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you can see here in this x ray that one vertebra in their necks is elongated right at the s-curve, and this is what makes them crazy efficient hunters. the elongated vertebra allows them to basically launch their heads at prey incredibly fast where they stab it with their sharp beaks. like any animal herons aren't going to hesitate to defend themselves if they have do and it would probably suck to get stabbed by a bird. even bitterns can do a lot of damage like this, plus bitterns have a tendency to go for the eyes

also they can and will snatch gophers right out of the ground. they'll eat pretty much anything they can fit down their throats (which is way bigger than you think. their esophaguses are very elastic)

except. well. they were the size of giraffes.

(image courtesy of Mark Witton)

Matt Rhodes: "Orlais is a culture that regularly uses masks. I thought it would be cool if that was true of the architecture as well. Behind the facade, you can see Orlais' true face." [source]

Caraco and Petticoat

1770-1790, 1750-1790

“When he’s in a good mood he comes up the stairs singing”

The largest and deepest sinkhole in the world is Xiaozhai Tiankeng, in Fengjie, China. Its name means something like "well of heaven" or "heavenly."

With its 662 meters deep, 626 meters long and 537 meters wide, it is one of the most impressive natural attractions on Earth.