#canine social skills

[bamm05]

Dog Socialization Tips for Happy Pups

As a dog owner, I understand the importance of socializing puppies for their overall well-being and happiness. During their first few months of life, puppies go through a critical socialization period that shapes their future behavior and temperament. This is the perfect time to introduce them to a wide range of people, places, and situations to ensure they grow up to be confident and…

[lovelybunn]

human!wally darling w/ u wearing apple scented perfume…

warning(s): reader being a socially awkward loser, flirty wally

author's note: the main reason i clairified that he was human is bc a puppet isnt anatomically allowed to do most of what hes doing here lmao + i love melanated wally 🩷 (lowkey got ooc on last paras, we don't talk about it...)

Wally places gentle strokes against his canvas, his mind and body completely relaxed. Just as he finishes the final touches, he feels a presence behind him. He smiles, “Hello, neighbor.” He swivels around in his stool to face the figure. “Hey Wally! What is that your painting?” He looks over his shoulder back at his work. He shrugs. “No clue. I just paint how I’m feeling.”

He crosses his legs and places his cheek in the palm of his left hand. “What brings you here to visit little ol’ me, neighbor?” His eyes lidded while he bats his long lashes. You grin sheepishly, rubbing the back of your neck. “Well... This may be a little random, but I’ve bought this new perfume, and I wanted to hear someone else’s opinion on whether it flattered me or not.”

He purses his lips and tilts his head in bewilderment. “Why did you come to me, specifically? Personally, I would’ve asked Julie, she’s very skilled in these kinds of things.” You nod, “Yeah, but you’re more, how do I say this? … Blunt, then she is.” He laughs in response, a noise almost like a broken record. “Is that so?” He uses two fingers to gesture you to come forward, “Then come here, darling, if you want to know what I think.”

You step closer to Wally and give him your hand. He takes it, observing the delicate lines of your palm before carefully pulling it to his nose. He breathes in deeply, taking in your scent. His face contorts, trying to recognize the fragrance.

With a flash of dopamine, his pupils dilate intensely, the black shadowing over the natural color of his irises. “You smell absolutely astonishing, (Name). This perfume is the absolute most.” He returns your hand, it slowly resting back at your side.

Your eyes avert as your cheeks warm up to a fresh shade of red. It slightly reminds Wally of a bright red apple ripe and plucked right off the tree. “I’m glad you like it so much, Wally.” You stammer; he smiles gently in response.

“I think I’m starting to understand why you asked for my view on this, (Name).” Wally looks straight into your eyes. He has read you like a book. “It’s apple scented. You knew I would love it, neighbor. My reaction got a kick out of you, didn’t it?” His words flow like velvet off his tongue.

You quickly scramble out an apology, “I'm so sorry, It's just that I–” Wally cuts you off by caressing your hand again, this time placing a sweet peck on its surface. “You're adorable, neighbor. If anything, I'm flattered for you wearing this, to get a reaction out of me." He pulls away, his eyes never leaving yours. His smile grows, canines flashing welcomely at you. “I think the way you smell has worked up an appetite in me.”

He hops off his stool and offers you his right arm, “Why not we go and do some apple picking, neighbor?” You take his arm, but pause to glance at his unfinished work. “Sure, but what about your painting?” He shrugs, “Well, I didn't know what it was to start with. It'll be fine.” Wally's expression beams with giddy intent, “Well then, neighbor, let's go! The apples are delicious this time of year.” His head turns to you. “I'm so excited! I hope I find one that tastes as sweet as the perfume you have on smells. I doubt it, though. After all, you are the sweetest apple of my eye, my darling.” Wally playfully winks as the two of you head off to the apple orchard.

[blogforfauna]

Parahyaena brunnea

Mostly due to habitat loss, brown hyenas are the rarest of the hyena species, with 4-10 thousand individuals in the wild. There are 30-50 thousand wild spotted hyenas, for comparison.

Brown hyenas are also known as strandwolves, which means "beach wolves" in Afrikaans, a language spoken primarily in South Africa. This name was given to them because brown hyenas in coastal areas spend a lot of time walking down beaches in search of food, and maybe to unwind after a long day. Some of the largest brown hyena populations are found in these coastal areas of Southern Africa, but there are also large populations in the Kalahari desert.

Although the name strandwolf suggests it, brown hyenas are not closely related to wolves or other canines. They can resemble canines, but hyenas are more closely related to cats than dogs. Their closest relatives are mongooses and civets. The photo below shows an African civet.

Brown hyenas are generally smaller than striped and spotted hyenas, but they can still get pretty big, weighing up to 90 pounds (40.8 kg). This size and their powerful jaws make them seem like formidable predators, but they're pretty bad hunters. They mostly scavenge for food or steal it from more capable hunters like cheetahs, leopards, and jackals. Since they can digest bones, hooves, horns, hair, and skin, they can basically eat every scrap food they find. Brown hyenas often live in groups, but this scavenging is done on their own.

Their clans are much smaller than those of spotted hyenas, and the structure is more similar to a wolf pack; most hyenas in the group are the offspring of the dominant hyenas. Brown hyenas are very social and form close bonds with other hyenas.

I rate the brown hyena 17/10. I like them. They seem a little bit lazy with their poor hunting skills and walks down the beach

Photo credits:

(1) Christophe Jobic (2) Mario Nonaka (3) Yarin Klien (4) Thilo Beck (5) Johan Swanepoel (6) Joel Sartore

[molosseraptor]

week one in the chronicles of Figaro have been super busy but so much fun.

he's done a lot of people watching in different locations, started to learn some foundation life and sport skills, practiced being a good patio boy at a coffee shop and brewery, learned that the life of a dog trainer's dog mostly involves chilling in the car while your human has fun with other people's dogs, gone on a mini hike and found a dead shrew, met some of my longtime students (human and canine), and learned that most of the time when we see people and/or dogs we're not interacting with them.

thus far, he's been super into everything he's seen and done. curious, engaged, and appropriately social. he's currently much more toy than food motivated, but that's starting to come around now that i know a bit more about what he likes. his prey drive is pretty high and he has a great nose with a long memory for where cool things once were. he's learned that bully sticks are a lot better when you chew them instead of just running around and smacking things with it and that cheese is the best.

while puppies are a lot of work and he's definitely a pain in the ass in multiple ways, i'm very glad i decided to bring him home. he's fitting in really well and my life has improved significantly by his presence even in such a short time. i don't feel that way when he's yowling because he's so sad i'm doing things with the other dogs without him, but we'll both live and that's already significantly improved. his cute, crazy antics and just absolute ridiculousness could make anyone smile, but the structure and purpose he's brought back to my day to day life has been such a gift.

[spotlightlowlife]

Loona is a whole missed opportunity

Loona is Loona, someone who has had plenty of time to see her dads situation for what it is and she's old enough to understand, but this would deviated from the rude and sarcastic, edgy and always bored 20 something whoes minimal progress always gets squashed by her own attitude. Like Blitzø, Loona falls victim to 'had a hard life and that's the justification, oh and they're only ever punching up which is fine, oh and comic relief', but where Blitzø's words and actions make a some difference to the story, Loona's make none.

We know Loona to be an excellent tracker because she is a canine, she has something that is hers and hers alone, it would then fit that she would be the one to find runaway Octavia. Their heatt to heart consisted of guilt tripping Octavia, a child who had the right to be upset, for being too hard on her disinterested dad, this was hypocritical of Loona who mistreats her loving dad but so easily could have been growth for her.

Since she had just got done viciously physically attacking Blitzø, trashed his workplace and making a scene infront of their colleagues for discreetly attempting to address her intentional poor conduct at work, did her own advice to virtual strangers hit home and make her reflect? No, she kicked the worried Blitzø in the nuts, with no regard for Stolas or Octavia's presence, the fact that she has just pushed compassion on the reasonable teenager she influenced, no regard for how she looked in the least. Sensibility gone.

The episode were we meet Verosika and the gang end up on a beach showed us that Loona knows transformation magic, the first example of her having an important skill her team don't, yet when did she learn this skill no other leading character has? How is it possible that she has resorces Blitzø doesn't have? Why does she have more common sense than anyone else? What else does she get up to in her spare time? Why is this not a bigger deal?

This was her best episode because it raised questions that have yet to be answered about her, one being her lack of reaction to Verosika, which could have helped us build a timeline.

We would also learnt that she is friendless and not comfortable with this, she is no edgelord around a new peer but an awkward young woman who doesn't socialize much, helped and not helped by the person she's nervous around is someone she is clearly crushing on.

Loona also showed that she is capable of feeling guilt for her mean ways, but that was only because she got called out a little by this new peer she just met who she fancies, so it's hard to give her credit and many episodes later, it made no difference to her growth.

Loona finds out that the guy she just met has a girlfriend, which for her is a bummer, but he invites her to one of their parties where she can mingle, which is excellent. In a future episode Loona does attend the party but as expected she is unnecessarily rude to multiple party goers for no good reason, to no detriment.

She goes on to meet Bee, the host, who happens to be her crushed girlfriend, who happens to be high up royalty, a whole district leader and gluttony itself, instantly Loona is threatened because "she's hot" and it's not long before Loona is rude to Bee, as usual, to no detriment.

We actually had the opportunity to address the dog shelter Loona was living in, signed off on by queen Bee. Loona could have had a subplot that was just hers, but yet again, hierarchy means nothing, she doesn't know who Bee is and doesn't appear to have any political views.

Loona chooses to give the party another chance when another 'cute guy' approaches her, who we never see again, with Blitzø turning up for this party and receiving a positive reception, Loona is now happy to show him off as her dad, gets closer with him and goes on to show him kindness, but alas, this doesn't carry on to future episodes.

All these two episodes taught us was that though she's sad, she is a Pickme and like a school child will jump on the bandwagon of what will grant her instant popularity. These actually are not bad things, they're good, they are at the heart of a lot of people's failure to find themselves along with their crowd. If only we were allowed to explore her shallowness and loneliness more, her need to compete with other women and not be like other girls. This would start by her actions actually resulting in something.

There is an abundance of teen mean girls in media to study that could help give Loona more substance, explore the numberours things she may gave missed out on during her childhood.

Let her be a user, let her smugness at knowing she gets away with her horrible ways be challenged by maybe revisiting her work 'assessment' and addressing her fat jokes at Moxxie, maybe we could know what it is she's constantly viewing on her phone too? Just look at how Stolas validated his feelings with the dramatic telenovela in that tiny little scene.

The episode where Blitzø and Moxxie were abducted gave us a level headed Loona who got along fine with Millie dispite being rude to her for mo reason, it made it clear they they don't talk at all, yet immediately and many episodes later nothing has come of their excellent team work and friendliness, nothing has come of level headed Loona, she has actually gotten more unpleasant. Sensibility gone again.

This latest episode, crescent moon, had us hear from Loona again for the first time in a while (personal reasons took the VA away from work) and what we got between Loona and Blitzø was a proof that they are no parent and child, smugly suggesting that Stolas is simply getting bored of Blitzø and that she too employs tactics of ignoring him shows us her level of immaturity, she is old enough to know what's going on and capable of empathy, her apathy and meanness is a choice, we saw her self censoring at Bee's party, we saw her trying to impress Tex, we saw her quickly get thought to Octavia who is nothing like her and it was Loona who was kind to Blitzø at their home when he was drunk, sad and opened up about being alone. Sensible and caring initiated because she was impressed which is a huge take away Loona? What did any of that matter? We can't have these aspects aswell as unbothered wise cracking Loona at the same time, even though character duality is out there, it's one or the other with this character and the other has to be prompted to suit the plot on the occasion something actually happens, one is an intention bully who is ignored, it's hard to say tolerated when her actions don't matter at all.

I guarantee Loona's character improve if this series stuck to the main plot more and we saw them working most of time?

Since she really could do with her own thing, the property damage she caused in crescent moon coming back to bite her would be the making of her best storyline to date. Community give back would let her learn new skills and mingle.

Lastly, she as good as throws on a cape for Stolas yet again. Since the tone is that Blitzø needs to come to his senses and hook up with his abuser, why not have Loona be part of this plot and let her commit to wanting a rich stepdad and the perceived popularity that comes with it?

[dylweedwastaken]

How I would write a teen/adult Scooby Doo series

The Setting:

All over the USA. They are driving from town to town hunting/investigating monsters, ghosts, and cryptids. This is a world where the supernatural is real, but not super common.

The Gang is well-respected almost everywhere except for their hometown of Coolseville, Massachusetts.

The Characters:

The gang are all in their early 20's. They all genuinely love and trust each other. There is very little drama, but when there is, they figure it out because they are all better together.

Fred Jones:

• Large, tough, man

• Total sweetheart

• Mechanically brilliant (he can build a trap out of nothing and fix the van in hours)

• Himbo and sees the best in people to a fault

• Has willingly taken hits for the other members of the gang

Daphne Blake:

• Comes from old money and has a shakey relationship with her parents and sister's

• Emotionally/socially intelligent

• If there is anyone who would willingly get involved in a fight, it's her

• While she may not have Blake money, she has Blake resources

• Sometimes has to be reminded that not everyone is rich

Velma Dinkly:

• Enthusiastically curious about the supernatural

• Sometimes forgets to sugarcoat things to people who have been hurt by the monster

• Has alexithymia (I hope that's how that's worded) so while she may not always be able to empathize with people, she genuinley wants to and tries

• Sometimes so engrossed in her investigation she ends up in danger

• More booksmart than street smart

• In a long-distance relationship with Marcy Fleech

• Has actually supportive parents

Shaggy Rogers:

• The resident skeptic (mostly as a coping mechanism)

• The only one who can cook well

• Has a seemingly random set of knowledge and skill

• The youngest of the group

• The funny one

Scooby Doo:

• Giant dog (Great Dane's are fucking huge)

• So much love in his heart and cotton candy in his brain

• The Doos are a cryptid canine species

• Has a large family

• Generally friendly, but can bite and be protective when needed

Inter-gang dynamics:

Fred x Daphne: In a happy, healthy, long-term, relationship. Pincushion couple.

Fred x Velma: They are the most invested in the investigation and will often work on traps and plans together.

Fred x Shaggy: Fred boosts Shaggy's confidence and Shaggy teaches Fred new skills

Fred x Scooby: Great Dane/Golden Retriever solidarity

Daphne x Velma: Very similar dynamic to Fred x Shaggy with the addition that Velma often keeps Daphne grounded.

Daphne x Shaggy: Both have similar backgrounds and weirdly relate. They have rich parents who don't approve of their life decisions.

Daphne x Scooby: They are just very sweet to each other and she will often go to thrift stores to get his costumes.

Velma x Shaggy: They dated briefly in high school, and broke up on really good terms because she doesn't like guys. They occasionally bake together.

Velma x Scooby: Whenever she gets stressed or overwhelmed Scooby comforts her. She puts a lot of effort into making sure his needs are met. She often googles whether or not he can eat something.

Shaggyx Scooby: Scooby is Shaggy's best friend and psychiatric service dog for his anxiety. Shaggy is Scooby's best friend.

Other Characters:

Scrappy: Scooby's nephew who genuinely loves and looks up to him and think's he's fearless.

The Hex Girls: A goth band local to Coolsville. Mystery Inc. Were some of their first and only supporters. They have since made it big and still keep in contact with Mustery Inc.

Marcy Fleach: Velma's girlfriend of 3 years. Basically, it's just Marcy from "Mystery Incorporated".

This has been largely inspired by this post https://www.tumblr.com/inkoutsidethelines/706626597058396160/thinking-about-how-i-would-write-an-adult?source=share

and the JelloApocalypse video about Fred

Any other suggestions?

[obeythebutler]

Hey! Could I ask for some Lucifer x Reader comfort. The MC and him are at a ball, and the demons all around are so freaking beautiful. And the brothers too!! It doesn't help that MC feels that they pale in comparison.

just want some comfort for myself.

Again, thank you.

In hindsight, you should have known better.

Devildom parties and events are alarmingly similar to human ones, with the same old arrogant nobles and passive-aggressive interactions. With champagne and wealth flowing freely, and beautiful faces.

You sip on some super spicy mango juice, having mixed it with some normal one, safe for human consumption. It gives a nice kick, enough to not make you sputter and spit out the drink, or it having burned your tongue.

Today is one hell of an event.

Call it a get-together, per se, for aristocratic demons from the seven layers.

And it is imperative that the exchange students attend, if harmony is to be attained.

You only wish you had it in you to say no earlier.

Gather yourself together, you admonish, gripping the fabric of your outfit with such tenacity that your knuckles turn white. There are so many important demons here to interact with the Student Council and the exchange students, and you certainly can't afford to be seen sulking in a corner.

Not when everything is perfect.

You observe the chandelier dangling from the ceiling, brilliant white coating the room in a warm glow, supplemented by magic. There is a group of demons in a corner, whom you assume to be close friends, given the distance, or lack of, and with the way their lips curve upwards in a smile to reveal canines and when one buries their face into someone's shoulder when they laugh; a joke has just been made.

It's a picture of perfect harmony, with Barbatos flitting around the giant hall every now-and-then, always moving, ever so graceful. You will never be able to comprehend as to how he moves so elegantly.

And then there is Diavolo, dragging around a crimson-eyed demon who is sighing at his brothers antics. Lucifer, who downs a whole glass of Demonus in one go and storms off to grab Mammon by the ear. You giggle, the sight making you feel lighter.

You bite your cheek.

Then there's your snek, who is utterly focused on his mobile screen, and judging by the rapid taps to his screen, he's clearly gaming.

Oh well, at least he's attending the event, according to Lucifer.

In another corner, Satan stands, conversing with some demons whom you recognise from the Royal Library. The blonde demon has many connections. Admirable social skills, and a brain to match. Knowledge is power, after all. A fact that Solomon knows too, given how easily he is able to stand his ground and maintain conversation with some fancy-looking nobles. Seventy-two pacts is no joke.

Look at you.

Someone jabs their elbow into your side, and you stumble, but manage to retain balance. With furrowed brows, you turn around, a curse already on the tip of your tongue for the offender.

Your eyes widen.

It's a whole damn crowd.

Although their attention is focused on someone else, judging by the direction in which the audience faces. When you catch a glimpse of strawberry blonde hair, you realise that it is Asmodeus.

Oh well, his followers crowding around him to admire the beauty of the Jewel of the Heavens is sacrosanct, after all.

Something in your heart sinks, witnessing this spectacle.

You swallow thickly, turning around to get to a less crowded...more quiet place. Not before placing your glass back on the table, which a little D quickly swipes.

Your gaze is downcast, and you head straight for the guest rooms, thankful for the crowd and the way you seemingly leave unnoticed.

It jabs at your conscience further, though.

In another corner, a certain demon watches, expression revealing nothing.

"Are you alright?"

A voice calls, and you nearly throw the vase on the floor in surprise.

"Please be more careful, you almost gave me a heart attack!" You admonish, hand placed over your wildly beating heart.

Lucifer stands at the door, the notes of the piano a distant noise.

"You left the ball suddenly." He says, a hand behind his back. '"May I ask why?"

"Oh," You mumble, forcing a smile on your face. "It's nothing Lucifer, I was just tired." The man does not seem convinced, and so you add, "I ate a lot of snacks with Beel, plus Asmo made me dance with him earlier, heh, that was quite the dramatic waltz...so—"

He silences you, placing a gloved hand on your shoulder.

"I know you're lying." Lucifer speaks, and you feel embarrassed, being caught in the middle of it all. You refuse to meet his eyes, fearing that the moment you do your conscience will end up getting the better of you, and then you will voice all those thoughts that have giving you sleepless nights and then the demon in front of you will feel repulsed because look at you, so pathetic, so weak.

Your eyes sting suddenly, and you blink.

In front of you, Lucifer's brows crease with worry.

He take a step towards you, a thumb wiping away the tear that fell from your eye, his gaze not seeming domineering or contemptuous, as you had imagined it to be.

"MC, hey, look at me," He whispers, and you can't help but hold back more tears. You force yourself to meet his gaze, biting your cheek. "Did any of my brothers say or do anything to hurt you? Was it the demons out there?"

"No." You mutter, finding solace in the soothing motion of his hand on your back, comforting you. "Wasn't them, wasn't anyone..."

"Then who?"

"It's just," You swallow, voice cracking. "It's that—look at you, Lucifer."

"What about me?" He asks gently, not wanting to come off as harsh.

"You and your brothers, everyone out there, they're so talented and beautiful, they can do so many things effortlessly, so many damned talents and—and l-look at me!" You sob, breath hitching, the lump in your throat making it harder and harder to not outright bawl. "I'm barely able to do shit, and on top of that I can't—I'm not what you all think me to be! I can't even do one task properly, a-always messing things up, and I can't even bring damned harmony to the three fucking realms, Lucifer."

Harmony.

So ironic.

Ha.

You wipe at the tears that fall down your cheeks, gasping wildly after nearly having screamed at the demon in front of you.

"I disagree." He merely says, tone clear and confident, as you've just told him that Belphegor did not plant a stink bomb in his room a fortnight ago, that pigs fly and that Cerberus is not a good boy.

"I don't believe you," He states, ruffling your hair affectionately. "Do not undermine yourself, MC. I will not tolerate it."

You stare at him through vision blurred by tears, still not having it in you to speak. But your brain is stunned to silence at his words, all the negative thoughts that had been haunting your mind halting, albeit briefly.

He grabs your left hand, which is curled in a fist (and the way your nails dig into the skin leaves crescent indentations) and gently coaxes your fingers to unfurl, and you stare at his shoes all the while. You imagine his reaction, imagining pity and cold contempt in his gaze, which only results in plummeting you further into the hole you've created for yourself.

And when he places his own hand in yours, the last thing you'd expect would be his skin. You glance at his hand now where it rests in your palm, and you find that the demon has removed his glove which almost clings to him like second skin.

"Please do not think so lowly of yourself." You think the man almost pleads, with the way his fingers curl into your own, a thumb drawing soft circles. "MC, you are the most captivating being I have ever met."'

Your breath hitches. "But there are so many others out there," You mutter, gaze almost resigned if Lucifer stares too deep. "More better. More beautiful. More smarter. And better magic."

"My affection for you is not a fleeting one," He affirms, squeezing your hand gently. "I will never leave you. You are no less smarter or lesser than other beings. You are MC, and they are them. That's all to it."

The demon says as if its a simple thing.

Lucifer gets on one knee in front of you, till your hand is on his cheek, and he looks at you with a gaze so found it makes you smile.

"So please don't compare yourself to others. I love you for who you are. Know that your efforts are not ignored, and that I am proud of you, for what you have done and what you have achieved."

I love you, he says through his actions.

And you can't help but kneel too, and hug the demon who holds you so closely in his heart.

[bethanythebogwitch]

We know that narwhals are swimming in the ocean, causing a commotion, because they are so awesome, but what else do we know about them? This Wet Beast Wednesday, let's go over the unicorn whale, a classic animal that seems like it should be fictional (and should be a Pokemon by now). Narwhals are small (by whale standards) toothed whales that are one of the two living members of the family Monodontidae, the other being the Beluga. Both Monodontids have reduce snouts, giving them squarish heads, a ridge running down the back instead of a dorsal fin, and more flexible necks than most cetaceans. The name Monodontidae means "one-tooth". Despite this, both species actually have multiple teeth, with narwhals having two large teeth, one of which can grow into the famous tusk, and several vestigial teeth that are retained in the jawbone and no not extend into the mouth.

(image: a narwhal from above)

Narwhals are on the small side as far as whales go, growing to between 3.9 to 5.5 m (13 to 18 ft) excluding the tusk and reaching between 800 and 1,600 kg (1,760 to 3,530 lbs). They live in the Arctic and north Atlantic oceans, frequently sharing a neighborhood with their beluga cousins. They migrate seasonally, moving closer to shores during the summer and out to the sea ice in winter. Their winter behavior is notable as narwhals spend a lot of their time under the sea ice, surfacing in cracks to breathe. This is dangerous and many individuals will die of suffocation before they reach their average lifespan of 50 years. Narwhals also can dive up to 1,500 m (almost 5,000 ft) deep during their winter feeding, one of the deepest dives recorded among marine mammals. These dives can last for up to 25 minutes and can happen over 15 times a day. Narwhals feed primarily on cod, halibut, cuttlefish, and squid. Because of their mostly toothless mouths, narwhals are believed to hunt by sucking prey into their mouths and swallowing them whole.

(image: several narwhals at a breathing hole)

Like many other cetaceans, narwhals are highly social. They typically swim in pods of up to 20 individuals outside of the summer. These be mixed sex groups or could be separated nursery pods consisting of juveniles and adult females and all-male pods. During the summer, pods will come together in aggregations of up to over 1,000 narwhals. Communication is important in any social species and narwhals have that covered. Scientists have described multiple types of vocalizations including, clicks, whistles, knocks, trumpeting, and (I swear I didn't make this up) squeaking door sounds. Audio recordings have seen that groups share more sounds internally than with other groups, indicating possible group or individual-specific sounds. Females reach sexual maturity between 5 and 8 years old while males do so at 11 to 13 years old. One calf is born at a time in most cases and nurse for up to 20 months. During this time, they stay within 2 body lengths of their mother and learn their survival skills by observing her. DNA analysis has confirmed an instance of a narwhal-beluga hybrid.

(image: a narwhal pod seen from above)

Now for the part you're all here for: the tusk. The tusk is a modified tooth. Specifically, it is the left canine tooth, which grows out through the upper lip in a distinctive left-handed helical spiral and usually gets to be about 1/3rd the whale's body length. In 1 of 500 males, the right tooth may also grow into a second tusk. Narwhals are sexually dimorphic and the tusk is a male feature. Almost every male with grow a tusk while only 15% of females grow one. There is a single known instance of a female growing two tusks and its skull is currently housed in the Zoologisches Museum in Hamburg, Germany. The function of the tusk has been the subject of debate for quite a while. The leading hypothesis is that is is used for sexual display, like a deer's antlers or peacock's fail feathers. However, the tusk seems to have more uses than just that. The tusk is filled with millions of nerve endings, allowing it to act as a sense organ detecting water quality. Males are known to rub their tucks together or against the backs of other males. This may be a display of dominance, but may also be used to exchange sensory information about the water the other male has swum through. Video footage has revealed that narwhals will sometimes strike fish with the tusk, stunning the fish and making it easier prey. Other proposed functions of the tusk include as a weapon or used to create breathing holes in sea ice. The general consensus seems to be the tusk is primarily used for display and that any additional uses are secondary. The tusk cannot be vital to survival as the tuskless females typically live longer than males.

(Image: multiple narwhal tusks)

(image: a close-up of a narwhal skull showing the tusk)

A shitpost once asked the question "are narwhals nars or whals?". I actually can answer this question. The word narwhal comes from the old norse "nár" meaning corpse (a reference to the mottled grey skin of the whale) and "hval" meaning whale. "Hval" became "whal" as time when on and languages were translated. So Narwhal means corpse whale. Since narwhals aren't actually corpses, they are whals and not nars, at least until they die.

(image: a pod of male narwhals)

Narwhals are threatened by climate change due to the changing sea ice coverage in their territory. Noise from ships is also known to disrupt and disturb them. For a long time, they were classified as Nearly Threatened by the IUCN as the world population was estimated to be below 50,000. In more recent years, new estimates put the population at around 170,000, resulting in a reclassification to Least Concern. Narwhal, with her hair, which she wore in a twisted and tusk-like shape, becoming the tusk. Narhwal tusks are believed to have inspired the design of the unicorn horn in European art. One story of dubious veracity claims that an emperor of Rome was presented with a narwhal tusk imported from northern Europe and he declared that it was a unicorn horns have historically been hunted by the Inuit people and while there are international restrictions on the sale of tusks and other body parts, Inuit people in Canada and Greenland have special permission to hunt them. They are hunted for their meat, blubber, and tusks and vertebrae, which are often carved and sold. The raw skin and blubber is a delicacy called Muktuk. In Inuit mythology, narwhals did not originally have tusks. A woman harpooned a narwhal and was either pulled into the sea or pushed in, where she turned into a narwhal. Her hair, which she wore in a twisted, tusk-like style, became the tusk. Narwhal tusks are believed to have inspired the common image of a unicorn horn. One story of dubious veracity claims that a Roman emperor was shown a narwhal tusk and declared it to be a unicorn horn.

(image: a male and female narwhal)

[apple-orchards-writings]

some kylar hcs from when i was bored at work

They actually have perfect teeth, but their canines are a bit blunt. They have tried to file them into points, but didn’t succeed.

They have freckles all over their back when they go out in the sun shirtless, but since they’re “nocturnal”, you almost never see them :’(.

They have two gamer chairs, a black/red for them and a pastel one for you. They also bought you cat headphones.

Since you started coming over, they have made an effort to get the crumbs out of their bed.

You’re the first person they have ever “fallen in love” with, so they don’t actually know how fucked up their views and actions are.

However, they did have, like, a very small puppy crush on Sydney as a kid.

They have crossdressed before, and they’re okay at it, but they need more skills in makeup. They will beg you to do their liner for them if you wear it. 

They know Avery, and they almost became his “prey” after their parents’ “accident”, but they got somewhat lucky and started avoiding social encounters, so Avery gave up.

They have an extensive knife collection, and want to get you one, but they’re not sure which one you’d prefer.

They have a little journal where they write the murder plans they have for the other school LIs. They also have a journal with you x them fanfics (they’re pretty bad, sold to one direction style.)

They think you would look divine covered in blood. Is it their own blood or someone else’s ? Who knows.

They’ve actually started baby-proofing the mansion (badly) since knowing you, whether you can conceive or not.

[wolfsblog]

WOLVES AND RAVENS ...

Naturalist Notes: Wolves and Ravens ... Wildlife, Wolves, Yellowstone, Yellowstone Quarterly

Ravens and wolves have a special relationship. Called “wolf birds” by various cultures, ravens have important ties to wolves. Like many scavengers, the common raven (Corvus corax) is especially tied to large predators that serve as potential food providers. Wolves provide many Yellowstone species a year-round food not necessarily available prior to their re-establishment in the park: carrion. Bears, eagles, magpies, and several other species also benefit from this food source ... Ravens begin eating carrion quickly, usually arriving not soon after a kill, but rather—because of their close association with wolves—being there when the kill is made. As many as 135 ravens have been seen on one carcass! Interestingly, these birds will not only eat some of the food, but cache (store) as much as possible. It is believed that in some cases the raven, not the wolf, will harvest the majority of a large animal carcass ... Wolf at Blacktail Pond. NPS / Jim Peaco ... Pic 2 ... Ravens are highly regarded for their social skills, a complicated communication system, and excellent visual recognition. These vocal birds make lots of noise when they find a dead animal, drawing attention to the carcass so that larger, more “tooled” scavengers can open up the hide and eventually provide food for the ravens ... Those social skills have not gone unnoticed when observing wolf/raven interactions. Ravens have often been seen interacting with wolves, especially pups and yearlings. These intriguing birds have been known to grab sticks and play tug-of-war with wolf puppies, to fly over young wolves with sticks and tease the small canines into jumping up to grab the sticks, and even to boldly pull the tails of wolves to initiate a reaction. Some scientists have theorized that individual ravens may even develop special bonds with individual wolves within a pack ... Perhaps we will soon know more about this fascinating animal relationship, as a new research study in Yellowstone hopes to shed light on many facets of raven life, including their relationship with wolves on the landscape ...

By YF Institute Staff ...

This article was originally published in the Spring 2020 issue of Yellowstone Quarterly ...

[josephseedismyfather]

my OC as a Greek deity

Thank you @raresvtm and @simplegenius042for tagging me! 🥰 Gonna do it for all 3 of the babes!

bold = applies, italics = somewhat applies, strike = does not apply

EROS: • scornful jealousy • pink • presents a certain decorum • heavy air in a nightclub • has a tattoo they regret • sex & love therapist for their friends • juvenescent • uses enchantments • aloof • wears rose-coloured glasses • velvet, latex, & lingerie • milk baths with champagne bubbles • impetuous in love • intense eye contact is a sport • kinky • soft lips • wears stacked rings • sets fashion trends • graceful movements • marble floors • heavy perfume or cologne • deeply emotional • born glamorous •

HECATE: • prefers canine companions • wears symbolic jewelry • can see spirits • melting wax • uses hexes • feels most comfortable at night • smell of cinnamon • moonlight • red wine • understands poisons & herbs • collects bones or feathers • partakes in rituals • black • fog at night • is aware of their shadow self • embraces the unknown • enjoys collecting secrets • approves of necromancy • meditates • has prophetic dreams • lace • knowing too many secrets • fishnet stockings •

PAN: • enjoys poetry & prose • wool • smell of decaying leaves in autumn • prefers to be barefoot • tends to overindulge • easily excitable • thriving in social circles • loves being around campfire • antlers • dirt paths • the sound of wind chimes • penchant for sticky fingers • pine trees • stamina for days • falls in lust • vagabond • physically stronger than given credit for • foxglove • welcomes luxury • non-confrontational • charming words • talking to animals • nature for jewelry •

NEMESIS: • angry • protective of their values • balance & harmony • looks like an angel but isn’t • more perceptive than people realize • snow capped mountains • grey • wears leather • silver jewelry • likes snakes • can’t stand ignorance • believes in retribution • analytical of own emotions • well read • marble columns • has very rigid morals • bruised knuckles • humorous under the sarcasm • clean workspace • everything in moderation • cold morning air • resting glare face • fluent in curse words •

HYPNOS: • very calm demeanor • easily overwhelmed • relaxing is their vice • transactional friendships • has a soft voice • head in the clouds • carries drugs with them • has (had?) a sibling they’re close with • drawn to winged animals • lavender • has plush furniture/blankets • starry eyed • horrible money management • gives amazing hugs • dreaming big as a full time job • wears comfy or loose clothes • existential questions • not good at memory based skills • fairy lights • can’t sleep somewhere unfamiliar • crystalline chandeliers • dislikes bright sun • fluttering eyelashes •

IRIS: • life’s a technicolor spectrum • has a lot to say • beaming smiles • always has candy with them • flirting by accident • walking to the beat of their own drum • gossamer curtains • has a surprising amount of connections • blushes very easily • confident laughter • uses a staff • fresh fruit slices • decorated handwritten letters • a social chameleon • blood made of honey • treating people with kindness • sentimental heart • vases full of wildflowers • feels fulfilled when helping others • has a healing aura • always traveling • stained glass windows • just trying to be a good person •

EROS: • scornful jealousy • pink • presents a certain decorum • heavy air in a nightclub • has a tattoo they regret • sex & love therapist for their friends • juvenescent • uses enchantments • aloof • wears rose-coloured glasses • velvet, latex, & lingerie • milk baths with champagne bubbles • impetuous in love • intense eye contact is a sport • kinky • soft lips • wears stacked rings • sets fashion trends • graceful movements • marble floors • heavy perfume or cologne • deeply emotional • born glamorous •

HECATE: • prefers canine companions • wears symbolic jewelry • can see spirits • melting wax • uses hexes • feels most comfortable at night • smell of cinnamon • moonlight • red wine • understands poisons & herbs • collects bones or feathers • partakes in rituals • black • fog at night • is aware of their shadow self • embraces the unknown • enjoys collecting secrets • approves of necromancy • meditates • has prophetic dreams • lace • knowing too many secrets • fishnet stockings •

PAN: • enjoys poetry & prose • wool • smell of decaying leaves in autumn • prefers to be barefoot • tends to overindulge • easily excitable • thriving in social circles • loves being around campfire • antlers • dirt paths • the sound of wind chimes • penchant for sticky fingers • pine trees • stamina for days • falls in lust • vagabond • physically stronger than given credit for • foxglove • welcomes luxury • non-confrontational • charming words • talking to animals • nature for jewelry •

NEMESIS: • angry • protective of their values • balance & harmony • looks like an angel but isn’t • more perceptive than people realize • snow capped mountains • grey • wears leather • silver jewelry • likes snakes • can’t stand ignorance • believes in retribution • analytical of own emotions • well read • marble columns • has very rigid morals • bruised knuckles • humorous under the sarcasm • clean workspace • everything in moderation • cold morning air • resting glare face • fluent in curse words •

HYPNOS: • very calm demeanor • easily overwhelmed • relaxing is their vice • transactional friendships • has a soft voice • head in the clouds • carries drugs with them • has a sibling they’re close with • drawn to winged animals • lavender • has plush furniture/blankets • starry eyed • horrible money management • gives amazing hugs • dreaming big as a full time job • wears comfy or loose clothes • existential questions • not good at memory based skills • fairy lights • can’t sleep somewhere unfamiliar • crystalline chandeliers • dislikes bright sun • fluttering eyelashes •

IRIS: • life’s a technicolor spectrum • has a lot to say • beaming smiles • always has candy with them • flirting by accident • walking to the beat of their own drum • gossamer curtains • has a surprising amount of connections • blushes very easily • confident laughter • uses a staff • fresh fruit slices • decorated handwritten letters • a social chameleon • blood made of honey • treating people with kindness • sentimental heart • vases full of wildflowers • feels fulfilled when helping others • has a healing aura • always traveling • stained glass windows • just trying to be a good person •

EROS: • scornful jealousy • pink • presents a certain decorum • heavy air in a nightclub • has a tattoo they regret • sex & love therapist for their friends • juvenescent • uses enchantments • aloof • wears rose-coloured glasses • velvet, latex, & lingerie • milk baths with champagne bubbles • impetuous in love • intense eye contact is a sport • kinky • soft lips • wears stacked rings • sets fashion trends • graceful movements • marble floors • heavy perfume or cologne • deeply emotional • born glamorous •

HECATE: • prefers canine companions • wears symbolic jewelry • can see spirits • melting wax • uses hexes • feels most comfortable at night • smell of cinnamon • moonlight • red wine • understands poisons & herbs • collects bones or feathers • partakes in rituals • black • fog at night • is aware of their shadow self • embraces the unknown • enjoys collecting secrets • approves of necromancy • meditates • has prophetic dreams • lace • knowing too many secrets • fishnet stockings •

PAN: • enjoys poetry & prose • wool • smell of decaying leaves in autumn • prefers to be barefoot • tends to overindulge • easily excitable • thriving in social circles • loves being around campfire • antlers • dirt paths • the sound of wind chimes • penchant for sticky fingers • pine trees • stamina for days • falls in lust • vagabond • physically stronger than given credit for • foxglove • welcomes luxury • non-confrontational • charming words • talking to animals • nature for jewelry •

NEMESIS: • angry • protective of their values • balance & harmony • looks like an angel but isn’t • more perceptive than people realize • snow capped mountains • grey • wears leather • silver jewelry • likes snakes • can’t stand ignorance • believes in retribution • analytical of own emotions • well read • marble columns • has very rigid morals • bruised knuckles • humorous under the sarcasm • clean workspace • everything in moderation • cold morning air • resting glare face • fluent in curse words •

HYPNOS: • very calm demeanor • easily overwhelmed • relaxing is their vice • transactional friendships • has a soft voice • head in the clouds • carries drugs with them • has a sibling they’re close with • drawn to winged animals • lavender • has plush furniture/blankets • starry eyed • horrible money management • gives amazing hugs • dreaming big as a full time job • wears comfy or loose clothes • existential questions • not good at memory based skills • fairy lights • can’t sleep somewhere unfamiliar • crystalline chandeliers • dislikes bright sun • fluttering eyelashes •

IRIS: • life’s a technicolor spectrum • has a lot to say • beaming smiles • always has candy with them • flirting by accident • walking to the beat of their own drum • gossamer curtains • has a surprising amount of connections • blushes very easily (Johnny's fault) • confident laughter • uses a staff • fresh fruit slices • decorated handwritten letters • a social chameleon • blood made of honey • treating people with kindness • sentimental heart • vases full of wildflowers • feels fulfilled when helping others • has a healing aura • always traveling • stained glass windows • just trying to be a good person •

Opt-in/out of tag list here.

@wrathfulrook, @socially-awkward-skeleton, @trench-rot, @ladyoriza, @cassietrn @redreart, @inafieldofdaisies, @hotmessteaparty, @g0dspeeed, @voidbuggg @malefiquinn, @strangefable, @noodlecupcakes, @chazz-anova, @aristomal @ocdemon-747, @evilvvithin, @carlosoliveiraa, @la-grosse-patate, @omen-speaker @3llisarts, @grimmylover7, @scorpiosleeps, @cloudofbutterflies92, @direwombat @walder-138, and anybody else who wants to play. Tag me! 😘

[midnight-pluto]

XIAO — headcanons

high school au headcanons

CHAR: xiao, mentioned!zhongli

PAIRING(S): none

A/N: recent event got me back in my xiao lover era

a senior that always gets mistaken as a freshman </3 sophomore at best

got adopted by the sophomores and juniors back in freshman year and hung out with them predominantly until they all graduated leaving him behind to suffer

has gotten into fights before cuz man indirectly pisses people off - won all of them since he knows when he can’t take someone on - man’s a short king

him and the other boys in the friend group jumped a few people for making negative remarks about the girls

the kid always in the back that’s in their own world and that you’re 90% sure is on something half the time

surprisingly amazing in group projects - always gets his assigned work done days before the set deadline

not necessarily sporty but when it comes to gym and picking teams he’s normally picked first due to how he’s unintentionally a menace how fast he is

plays the flute and is in art club

however he always got frustrated because of whenever they were supposed to work with paint or clay it always ended up on his clothes

wears artist gloves all the time which shows off his black nails with his ring fingers painted teal

has the most stable hands ever known to man - there’s a reason why his iconic eyeliner’s always on fleek

wears headphones instead of earbuds

got made fun of for being short in middle school so he wears shoes with platforms

good luck finding this man in something that isn’t black or silver jewelry - the most will be accents of teal

speaking of teal, he dyed it himself bleach and all.

sometimes gets asked what his haircut is called and he always freezes up and doesn’t know what to say so they all assume he’s gatekeeping which he isn’t - he just took a pair of scissors in the middle of the night and chopped some of his hair off

bro’s accessory collection is lowkey astounding - rings, chains, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, hair clips - which leads for him to be ostracized from most boys at school; them claiming he wasn’t “masculine” enough leading him to feel even more out of place than he already does

girls love him but are soon put off by his lack of social skills

teachers love him for how chill and mellowed out he is but some despise him for how little he’s willing to work with others and how little he participates in class

isn’t doing the greatest in the league of social ladders

frequents the guidance counselor’s office which so happens to be his legal guardian - zhongli - for anger management

has naturally sharp canines

has the potential to get all A’s but sticks to B’s since he has barely any respect for the school system and doesn’t see the need to put in his full effort

but then again most of his classes are AP so-

writes really small and just slightly messy

doodles in the margins of assignments and notes are so real for him - mainly consisting of flowers, anatomy of skulls, and spiderwebs in every corner

bro’s tatted 100%

sometimes when he wears sleeveless tops and his zip-up hoodie you can manage to spot a glimpse of his arm tattoos if you’re lucky

his backpack for the first semester is horrendously messy and has a singular mechanical pencil along with crumpled paper, a pristine sketchbook, and the rest of his classes textbooks

the second semester however he’s got everything in there - gum, highlighters, multiple pencils, sticky notes, hand sanitizer, fake hall passes, lotion, and backup jewelry

A/N: guaranteed on his banner but getting his weapon will be the death of me 😭

[butterfwiesndinorawrs]

Welcome to Aminal Facts Wiff Zaboo! Part 5

South African Galago!

These adowable cuties by many names is also called nagapies which means night monkeys where they're from. Zaboo is excited because dey is primates too! Along wiff their big big eyes dat helps dem see at nights dey has adapted to nocturnal living (ninja monkeys proofs #1 🥷🐒-ninjas go outs at night) wiff little satellite-like ears dat rotate independently to zero in on prey at nights. (ninja monkeys proofs #2 🥷🐒- sneaky stealthy skills for detecting) Dey eats insects which dey catchies in da air wiff dey super quick reflexes (ninja monkeys proofs #3 🥷🐒- ninja reflexes), tree gum n dey favowite is acacia tree gum, fruit n even small aminals like frogs n birbs! Dey grow to be about da size of a large squirrel 6 inches (15 centimeters) in dey body, n dey tail stretchies up to one n a half dey body, about 9 inches (23 centimeters). Dey has a special ability to store energy in dey tendons dat let's dem achieve massive jumpies dat muscles alone could no do... in 4 seconds it can jumpies 5 times to get overall jumpies of 27.9 feet (8.6 meters)!!! (Ninja monkeys proofs #4 🥷🐒- ninja jumpies) Dey has a tooth-comb which is made up of lower incisors n canine teefies dat dey use to grooms n cleans demselves. Dey is social aminals dat lives togeffer in small families of 2-7, sometimes more but dey go hunting alones at night. (Ninja monkeys proofs #5 🥷🐒- lotsa ninjas works alones)... Dey also nose boops! Dey has been seen pressing dey noses togeffer as dey like cuddling n showings affection. Dats just da cutest! 🥹🥰

N finally a final fact...dey get dey nickname bush baby from da various cries, squaks, n grunts dey makes dat sounds like human babies!

Also if yous coulds no tells Zaboo n I is convinced dat these little monkeys is ninjas! 🥷🐒 .. What do yous think?

📢📌🚫🔴🚨🛑

*runs awound hollering n making ambulance sounds*

Alert, alert, ALERT!!! Spookiness aheads, proceeds wiff cautions!!!

📢📌🚫🔴🚨🛑

Now a spooky fact for da spooky loving babies out there, there's a legend dat says dey kidnap babies n da cries you hear are actually da babies... another legend says dey sounds are really mades by a giant snake wiff a feathered head n rainbow colors which kills intruders... to dis day even though da galago is not dangerous to humans it considered a bad omen to hear dem as it means danger or death is near. Now researchers think dis all started as a story to keeps kids indoors at nights but a quick search into dis topic yields a lot of interesting infos.. if yous like da spooky spooks!

[thecreaturecodex]

Umishika

Image © Matthew Meyer, accessed at Yokai.com here

[Perytons do not exist. I mean, even more than usual for the monsters covered on this blog. Rather than being a folkloric or mythological creature, a heraldic beast or a misinterpretation of a real animal, the peryton is a literary hoax perpetuated by Jorge Luis Borges in his book The Book of Imaginary Beings. Borges wasn’t particularly subtle--he claims that the manuscript describing the perytons dates back to Atlantis--but the peryton has been adopted as a semi-popular monster regardless. Borges wasn’t the only one to have thought that “what if a deer was scarier” was a good monster concept, as this sea monster from Yakushima folklore indicates.]

Umishika CR 4 CE Magical Beast This creature has the upper body of a stag and the lower body of an eel. Its teeth are canine and sharp, and its rack of antlers is keen.

The umishika are aquatic kin to perytons, and are believed to have been created in the same arcane disaster that made those savage chimeras. Umishika combine features of deer, eels and seals, and are just as savage and violent as perytons are. They are more social, however, gathering regularly into shoals in order to gang up on prey and drive competition away. They eat mostly fish, but view fishing vessels as competitors, stalking them and climbing up onto deck at night in order to kill and eat their crews. 

An umishika’s shadow behaves strangely. It clings close to the monster, and when underwater distorts the umishika’s appearance so that it resembles the outline of a large fish such as a tuna or dorado. Umishika use this ability to approach close to prey with relatively little fuss, and may even attract predators or fishermen to them before the tables turn. An umishika’s teeth are sharp, but it uses them mostly to process food after puncturing it with horns and hooves. Although they branch like antlers, the horns of an umishika are not lost seasonally, and are found on individuals of all sexes.

Umishika            CR 4 XP 1,200 CE Medium magical beast Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low light vision, Perception +8, scent Defense AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural) hp 42 (5d10+15) Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +3 DR 5/magic Defensive Abilities shadow shroud Offense Speed 20 ft., swim 60 ft. Melee gore +8 (1d6+3/18-20), 2 hooves +6 (1d4+1) Special Attacks horrific critical Statistics Str 17, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 12 Base Atk +5; CMB +8; CMD 21 Feats Athletic, Improved Initiative, Multiattack Skills Climb +10, Disguise +3 (+11 as mundane fish), Perception +7, Stealth +8 Swim +18; Racial Modifier +8 to Disguise as mundane fish Languages Aquan SQ hold breath Ecology Environment any aquatic Organization solitary, pair or shoal (3-9) Treasure incidental Special Abilities Horrific Critical (Ex) An umishika’s gore attack threatens a critical hit on a roll of 18-20. If an umishika kills a humanoid foe with a critical hit, it can tear out the victim’s heart with its teeth as a free action. Any creature that witnesses this must succeed a DC 13 Will save or be shaken for 1 round. This is a mind-influencing fear effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Shadow Shroud (Su) An umishika has concealment when it is underwater.

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

hello mx owlvid ! in my dnd campaign, we've recently acquired a raptor that has been described as a "coastal goshawk" (its a fictional species they homebrewed) and i was wondering how that would actually work? the member who owns the bird had an off screen training with it by an experienced falconer and is able to command it without any prior experience other than the training. the party also has several other animals including oxen, a horse, and a wolf and i was wondering how the falcon would react to those

tldr: can a person easily be trained to work with an experienced falcon? and would it be okay with various predators/large prey?

Well a goshawk isn’t a falcon, a goshawk is a hawk.

One of the earliest hawks used in falconry.

To answer your question though, yes if the hawk itself was already well-trained by someone else, another person can easily fly it assuming it was socialized. The skill is training the bird, but if trained correctly anyone can fly it since that’s just making vocal and visual cues and putting tidbits on a glove to call the bird in or tossing a lure if it decides it has better things to do.

Goshawks won’t usually care about oxen or horses, but raptors are generally not fans of wolves or other canines unless desensitized to them, and even then they’re usually only calm to specific canines because, well, wild canines who happen to find a hawk on the ground with prey will happily kill the hawk for a bonus meal.

[aki-bara]

Kid Jason Headcanons

My kid!Percy fic has evolved to include young Jason as well, so I've been thinking about him a lot and what he would have been like as a child and I wanted to share some of my thoughts.

Jason Grace has Selective Mutism

Most children can understand language by the time they are two, which is the time when Jason was abandoned. I have to assume Hera was specifically waiting for Jason to reach this point before forcing his mother to leave him at the wolf house since learning language around wolves, which are not capable of human speech would have been extremely difficult.

HOWEVER, as we all know, two year olds cannot speak perfectly. Children need to practice speaking in order to develop language skills. Although we know Lupa can communicate, likely telepathically, the other wolves at the house probably can't. This means the only person he was capable of communicating with via speech would have been speaking directly into his mind, and he likely would have mirrored this behavior and responded mentally as well.

I believe his ability to understand speech was not impacted by being left at the wolf house, but his confidence in his ability to speak was.

Jason was abandoned as a toddler, forced to learn how to communicate and socialise with animals for his own survival. As he grew at the wolf house his primary method of communication became oriented on body language, which is how most animals communicate with other members of their species. Although Jason would have trouble mimicing the body language of a canine species at first, he would probably develop ways of positioning his body and using certain facial expressions to communicate with them.

Jason goes from this world, where his primary companions are animals, to suddenly being in New Rome, where he is surrounded by humans. Not only is he expected to communicate vocally, his primary method of communication (body language) is discouraged. It singles him out and makes people react to him in ways he doesn't expect. He's already prone to anxiety due to the trauma of being abandoned, something which would have affected his neurological and social development (even if he can't remember it) (this has been studied scientifically, mainly on monkeys, but through case studies as well).

He isn't allowed to communicate the way he used to. He has to communicate vocally, but the fear that has developed as a result of his experiences in failing to do so has built into a sort of performance anxiety. He locks up when he is put in a position where he must respond verbally, making it impossible for him to communicate.

Arguably the worst part of this is the impact it would have on his self esteem long-term. Children who have experienced abandonment often struggle with feelings of worthlessness and shame. In addition, socially people who struggle to communicate verbally are seen as "stupid." Most people aren't even aware of the way their behavior towards non-speaking individuals changes to reinforce this sentiment. As a result Jason would likely develop some pretty low opinions of himself and his abilities.

Growing up he would likely feel that he constantly has to prove he is capable to those around him and exceed expectations. Failure to do so would be seen as proof that his negative self-thoughts are correct, meaning he would react very poorly to failure. And that sounds a lot like the Jason we see in the books doesn't it?