katbananassillyzoo - Tumblr blog

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Bearded Reedling - Panurus biarmicus

A nickname for this bird is 'bearded tit' (lol)

They are the only currently known bird species in the Panuridae family

Male bird's 'moustaches' usually determine their dominance within a group

Typically female bearded reedlings prefer partners with longer tails

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearded_reedling#Conservation_status

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Feather Star - Crinoid

Crinoids that lose their stalks become feather stars. Those that keep their stalks become sea lilies.

Feather stars have a tiny set of legs (cirri) that they can use to attach themselves to rocks

They are related to sea stars and sea urchins

There are more than 600 different species of Crinoid

Source: https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/creatura-blog/2017/08/feather-stars/

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Sea Bunny - Jorunna parva

They eat toxic sponges, which contain toxins that can be used in cancer treatments (This means they're also toxic themselves, so don't try to touch them if you ever encounter one)

The fur-like texture of these creatures are called "papillae", which are used for sensory functions

They come in three colors: white, yellow, and green.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorunna_parva

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Sea squirt - Ascidiacea

Picture above is of baby sea squirts. I chose this one because they look like the souls of the damned screaming in agony.

Some sea squirts like to live on the backs of large crabs

Their larvae are free swimmers, but when they grow up, they become mostly sessile.

Sea squirts are comprised of zooids. Each one is their own individual, and when budding, some split off to become independent.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/animal/sea-squirt

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Jerboa - Scarturus tetradactylus

Most of their movement involves hopping, as you'd most likely guess from their kangaroo-like legs

Ear length varies from type of jerboa, from extremely long like a rabbits, to short like a mouse

They create four different type of burrows depending on the time of day and the season. They have two burrows for Summer and Winter, one for hunting at night, and one for hunting during the day

Though they tend to be solitary, they can group up and create a community burrow to keep warm

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerboa

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Bee fly - Bombyliidae

Bee flies are docile, meaning they don't sting or bite.

Young adult bee flies are considered to be parasitic, often producing larvae that can kill a host by infesting their nests and eating the young. Their hosts consist of bees, wasps, grasshoppers, ants, caterpillars moths, and beetles.

Female bee flies protect their eggs by scooping up and covering them with gravel and sand. This camouflages the eggs.

Source: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/bee-flies-cute-bee-mimic-with-a-dark-side.html

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Leaf Sheep Slug - Costasiella kuroshimae

They can perform photosynthesis due to their bodies retaining chloroplasts, typically from the algae they eat. This is called kleptoplasty.

They are extremely small, being smaller than an entire inch, or being only a few millimeters. (1/4-3/8 of an inch, 5-10 millimeters.)

They are native to Japan coasts.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costasiella_kuroshimae

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Rosy Maple Moth - Dryocampa rubicunda

They are the smallest type of silk moth

Hosts for their eggs are turkey oak trees, sugar maple trees, silver maple trees, and red maple trees

Their larvae are damaging to trees, but not considered to be pests

Source: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/rosy-maple-moth-dryocampa-rubicunda/#:~:text=Regardless%20of%20sex%2C%20the%20rosy,males%20are%20smaller%20than%20females.

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Butterfly Nudibranch - Cyerce Elegans

It uses its bright colors as a defense mechanism against predators

They feed off of algae

Butterfly nudibranchs are a type of sea slug

(Unfortunately, not much information is available about this animal. Looks neat though!)

Source: https://slugsite.us/bow/nudwk179.htm

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The African Rain Toad - Breviceps Fuscus

Only found in the South African coast

Unable to hop or swim due to their short, stubby legs

One of their defense mechanisms is that they can puff up their bodies by filling it up with air to intimidate their predators, or to get themselves lodged in their burrow to avoid getting pulled out by snakes

They can kill themselves accidentally by eating a cricket that's too big, which will clog up their intestines

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breviceps_fuscus

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The western blind snake - Rena Humilis

These are only found in the southwest territory of the United States and the North of Mexico.

They live underground, and infiltrate ant and termite nests to eat the larvae and pupae

Like other blind snakes, they are fluorescent under low frequency blacklight Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rena_humilis