#infodump stuff

[artilite]

have a lion dance for these trying times ♥♥

[ningauinerd]

I've been doing a lot of volunteer fieldwork with these guys recently so I thought I might as well do an infodump about them here.

The pygmy bluetongue skink (Tiliqua adelaidensis) is one of the most unique and unusual members of the Tiliqua genus, which includes the true bluetongues as well as the sleepy lizard/shingleback. However, the pygmy bluetongue actually lacks the blue tongue the group is named after, having a pink tongue instead! As its scientific name suggests, it is quite a range restricted species, being found only in open grasslands north of Adelaide, South Australia, as far north as Peterborough. Historically they ranged more extensively across the Adelaide Plains, as far south as Marion, but due to the destruction of suitable habitat they now occur no further south than Kapunda.

While most bluetongues are notable for their large size amongst skinks, with several species regularly exceeding 30 cm in length, the pygmy bluey lives up to its name by measuring a measly average of 9 cm long from snout to vent. This is actually still a fair size compared to the average skink, but it's miniscule by bluetongue standards. Even more notable than their size however are their habits, for they are the only species of lizard that is specialised to live exclusively in old spider burrows! The burrows of both trapdoor and wolf spiders are used, but trapdoor burrows are preferred in most instances.

Pygmy bluetongues spend the majority of their lives within these spider burrows, leaving only to defecate, seek out mates and disperse. The average length of time a lizard spends in a particular burrow is highly dependant on the individual - some are sedentary and spend many years within a single burrow, while others will move around fairly frequently. As well as places to shelter and raise their young (they have parental care, it's very cute), pygmy bluetongues also use the burrows as ambush sites, waiting at the top for suitable prey, usually a mid-sized arthropod, to stray close enough for them to quickly dart out and drag them into the depths.

but here's the ambusher

The chief natural predators of pygmy bluetongues are raptors and brown snakes, and sheltering in the burrow is the main defence against both of these threats. Their burrows are often wide enough for a brown snake to enter, but not wide enough for them to open their mouths in - this means all the brown snake usually gets by pursuing a sheltering pygmy is an angry lizard attacking its face, forcing it to retreat.

The lazy lifestyle of the burrow-stealing pygmy bluetongues is certainly unique, and also explains why they have been such an elusive species since they were first discovered by Western scientists in the 1860s. Rarely seen or collected, their habit of inhabiting spider burrows remained undiscovered for the longest time, and by the 1960s they had become so hard to find that they were believed to be extinct. That was until, in 1992, a pygmy bluetongue was found inside the stomach of a roadkill brown snake by amateur herpetologist Graham Armstrong, confirming their status as a Lazarus of the lizard world.

The historic rediscovery of the pygmy bluetongue (Image credit: Graham Armstrong)

Our previous assumptions of extinction were fortunately premature, but the pygmy bluetongue skink is in serious trouble nonetheless. While they are able to live in a variety of different grassland types, both native and exotic, the extensive modification of their entire distribution through cereal cropping and urbanisation has led to their populations becoming very small and fragmented, giving them a ranking of Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Almost all of these populations are on private land (often grazed by sheep), which makes protecting and/or studying them particularly difficult and complex.

However, when it comes to future threats to the species, climate change is easily the most worrying. As Australia becomes ever hotter and drier, their small remaining distribution is likely to become largely unsuitable, threatening the existence of the entire species. To combat this, researchers are currently investigating the viability of translocating populations further south to areas with cooler climates, providing a safeguard if they do indeed disappear from their remaining natural distribution.

But how do you study a lizard that lives exclusively in small spider holes? Well, if you want to catch them, there's only one tool for the job - the humble fishing rod. Not any special fishing rod either, just a regular rod with a poor mealworm shoddily tied to the end. David Attenborough kindly demonstrates the technique in Life in Cold Blood, although in his case the lizard was steadfast in remaining in the burrow!

the sacred tool of the mighty lizard fishermen

returned to their abode

Two additional Fun Pygmy Facts: Fun Pygmy Fact #1 - The closest living relative of the pygmy bluetongue is the sleepy lizard!

cousins!

Fun Pygmy Fact #2 - Wooden artificial burrows purpose-made for pygmy blueys have proven effective, and the lizards inhabiting them even tend to be in better body condition than those in natural burrows!

[ladyhavilliard]

mo dao zu shi tarot

the hanged man:  pause, surrender, letting go, new perspectives

wheel of fortune | jin guangyao

death | wei wuxian

the tower | jiang cheng

[morelikebaldursgay]

Everyone loves to accuse Gale of mainsplaining when he's literally just infodumping. He's not sexist he's just neurodivergent!

[of-the-eclipse]

Best friends, both autistic.... so awesome

[rexscanonwife]

Uhm uh uh...I have no excuse for this 😔 PPG self insert who is secretly an alien! I imagine her intro episode would have her having a little romance with the professor when he comes into a bookstore she works at/owns and the girls being (rightfully, given the prof's dating history) suspicious of her. Wacky capers ensue where they try to prove that she's up to no good, only to find that she genuinely is just chilling and wants to live a normal life on earth!

Well, normal as she can, now that she knows this family! I think she'd fit right in 😉

Taglist♡: @crushes-georg @changeling-selfship @me-myself-and-my-fos @tiny-cloud-of-flowers @sunstar-of-the-north @dearly-beeloved @adoredbyalatus @squips-ship @cherry-bomb-ships @miutonium

[cheecats]

Old art BUT I??? I don't think I ever posted this guy (if I have woopsie!) But yeah! My old "Warriors" OC: The Great White Shark (or Shark... or white boy lol) - the main guy from my pirate/shark themed group.

More info under cut:

He's the youngest of seven children to "The Megalodon" (or Captain Otodus): a matriarchal leader of a rogue group known as "The Divers."

His eldest sister is The Hammerhead Shark and they clash a LOT. But she has a stronger nerve than him and can usually kick him back down into his place lol. She's like an unofficial deputy and everyone knows it.

They live by the ocean of Shark Bay in Western Australia, although frequently travel in small groups out to sea in the makeshift boats they craft to gather materials and food.

They're a notoriously violent group, neighbouring the more private but expansive desert group inland known as the "Sand Runners." They clash often when the Sand Runners need supplies from the sea, or The Divers travel inland to escape flooding and storms. They sometimes meet to trade, but mostly try to avoid each other.

The Divers also know how to use celestial navigation, read the time, filter water, fish, swim and make tools! Also they tend to spit a LOT due to the salt water that builds up in their fur. Also goes without saying, but they're very devoted to the sharks of Shark Bay, and can even tell a lot of them apart from their appearances/personalities.

I have lots more to say but it'll never shut up otherwise so lol

[somewhere-on-kamino]

Star Wars Support

This week: Tech Support with Prof. Dr. CT-9902

[dr-yung]

Once again I dissect Maxie and Archie.

I think Maxie values the whole of humanity over the individuals within it; loss is fine as long as humanity itself still exists.

While I interpret that Archie values the individual over the whole of humanity; himself and those closest to him. Loss on a grand scale is fine if those he values are safe.

This is why they get along, then argue.

I imagine they were both othered by society and found solace in each other, or any reason they'd both be ambitious and on the same team.

They likely both talked about making the world better, but they didn't talk about how, until they argued and split into Team Magma and Aqua.

Maxie always thought Archie would enjoy his ideal world, because it'd benefit humanity as a whole, and Archie is human, no exception; while Maxie was/is someone Archie is close to, and so Archie thought he'd value being chosen over the whole of humanity.

This would also explain why Maxie is distant and cold despite his goal being to help people, and Archie is friendly despite his plan being selective. Archie values the individual, so he will be more friendly, while Maxie values the world and will toss aside connecting to an individual if he views it nessacery for the world.

[athina-blaine]

I think Laios post-canon is so happy and in love whenever Kabru infodumps to him, because Laios loves telling people about monsters, so for someone as cool as Kabru to share what makes him passionate and happy just makes Laios feel honored. Like he doesn't understand a lot of it but he's taking notes, he's asking questions, he's engaging Kabru in what he loves because he knows how good it feels when people take an interest in his field and he wants to know what makes Kabru so focused

Yes yes yes!! Where they end the series in their respective character arcs is just gorgeous; Kabru letting himself drop the mask and be vulnerable and wanting to better understand monsters to better understand himself, Laios finally feeling like he has a connection with humanity after they banded together to save his sister, and wanting to show his gratitude by being the best king he could be. Once they're finally comfortable enough around each other to start yapping, I doubt the yapping would ever truly cease.

And like, it would still require effort from both of them. Subtle nuances in human interactions would still be difficult for Laios to get a handle on and Kabru would still be repelled and disgusted by monsters. But they're both in a place now that they want to make the effort to care, and I think that's so much more meaningful than if they were already the sort of people to have already been interested in that in first place. They're just both at the perfect point to truly start relying on each other and continue growing as people and it's just ooooouaagghh

And isn't that just the autism 4 autism dream? Having someone who, even if they don't quite get it, still genuinely wants to learn more about your passion? Being able to make that someone happy by listening them talk about something they're passionate about and learning something new? I think not.

[drowninkystar]

feeling high off the adrenaline rush of being allowed to infodump about autism for 30 min

[vind3miat0r]

this is officially the best day ever, someone on twitter is letting me infodump about redacted to him

[turns-out-its-adhd]

With this question, you have awoken : D̡̦̝͇͎͕a͔̞̻͉̦͍r̢̻̻̺͉k͍̝͔̫̞ S͔͍͕̘͕͔p̢̙͙̘̘e̫͚͚͖̼͜c̢̪͚͍̫̻i̡̪͍̼͖̦a̢̠̞̝̠l̢̫͉͖͙͜ I̠̻̟̻͔̪n̢͔͇̙̟̼t̡͎̝͎̙̞e̡̡͙͕͜r͖̘̘͍̫e̡̠̝͉͜͜s̡̟̻͍͜t̡͙͖͇͙͓

[explodingstarlight]

the ✨ littles ✨

belatedly realized I never posted this! so, behold, more tot!Nova content alongside @snailsnaps lovely Xor

they're besties your honor 🤝

[drieddpetals]

wylan: *infodumping* "...so when Handel actually performed his oratorio, Messiah, for the king of England at the time, the king was so impressed that he stood up, and so then everyone else stood up cause you know how that goes,"

jesper: *smiling super widely* "oh yeah for sure"

wylan: "and that's why it's customary to stand for the hallelujah chorus nowadays."

[emmetofthestars]

i was thinking about how it would go if blu had to execute someone or something. achilles would always hope the targets pick sword over gun