of small birds from the American tropics. Antbirds are so named because some species follow army ants to feed on small animals fleeing from the ant swarms, though this behavior has not been observed in the genus Sakesphoroides.

Sakesphoroides is found solely in the dry forest and shrubland (Caatinga) of northeastern Brazil. Only one species in this genus had previously been recognized, S. cristatus. However, a new study argues that the northern and southern populations of Sakesphoroides should be classified as distinct species based on genetic, vocal, and anatomical differences. The southern populations keep the name S. cristatus and are given the suggested common name of southern silvery-cheeked antshrike, whereas the northern populations are described as a new species, S. niedeguidonae.

Males of the two species are difficult to tell apart. Among females, however, S. niedeguidonae differs from S. cristatus in having more strongly barred tail feathers, a lighter brown crest on the head, and an olive brown (instead of cinnamon brown) back.

Seasonally dry tropical forests such as the Caatinga have traditionally been thought of as having low biodiversity and few unique species compared to tropical rainforests, but recent discoveries such as S. niedeguidonae have shown that much of dry forest biodiversity has likely been historically overlooked.

Reference: Cerqueira, P., G.R. Gonçalves, T.F. Quaresma, M. Silva, M. Pichorim, and A. Aleixo. 2024. A new antshrike (Aves: Thamnophilidae) endemic to the Caatinga and the role of climate oscillations and drainage shift in shaping cryptic diversity of Neotropical seasonal dry forests. Zoologica Scripta advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/zsc.12672

[cfierce116]

No Sleep Part One

A/N: Hi. I've been wanting to write about this man since 2017 and finally got the inspiration to do. This one started off as one piece but evolved into more (whoops) so let's see how it goes. This piece is loosely connected to my prior story "I Want You Around". As always shoutout to @krysxtotheo and @lisayourworries for the encouragement. Enjoy.

*Pairings: Jey Uso/OC (black fem)

*Warnings: 18+

Word Count: Approximately 2200 words

*

Krystle exhaled softly. ���Don’t look at me like that.”

“Look at you like what?”

“Like you wanna kick my ass.”

“Actually I want to strangle you to death.” 

Krystle glanced over her shoulder with a slight scowl on her lips. “Don’t you think that’s a little melodramatic Imani?” 

Imani rolled her brown eyes as her sleek black stiletto heels clacked against the pavement, her legs quickly moving to keep in step with Krystle. “Can you blame me for being melodramatic? My best friend promised to take me to dinner for my birthday and somehow it ended up being a date between her and her man with me being the odd person out!” 

“Mani-“

“And then to make it even better you weren’t even gonna tell me! I had to find out because he blurted it out when you had him on speaker phone on our way over here!” Imani hissed. 

“For the millionth time I got my dates mixed up with me and Sefa’s date night. And seeing as how this is the only night we’re both free I had to combine the two. It’s fine,” Krystle reassured her friend.  

Imani silently counted to ten to stop herself from losing her composure. The fact that Krystle couldn’t understand why she was so upset and dismissed how she felt was pissing her off. She understood the need for the couple to keep consistent date nights to keep the spark in their relationship. But they couldn’t choose another day? It’s not like they weren’t constantly on the road together or lived together so Imani was certain they could’ve skipped one date night. Especially since she hadn’t hung out with her best friend one on one in over a month. Their friendship went from going bar hopping every weekend and recounting their escapades over greasy breakfast foods on Sunday morning to Krystle falling off the face of the Earth the moment she moved in with Sefa and subsequently started working on the main roster. Imani understood the two were settling into their new normal and she was happy for Krystle. 

But she also missed her friend. 

The two women finally arrived at the Brazilian steakhouse Imani selected for dinner. The duo slipped inside the foyer of the restaurant. An enormous tropical floral arrangement greeted them as they waited in line at the hostess stand. Imani ran a hand over the animal print flared dress she wore as her eyes darted around the restaurant at the busy dinner crowd. She exhaled to calm her bubbling anger. 

“All I’m saying is we could have gladly rescheduled so I wouldn’t be put in this awkward situation Krys. I would’ve been disappointed but I would’ve understood.” 

Before Krystle could respond, the hostess appeared to greet the pair asking for the reservation’s name. The two friends followed the young woman through the crowded restaurant as she expertly dodged waiters and other patrons. Krystle fell in line next to Imani and weaved their arms together. 

Krystle turned to face Imani. “I am truly sorry Mani. When I get back in town next week, we will go have a spa day with just us two,” she promised. “And furthermore you’re not the od-“

Imani abruptly stopped in her tracks. “Who the hell is that sitting with Sefa?”

Krystle’s eyes traveled towards the area Imani was staring at with a bated breath. A crooked grin spread across her lips as she watched her boyfriend speaking with the man sitting next to him. She turned to face her friend, stifling a giggle.

“Girl stop playing. You know who Josh is.” 

Imani exhaled softly. She definitely knew who Josh was. One of the most popular wrestlers in WWE, one half of arguably the best tag teams in WWE history, the older brother of Krystle’s boyfriend.

And the guy she had a teensy weensy crush on. 

One quick glance at Josh and anybody could see why Imani would have a crush on him. From his muscular physique, handsome face, & infectious personality he was FINE. Josh was the type of fine that it made it hard to look him directly in his eye without blushing and giggling. And now she was expected to eat as much steak and chicken her heart desired while sitting next to the man that she could barely mutter more than five words to before scurrying away and not choke on her birthday meal?

Absolutely the fuck not. 

“Yes I know Josh. But why is he here?” Imani asked gesturing to the restaurant. 

“Well if you would’ve let me get a word in earlier when you were berating me I was trying to tell you that you wouldn’t be the odd person out tonight because he was coming as well.”

“But why?”

“Because that man like to eat food? Shit I don’t know,” Krystle said with a shrug. 

Imani opened her mouth to ask another question but was interrupted the moment Sefa saw the two women. The couple smiled at one another before Krystle dragged her friend towards the two brothers. Once they arrived at the table, Sefa stood to greet his girlfriend, his large arms wrapping around her smaller frame. Imani couldn’t help but smile as Krystle squealed as she stood on her tiptoes to peck her boyfriend’s lips. 

“Sorry we’re late. But the birthday girl had to make sure she looked perfect before she left out the door.” 

Imani waved off her friend’s comment. “It takes time to look this good,” she responded with a flip of her perfectly curled black hair that grazed her back underneath her shoulder blades. 

“Well you definitely succeeded.” 

The sound of the deep voice caused Imani to drag her gaze away from Krystle and Sefa before landing on Josh. He was now standing as well allowing her to observe his simplistic outfit of his slightly wrinkled black long sleeve shirt that hugged his muscular physique and matching black pants. A gold chain sat around his neck and glistened under the restaurant lights which also illuminated the faint blue color at the ends of his curly mullet. 

A small smile tugged at the corners of Imani’s lips. “Thanks. Although you probably say that to all your women.”  

Josh chuckled softly as he pulled out a chair. Imani slid down into the seat which was sitting next to him. “I see Krys been tellin’ you these lies that I got a squad of women.”

“How can it be a lie if it’s the truth?” Krystle asked as she sat in the seat Sefa pulled out for her. “I’ve heard about all those women that be waiting for you at the hotels after the shows with their cut up Yeet shirts to show off their curves to get your attention.”

“They is fans. I keep tellin’ you I’m single.” 

“Mhmmm,” Krystle mumbled with a playful eyeroll. 

Imani laughed quietly at their banter as she quickly turned over the card sitting on the table next to her to indicate to the waiters she was ready for the entrees. She had been dreaming about the Garlic Picanha melting in her mouth all week long and she was ready to dig in. 

“My fault for just insertin’ myself into you and Krys girl’s night.” 

Imani’s attention landed on Josh again, his dark brown eyes staring intently at her. She wiped her palms on the front her dress and cleared her throat as she felt her earlier anger slowly disappear. 

“Don’t worry about it. At least I don’t have to play third wheel with those two.” Imani gestured to Sefa and Krystle who were cuddled close together and whispering amongst one another. She shook her head with a smirk as she watched Sefa poke Krystle in her side making her giggle quietly as she playfully pushed his hand away.

Josh smacked his lips. “Never thought I would see the day Uce became such a sap,” he stated. Imani laughed. 

“Be nice. They can be a little sickening but they’re happy.” 

“I guess you right.” Josh’s eyes traveled over Imani’s frame causing a rush of warmth to course through her body. She inhaled quietly as he leaned closer to her, his musky and rich cologne invading her nostrils, her fingers fidgeting with the gold tennis bracelet on her wrist. “So what you drinkin on tonight birthday girl?” 

Imani shook her head with a wave of her hand. “Not a thing. I’m just here for the meat- I mean the food.” 

Josh twisted his mouth in disbelief. “What chu don’t drink or something?”

“I don’t drink like I used to but I’m not against it. I just have to be at work early tomorrow.” 

“One drink won’t stop you from waking up early. Let loose a lil Mani,” Josh goaded with a grin, his dark brown eyes sparkling with mischief. Imani inhaled deeply. “Come on I’ll buy you whatever you want.” 

Imani watched as Josh stood, his 6’3 frame towering over her as she still sat in her chair. She tilted her head to the side pensively before grabbing his extended hand and following him towards the bar.

*

Three shots of Jack Daniels & a never ending amount of steak & chicken later and Imani was feeling good. Once Sefa and Krystle finally stopped acting like lovesick teenagers and started interacting with Imani and Josh the night turned out to be exactly what Imani needed despite her earlier resistance. The laughs were endless whether it was a result of Josh and Sefa retelling humorous stories from their childhood or Krystle and Imani reminiscing about their outrageous moments they shared in undergrad and their early days of working in NXT.  As the liquor continued to flow, the more relaxed and comfortable Imani felt, a feeling she hadn’t felt in quite some time. 

However reality slowly crept in as the night winded down to remind her that after spending close to two hours at dinner it was time to go back home to prepare for the week of work ahead. For Sefa, Krystle, and Josh that meant going back to the couple’s house to sleep off the liquor and prepare for a day of travel the next day to the location of the Smackdown taping. For Imani that meant returning to her own dark and lonely condo to face plant in her bed until her alarm jolted her awake the next day so she could report to work at the Performance Center to record some digital content for NXT.  

Well that was her plan. But Krystle wasn’t exactly onboard with it. 

“The night is still young Mani! And it’s your birthday! Why you in such a rush to go home?” Krystle asked as crossed her arms over her chest with a pout. 

Imani rolled her honey brown eyes as she stared at her cell phone trying to place a reservation for an Uber. “So I can go to bed. I got a long day of work tomorrow.” 

“Work that you can do with your eyes closed. I remember back in the day when we used to stay out until the sun came up the next day.” Krystle glanced at her phone. “Now you ready to go to bed before 10 PM?”

“That was when I was 25!” Imani replied with a laugh. “I’m 35 now and unlike your young energetic self I am washed. I need my bed.” 

Krystle smacked her lips. “Oh girl please. First of all I’m only 32 so stop acting like you’re way older than me. Secondly you’re not washed. Women that are washed don’t look as good as you do in this dress.” 

“She’s right.” 

Another shiver rolled through Imani’s body as she slowly turned around. Josh and Sefa stood behind her, having returned from their trip to the bathroom as Imani and Krystle stood outside to enjoy the warm Orlando night breeze. Imani fought the urge to squirm under Josh’s gaze as his eyes dragged over her frame, studying every inch of her body before finally returning to her face.

“What the hell are you two over here arguing about anyway?” Sefa asked, his voice interrupting the moment between his brother & Imani. He wrapped his muscular arm around Krystle’s torso and pulled her body closer to his. 

“I’m trying to convince her to come back to our place so we can hang out. But she wants to be a lame and go home.”

“Come over to hang out until you and your man ditch us to go have sex?” Imani asked with a raised brow. She rolled her eyes as Krystle turned her head with an embarrassed expression, burying her face into Sefa’s chest as he sheepishly grinned. “Thanks but no thanks. I’m going home.” 

“So you just gonna leave me to be the third wheel and listen to them?” Josh asked. “That’s fucked up.” 

Imani laughed lightly. “Y’all just really won’t take no for an answer huh?” 

“Not a chance,” the trio answered.

Imani sighed as she glanced back at her phone, the screen waiting for her to confirm her Uber request staring back at her. Before she could second guess herself, she locked the phone and tossed it into her purse. “Fine. Are y’all happy now?”

Krystle clapped her hands excitedly as she detached herself from Sefa’s embrace and looped arms with Imani. “Don’t give me that look Mani. It’s your birthday! Stop acting like a Grandma and live a little,” she told her with a grin.

*

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

The Brazilian cerrado savanna is also on fire

A fire at the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, in the heart of Brazil’s savanna-like Cerrado biome, reached its fifth day on Monday, consuming over 10,000 hectares of land.

The park is located in the state of Goiás, about 230 kilometers from Brazil’s capital Brasília.

Firefighters have been in the region since September 5. On the first day, they faced challenging terrain, walking three kilometers in a hard-to-reach area to get to the fire, which was consuming native Cerrado vegetation in an area with many hills and rocks. The first fire, which was put out, extended for about 10 kilometers. 

Created in 1961, the National Park Chapada dos Veadeiros protects an area that spans nearly 241,000 hectares in central Brazil. The park is a Unesco World Heritage Site for “containing flora and fauna and key habitats that characterize the Cerrado — one of the world’s oldest and most diverse tropical ecosystems.” The region features over 10,000 plant and 1,500 animal species.

Continue reading.

[kuroppiii]

ㅤthe dishes ᵕ̈        timeskip!boyfie!hinata shōyō        x gn reader ˎˊ˗

⋮⋮ ˒ ₍ᐢ..ᐢ₎ 𖥻 ⿻ : he ' s back home , finally

📋 content     ♡ # 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧 🐮     ♡ # 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵 🐄     ♡ # 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘦 🥛     ♡ # ~800 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴

🎶 on shuffle " coming home " - beabadoobee

🧸 directory  ‹ ✩  like what you read ? check out more of my blog !  •ᴗ•

💬 kuroppiii ─ “ i don ’ t even fw shōyō that that much but i ’ ve been eating up these fics abt having to ldr with timeskip brazil hinata like DAMN ”

it felt so nice.

so nice to finally have his presence so close—to actually have hinata there with you, in the flesh.

you couldn’t help your eyes from being glued to his hands and his newly-tanned arms, flexing as he rinses the dirty dishes under the kitchen faucet’s little stream. his ginger hair was messy from how your hands carded through it earlier once he stepped through the front door and you shared a "welcome back home" kiss, and it fell over his slightly jet-lagged yet focused eyes.

towel in hand to dry the cleaned dishes as he placed them by you on the counter, you took it all in—the sound of the water, the sponge crunching out soapy bubbles, the clinks of fine china, his calm breathing—because it was all real. after so long it was all tangible.

of course, when hinata left for brazil, you two easily managed a consistent stream of texting and calling.

you loved each other, and distance wasn’t going to change that.

but although there was still connection, connection doesn’t always mean contact.

there was no human contact.

and at times it drove you crazy. the pillow on his side of the bed started to lose his scent the closer you hugged it at night. sometimes you could hear the slightest noise from how quiet the house was. the small loads of your laundry alone taunted you every week as you did chores around the house.

you were forced to just imagine—play a frustrating make-believe of what he was doing based on the descriptions that came to you in small grey bubbles on your phone screen. you always found yourself wishing to really see it, though. it just wasn’t the same. it just didn’t feel enough at times.

but then sometimes there were calls—at night when he’d be at a roof bar somewhere in rio, ditching his brazilian volleyball buddies for a little escape. with him leaning over the rooftop railing, his tropical patterned shirt flowing about and letting his toned chest peek at the bottom of your screen now and then. the pattern would blend with the pitch black sky behind him, if his phone connection was getting a little choppy.

his drink barely appeared in-frame of your video call. he didn’t need it. he just wanted a moment with you and to hear your voice—to get drunk off of that—even if he had to settle getting it through his phone.

there would be calls while he’s eating breakfast, reviewing a different café for that morning’s coffee, as his animated comments brought an unwavering smile to your face as you ate your dinner.

but then the the calls would end, and the kitchen scarily got so much quieter. it was just you and your empty dishes, as you stack the pile higher and higher, not feeling compelled to wash them at the moment as you’re falling from the high that was feeling your shōyō’s presence back in your life. even if it was for the briefest of calls.

until he had called you to let you know he’s coming home.

until he had called you when he was packing his bags.

until he had called you the moment he got to his terminal in the airport for his flight back home.

“i just to be with you, right now,” he said.

“you’re on your way. we’ll be together again soon, shō,” you say with a fake front of patience as if you, too, weren’t also barely able to contain yourself. this high remained with you for all 24 hours of anticipation as he made his way across the globe for you. you secretly prayed to every force or god out there that hinata’s flight doesn’t get delayed—that’d he’d be there with you, right on time. you physically could not wait a moment longer.

he didn’t have to call you upon his return, not when he was already at your door.

his suitcases and bags were actually still there, sitting next to the shoes at the entrance.

the first thing hinata did after he dropped his bags was scoop you up and smother you in kisses, his embrace on you so secure you felt like living there in his arms forever.

the second thing he did was go to help you with the that heap of dishes living in the kitchen sink.

“what are you staring at, baby?” hinata’s voice brings you back to the present, “the dishes aren’t going to dry themselves.”

he giggles at his own joke before leaning over to give your lips a short kiss, and your eyes flutter closed as the short moment felt like eternal bliss.

when you open them again, they trace over every detail of his face. you can see his eyes are doing the same, as well.

“i’m just happy you’re home,” you say.

🗒⋆ *. ୨୧⋆｡ taglist : @hatsukeii , @akaakeis ( beabadoobee - ers rise up !! )

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

Brazil is still weeks away from its traditional fire season, but hundreds of blazes, fanned by searing temperatures, are already laying waste to the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetlands, and to parts of the Amazon rainforest.

Scientists say the burning of such vast swaths of land may represent a new normal under rising global temperatures and uneven rain, making efforts to save some of the world’s most important ecosystems much harder.

There were more wildfires in Brazil’s share of the Pantanal, an enormous trove of biodiversity stretching across three countries, between January and June of this year than during the same period in any other year, according to the National Institute for Space Research, which has been tracking fires in Brazil since 1998.

The highest number of fires in at least two decades was also recorded in the Amazon and in the Cerrado savanna, a patchwork of shrubs, grasslands and gnarled trees encompassing 1.2 million square miles in Brazil’s central and northeastern regions.

“It’s really worrying this early on,” said Ane Alencar, the science director at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute in Brazil. Fires at this scale, she said, do not usually occur until August or September, the peak fire months.

But extreme weather has caused fires recklessly ignited by people to quickly spread out of control, Dr. Alencar said, “creating the ideal conditions for any spark to become a wildfire.”

The Pantanal — parts of which are on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites — is more than 20 times the size of the Everglades. It sprawls across the borders dividing Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, with about 80 percent of it contained in Brazil.

This year’s fires have scorched about 5 percent of the Brazilian Pantanal, an area roughly the size of Phoenix. And experts say the wetlands may be on course for a fire season worse than the one in 2020, when enormous blazes burned a third of the Pantanal and killed some 17 million animals.

Hundreds of fires are also engulfing parts of the Amazon rainforest, a crucial buffer against climate change because it captures and stores huge amounts of heat-trapping gases. In May alone, flames engulfed nearly 500,000 acres of the Amazon, data shows.

[ptseti]

Both of these portraits were painted by Albert Eckhout in 1641... Albert Eckhout (c.1610–1665) was a Dutch portrait and still-life painter... He was among the first European artists to paint scenes from the so-called New World... He was in the entourage of the Dutch governor-general of Brazil, Johan Maurits, Prince of Nassau-Siegen, who took him to Dutch Brazil to have him record the country's landscape, inhabitants, flora and fauna... Eckhout focused on the people, plants and animals of the region when arriving in Dutch Brazil... He painted eight life-size ethnographic representations of Brazil's inhabitants... Albert Eckhout NEVER stepped foot in Africa ever in his life... The woman holds tropical Brazilian fruits… This portrait’s emphasis on fecundity and prosperity is reinforced by her cornucopia-like basket, which overflows with tropical fruit... In classical antiquity, the cornucopia, also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment... The landscape behind her is the port of Mauritstad (today's Recife) These people are the remnants of Abu Bakar, from when he sailed to the Americas in the 1300’s… #Africa

[natycupcak3]

NatyCupcake's Tumblr Blog's very long "about me"

Hello all beings from Tumblr! I am Naty. I am 18 years old as of the date I am writing this. My pronouns are they/she, plus a list of neos I've yet to decide on... I am Brazilian, therefore English isn't my first language. I identify as a transgender non-binary xenogender person! (if you do not know what xenogender is, click here.) I have created this blog mainly to interact with the Pop-Culture Pagan community that seemingly resides mainly in this site, as well as witches and pagans in general. I am a Poképagan, which means I am a Pagan that believes Pokémon spirits/deities exist in this world and we are available to work with them as spirits/deities in a pagan context. For example, at this moment I work with The Creation Trio (Arceus, Dialga and Palkia), Jirachi, Solgaleo, and soon Xerneas. I have an altar set for the five and I will add Xerneas as well to the altar whenever I have stuff for her. My Pokémon altar is made of the cards of said pokémon, dolls/figures of said pokémon, and crystals. For example, for Arceus I gave a Jade/Jadeite, inspired by the movie "Arceus and The Jewel of Life" where the Jewel of Life is, well, a Jade (at least as far as I can remember). Don't think I'll post pictures of my altar immediately in here, if i do... I'm just a bit scared bad stuff will be sent my way, I apologize :,) I am very much a baby witch, as well as in the broom closet. I am able to light some incense and do some stuff with candles from time to time, as well as some simple protection spells, but nothing else, pretty much. I would love to change that sometime though! I am very interested in tarot, even owning a pokémon themed tarot deck I bought from Etsy! I brushed it off telling my parents they were just normal pokémon cards. They don't seem to mind my altar either. So, I'm alright! Hehe Now, for non-spiritual stuff: I love to draw and listen to music! I am a furry artist and I've been in the fandom for around 9 years. My favorite music genres are J-Core, Speedcore, Drum n Bass, EDM, Vaporwave, etc. Basically just electronic music. I also really love anime, my favorite genre is magical girls/mahou shoujo! My favorites are Cardcaptor Sakura and the Precure franchise. My favorite Precure Seasons are Go! Princess, Mahou Tsukai, Smile, and Tropical Rouge. Something I should also mention is that I am a system and otherkin. I am a disordered system (OSDD-1a). Other mental stuff i have going on is autism, ADHD and BPD, so please do be patient with me! As for my otherkind (is that the correct conjugation? hehe) I am fictionkin and a therian. I have a ton of fictotypes, but my theriotype is a golden tiger. I can't remember the exact kind of tiger, but it's probably a siberian one. I will use singular and plural pronouns exchangeably, so do not correct me, please. For the serious stuff: DNI if syscourse participant, anti otherkin/therian, basic DNI (can't think of anything else to put in here... if in doubt, ask). I am planning on using this blog for digital altar stuff, as in reblog/post things of the pokémon deities i work with such as images/gifs, prayers, offerings, etc. Although if I don't post for a long time, don't worry! I simply forgot to post or don't have any energy to, and it snowballs until i completely forget about this app- but please don't worry! ... Well, if you do worry or just want to be friends, do add me on Discord! My username is the same i use everywhere (natycupcake). I am in there every day and I'd love to meet fellow pop-culture pagans or just people who want to be friends with me! :D That is all, people! Gods, that was long. Thanks for reading it all if you did! ;P Until we meet again~

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Brazilian Giant Cockroach - Blaberus giganteus

Moving into week two of insect exhibits at the Toronto Zoo, we now come to explore species of a more tropical variety. It will begin with this post and then 2 more to follow over the next few days. And so, behold a Cockroach colony featuring giants among their world! The stature of these Roaches make them among of the largest of their order. For comparison to another tropical specie, a majority of the adult specimens here are around the same length as the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (reportedly between 5-10cm), while some are even longer and certainly wider. Large as both species are, there are still larger Roaches out there such as those in the genus Megaloblatta (with 'mega' in the name, there's no contest), but today it's all about the Brazilian Giant Cockroaches. Some individuals here are likely to be longer than those I've seen in the ROM's insect exhibits. However, it's hard to judge without a ruler, and more importantly B. giganteus appears more dainty compared to its Madagascar relative, which appears more compact due to the lack of wings. On the subject of wings, the adults in the terrarium are all capable of flight. However, just because they can doesn't mean they have the inclination (it is a small, protected exhibit). Under most conditions, they are reported to be infrequent fliers, only doing so when necessary (for escape and dispersal potentially).

A quick judgment suggests that male Brazilian Giant Roaches are found to be airborne more as females are heavier. Regardless of age, weight or size, sprinting and scurrying is the best option for a Roach, and a flattened body allows an escape beneath a stone, log or into a crack in their environment. Young nymphs learn quickly how fast they can run and the only get better as they molt. I wished I could've glimpsed that among the individuals here, either from an adult or the wingless nymphs. There are many late instars of the latter affixed to their barky decorations, but if you examine closely there are smaller, trilobite-like nymphs hiding about. This begs the question on how many oothecas (egg cases, see the Mantis cases for reference) and fertilized females were and/or are around in this exhibit? Reason being that population dynamics and control are necessary in such a close environment, and once a B. giganteus female is fertilized by a male, she's set for life in terms of offspring! Looking at the undersides of the individuals here, there are likely to be more females in this exhibit (or maybe balanced, hard to tell) than males (males have additional styli appendages at the abdomen's tip), giving them something in common with the next insect I'll be sharing from the Toronto Zoo.

Since the insects belong to the Toronto Zoo, I’ve marked them with the Mantis icon. Pictures were taken August 27, 2023 at the Toronto Zoo with a Google Pixel 4. Please go and visit the animals (insects very much included)

[markhors-menagerie]

Golden-headed lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)

These striking tamarins live in tropical Brazilian forest. They eat a huge variety of foods, including leaves, fruits, and any small animals they can. They will apparently forage in the leaves of bromeliads, which a number of small treetop animals depend on for water and shelter.

[paperzombiie]

How is Nohreh doing?

he's... surviving(?) this is gonna be a long post bc i've been wanting to talk about this so i apologise in advance fndjksnfjd

right now his story and the rp is on hiatus for numerous reasons but to summarize it:

-original rp discord group closed suddenly bc admins were antis, threw a hissy fit and didn't want anyone to have fun if it wasn't on their own extremely sanitized """moral""" terms (like, every time a character did anything wrong we had to clearly state we didn't support what they did... and other even worse things like that ugh)

-we (the users) made a new discord group to continue with the story as we pleased (hence the change from "azalea valley" to "rhododendron island". the tag is now called "rhodo island")

-we had a few rp events but eventually we all got busy with our jobs/uni so we had to make a pause

story wise, Nohreh has:

-found out Demian bit Coni on a full moon and went hiding from everyone

-went looking for him when he didn't reappear after a week and become closer after taking care of him

-had a period of "peace" until they uh... let's say they both fucked up and had sex again when they didn't even know what they wanted from each other. that put a strain on their friendship, Demian refused to talk to him but only bc he was so afraid and anxious (he doesn't hook up with the same person twice to avoid getting attached and this went against all his own internal set of rules), Nohreh thought he was mad at him, communication issues ensue

-they finally talked about it (or at least tried to) and both concluded they needed a bit of time away from each other to think but agreed to talk about it again after some time passed

-Nohreh took that opportunity to go to the sea and finally dare to search for his grandpa following a lead he obtained a while ago

-not only he did find him but he also found his grandma! they were both alive living in a mermaid city but grandpa couldn't go back to the surface due to a curse. his grandma was actually the mermaid witch who lifted the seal that suppressed his mer self from birth on this comic (she's the one saying "welcome back")

-spent some time with them catching up and learned a bit of his own family history, along with the reason they decided to stop living as mermaids and forget the rest of the family (said reason is still a WIP, sorry 💦 let's say it was just good ol' family drama with a mix of magic in it)

-came back to the island and reunited with his friends and Demian. they talked, agreed to take things slow and take care of each other

-had a halloween party organized by the villagers and almost had a date night with Demian. as the island is located in the southern hemisphere that means it was summer storms season... a particularly bad tropical storm quickly developed on halloween night and plunged the whole island into chaos. lighting caused the lighthouse to malfunction and the electricity of the whole place went down for a couple of weeks. a dense fog seemingly undisturbed by the storm engulfed the town and strange things started to happen, with voices being heard at night and weird silhouettes seen stalking the villagers in the fog

-Nohreh and his friends had to go through a few chilling adventures to restore the power to the lighthouse and the island, and finally succeded! the fog disappeared and everything went to normal... or at least as normal as one can be after a strong tropical storm

-in the process he discovered the lighthouse acts as a guardian for the island that keeps the paranormal fog at bay. it's inhabited by a lady who's some kind of brazilian fairy whose name escapes me at the moment, the thing is, she controls electricity and provides the whole island with power

-he's helping rebuild a few places and trying to return to his normal life... but things feel different. dead animals keep washing ashore on the beaches and Fay has told him he had a premonition about a new danger lurking in the island after the storm awoke it...

aaaaand that's all i have for now lol

i suspect this is not the kind of answer you were expecting, maybe something with a little drawing on it but i honestly been too caught up with what's happening with my country so i apologise for the lack of drawings ;__; still, it fills me with immense joy to know someone still wants to know about Nohreh so, thank you for asking!!

[cremisino]

@epitaffia

❝"Ouaaaaghh!!" Diavolo yelps a litle too loud when the soles of his boots begin to slip across the mud. No-no-no-no, no! Oh, wait, thank fuck, it's okay. He manages to steady himself by grabbing on to the branch of a tree. He breathes a sigh of relief, and struggles to open up his umbrella again.

Curse this, this god-awful summer weather! Ilha dos Antigos is so damn humid normally, but summer is definitely the worst of it. The dirt footpaths became nothing but rivers of mud.

Dia likes having his walks in the dirt trails, to be amid the trees and tropical scenery, it's good for his health, and it's part of his routine.

But summer… summer meant rain and mud…

And he really did think he had a chance today in the early evening, because the sky was clear and it hadn't rained all day… Just an hour of reprieve in his favorite trail.

But then it began to pour. Because of course it did.

The trees had sheltered him from becoming too soaked, but he can't stay there forever. His glasses are littered with droplets, too. He wants to go home. He just wants to go hooome.

Dia finds safety under the leaves of the young Jequitibá tree, as he tries, once again, to make his shitty umbrella just work. "Plee-eeeeeease! Just… open up!" Diavolo begs, his Italian accent dripping in each syllable of his Brazilian Portuguese, as it often does when he's frustrated. He looks at his purply-pink umbrella a little desperate, but it doesn't seem like either his words nor his sad wet eyes had changed its mind.

Dia considers giving his friend a call, beg her to come pick him up, when he hears a loud thud from the woods.

Diavolo stills.

There hadn't been anyone on the trail with him, no other soul had been stupid enough to come… So… what could it be? A wild animal? Or... or a person?

His head begins to ache a little as his heartbeat quickened. He grips the base of his umbrella a little tighter, ready to use it as a weapon - and hoping it would not be necessary. He was so not fit for fighting, please. Please don't be anything dangerous. Please.

He takes one step forward, and winces at the wet noise of his boots on that damn god awful cursed fucking mud!

[primate-tournament]

Round 1, part 1, match 10: tamarins

Bearded emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator subgrisescens)

This tiny, tiny tamarin is found in the wet forests where Brazil and Peru border each other. They eat fruit, flowers, fungus, and tree sap- but they’re apparently too lazy to dig their own holes in trees, so they wait for a different species to do it for them. And, of course, they have those magnificent moustaches.

Golden-headed lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)

These striking tamarins live in tropical Brazilian forest. They eat a huge variety of foods, including leaves, fruits, and any small animals they can. They will apparently forage in the leaves of bromeliads, which a number of small treetop animals depend on for water and shelter.

[xtruss]

Severe Drought in the Amazon Reveals Millennia-Old Carvings

— The Millennia-Old Carvings Were Peviously Hidden Under Water.

— By Fernando Crispim and Edmar Barros | Associated Press | October 28, 2023

An archaeologist measures rock paintings at the Ponta das Lajes archaeological site, in the rural area of Manaus, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. The archaeological site was exposed following a drought in the Negro River, unveiling rock paintings that, according to archaeologists, date back between 1,000 and 2,000 years. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros) The Associated Press

MANAUS — The Negro River, the major tributary that runs through the Brazilian Amazon, has reached historic lows, revealing millennia-old carvings previously hidden under water.

The engravings deeply etched into the black rock along the riverbanks represent human faces, animals and other figures, and are thought to be 1,000 to 2,000 years old, archaeologists said.

“They allow us to understand the way of life of prehistoric populations,” Jaime de Santana Oliveira, an archaeologist with Brazil’s National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute, said.

The scientists think other rocks at the site were used to sharpen arrows and stone tools.

The Ponto das Lajes archaeological site is located in the rural area of Manaus, the largest city and capital of Amazonas state. From there, locals and tourists can observe the “Meeting of Waters,” which occurs when the dark, Coca-Cola-colored Negro River and the pale, clay-colored Solimoes River converge without merging and run parallel to each other over several miles.

The petroglyphs first were spotted in 2010, when another bad drought struck the region, but had not been observable since then before the current drought.

Low river levels in Amazonas have turned once navigable rivers into endless sand banks and mud, leaving hundreds of communities isolated. Public authorities have scrambled to get food and water to those communities in recent weeks.

Earlier this week, The Associated Press observed the delivery of basic goods. Boats had to dock miles away, forcing residents, most of them small farmers and fishermen, to walk long distances.

Manaus and other nearby cities are experiencing high temperatures and heavy smoke from fires set for deforestation and pasture clearance. The drought is also the likely cause of dozens of river dolphin deaths in Tefe Lake, near the Amazon River.

Dry spells are part of the Amazon’s cyclical weather pattern, usually from May to October. This season’s drought has been fiercer than usual due to two climate phenomena: the warming of northern tropical Atlantic Ocean waters and El Niño — the warming of surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific region.