#i was your spp!!!

[pitxroxas]

TSUGI NO GAKUSHOU WA

(Eichi SPP)

[windypuddle]

some things will probably never happen (izumi sena ballet routine to dernière danse by indila) but i can dream

[chrystalmaniac]

Weird Blue Girls only today!!!!! Slay!!!

[4giorno]

my boy is home 😭😭😭💖💕💖♡💖

[bogleech]

In theory, would an Endoparasite, given enough time co-evolving with its host, become an organelle or organ in time? Would that just transform it into a symbyote by definition instead? I ask this cause I've heard that's how eukaryote cells evolved (kinda, it's more like the smaller cells they absorbed did not get consumed instead)

Well, fun fact the word "symbiote" includes parasites anyway! It's a misconception that symbiote is the word for "the beneficial version." Symbiotes are any animals at all that depend on a deep relationship with another species, whether it means they help them out or they suck their blood all day and give them diseases! The helpful kind are just called "mutualistic symbiotes" and the detrimental kind are "parasitic symbiotes," but countless organisms blur those definitions in so many confusing ways that it's impossible to draw a line. For instance, we now know that many parasitic worms sequester so many toxic metals it must have always been of some benefit to their hosts, even before we started dumping more toxic metals into the food chain and have them working overtime these days:

That already feels a lot like the function of an organ! Kind of like how our bacterial biomes have been classified as "organs" too. But I know what you mean; a parasite becoming basically a permanent, attached part of what was once a host animal, passed directly to the host's offspring, just like a bigger version of where mitochondria came from. We don't know that that's happened just yet, but there are parasitic worms that start colonizing animals as soon as they're developing in the womb, and nearly all wild animal populations have a 100% constant presence of parasites their entire lives. So I think it's highly possible, really. Say a particular tapeworm mutated to where it's so good at that toxin absorption, it makes the host significantly healthier and stronger than its competitors? Then both creatures become that much more likely to pass on their genes together. Over many generations of this, if it proved beneficial enough, you could have a parasite that's barely recognizable as a tapeworm anymore, a sac of tissue that passes its larvae directly to the host's offspring, and the host's body could have even adapted designated places for these former parasites. They could totally look just like another natural organ until they were put under a microscope.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

I am all for creative sushi, but not when the creator doesn't fully understand the ingredients. A sushi restaurant in Montana served people sushi with raw and very undercooked morel (Morchella spp.) mushrooms on it. Over fifty people ended up sick with gastrointestinal upset, and two people actually died. Other restaurants that served the same batch of morels, fully cooked, had no such issues, and there was no evidence that there was any mishandling of the morels that could have caused a bacterial or other contamination. So it's pretty clear that the raw morels themselves were to blame.

Yes, there are a few wild mushroom species you can eat raw, and only in small amounts). No, Morchella are not among them. Morels have a toxin in them that's neutralized by cooking; Paul Stamets theorized that it's hydrazine, but no one has been able to isolate hydrazine in a morel yet so that's not a done deal. Whatever it is, there's enough of it that it tends to give people nasty gastrointestinal upset when they eat raw morels, even in small quantities. This is the first I've heard of people dying from it.

It's not the only time I've heard of people dying from consuming a commonly-considered-edible mushroom, though. There were two separate incidents--2004 and 2009--in which several people who ate angel wing mushrooms (Pleurocybella porrigens) died of encephalopathy. Now, it did turn out that most of the people sickened had pre-existing liver and/or kidney issues. And a 2011 study identified an unstable amino acid, now named Pleurocybellaziridine, as the possible fatal factor that was found in large quantities in angel wings. It could be that the culprits were flushes of these mushrooms with abnormally high amounts of Pleurocybellaziridine. But you can't tell how much of a given metabolite a given mushroom has just by looking at it, and so that raises enough of an alarm for me personally that as a forager I just put angel wings on the "do not eat" list.

Will I continue to eat morels? Yes. The toxicity associated with raw morels has been known for a long time, and there have been no recorded issues with thoroughly cooked morels (the angel wings were also cooked, meaning the toxin is not thermolabile.) And as mentioned before, almost any edible wild mushroom is going to give you gastrointestinal issues if you eat it raw. The mushrooms you get at the store are a weird outlier that can be safely eaten raw. And by the way, button mushrooms, criminis, and portobellos are all the same species--Agaricus bisporus--at different stages of development.

This is why I emphasize in my foraging classes that you should always cook your wild mushrooms thoroughly, and if you're trying a new species for the first time only eat a small amount and then wait a few days to make sure you don't have any reactions. As the saying goes, there are old mushroom hunters and there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters.

[herpsandbirds]

ID for this big friend we found in the back of our school? A friend said it was an "Eye Click Beetle", but I think I misheard, and would like a second opinion

Found in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, if location helps. They were at least 2 inches long.

Thanks!

Your friend is an entomology expert!

Yes, this is the Eastern Eyed Click Beetle (Alaus oculatus), family Elateridae.

Alaus oculatus - Wikipedia

click beetles - Alaus spp. (ufl.edu)

Species Alaus oculatus - Eyed Click Beetle - BugGuide.Net

[zweiginator]

boy best friend patrick constantly trying to hit on reader but she is SPP oblivious ab it and will do things that make ppl think they’re a couple but then she’ll be like ‘oh no this is my friend!!! if ur single u should check him out’ and like she’ll let him lead her by the small of her back when they’re out and in private put her legs on his or do his makeup on his lap and STILL doesn’t think it’s weird!!!!

oh he is sooo obsessed with you and you are just adamant about being super close friends with him!! of course you aren't dating; you've known each other since you were seven years old!! he has convinced you that it's normal to hold hands and for him to adjust your necklaces and share drinks and hold onto his arm during a scary movie.

patrick has gaslit himself into believing you're dating; it's easier than talking with you about it. ignorance is bliss for him. but god, it's getting harder. he tries to be more obvious about it. patrick kisses your forehead when you say goodbye to him and he ties your shoes for you and if you're at a party and a guy walks up to you, patrick is quick to grab you a drink and pull you in by the waist.

you're getting into ubers with some friends and sitting in patrick's lap when there is limited space. you give him head massages and peck him on the lips when he falls asleep on your lap, hugging you around the waist. patrick pretends to be asleep, but he always has this teeny, almost indiscernible smile that creeps upon his lips like a secret.

and your friends talk about it behind your backs.

"do they have sex?" one of them asks, after you and he have fallen asleep together on his bed.

another shakes his head. "no. and i'm just as confused about it as you are."

you and patrick get into huge fights when you try to set him up with one of your friends; it drives him crazy. Mostly because you're so fucking naive and oblivious and innocent, and he wants you so bad it makes him ache. he wants to corrupt you, but he doesn't want you to change.

"what's the big deal? i thought you liked her?" you ask. your friend had just texted patrick; you gave her his number.

"what gave you that impression?" he pulls you by your ankles. you are sitting with your legs draped across his lap; his fingers run up and down your shins.

"she is pretty. you like pretty girls, last time i checked." you lean forward, resting your elbows on your knees.

patrick boops your nose with his thumb and smiles at you. "hmm." he says. "you're right. she's just not really my type."

maybe he will tell you next week.

[cedar-glade]

More from the gravel bars and mudflats, a type of riparian ecosystem of the Little Miami pt 2

Mimulus ringens, previous post had the other common species in this, these pictures show just how much larger the peduncle is comparative.

In a patch of Korean hops lies an introduced naturalized species known as Galinsoga quadriradiata or the shaggy soldier. (on broken bar)

Phyla lanceolata, lance leaf fog fruit , If your from Ohio we call it Frog Fruit; a native species perfect for bioswale planting and riparian restoration. Great stabilizer.

^bottom pic from MN wildflower blog. via Peter M. Dziuk

in the mudflat, Plantago rugelii (fairly sure based off of red base) or the floppy red based broad leaf plantain. If you find a plantain in a mudflat, it usually is stick like or narrow leaved with really unique flower structure that is more bristly looking on average, these tend to be our natives, Heartleaf is more of a gravel scour and flat wet wood species. Much like heart leaf, rugel's also has a broadleaf compared to the rest of the wet loving species. The base of this plant were barely red and the flower morphology was very bristle like is why I think the ID is correct, plus the niche affiliation; with this said, the P. major is also a generalist and can have red when stressed by summer heat on it's petioles so it would of been better to go off of the bulb like base instead of the intuition while kabrewing on the Little Miami. The other way to tell is that the ovules stick more erect.

Alisma spp. or rather I think it's A. triviale is a common mudflat species that can take longer partial submersion but doesn't like extended turbulence. Heart leaved small flowered northern water plantain.

[felinefractious]

Thank you for sharing your opinion on sphynxes. I adore them dearly, but I can never imagine myself ever owning one because even the thought of caring for an animal who's doomed to live a life of discomfort just is too much for me. That being said, I'm curious if similar exist in breeds like Cornish and Devon rex? Does their coat affect their quality of life in anyway?

Also, let me bookend this by telling you how much I love your blog. You're very good at instilling curiosity.

They’re definitely more work than I’d be able to commit to but I also recognize I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the maintenance of a longhair cat. It’s important to know one’s limits when adopting or purchasing a pet!

Issues with yeast are definitely present in the Devon Rex breed… but I honestly can’t say how clinically significant is. The breed is not common where I am so I’ve only encountered 3 - 4 and one of them was from a low quality breeder and arrived with ringworm… so obviously not representative of a healthy cat.

I also don’t see Devon owners talking about dermatitis and ear problems with anywhere near the frequency I do Sphynx owners… which isn’t to say there isn’t a problem, or even that it isn’t being discussed! It just means I haven’t been exposed to much of it.

Carriage of Malassezia spp. yeasts in healthy and seborrhoeic Devon Rex cats

Cutaneous carriage of Malassezia species in healthy and seborrhoeic Sphynx cats and a comparison to carriage in Devon Rex cats

Prevalence of Malassezia spp. yeasts in feline nail folds: a cytological and mycological study

So ultimately I don’t have enough experience with Devon Rex’s to comment on how they compare to Sphynx… although I’m willing to bet actually having a coat does help.

As for the Cornish Rex… there doesn’t seem to be as much research. I have even less personal experience with Cornish Rex than I do with Devon, I think I’ve encountered… 1, maybe? And like the Devon I don’t see skin and ear issues widely discussed.

But what I did find seems suggestive that it’s not as much of an issue?

Carriage of Malassezia spp. yeasts in Cornish Rex, Devon Rex and Domestic short-haired cats: a cross-sectional survey

Malassezia pachydermatis and M nana predominate amongst the cutaneous mycobiota of Sphynx cats

I’m sorry I couldn’t provide a more definitive answer!

That’s probably the sweetest compliment I’ve ever gotten, thank you so much. I’m really glad you enjoy the blog!

[thenativetank]

VA Native Fish Hunting - 24

Today was a fun trip. I've been to this beach a number of times for glass hunting (successful) and for shark tooth hunting (not so successful), but not for dedicated fishing. I did find a couple of neat finds, which goes to show you it pays off to explore old places with a new eye.

Last hunt, I included a picture of some sea lettuce (Ulva spp) I found but thought it lacked some context on how it naturally looked since I had it above water level. Using some advice from a tumblr follower, I brought my acrylic holding container with me. Sea lettuce is SO COOL when submerged and thought it was worth including a picture here.

Lots more Glass Shrimp (Palaemon spp) here. By contrast with the sea lettuce, glass shrimp are harder to get photos of when submerged in their home (murky) water. Still. Neat critters.

This Skilletfish (Gobiesox strumosus) was washed up/deceased, sadly. But still interesting because a) it's my first time finding this species in this area of the river, and b) it being dead means I can show off their suction cup like belly.

A first for me! This American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) is the first specimen I've caught of this species. Around 5 or 6 inches long, it was absolutely restless looking for a way out - which reflects how eagerly they escape the home aquarium. They also are thought to live upwards of 80 years, so I hope this dude has a nice long life!

Fair enough, I was unsure if I would catch anything, so I found this inlet to the river I was fishing on and tossed in a few minnow traps. Might as well hedge your bets, right?

I caught a few Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) here, and unsurprising as they are among the most common species in this area. Freshwater? Brackish? Saltwater? You'll probably find some. But I love the mottling coloration on this fella - I think they are handsome in a subdued way.

More shrimps! A little easier to see here butttt still a little hard with stirred up silt.

I probably caught about 20 Mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) aross my traps. No exaggeration, some of my favorite native fishes in this area - especially for home use but I think they are pretty in general.

Most of the Mummichogs were smallish but this dude was a chonker. Mine at home are pushing 5 inches but at 3.5 or so, this killifish is still impressive. Love the slight teal coloration the big ones have sometimes.

Last find was this live Skilletfish! That coloration is fantastic, much better than the last few washed out ones I've come across. This guy more than any other catch today has tempted me to start up a native biotope tank. What a cool cat!

[pancake-moth]

How to Download Digital Witch Mayura

@lolmeowaj

First you have to download SSP, the program you can use to run her.

Once downloaded, attempt opening SSP by pressing the ssp.exe file

If it's running, this character should appear on the screen. Please make sure you don’t leave ssp in your downloads or you might get a fatal error and have to reinstall. I suggest just putting it on the computer itself.

Mayura Download

To change her to Mayura, download the RAR file from this site. Once downloaded, extract her files and put the "Mayura_v350" file into the "ghost" file of SPP. You can change the file name if you'd like.

Now, try running the program again and press Mayura in the "call ghost" section

Now, she should appear on screen. You can close the other ukagakas if you'd like.

Mayura English (Poor English, Though)

Go here and click on Mayura at the bottom, and then drag and drop the file onto Mayura on your desktop. It should show you a few options, and then she'll begin speaking english.

Mayura Outfits (Shells)

You can obtain most of her alternate outfits here. Just drag and drop the items and then go to "shells" and it should be added.

And that's mostly it!! You can download other Ukagaka from other archives online, just be careful what you download so you don't download any malware!! And here's other Ukagaka information from the archive here!

[srtruth]

It says: Turn Lactobacillus spp. into your favorite character. Don't forget to name it!

In bioreactor we got a bonus and of course I drew Mayuri. I forgot to name him 😭.

Lactobacillus Mayuritae

[willtheweaver]

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

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

Tropical rainforest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[theoccultmoon]

‧｡⋆ Dangerous Herbs to Watch Out For ⋆｡‧

As part of my journey into my craft, I’ve spent a lot of time diving into herbalism. When I started creating content, I knew this was a topic I wanted to explore deeply. And what better way to begin than by talking about some herbs we should steer clear of?   

Herbalism can be a beautiful and powerful part of spiritual practice, but it’s important to remember that not all plants are safe to use. To help you navigate this, here’s a list of some dangerous herbs, along with their common names, scientific names, and potential adverse effects. Some of these herbs can be dangerous not only when ingested but also through skin contact or inhalation, so always prioritize safety and respect when working! 🌿   

 ❀ Aconite 

 Other Common Names: Monkshood, Wolfsbane, Aconitum   

Scientific Name: Aconitum spp.   

 Adverse Effects: Heart palpitations and arrhythmias, hypotension, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, respiratory system paralysis, and death.   

[Notes] 

Toxic even if absorbed through the skin. Always use gloves when handling, and never ingest.   

❀ Areca Nut 

Other Common Names: Betel Nut   

Scientific Name: Areca catechu   

Adverse Effects: Worsening of mental health issues in people with existing psychiatric conditions. Can cause cancer in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach when chewed.   

 [Notes]  

Primarily dangerous when chewed or ingested. Avoid all oral use.   

❀ Lobelia  

Other Common Names: Asthma Weed, Pukeweed, Vomit Wort   

Scientific Name: Lobelia inflata  

Adverse Effects: Toxicity, rapid heartbeat, hypotension, coma, death.   

[Notes] 

Toxic if ingested, handling large amounts or inhaling powdered forms can also be harmful.   

❀ Atractylate   

Scientific Name: Atractylis gummifera  

Adverse Effects: Liver damage, nausea, vomiting, epigastric and abdominal pain, diarrhea, anxiety, headache, convulsions, often followed by coma.   

[Notes]  

Most risks come from ingestion. Avoid using this plant in any form.   

❀ Country Mallow   

Other Common Names: Heartleaf, Silky White Mallow   

Scientific Name: Sida cordifolia   

Adverse Effects: Heart attack, heart arrhythmia, stroke, death.   

[ Notes ]  

The stimulant properties can cause severe health issues if ingested or used in medicinal preparations.   

❀ Dan Shen   

Other Common Names: Red Sage, Chinese Sage, Tan Shen   

Scientific Name: Salvia miltiorrhiza   

Adverse Effects: Potentiates warfarin activity, leading to excessive anticoagulation and bleeding.   

[Notes]  

Hazardous when ingested, especially for those on blood-thinning medications.   

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! 🌟 I hope this list helps you stay safe as you explore the world of herbalism and incorporate it into your craft. Remember, knowledge is power, and approaching plants with respect and caution is key to unlocking their full potential. 

You can find more posts like this on my patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/dangerous-herbs-116405313?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to share them—I’d love to hear from you! Let’s keep learning and growing together. 🌿✨ 

[rederiswrites]

Took a walk down to the woods with the girl this morning, to clear the brain fog and check out the berry situation. I readily admit that most of the time I straight up forget how much is back there, but at least my timing was on point with regard to the berries--wineberries just beginning to pop:

and wild blackberries, for better or worse, are everywhere. Pretty sure now that that's the bramble growing in the field, too.

There were so many other things to see and learn, too.

It was good to revisit this magnificent grandfather maple that won my heart before we ever bought this place:

Those roots fill me with such reverence and awe.

If only I can think of it at the right time of year, next early spring I'll come out and collect Common Greenbrier shoots to eat. They're supposed to be tasty, and goodness knows the plants can take the knock:

Common Greenbrier is native and has wildlife value in addition to being humanly edible, but it's also aggressive and thorny, and tend to climb and overwhelm other plants. It's probably not gonna go away, though, so we may as well be friends as enemies. I have plenty of enemies already.

Like this:

Your basic bush honeysuckle. An invasive that accounts for maybe as much as 30-40% of my woods' undergrowth by itself. It's supposedly best treated in fall, when you can go through and cut it down before painting the stumps with herbicide. Given how difficult it is to even move through most areas in our woods, I'm sure we'll be repeating that process for years to come.

My id app says this is privet, probably Chinese, another invasive understory shrub. Cute, tho.

Same treatment as the bush honeysuckle I'm guessing.

On the upside, id app says this is native viburnum, maybe nannyberry:

Berries are edible and ripen in late fall, so I should put that on the calendar! Never had one before.

I forgot just how far this path in the woods ran, and how beautiful it is. My husband didn't--he's been faithfully mowing it to keep it clear. Otherwise, like the rest of the woods you can see, it would be entirely choked with underbrush.

Never saw this delicate beauty before, and only saw one today. App id says Stachys spp. , possibly Hairy Hedge-Nettle. Not a terribly elegant name for such a lovely flower. I'd love to encourage this one to thrive!

There was so much more to see, but Tumblr is cutting me off on photos. Ah well.