Lovely

Alligators are wild animals. Despite the idiotic claims of animal abusers like Jay Brewer, they cannot be domesticated, which means they are always going to react on the same natural instincts they've had for millions of years. Habituated, yes. Tamed, yes. Trained, definitely. Crocodilians can form bonds with people- they're social and quite intelligent. They can solve problems, use tools, and they're actually quite playful. Alligators are also really good at communicating how they're feeling, but to somebody who doesn't spend much time around them, their body language can be a bit mystifying. And it doesn't help when social media influencers are saying shit like this:

That is not what a happy gator looks like.

That's a terrified, furious gator who isn't attacking because the ogre handling her has her in a chokehold. She's doing everything she can to express her displeasure, and he's lying about it because he knows his audience doesn't even know how to think critically about what he's doing. He knows that because his audience doesn't know anything about these animals, he can get away with it. This I think is why I hate him so much- he deliberately miseducates his audience. He knows what he's doing is factually inaccurate, he just doesn't care because attention means more to him than anything else in the world.

Let's change that! Here are two really important lessons for understanding alligator body language on social media.

Lesson 1: Alligators Don't Smile (in fact, most animals don't)

So what's going on in this video? Jay Brewer is aggressively choking his white alligator Coconut while scrubbing algae off of her with a toothbrush. And make no mistake, he is digging into the creature's throat while she is visibly distressed. He claims she's happy- but she's not. He is willfully misrepresenting what this animal is feeling. That's a problem, because people... well, we actually kind of suck at reading other species' body language. The reason for this is that we tend to overlay our own responses on their physical cues, and that's a problem. For example, let's look at an animal with a really similar face to ours, the chimpanzee. Check out Ama's toothy grin!

Wait, no. That's not a happy smile. That's a threat display. When a chimpanzee "smiles," it's either terrified and doing a fear grimace, or it's showing you its teeth because it intends on using them in your face.

How about a dog? Look at my smiling, happy puppy!

Oh wait no, this is a picture of Ryder when he was super overwhelmed by noise and people during a holiday party. He'd hopped up in my sister's lap to get away from stuff that was happening on the floor and was panting quite heavily. See the tension in the corners of his mouth and his eyes? A lot of the time when a dog "smiles," the smile isn't happy. It's stress! Why Animals Do The Thing has a nice writeup about that, but the point is, our body language is not the same as other species. And for reptiles, body language is wildly different.

For instance, look at these two alligators. Pretty cute, right? Look at 'em, they're posing for a Christmas card or something! How do you think they're feeling?

Well, I'll tell you how the normal one is feeling. He's annoyed! Why is he annoyed? Because the albino just rolled up, pushed another gator off the platform, and is trying to push this guy, too. I know this because I actually saw it happen. It was pretty funny, not gonna lie. He's not gaping all the way, but he was hissing- you can actually see him getting annoyed in the sequence I took right before this shot. Look at him in this first shot here- he's just relaxing, and you can see he isn't gaping even a little bit.

By the end, he's expressing displeasure, but not enough to actually do anything about it. He's annoyed, but he's comfy and that's where one of the best basking areas is, so he'll put up with it.

Reptiles open their mouths wide for a lot of reasons, but never because they are actively enjoying a sensation. Unless they're eating. No reptile smiles- they can't. They don't even have moveable lips. If a reptile is gaping, it's doing so because:

It is doing a threat display.

It is making certain vocalizations, all of which are threats. Alligators are one of the rare reptiles that do regularly vocalize, but most of their calls aren't made with a wide open mouth.

It is about to bite something delicious or somebody stupid. Check out this video- virtually all of the gaping here is anticipatory because these trained gators know darn well that the bowl is full of delicious snacks. (I have some issues with Florida's Wildest, but the man knows how to train a gator AND he is honest about explaining what they're doing and why, and all of his animals are healthy and well-cared for, and he doesn't put the public or his staff at risk- just himself.)

It's too hot and it has opened its mouth to vent some of that heat and thermoregulate. This is the main reason why alligators will often have their mouths part of the way open, but sometimes they'll open all the way for thermoregulation. This is what a thermoregulatory gape looks like- usually it's not all the way open, kinda more like < rather than V, but you can't say that 100% of the time. Additionally, a thermoregulatory gape... typically happens when it's hot out. If they're inside, maybe they've been under their basking light for too long. Heat's the dominant factor, is what I'm getting at.

There is another reason that a captive crocodilian might be gaping, and that's because it's doing so on command. Some places have their gators trained to gape on cue, like St. Augustine Alligator Farm and other good zoos. They have the animals do this in presentations that are genuinely educational. They ask the animals to open their mouths so that they can show off their teeth and demonstrate how their tongues seal off the back of their mouth. They'll also do it as part of routine healthcare, because looking at their teeth is important.

In this case, the animals aren't gaping because they're stressed, they're gaping because they know they're gonna get a piece of chicken or fish if they do it. And what's more, they're doing it on cue. They have a specific command or signal that tells them to open wide. It's not an instinctive response to a situation. It's trained. If the animal provides the behavior after a cue, the situation is much less likely to be negatively impactful.

It's also important to remember that there's a difference between a partially open mouth and a gape! As discussed above, alligators will often have their mouths a little bit open just to maintain temperature homeostasis. It helps them stay comfy, temperature-wise. These guys are all doing thermoregulatory open-mouthed behavior- that slight open and relaxed body posture is a dead giveaway. (That and it's the hottest spot in the enclosure.)

Lesson 2: A Happy Gator Is A Chill Gator

So if alligators don't smile or have facial expressions other than the :V that typically signifies distress, how else can you tell how they're feeling? One way is stillness. See, alligators subscribe to the philosophy of if it sucks... hit da bricks.

Basically, if they hate it, they'll leave. Unless, y'know, somebody has their meaty claws digging into their throat or is otherwise restraining them. (Restraint isn't always bad, btw. Sometimes the animal is going through a medical thing or needs to be restrained for their safety- which a responsible educator will explain.)

Let's look at a very similar scenario, in which a captive alligator is getting his back scrubbed.

As you can see, it's quite different. First, he's not being restrained at all. Second, look at how relaxed he is! He's just chilling there vibing! He could simply get up and leave if he wanted to, because he's not being held. Towards the end of the video, as he lifts his head, you can see that his respiratory rate is very even as his throat flutters a bit. I'm not sure what this facility is, so I can't comment on care/general ethics, but like. In this specific case, this is an alligator enjoying being scrubbed! And you can tell because he's not doing anything. A happy gator is content to be doing what they're doing.

Why Should I Listen To You?

Now, you should ask yourself, why should you listen to me? Why should you trust me, who does not own an alligator, versus Jay Brewer, who owns several?

Well, first off, there's no profit for me in telling you that what you're seeing on social media is in fact not what you're being told you're seeing. I'm not getting paid to do this. That's the thing with people who make social media content. The big names aren't doing it just for fun. They're doing it for money. Whether that's profit through partnerships or sponsorships, or getting more people to visit their facilities, or ad revenue, you can't ignore the factor of money. And this is NOT a bad thing, because it allows educators to do what they're passionate about! People deserve to be paid for the work that they do!

But the problem starts when you chase the algorithm instead of actually educating. A "smiling" alligator gets the views, and if people don't know enough to know better, it keeps getting the views. People love unconventional animal stories and they want those animals to be happy- but the inability to even know where to start with critically evaluating these posts really hinders the ability to spread real information. Like, this post will probably get a couple hundred notes, but that video of Coconut being scrubbed had almost 400,000 likes when I took that screenshot. Think about how many eyeballs that's reached by now. What I'm saying here is that it's just... really important to think critically about who you're getting your information from. What do dissenters say in the comments? What do other professionals say? You won't find a single herpetologist that has anything good to say about Prehistoric Pets, I can tell you that right now.

Another reason you can trust me is that my sources are not "just trust me bro," or "years of experience pretending my pet shop where animals come to die is a real zoo." Instead, here are my primary sources for my information on alligator behavior:

Dragon Songs: Love and Adventure among Crocodiles, Alligators, and Other Dinosaur Relations- Vladimir Dinets

The Secret Social Lives of Reptiles- J. Sean Doody, Vladimir Dinets, Gordon M. Burghardt

Social Behavior Deficiencies in Captive American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis)- Z Walsh, H Olson, M Clendening, A Rycyk

Social Displays of the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)- Kent Vliet

Social Signals and Behaviors of Adult Alligators and Crocodiles- Leslie Garrick, Jeffery Lang

Never smile at a crocodile: Gaping behaviour in the Nile crocodile at Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa- Cormac Price, Mohamed Ezat, Céline Hanzen, Colleen Downs (this one's Nile crocs, not American alligators, but it's really useful for modeling an understanding of gape behaviors and proximity)

Thermoregulatory Behavior of Captive American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis)- Cheryl S. Asa, Gary D. London, Ronald R. Goellner, Norman Haskell, Glenn Roberts, Crispen Wilson

Unprovoked Mouth Gaping Behavior in Extant Crocodylia- Noah J. Carl, Heather A. Stewart, Jenny S. Paul

Thank you for reading! Here's a very happy wild alligator from Sanibel for your trouble.

The final part to this comic is going to be pretty long so it will take a while to finish.

Oh, I keep forgetting to mention this with each post, but thank you all for the RT and likes! Especially to those who hash and RT comments. Yes, I do go out of my way to read these and I love ‘em! They bring me so much joy! Thank you!!🙏✨💕

Also play the game if you haven’t. Its quirky, funny, great characters. Also the very best part of the game is that if you fail it can be even more hilarious than when you succeed.

Downside if you don’t like reading a lot then don’t get it. The entire game is mostly based on pictures and dialogue with minimal animation. So beware about that if your deciding to buy.

Anyway the games can be found on ds systems, switch and cellphone ios and android. Though don’t get the trilogy from the cellphone, heard that it has a lot of spelling errors and the like.

GUYS ITS HERE, IT’S FINALLY HERE. My good love @ichimon-no-saito helped me with the writing, and of COURSE ya’ll know @bis-cvit helped keep me motivated and was a huge support. Be sure to tell them good job as well! Consider buying me a Ko-fi? <3 https://ko-fi.com/catler0

OR, consider commissioning me! Just shoot me a DM here on Tumblr <3 https://sta.sh/01kghiyxz03i

OR come say hi on my discord! <3 https://discord.gg/jgRJ9hU

Ever since seeing the new trailer with BOTW2, I got deep into the hydrated Ganondorf pool :3

Christopher “Birdman” Driggins

How did Christopher Driggins of Vancouver, WA earn the nickname, “Birdman”? Living with more than 30 exotic pet birds probably has something to do with it.

“I won’t discriminate against a feather,” said Driggins. He spends his free time helping orphaned pet birds in Vancouver while working two jobs unrelated to bird rescue. “My average day is 4-5 hours of sleep, 7 days a week, working two jobs and taking care of 30 birds in three locations.”

“It is true, I’ve had to make a few sacrifices in my life. Thus, I’ve always been single…almost married twice. I have 32 “kids” at home at this moment that need me,“ said Driggins.

Birdman’s specialty is orphaned exotic pet birds. Owners often don’t realize the lifelong commitment an exotic bird requires. On average, domesticated exotic birds can change hands 8 times in their lifetime. Once the bird is completely rehabilitated, Driggins carefully finds an owner who fully understands the responsibility and commitment it takes to properly care for an exotic bird.

Driggins also fields injured bird calls 24 hours a day via his bird hotline. He’s visited nearly every corner of Clark County helping hawks, owls, blue herons – you name it. Driggins rehabilitates birds at his Vancouver sanctuary which also doubles as his home. He’s been doing bird rescue since 1988, making quite the name for himself. Local police and fire often rely on Birdman’s expertise in emergencies.

Recently he received a call from the Coroner’s office for urgent assistance. Animal control was in a standoff with a pet bird guarding an owner who had recently passed away. Chris swept in and quickly diffused the situation.

Chris created Northwest Bird Rescue, a not for profit business that relies heavily on volunteers to keep it running. He posts his adventures regularly on his Facebook and YouTube channel.

If you see his gold Town & Country van rolling around Vancouver with the yellow emergency light and bright yellow decals reading “CAUTION, INJURED BIRD ON BOARD,” be sure to smile and wave – he’s doing great things for our community.

Northwest Bird Rescue suffered a major loss in 2006 when a volunteer embezzled all of their funds in 24 hours. They have been trying to regain flight ever since. Northwest Bird Rescue is a not for profit business that relies heavily on volunteers.

[Source]

For more information visit: NW Bird Rescue Website

NW Bird Rescue Amazon Wishlist

NW Bird Rescue Facebook

The ghost record paused momentarily, its trumpet of discord silent as he moved about his bedroom, feeling the carpet beneath his bare feet, tracing his hands over the surface of his dresser, grounding himself in the moment. Visions of dust clouds and blood splatter slowly grew hazy. The mist began to clear. In the wake of his terror, the light of a full moon drew his attention. 

September 28. A warm autumn. The desert of America. That was where he was, when he was. 

Padding slowly to the window, counting each step, forcing himself to feel the brush of carpet against his soles with each step, he clenched his fist. Back to the real world, he commanded himself. He had nearly done it, had almost shaken off the final fleeting images of his dream, when the slamming of a car door nearby made him jump and duck for cover. A wash of frustration flooded his mind and he struck angrily at the wall, jumping to his feet and staring angrily out the window in search of the cause of the offending noise.

A pair of violet eyes lifted from the street, drawn by his appearance at the window. The scowl on Shiro’s face immediately vanished. Neighbor, his mind supplied, seeing the young man and his mop of raven hair. Not a veteran like himself, but the son of one. Caretaker for a father as damaged as himself. Judging by the dark circles under the man’s eyes and the tired way his body sagged, his young neighbor had just returned from a late shift. Shiro found himself quite suddenly sympathetic to the man’s struggles and all too willing to forgive the slam of the car door. He raised a hand in acknowledgement.

and finally, i’ve paid homage to my favorite quote of the entire game although slightly misquoted here to make things fit.

They’re right now into undertale and their art is still gorgeous as ever.

1st Movement- Fear

First of 5 short (and quickly drawn) stories.

It turned out to be a follow up to this:

http://rufftoon.tumblr.com/post/36874265600/light-and-shadow-part-1-part-2-is

http://rufftoon.tumblr.com/post/36874380767/light-and-shadow-part-2-part-1-is

Pitch definitely wasn’t the most helpful of being at the best or worst of times. Just roaming the world, spreading fear, still visible to many human beings.

“did you see the way he looked at us?”

Time travel fanfic with angst and fluff. Lots of Luna too.

Meet-cute au: Single dad Keith and Kindergarten Teacher Shiro! (Read left to right!)

‪He was the tiniest guppy the Galra clan has ever had. ‬

Give this artists the loving they deserves and if your a big fan of shiro x lance. The artists ships them.

they’re back, baby

If you love the skeleton bros + Gaster then you’ll love this blog because she is all about them.