#prey animals

Marshal, AKA, Mister Marshal Honey Bunny Baby Boy.

Ive never owned a rabbit before-- im used to cats, dogs, and farm animals like chickens, horses, and goats. Caring for such a small, strictly herbivorous prey animal has been a new venture for me. Cats are my favorite, and obviously you CANNOT treat a rabbit like a cat (despite how cat-like I've seen Marshal to be). If i play with him the way i play with my cats, he'll actually have a stroke. And i also cant share little bits of roast beef from my sandwhich. I wasnt sure I'd connect with him at first, but he's so cute and very sassy and grown on me fast.

If you've watched Bojack, think of Princess Carolyn's arc with Ruthie (the porcupine baby, Untitled Princess Carolyn Project). Idrk know what im doing but he cracks me up. He's even starting to play with my cats which is really sweet, and i think he likes the company! He was alone a lot at his previous home, and the cats are well behaved-- enough.

Ive got the basics down-- hay is priority for feeding, appropriate fresh produce to round out nutrition, they have weak spines to be wary of, they need consistent grooming (currently in my first molt with Marshal), fresh water as for any critter. I have a kennel that i can put him in for some outside time, though I'd love to get a pen with more square feet. He was completely un-groomed when i got him, so I've already had to bathe him (yellow stained feet and boonky, i did not submerge him and i dried him properly) and clip his nails that were long enough to start twisting.

Other than that, im a noob and advice is welcome! I've noticed he doesnt really chew on anything so i worry about his teeth, but he loves his hay and i havent noticed any issues yet. Not sure how to encourage him.

I’m so tired of wolves being depicted as abuser’s. You know your only perpetuating steryotype of wolves, right?? Like.. you can’t use any other prey/predator animals, you specifically use sheep and wolves? (

I literally never see any other predators depicted in this position, it’s always wolves. It makes me really angry to be honest. As a wolf myself (wolf therian), and a conservationist/naturalist, it sickens me how people seem to not care about how this impacts real wolf populations

Eagles are not stigmatised, they eat other birds. Same with hawks and falcons! Same with lion. Why not make a story about a falcon and a dove/pigeon? Or a lion and an antelope? Why use the animal that alrwady is severely demonised and villainised for existing?? Why use it while they get slaughtered by cruel people for fun? What is acrually wrong with you people???

I appreciate the writers not leaning too TOO heavily into the whole, "The snake has to talk with am overexaggerted 'Ssssssssss" trope." Otherwise every time Gary said Judy Hopps' name would've been irritating. 😅

2. Thinking about Zootopia 3....the pattern from the first two has been about predators being judged unfairly.

In the first movie, while we (the audience) experiend the case mainly through Nick's eyes, it was the societal preds of Zootopia as a whole who were victims, as they were the only ones going savage, going missing, and blamed for causing tension in the city. And ultimately, the preds were framed by prey animals (Bellwhether and her 'flock' of cronies.....get it? Flock? Lol...ahem, anyway...) and Judy and Nick pretty much cleared their names.

In the second movie we can tell that the relationship between preds and preys has eased a bit, but it's still there. Preds are still blamed. This time, a snake. And this time, framed by another pred: Lynxes. And on a societal stage for GENERATIONS.

So third movie, what are we expecting? I imagine birds, and pred birds specifically, being framed/societally outcased...but by whom? Mainly prey? Mainly preds? Or a conspiracy of both (since Nick let over 100 criminals out of prison, pred and prey, trying to save Judy 😅. So will Bellwhether partner with some pred animal? OR will we be introduced to a completely new aninal controlling the entire narrative--even pulling Bellwhether's strings (maybe without her realizing))?

ALSO you can have "pred and prey" birds. So I wonder if the story line will be a "framed/false narrative" of birds attacking or wronging other birds? Or birds attacking the existing mammals of Zootopia? (Like, IRL Eagles and Vultures will eat fellow birds, AND non-bird creatures. So would they be blamed for attacking fellow/smaller birds; the current Zootopia mammals we know; Or both?)

I can see something where birds hear about/start moving to Zootopia. An incident happens in a public square where like and Eagle is blamed for scaring/intimidating a smaller, prey animal (when he was just being overly-friendly and saying hi). And maybe we kind see the beginning of how that kind of prejudice festers rather than seeing the affects of long-term/pre-established prejudice--generational (Zootopia 2) and modern (Zootopia 1).

I DUNNO JUST RANDON THOUGHTS I WANTED TO PUT OUT IN THE TUMBLR VOID.

But ultimately, unless the writers change the pattern) we've gotta have the birds (I think of the pred variety) societally blamed or prejudiced for something they didn't do by some prey character(s), and Judy, Nick, and Gary have to clear them.

Thoughts?

THINGS I DO WHEN I AM NOT WRITING #2: 

I take drawing classes.  Nature journal sketching. Anyone can draw.  You just have learn some techniques,   pay attention to the details, and practice.  That means you also have to have patience.  And if you do nature journal sketching, you have to be outdoors, in nature, and you have to take notes.  I love drawing.  I love nature.  I love writing down details.  I can be patient when I love doing something.  

The first photo above is a sketch I did during a class on nature journaling taught by John Muir Laws.  I already owned all his naturalist guide books. He is a terrific artist and teacher--clear, encouraging, illuminating and funny as hell.  In one class, we learned about the behavior of prey and predator.  We also looked at the placement of eyes of prey animals--wide apart to look out for danger on all sides.  And then there are the eyes of predators--forward, focused on prey. 

The second picture is a drawing I did later that week, applying what I had learned in class.  I drew this from a photo I took of a cape buffalo in South Africa while sitting in a jeep.  It has the eyes of a prey animal -- see?--on the sides.  But it is actually the most dangerous animal you’ll see on land--more dangerous than a lion.  It has two speeds:  stand and stare,  and charge to kill.  That’s why I drew this from a photo.  Had I tried to do it outdoors, I would not be here to post this sketch.  

nothing super finished and i have more art of blondie than i do of finn BUT!! here’s some stuff that’s not too terribly old. a kinda-sorta ref sheet for blondie and some of his facial expressions/details and then a rough drawing of a “comic book cover” for it. thank you for asking!! i have a soft spot for these boys and this story :’)

AFTER 9 SLUTTY SLUTTY YEARS…. i’ve finally done a fullbody piece of my OC finn from prey animals :) it feels so good to actually do work for this story setting that’s been percolating in my head for so long!!