Just a Bad Luck Witch, Baby

Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata), New South Wales, Australia

Most skinks have smooth, overlapping scales and a glassy appearance—but not the shingleback skink (Tiliqua rugosa)!

Unlike its relatives, its scales are keeled, or rigid. Something else that sets it apart? It’s unable to shed its tail. Scientists think that the shingleback’s short, stumpy tail—which is similar in shape to its head—confuses predators, leading them to wonder, “Which end is which?” And in that moment of hesitation, the skink may escape. If it wants to scare a foe away, it may try flashing its bright blue tongue.

Photo: Martin Lagerwey, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, flickr

Art and love are the same thing: It’s the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you.

X. Fritillaries. British butterflies : figures and descriptions of every native species. 1860.