#millipedes can live 7 years

[uncharismatic-fauna]

The King of All Birds

The Eurasian wren, also known as the northern wren or the winter wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) is found throughout Asia, most of Europe, and northern Africa; it has also been introduced into parts of North America. This bird can thrive in a variety of habitats, but prefer deciduous or coniferous forests with plenty of bushes and leaf cover.

The northern wren is on the small side, only 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long with a wingspan of 13–17 cm (5.1–6.7 in), and weighing at most about 10 g (0.35 oz). It is brown all over; darker on top, and mottled tan on the underside, wings, and tail. Males and females are nearly identical, but in the breeding season they can be distinguished by a brood patch on the females or a swollen cloaca in the males. T. troglodytes has several calls and songs, the most common of which is a "tic-tic-tic" sound.

Breeding season throughout Europe and Asia is in the spring and summer, from March to August. Males maintain a territory, reinforcing its boundaries with complex songs and building several nests to draw in females. When a female arrives, he gives her a tour of his territory and, if she's impressed, she allows him to mate. After this, she lays 5-7 eggs in one of the males' nests and proceeds to incubate them while he provides food. At about 15 days, the eggs hatch. Generally the young are cared for by the female, while the male seeks out another mate, but some monogamous males will stay with the nest until the chicks have fledged at about 16 days old. Winter wrens only live about 2 years old in the wild, though some individuals may live as long as 4 years.

The eurasian wren is active primarily during the day, and when not defending their territories or seeking out mates, they are foraging for insects. Their primary prey are moths, butterflies, millipedes, and larvae-- and, in riparian areas, aquatic invertebrates. Birds of prey like northern harriers are the primary predators of T. troglodytes adults, while nests are targets for crows, jays, and weasels.

Conservation status: Due to its large range and population size, the Eurasian wren is considered Least Concern by the IUCN. In fact, studies and monitoring programs indicate that the number of winter wrens is increasing.

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Photos

Ashley Bradford

Andy Wilson

Steve Garvie

Andreas Eichler

[pixelarthropods]

Hello! I saw you have an inbox for arthropod suggestions so here's mine: Typhochlaena seladonia.

Top left: "Brazilian jewel tarantula (Typhochlaena seladonia) is a species of aviculariine tarantula. They are found in Bahia and Sergipe, Brazil in rainforest parts. It is unique as an arboreal spider that constructs trapdoors in the bark of trees. Doesn't really like human contact much. They are generally more docile, although some individuals are particularly defensive."

Top middle: "Purple pink toe or purple tree tarantula (Avicularia purpurea) are mainly present in Ecuador in the Amazon Region. This species can be found in very different habitats, but frequently it is present in agricultural areas, especially in the field of grazing cattle. Sometimes it can be found in holes of walls of buildings or in the spaces below the roofs. They builds their nests primarily in hollows in the trees, sometimes in the vicinity of epiphytic plants. They eat mostly crickets, cockroaches, meal worms, waxworms and darkling beetles, but they also can catch small rodents."

Top right: "Trinidad dwarf tiger (Cyriocosmus elegans) is a New World Terrestrial Tarantula that comes from the tropical climates of Trinidad, Tobago and Venezuela. They are venomous. Also, due to being a such a small tarantula, females have an average lifespan of around 7 years while males tend to only live about 2 years."

Down left: Golden Brown Baboon Spider "Augacephalus breyeri is a species of harpactirine theraphosid spider, found in South Africa, Mozambique and Eswatini. They live in a hole that takes it between five to seven years to construct. They feed on a variety of small invertebrates such as beetles, grasshoppers, millipedes, cockroaches, crickets, and other spiders!"

Down right: "Gooty Sapphire Ornamental Tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica) also known as the peacock tarantula, is an Old World species of tarantula. This is the only blue species of the genus Poecilotheria. Like others in its genus it exhibits an intricate fractal-like pattern on the abdomen. The species' natural habitat is deciduous forest in Andhra Pradesh, in central southern India. They live in holes of tall trees where it makes asymmetric funnel webs. The primary prey consists of various flying insects."

Here's some more tarantula for you guys! Also from now on every species I make will have short description about em. Thank you for suggestion!

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - August 8-14

Like these weekly* compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon! (*sorry this one’s a day late, I had a family emergency)

1. Rio’s grassroots agroforestry sustains birds, bees & communities

“[Community-created and -maintained] agroforests have reshaped the urban landscape and now attract an array of fauna, from birds to bees and even fireflies, drawn by the diversity of plant life thriving on improved soils. Perhaps most importantly, the agroforests offer free food and medicines to residents in need, plus shade and educational opportunities for the whole community[….]”

2. First giant pandas from China in decades make their public debut in San Diego

(image source) “Tensions between the U.S. and China had temporarily paused the program known as "panda diplomacy" in which China loans its native animals to zoos around the world […] as a show of goodwill[….] But the presence of [the two pandas in San Diego] appears to show a mending of the diplomatic relationship, which Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to work toward in a meeting with President Biden last year. [… Gov. Newsom] called the giant pandas an example of how strong worldly partnerships can protect wildlife and their habitats[….]”

3. Good news for Europe's top economies as disposable income rises

“Poland experienced the largest increase in disposable income per capita, rising by 10.2% compared with a decrease of 2.7% in the last quarter of 2023. According to the OECD, this growth was "mainly driven by increases in employee compensation, social benefits other than in-kind transfers, and property income". […] In Germany, [household income per capita] rose by 1.4%, compared to just 0.1% in the previous quarter, partly driven by an increase in employee compensation.”

4. FDA approves nasal spray as first needle-free treatment for anaphylaxis

“The spray, which will be sold under the brand name Neffy, is seen as an alternative to EpiPen and other autoinjectors. […] “Some people, particularly children, may delay or avoid treatment due to fear of injections,” said Kelly Stone, an associate director at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, adding that the availability of the nasal spray may reduce barriers to rapid treatment.”

5. [Colin Farrell] is launching a foundation to support adult[s] who have an intellectual disability

““We want to take a good look at residential potential for families with young adults who are ready to go out into the world and have a greater sense of community and connection,” says the actor. […] "It’s really important for James and for all of our kids to feel like they are wanted, to feel like they’re part of the community. Not just out of charitable endeavors or being nice and doing the right thing, but out of a sincere desire to engage and learn about each other."”

6. The Berlin Zoo is hoping for more German-born giant pandas as scans confirm a pregnancy

“Giant pandas have difficulty breeding and births are particularly welcomed. There are about 1,800 pandas living in the wild in China and a few hundred in captivity worldwide. […] The zoo noted that female pandas are only capable of reproducing for about 72 hours per year.”

7. Arizona school district highlights the benefits of free lunch

“A study by the University of Washington found free meals at school help reduce hunger, reduce the stigma tied to free lunch, and can help reduce childhood obesity. [… A cafeteria worker] said since the school district began offering free lunch, they have seen a positive shift in the cafeteria culture, and students seem happier. […] In September of 2023, the USDA […] loosened up its application threshold for applicants, allowing an estimated 3,000 more school districts in high-need areas to participate in the [CEP] program.”

8. Gigantic millipede lost to science for 126 years rediscovered in remote Madagascan jungle

“A further 20 species 'lost' to science were rediscovered during the expedition, including three iridescent species of fish and several species of ant-like flower beetles.”

9. The climate law’s $8.8B in home energy rebates are starting to roll out

“New York and Wisconsin are the first to launch their long-awaited Inflation Reduction Act programs meant to deploy everything from heat pumps to insulation. […] Once deployed, the DOE estimates, the home energy rebates will help save consumers up to $1 billion in annual energy costs and support an estimated 50,000 U.S. jobs in construction, manufacturing, and other sectors. They’ll also help clean up buildings, one of the biggest sources of carbon pollution in the country.”

10. Advance in stem cell therapy: New technique for manipulating stem cells opens door to novel treatments

“Recently, a team of McGill researchers discovered that by stretching, bending and flattening the nuclei of stem cells to differing degrees, they could generate precisely targeted cells that they could direct to become either bone or fat cells. […] The first applications of this discovery are likely to involve bone regeneration, possibly relating to dental or cranio-facial repair[….]”

August 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[frostbitepandaaaaa]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

thanks for the tag @andorerso and @quarantineddreamer

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

weirdly enough.... exactly like B-- i was a young, weird little girl who wanted to live in Brian Jaques' world of Redwall so i wrote little stories of my own in that universe. shit, i could not have been older than 9 or 10. it just kind of sprouted from there.

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

published fics? six. (x files, game of thrones, mad max: fury road, star wars/rogue one/andor, avatar the last airbender, harry potter) unpublished? maybe three or four more than that.

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

when i started publishing fanfic... oh my god it's been like 19/20 years now.

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

write. i go through phases, of course, but i am such a picky bitch. my phases usually end up like this:

step one) i read everything there is to read based on a certain niche trope that i am in the mood for at the time.

step two) wow! that was great. what a feast!

step three) ...okay i'm still hungry and these fics didn't quite scratch this very, very niche itch i have so--

step four) *chuckles* i'm in danger.

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

i feel like i've gotten a lot better at plotting and pacing. it's weird, because i never felt like that was really an issue for me before, but i've realized that until i started writing for rebelcaptain, i was heavily a 'vibes-based' writer. which i feel that i still am in many ways, but with rebelcaptain i am going back and resequencing, cutting/adding/shortening and deleting way more than i have in the past in order to maintain tension and pacing better. wether or not these things are actually improved is another matter altogether, but i feel like they are. (and is a big reason why all of my multi-chapters take forever........ sorry about that. it's me slicing and dicing my drafts). the world building aspect of Star Wars is also really cool-- wanna a certain setting? just fucking make it up! no one cares. and as a setting slut, i love this for me. <3

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

australian cattle stations.

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

i don't discriminate, but the comments that compare me to other works/creators (i've gotten Bronte, Justified, the Coen Brothers and others). those both make me so happy and so mad because how???? no way. not me. @justwandering-neverlost also left my favorite comment ever, before we were friends-- that i inspired her to be a better writer. and now look at us! she can't get rid of me! bet she regrets that. <3

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

me and my western/small/rundown town settings. you can pry that shit from my cold, dead hands. also... storms.

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

modern aus honestly. i start one in order to give myself reprieve from angst and plot and shit and all of a sudden i am having hours-long breakdowns about how this character would fit into this setting and how this character would react to this this thing in this time and all of a sudden the fluffy little modern au has grown 5000 legs and now is a hydratic millipede of hellish proportions that i have to methodically find a way to domesticate without cutting off more legs because two more grow in its place and--

10. What is the easiest type?

you want angst? pining? idiots in love? i got you.

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

i write anywhere-- on my phone in my car in between appointments at work. at my desk at home. on my couch. in the bar. in my bed. on the patio. i use ulysses. i love the formatting options and just the simple UI in general. it allows you to be as organized or unorganized as you want (very unorganized in my case). as to what time... i'm trying to get better about only finding writing strides at like... 11PM on Tuesdays but alas.

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

any historical au. i would love to do one cause i love research and world building and all that but... uh... see my complaints about modern aus above and you can see why i have avoided those. it's one of those 'i've never tried [insert addictive drug here] because i know that i would like it too much and it would ruin my life' sort of situations

13. What made you choose your username?

i was like 8 or 9 years old and wanted to get into a Harry Potter chatroom and everything i picked was 'already taken'. cue me just smashing two words together and never really looking back.

no pressure tags: @justwandering-neverlost @chipthekeeper @luciechat @fulcrumstardust @incognitajones

[indecentpause]

Super Rad!: A Playlist for Ezra Yazdi from Sheraton Academy.

if you weren't here back when I was doing word of the day posts and regular prompt fills, you might not know who this is! they are a character from far in the future when Danny and Akasha have kids. they are the youngest, with older twin siblings.

you don't really need to know anything about them or read any of my old stories, I just love their playlist and I wanted to share it lol

“They’re going to be hellions when they hit secondary school.” “They’re hellions now!” Akasha laughed. “Mum!” Ezra shouted from the living room. Akasha was about to call back when Ezra, Millie, and Lacey Faun all marched into the kitchen with their handmade signs, covered in paint and glue and glitter. This time, they read 7:00 bedtime? No way! Give us 9:00! and Mums and Dads get to go to bed late, why can’t we? Akasha bit her lip to keep from laughing. She didn’t want to encourage disobedience, but at the same time, she didn’t want to discourage them from conversation and letting their needs be known. Even if the earlier bedtime was better for them right now. Josselin put his sponge down on the counter and turned to the kids, stepping up beside Akasha. “Millie,” he signed. “You know we gave you a 7:00 bedtime for a reason. You get to stay up until 8:00 when you don’t have school the next day, right?” Millie wilted a little behind her sign. That was true. “It should be 9:00!” Ezra cried, stepping closer to Millie to offer support. “9:00, like the Mums and Dads!” Mille’s back straightened a little and she nodded. “9:00! 9:00!” Lacey Faun began to chant. Immediately Ezra joined in, and Millie stomped her feet in time. “Okay, that’s enough,” Akasha said. She took a step closer but didn’t try to take their signs. “If you go to bed at 9:00 you’ll be too tired for school in the morning, and you have to go to school.” “Why!?” Lacey Faun demanded. “Because kids need to learn new things every day, so they can be smart and open minded and ready for the world,” Akasha said. Ezra paused. That sounded right, but they didn’t think school really made anyone smart. It was just memorizing stuff for tests, and they said so. Akasha smiled fondly. “I know, love,” she said. “And we’re trying to get you into better classes. But in the meantime, you have to be patient.” “I don’t wanna!” Ezra wailed.

from this short word of the day story

Super Rad!: A Playlist

the narcissist cookbook - gendering teddy // she/her/hers - gender is boring // smash mouth - i just wanna see // mika - lollipop // kate mucci - happy song // the aquabats! - the shark fighter! // bowling for soup - today is gonna be a great day // aurelio voltaire - raised by bats // liam lynch - happy // you suck at cooking - french fries // weird al yankovic - hardware store // kitsch club - 12 foot home depot skeleton // relient k - the pirates who don't do anything // ninja sex party - release the kraken // the offspring feat. redman - original prankster // the aquabats! - super rad! // daniel thrasher - shiny object syndrome // weird al yankovic - i love rocky road // jonas brothers - year 3000 // be your own pet - food fight! // teagan and sara feat. the lonely island - everything is awesome!!! // miss papaya - pink dinosaur // tainted flavor - believe in yourself // jason steele - i am a millipede //pain - jabberjaw running underwater // keyes. - me want bite

listen on spotify

Ezra tag

Sheraton Academy tag

Current taglist: @abalonetea @only-book-lovers-left-alive @poore-choice-of-words @leadhelmetcosmonaut @jasperygrace

@drippingmoon @theoddcryptid @magic-is-something-we-create @winterandwords

@revenantlore @mr-orion @idreamonpaper @thelaughingstag

[pleistocene-pride]

Xenesthis immanis, better known as the Colombian lesser black tarantula, is a species of terrestrial bird spider endemic to the lowland rainforests, marshes, swamps, and cloud forests of Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru. Like many tarantulas these spiders will dig fairly spacious burrows which they may line with silk to stabilize the walls and improve structural integrity. Here they spend most of the day venturing out at night in search of prey: typically crickets, cockroaches, beetles, centipedes, millipedes, and other spiders as well as the occasional rodent, bat, lizard, snake, or small bird. They dispatch said prey using powerful chelicerae tipped with long chitinous fangs that can inject a mild venom. As previously mentioned the Colombian lesser black tarantula has a symbiotic relationship with the dotting humming frog. The two species frequently live together, with the tarantula sharing its food with the amphibian and protecting it from predators, whilst the frogs care for the tarantulas eggs and protect the spider and its burrow from various pests. Colombian lesser black tarantulas are also known to sport a similar relationship with the Bolivian Bleating Frog: Hamptophryne boliviana. In some cases a tarantula may share its burrow with both amphibian species. Reaching some 7 to 9 inches (17.78 to 22.86cms) in length, they are a relatively large species of spiders. Females sport a dark purple colored carapace with long black velvet legs and an abdomen is covered in long blondish setae hairs. Whilst males are smaller with a brighter purple colored carapace and legs and more redish setae hairs on the abdomen. They are equipped with urticating hairs on their abdomens which they can rub off into the air to deter would be predators. These bristles can be quite irritating especially if they get it the nose, mouth, or eyes. Mating typically occurs once a year, during which time a male will seek out a female. When they meet he will perform a series of signals to lull the female into a calm and aroused state, once she is receptive he will mate as quickly as possible and then flee. Unlike many other species of spiders Colombian lesser black tarantulas rarely eat there mate. After mating a female Colombian lesser black tarantula will lay 50 to 100 eggs in a silken egg sac which will hatch in six to eight weeks. The young spiderlings remain in the burrow for some time after hatching being guarded and cared for by there mother and her associated frogs. Under ideal conditions a Colombian lesser black tarantula may live up to 15 years.

[waywardwizzard]

Hi there :D

7, 13 and 28 for the "not from the US" ask game? if you don't mind, naturally <3

Hiii, thanks for the ask <3

And sorry it took me so long to answer🙈

7.) Three words from your native language you love the most.

At first I was like, this question is going to be so easy. But when I started answering it, I was like... shit. This is HARD. Because, the thing is where I'm from, you grow up borrowing words from the other 10+ languages sprinkled through out the country and after a while you forget which are actually part of your language. So, I'm going to cheat a little bit. I'm going to do 3 in my Native language (Afrikaans) and 3 that I love using that aren't part of it. So, in no particular order i present to you:

Native language (Afrikaans):

• Sonbesie. Literally/directly translates to sun beetle. I don't know why but I love this word so much.

• Spookasem. Directly translates to ghostbreath. It actually means candyfloss though. I love how it sounds so spooky in Afrikaans but it sounds so... cute in English.

• Nou-nou. It's Afrikaans for now-now. Why I love this word so much is that it doesn't necessarily mean now, it could be any time from between 5 minutes to a year. You don't know how long nou-nou is. You'll find out. Eventually.

Other languages:

• Thula. It means 'be quiet'. There's a lullaby called 'thula baba' that I grew up hearing and thula's been one of my favorite words ever since.

• Tokoloshe. A Tokoloshe is a dwarf-like water spirit that is mischievous/evil. I love the sh and t sounds of the word.

• Shongololo. In plain English, a millipede. I love the sound and look of the word. It looks like a shongololo.

13.) Does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

▪︎Kakelaars, a type of bird with a long tail and a red beak, (it's less commonly know as a green wood hoopoe in the part of the country where I'm from) are said to call the rain when they cackle. So far, the kakelaars that live in the trees across from us has never been wrong.

▪︎ Just before you enter Schoemanskloof, you'll see a statue that's probably painted in one way or another. That isn't a statue. That's a rock. And his name is Old Joe.

So far, Old Joe has been painted to look like a cat, the Virgin Mary, a soccer player and a Christmas minion to name a few. Most of the art work is done by an artist known as Ghost and every few months he'll give Old Joe a new appearance. It's almost become something of a tradition.

Also! It's believed that if you honk/wave at Old Joe as you drive by you'll have a safe journey through the gorge.

(If anyone wants to hear more about Old Joe/ see pictures please feel free to ask!)

▪︎ The clouds that can regularly be seen floating over Devil's Peak and Table Mountain aren't just clouds according to a local legend. They are actually clouds of smoke drifting across the peak/mountains due to a smoking match going on between a sea captain and the Devil up on the peak (it's also how Devil's Peak got its name.)

(If you want to hear more, let me know! I'm kind of embarrassingly into South African myths, legends and superstitions. It's a new obsession tbh😅)

There's a lot more but I don't want to bore anyone so I'm just going to stop here😂

28.) Does your country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? Do you have favorites?

We do! More dams than lakes but we have both. Oceans and forests too! My favorite? The mountains (and the forests, they're usually together.) Especially the Drakensberg mountains. They. Are. Beautiful. They also have cave art that is several thousands of years old. The hiking trails are also fun, especially when you reach the top, or find a hidden away river. Ohh, and ziplining! I love the actual ziplining and the hike back to the top. And the picturesque-ness of it all...

Yep, definitely the mountains.

Thank you so much for the ask <3

(If there are anymore questions, please ask, I love asks)

And because I took so long, here'a picture of Old Joe as a speed cop (credit goes to the og photographer) -

[dragonbleps]

Is there a reason modern Dal isn't afraid of birds? Different life experiences, or didn't feel right for him?

It's a bit of both, to be honest! I know in real life, phobias and fears don't need a reason to crop up, sometimes they just happen, but regardless, people with fears usually will give you a reason why they're afraid. For the others, I had reasons for their fears, but for Modern Dal I couldn't come up with one sufficient enough for my liking.

(The Elder Scrolls V) Dalamus Rex's fear of birds started out as a bit of a placeholder while I was filling out his bio sheet YEARS and years ago. Most people fear something, so I wanted there to be something mundane that could jostle him that'd show that he's not always the Badass Vampire he wants everyone to think he is 24/7. I had a friend who was afraid of birds because he didn't like the sounds of their wings flapping. Now Dal is afraid of birds.

Over time, I developed a reason for this fear: Cliffracers. TES Dal was born in Morrowind and has seen cliffracers (highly aggressive, flying, bird-like reptiles) harass and injure people. While birds are largely not aggressive in TES, Dal can't help but be unnerved by their similar mannerisms (jerky movements of the head, "beady" eyes, the sounds of wings buffeting). Doesn't help that birds have both beaks and claws.

(Final Fantasy XIV) Dalamus Sarangerel's fear of birds comes from many birds and bird-like creatures in FFXIV being not only huge, but sometimes hostile. There's also a large bird-like monster that I believe is battled as a coming-of-age thing for some Au Ra (although I can't for the life of me remember which creature it is or find the lore info on it anymore). When he traveled to Eorzea he discovered that the main method of transportation is Chocobos (sometimes called horse-birds) which are as tall as a horse and shaped like Terror Birds, so that was a shock.

(Baldur's Gate 3) Dalamus Strighym's fear of birds comes from having lived in the Underdark for his entire life. There aren't really birds in the Underdark, there are hostile creatures that hide on the ceilings of caves and tunnels and swoop down to attack. Then he leaves the Underdark and there's just.. sky??? Infinitely?? And things fly around in every direction and he's supposed to be okay with that??? So it's less that the birds are a danger and more like he's NOT happy about the space above him just being open and there's creatures that fly around up there unhindered. He also only has about a month of Above Ground experience so he doesn't quite know what's dangerous or not yet. Animals that fly with sharp beaks and claws? No thank you.

Compared to all that, it just didn't seem meaningful to give Modern Dal (Damon Rex) a fear of birds. The most he has to worry about is a pigeon wandering into his store. Worst-case scenario, the local Florida Man's pet cassowary has escaped (this vampire lives in the Sunshine State :'D), in which case he'll probably just stay inside and wait for the issue to be resolved.

For most other versions of Dal the fear of small birds is an extension of the fear for something else or something bigger and more dangerous, like how my fear of venomous centipedes made me fear harmless millipedes, too, for years. But for Modern Dal, birds are just birds. He can handle birds.

Thank you for the question!!! Thank you for enabling me to ramble about my lad hehe

[dramatic-shitpost-poet]

Bumblebee millipede

Enclosure:

Their enclosure should not have a heat mat, they need a temperature of 72-82 degrees F (room temp)

Day and night cycle needed

Enrichment goes along with the substrate and can be dead leaves, decaying wood, branches, live leaves, fruits and veggies, driftwood, 

Substrate needs to be a few inches (2-4) and needs to have a base component and a food component

Base component: coconut fiber is best and this layer makes up most of the substrate volume. It is used for burrowing

Food component: the top layer the millipede will eat from and needs to be replaced more often. Dead leaves, decaying hardwood, organic compost material or compost soil can all be used

their enclosure should be misted daily, so they can drink the water droplets

They need “medium humidity” (60-80%) which means misting their enclosure daily. Substrate always needs to be moist, not damp with dechlorinated water

They can be housed together or alone, but they might breed if housed together

Floor space is more important than height and suggested size is 3x the body width and 2x the body size in depth

Good ventilation must be present

Deep cleanings are not needed, but daily spot cleaning is

Diet/Feeding habits:

They typically eat decaying leaf matter and can survive on the food component layer of substrate

It is beneficial to provide supplemental foods such as dry dog or cat food pellets, powdered calcium or powdered baby formula (powder should be once every month max)

Vegetables are also beneficial: cucumber, chicory, carrots, celery, tomatoes, etc.

Fruits are beneficial too: watermelon, apples, pears, cantaloupe, oranges, and pumpkin

Refresh the food whenever it is gone or every 3 days

Age identification:

Lifespan is an average of 7 years

They reach maturity in about a year or 2

Physical Traits:

Adult size is about 2-4 inches long

They have black and yellow stripes with redish legs (4 per body segment)

Males have smaller legs if you look at the 7th section from their head

They can musk you with a toxic fluid and don’t ingest any of it because you won’t have a good time and it may burn your skin

They will curl up if threatened first

They will often have mites that clean them, it is not anything to worry about

Slow moving

They do molt 

Personality:

Docile

Low maintenance 

They love to burrow

Hardy 

They will musk you with a toxic fluid as a defensive mechanism

Never bites and would rather curl up

They are attracted to light

They bury themselves before and during their molts

Health concerns:

Don’t let them fall as it will cause fatal injury

If you use a heat mat it might burn them and cook them

If you handle them during a molt you could damage them as their new shell/skin is fresh and vulnerable 

Never use chemicals or soaps around them as it will kill them

Handling:

Wash hands before and after always

Gloves might be suggested

They do not like to be handled, so keep it to a minimum

Never handle during a molt 

Never handle more than 20 minutes every week

[goldpilot22]

i think my potted plant is dying and i kind of want to get a pet millipede, but i don't want a pet i can't take care of, and getting a pet animal is kind of a big commitment because like. that's an actual animal.

[piermanwalter]

MILLIPEDE INTERACTIONS

Pros of 7 inches of substrate: a good place for bugs to live without conflict.

Cons of 7 inches of substrate: I don’t know where anyone is now.

The primary purpose of getting isopods was to have something funny to look at so I am not tempted to disturb millipedes. The secondary purpose was to improve substrate quality. I could get springtails, but I fear they may infest my plants and plague my room since I fertilise them with substrate. I had to redo the enclosure again so the millipedes can safely live with them. 

Despite being much smaller, isopods seem smarter than millipedes, in the sense that they have much more varied responses to the same things, complex social interactions, and realise what is going on much faster. I have seen them peer pressure each other into making bad decisions. When I was moving everyone into the new enclosure, many isopods piled into the corners of the old container even though it’s an objectively bad place to be. As I picked them out one by one, an isopod was running around, hid under a leaf, and then left the leaf because there were no other isopods underneath it, then joined the pile of isopods in the corner where I was catching them. 

When an isopod comes across another isopod, they will communicate by tapping antenna for up to minutes. When millipedes run into each other, it takes them several seconds to recognise what is going on before either continuing to run each other over, freezing, or turning away. Several isopods will run in formation across the surface of the substrate before burrowing at the same time. I’m not sure if all of them are responding independently but identically to the same stimulus or if they are communicating on the move. 

Sometimes small isopods will ride on the backs of large isopods and it is very funny. 

The millipedes and isopods have very little interest in each other. The millipedes will either be on the top layer of substrate or buried very deep, and the isopods are in the middle. Sometimes Huge girl will fall asleep in isopod territory, which is frightening, but they don’t seem to care and she is unharmed.

I heard about isopods in terrariums getting overpopulated and outcompeting other species before eating all available food, attacking, and dying off, so I got a sundew plant to feed isopods to in event of a population explosion. I also put boiled egg whites and chicken bones to lure them away from other bugs and so I can catch them for the sundew. 

The sundew is currently doing a great job eating ambient fruit flies, but sometimes dries out. It gets better within a few hours even if I don’t do anything. How to maximise sundew mucus?

You can see the digestive system through the transparent bodies of orange isopods. I am pleased that there are many isopod color morphs the same as fancy shrimp, their fellow crustaceans. 

These are the kind of purchasing decisions I make when I can’t leave the house and haven’t bought new clothes in over a year.

[crushzone]

🎬 About Me

Original art of me and my fictional hubby, Ukai Keishin, by @achieve-the-sun​, posted with permission. 💕 

Hi there!

My name is Nin and I am the founder of Crushzone Cinema Theater. 📽 🍿 

🎬 THE BASICS

Age: 23

Birthday: December 24th

Pronoun: She/her

Education: Graduated with a dual degree in Film and Global History

Occupation: Is currently a film freelancer in the camera department, who desperately needs money to pay rent every month lol.

Likes: 

- The sound of rain tapping on my window

- Watching my plants rise and droop to the moving sun

- Cooking and experimenting with different cuisines; Japanese, Thai and Chinese are some of my favorites.

- Giving my husband and my cat their head rubs every night.

- Drawing, painting, and photography. (Here’s some of my works!)

- The feeling of accomplishment after you’ve gone through SO much for a project with your peers. To work on your own movie or short film, and finally seeing it done, is such a rewarding experience.

- To eat my Mac and Cheese with ketchup, nutritional yeast, and steamed broccoli. (Fight me lol. 🦖 )

- Eating chips with chopsticks.

- Medjool dates with a spoonful of crunchy peanut butter 😋 

-Wearing oversized clothes, especially hoodies.

- Sitting at my reading nook, with my cat next to me on the chair.

Dislikes: 

- The buzzing sound bees make when they fly.

- Slipping on my own chunk of hair on the ground; I have a lot of hair and I shed a lot.

- The heat, I may be from Thailand, but I am very much done with the blaring heat. One second I’ll look real cute with my face all done up, but the moment I step out, it’s already melting from my face.

- Going to sleep; there’s SO much more I could be doing right now!

- When my bangs desperately need a trim and is poking my eyes.

- Poor lighting, doesn’t matter if it is real life, just light it like you’re IN a film!! It’s so much more dramatic that way! (For real, come to my house, every corner is lit with some sort of a look/mood 😏)

- Loud noises; when people are yelling all the time, or something is loud, I get nervous when I can’t hear my own thoughts.

- People with bad attitude, a temper, or is just kind of mean in general. There is absolutely no excuse for you to be that way, and nothing productive comes out of it. Nuh-uh.

🎬 FUN FACTS

My parents hired a piano teacher when I was in elementary school, but because I didn’t enjoy her company (for some reason), I refused to absorb information. Little did I know, it would backfire me and would have absolutely no effect to her pay.

I’m that kid who always has 4 spare pencils and 5 erasers to lend out to my peers.

Will serenade to my cat every morning and night, so if you are ever my roommate, I apologize for my horrible singings.

Performed as a cave and pot in my high school production, and lemme tell ya, it is more difficult than it sounds.

Has no problem doing laundry in the morning, but the moment the sun falls, I will be too afraid to go down into my basement to do it. Some may say that it is an excuse for me to put laundry off for the next day, but I always tell my husband that there’s a “Babadook” in there. 👀

One time I stepped on a millipede, and I cried for 2 days because I felt really bad for it.

I’m actually VERY shy most of the times, so if you see me laughing a lot like a hyena, then it’s likely that it’s just me being awkward. OR I may just be having a good time, who knows.

I’m awful around kids, I am SO awkward and will stiff up like a rock (if you see me doing that, pls come safe me). One time this kid asked me why I laugh so much, so I simply just laughed some more while backing out of the room slowly. 🤦‍♀️ 

🎬 SOME FUN QUESTIONS!

What is something you wish you were gifted at doing?

I wish I could sing. My husband is a musician, and it looks like he’s having so much fun. There’s just something so freeing about it, as if it’s another language that takes time to become fluent in, but when you are, it’s so captivating and expressive. I don’t think I’m an awful singer, but is just too incredibly shy to sing in front of others. 

What is the first movie you remember seeing in theater?

It may had been Disney’s Dinosaur (2000), not sure. All I remember was that there were a bunch of dinosaurs on screen, may had even been 3D with those glasses.

At one point, a tiger jumped at the screen, and I started crying. My mom and brother wanted to finish the movie, so my dad had to sit outside with me, until it was over. It was chill tho, my dad was teaching me different dinosaur names. 👶 🦖 🦕 

What is the first thing you do when you get home?

Pants off, baby!! I don’t usually wear a bra, but if do, then I guess it’s bra’s off first. Then I instantly hop into my plaid boxer shorts hehee. 🤭 

What has been the hardest thing for you to face or learn?

That people go through different stages of their life at different paces, and that is totally okay. When I was younger, I would always overwork, and as a result, I don’t really have a lot of time for myself. I did that, mostly, because I wanted to get a head start at everything, especially at my career. Now that I am 23-24, and had just graduated from Class of 2019, I’ve been getting film gigs since I was a sophomore, and is now a full time freelancer. 

Yet, I was not satisfied, because I got to work with a 21 y/o in a position that was under her, and it made me feel momentarily incompetent; like I wasn’t doing well enough. But it will never be enough if that’s the mindset; I never considered that she skipped university and went straight into film, so circumstances were entirely different.

Meanwhile, there’s someone 10+ years older than me who is struggling to get the work I’d get, and that is okay too. What I should’ve done is feel happy for her, and use that to motivate myself to improve.  As long as I never give up, and continue to do my best with a good attitude, everything will be just fine.

If you could give your younger self any advice what would it be?

That it’s okay to take a break sometimes, live life a little, and cherish all the happiness, sadness, heartbreak, and struggles that you are going through right now. Every tear will make you stronger, and genuine every smile will eventually pull you through. 

Time goes by very quickly, and every stage in your life is a part of you, so make sure you remember how you get to where you are well.

Do you see the glass as half empty or half full?

Half full, just grateful that there’s any liquid in the glass at all, and is excited to acquire more with all the space I’ve got on top, ya know? 🤷‍♀️ 

What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?

That if you whistle at night, the ghosts will come find you. Or if you play hide and seek at night, then you’ve opened up some kind of portal that the ghosts will kidnap you away from this dimension forever.

Tbh, I think my grandma was just sick of me trying to learn how to whistle when I was in elementary school and of me running around the house at night, so she made these omen up lol.

What time do you usually get up in the morning?

Used to wake up at 13:00-14:00 all the time, but since I married an early bird, I’ve been up at 6:30-7:00 lately.

What time is your usual bed time?

Heeheee 1:00-2:00 in the morning, oops.

How has your birth order/characteristics of siblings affected you?

I have the loveliest older brother in the world, he’s 4 years older, and is very smart, diligent, athletic, and funny. Me being the only daughter, my parents are incredibly protective, so they’d always have my brother do everything for me. 

It was a relief when I was younger, but as I enter high school, it became a little frustrating; I felt like I was living under his shadows and can never be considered independent. They’d also spend a lot more time training with him cuz he’s a national competitive swimmer.

Because of that, I had a lot of time to myself, so I experimented with my own interests and grew in my own way. As I’ve grown, I can definitely say that it’s made me a lot more independent and introverted haha. I absolutely dislike depending on anyone (Will be my last resort), but it’s also nice to know that whenever either of us fall, we’ll always have each other’s back.

#tag games with Nin 🎮

Learn even more about me through various tag games I participated!✌️ 

#chats with Nin

My previous responses, rambles, vibe checks, and many more!

And please drop by my ask box and chit chat, I love interacting with you all! 👋 

>>> Back to Ticket Booth Navigation 🎟

[hopeshoodie]

List 10 facts about yourself, then put this in the ask box of 10 of your mutuals. Learn to know your mutuals ✨✨

🥰🥰 highkey the reason I made this side blog (aside from keeping fanfic in one place) was to make friends because irl no one wants to listen to me rant about a mobile app for two hour so now that I feel that's happened I 💖💕💞💖💗 yall are so spectacular

Ok so 1. I work as a paralegal in a real estate law firm. Ideally I'd like to save up to go to law school, but college absolutely wrecked my mental health and having an 8 to 5 is the kind of stability my autistic ass desperately needs. Plus I want to work in a field that's actually meaningful, like criminal defense, because right now I'm just helping rich people move their money around.

2. I desperately need a pet. When I was a teenager I had frogs/snakes/an axolotl/a giant African millipede/rhino beetles and I adored having things to care for. Now that I'm finally living on my own I could get a dog... But I'm so afraid that I'll have to move and not be able to bring them with me.

3. I have no taste in music. Like none. I'll listen to the same broadway soundtrack on repeat for days and be perfectly content. Right now I'm oscillating between Hadestown and The Band's Visit. Like sure I like hozier and willow smith and fleetwood mac but like... I dont really listen to actual music unless I'm with someone else.

4. I'm really hard pressed to think of things and I'm only at 4, oh shit. Lmao. Um I've had covid-19? Last month I was so sick I thought I was dying and went to the emergency room. It was the most pain I've ever been in and I had an ovary get so twisted for so long that it had to be removed. After a bunch of tests they found out I had an ear infection, corona, and lymes disease all at the same time. I'm doing fine now, but like....... my body was absolutely riddled with bacteria.

5. I'm teaching myself how to tattoo!! When I was in high school I really wanted to be a tattoo artist but my parents unequivocally said no. But now that I'm an Adult with Adult Money, I bought a few machines and have been working on fake skin and oranges to try and improve my technique. Once I'm happy with that I'm absolutely going to try and tattoo myself. I already have six pieces, but I feel like one I've done myself would be the most meaningful.

6. I really enjoy sewing and make a lot of the items in my closet (I'm just really into dark academia and masculine cottagecore and that stuff's hard to find in the right fabrics). This year I sewed a renaissance faire dress based off of Erika's blue dress from Barbie Princess and the Pauper, but then corona cancelled the ren faire lmao

7. Ummm.... I write stories for the app Episode? They're not great? But I grew up coding and their donacode system is super easy to pick up, plus you get to write dialouge and code the rest, which is perfect for me. I suck at writing non-dialouge and am good at photoshopping and coding so it balances out.

8. I dont really 'stan' celebrities, but I fucking adore Chris Fleming so much. Go on YouTube right now and look up his special 'Show Pig'. It's so funny. Also Keanu Reeves and Britney Spears are both really good people #FreeBritney

9. We can just get all of the statuses out of the way, right? Lmao I'm an autistic and depressed lesbian whose got plenty of trauma and grew up poor. It's not like that defines my life, but it lowkey kinda does? Like those things absolutely shape how I approach the world. Idk. I'm also a leftist who thinks America needs to nationalize healthcare and abolish the police so 🤷‍♀️ also the only good presidents the USA has ever had are Jimmy Carter and FDR and even then they had issues..... All of our presidents have been racists or immoral villains because we're a 🎶🎵fascist police state🎶🎵

10. I have a policy where if something really excites me to my core I do it. After being depressed for over a decade, anything that really gets me vibing is a good thing. And I haven't regretted a thing- it's had me getting a lot of tattoos and going a lot of cool places and do some risky but fun stuff. One of these things was last year I shaved my head. I'd wanted to do it since I was like 12 because I've always hated my hair (is it dysphoria? uh oh we don't have time to examine that) and so I did it and I loved it. I'm now in the process of growing it out only because I have a tattoo on the back of my neck that I'm tired of people asking about, so I basically have a mullet rn and it looks REAL boo boo the fool. But it's okay because I'm the ~~prettiest girl in the villa~~~ lmfao

This was super fun. Imma have to go through my mutuals and see who already did this, but thanks for tagging me 💖✨

[bitchesofostwick]

2020--20 facts!

thanks for tagging me, @star--nymph <3 tagging @reverienne @bluekaddis @sarenkascrawls @ginnyq @frecklef0x @chaotic-good-hawke

1. do you make your bed? haha no. not usually. unless i’m actually changing my bedding or expecting company.

2. what’s your favorite number? 6

3. what’s your job? i’m a managing editor! i work for an imprint of a major academic publisher. i manage two scientific research journals and oversee scheduling, copyediting, issue covers, etc.

4. if you could, would you go back to school? lmao no. i had a good experience overall getting my BA, but i have no respect for the higher education system in the united states. they charge exorbitant amounts of money for tuition so that they can buy more real estate to justify their fees. it’s awful. i mean in a perfect world i’d love to take film history courses somewhere for fun, but that’s really not in the cards.

5. can you parallel park? yes! i don’t drive much now that i live in a city and don’t need a car, but i keep in practice because a lot of my friends can’t parallel park, so when they visit me i have to park their cars in front of my house for them lmao.

6. a job you had which would surprise people? i was an assistant camp director one summer? which is mostly surprising because it’s not that i don’t like kids, but i’m kind of awkward with them and don’t usually know what to do with them for prolonged periods of time.

7. do you think aliens are real? yes. it’d be pretty dumb not to.

8. can you drive a manual car? not yet! but one of my friends has a manual and said he’d teach me sometime, so we’ll see.

9. what’s your guilty pleasure? snyder’s hot buffalo pretzel pieces. so garbage. so sodium. so good.

10. tattoos? not yettt, but i want one of a queen card with the queen of diamonds on one side and the queen of hearts on the other.

11. favorite color? maroon.

12. things people do that drive you crazy? when people just stop moving on sidewalks/stairs/escalators/other high-traffic pedestrian areas. like do you want to start a 20-person pileup or...?

13. any phobias? moths :(

14. favorite childhood sport? i don’t really recall having any enjoyable experiences playing sports when i was younger. but i loved (and still love) watching hockey and baseball.

15. do you talk to yourself? only if i’m playing games. and even then, i guess it’s more of me talking to the game than me talking to myself, really.

16. what movie do you adore? a lot!!!! is this a good time to plug my letterboxd lol?

17. do you like doing puzzles? i don’t dislike them? but i don’t really do them much.

18. favorite kind of music? alt/rock/indie. old country. some instrumental. idk.

19. tea or coffee? both!

20. the first thing you remember you wanted to be when you grew up? i literally can’t remember...i think i wanted to be an fbi agent at one point lmao yikes...

[pleistocene-pride]

Mephitis mephitis better known as the striped skunk, seganku, scangaresse, sheegawk, common skunk, Alaska sable, mahcah, guli, Hudsonian skunk, nool'-tsee-a, northern skunk, black-tailed skunk, and prairie polecat, is a species of skunk which is endemic to the United States, southern Canada, and northern mexico. Striped skunks are found in a variety of habitats including grasslands, scrublands, deserts, montane areas, riverine woodlands, forests, and agriculture lands. For the most part they nocturnal lead solitary lives but will come together to socialize, particularly during the breeding season, and in winter multiple skunks may share a den to hibernate. They are largely insectivores feeding upon grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, caterpillars, worms, arachnids, grubs, centipedes, millipedes, and bees, but are also known to eat crayfish, crabs, fish, amphibians, small reptiles, carrion, apples, berries, cherries, corn, nightshade, young rabbits, white-footed mice, voles, eggs, and bird chicks. Like all skunks, they possess a pair of highly developed musk-filled scent glands which can spray a noxious liquid, known for its irritating foul stench, considerable distances. Because of this formidable defensive capability, the striped skunk has few natural predators, however they are known to occasionally be eaten by particularly hungery or determined coyotes, bobcats, wolverines, badgers, foxes, cougars, golden eagles, bald eagles, and great horned owls. Reaching around 18 to 32 inches (46.5 to 81.5cms) in length and 1.5 to 13lbs (.7 to 6.3kgs) in weight, striped skunks are a stoutly-built, short-limbed animal with a small, conical head and a long, heavily furred tail. The feet are plantigrade with bare soles, with the forefeet having five long, curved claws adapted for digging, while those on the hind feet are shorter and straighter. The color patterns of the fur vary greatly, but generally consist of a black base with a white stripe extending from the head which divides along the shoulders, continuing along the flanks to the rump and tail. Some specimens have a white patch on the chest, while others bear white stripes on the outer surface of the front limbs. Brown and cream colored individuals are also known to occur. The striped skunk is polygamous with the breeding season occurring from mid February to mid april. During this time a striped skunks genitals will grow considerably in size with males testicles swelling up to 4 times there usual size. They typically form harems with one male breeding with several females. After a 59 to 77 day pregnancy mothers will give birth to 2 to 18 kits, which open there eyes at around 3 weeks of age, are weaned by 6 to 7 weeks, and set off on there own at around 2.5 to 3 months old. Under ideal conditions a striped skunk may reach sexual maturity at 10 months old and live up to 10 years.

[spacegate]

Pet Bug Lifespans

Hello friends! I’ve been asked how long do some insects live! This is an important factor when choosing a pet arthropod. They require as much commitment as a cat or a dog and you should not get a pet that you can’t see yourself caring for after a year. 

Please note that these are average numbers. Some species have sub species that can live longer or shorter lifespans. Obviously I cannot list every single subspecies, so it’s still up to you to look up the particular bug. I am giving out average estimates so you can make a decision if you are willing to spend that much time caring for a bug.

Remember, females tend to live longer than males.

SO! Let’s start off!

Short Lifespans

These species have rather short lifespans compared to other animals, rarely lasting a season or two. With care however, they can live a few months longer.

Mantids. - 9-12 months

Stick insects and Leaf insects - 1year

Jumping spiders - 10-12 months

Camel Spiders (Solifugae)  - 3 months (estimated)

Eastern Hercules beetle (adults) - 3 – 4 months

Please note that with Camel Spiders, it is currently unknown just how long they actually live for. This species does badly in captivity, and it’s unknown if they require some sort of unknown mineral or conditions required to have them thrive. They are perhaps one of the most sensitive species in the pet trade.

Intermediate Lifespans

These are arthropods that live a few years, much like pet mice and rats. In the wild they may only last a season or two, but in captivity with proper care, they can live well on an extra year or so.

Spiders - 1-3 years

Caterpillars/Moths/Butterflies - 1 year as larvae / 6 months -1 year as adults.

Hellgrammites/Dobsonfly larvae - 2-5 years as larvae / 1-2 weeks as adults

Assassin bugs - 1-2 years

Long Lifespans

These are species that live well up to a decade, which is quite old for little buggies. These are definitely insects that you must consider carefully before owning one, they require as much dedication as a rabbit.

Millipedes - 7-10 years

Blue Death Feigning Beetles - 7-8 years

Centipedes - 5-10 years

Whip spiders  -  8 years +

Ancient Lifespans

These species live well over a decade and beyond! Consider these like getting a dog or a cat!

Mealworms/Darkling beetles - 15 years

Female tarantulas - 20-40 years

Vinegaroon - Males - 10 years/Females - 20 years.

Arizona Desert hairy scorpion -  20 - 25 years

Helix pomatia snails - 15 - 25 years

Colony Lifespans

Colony insects thrive together and can reproduce like crazy. As long as you have the space and the food, the colonies can keep going for years and years. These are just the ages of how long an individual lives. Some of these species, like cockroaches, need buddies!

Ant Queens - 30 years / Workers - 1-3 years

Hissing cockroaches - 2-5 years

Death's Head Cockroach - 1 year

Slugs - 1 - 3 years

Isopods/pill bugs/rolly pollies - 2-5 years

Honey Queen Bee - 2-4 years / Workers - weeks to months depending on climate.

I hope this helps you guys decide on what is the best bug for you! :3