snorkled-orca

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I forgot I had to exist on tumblr so here is my old dnd character revamped

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Wallace’s Flying Frogs (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus), family Rhacophoridae, found in SE Asia

The species can use their extensive toe webbing to glide or parachute from trees, in their dense forest habitat.

photographs by Virescence and Rushenb 

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Mainland She Oak Skink (Cyclodomorphus michaeli), mother with pups, family Scincidae, eastern Australia

photograph by Ken Griffiths

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Rathbunaster californicus?

scientists: oh hey we found a new species of deep sea feather star, neat :)

the news: TERRIFYING and ALIEN creature with ONE THOUSAND ARMS discovered LURKING in the DEEP ABYSS of the sea

the public: omg im never swimming in the ocean again!!!

the animal:

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the "dire wolves are no longer extinct" stuff is gonna be the most annoyingly persistent science misinformation for the next decade at least

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I need people to understand that sometimes autism is just this

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Bugaboo Pocket released today on Steam! (Will be out on switch later 2025).

I’ve been excited about this game now for over a year! If you loved tamagatchi’s as a kid, you’ll love this game! You get to raise your very own digital pet insects, dress them up, and decorate their homes! 🐛

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bugtesting

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For you

Seeing how orcas eat penguins I am unsure what to think

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I imagine this is you after a long day of studying

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNd8HSgQQ/

The amount of water bottles I go through trying to drink away a headache is insane, Lem. My braincells have too much knowledge.

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“Oh boy, more photos,” is what this great barred frog [Mixophyes fasciolatus] is seemingly thinking. But it would be hard not to stop and take pictures of such a beautiful ground-dwelling frog, resting among the dry leaves of it’s rainforest home in Australia. These frogs have a very loud breeding call, and females kick their eggs onto the shores of their preferred water source, where they’ll be safe from aquatic predators until the next rainy day. Images by Nathan Litjens.

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This little fish is the longhorn cowfish or horned boxfish (Lactoria cornuta) which possess a poison called ostracitoxin. This toxin is ichthyotoxic (aka toxic to fish), as well as hemolytic (which means it destroys red blood cells). This toxin is not directly toxic to humans, so you can handle or eat them without concern, but they could wipe out an aquarium if not cared for properly.

A quick reminder that venom is injected (fangs, stinger, spines) and poison is absorbed, either through touch or trying to eat it, making the longhorn cowfish actually poisonous.

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TAKE A LOOK AT THIS THANG!!!

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNd86kmGV/

Yes, hello, I have indeed now looked at that thang.

That thang appears to be a tripod fish (Bathypterois grallator). They are deep sea fish notable for their elongated pelvic and caudal fins. These lengthy projections allow them to be propped at just the right height to capture prey drifting by, typically shrimp and other small animals. Individuals also have male and female reproductive organs, so they are capable of asexual reproduction if they do not come across another tripod fish.

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COD Ghosts OC

I've done it. I've finally done it.

Enough dramatics, here's the disclaimers:

Originally started as a joke that @gunnrblze made when I said I had no Ghosts OC. It sat in my head for months until it kept me up last night.

She and the others originate from South America, so technically their names should be in Spanish or another non-English language but I am painfully monolingual so their names can be chalked up to English translations.

As Ghosts is a fictional game occurring in an alternate universe, there will be information that does not match up with reality.

At the time of making this, melanistic orcas have been documented but have never been photographed so the portrayal may be inaccurate.

Anyways, onto the OC! (possibly the strangest COD Ghosts OC?)

Information:

Name: FA12, "Shade"

FA stands for "Federation Asset"

Species: Female Orcinus orca (Orca/Killer whale)

Notability: Rare occurrence of a melanistic orca, first photographed. Regular issue for the Federation.

Age: 24 years in 2027 (Born in 2003)

Allegiance: Not technically allied to anyone, but enemies to the Federation.

Expanded lore:

Born in 2003, FA12 -originally part of a J-pod matriline- stuck with her pod until her capture in 2007 and transport to an Venezuelan sea pen in South America. Other orcas from different pods were also added to the sea pen, in which they formed their own hierarchy.

With tensions quickly rising between countries, the belief that military marine mammals would be of use emerged, albeit this time in the use of orcas. Training was administered by the local military until the Federation formed in 2014, in which a small force was quickly given permission to operate.

However, this force was unbelieving of the use of the orcas as assets of any sort, resulting in the pod to be further neglected. The pod was already agitated with the sub-par care of the previous military, but the further deterioration developed aggressive behavior from the cetaceans. Noticing the frustration, members from the force sent to oversee the sea pen started leaving, believing that it was a lost cause.

When the war began in 2017, the structure of the sea pen had already began to crumble from the elements and disregard for repairs. The remaining soldiers stationed there were recalled to fight, leaving the orcas alone. It wasn't long before they, with the combination of the already-failing structure and some meddling from STALKER members "Grim" and "Torch", broke free from the pen and migrated into the open ocean after a decade of confinement.

Since their release, the pod has patrolled the ocean with a vengeful streak. They are able to differentiate Federation boats from others, and tend to interfere with or even sink these ships. There were no documented cases of orcas killing humans in the wild until this pod was released, almost as if the war that released them corresponded with their aggression.

"Shade" is the most rambunctious of her group, often leaving her pod and swimming for miles for even the chance to encounter a lone Federation ship. She may bump into a non-Federation ship for quick entertainment, but the Federation is where her rage is centered. This impulsive behavior has gotten her in trouble, with scars around her fluke a permanent reminder of the time she was caught in a snare in an attempt to stop her boat-sinking streak.

Many other scars and nicks linger on her body, but she will not quit until the Federation no longer dares to touch the waters of the sea.

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Alone

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Hi what is this https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNdR8S4BF/

Big fan, thanks

Hello, this is the Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) and it appears to be a juvenile as adults do not look so silly.

He lost of all his spoinky-ness, truly heartbreaking.

They are very silly youngsters, though. It is great to be a fan of marine life.

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https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNddrneaj/

Immediately thought of you

Orcas, having dorsal fins of 6+ feet, have the largest dorsal fins of all cetaceans :)

Individual orcas can also be identified depending on the size, shape, and any other features (scars, nicks/notches, bends) of their dorsal fins!

This is T137A, aka Jack! He's got two little notches in his fin.

This is J2 "Granny" and J1 "Ruffles" (Rest in peace to them both). Granny had a little notch halfway down her fin, while Ruffles' fin almost looks wavy.

This is NZ15, aka Corkscrew. His name is self-explanatory, as his dorsal fin is bent in multiple places. He travels with NZ44, aka Ragged Top as well as NZ16, who is named Nicky. Their dorsal fins are pictured below.

Port and Starboard are two notable examples of dorsal fin collapse in wild orcas, as almost all cases occur within captive orcas! Less than 1% of wild male orcas will experience collapse, while nearly all captive adult males and even some females will experience dorsal fin collapse.