#average rodent behavior

[abloomedflowersserenade]

Sadly, writing angst of your oc is not necessarily something you can profit over, not unless you're a writer. Chin up though, grandma Rodent and Chroma! I'm sure you two can work something out. If not, let's just WASSHOI it away!

—With love, Mod Mayoi! ♥

[theartofwoompwoomps]

shigaraki tomura is awkward

he’s the type that wouldn’t even notice it or even realize that he is being awkward.

that’s one of the reasons so many people feel uncomfortable with him.

but that’s genuinely part of his personality, after all, he did grow up without much social interaction. 

now,.. when i say “he’s awkward” i don’t mean a “cute flustered shy awkward”. 

I mean, he’s awkward in a “too direct, overly creepy, and invasive” type of sense.

he says things all the time without being aware of the double meaning under it, or just says them at a really bad moment. 

An example:

you and tomura laying on the roof of an abandoned building. It’s late at night, both are just resting as you enjoy the starry night. You’re date with tomura has been surprisingly very romantic the whole time. 

…..“you know,” he started as you turn to him, “when i was younger,.. i once saw a rodent vomit on garbage and then it started rolling in it.” 

…yeah,.. sometimes his thoughts get out before he can process them.

honestly you should feel honored that he feels extremely comfortable with you to the point he doesn’t worry about filtering his speech. 

He sometimes has trouble knowing when a conversation ended or should be ending. This causes some discomfort to the other person cause it will lead to awkward silence with him still there just staring 

again he has no idea the other person feels uncomfortable. 

That is why, one of the biggest reasons why he feels comfortable with the league is because the don’t judge him for being awkward. 

Sure, sometimes (especially when the first met him) they would feel discomfort or comments on his behavior.

only then would he realize how awkward he truly is. The league helps him grow in this aspect as well. He learns what makes others comfortable and what brings discomfort (he struggles from time to time but he does his best). With this information he uses it to his advantage, knows how to make potential members feel more welcome, like actually acknowledging them. And, knows how to make the enemy feel even more threatened and cornered.

that is why, he is confused at the fact that none of it works against his awkwardness with you.

he can’t help it. His nerves get the best of him. Toga and Magne are at his side giving all the tips they know. Toga’s mainly consists of stabbing and sending a definitely not so threatening love letter.

Anyway he’s always going to be awkward. wether it is before or after you start dating him, so just try to get used to it cause that’s his average normal.  After all, awkward or not, he cares about you very much. 

——————————————————————————-

Masterlist

[lets-try-some-writing]

Can doing little discussion about tf prime ratchet that not knowing at all about human medicine?

I meant from ratchet situation even he and other stuck on earth he not having humans around so he feel O need learning human medicine at all, but when Jack, raf and Miko came to base, he still not learning about human medicine. Sure he probably thinking that the kids will be fine because they still in base but of course the kids again getting involved in battle , again he not learning human medicine for childrens even after they getting involved in battle, sure they are fine but sometimes they are not so lucky.

And well raf is the victim of dark energon, even ratchet hopeless to help raf again it was a luck he can help raf.

I know ratchet annoyed by humans and frustrated with war and all but really I think it's very reckless and irresponsible that ratchet not starting learning human medicine when he have human childrens around.

So what do you think about this tf prime ratchet behavior?

Honestly, I may be fought for this assessment, but I think Ratchet's lack of knowledge on human medicine is to be expected.

Think about it this way. You get a pet mouse, and to take care of it, you learn what it needs to survive. Food, water, shelter, and sufficient enrichment. The average person doesn't end up learning much more about his or her pet because they don't need to. The pet in question, generally speaking, especially if kept in a habitat, will be fine 95% of the time. Sure, the pet may have its quirks, resulting in special adjustments to environment and necessities. But overall, all needs to own a pet is a basic understanding.

Do you know every possible disease that could befall your dog? Do you know about possible treatments for skin cancer in rodents? How about potential genetic issues in snakes? Ratchet isn't a vet, he's a doctor. And for a majority of the show, let's be real, the kids are like pets. Ratchet can keep them fed, keep them safe, and patch up minor injuries by throwing Band-Aids at them. But up until the dark energon incident, there really wasn't a ton of reason for him to learn more about the children because, again, generally speaking, pets in a solid habitat don't tend to get hurt in weird ways. And even when they do, that's what an actual vet is for.

And guess what? June is a human doctor. She is, essentially, a vet. Ratchet had no real reason to learn more than necessarily. Additionally, there was the issue of time, tension, and his sheer size. For him, learning delicate human medicine would probably be the same as a human trying to conduct life saving surgery on a carpenter ant. It would be nigh on impossible due to size and anatomy differences. Sure, even if he learned HOW it worked, that wouldn't directly translate to skill.

With the war, the team constantly getting injured, and a thousand other things happening, I doubt Ratchet had the time or the patience to learn the intricacies of the class hamster's biology.

Maybe he learned some of the simple stuff and rolled from there and we just never got to see it really showcased. I don't know. But this is my assessment.

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Mammalia - Eulipotyphla

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our next mammalian order is Eulipotyphla, sometimes called the “true insectivores” (as they used to be grouped paraphyletically with some afrotherians, colugos, and treeshrews in an order called “Insectivora”). Eulipotyphla includes the families Solenodontidae (solenodons), Talpidae (“moles”), Soricidae (“shrews”), and Erinaceidae (“hedgehogs” and “gymnures.”) Yes, we have finally come to the true moles and shrews!

Eulipotyphlans resemble rodents with pointed snouts and small or reduced eyes. Scientifically, they are set apart by their lack of cecum in the large intestine. Most are terrestrial insectivores or omnivores, and they have many sharp, spike-like teeth. Some of these animals (solenodons and shrews of the genus Sorex and Blarina) emit clicking noises, the sound waves of which bounce off objects in their vicinity. This form of echolocation helps these nearly blind animals navigate as well as find food. Eulipotyphlans also have an above average sense of smell. Many have unusually high metabolic rates, and need to eat almost constantly. Eulipotyphla contains the majority of venomous mammals, the only others being the Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), 3 species of vampire bat, and Slow Lorises (of the genera Nycticebus and Xanthonycticebus).

Eulipotyphlans are generally solitary, highly territorial animals that only tolerate each other for breeding. Only the mother raises the young. Litter size depends on species. Solenodons only have 1-2 young per litter once a year, while shrews can have 1-11 pups per litter, and can become pregnant soon after giving birth. Baby hedgehogs (called hoglets) are born with their quills covered by a protective membrane which dries and falls off several hours after birth, allowing their sharp quills to emerge.

Eulipotyphla is one of the oldest mammalian orders, having already begun to diversify in the Late Cretaceous, before the K-Pg extinction.

Propaganda under the cut:

Many shrews have a venomous bite. They use their venom to render invertebrate prey paralyzed, caching them for sustenance in the Winter months when food is more scarce. Their venom also allows them to take down prey their size or even larger, such as rodents and lizards. The European Mole (Talpa europaea), and possibly other species of mole, also have toxic saliva that allows them to cache paralyzed earthworms for later consumption. As an added measure, solenodons have grooves in their teeth which allow them to more effectively deliver venom. Fossil records show that some other now-extinct mammal groups also had the dental venom delivery system, indicating that solenodons’ most distinct characteristic may have been a more general ancient mammalian characteristic that has been lost in most modern mammals and is only retained in a couple of very ancient lineages.

The contents of the venom glands of one American Short-tailed Shrew (genus Blarina) are enough to kill 200 mice.

Solendons are often called "living fossils" because they have remained virtually unchanged for the past 76 million years.

The Hispaniolan Solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) (image 4) was once thought to be extinct, due to its secretive and elusive behavior. The Hispaniolan Solenodon and the rat-like Hispaniolan Hutia (Plagiodontia aedium) live in the same habitats and are the only surviving mammals native to Hispaniola.

The Cuban Solenodon (Atopogale cubana) is endangered due to predation from invasive animals like domestic cats, domestic dogs, and the Small Indian Mongoose (Urva auropunctata) which was introduced to Cuba to control snakes and rodents. It is also threatened by deforestation as well as habitat degradation due to logging and mining. The animal can take a long time to recover because it only breeds a single litter of 1-2 young per year. Unfortunately, solenodons are not very charismatic, and very little conservation attention is given to the species.

Desmans (see gif above) are uniquely aquatic moles, though they excavate dry sleeping chambers. They have waterproof undercoats and oily guard hairs, elongated and flattened tails, and webbed paws to aid in swimming.

While the Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata) (image 3) is known to share its burrow, other moles are very territorial, and can engage in extraordinarily fast battles.

The Star-nosed Mole is adapted for both subterranean life and for swimming. Star-nosed Moles are able to smell underwater, accomplished by exhaling air bubbles onto objects or scent trails and then inhaling the bubbles to carry scents back into the nose.

A report in the journal Nature gives the Star-nosed Mole the title of fastest-eating mammal, taking as little as 120 milliseconds (average: 227 ms) to identify and consume individual food items. Its brain decides in approximately eight milliseconds if prey is edible or not.

The Small Japanese Mole (Mogera imaizumii) is extinct in central Tokyo, but still found on the grounds of the Imperial Palace.

The Etruscan Shrew (Suncus etruscus) is the smallest known terrestrial mammal, with an adult body length of about 4 cm (1.6 in), excluding the tail. On average, they weigh only about 1.8 g (0.063 oz). Like other shrews, it has a very fast metabolism, eating about 1.5–2 times its own body weight per day.

In some shrew species, exposed areas of the teeth are dark red due to the presence of iron in their tooth enamel. The iron reinforces the surfaces that are exposed to the most stress, which helps prolong the life of their teeth.

Shrews are considered beneficial to humans, as they are voracious predators of many insects and rodents that humans consider pests, such as cockroaches and House Mice (Mus musculus).

Shrews do this really cute thing where the babies will each bite onto the tail of the one in front of them and all follow their mom in a line so they don’t get lost. This is called “caravanning.” I call it a Shrew-shrew Train. (I’d like to see what the people who get upset about those joint child daycare leashes think of this.)

The Dalat Gymnure (Hylomys macarong) gets its species name, macarong, from the Vietnamese word for “vampire”, Ma cà rồng. This is a reference to the animals’ prominent long fangs, specifically the first upper incisors, that distinguish mature males of this species.

Hedgehogs (subfamily Erinaceinae) are one of the many mammal groups to convergently evolve spines from hair. Unlike the quills of a porcupine, hedgehog spines do not easily detach from their bodies. However, immature hedgehog’s spines normally fall out as they are replaced with adult spines. The animal will roll into a tight spiny ball when threatened, tucking in their furry face, feet, and belly. Some light-weight desert hedgehog species with fewer spines are more likely to flee or attack, ramming an intruder with their spines, rolling up only as a last resort.

Since 2000, the European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) population in Great Britain has been declining rapidly, down by 30%-75%. European Hedgehogs are common roadkill in Britain, especially during the breeding season when they are wandering for a mate.

Hedgehogs can suffer from a unique condition called balloon syndrome, in which gas is trapped under the hedgehog’s loose skin from injury or infection, causing the animal to inflate. Trying to research this syndrome can be difficult, as searching “hedgehog inflation” can often yield unintended results.

The Four-toed Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) (image 1) is a highly energetic predator, sometimes covering miles of ground in a single night as it forages for insects, grubs, snails, spiders, some plant matter, and even small vertebrates. It has a high tolerance for toxins and has been recorded consuming scorpions and even venomous snakes.

Hedgehogs are usually a welcome visitor to gardens, as they eat many garden pests such as beetles, slugs, and grasshoppers, and only eat a very small amount of plant matter.

Moles and hedgehogs have natural immunity against some snake venoms due to the protein erinacin in their muscles (though in such small amounts that a viper bite may still be fatal).

[scatterbrainedbot]

I AM SPINNING I AM PACING I AM FULL ON FROLICKING IM SO EXCITED

@d1sc0rd1a THANK U FOR THESE TAGS

okayokayokayokay so pretty much all of these questions will be Officially Answered properly in the character design/intro pages im working on but also i am physically vibrating with excitement about the fact that you noticed all these details and i have very little self control so! lore dump time!!!

(minor tw for mentions of leos self-harm/self-destructive anxious behaviors and unhealthy coping skills)

- mikey does indeed have curly fur! i believe he would be considered a 'rex' rat (pictured on the left) for this trait? though the curls can be more easily seen on mice (pictured on the right). or, at least it seems that way. have not delved too deeply into the details of rodent genes and husbandry, but id assume its the same sort of mutation considering curly haired mice are also referred to as rex sometimes? either way hes a extra floofy bby 🧡

-as for raphie, unfortunately being more fluff and less shell than the average rapheal comes with its downsides. especially if you and your brothers occasionally encounter things like territorial dogs, hungry cats, or sewer crocodiles while exploring places ur dad said not supposed to go. (most of his scars will have more ninja related stories, but his ear i think got messed up from something very animal. probably around age 11 ish? old enough to sneak out from dads protection but young enough to not fully know how to handle himself alone against real danger. thankfully his ear injury looks worse than it actually is for the most part, as the damage was largely to the outer ear. his hearing wasnt super affected, except that he now has a bit of a harder time being able to track/pinpoint noises origins if its on his right side.)

-also yep! dons got some glasses that just clip/rest on the bridge of his nose! theyre mostly just for home use, as they do fall off if hes knocked around. in the field he has some goggles he tends to use (theyre helpful as they have multiple additional functions like heat-imaging, extra zoom/telescoping, and recording capabilities. but also theyll give him headaches if he wears them for too long without breaks). contacts are theoretically also an option but he absolutely hates the sensation of putting them in. so sometimes when hes tired he'll just not bother with either clips or goggles and just squint and struggle. leo hates when he does that lol.

-speaking of leo, he is def an anxious baby :) he has a few patches of fur missing on his hand cos he has the tendency to tug on it while hes thinking. he yanked and chewed on his own tail a lot when he was younger too, which is why when hes older he usually wears some wraps to cover the scars left from that behavior. he finds those scars specifically to be kinda embarrassing and shameful because they werent from any battle or life-lesson, just his own 'inability to control himself'. all of his brothers have repeatedly called him out on the fact that that is not a healthy way to think about his anxiety or mental health, but leo insists hes fine. hes kinda convinced himself that a proper warrior always has control over his own body* and his own thoughts, thus he should be able to just like willpower-brute-force his way into 'being better'. (this line of thinking pisses raph off so much he has to leave and go hit something)

Splinter also tries to talk him through some of that internalized guilt/shame/everything, but splinters very metaphorical, poetic, and indirect when it comes to talking about Big Things, which combined with how much leo gets caught in his own head, makes it kinda hard to gauge how much these talks actually help

*this is made extra fun considering leos also ftm trans, so he is faced with a body that fundamentally disobeys him perhaps more than the average rat-man.

-and im still going back and forth between a few species for splinter, but im leaning mostly towards an African Spurred Tortoise! they have these beautiful if kinda subtle geometric shell patterns and are the third largest species of tortoise in the world. the only thing that doesnt fit perfectly with Splints is that (allegedly) their lifespan in captivity is around 50ish years, whereas im p sure Tortoise Splinter is well over 75, probably closer to 90 when the boys are born and hes mutated into Old Man Papa.

but maybe hes just a particularly long lasting African Spurred Tortoise.

the Hamato family has taken very good care of him for many decades after all. :)

(well. until everything all fell apart, that is.....)

[morazanx]

Vidia

๑ Concept ๑

❥

Fandom: Tinkerbell (Film Series), Disney Fairies.

Warning: insinuation of stalking, obsessive behavior, possessiveness, insinuation of addiction, unhealthy dependency, toxic dynamic, Yandere Themes, Etc.

She was a nonbeliever when it came to love.

She saw many fairies fall head over heels for someone like love at first sight, and each time, she was ridden in bewilderment and disgust.

Why would someone waste their time on someone who'll never even return those sappy feelings?

She went as far as to vow that she'll never fall for that chivalry, yet, here she was doing it with you.

God, why do you have to be so irritating that you clouded her mind even when she was working?

She hated it.

What gives you the right while you get to be all jolly with your co-workers?

She was irritated when she couldn't keep her eyes away when you were choosing your talent. She should've left and not care in which guild you were put into but, she stayed.

By the second star that she stayed.

Something in the pit of her stomach was possibly hoping you'd be put into the better guild, her guild. Among the fast-flying fairies.

But, it seemed the universe was against her that day, you were put with the filthy animal fairies out of all the guilds.

Alas, she thought that was the end of it; boy, was she wrong.

With each turn she goes to guide the winds she'll see you looking up at her. With your bedding eyes while you tended to some random animal that she could care less about.

A Kindle was set ablaze after that, and she didn't like that feeling one bit.

So, she made it her top priority to treat you like a pest; a rodent. And yet, you stuck to her like an annoying leech.

With each push she gave you, a bad word that she said, or even destroying your workplace, you showed her kindness in return. She almost thought you were stupid when you trusted every word she told you. She tossed hell at you and yet you tossed heaven right at her.

What are the odds of finding a fairy like that? She thought one night and that's when it struck her.

By the second star, damned be your name.

Out of all the fairies, you!? No this can't be happening!

She spent the whole night making a mess of her place just to take the frustration out.

You were like a pest to her, so how the hell did you manage to worm your way in?!

She sputtered out every bad word in the book before she finally calmed down enough to think about it.

Now that she thought of it, you were truly the only person that has caught her attention, even if you were incompetent. Although she hates to admit it, you were, in some angles, good-looking enough to pass as average.

Okay fine, she unfortunately finds you pretty.

She can say you're sweet, well dressed even for an animal fairy, with bold ruby eyes. Although your hair is a bunch of frizzy curls it does suit you in a way, with a nice Auburn color. Although the orange attire is a horrendous color, you managed to make it appealing.

Shit.

Although she wanted to ignore these feelings she realized that others might feel the same way for you.

And unfortunately for you, she tends to get competitive.

After that night, she began to ponder on all the possible scenarios that involved you, and for the first time, she kept a keen eye on you for simple observation in her words.

It didn't surprise her that some swordsman had a kin for you but the fact that other fairies also did is what truly surprised her.

Now she was truly screwed; she had no experience with proper ways to Court approach you in a non-rude way.

And by a stroke of bad luck, a swordsman was already preparing to take your hand. And she has to say he looked like he was greeted with the ugliness of a troll. She almost laughed at his attempts until she realized you would definitely ignore his looks and accept his token.

By the second star, why in the Neverland did she fall for someone like you!?

So, she did what she does best, ward off the fairies she finds displeasing.

And boy did it work. Triumph washed over her when she basically destroyed what he was gonna give you and also his already crippled self-esteem.

She would lavish this event as if it were the trophy of the century.

Luckily for her, you didn't see.

This went on for weeks until she finally managed to get rid of enough competition.

To her, getting what she desires is easy, but when it came to you, it was as if she was a haywire compass that had a magnet as a lover.

So before she went on and tried to approach you, she first learned everything about you. From your hobbies down to the secrets not even the mirror knows.

She found it weird that she was quote-on-quote " stalking you," but, in her mind, she didn't see it as that. She was just getting to know you, without actually talking to you.

She acted as a bodyguard every time she was around you but played it off by saying snarky comments.

Deep in her heart, she wanted to reenact what she saw when other fairies courted each other. But, it wasn't a natural instinct for her.

But what actually came naturally for her was what a toxic ex does.

Treats you like a possession.

Makes you feel like a lower being from her.

Thrives in your self-judgement.

And feeds on your desperation.

Unfortunately, a certain tinker fairy just had to shove their existence into her animal fairy.

But, she can always use her.

Like a pawn in her chess game.

Word Count: 972

-Hasn't been checked for grammar, nor has it been proofread.

-English isn't my first language so I apologize if there are any errors in my writing.

[valy-gc]

Creature Name

Common Name: Cindermice

Scientific Name: Ignisomys calidus

Physical Description

Average Size:

Body length: 15–20 cm (6–8 inches)

Tail length: 20–25 cm (8–10 inches)

Appearance:

Small, round-bodied rodent with thick, soft fur resembling embers.

Fur shifts in color from smoky gray near the head to glowing orange along the belly and limbs.

Large, expressive eyes with a slight red sheen, adapted for low light.

A long, smooth tail that emits gentle warmth and faint wisps of heat when excited or threatened.

Unique Trait: Its body radiates warmth, making it a living heat source.

Diet

Type: Omnivore

Primary Foods:

Nuts and seeds rich in oils to fuel its internal heat.

Root vegetables and dried grasses.

Small insects for additional protein.

Special Adaptations:

Has a specialized metabolism that converts food into heat energy.

Stores excess warmth in its fur and tail, which slowly dissipates over time.

Habitat

Environment: Cold climates, such as snowy forests, tundras, and mountainous regions.

Shelter: Nests in burrows, tree hollows, or even inside human dwellings where it provides warmth in exchange for food.

Behavior and Living Habits

Activity Cycle: Crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk).

Social Structure:

Lives in small family groups, often huddling together for shared warmth.

Forms bonds with humans and is sometimes kept as a companion animal.

Territoriality: Non-aggressive, prefers to flee rather than fight.

Reproduction

Mating Season: Late autumn to early winter.

Reproductive Strategy:

Gestation lasts approximately 5 weeks.

Litters typically contain 3–5 pups.

Young are born blind and furless but develop their signature ember-like glow within two weeks.

Nest: Insulated burrows lined with soft, dry vegetation to retain warmth.

Behavior and Temperament

Defensive Behavior:

When threatened, its tail flares with heat, deterring predators.

Can release a brief pulse of warmth to startle attackers.

Foraging Habits: Stores food in underground caches for winter months.

Interaction with Humans:

Often kept as pets by those in cold regions.

Friendly, docile, and enjoys curling up with warm-blooded creatures for shared heat.

Used in folklore as a symbol of home and hearth.

[jasonswh0rre]

(Delete if too weird, too heavy or simply not allowed)

I loved the psychological analysis of Jason Todd through his story in Arkham and I love the accuracy and the explanation of every possible disorder or trauma that the events on the game/comic caused him.

I was wondering (and I'm not really sure if it's even canon or fanon) the idea of Joker feeding Jason rotten, poisoned and for sure other inedible things during the tortures. By that idea, what kind of aftermath would have left in Jason's mind?

Hello! I'm very happy you loved my analysis.

I am a little inept as to the comics but I have watched videos that explain the Arkham Genesis story as well as just reading the Jason Todd wiki page so I'll try my best to answer.

Based on the videos that showed comic pieces of Genesis, Joker fed Jason inedible items such as things like dead rodents, poison, etc. Considering this would have been happening for nearly 2 years this greatly would impact his relationship with food.

Survivors of long-termed forced consumptions often develop eating disorders or a straight aversion to food in general. For Jason, food could be a trigger, associated with his captivity and feelings of helplessness. He might experience anxiety or panic at the sight or smell of certain foods, or even at the thought eating itself.

To my knowledge and what I've read on him through wikis, Jason was much short and weighed less than the average child during his stint as Robin. Taking that into consideration, this makes his experience of being fed rotten or poisoned food even more damaging, given his body was already vulnerable and malnourished.

Now as an early 20 year old man, given he's 200 pounds surely this means process, right? Well that's only half right, it is without a doubt remarkable. However, the trauma associated with food and eating might still linger hindering any real progress in recovery. Besides, I have it on good authority this change was due to two things: 1. Motivation by a desire to distance himself from the vulnerability of his past trauma and 2. Sheer will to be strong enough defeat and Batman.

Diagnosing him with an eating disorder, I might be inclined to say Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. The unique thing about this disorder is it is not caused by a negative body image. It's characterized by a failure to meet certain nutritional needs leading to weight loss, nutritional deficiency, or even being required to use feeding or oral supplements.

Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa with trauma as its factor. Now these disorders are linked to a lack of self esteem and body image. However they can develop as maladaptive coping mechanisms as a result to trauma. I could see Jason exhibiting behaviors associated with those disorders as a way to exert control over his body and environment.

[moviebunny]

animal knowledge headcanons ft. the tadc cast

-Ragatha: Horse girl (as stated by Gooseworx). Can and will tell you everything about horses given the chance. Also has more general knowledge on hoofed large livestock species like cows and mules. She feels the most emotionally connected to horses but would be willing to care for mules/related beasts for work-related purposes. If you told her you hopped a fence and fed a random farmer’s horse for funsies she’d get really really upset. (Animal safety > fun)

-Kinger: Bug knowledge guy (as we already know). Because his teacher (wife) was a bug enjoyer, his knowledge is hyperspecific and involves a lot of technical knowhow (ex: he can tell you about caterpillar classification efforts and common missteps but would likely forget that ants are the most abundantly populated land animal). Seeing any insect fills him with joy as it also reminds him of the time he’s spent with his wife.

-Gangle: Casual animal enthusiast. She has basic understanding of how to care for common household pets and could recite a few facts related to her favorite zoo animals. Most likely to get over-excited and accidentally scare animals when interacting with them.

-Zooble: Animal aesthetic appreciator. They like how animals look and use them as a source of visual inspiration. But they’ve never owned one and their knowledge on basic animal care is below average. Given the chance, they’d learn quickly but they don’t think a lot about them otherwise.

-Jax: Small animal enthusiast (he would never admit this). Likes rabbits the most but is knowledgeable on all matters related to small animal care and welfare. Handles them with a gentleness that exceeds what his peers consider him capable of. If asked for his favorite animal he’d probably pick a cool/tough sounding one (wolf/tiger/lion) and go with that.

-Pomni: Animal enjoyer. Doesn’t know anything about animals that isn’t a part of basic school curriculum and holds many common misconceptions about them. Ex: Thinks rabbits are a type of rodent and cats should be given milk regularly. Has considered adopting animals in the past but, due to various life circumstances, nothing ever panned out.

-Caine: Does not understand animals as living creatures with their own distinct sets of biological behaviors and preferences. To him, they’re just possible shapes NPCs and players can take. Ex: He would not see any issue with making dog NPCs that can eat chocolate or cat NPCs that bark. (Shouldn’t be trusted as a source of knowledge on anything related to the real world in general.)

[just-some-guy-joust]

Just Some Guy OC Tourney - Side A: Round 3

Rules:

do NOT be mean to anyone or any characters in these polls. you MUST clarify if you are joking/teasing or you will be blocked. if you are someone who entered an oc into this and you are mean to other contestants you will be disqualified

do NOT claim a character doesn't deserve to be here. yes including your own. be nice

if you are posting propaganda you have to @ tag us, including if your propaganda is in the reblogs. it is difficult to tell when something is or isn't propaganda. anything not tagging us will likely be missed

please don't hesitate to let me know if i messed something up!

have fun, hype each other up <3 thank you

Tulip | It/Its | @joyfulness03

-Literally just a little tulip mouse -Caught in the middle of a monster war, but is entirely oblivious to anything happening (not privy to The Horrors, because it is literally just a mouse) -Day plans: curling up in the sun to photosynthesize. it is fully booked, indefinitely -The most neutral of neutral parties (group pet) and the most background of background characters (group pet) -very friendly to everyone that pets it and gives its treats. it only bites a little bit, just little love nibbles. Average rodent behavior but with slightly sharper, plantier teeth

~

Andrew Moss | He/him | @flowerrose14 (submitted by @rainecloud020604)

Andrew is just your average nerd, ghost hunter and an anxious wreck but despite it all he is a guy. Despite the horrors of being shrunk and traumatized hes still himself, an anxious wreck of a human who thinks the supernatural is awesome and he wants to study it so so bad. Even though fairy hunting gone wrong is literally the reason he got cursed, he's still interested in the supernatural. After all its awesome, and whats going to stop him.

Promos: https://toyhou.se/14728111.andrew https://toyhou.se/HotChocolateGalaxy

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Full images and descriptions under the cut!

[no extra description provided]

Andrew is in a group of lets see, a demon, vampire, a dragon, and hes the only human and hes literally just some guy in the group its so funny. He's weird yes but hes so normal compared to the rest of them and even though he was cursed for a while other than the fact that he was a bit traumatized by the whole thing he is just some guy still he just sits weird and asks his demon boyfriend weird invasive questions about being a demon and his habits.

[bufomancer]

Your post about the ranking of your preference for keeping small animals really piqued my interest since degus were your top pick, ive always seen them recommended as a great small animal with a slightly less short lifespan, but I was interested in asking why they're your favorite if you don't mind? :)

Firstly: they’re sooooooooooooo cute

I frequently describe them as a mix between chinchillas and gerbils. They come from similar environments to chinchillas and have similar care needs (hay at all times, very limited diet, no plastic) BUT crucially they’re not nearly as heat sensitive because they don’t have that insane thick fur.

They remind me behaviorally a little more of gerbils than chinchillas but maybe I’m projecting. One thing I love about gerbils is that they have like, this crazy zest for life. Every gerbil ever is so happy to be a gerbil. Being a gerbil is the best. I know that’s a little anthropomorphizing but it’s the best way I can think to explain it. I find degus to be a little sillier than chinchillas. My foster chinnies have been less curious about me than my degus have been, even when my degus were brand new to me.

They have a longer lifespan than many rodents- 4 of my 5 degus are 6.5 years old, and they average close to 10. But not as long as chinchillas, who average 15 but can live to 30… I worry about lifespans that long in case my situation changes drastically. 3 decades is a long ass time. Granted, my ball python might live to 60, but I didn’t get that snake on purpose ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Some people say degus are rat software running on chinchilla hardware. I kind of get where they’re coming from? Though my degus are less interested in free roam compared to rats and also are much less interested in being picked up. They LOVE getting their nightly peanut-in-the-shell. They get so excited. They let me pet them briefly and pick them up briefly. They’re wheel maniacs and must have a good wheel at all times. They love their weekly sandbath.

I’m just so enchanted by them lol

I will say, mine are kind of in the middle for temperament. Some people have really cuddly interactive friendly degus, and some people have bitey mean little goos. Mine are just kind of average for temperament. So keep in mind that there is a pretty wide range for niceness so ask a lot of questions from any breeder, rescue, or individual you’re considering getting degus from to assess temperament if that is important to you!

[nyaagolor]

Hear me out: Pawmot as a physical service Pokémon

I loveeeeee this concept. Here’s some assorted headcanons abt it bc that’s how I organize my thoughts :)

- Pawmot’s size lends itself really well to a service pokemon. It’s bipedal, which means it can walk around with its trainer without taking up too much space, and small enough to be allowed indoors / in tight spaces without fear of breaking things. It’s also a pretty decent size to sit in the average adult’s lap, so it’s a really great pokemon to take to places like theaters or on planes

- Because Pawmot are bipedal and have hands, they often assist with mobility, but also tasks that require more dexterity. They have the strength (due to being a fighting type) to maneuver and lift most adults as well as carry heavy objects or clear a path for their trainer, but also the fine motor skills to assist with everyday tasks like opening pill bottles, picking up dropped items, opening doors, etc. Your pawmot can set up a folding wheelchair but also carry a motorized one

- Their electric type also makes them ideal for those with electronic / battery powered mobility aids because Pawmot can recharge them if the need arises! I like to think Pawmot are a really common Paldean pokemon center pokemon for this reason— Paldea has very large wilderness areas and access to electricity is important for many, so there’s always a Pawmot at the most remote outposts to make sure your hearing aids or rotom phone keep their charge

- not service related but they’re the ideal size to wear clothes, so most service Pawmots have cute little jackets! some people give them bows or hats also. Around Glaseado, you’ll often see them in cute little parkas. Dapper little fellows :)

- Pawmot can and likely does function as a pretty good overall physical service pokemon, but in my mind where Pawmot could really shine is as a pokemon for those with muscular disorders. Aside from assisting with everyday asks for people with tremors, Pawmot can also use its dual typing to act as a living theragun, combining electricity and pressure to reduce spasms, stimulate / quiet nerves, and provide relief to those with muscular issues or chronic pain

- Personally I think Pawmot’s ability to control electricity and administer it to other species with a high level of control and contact makes it a really great electric type service pokemon. Because the electricity comes from its hands, there’s less chance of stray sparks, and I think a trained Pawmot could likely administer electrical stimulation to the right places just based on its trainer’s behavior. This makes it a more ideal choice compared to other electric rodents, since their sparks are from their cheeks and the chance of stray sparks is way higher

- Also just because of their whole defibrillator theme, I think they’re also an ideal choice for anyone with cardiovascular issues. I like to think they’re very attuned to the electrical signals and sound of heartbeats and can act as an alert if there’s a cardiac emergency. Plus, revival blessing and their electric capabilities allows them to restart or readjust pacemakers at any time or correct irregular heart rhythms

All in all TOTALLY AGREED ANON I LOVE THIS IDEA

[play-now-my-lord]

relatedness is socially determined. Degrees of kinship are socially determined. If I asked the average person "who are you more closely related to, your sibling or your parents", from a purely genetic point of view the expected answer would be incorrect - we see ourselves as "more related" to our parents but are actually (or, well, taking genetics as "actual" rather than social intuition!) more related to our siblings.

English lacks several relational terms that are commonplace in other languages, and lacks whole concepts that elsewhere dominate exogamy/endogamy (which is where the rubber really hits the road on 'degrees of relatedness', because if you look back far enough most people are vaguely related to each other, and to cattle and bacteria for that matter; it's necessary to draw a line somewhere). the concept of "parallel" and "cross cousins" - that there are cousins you are more or less related to, usually those related to the parent of the same sex or opposite sex (respectively) as you - is extremely difficult to explain to anglophones intuitively.

that being said, as they say, stoplights too are a social construct; ignore them and you might get killed. relatedness is deeply-felt and significant, despite varying intensely from culture to culture.

circling back and changing topics a bit, in many cultures it is simply accepted that humans and animals are distantly related; this is a bit of scientific trivia in our culture, but it's also demonstrably true, and a lot of our intuitions about what animals feel or experience fly in the face of plain empirical logic. ("fish don't feel pain or have memories", etc.) the "truth" in our society is that we have no moral obligation to animals, and preventing animal cruelty with violence towards a person is only accepted in extreme cases and rarely considered acceptable unless the animal in question is a domestic animal. physically slapping a teakettle out of a teenager's hands to keep him from trying to boil an ant colony to death for fun would seem like disproportionate escalation to us! a person mutilating a captured squirrel would seem like a red flag mainly because we associate that kind of behavior with violence against humans! there's a whole 90s comedy franchise about a guy trying to torture and kill a rodent! that's kinda weird, isn't it?

[ms-scarletwings]

Out of all small mammals that have been domesticated as pets, hamsters are one of the most interesting varieties.

And when I say interesting, I mean because they’re so unique, and there is a lot of complexity to them that often goes overlooked even by the owners taking care of them. Naturally, they aren’t well understood by most people, and it’s a strange kind of scary how that misunderstanding can lead to a lot of pain and tragedy for both keeper and pet.

Out of everything there is to know, the most distinct thing about hamsters is probably how downright antisocial they are to other small animals.

When you take a look at other household rodents, you usually see incredibly social creatures which can actually suffer when kept alone. So much so that there are countries outlawing the keeping of single guinea pigs, under the scope of broad animal cruelty regulations.

Take rats, or mice, for another example. Very common subjects of study and experimentation, and renowned for their ability to form bonds and bustling communities.

It’s common knowledge to any rat or mouse owner worth their salt that these animals thrive best when kept in the company of their own, and they naturally prefer to live in groupings.

Your average hamster? Not so at all. In fact, the majority of hamster breeds harbor so much potential for aggression with their own that the previous husbandry advice goes completely out the window when caring for them. And all of this goes extra for anyone with a Syrian hamster on their hands.

The absolute largest of domestic breeds, Syrian hamsters (also referred to as golden hamsters) are an exemplary variety for demonstrating this point. Make any remote suggestion of cohabbing two of these and forums and experts alike will be quick to tell you stop, do not pass “Go”, do not collect $200, because failing to consider the risks might end well… gruesomely.

Some people get the wrong impression that two Syrian hamsters can share a space because, well, they see that pet shops are getting away with housing juveniles together for a time.

It is true that when they are still young and developing, they will tolerate cage-mates much easier, and it’s been shown that you have the best chances when pairing some hamsters with a same-sex sibling they have been raised together with.

Despite however swimmingly this situation seems to be going for now, it is ultimately not so sustainable in the long run. For see… Syrian hamsters eventually mature into highly territorial, solitary creatures by their nature.

Inevitably, that nature will bleed through, creating tensions of dominance struggle between the two that could escalate into more violent fighting.

And as some former pet owners can anecdotally attest to, these fights can and occasionally do end in serious injury for one or both of the animals. Often enough, the victor will turn to cannibalistic actions as well, killing (and eating) its cage-mate in the worst case scenario.

And what of those who are still surviving, and maybe even adapting to the presence of another hamster? Interestingly, when one of the Syrians doesn’t end up devouring the other, these lower stakes conflicts have a stark impact on the psychology and behavior of both combatants involved. After a fight is concluded for Syrian hamsters, something of a pecking order between the two begins to form when the loser cannot get away, where the winner actually adjusts to become more aggressive and dominant over the shared territory. Studies have shown that the hamster at the short end of the stick can start to lose its own willingness to behave dominantly following a hard social defeat. After repeated abuse of this fashion from a cage-mate, the submissive will become more docile and appeasing to the dominant partner over time- a phenomenon known as “conditioned defeat” which appears similar to a kind of learned helplessness.

All in all, the social inclinations of golden hamsters with same-species companions are, at best, quite unpredictable, but in a morbidly fascinating way, me thinks. End of the day, there’s still just something both extremely entertaining and endearing about them, and their quirks.

[wuxiaphoenix]

Worldbuilding: The Cat’s Meow

Does your world have housecats?

Specifically housecats, Felis catus. Small wildcats show up all over the globe; the common housecat seems to be descended, as far as we can tell, from the wildcat in Egypt, Felis lybica, with possibly a bit of admixture from Felis silvestris out of Europe. We’re pretty sure the Hittite Empire got their first kitties from Egyptian traders around 1700 BC, the Greeks had them by 1200 BC, the Phoenicians and later the Romans spread them across Europe, and dates when they got other places often vary by the historian looking. By this time they’re across the world, including some islands near Antarctica. Brr.

It’s possible cats are just a standard part of the background in your world. (Gasp! You background Miette? You punt her into scenery like the football? Oh, oh, jail for writer! Jail for writer for one thousand years!)

...Ahem. If cats are an important part of your world and plot, you’re in luck! There’s loads of research material out there, everything from how to raise from a kitten to cat breed genetics to books on “tortitude”. But there’s a couple of things in particular to be aware of.

Cats are not what you want for rat hunting.

Seriously, don’t do this. Your average cat hunts mice and birds - and bats partly-dead mice around - for a reason. A cat does catch-and-release because it’s trying to make sure the prey is weak enough not to seriously injure the cat, before it moves in for the kill. Your average black rat is near half a pound; the brown rats in urban areas, over a pound. They are both large, strong, and fast enough to inflict potentially fatal injuries on a housecat. If you have a rat problem, you want ferrets and terriers. Not cats.

Feral cats can be socialized.

Note, it’s not easy, it takes dedicated work, and it’s a lot more likely with kittens. But it can be done, and there are animal rescue volunteers who do just that. Some feral cats can’t make good indoor cats, but there are also programs out there to catch, neuter, and provide barnyard cats for farms that want rodents encouraged away from grain and hay.

Housecats can and will interbreed with other small cat species.

But results may vary. The Bengal is an interesting, beautiful, and fortuitous result that took a lot of work to stabilize as people-friendly, and they still have a bunch of unhappy genetic problems. So... if your character has a wild or part-wild cat, look at Bengals, Chausies, Savannah cats and other hybrids to see if there are specific things they need to do to make their companion’s life easier.

Finally, while meowing is a socialized cat behavior, remember that so far as we know, all small cats can purr. This includes cheetahs.

...Yes, your character may sleepily pet Kitty in the middle of the night and get a surprise!

[clvr-the-insect-enthusiast]

Clover's Pokédex: #010 and #011: Bidoof and Bibarel

A Pokédex entry by Clover of the Survey Corps

Click here for the Pokédex Master Post

BIDOOF

Category: The Plump Mouse Pokémon Average Height/Weight: 50cm (from snout to rear when on all fours), 20kg Conservation Status: Both in the past and present day, the Bidoof population thrives. Type: Normal Evolution: Bidoof may evolve into Bibarel through training or age.

Bidoof is known for its nerves of steel and constantly growing teeth that have similar properties to those of Rattata. It makes homes out of hollowed-out logs near rivers, though it may resort to digging holes or tearing wood off of houses in the absence of trees. Unlike most common Normal-Type rodent Pokémon, Bidoof is not reccomended as a first Pokémon for small children due to its destructive behavior.

BIBAREL

Category: The Beaver Pokémon Average Height/Weight: 100cm (from snout to rear when on all fours), 31.5kg Conservation Status: Just like its pre-evolution, Bibarel thrives in the wild. Type: Normal/Water Evolution: Bibarel evolves from Bidoof through training or age.

Bibarel has a primal instinct that makes it hate by the sound of running water with every fiber of its being, meaning it will build a dam to stop the flowing of water, no matter the cost. Even if it's very stressed out when building, its dams are nearly always perfect, thus, not a single river dammed by Bibarel overflows its banks. It is much easier to train than its pre-evolved form, but doesn't grow emotionally attached as easily.