#pests as pets

[ladycharles]

I think one thing that really sets rats apart for me, as pets, is that they have little grippy hands. You may think they are simple pests who make not good pets, but just imagine two little hands holding you while a tiny little animal tries to groom you out of affection.

It's cute if you're into that.

Song:

[bestanimal]

Round 2 - Arthropoda - Arachnida

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Arachnida is a highly diverse class, ranging from the Demodex mites living on you (yes, you) right now, to the Triassic-surviving horseshoe crabs (yes, a 2019 genetics-based analysis places them within Arachnida, though this is still debated), to your friendly pest-controlling house spider. They live worldwide, mainly on land, but some also in freshwater and marine environments. There are over 110,000 named species, with more being discovered every year. They comprise the Ricinulei (“Hooded Tickspiders”), Xiphosura (“Horseshoe Crabs”), Opiliones (“Harvestmen”), Solifugae (“Camel Spiders”), Acariformes (“Acariform Mites”), Parasitiformes (“Parasitiform Mites and Ticks”), Palpigradi (“Microwhip Scorpions”), Pseudoscorpiones (“Book Scorpions”), Scorpiones (“Scorpions”), Amblypygi (“Tailless Whip Scorpions”), Schizomida (“Short-tailed Whip Scorpions”), Uropygi (“Vinegaroons”), and Araneae (“Spiders”).

Adult arachnids have 8 legs attached to a head/thorax segment called the cephalothorax. Their abdomen contains their heart and respiratory organs. Arachnids also have two other pairs of appendages that vary in function between orders. The chelicerae are mainly used in feeding and defense. In spiders, they are used to deliver venom. The second pair, called pedipalps, are used for feeding, locomotion, defense, and/or reproduction. Scorpions, Pseudoscorpions, Ricinuleids, and Horseshoe Crabs have pedipalps that end in a pair of pinchers used for defense and manipulating food. Pseudoscorpions also have a venom gland in their pinchers which they use to immobilize prey. Vinegaroons, Schizomids, Amblypygids, and most Harvestmen have raptorial pedipalps that are used for capturing prey. Solifugids use their palps as another set of legs, and spiders use theirs like hands, while the males also use theirs for mating. Mites and ticks use their palps to sense their surroundings. Mites are more diverse than other arachnids, some only having 6 or even 4 legs. Adult females of Podapolipidae only have a single pair of legs. Some arachnids have a tail-like structure called a telson. Horseshoe Crabs use their telson to flip themselves over if they are turned on their backs. Scorpions use their telson as a stinger to deliver venom, while Palpigrades, Schizomids, and Vinegaroons use theirs as sensory structures. Schizomids and Vinegaroons can also produce acetic acid at the base of their telsons, which they use as a chemical defense sprayed at attackers. Instead of a telson, spiders have spinnerets on their abdomen which they use to create silk. Some have no eyes; some have up to six. Some only have very simple eyes which detect light and shadow, while others have very advanced eyesight.

Arachnids are so diverse that it would be impossible for me to provide a general summary of their behavior here. Some lay eggs, some bear live young. Some have intensive courtship rituals. In most, mothers provide parental care, but in some this falls on the fathers. They can be predators, scavengers, carnivores, omnivores, herbivores, parasites, and everything in between.

Arachnids are one of the oldest living Classes of land animals. Xiphosurans first appeared in the Late Ordovician, with modern horseshoe crabs appearing in the Carboniferous and becoming more common in the Triassic. The spider-like Order Uraraneida first appeared in the Permian, with true spiders appearing in the Carboniferous. There’s a lot of talk about how horseshoe crabs predate the dinosaurs, and that’s true, but so do other arachnids… and most other arthropods as well!

Propaganda under the cut:

While only Spiders, Scorpions, and Pseudoscorpions have venom, they all have different methods of injecting it, meaning they likely independently evolved venom. Which is wild to me.

Spiders tend to get a bad rap (mostly due to western media banking on arachnophobia and spreading misinformation) but they are incredibly beneficial to humans, eating many of the species we consider pests. Some crops, such as cranberries, tomatoes, and potatoes, rely on spiders for pest control. It has been found that wherever farmers release spiders, their crop yields increase, while also cutting down on the use of chemical pesticides by 80%.

There are around 50,000 species of spider and all but one family (Uloboridae) is venomous. However, this venom is mainly used to capture prey, and only 10 genera have venom considered medically significant to humans. Bites are rarer than the media would have you think, and deaths are even more rare, as they are usually a result of secondary infections, allergic reaction, or pre-existing conditions. You are more likely to die from a mosquito bite.

Even if they weren’t super important and helpful to humans, spiders are still just small animals living their lives and are all too often unfairly demonized. I’ll get off my soapbox now but listen… I’m Love Them. They are just little guys.

Anyway, Ricinuleids have a hood, called a cucullus, which can be raised or lowered over their head. This hood is also where females will carry their eggs until they hatch. Baby hoodie.

Horseshoe Crab blood is blue due to a copper-based respiratory pigment called hemocyanin. It is often harvested for its unique reactions to bacterial contamination and is thus used in FDA testing. Horseshoe Crab blood has saved millions of human lives, however, overharvesting for their blood as well as for fishing bait has put their populations into decline, which has in turn affected populations of shorebirds which depend on their eggs as migratory fuel. Many areas have enacted regulations on harvesting and established captive breeding programs.

Harvestmen are sometimes referred to as spiders, but they are actually closer related to scorpions!

Harvestmen are unique among arachnids for their high diversity of feeding behavior. Many species are omnivorous, eating small insects, fungi, and plants. Some species are scavengers. Some species feed on fecal matter! Unlike most other arachnids, they do not have sucking mouthparts, and instead chew their food with tiny pinching jaws.

Many arachnids, especially most scorpions, are biofluorescent, glowing under UV light. There are many hypotheses for why this is, but it may allow them to detect the presence of UV light themselves, letting them know when there is a full moon vs a new moon.

Scorpions can also detect light through sensors in their tail!

Scorpion claws and tails are reinforced with iron and nickel

Mites are incredibly diverse and live everywhere. Many live in the soil and aid in decomposing, some live in water, some live on plants, some live in plants and create galls, some eat fungi, some eat lichen, some eat carrion, some are predators, some are parasites. Almost every species on land (mammals, reptiles, ants, plants, etc) has at least one mite species associated with it.

Vinegaroon courtship rituals involve a dance that can last up to 12 hours of the female testing the male’s endurance. Female vinegaroons invest a lot into their children, often starving themselves in the process, so they must be absolutely certain the male has good fitness.

[asterwild]

There are three species commonly known as giant African land snails -- Lissachatina fulica, Achatina achatina, and Archachatina marginata. Although some popular photos of them online make them appear even larger than life, their title of "giant" is well-earned. All three regularly reach 7-8 inches in length, and larger specimens have been documented.

[blakesdoggo]

some regretevator dni banners ^^

[TW: BUGS!!] // credit needed: repost + like + my tumblr username //

[creativesparkz]

happy lesbian day 🙌

[starseedsrise]

Cats are the best pest control. Adopt a cat.

Meet the cats fighting Chicago’s rat problem:

[bug-looking]

Reblog if you love the unloveable

[healingpuppys]

can i request a stimboard of pest (from regretevator) maybe if u havent made one already? :3

pest from regretevator stimboard

art by: linked in middle row

📞🦷🐞 | 📞🦷🐞 | 📞🦷🐞

📞🦷🐞 | 📞🦷🐞 | 📞🦷🐞

📞🦷🐞 | 📞🦷🐞 | 📞🦷🐞

☆ Requests: Open ☆

[tytoalbion]

I feel like I’m going crazy every job in entomology is either pest control or I’m missing one super important piece of experience that qualifies me for it and I’m so!! Sick!! Of!! It!!

[wtfgaylittlezooid]

Him wants pets

[hallowshumour]

Pair of rom com griffins i designed for whatever reason.

🌟🐈‍⬛️🐆🔥

[gxlden-angels]

Controversial take but I'm much more comforted by the idea of a deity that makes mistakes and admits it than one that insists they're perfect and punishes anyone who says otherwise by sending them to be tortured

[care-puppy]

PartyBeetle moodboards 🕷🎉

[caitlynmeow]

Despite her daughters’ countless attempts, Alcina’s answer towards having any pet at home is “no”.

She tells her daughters that it’s a lot of work to look after a pet. She is busy with work and her three bug spawns, the maids are busy with their duties around the castle, and the three daughters are a tad too spoiled to actually care for a living being.

This is partially the truth. But there is another reason that she hasn’t disclosed to her daughters. Her babies are sensitive and they have a lot of feelings. Once they form an emotional bond with anything or anyone it is hard to break from it.

Pets die, short and simple. Whether it’s a cat or a dog, the poor creatures have a short lifespan and she knows that losing a beloved pet will devastate her daughters and she going to prevent this heartbreak from happening in the first place.

Of course, her daughters will not know about this fact. For now, she is content dealing with the occasional request and the puppy dog eyes that nearly sway her, but mama knows how to stand her ground.

[jonatinojueves]

[jagzii]

"Growing up, I was an unapologetic dog person. That remains true even today, but I’m more willing to admit that cats are pretty cool too. Sure, they’re mercurial and fiercely independent, but they’re warm, fuzzy, and cute, and after a certain point, that’s all that matters in the pet department. So, yes. Cats aren’t bad. But I’ve always wondered how we managed to get them out of the wild and into our homes in the first place. While we don’t have definitive answers to that question, archeologists have made some conjectures that attempt to answer it."

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