Shinigami Kami/Grim Reaper Girls

Yellow-throated Marten (Martes flavigula), family Mustelidae, Kolkata, India

One of the most photogenic tornadoes in history

Red-and-white Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista alborufus), family Sciuridae, China

Palawan Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis heaneyi), family Felidae, endemic to Palawan, Philippines

Red-eared Parrotfinch (Erythrura coloria), family Estrildidae, order Passeriformes, endemic to Mindinao, Philippines

Bali Myna (Leucopsar rothschildi), family Sturnidae, order Passeriformes, Bali, Indonesia

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED.

Fewer than 50 individuals left in the wild.

Fiery-throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis), male, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, Panama

Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), family Accipitridae, Newfoundland, Canada

This guy, who would has been hanging off the NE coast of North America for a while, is way outside its normal range in far NW Asia.

Pale-capped Pigeon or Purple Wood Pigeon (Columba punicea), family Columbidae, order Columbiformes, Dehing Patkai National Park, Assam, India

and EVEN WHEN things were more muted/neutral, the neutrality was OFFSET by ACCENT COLORS and HIGH CONTRAST between the wood tones and everything ELSE

ALSO AMERICAN COLONIAL INTERIORS POPPED OFF, Y'ALL (IN TERMS OF COLOR/COZINESS)

PEOPLE USED WHITEWASH AND COLORFUL TRIM OR EVEN JUST COLORFUL FURNITURE IF THEY COULD AFFORD TO DO SO

AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON FRENCH AND BRITISH AND AMERICAN WALLPAPERS

"ELIZABETH" YOU CRY, "WHY ARE YOU BEING SO EXTRA THIS MORNING?! IT'S MONDAY"

Because, my friend, my war on GREIGE will NEVER end.

Historic interiors were filled with LIFE and LIGHT and COLOR. ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.

Part of the reason we don't see a lot of textile art is because, frankly, textiles tend to degrade over time - especially ones that had utility! And yes, pigments and weaving and dying all boosted the expense of things, when we were finally reliably block-printing fabrics and broad reams of paper, it was no longer just the wealthy who could afford pretty patterns!

In the Americas, a far wider variety of pigments also became available because of the abundance of... well, a shitton of flora and minerals, some of which weren't as common in Europe.

WHY THE HIGHLIGHTER COLORS? you ask.

CANDLES.

Those colors reflect candlelight and natural sunlight REALLY WELL.

Humans LOVE bright colors, it's NOT just a thing for kids. We live in a brilliant, vibrant, multifaceted world. We ALWAYS have.

(If ever you have the opportunity to visit the Stencil House at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont (pictured above at 3, 4, and 5), I highly recommend.)

And that's before you get into American painted murals:

Osprey aka “Sea Hawk” (Pandion haliaetus), CATCH A TASTY FLOUNDER!!!, family Pandionidae, order Accipitriformes, BC, Canada

Cloven-feathered Dove (Drepanoptila holosericea), family Columbidae, endemic to New Caledonia

Rainbow-bearded Thornbill (Chalcostigma herrani), male, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, Colombia

Say hello to Calumma krystalae! A new species of chameleon we just described from Madagascar!

This new species belongs to a group of chameleons with big flaps behind the head called occipital lobes, which they can flare out to the sides when threatened.

In the study (request PDF here) in which my colleagues and I describe this species, we reveal just how complicated the taxonomy of this 'group' is (turns out the flaps have evolved or been lost repeatedly!), especially for a couple of species called Calumma brevicorne and C. crypticum. We found out that there is a bad mismatch here between the species (i.e. biological units) and the names we use for them—but correcting it is going to be suuuper complicated. This is a problem for conservation reasons, but also for the pet trade, where both of those 'species' are established. But solving this puzzle is too complex for right now, so we contented ourselves with the description of a clearly distinct new species that isn't closely related to this complex from northern Madagascar.

Calumma krystalae, named in honour of renowned chameleon biologist Krystal Tolley, is closely related to a widespread species from Eastern Madagascar, Calumma malthe.

The first specimens of the new species was collected at least 21 years ago (2005) on the mountain of Marojejy in the northeast of the island. But in the intervening time, more material has been collected from several more sites across northern Madagascar. Among that material are some specimens I was able to collect in 2015 on an expedition to Ampotsidy in the Bealanana District, and a specimen we collected on an expedition back to Marojejy in 2016.

This is by far the largest chameleon I have had the pleasure to help to describe. It stands out from others primarily in colour, head shape, and some details of the scales. I find the eyes particularly beautiful.

I am super relieved to finally be able to understand the diversity of these chameleons a little better, but at the same time it feels like we have unearthed a can of worms in the taxonomy of the rest of the group. Still, it is an exciting prospect to see this resolved over the coming years!

The most amazing part is how the water droplet magnifies the Hornet's mouth parts, so you get to see them up-close!!!! It was FASCINATING to witness!

Here's some of my favorite still shots from that video:

Manu Bio Station (Peru) was a butterfly paradise!

Here are some of the many species i was able to photograph with my phone.