meet me in the detritus layer

Steel Blue Ladybug

Bugs Are Truly Spectacular And Here Are Pics To Prove That

today their dinner is.. strawberry.

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Today I learned that I've apparently long been in a Florida Gardening Group on Facebook and also that nobody in it knows anything about nature. "I never heard this referred to as "native???" is the wildest response I think, literally wording it like they don't believe me that this organism is native to the one and only part of the world it has ever been known to exist in

here is a Scolopendra mutilans lapping up mango juice from a spoon

rehoused Cassie today! she’s been due for a substrate refresh and a better burrow for a while. I think she likes this new cork hollow—it’s super deep and she scooted* right in with a happy butt wiggle

*shambled, rather. Cassandra isn’t a lady of speed unless pressured. she’s got 8 legs but averages about one step every 30 seconds.

Vocalization: Alligators are one of the most vocal reptile species. The noise he’s making is not a warning or sign of irritation; that kind of rumble is something they do when they’re happy. (You’ll hear it during courtship a lot!)

Notice that he settles right down when she starts brushing. If alligators don’t like something, the first thing they try to do is leave. But he does the opposite- he settles down in the grass and for lack of a better word, melts. See how at how a couple of seconds in, his hind leg goes back? He tucks it back in when he hits the keeper’s foot, but what he’s doing there is the start of the oh-so-scientifically named “sleepy feets.” He’s not just being still- he’s relaxing.

One of my favorite animals in the world! In this video you can see how they usually swim around on their backs, with their snoot pointed upwards! Also just the way this video is directed is great