#🎲

[emojiturtledaily]

Day 427: 🐢 & 🎲

Ko-Fi | Patreon

[oculocutaneous]

Natural Red Eyes in Animals

Recently I saw someone on here say that animals can’t naturally have red eyes. This is complete misinformation and I’d like to clear it up and provide sources to back it up.

Eye color is determined by variations in genes responsible for melanin production, storage, and transfer. These genes, usually located in the 15th chromosome, vary from one animal group to another. For example, in humans and some other mammals genes responsible for eye coloration are, mainly, OCA2 and HERC2. Genetic variations in those can lead to both reduced melanin and non-produced melanin, or albinism. Some other eye color tied genes in humans are ASIP, IRF4, SLC24A4, SLC24A5, SLC45A2. These genes aren't universal and while some of them apply to other mammals as well, some aren't present in anyone but humans.

Marsupials, insects, fish, birds, etc. have different genes responsible for their eye coloration. Some of these animals evolved and lost or acquired certain genes that helped them develop specific types of color vision and, thus, eye color as well. The mechanism behind eye color formation though remains the same: variations of specific genes create eye hue, which sometimes ends up being red due to evolutionary necessity.

In case of albinism, the types of it that affect the eyes are variants of oculocutaneous albinism OCA1 and OCA2. With albinism, lack of production of melanin leads to the iris becoming transparent, thus showing underlying blood vessels, which gives albino eyes, both in humans and other animals, their red hue. Depending on the degree to which albinism affects a human or animal the eye color can vary from pink to red. All humans and all animals have a chance of being born albino. It is most prominent in red-eyed rabbits, snakes, hedgehogs, mice, and so on.

Images above are examples of ocular red-eye albinism in a European hedgehog and a corn snake.

However, not all red-eyed animals are necessarily albino. The most prominent example of a red-eyed animal possessing such eyes without being albino is a red-eyed tree frog.

This is an example of startle coloration. Meaning these frogs use their big bright red eyes in order to scare away predators. When startled, they will reveal their bright orange feet as well as their eyes in order to avoid being attacked.

Same can be seen in a satanic leaf-tailed gecko.

Another evolutionary reason for natural red eyes to appear in animals is noctural lifestyle. Moonlight is mostly made up of blue spectrum light, meaning it needs to be nullified for the animals to see better. Yellow and red naturally help animals achieve that. Hence why many nocturnal animals will have yellow or red eyes.

These are nocturnals cat lemur and mouse lemor, both with outstanding red eyes.

Some animals have red eyes as a mechanism of display, or for attracting potential mates and diffirentiating between males and females.

Here are ornate box turtle and eastern box turtle: only males have red eyes. The bird is a black-necked grebe that uses its bright red eye to attract potential mates.

Some animals use red eyes in order to recognize each other in environment that makes it otherwise difficult. For some birds and fish it is a safe way of recognition and camouflage tecnhique as most mammals, except for humans, don't see red well or at all.

These are red-eyed tetras and red-eyed bass that use their red eyes to see each other better in murky greenish waters.

While this theory is still being discussed, it is assumed that red eyes in some cases help animals have a wider field of vision as red eyes reflect all colors but the shortest red wavelength, thus possibly letting these animals see more.

This is a red-tailed flesh fly. Its red eyes, though not at all precise, catch motion and form very well.

Lastly, some animals aren't born with red eyes but develop them after some time.

This is a red-eyed vireo that is born with brown eyes but develops its notorious red eye hue after its first winter.

There are more animals with red eyes that I can possibly include in one post. I will show some in the compiled image below.

Further reading and sources: x, x, x

[secretkeepersystem]

shoutout to cis guy and transfem/trans girl alters in afab bodies, and cis girl and transmasc/trans guy alters in amab bodies.

shoutout to alters whose body is transitioning in a different direction than they personally want,even/especially if they agreed to this on accounts that it would be more comfortable for many other alters.

shoutout to alters who don't have any inner-world agab or don't have a recognised one, and are possibly disconcerted by how the body is.

shoutout to alters who are intersex in the inner world with a perisex body, and shoutout to alters who are perisex in the inner world with an intersex body.

shoutout in general to alters whose inner-world agab doesn't match that of the body.

shoutout to every alter who has been told they can't exist due to the body's agab.

(note: alters claiming oppression that technically isn't possible based on the body's agab, etc. is a contentious issue and for reference it's probably best not to do it. however, please treat these alters and their identities with respect, and understand that systems cannot choose their alters and have no control over who they are.)

endos/pluralgang + pro endos please dni! (endo neutral systems are welcome to)

[nighttime-butterflies-sys]

*switches in*

Why the fuck are we wearing a DRESS

[bleedstatus]

i will continue to watch over you, even from afar… my precious person.

💒 — rentry ★彡 ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა my butch ʚ♡ɞ MASS LIKE/RB = OK! ♪ hc ☁️ bloglist 🎀 taglist

[dovey-arts]

hi latest Guys That I Think Kiss post

[ashisdeeplydisturbed]

they all like slaviccore but none of them would last a day in a slavic household let alone a slavic country

[drowninginabactatank]

Dice: Bloody Steel Venom - Oversized Metal Set from Imaginary Adventures. 🔪🩸

Results from a quick photoshoot of some of my fav chonky metal click clacks.

[aslitheryprinx]

i know it’s been. hours now but,, if you’re still taking the prompts? dragon, forest, hide,, mayhaps? if not,, feel free to ignore this dkdmdkdmd — 🎲

It's been a little longer than a few hours since I got this ask 😅 but yep, I'm still doing them! I've just got quite a few backed up so it's taking a bit to answer them all lol. I'll eventually get to them all, even if I work a bit slowly sometimes haha.

Good prompt! I think I might be taking it in a completely different direction than you imagined, but I hope you enjoy!

---

The forest was all Ranboo had ever known. Ever since he'd hatched from his egg- lost or maybe abandoned from the rest of the nest- and taken his first steps into the lush forest, it had been his home.

It was dangerous sometimes. There were plenty of predators that could hurt him very easily. He'd had a close call with a fox once that had him wary to get close to the large animals again.

Ranboo wondered if he'd ever get as big as a fox; or even the dreaded wolf. He'd never seen another dragon, but he had a gut instinct that they were supposed to be big and powerful. Maybe one day Ranboo would be big enough to scare the foxes away, and make the birds stop pecking at him.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to imagine a future where he grew as big as he wanted. Maybe even as big as the terrifying humans outside who were making awful noise as they tore apart his forest.

He was in his den, in his human-looking form. His ears weren't as powerful like this, but even with his hands pressed against his ears, the noise was excruciating.

Somehow, the noise got even louder, and the tree around him began to vibrate. Ranboo cried out as he realized they were destroying his tree! They couldn't do that, he still lived here!

Suddenly, the noise cut off, and the silence was almost more deafening than the human machines. Ranboo heard the muffled sound of voices. He hesitated, then slipped into his dragon form again and slipped out of his den.

His stomach churned at the sight of several humans towering above him, around his tree. None of them noticed him hidden in the grass.

When he looked back at his tree, he wanted to cry. A giant gouge bigger than he was had been carved through the trunk. Even if they didn't finish the job, there was no way his tree would survive for much longer. His home was gone, or would be soon.

"I won't let you!" one of the humans said, and he glanced back up. He blinked in surprise. He'd thought all the humans were gathered around his tree, destroying it, but he'd been mistaken. One human, smaller than the others, stood in front of Ranboo's tree with his arms crossed, almost like he was protecting it.

"Kid," one of the bigger humans said, sounding exasperated. "Just let us do our job."

"No!" The human said stubbornly. "Don't you see how big this tree is? It has to be so old! You can't kill something like that!"

Ranboo looked at the small human in awe. He didn't know humans could be… well anything other than mean and terrifying. But this one, even if he didn't know about Ranboo, was protecting his tree!

There was a slight bitter twist- if only he'd done this a little sooner, maybe the tree could be saved- but Ranboo tried not to think about that.

Suddenly, a chill went down Ranboo's scales. It felt like someone was watching him. He looked up, and squeaked as he met eyes with one of the big humans. They jumped, and he scurried forward, hiding himself in the undergrowth.

"Can we hurry this up? I think I saw a snake."

Oh no, oh no, Ranboo had to run, he had to hide. He'd humans kill snakes before; they'd stomp around until they found him and crush him with their giant shoes. He scurried through the grass looking for someplace to- there!

A bag lay on the ground, a few feet away from the smaller human. It was invitingly open, and Ranboo, heart fluttering like a hummingbird, scrambled inside.

In the back of the bag, dark and safe, his pulse started to slow down. He could still the humans, but he wasn't really paying attention. They were arguing, probably about his doomed tree.

The big humans must have said something to make the small one give up, because he huffed out an angry noise, and then he was picking up the bag.

Oh, Ranboo realized as he was jostled, still inside. How was he supposed to get out without the human seeing him if the human was holding the bag?

But the bag was dark and cozy, and it muffled the noise, and he was so sleepy. Getting out was a problem for future Ranboo to deal with. His eyes slipped shut, and he dozed off in the human's bag.

-----

Ranboo had woken up in less pleasant ways than a sudden rush of bright light and a loud noise. Still, he was in an unfamiliar place upon opening his eyes, and he did not like that at all. He stumbled to his feet, tail curling anxiously around him.

"What the fuck?" A voice said from above him.

He'd forgotten about the human.

Ranboo tensed, baring his teeth. One of the human's massive hands moved towards him and he hissed, jumping back. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest. He didn't have a hope of beating this human, even if it was a smaller one, but he would fight tooth and scale for a chance to survive.

Now, Ranboo's instincts were normally faster than a human's. But the haze of sleep was still making him dizzy and confused. When a hand shot out towards him at what seemed like lightning speed, all he could do was give a poorly aimed swipe of his claws before the human had grabbed him.

The hand wrapped around him, pinning his arms and legs to his torso. His tail lashed out, but his tail was still soft and not at all dangerous. The most he was doing was annoying the human.

He opened his mouth to bite the human's thumb, but before he could, two fingers pinched his mouth shut.

"None of that now," the human said sternly, and Ranboo whimpered. He couldn't move at all, the human had him completely trapped. There was nothing he could do… except, maybe Ranboo had one last chance.

He quickly shifted into his smaller form, slipping out of the hold. He only had a brief window of opportunity before the human readjusted, and he would make it count.

He opened his mouth, and bit the human's finger as hard as he could. There was a yelp, and he was free, the human dropping him on instinct.

Ranboo instantly realized the problem with his plan as he began to plummet towards the ground. He was now in human form with no wings, falling from a large height.

I may have miscalculated, he thought frantically as he tumbled down.

He hit the floor feet first, and his legs crumpled from beneath him with a sickening crack.

[drunkardsprayer]

[jadedvibes]

🎲 CYM as readers from your works

(optional bonus curiousity: what was your favourite work to write and which, if any, fought you the most? (or continues to fight you, really))

This is such a good question! I'll preface this by saying my moots are perfect, but my characters oftentimes are not. Lol but I'll still give it a go with my top 5 fics <3

Hearsay - @soldatsass

Yours - @sunshinebuckybarnes

Foolish Heart - @treatbuckywkisses

Warm Comforts - @musingsinmoonlight

Crossing the Line - @aquariusbarnes

Optional bonus ? below 🖤

As for my fav fic to write, it would have to be Yours. I remember writing that puppy and throwing in so much rando criminal procedure and thinking, There's no way anyone will be into this. But it's my most popular fic and the one I had the most fun with, go figure 😊 Fun fact: It was initially going to be totally different (with Bucky being an actual criminal) bc it was originally inspired by the song "Criminal" by Britney Spears. In my first draft Bucky even had a tattoo of "y/n" over his heart similar to the lyrics.

The fic that fought me the most was Crossing the Line. I started it in late March then abandoned it when realized I had no idea where to take it bc it's a hard line to balance w/ enemies to lovers. If the characters are too full of hate then there's no logical way to make them lovers in the end. But then I watched s2 of Bridgerton and realized you can make people hate each other for petty reasons, and that's how I finished that fic. I don't think it's my best, but that's mainly bc of how much I struggled with sorting out a storyline.

Blogiversary asks!

[oculocutaneous]

Your art isn't "bad" if you're unable to improve past a certain point.

Your art isn't "worse" compared to others if you struggle to understand proportions and anatomy, so you draw it in your own way.

Your art isn't "dull" or "too much" if you color in ways that make you feel comfortable.

While this doesn't apply to all of us autistics, many of us face judgement for our art looking too "childish" or "needing improvement". Your art is perfect as long as it makes YOU happy and proud. NOT somebody else.

[nighttime-butterflies-sys]

Feeling cute, might change Rantaro's pluralkit name to Avocado later

[secretkeepersystem]

do u think ace attorney is jst the final stage of fandom evolution. like crabs. theres tons of ppl i followed for danganronpa or death note or professor layton or wtvr n suddenly theyre the one flooding my dash w ace attorney. like im not mad jst surprised

[dovey-arts]

vent art or whatever the cool kids are calling it

(reblogs ok if u relate but dont give me sympathy replies they irritate me)

[ashisdeeplydisturbed]

imagine alberto scorfano and camilo madrigal interacting