why-animals-do-the-thing

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Photos of the Day: flights of the aplomodo falcon

Artists creating derivative or transformative works (without AI) have blanket permission to use this and all photos in the repository as references, including works that will/may be sold.

The Animal Photo Reference Repository is an independent, permanently open-access project and funded entirely by donations, please consider contributing if you can!

**Patreon** -- **Ko-Fi**

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Why are animal facilities not named in repository photos?

Hey folk, let's talk about something important! All of the animals on the repository website are anonymous - but why?

The answer: to prevent AI hoaxes.

So here's the thing. "Escaped zoo animal" hoaxes have always been a popular pastime for a certain segment of the population. GenAI has made this way, way easier and much harder to identify as a hoax. Those hoaxes commonly occur after major disasters (or just when someone wants to cause chaos) and can be really dangerous if they divert resources from other critical things.

One of the best ways to identify hoax videos as AI gets increasingly more sophisticated is to actually know what a facility looks like, and which animals are currently living there. If someone wanted to cause harm using my site, and the site identified where/when photos were taken... it would make it easier to replicate a specific place, or a specific animal.

I can't stop people from scraping the site and using it for evil, but I can up the difficulty level.

Fuck GenAI.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

I was looking for a pic of a newt, took a wrong turn and ended up discovering Perenties. Absolutely delighted. What a creature !

They’re very lovely! Such cool lizards.

Unfortunately I don’t have newts on the site or in my files yet - the closest I have is a very blobby salamander. I will see if I can find some, although I don’t know what timeline that would be on.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

I was looking for a pic of a newt, took a wrong turn and ended up discovering Perenties. Absolutely delighted. What a creature !

They’re very lovely! Such cool lizards.

Unfortunately I don’t have newts on the site or in my files yet - the closest I have is a very blobby salamander. I will see if I can find some, although I don’t know what timeline that would be on.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

I agree with Derin here regarding it being voluntary on the cat’s part, but I can’t scroll by without dropping a comment that this still probably isn’t a good idea.

To be clear: I don’t think the cat is being abused in any way here, but seeing the way its neck extends with the rolling pin’s pressure makes my teeth hurt. Cats are bendy, yes, and they’d leave if it hurt, but spines are important and cervical spine damage can really fuck any animal up and is often permanent. It looks like the person here is applying a decent amount of force and I just… there have got to be better, safer ways to give the cat the same physical stimulation. Maybe use a pool noodle?

Tagging @talesfromtreatment here because I’d like a double-check on if this actually does possibly set the cat up for injury (in the specific context of a hard wooden rolling pin + firm pressure).

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Help pick the next new species for the site!

It's that time again: the time where my Patrons get to choose what species I focus on getting online next!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/pick-next-taxa-132209085

If you'd like to be part of the decision, it's an option available to folks pledging at the "show me all the cute animals" tier! You also get sneak peaks of upcoming species and exclusive access to cute videos.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

You may have heard that giraffe and their closest cousins, the okapi, can lick their own eyeballs.

Both species have got super long tongues and this makes sense in theory but... sometimes you have to see it how it actually works to believe it's a real behavior.

There's no grace involved. It's nothing like the ethereal, fae-like aesthetic these guys have most of the time. They just yeet their tongue backwards out of their mouth and bounce it off their face, repeatedly. It cracks me up every time I see it.

This is Sekele, at the Denver Zoo. Enjoy.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

New Taxa Added: Malayan Tapirs

And yes, this photoset includes the public debut of the internet's beloved plum princess, Ume.

Want to have input on the next species page created, or what animals are photographed for the site next? Join the Patreon! Artists creating derivative or transformative works (without AI) have blanket permission to use these and all photos in the repository as references, including works that will/may be sold. The Animal Photo Reference Repository is an independent, permanently open-access project and funded entirely by donations, please consider contributing if you can!**Patreon** -- **Ko-Fi**

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Was recently at a zoo where a man had his large service dog with him. The tiger at the tiger exhibit seemed like it wanted to kill the dog. It was pacing back and forth, following the dog alongside the exhibit. It looked agitated. The dog didn’t really react or do anything of note. The owner of the dog was loving this, bragging about how his dog wasn’t scared and trying to taunt the tiger further.

My question is: Do you think the tiger was stressed or enriched by this experience?

It's hard to tell if it was a negative without seeing it, but I can tell you that that's an inappropriate way to handle the tiger's reaction if you're bringing a service dog to a zoo.

To be really clear up front: I absolutely support service dog teams having equal access to zoos. But there are some constraints it is reasonable (and legal) for facilities to put on their access in order to protect the zoo animals. The most obvious one is excluding SDs from fence-less walk through exhibits for their safety and the safety of the collection animals. But part of the general rules for SD team access is that if an animal is agitated by the presence of your dog, you go somewhere else. This is very commonly a thing with large carnivores (and I know some zoos that prohibit dogs from those areas entirely because of it). It's important for SD teams to have access to zoos, but it's also important that they're respectful of the animals that live there too. Sometimes you just don't know if an animal is going to react or if your dog is going lose their mind over a stingray. What's important is how the handler chooses to deal with the situation.

As to whether it was enriching or stressful... if I'm being technical, it could be both at the same time. Stress over positive experiences (eustress) is still stress, and negative experiences are technically enriching (novel stimulus and experience). The best way to phrase the question is if the cat was distressed by the dog being there, and that I can't say without seeing the behavior myself and/or showing it to people with lots of years of tiger care experience. Regardless, if the tiger was having an outsized reaction the dog, moving along would have been the appropriate and respectful choice.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Photo of the Day: the meditation of an Australian walking stick

(Open this one in full if you're on mobile, this preview is lossy af).

Artists creating derivative or transformative works (without AI) have blanket permission to use this and all photos in the repository as references, including works that will/may be sold.

The Exotic Animal Photo Reference Repository is an independent, permanently open-access project and funded entirely by donations, please consider contributing if you can!

**Patreon** -- **Ko-Fi**

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

New Clade Added: Fish!!

Adding fish to the repository is only possible thanks to the generosity of the site's Patreon supporters and everyone who donated through Ko-Fi to fund a trip to a big aquarium in another state. You guys made this happen - thank you! - and there are many more fish species to come.

So without further ado, let's meet our new finned friends:

Arapaima:

Blue Rockfish:

Canary Rockfish:

Electric Eels:

Four-Eyed Fish:

Pacific Lampreys:

Red-Bellied Piranhas:

Wolf Eels:

Want to have input on the next species page created, or what animals are photographed for the site next? Join the Patreon!

Artists creating derivative or transformative works (without AI) have blanket permission to use these and all photos in the repository as references, including works that will/may be sold.

The Animal Photo Reference Repository is an independent, permanently open-access project and funded entirely by donations, please consider contributing if you can!

**Patreon** -- **Ko-Fi**

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

New Clade Added: Fish!!

Adding fish to the repository is only possible thanks to the generosity of the site's Patreon supporters and everyone who donated through Ko-Fi to fund a trip to a big aquarium in another state. You guys made this happen - thank you! - and there are many more fish species to come.

So without further ado, let's meet our new finned friends:

Arapaima:

Blue Rockfish:

Canary Rockfish:

Electric Eels:

Four-Eyed Fish:

Pacific Lampreys:

Red-Bellied Piranhas:

Wolf Eels:

Want to have input on the next species page created, or what animals are photographed for the site next? Join the Patreon!

Artists creating derivative or transformative works (without AI) have blanket permission to use these and all photos in the repository as references, including works that will/may be sold.

The Animal Photo Reference Repository is an independent, permanently open-access project and funded entirely by donations, please consider contributing if you can!

**Patreon** -- **Ko-Fi**

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Just a quick reminder...

The Animal Photo Reference Repository is a totally free-to-use and AI-free resource for all your animal art needs! However, it does cost money and time to run.

Please consider donating to support the repository if you're able! Funding goes towards the site and domain costs, gear rental, and travel to locations with new species.

If you can't afford to donate right now - which is real - please feel free to continue enjoying the references. They're here for everyone. If you'd like to help out, you can always tell people about the site or share the crowdfunding links!

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

As I’m setting up more of the site, I’m thinking about pages featuring poses or behaviors or comparative anatomy that might be useful. I’d like your input!

Here’s what I’ve got in mind already:

Juvenile animals (up already), elderly animals

“Portrait” pages with lots of faces/heads of the same species at the same angle, and/or the same across clades (e.g. all big cats, all canids)

Walk / run / fly cycles for different species

Loosely grouped poses for taxa (eg jumping, grooming)

Loosely grouped behaviors (social interaction, maternal?)

I’d like to hear from y’all what would be most useful to not have to dig through the giant species pages for.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

It is so crucial for folk to be aware of how much AI data pollution is contributing to the spread of misinformation. I'm adding some of the new Komodo photos from @animalphotorefs here as an excuse to re-boost it.

Komodo Dragon

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Now updated with another 100+ Komodo photos, because the more dragons, the better we can fight disinformation.

Komodo Dragon

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

As I’m setting up more of the site, I’m thinking about pages featuring poses or behaviors or comparative anatomy that might be useful. I’d like your input!

Here’s what I’ve got in mind already:

Juvenile animals (up already), elderly animals

“Portrait” pages with lots of faces/heads of the same species at the same angle, and/or the same across clades (e.g. all big cats, all canids)

Walk / run / fly cycles for different species

Loosely grouped poses for taxa (eg jumping, grooming)

Loosely grouped behaviors (social interaction, maternal?)

I’d like to hear from y’all what would be most useful to not have to dig through the giant species pages for.