#African cave-dwelling spiders | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

terradisirene · 7 years

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South italy/ Romano aesthetic

Sea-blue waves break fiercely on craggy brown rocks jutting out from the sea like broken teeth

Rich deep dark brown earth is dug up by callused hands, his fingers rough yet delicate as he digs up the rain soaked new smelling earth

Colorful and obscene yet lively graffiti litters centuries old walls, nameless artists expressing emotions and loves and whims out on the public canvas of decades amidst tiny cramped dark alleyways and fading signs and posters

A sun-scorched countryside, the dry ashy dust hangs thick, blown about by an African wind from the south. Spiders, scorpions, bugs, and small birds try to find shelter in whatever shade they can from the burning heat. Meanwhile fields lie brown-bare, grapes swell up with heady nectar, and tiny flowers little the area like small pin pricks of color.

Grubby hands secretly taking juicy ripe figs from a market and biting into their red mottled flesh. The same hands now older, belonging to a languid body of a young man, coated in sticky sweet sugar as doughy sweets with bitter-sweet lemon are popped into his mouth.

Food is life and filled with love and passion and every time he makes his own he puts his whole self into it. It’s savored and treasured and a part of him and who he is. Spicy chili peppers, fresh crispy fried seafood, colorful candied fruits, bitter chocolate mixed with rich minced meat, the heavy scent of roasted and fried offal, unlovely yet delicious and all devoured eagerly by him.

Desolate grey-brown ancient walls and caves, hidden in the underground and containing secrets and memories. Filled with rows and stacks of empty eyed skulls and bleached white bone, secret keepers of an age long past as they are morbidly and lovingly decorated with flowers, sweets and rosaries. Death and love embrace, the macabre combines with devotion.

A white clad trickster with a black mask, mocking the powerful, the influential and the rich, turning up his nose at them. He lives among the poor, the people, and the forgotten, he is one with the city, the city is one with him. He survives all and witnesses all, he is wild and no one can tame him.

Feelings of loss, a lonely and rebellious heart yearning and dreaming for more, yet expecting nothing. Sorrow hangs over his head and bitterness is in his mouth. He lives with the people and authority finds no love from him. Loyalty is a rare and precious treasure.

Poisonous bright Oleander litters a land of dark forests and small fairy-tale like Trulli, sneakily built in secret. He walks along a red dirt road, barefoot and biting into a smuggled loaf of fresh bread, crusty and hard on the outside, soft and doughy within.

food is generously and maternally yet harshly shoved in your face and a young man’s voice insists that you eat or else threaten insulting him. He invites you into his home and speaks to you for hours on end. He shows you around his home, pride and callousness in his voice mingled with standoffish-ness and anger. But he keeps a distance and his eyes and words challenge you to anger him, to hate him, and to leave him. He is bitter and caustic and loving all at once.

Scratched calloused bare rough feet dance madly and frenetically in the dry dusty earth, kicking up choking brown dust. There is a life and a vitality in the dancing body that long lovely light olive legs move, but also a sense of illness, unease, fury and pent up frustration and anger that is finally let loose in a rebellious and spiraling dance. The echo of hundreds of ages past, the memory of isolation, powerlessness, and anger.

The rich earth is rendered sick and useless as poison and toxic waste is dumped carelessly by criminals who are his own. His body, the land itself, grows sick and he feels disgusting and not himself as he hacks up coughs. Bombs and murders wrack his body with pain as blood pools in the streets and money is gathered from the vulnerable. His is jaded and hurt and bitter, but fearful too and in his fear he is silent and complicit. Still, hope lies buried in his heart.

He feels the loss and uselessness as he cannot take care of his own and so they leave him for a better life and some do not return. The south is nothing and he is nothing and he can do nothing for those he loves or for himself.

Etna hovers in the background, rebellious as it spits out lava and ash every so often yet settles down easily. Cultures from across the sea and from home mix and blend together and mosques and churches intermingle in one city as venders call out their wares in open market stalls. The cities hum with people and the land is filled with golden fruit and sweet cane, angry stubborn eyes both steal money and yearn to be willful and free of a servant role, yet he’s also spoiled rotten and plied with sweets despite tantrums and grudges.

Beautiful beings with harsh hungry faces dance by the sea, children of Greece and the islands around them. They splash in the life giving waters and dwell lost in time amidst the foam and rocks and sad. Their hearts yearn in sorrow for something they do not know and something they will never have. Their song is sublime but their teeth sharp and bloody.

Cats walk around the city both in the midst of it and in the outskirts, watching and wary, always looking out for danger, looking out for something. Their eyes gleam fiercely and intensely but their fur is soft and warm and their bodies small and quick. They creep silently in the dark among long abandoned ruins of the past, places once loved and needed and now lost and unused except by them.

Volcanoes litter and dot the land like red sores, some forever quiet, others angrily spurting up flames whenever they please. They are tempestuous and irritable yet they pose no large threat and are a part of one’s daily life. Meanwhile ones silent and waiting loom in the distance, their death-bringing cradling and giving new life.

Bare feet kicking up water and easing the hot sticky climate with clear sea-green waves. The sea gives and takes, but is always a constant, a home for him. Secrets and the past hide there, as he hides himself away.

Gnarled ancient olive trees, their roots reaching deep and embracing the earthy soil, their home weathering age, time, and hardship, and bringing forth abundance and life in the midst of sorrow and loss.

Bells ring loudly and clamor, prayers are whispered inside a church as incense wisps around a hundreds year old alter and a weeping virgin, meanwhile outside people sing and shout and eat as statues are carried through the steers, long dead saints beloved by all bedecked in flowers and living snakes.

#headcanons #ic #roma jpg

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tipsycad147 · 5 years

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SPIDERS AS SPIRITUAL GUIDES

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

I know many are saying “Ewww”. Autumn is a great time to learn about spiders as many are attempting to come inside before the weather becomes too cold for them to survive.

Last night my daughter and I had flashlight’s in hand searching around our house and the apartment complex we manage looking for the many types of arachnid that dwell among our corners, eaves and under a rock. To say the least our neighbours and tenants think we are beyond crazy! My favourite as long as I can remember is the cat spiders.

Here is a unique aspect of our eight-legged friends.

Spiders in Druidry:

As we all know, Druidry is a spiritual path based on Nature. The knowledge we have can be found everywhere. In Druidry, the Spider represents The Bard, the Ovate and the Druid. As a Bard it produces works of art as depicted in the many kinds of webs it can produce; as an Ovate seer, to determine the best spot for the web or hideout for the hunt, and the lessons the animal teaches us shows us the Druid side of Spider lore, or as some call it, Spider Medicine.

The Spider is the guardian of the ancient languages and alphabets. Every society has had myths about how the different languages and alphabets were formed. One example is the Ogham. The Ogham can be found in the Web of a Spider. This is why the Spider is considered the teacher of language and the magic of writing. Those who weave magic with the written word probably have a Spider as a guide.

I have found that we can learn much more from the webs and their makers, the Spider. According to Scottish Legend, King Robert the Bruce of Scotland hid in a cave where he saw a persistent Spider weaving her web.The story about Robert the Bruce, the cave and the Spider is well known to all English or Scottish school pupils. However, outside the Isles it may not be this well known, so here is the story.

King Robert the Bruce I was born at Lochmaben Castle in 1274. He was Knight and Overlord of Annandale. In 1306 he was crowned King of Scotland and henceforth tried to free Scotland from the English enemy.

After being defeated at a battle, Bruce escaped and found a hideout in a cave. Hiding in a cave for three months, Bruce was at the lowest point of his life. He thought about leaving the country and never coming back. While waiting, he watched a Spider building a web in the cave’s entrance. The Spider fell down time after time, but finally he succeeded with his web. So Bruce decided also to retry his fight and told his men: ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again’.

Old legend as told

The lesson the spider is teaching here is persistence. King Robert the Bruce of Scotland and his army had this strong persistence and determination until they finally beat the English at the Battle of Bannockburn. And this is an important yet simple thing a Spider can teach us.

The Spider as an animal is a spiritual teacher in its own right. For example, the Spider’s web is a constant reminder of the eight festivals. This is easily seen in the wheel webs some Spiders weave. The strands of the web, like the spokes of a wheel, are straight from the edge to the middle and do form the eight fold wheel. That same web also shows the pentagram and the levels of spirituality known in Druidry as Annwn, Abred, Gwynvyd, and Keugant.

The Spider is The Bard, the Ovate and the Druid rolled into one. Let’s take a look at the lessons from the Druid Spider by contemplating its web.

Seeing the Spider weaving the web, it signals to us that we must weave our own lives. The Spider as a guide (or totem, familiar, etc…) serves as a reminder that our choices construct our lives. When the Spider appears to us, it is a message to be mindful of the choices we are making. Then ask yourself:

How are my choices affecting my life?

How can my choices improve my life?

How are my choices affecting others in my life?

Spiders and their webs draw attention to our life choices, but that is not all. They also show us how we can manipulate our thinking so we can construct the life we want to live.

Spiders make us aware of the amazing construction of their webs. They are fully functional, practical, and perfect in design. Spider webs serve as homes, food storage, egg incubators and are almost limitless in their functionality. When we take a good look at this diversity, we can also look at the web-like construct of our own lives. How do we get the most effective life?

We can derive even more Spider symbol meaning when we consider certain subtle characteristics that represent ancient symbols of infinity. When we take a look at the Spider itself and consider most Spiders have eight eyes and all have eight legs, we can see that the Spider also shows the meaning of the number eight, which involves cycles, the passage of time, evolution and, as mentioned before, the eight fold path of the year.

Spiders are also found to be connected to Halloween or Samhain. This is because Spiders are related to death because of the venom they carry. This venom is of course also used as a basis for the antidote, connecting the Spider both to death and rebirth and thus she stands for the completion of the circle.

The Spider teaches us to maintain a balance – between past and future, physical and spiritual, male and female. The Spider also teaches us that everything we now do is weaving what we will encounter in the future. In the tarot deck is a card – The Wheel of Fortune. This is a card that has to do with rhythms – the rise and fall, the flow and flux. It is linked to the energies of honor and fame, and the sensitivities necessary to place ourselves within the rhythm of Nature. Meditation upon this card would be beneficial for anyone with the Spider as a guide.

The Spider, because of its characteristics, has come to be associated with magic and the energy of creation. It is a symbol of creative power, reflected in its ability to spin a silken web. It is also associated with keeping the feminine energies of creation alive and strong. This has ties to the characteristics of some Spiders, i.e. the female black widow, which will kill and eat the male after mating has exhausted it.

The Spider is also associated with its spiral energy, the links with the past and the future. The spiral of the web, converging at a central point, is something to be meditated upon by those with Spiders as a guide. Are you moving toward a central goal or are you scattered and going in multiple directions? Is everything staying focused? Are you becoming too involved and/or self-absorbed? Are you focusing on others’ accomplishments and not on your own? Are you developing resentment because of it – for yourself or them?

If a Spider is a guide in your life, ask yourself some important questions. Are you weaving your dreams and imaginings into reality? Are you using your creative opportunities? Are you feeling closed in or stuck, as if in a web? Do you need to pay attention to your balance and where you are walking in life? Are others out of balance around you? Do you need to write? Are you inspired to write or draw and not following through? Remember that the Spider is the keeper of knowledge and of the primordial alphabet. The Spider can teach how to use the written language with power and creativity so that your words weave the web around those who would read them.

Spiders in Druidry are linked with the Goddess, some Gods, the wheel of the year, spinning, weaving, each individual human, the world, creations, and creation.

Spiders in other cultures:

Spiders are very delicate creatures that play an important role in the myths and lore of many peoples as the teacher of balance between the past and future, the physical and spiritual. To the Native Americans, Spider is Grandmother, the link to the past and future. In India, it’s associated with Maya, the weaver of illusions. With its gentle strength, Spider spins together the threads of life with intricate webs. Spider knows the past affects the future and visa versa. It calls us to make use of our creativity and weave our dreams into our destiny. If you want to make a deeper connection with your Animal Totem, fill your environment with images of the animal to let the animal know it is welcome in your space.

Among the various Native American traditions, spider medicine has been known to represent creativity. Her eight legs represent the four winds of change and the four directions on the medicine wheel, while her body is in the shape of the infinity symbol, which represents infinite possibilities. Spider was said to have woven the alphabet, creating the means for people to communicate and record their history through language. Just like the Greek myth of the Fates, three women who weave the tapestry of life, spiders are said to weave the creative forces that bring forth the intricately symmetrical patterns of our lives.

Of course, I must not forget the Greek myth of the maiden Arachne and the Goddess Athena. In the myth, Arachne claimed that she was a better weaver than the Goddess Athena. After winning from Athena, she was turned into a Spider and she and her offspring became the best weavers in existence. Nor must I forget to mention the West African and Caribbean trickster spirit Anansi, also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy whose story is like the tricksters Coyote, Raven or Iktomi found in many Native American cultures and Loki found in Norse mythology. Anansi literally means spider. These tales show spider teaching skill and wisdom in speech, slave resistance, and survival as well as teaching mankind the techniques of agriculture and so we see again a kinship in spider’s lessons reaching many cultures in a profound way.

Practicum

This practicum is designed to get to know the spider a little better.

Perform this while in your Sacred Grove after performing your Light Body exercise or in a state of meditation or visualisation.

In your mind, you see an open place with one exit. From that exit, you see a small garden Spider approaching. You follow the Spider and you see that she walks to a tree. In that tree, she starts to weave a web blocking the exit. The spider weaves her web so steadily that fascinates you and soon you realise that the weaving itself is a meditation. With that weaving, you imagine her as a creator weaving the whole universe and you also imagine her as a dream catcher weaving the net to manifest our deepest desires. When the Spider is finished weaving, she sits in the middle of the web and she starts her teaching to you. She ends her teachings by telling you that she weaves a new web every day. She tells you that she takes down the web when it is ruined and begins again every day and she never has to think about it, she just spins her web with great care.

After giving her lessons to you, she takes down her web blocking the exit and leaves. By doing so she is signalling that it is time to end your meditation or visualisation.

Eisteddfod Grandmother Spider Steals the Fire. A Mississippi Choctaw Legend

The Choctaw People say that when the People first came up out of the ground, People were encased in cocoons, their eyes closed, their limbs folded tightly to their bodies. And this was true of all People, the Bird People, the Animal People, the Insect People, and the Human People. The Great Spirit took pity on them and sent down someone to unfold their limbs, dry them off, and open their eyes. But the opened eyes saw nothing because the world was dark, no sun, no moon, not even any stars. All the People moved around by touch, and if they found something that didn’t eat them first, they ate it raw, for they had no fire to cook it.

All the People met in a great powwow, with the Animal and Bird People taking the lead, and the Human People hanging back. The Animal and Bird People decided that life was not good, but cold and miserable. A solution must be found! Someone spoke from the dark,

‘I have heard that the people in the East have the fire.’ This caused a stir of wonder, ‘What could fire be?’ There was a general discussion, and it was decided that if, as rumour had it, the fire was warm and gave light, they should have it too. Another voice said, ‘But the people of the East are too greedy to share with us.’ So it was decided that the Bird and Animal People should steal what they needed, the fire!

But, who should have the honour? Grandmother Spider volunteered, ‘I can do it! Let me try!’ But at the same time, Opossum began to speak. ‘I, Opossum, am a great chief of the animals. I will go to the East and since I am a great hunter, I will take the fire and hide it in the bushy hair on my tail.’ It was well known that Opossum had the furriest tail of all the animals, so he was selected.

When Opossum came to the East, he soon found the beautiful, red fire, jealously guarded by the people of the East. But Opossum got closer and closer until he picked up a small piece of burning wood, and stuck it in the hair of his tail, which promptly began to smoke, then flame. The people of the East said, ‘Look, that Opossum has stolen our fire!’ They took it and put it back where it came from and drove Opossum away. Poor Opossum! Every bit of hair had burned from his tail, and to this day, opossums have no hair at all on their tails.

Once again, the powwow had to find a volunteer chief. Grandmother Spider again said, ‘Let em go! I can do it!’ But this time a bird was elected, Buzzard. Buzzard was very proud. ‘I can succeed where Opossum has failed. I will fly to the East on my great wings, then hide the stolen fire in the beautiful long feathers on my head.’ The birds and animals still did not understand the nature of fire. So Buzzard flew to the East on his powerful wings, swooped past those defending the fire, picked up a small piece of burning ember, and hid it in his head feathers. Buzzard’s head began to smoke and flame even faster! The people of the East said, ‘Look! Buzzard has stolen the fire!’ And they took it and put it back where it came from.

Poor Buzzard! His head was now bare of feathers, red and blistered looking. And to this day, buzzards have naked heads that are bright red and blistered.

The powwow now sent Crow to look the situation over, for Crow was very clever. Crow at that time was pure white and had the sweetest singing voice of all the birds. But he took so long standing over the fire, trying to find the perfect piece to steal that his white feathers were smoked black. And he breathed so much smoke that when he tried to sing, out came to a harsh, ‘Caw! Caw!’

The Council said, ‘Opossum has failed. Buzzard and Crow have failed. Who shall we send?’

Tiny Grandmother Spider shouted with all her might, ‘LET ME TRY IT PLEASE!’ Though the council members thought Grandmother Spider had little chance of success, it was agreed that she should have her turn. Grandmother Spider looked then like she looks now, she had a small torso suspended by two sets of legs that turned the other way. She walked on all of her wonderful legs toward a stream where she had found clay. With those legs, she made a tiny clay container and a lid that fit perfectly with a tiny notch for air in the corner of the lid. Then she put the container on her back, spun a web all the way to the East, and walked tiptoe until she came to the fire. She was so small, the people from the East took no notice. She took a tiny piece of fire, put it in the container, and covered it with the lid. Then she walked back on tiptoe along the web until she came to the People. Since they couldn’t see any fire, they said, ‘Grandmother Spider has failed.’

‘Oh no,’ she said, ‘I have the fire!’ She lifted the pot from her back, and the lid from the pot and the fire flamed up into its friend, the air. All the Birds and Animal People began to decide who would get this wonderful warmth. Bear said, ‘I’ll take it!’ but then he burned his paws on it and decided fire was not for animals, for look what happened to Opossum!

The Birds wanted no part of it, as Buzzard and Crow were still nursing their wounds. The insects thought it was pretty, but they, too, stayed far away from the fire.

Then a small voice said, ‘We will take it if Grandmother Spider will help.’ The timid humans, whom none of the animals or birds thought much of, were volunteering!

So Grandmother Spider taught the Human People how to feed the fire sticks and wood to keep it from dying, how to keep the fire safe in a circle of stone so it couldn’t escape and hurt them or their homes. While she was at it, she taught the humans about pottery made of clay and fire, and about weaving and spinning, at which Grandmother Spider was an expert.

The Choctaw remember. They made a beautiful design to decorate their homes, a picture of Grandmother Spider, two sets of legs up, two down, with a fire symbol on her back. This is so their children never forget to honour Grandmother Spider, Fire bringer!

https://goodwitcheshomestead.com/2017/09/11/spiders-as-spiritual-guides/

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nellibell49 · 7 years

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Well. I did it ! I picked Saffron up and took her to school and later I went to her piano recital and brought her home. I am VERY happy.

http://www.hermitary.com/thatch/

The hermit is an important figure at the outset of the hero’s journey, represented in folklore and mythology as the wise encouraging guide, the dispenser of protection, counsel, and well-being. The hermit may be presented as the solitary wise one dwelling in a forest or cave, that is, the source of strength in the receded consciousness that represents stability and a reservoir of compassion and wisdom, stern but reassuring. Thus, as the adventure begins,

Whether dream or myth, in these adventures there is an atmosphere of irresistible fascination about the figure that appears suddenly as a guide, marking a new period, a new stage, in the biography. … The first encounter of the hero-journey is with a protective figure (often a little old crone or old man) who provides the adventurer with amulets against the dragon forces he is about to pass …

The crone or fairy godmother in European fairy tales, the Virgin in Christianity, the African Mother of the Gods, the Native American Spider Woman, the Eastern Cosmic Mother, Dante’s Beatrice, Goethe’s Gretchen -— all manifest supernatural guidance, especially representative of the peace of Paradise and the cosmic womb. Masculine figures of aid and guidance are usually “some little fellow of the wood, some wizard, hermit, shepherd, or smith.” In higher mythologies, the masculine guide is the teacher, and especially the ferryman, such as Hermes or Thoth. [An accessible example, not mentioned by Campbell, is the character of the ferryman in Hesse’s novel Siddhartha.]

AUTUMN TREES AND MUSIC Well. I did it ! I picked Saffron up and took her to school and later I went to her piano recital and brought her home.

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kansascityhappenings · 4 years

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Scientists discovered 71 new species this year. Here are some of their favorites

SAN FRANCISCO — The quest for the unknown revealed exciting new discoveries this year. California Academy of Sciences researchers discovered 71 new animal and plant species in 2019.

The list includes flowers, fish, corals, spiders, sea slugs, ants and lizards, among others. They were found across three oceans and five continents in caves, forests and even the greatest depths of the ocean.

Learning more about these intriguing new species allows for a greater understanding of environments and biomes, as well as targeted conservation efforts.

“Despite decades of tirelessly scouring some of the most familiar and remote places on Earth, biodiversity scientists estimate that more than 90% of nature’s species remain unknown,” said Academy Chief of Science Shannon Bennett. “A rich diversity of plants and animals is what allows life on our planet to thrive: The interconnectedness of all living systems provides collective resilience in the face of our climate crisis. Each newly discovered species serves as an important reminder of the critical role we play in better understanding and preserving these precious ecosystems.”

Here’s a look at some of the new species.

A fish called Wakanda

Although the nation of Wakanda exists only in the Marvel Comics universe as superhero Black Panther’s home, researchers believe they have found a version of it underwater. In secretive reefs 260 feet below the surface, these warriors — accented with vibrant purple — are fish.

Previously unknown, the fish species lives in dark coral reefs, called “Twilight Zone” reefs, in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania. The fish are a new species of what’s known as fairy wrasses.

Their scales are so deeply pigmented that the deep purple remains even when preserved for research, when color is usually lost.

The fish were named Cirrhilabrus wakanda, or the vibranium fairy wrasse, in honor of Wakanda and “Black Panther.”

“When we thought about the secretive and isolated nature of these unexplored African reefs, we knew we had to name this new species after Wakanda,” said Yi-Kai Tea, lead author of the study and an ichthyology Ph.D. student from the University of Sydney. “We’ve known about other related fairy wrasses from the Indian Ocean but always thought there was a missing species along the continent’s eastern edge. When I saw this amazing purple fish, I knew instantly we were dealing with the missing piece of the puzzle.”

Researchers found 16 other new species of fish this year, including a cat-eyed cardinalfish.

Endangered lizards and geckos

In 2019, Aaron Bauer, an Academy Research Associate, found 15 mottled geckos, an orange lizard, a girdled lizard and three skinks — and most of them are essentially endangered. That’s because all of them are found in very small geographic areas so any upset, like deforestation, can deplete their numbers.

Finding these species in time, and determining the threats to their populations, is key. For example, one of the island-dwelling skinks Bauer found is threatened by an invasive species of fire ants.

“If we don’t explore isolated habitats, like mountaintops, we would miss a huge part of the biodiversity that’s unique to these regions,” Bauer said. Over the course of his career, he has discovered more than 205 reptiles.

Surprising sea slugs

Sea slugs are masters of disguise. A newly discovered species, Madrella amphora, actually resembles snail eggs that can be found in their habitat.

“We recently confirmed through genetics that sea slugs mimic the colors of other species, but it’s rare to see sea slugs mimic other animals entirely,” said Terry Gosliner, Academy Curator of Invertebrate Zoology. Gosliner is known for a number of discoveries regarding sea slugs.

Researchers also found five other types of colorful sea slugs with quirky disguises, unique colors and small sizes compared to their other well-known counterparts.

Delicate flowers

A number of surprising things have been determined about plants over the years, like the fact that they communicate with each other and complain about drought. And in the case of a rare flowering plant spotted this year, they keep researchers on their toes by moving around.

Trembleya altoparaisensis is a lovely plant with white flowers that was initially collected only once more than 100 years ago by Auguste François Marie Glaziou, a famed botanist. Trying to track it down in modern times to actually describe the plant proved difficult.

“People don’t think plants move, but they do,” said Ricardo Pacifico, a PhD student working with Frank Almeda, emeritus curator of botany at the Academy. This is because plants have to look after their needs as environments change, so they migrate.

They found Trembleya altoparaisensis living in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park’s canyons in Brazil.

In total, eight flowering plants, including a new species in one of Madagascar’s national parks, were found this year.

Deep sea coral

Remotely operated vehicles are helping researchers discover and understand coral found during deep sea surveys. A 2018 NOAA expedition revealed a beautiful yellow coral called Chromoplexura cordellbankensis off the coast of California.

“We know the intertidal zone, but the deep sea is out of sight, out of mind,” said Gary Williams, invertebrate zoology curator at the Academy.

Two new diverse corals were found this year in the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, 60 miles from San Francisco’s coast.

Freaky spiders

Researchers spotted five new spiders this year, and some of them are pretty strange.

One is a family of “ant-worshipping” spiders that live in ant mounds — although the reason for that remains to be seen. Researchers found them in the Chihuahuan desert in Mexico, spotted in an array around an ant nest that had collapsed. Otherwise they’re usually underground.

“The only way to see what they’re doing is to dig them up. But then they’re no longer in their natural state,” said Darrell Ubick, Academy Curatorial Assistant of Entomology.

They also found new harvestmen — organisms related to spiders — living in caves and adapted to life in the dark. They were found in Croatia, helping inform the way species branch off using different adaptations.

Skate party

Skates are fish that look like rays. Many can be found off the Falkland Islands, living at depths of nearly 2,000 feet.

They’re also cut into steaks or fermented in Korea. But some of the species ending up in markets may actually be a newly discovered species called Dipturus lamillai.

The discovery could help with conservation efforts so that new species aren’t overfished before they can be understood, the researchers said.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/12/07/scientists-discovered-71-new-species-this-year-here-are-some-of-their-favorites/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/12/07/scientists-discovered-71-new-species-this-year-here-are-some-of-their-favorites/

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afrikanza · 6 years

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10 Mysterious Monsters of Africa

Africa has an extensive history of monster stories. There are the stories which would be told to children as they sat by the fireside, just before they retired to bed. Children would get threatened that a particular monster would visit them at night if they failed to fulfill a specific obligation and they would comply with the requests.

Such stories live on to this day. Check out some of the monsters which gave children sleepless nights and helped shape them into responsible adults.

Grootslang

This name is Afrikaans for a big snake, and it refers to a cryptid which lives in a deep cave down in Richtersveld in South Africa. Also known as ‘The Great Snake of the Orange River,’ this creature can also be found in swamps and freshwater sources.

According to the South African legend, this creature is as old as the world we live in, and its story starts at creation. It gets said that as the gods created the world, they created this creature. However, they made a mistake in making the Grootslang, and they gave it way too much intellect and strength.

Having realized their mistake, the gods began creating other creatures out of the Grootslang to minimize their strength. One of the Grootslangs escaped and gave rise to other animals of its kind.

The Grootslang can lure elephants to its cave where it devours them. This cave is said to connect to the sea and is full of gems. The Grootslang’s love for treasures is so high that locals believe that victims can buy their way out of getting eaten by offering it diamonds.

Adjule

Also known as the Bush Dog, this cryptid canine is believed to be a phantom with the ability to take the form of a dog or a wolf. It is said to stand at two and a half feet, and its coat is crimson with a blue tint.

It also has webbed feet. Locals claim that the creature uses pheromones to cause discord among its prey to make hunting easier. These animals get found in arid regions, and they hunt in packs.

Dingonek

This cryptid is believed to live in the Congolese jungles and can get found in rivers and lakes. It measures three to six meters in length and has a square head. The tail of the Dingonek is said to contain poison which it secretes to weaken its prey.

This scaly creature is very territorial, and it will kill any animal that wanders into its habitat, including fishers.

Jba Fofi

Also known as the giant spider, this creature is believed to be a new kind of arachnids which inhabits the Congo forests. It has gotten sighted in other parts of the world as well. The Baka, locals of the Congo, say that the creature can spin a web between two trees which it uses to capture animals such as birds and small game creatures.

The creatures are said to be strong enough to overpower human beings. Other areas where it has gotten spotted include Vietnam, the United States, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.

Marozi

Unlike most cryptid creatures, the Marozi is biologically plausible. It has the appearance of a lion and has spots similar to those of a leopard. According to folklore, this creature inhabited the Aberdare Mountains until about three decades ago when they got killed.

There is proof of their existence in the form of skulls and skins. Some people claim that the Marozi is a cross-breed of a lion and a hyena, but this argument is disputed based on the natural rivalry between the two species.

Agogwe

This creature is said to be human-like, and it dwells in East African forests. With a height of up to one point seven meters, five-inch feet and long arms, it resembles a human being. It differs from human beings in that it has yellowish skin beneath its woolly hair.

It got first sighted at the beginning of the twentieth century by Captain William Hichens.

Inkanyamba

This legendary serpent dwells at the base of the Howick Falls in South Africa and is believed to have a horse head. It is mainly active during the warm seasons, and locals claim that when angered, the creature can stir up a storm.

This lake monster is believed to be some form of eel.

Mamlambo

Also referred to as the ‘Goddess of Rivers,’ the Mamlambo is a sizeable snake-like creature. Locals state that it measures twenty meters in length and has a lower body of a fish, the head of a horse and the neck of a snake.

Locals believe that the creature emits a green light at night. Owing to the discovery of mutilated bodies near the snake’s habitat, it got dubbed ‘The Brain Sucker.’

Trunko

This ‘Fish like a Polar Bear’ creature got spotted in the year 1994 by locals as it was battling two killer whales using its tail. After the fight, the beast got exhausted, and it washed up on the beach unconscious where locals were able to get a glimpse of its features.

It is described to have white fur on its body, a large trunk, a tail similar to that of a crab and a body devoid of blood. Its measurements are fourteen meters in length, three meters in width and one and a half meters in height. The trunk is attached directly to its torso, thus the name ‘Trunko.’

Locals say that the creature later swam away ten days after the incident, never to be seen again.

Nandi Bear

Also known as the Duba, this bear has a muscular build with bulging shoulders. It stands at over four feet in height and has a sloping back like that of a hyena. It feeds on animals and is believed to be an Ice Age survivor.

Parting Words

Africa, the “Dark Continent” as it was known for years, is filled with mysterious creatures on which cryptologists are dying to get their hands. These stories make for great tales to tell around the bonfire.

The post 10 Mysterious Monsters of Africa appeared first on Afrikanza.

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