A Random Dragon-knower

Spiny Turtle (Heosemys spinosa), juvenile, family Geoemydidae, found in SE Asia

ENDANGERED.

As the juvenile turtle ages, the point serration of the shell becomes less pointy and pronounced. The coloration and pattern also becomes duller and less colorful.

This species (Uroballus carlei) is sometimes referred to as a caterpillar jumping spider or caterpillar jumper, because it bears such a striking resemblance to a caterpillar. It was discovered in Hong Kong just a few years ago.

Researchers believe that these strange little spiders mimic the caterpillars of local lichen moths, which may help to deter predators. Lichen moth caterpillars ingest toxic substances that make them unpalatable to predators, and they're covered in urticating hairs that cause pain and irritation when touched, so predators tend to avoid them. They also have aposematic features that advertise those defense mechanisms, making them an excellent model for mimicry.

The spider's resemblance to a caterpillar may serve as a defense mechanism against larger vertebrates, such as birds, and as a predatory ploy against certain invertebrates, like small beetles, thus allowing the spider to avoid being eaten while also enabling it to stalk and capture its own prey more effectively.

This article described the discovery back in 2019:

A new spider has been discovered, hiding in plain sight in one of the most populated places on the planet. And there’s a good chance it went undiscovered for so long because it doesn’t really look like a spider at all, but more like a fuzzy baby caterpillar. Its cute, fuzzy appearance has led the newly discovered spider to be named Uroballus carlei, after Eric Carle – author of the wildly popular children’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Living alongside Uroballus carlei in the wooded areas of the Eastern District in Hong Kong are lichen moths. During the caterpillar stage, these moths are covered in bristly brown fur not dissimilar to Uroballus carlei. They live on a diet of lichen, and it’s this diet that gives them their name.

Sources & More Info:

Journal of Entomology: A New Species of Uroballus from Hong Kong: a Jumping Spider that Appears to Mimic Lichen Moth Caterpillars (PDF)

University of Manchester: Newly Discovered Jumping Spider is Master of Disguise

University of Manchester: Newly Discovered Jumping Spider Named for Children's Author

This afternoon I came upon a gorgeous adult cottonmouth crossing my path and I stopped to admire from a respectful distance for a little while, as I always do. You can see this snake pause when it notices my presence and then calmly turn to head in the opposite direction.

Most people who live in the range of the water moccasin will grow up hearing wives tales about this species aggressively chasing humans whenever they get the chance. Everybody always “knows someone who knows someone” who it happened to, yet nobody ever actually seems to witness this chase behavior in person. The myth likely started from a misunderstanding or mischaracterization of snake behavior, as these shy reptiles have zero interest in hunting an enormous ape that is 100x their size for fun. Scientific study has shown these venomous snakes bite only as an absolute last resort, with many choosing not to bite even when directly handled.

When I discuss the “cottonmouths don’t chase people” thing with folks that are determined to believe it, they often dismissively imply that I must not spend much time outdoors around snakes. In point of fact, I’ve been drawn to snakes and seeking them out since I was a kid and I’ve never witnessed the aggression that is supposedly characteristic of this species, despite crossing paths with them many times. I am always cautious and respectful when I see these snakes, and I am always glad to have seen them.

Green sea turtles have been an iconic endangered species since the 1980s, mostly due to bycatch in fishing nets and taking adults and eggs for food. I have core childhood memories of watching Steve Irwin talk about sea turtle conservation in front of a beach full of nesting green sea turtles.

After 45 years of conservation efforts, their population now meets the IUCN criteria for Least Concern rather than Endangered.

For a species with such a slow life history (it takes green sea turtles decades to reach sexual maturity) and a nearly global population, this is a Really Big Deal. This is the kind of long term conservation victory that many of the amazing humans who started working on green sea turtle conservation back in the 80s didn't live to see.

Skin-piercing blood-sucking moths V: Attacks on man by 5 Calyptra spp. (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) in S and SE Asia

In a chronology of 11 cases, male adults of scarce C. bicolor, C. fasciata, C. ophideroides, C. parva and C. pseudobicolor are proved for the first time to attack man (the author) and pierce the skin to suck blood under natural conditions in the field. […]