Sure Looked Strange To Me

Plateau Tiger Salamander or Mexican Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma velasci), neotenic adult, family Ambystomatidae, endemic to Mexico

Some populations or individulas are paedomorphic, or neotenic, retaining larval traits (aquatic with gills) into adulthood.

Purple-crowned Fairywren (Malurus coronatus), L - female & R - male, family Maluridae, found in northern Australia

It's Moon Day, so let's look at a dinosaur from the moon!

…Well, not literally. But Eoraptor lunensis' name means "dawn thief from the moon", in reference to it being discovered in the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) of Ischigualasto Provincial Park, Argentina.

Living during the Late Triassic, around 231-229 million years ago, Eoraptor was one of the earliest known of all dinosaurs. Originally classified as an early theropod, it's now thought to actually be a very early offshoot of the sauropodomorph lineage, closely related to other South American forms like Buriolestes and Pampadromeus.

It measured around 1.2m long (~4'), with leg proportions that indicate it was a fast runner. Its jaws contained both leaf-shaped and serrated pointed teeth, suggesting it may have been an opportunistic omnivore, feeding mainly on plant matter but occasionally supplementing its diet with smaller prey.

Unlike later dinosaurs it also still had vestigial palatal teeth on the roof of its mouth.

Eoraptor would have lived in a warm humid climate alongside several other early dinosaur species such as Herrerasaurus and Eodromaeus — but this was at a time before the dinosaurs had become the dominant terrestrial vertebrates, so other animals like rhynchosaurs, aetosaurs, rauisuchians, cynodonts and dicynodonts were also very abundant in the Ischigualasto ecosystem.

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NixIllustration.com | Tumblr | Patreon

It's Moon Day, so let's look at a dinosaur from the moon!

…Well, not literally. But Eoraptor lunensis' name means "dawn thief from the moon", in reference to it being discovered in the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) of Ischigualasto Provincial Park, Argentina.

Living during the Late Triassic, around 231-229 million years ago, Eoraptor was one of the earliest known of all dinosaurs. Originally classified as an early theropod, it's now thought to actually be a very early offshoot of the sauropodomorph lineage, closely related to other South American forms like Buriolestes and Pampadromeus.

It measured around 1.2m long (~4'), with leg proportions that indicate it was a fast runner. Its jaws contained both leaf-shaped and serrated pointed teeth, suggesting it may have been an opportunistic omnivore, feeding mainly on plant matter but occasionally supplementing its diet with smaller prey.

Unlike later dinosaurs it also still had vestigial palatal teeth on the roof of its mouth.

Eoraptor would have lived in a warm humid climate alongside several other early dinosaur species such as Herrerasaurus and Eodromaeus — but this was at a time before the dinosaurs had become the dominant terrestrial vertebrates, so other animals like rhynchosaurs, aetosaurs, rauisuchians, cynodonts and dicynodonts were also very abundant in the Ischigualasto ecosystem.

———

NixIllustration.com | Tumblr | Patreon

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890)

I've been working as a frontline social worker serving people experiencing homelessness and at-risk youth for seven years. During that time, I've never taken more than a week off work, even when I was hospitalized with Type 1 diabetes.

Right now, I'm struggling in ways that I haven't before. I'm struggling to accomplish work tasks, to empathize with my clients, and to show up every day to be a support. I am exhausted, experiencing severe burnout. My clients are vulnerable people, often other trans people, and I simply can't provide them the care they deserve while I'm in this state.

I've taken emergency mental health leave to address burnout, suicidal ideation, and substance use. My state's paid leave program is a wonderful resource, but payments can take time, as long as a month from today when I file. Until then, I'm worried about covering rent, groceries, and other basic expenses.

I don't want to return to full-service sex work to bridge that gap. It has been traumatic for me, and doing so again would mean putting myself back into situations I've worked hard to leave behind.

If you're able to help, your support will help me keep a roof over my head, buy groceries, and give me the time to recover without having to earn money in ways that are painful or dangerous for me.

0/1200

I love klezmer.

But as a former band kid, this made me die laughing.

i am not being metaphorical, i work in a garden center, stop buying plants 'to bring in the bees and butterflies' and then immediately poisoning every caterpillar that dares to consume a single leaf