Strange Biology

4gifs

Cuttlefish pretending to be a hermit crab

why-animals-do-the-thing

Cuttlefish have such an incredible capacity for mimicry that isn’t talked about enough. Not only can they pretend to be a different sex in order to get sneaky matings with females who are already being guarded by a male, and change their skin color for camouflage, now they’re apparently pretending to be crabs.

What’s interesting is that when I went to look up pharoah cuttlefish mimicry, the only result I got was this behavior that potentially looks like hermit crab mimicry (the paper on it wouldn’t confirm for sure that’s what the behavior was, just that it seems likely) I couldn’t find evidence of cuttlefish mimicking any other species. So it’s just hermit crabs, I guess.

strangebiology

They also turn into…this….

Someone was telling me there is no way you could eat dandelions, otherwise they’d all be harvested and sold in the market and you’d never be able to pick any

I mean that is some Grade A capitalist brain rot

dandelions kittens yeah the cookies turned out weirdly shaped that’s not the flowers’ fault that’s because I used applesauce instead of egg and the pan was misshapen

Whaler’s village in Maui. I find it interesting that this little area gets its name from the history of hunting whales, and they formerly had a museum about the history of whaling.

Now, it’s a museum about whale conservation. The spot is basically just an outdoor mall now, with whale statues and such, and it seems like the “killing whales” thing is a bit swept under the rug.

Whaler's Village Hawaii Whaling

carcassafterlives

strangebiology

I’ve been taking pictures of deer and other animals caught in fences. I have to say I kind of like these ones, where you can’t see the body but you know what happened.

I made a Flickr Album specifically of dead animals caught in fences, including the wider (ie more gross!!) version of this one.

dead animals vulture culture

lizormianillustration

but i wonder where you are, i call your name into the dark.

lord huron strange trails this is the best album ever

thylacine-dreams

extinctionstories

This 36x48” oil on canvas diptych is part of a series I’ve been working on based on the thylacine, also known as the “Tasmanian Tiger” or marsupial wolf.

One of my biggest interests has always been animals, and in particular the ones that humans have destroyed. Every lost or vanishing species is its own story, and as an illustrator theirs are the stories that I am the most invested in telling (hence the blog).

The thylacine is one of the classic examples of human-caused extinction: an utterly unique creature, deliberately exterminated due to a combination of greed, ignorance, hubris, and fear.

Scared or anxious marsupials have a habit of stretching their jaws in a display known as a yawn (you’ve probably seen memes of opossums that look like they’re yelling—it’s the same thing). This display was especially striking in the thylacine, which could open its jaw to over 90°. Some of the most famous photos of thylacines capture them in this attitude of fear.

Unfortunately for the thylacine, humans have more direct methods of dealing with the things that scare them.

The title of this pair of paintings is ‘When They Are Frightened, They Show Their Teeth’.

The overall series is called ‘Here Be Monsters’, as a nod to both the far-flung environs of the thylacine, and the behavior of those who intruded upon it.

Stay tuned for more.

Antler collection! I captured this person running and skipping right to that matched pair. What a lucky* moment!

*It’s actually not antler collection season at the National Elk Refuge yet, so they didn’t get to keep these. They’re doing it as a special event where scouts get to collect early BUT they all go to auction at ElkFest instead of going to the people collecting. Still, I bet it felt really cool to get them!

antler collection elk antlers elk National Elk Refuge

carcassafterlives

Nasty jazz in the whale intestine and stomach but a good perspective from @arsanatomica

whales parasites National Musrum of Nature and Science

Science Writing Resources (Elsewhere) That We Like - The Open Notebook

We aren't the only show in town when it comes to supporting high-quality science journalism! On this page, you’ll find lots of other resourc

The Open Notebook

If you’re interested in science writing, I’ve recommended The Open Notebook before and I’m recommending it again! And in turn, here is a list of things that they recommend for science writers. There really are tons of resources out there!

Full disclosure, I was looking at this site because they just put my group on there, Authors of Nonfiction Books in Progress. Most of the attendees are science writers, but if you’re writing (or seriously about to start writing) a non-memoir nonfiction book with an educational element, you’ll benefit.

authors of nonfiction books in progress sciecomm science journalism

Panel on Vertical Videos about Science

Hi all–I’m moderating a panel on vertical video for the National Association of Science Writers Conference!

If you make great science-focused social/vertical videos (TikTok, IG Reels, YT shorts) and want to be on a panel, LMK! Or feel free to suggest someone. Since I’m already good with TikTok, I’d love someone who is best with IG Reels/YT Shorts.

This will be a one-hour online panel in the first week of October. Sadly no pay but participants get free admission to the Science Writers conference (including the in-person part, in Boulder, CO)

Vertical Video Scicomm Science Communication

Japan vs Japan

Strange Biology — why-animals-do-the-thing: 4gifs: Cuttlefish...

See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

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Panel on Vertical Videos about Science