#species community

[popcornaddict500]

Join Plush-A-Boo's ! A closed species by me!

May as well drop my new species server here :3c

Here's our discord! (18+ only, for personal preferences.)

If you want to participate in the species and make your own Plush-A-Boo then you must join the server, where you can gain MYO's <3

I hope to see you with us!

[sablesreblogs]

I feel like yelling into a void for a hot second to release some thoughts I have in my head about the “Species” community. Closed species, open species, the whole lot that were birthed on DeviantArt as a subsection of the Adoptables Community (or at least I so assume). Fairly popular with furries and all, but there are some “human”/humanoid species as well. It’s been in my head for a little too long, so maybe typing it out will rid the rot lmfaoo.

In general, Species are ok. To me, at least.

For those reading who may not know, a Species is a character type (aka, species) someone claims to have made and adds different traits and their personal lore to. They subsequently either say anyone can make one (open species), you can only use some traits freely but basically anyone can still make one (semi-open/semi-closed species), or nobody but the owner/staff/people with Make Your Own tickets can make one (closed species). They often involve a community aspect, hopefully hold some lore or storytelling that you could pair up with a character you own in the species, and ones with good staffing (a group of people, alongside the owner(s), who curate/answer questions) will run events, raffles, or produce a variety of adoptables.

Some species have a lot of lore and very original designs, some do not. Some have good staffing, some do not. Some are expensive to buy into, some are not. And, of course, there is an utterly massive trading culture around character designs (just like with the adoptable community).

The main complaint saddled onto species, most often the closed species subsection but technically applies to them all, is that “You can’t own a design concept like that. >:( Legally, you can’t own it!!! Original or not!!! I can make a character that looks just like that with any traits I want!” YES! I absolutely agree with you. You are CORRECT! In my personal beliefs, you aren’t paying (for closed or semi-open species) for the “MYO” just to use the traits on that design. You’re paying for the ability to interact with the community with a character. You're paying to use the lore alongside your character. You’re paying for a status. You’re paying for a collectable. You’re paying to get. into. the. club. YES it’s like a brand name. YES they’re only worth as much as you can throw them. NO, you don’t have to like that. But I don’t see nearly as much hate being thrown at people who collect rare Pokémon cards, or hot wheels, or whichever other item that has many copies made but are still collected for enjoyment. Those are, similarly, just hunks of plastic or pieces of paper. But people like the status and the community that comes along with it, and that’s ok! You don’t have to toss money to buy into the closed species (or, you don’t have to follow species rules for an open or semi-open species), just like you don’t have to buy a Pokémon card, but don’t expect for the Pokémon players(?) to allow you into a game with a fake deck of cards. There is a community for you! People will likely still be very happy to play with you and your own cards, especially if you just call them your own type of card (ie, just making your own character with whatever traits you want. Hell, even making your own free-range species!), but you probably just won’t be able to play Pokémon without a real deck. People also probably won’t pay big bucks for a fake card or a fakemon, unless they think the art is interesting.

You don’t have to like the rules, but you also don’t have to play the game!

Now, those species/species community members that Blacklist/harass people for “copying” a species? They can go eat dirt. Actually put their faces right into a pile of mud. Eat floor grime. Because that’s rude! I don’t support that at all! (AGAIN, you have EVERY RIGHT to make a similar concept character, unless you are downright stealing a specific design or copying the exact lore) But I also don’t support intentionally harassing or breaking rules of a species just to piss the staff, community, or owner(s) off when they’ve done nothing to you. Because that’s rude too. You can’t turn around twice and expect to be facing a different direction. If they bully you first? Go off. If you aren’t actually stealing/gatekeeping, you don’t have to listen to them. This goes both ways.

Another complaint I see is that many species, closed or open, are “unoriginal!” but I fail to see why that diminishes their right to exist. I also see people forgetting that people aren’t just getting the design for the design, sometimes they’re getting it to play into the lore built around it or the community or even events! Or, sometimes, yeah. People just want the design, or the art. That’s their problem! Like I said, you are COMPLETELY able to make a character with any of those traits you clearly like on the species, but just because the artist selling the “unoriginal” species is making some money or is fostering a community (because some closed species aren’t monetarily driven! I’ve seen enough that run off of events or their own fake currencies to where you don’t even have to pay a dime to get ahold of one.) doesn’t mean you should be mad. Just like big brands, sometimes people simply like them more than a plain version or the knockoff, but unlike big brands you’re not supporting some big mega company. Artists are artists. You’re still allowed to support the little guy, though! If you don’t wanna pay for the big brand, don’t pay for the big brand! Support the small local guy when you can.

I will note that I don’t personally support species that don’t have a lot going for them, but I also don’t think they’re bad. I don’t really like species that don’t have an active and supportive staff team. I won’t buy closed species/closed trait MYOs with real money (I would consider it for adopts, as the artist put work into it! but I’ve yet to even do that). I want to be able to see there’s a community around, generally, so I’ll have a reason to be into it all. I don’t enjoy species without some semblance or hint at lore or background, and, of course, I only get characters I like the look of and generally intend to use. But some people don’t care about all that. Some people like to buy, some people like to trade up, some people don’t care about there being a community, some people want to collect silly little guys to just look at sometimes, some people want there to be consistent events and a large team, some people like drama that comes along with the more… testy sides of the community. In the end, it’s all for fun.

I’ve helped staff Species in the past, and in the present. I’ve been apart of a few communities, open and closed. I’ve seen the drama from communities I’m both in and not in (there’s been plenty). I’ve owned “rip-offs”, and I’ve removed (even introduced) MANY characters from species without changing their designs one bit. I’ve also never spent a dime to pay for a closed species character, and yet have owned and currently own several.

My belief boils down to “Do whatever you want to, so long as you aren’t hurting anyone.” If Mr.Skippy McGee wants to spend $200 on a character design or MYO and has the money to do it, great! If little Mike wants to make a food themed sparkle dog closed species, awesome! You want to also make a separate food themed sparkle dog, or even a food themed sparkle dog open species, go get ‘em tiger! Just be civil. Block if someone gets too feisty, report if they get mean, and remember if all you have is a room full of assholes all you’re going to be doing is smelling your own farts with fistfuls of bullshit.

Thank you.

[orbweaver-lindwyrms]

This blog is for the semi open species called Orbweaver Lindwyrms! You are welcome to make your own as long as you submit it to the species owner for review to be added to the masterlist and you follow the class traits, which are linked above.

This blog exists so that you can add posts about orbweavers too and we can all share and have a little community :)

This is our mascot, Adonai! She's here for y'all to use during events or just draw for fun :)

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Okay, I know people as a general rule tend to not care about invertebrates as much as cute, fuzzy mammals, but this is a must-read if you care about animal welfare. The short version is that horseshoe crab blood has been used for decades in medicine as a way to test whether something is truly sterile; the blood clots in the presence of bacteria. Since then millions of horseshoe crabs have been captured and drained of blood, even though a synthetic alternative was developed a few years ago.

They go through a pretty brutal experience in the process. They're caught by fishermen who often throw them by their tails into a pile in the open air, and they're then trucked to a bleeding facility where they're strapped down and their blood is removed with needles jabbed directly into their hearts. Over half their blood may be taken, after which they're supposed to be returned to the ocean. However, it's likely many of them never make it back, instead turned into fish bait and sold by the same fishermen who caught them in the first place.

Apart from the fact that this is a horrific thing to put any animal through, the attrition due to fatalities has put a serious dent in horseshoe crab numbers. This is compounded by massive habitat loss, pollution, and the capture of horseshoe crabs as food, particularly as the females of one species are considered a delicacy. And other animals that rely on horseshoe crabs are suffering, too. The American rufa subspecies of the red knot, a medium-sized shorebird, is critically endangered as the horseshoe crab eggs it must have in order to successfully complete migration have become increasingly scarce, and it is likely the bird will become extinct if trends continue.

While there are guidelines for medical horseshoe crab harvest, they're considered optional. The few laws that exist are poorly enforced. Short of a complete ban on horseshoe crab blood in favor of the synthetic alternative, these animals are in very real danger of going extinct after a history spanning over 400 million years on this planet.

Thankfully, this article is not the first to bring forth the issues surrounding horseshoe crab harvest. Here are a few resources for further information and action (US based, though horseshoe crabs are threatened throughout their entire range):

Horseshoe Crab Conservation Network - https://horseshoecrab.org/conservation/

Wetlands Institute - https://wetlandsinstitute.org/conservation/horseshoe-crab-conservation/

Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition - https://hscrabrecovery.org/

[coyotebrained]

Little comic about species dysphoria and the strain I feel living as an autistic nonhuman

Tip Jar!

[reasonsforhope]

"Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo has a lot to celebrate.

The park, which celebrated its 30th anniversary on December 31 of 2023, also shared an exciting conservation milestone: 2023 was the first year without any elephant poaching detected.

“We didn’t detect any elephants killed in the Park this year, a first for the Park since [we] began collecting data. This success comes after nearly a decade of concerted efforts to protect forest elephants from armed poaching in the Park,” Ben Evans, the Park’s management unit director, said in a press release.

Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park was developed by the government of Congo in 1993 to maintain biodiversity conservation in the region, and since 2014, has been cared for through a public-private partnership between Congo’s Ministry of Forest Economy and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Pictured: Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. Photo courtesy of Scott Ramsay/Wildlife Conservation Society

Evans credits the ongoing collaboration with this milestone, as the MEF and WCS have helped address escalating threats to wildlife in the region. 

This specifically includes investments in the ranger force, which has increased training and self-defense capabilities, making the force more effective in upholding the law — and the rights of humans and animals.

“Thanks to the strengthening of our anti-poaching teams and new communication technologies, we have been able to reduce poaching considerably,” Max Mviri, a park warden for the Congolese government, said in a video for the Park’s anniversary. 

“Today, we have more than 90 eco-guards, all of whom have received extensive training and undergo refresher courses,” Mviri continued. “What makes a difference is that 90% of our eco-guards come from villages close to the Park. This gives them extra motivation, as they are protecting their forest.”

As other threats such as logging and road infrastructure development impact the area’s wildlife, the Park’s partnerships with local communities and Indigenous populations in the neighboring villages of Bomassa and Makao are increasingly vital.

“We’ve seen great changes, great progress. We’ve seen the abundance of elephants, large mammals in the village,” Gabriel Mobolambi, chief of Bomassa village, said in the same video. “And also on our side, we benefit from conservation.”

Coinciding with the Park’s anniversary is the roll-out of a tourism-focused website, aiming to generate 15% of its revenue from visitors, which contributes significantly to the local economy...

Nouabalé-Ndoki also recently became the world’s first certified Gorilla Friendly National Park, ensuring best practices are in place for all gorilla-related operations, from tourism to research.

But gorillas and elephants — of which there are over 2,000 and 3,000, respectively — aren’t the only species visitors can admire in the 4,334-square-kilometer protected area.

The Park is also home to large populations of mammals such as chimpanzees and bongos, as well as a diverse range of reptiles, birds, and insects. For the flora fans, Nouabalé-Ndoki also boasts a century-old mahogany tree, and a massive forest of large-diameter trees.

Beyond the beauty of the Park, these tourism opportunities pave the way for major developments for local communities.

“The Park has created long-term jobs, which are rare in the region, and has brought substantial benefits to neighboring communities. Tourism is also emerging as a promising avenue for economic growth,” Mobolambi, the chief of Bomassa village, said in a press release.

The Park and its partners also work to provide education, health centers, agricultural opportunities, and access to clean water, as well, helping to create a safe environment for the people who share the land with these protected animals. 

In fact, the Makao and Bomassa health centers receive up to 250 patients a month, and Nouabalé-Ndoki provides continuous access to primary education for nearly 300 students in neighboring villages. 

It is this intersectional approach that maintains a mutual respect between humans and wildlife and encourages the investment in conservation programs, which lead to successes like 2023’s poaching-free milestone...

Evans, of the Park’s management, added in the anniversary video: “Thanks to the trust that has been built up between all those involved in conservation, we know that Nouabalé-Ndoki will remain a crucial refuge for wildlife for the generations to come.”"

-via Good Good Good, February 15, 2024

[somethingcorenotsure]

I think it's so adorable that early humans took wild gourds - a tiny fruit that hollows out as it dries, making it float - and decided to make something out of it

they thought the tiny fruit was so good that they bred it for thousands of years, making it larger to form into bowls and cups, and different shapes to become bottles and spoons

and musical instruments

And then, people took the hollow gourds they farmed, and they turned them into houses for birds. We adapted them into the perfect houses for birds, and now there are specific breeds of birdhouse gourd just for making into birdhouses

And humans dedicated gardening space and time and thousands of years of breeding to make the gourds so absolutely perfect for birds, that there is a species of bird that lives almost exclusively in them

[magnetothemagnificent]

Not "shake a lemon angrily at G-d" week, but rather;

Gather a citron, an ancient fruit predating the cultivation of lemon. Notice how it has a wonderful aroma, and consider how its flesh is edible. This represents the Jew who is both learned in Judaism and who exhibits kindness and good deeds.

Now gather the closed frond at the center of a palm tree. Consider how sweet the dates of the palm taste, but how the frond exhibits no strong smell like the citron. This represents the Jew who is learned in Judaism, but who does not practice the compassion in the many texts they studied.

Now gather at least three branches from a myrtle bush. Take in the refreshing scent oozing from the branches' thick leaves, but see how it does not bear fruit. This represents the Jew who is not learned in Judaism, but whose good character and actions are exceptional.

Finally, gather two branches from the somber willow. While mighty and enveloping, the willow exhibits no strong aroma, nor does it produce fruit. This represents the Jew who is neither learned in Judaism nor kind in character and deeds.

Appreciate the various textures and shapes of these four species. Feel the weight of them in your hand. Value how different in so many aspects each of them are.

Take them all in your hands, and bind them together like an embrace. Point them in all the corners of the earth- South, North, East, heavenward, downward, and West. Think of all your Jewish brethren scattered around the world, and bring your precious bundle back to your heart with every direction you send it to. Contemplate the place of every Jew in your community, the Etrog, the Lulav, the Hadas, and the Arava, for they all belong.

This is the meaning of Sukkot: coming back to our roots and our bare essence. Erect a temporary dwelling in reminiscence of your wandering ancestors. Come together under the stars, as exposed and unguarded as when we first walked the earth. Welcome guests into your makeshift home, be they family, friends, or the spirits of founding ancestors passed. Surround yourself in your community- and bring it all back to your heart.

[queerism1969]

[wanderingcritter]

Massive gripe ive been having with primarily the therian community lately, I really dont feel like we focus enough on animal rights causes considering how "connected" we're supposed to be to nonhumans.

Like I see it around for sure, but when I do it usually isn't more than just "hunting for sport is bad👍" or "dont beat your dog 👍" and that's it. The main focus of the community is still very much on biologically human individuals rather than on bio nonhumans, who are very literally treated like garbage in society and it's frustrating because i feel like we should be right there on the front lines when it comes to animal liberation.

Im not saying all of us need to be members of ALF or anything, im not even vegan and have no plans to be, but as of rn the community's overall acknowledgment and support of animal rights causes is pretty pathetic. Hell, I still hear therians confidently and proudly infantilize adult/highly intelligent nonhuman species ("animals have the intelligence of human toddlers") and spread blatant misinformation about them. Shit just annoys me

[kix-mm]

When a mossy finds you resting at the foot of its tree

Mossy are my own spin on Bigfoot and similar cryptids & fae, said to be peaceful unless provoked, though some sources warn that they are highly aggressive beings.

What do you believe?

Would you be scared to run into one?

[kittposting]

wolf affirmations part 2 :3

[rebeccathenaturalist]

This ties into one of the big conundrums of restoration ecology. When trying to decide what plants to add to a restoration site, should we add those that are there now, even if some of those species are increasingly stressed by the effects of climate change? Or do we start importing native species in adjacent ecoregions that are more tolerant of heat?

Animals can migrate relatively quickly, but plants take longer to expand their range, and the animals that they have mutual relationships with may be moving to cooler areas faster than the plants can follow. Whether the animals will be able to survive in their new range without their plant partners is another question, and that is an argument in favor of trying to help the plants keep up with them. We're not just having to think about what effects climate change will have next summer, but also predict what it's going to look like here in fifty years, a hundred, or beyond. It's an especially important question in regards to slow-growing trees which may not reproduce until they are several years old, and which can take decades to really be a significant support of their local ecosystem.

For example, here in the Pacific Northwest west of the Cascades, western red cedar (Thuja plicata) is experiencing increased die-off due to longer, hotter summer droughts. Do we continue to plant western red cedar, in the hopes that some of them may display greater tolerance to drought and heat? Or do we instead plant Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), which is found in red cedar's southern range, and which may be more drought-tolerant, even though it's not found this far north yet?

Planting something from an adjacent ecoregion isn't the same as grabbing a plant from halfway around the world and establishing it as an invasive species. But there is the question as to whether the established native would have been able to survive if we hadn't introduced a competing "neighbor" species. Would the Port Orford cedars and western red cedars be able to coexist as they do in northern California and southern Oregon, or would the introduced Port Orfords be enough to push the already stressed red cedars over the edge to extirpation?

There's no simple answer. But I am glad to see the government at least allowing some leeway for those ecologists who are desperately trying any tactic they can to save rare species from extinction.

[junethechaotictherian]

Your title as "human" is a gift, and just like any gift, you are NOT forced to keep it, it might be a good gift but it might also a gift you don't want, it's okay to say "I didn't really like that gift" as long as you are polite about it, this might be your last life so live it like it's yours because it truly is!

[informationatlas]

Scientists believe that the remarkable intelligence of beluga whales is demonstrated by their ability to learn and communicate using the complex language of whistles and clicks. This has been observed in a specific case where a beluga whale, living in captivity alongside a pod of bottlenose dolphins, has successfully acquired and adopted their unique language.

(via Beluga whale learns to 'talk' to pod of bottlenose dolphins )

[fjordfolk]

Unless: You want the action to repeat itself because it's super cute and there is nothing inherently wrong with rewarding contact-seeking behaviour, and shockingly it is actually possible to both teach and learn more nuanced ways to communicate with your dog than simply "no" and "when i say so"