chimerarachnid

[chimerarachnid]

sorry boss can't come in today i was on my way to work and then a gentle spring breeze kissed my cheek and reminded me it is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world

[chimerarachnid]

Round 3 - Reptilia - Pelecaniformes

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our last order of waterbirds are the Pelecaniformes, comprised of the families Threskiornithidae (“ibises” and “spoonbills”), Ardeidae (“herons”), Scopidae (“Hamerkop”), Balaenicipitidae (“Shoebill”), and Pelecanidae (“pelicans”).

Pelecaniformes are mainly semi-aquatic birds that hunt on or near water, though some have adapted to forage in grasslands. They have large bills, long necks, and many have long legs for wading. Most have a bare throat patch, and their nostrils have evolved into dysfunctional slits, forcing them to breathe through their mouths. They also have a pectinate (comb-like) nail on their longest toe, which is used to brush out and separate their feathers. They are carnivorous, feeding on fish, squid, invertebrates, and other aquatic animals, with a variety of beak adaptations. They are distributed worldwide, except in Antarctica.

Most pelecaniformes are colonial nesters, sometimes in colonies formed of multiple species, usually in trees or on the ground near or above water. Hamerkops (image 3) are known for their huge, unique nests with a tunnel inside, while Shoebills (gif below) build floating nests. Pelecaniformes form monogamous pairs, at least for one breeding season. Generally, the male will bring sticks or other nesting material while the female builds the nest. In many herons, the male will begin to build the nest before pairing up with a female, and then the two will continue building the nest together after courtship. Clutch size varies between species. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks via regurgitation.

The pelecaniform lineages appear to have originated around the end of the Cretaceous, appearing to belong to a clade of "higher waterbirds" which also includes groups such as penguins and Procellariiformes. They split into their modern groups by the Late Eocene, around 37.17 million years ago.

Propaganda under the cut:

The African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) is so named for its role in Ancient Egyptian religion, where it was linked to the god Thoth, considered his living incarnation on Earth. The species was commonly mummified, and the birds were given different burials according to their status: as pets, offerings, or holy individuals. By 1850, the species was locally extinct in Egypt, though it is common in Africa and Asia, and has been introduced to Europe.

The Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) is a relative of the Sacred Ibis that is native to Australia. Pushed out of its wetland habitat by human development, the bird eventually adapted to urban environments on the East Coast of Australia. The bird’s preferred diet is aquatic invertebrates like crayfish and mussels, which it obtains by digging with its long bill, however, a loss of wetland habitat has led to the Australian White Ibis adapting its diet to include human food waste, earning it the nickname “Bin Chicken”. These native birds have also been observed eating the invasive Cane Toads (Rhinella marina), flicking them to make them secrete their poisonous toxin and then washing them off in water, something many other native carnivores have not figured out.

The Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) (image 4) is the only waterbird with primarily bright red coloration, which comes from Astaxanthin, a keto-carotenoid, derived from a diet of shrimp and other red shellfish. But unlike flamingos, Scarlet Ibises have a more varied diet, preferring scarabs and other ground beetles.

Likewise, the Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) gets its pink coloration from the same carotenoid as flamingos: canthaxanthin. Like other spoonbills, its spoon-shaped bill allows it to sift through water for crustaceans, bits of plant material, aquatic insects, mollusks, frogs, newts, and very small fish (such as minnows), that would be ignored by larger waders.

The critically endangered São Tomé Ibis (Bostrychia bocagei) is the smallest Threskiornithid, at 45 cm (1.5 ft) long and weighing 450 g (1 lb). The São Tomé Ibis only lives on the island of São Tomé, with 19 other species of endemic birds, 10 of which are threatened with extinction. Threats include overhunting and habitat loss, especially of the trees the ibis uses to roost and nest in. While conservation efforts are becoming more prominent on São Tomé in recent years, including the establishment of a National Park, no conservation plan has been enacted specifically to protect the tiny ibis.

Like the smallest Threskiornithid, the largest Threskiornithid, the Giant Ibis (Pseudibis gigantea) is also critically endangered. Adults are 102–106 cm (3.3–3.5 ft) long and weigh about 4.2 kg (9.3 lb). It lives mainly in Northern Cambodia, with a few birds possibly surviving in Southern Laos and Vietnam. Its primary threat is habitat loss due to the drainage of wetlands for cultivation and clear-cutting of forest for rubber, cassava, wood pulp, and teak plantations. Some conservation efforts have been undertaken, including protecting nests by the installation of metal belts that prevent predators from accessing them, but the protection of ideal habitat and the increasing human populations in Cambodia continues to be a challenge.

Some herons use their wings to frighten prey, attract it to shade, or reduce glare on the water. The most extreme example of this is exhibited by the Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca), which forms a full canopy with its wings over its body. The Black Heron creates shade with its wing canopy, attracting fish to what they think is shelter. This technique was documented on episode 5 of the BBC's The Life of Birds, and parodied by the "Nighttime Daytime" sketch from BBC's Walk on the Wild Side.

The largest species of heron is the Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath), which stands up to 152 cm (5 ft) tall.

Some species of heron, such as the Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), and Striated Heron (Butorides striata) have been documented using bait such as bread, seeds, insects, flowers, and leaves to lure fish to the surface. This is a type of tool used and considered a sign of greater intelligence.

Some ornithologists have reported observing female herons bonding with impotent males while seeking sexual gratification elsewhere.

In Buddhism, the heron symbolizes purity, transformation, and the wisdom of the Buddha. In addition, as a bird that transcends elements (earth, water, and air), the heron symbolizes the expansion of awareness and the ubiquity of consciousness.

The Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) (image 3) is most known for its enormous nests, which contain a tunnel into a breeding chamber. The nests can be more than 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) across, and strong enough to support a man's weight. The pair will start by making a platform of sticks held together with mud, then build walls and a domed roof. After completion, they may also add an odd collection of random items such as bones, hide, and human trash. Hamerkops are compulsive nest builders, constructing three to five nests per year whether they are breeding or not. Many other animals may use these nests, such as owls, snakes, genets, and other various birds. Weaver birds, starlings, and pigeons may also attach their nests to the outside of a Hamerkop nest.

The Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) (see gif above) cools its eggs by pouring water over them from its beak.

Shoebills are considered to be one of the five most desirable birds in Africa by birdwatchers. They move slowly, standing still for long periods of time, but are docile with humans and show no threatening behavior.

The Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is the largest pelican, and one of the heaviest flying birds in the world, with a body length of 1.6–1.8 m (5.2–5.9 ft), a wingspan typically ranging between 2.7 and 3.2 m (8.9–10.5 ft), and an average weight of about 11 kg (24 lb).

Pelicans have been persecuted by humans for their perceived competition for fish, despite the fact that their diet overlaps little with the species of fish caught by humans. Starting in the 1880s, American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) were clubbed and shot, their eggs and young were deliberately destroyed, and their feeding and nesting sites were degraded by water management schemes and wetland drainage. Even as late as the 21st century, an increase in the population of American White Pelicans in southeastern Idaho in the US was seen to threaten the recreational Cutthroat Trout (genus Oncorhynchus) fishery, leading to official attempts to reduce pelican numbers through systematic harassment and culling.

The pelican was one of the most popular symbols for Jesus Christ in the Middle Ages. The association was first made in the “Physiologus”, an Ancient Greek compilation of moralized animal lore written (probably around the year 200 AD) in Alexandria. The author claimed that a mother pelican would pierce her own chest to save her children from death, letting her blood spill over them. The legend may have arisen from pelicans preening their chests, or the appearance of a reddish tinge on the beak tip and/or breast of some pelicans, but zoological accuracy wasn’t really the point of these writings. Art depicting a pelican piercing her own breast in front of her chicks still exists in many churches dating back to the Middle Ages (though the pelican was an exotic bird that most 3rd century artists had never seen in person, so the “pelican-ness” of these depictions vary).

Pelecaniformes are vulnerable to disturbance at their breeding colonies by birdwatchers, photographers, and other curious visitors. Human presence alone can cause the birds to accidentally displace or destroy their eggs, leave hatchlings exposed to predators and adverse weather, or even abandon their colonies completely.

[chimerarachnid]

Helmut Moik: Dalmatian Pelican in the Danube Delta, Romania, 2003

[chimerarachnid]

Elegant golden jumping spider, Chrysilla lauta, Salticidae

Found in Southeast Asia

Photos 1-3 by rvp, 4-7 by chathuri_jayatissa, and 8 (for scale) by chungsiufung

[chimerarachnid]

Why is right-wing populism outmatching left-wing populism across the Globe?

It’s so much easier to make people feel afraid than it is to make them feel hopeful or safe or supported. Right wing populism preys on people’s fears and stokes pre-existing anxieties, while also providing an individual “strongman” that people can look to for resolution. Simple and effective.

If we look at left-wing policies or general ideological talking points, they require both:

an inherent empathy/sympathy for strangers and community alike

a strong persistence to work against pre-existing institutions/structures to achieve that which isn’t often simple

It requires more effort, more funding, and occasionally can’t be simplified into layman’s terms, which ostracizes those who can’t reach higher education. This, above all else, is what makes right-wing populist rhetoric so effective - it’s approachable. It doesn’t ask you to care for others (quite the opposite) outside of your own interests. It’s comforting to have a powerful leader who “isn’t afraid to speak the truth” or “tell it like it is”, when the preceding leaders have all spoken outside your comprehension and made you feel isolated from your country in their education, class, and/or status.

Really, right-wing populism is in vogue because it’s so much easier to understand and so much easier to exercise. It doesn’t ask for much - it certainly doesn’t ask for us to follow rules or facts. It’s chameleon, and its rhetoric shapes to what would reach the most people regardless of how plausible, reasonable, or respectable it is.

[chimerarachnid]

be soft

but be ready

[chimerarachnid]

i hate when you google a word and some fucking company comes up instead. Do you think you are more important than the english dictionary you piece of shit corporation

[chimerarachnid]

Just a busy, little furry friend very hard at work.

[chimerarachnid]

lil fuzzy orb weaver in southeast texas

[chimerarachnid]

Today, in honour of the death of Pope Francis, I would like to recall his tireless struggle to make my life worse.

Both the same-sex marriage and gender identity laws in Argentina passed while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, which is to say the most prominent religious figure in the country, and he fiercely opposed them (famously calling the former a plot by the devil to destroy God's plan).

As a transgender lesbian in Argentina, having legally changed my name and gender and being married to my wife, things that have made my life enormously better and would not have been possible if he'd had his way, I can only say this: fuck you, you piece of shit. We won, you lost.

The next pope will probably also be a terrible person, because that's a requirement for the job of head of the Catholic Church. May it fade into irrelevance in my lifetime.

[chimerarachnid]

I miss when I would get Tumblr asks that actually said things and weren't just digital panhandling scams.

[chimerarachnid]

[chimerarachnid]