Zoology BRO.

2014 has been a big year for me. Seriously big. So I thought I would talk about it, explain why I haven't been around these past 3 months, and get on to 2015 and all it's splendour.

To be honest with you all, 2014 didn't start off well for me at all. I was attempting to manage ever-worsening OCD whilst trying to get into university (a feat that would not have been possible without four kickass people at my school and one spectacular canadian).

This accompanied with the sudden surge of popularity that the blog received was all a bit much. I absolutely loved the comic strips and the shipping and the wonderful messages, but, at the time I didn't really know how to respond to it all, so when I was suddenly thrown into an entirely new world at university, I had to take some time out for myself.

The past 3 months (ish) that I've been away from the blog (and a bunch of other crap in my life) were much needed. For the first time in years I'm not feeling like hell 24/7. I've gotten used to life at uni, made some brilliant friends - even talked about police brutality on lexcanroar's channel (which was brilliant btw. I cannot thank Lex enough for offering her platform to us, and you all for the incredibly kind and supportive words). 

Most importantly though, I started to get control of my brain again, which I didn't think would happen any time soon.

I'm sorry for not being around, and not explaining anything, but I'm crazy excited for 2015. If 2014 was a big year for ZoologyBro, 2015 can only be bigger. Thank you so much staying around whilst I tried to deal with my brain and stuff, even though you didn't know it was happening.

Peace out chikas, see you next year (it's gunna be a good one).

Thank you!Reading is absolutely amazing. There’s not common first year for all biological science subjects (like most unis), which is FAB. I don’t think I could cope with a partially unrelated first year.

We also have the Cole museum of Zoology, which is the most wonderful place in the universe. I work there on the entomological collection, and love it to bits.

My main advice would be to be prepared for the jump. A levels were very different. It’s not so much harder, just a lot different (but maybe that’s just because I enjoy it so much).. sort of a sideways jump rather than an upward one!

You’ll have the most amazing time, wherever you go (but obviously I’m going to recommend Reading ahaha)

If you do end up in Reading next year, come find me!

I love my room! This is it right now -

Japanese honeybee. (Apis cerana japonica)

Bees are freaking awesome. Everyone already knows how awesome they are, right?

WRONG.

Take everything you thought you knew about the extent of bee's rad-ness and throw it out the window because it's time for the japanese honeybee and I promise you - you aren't ready.

One of this bee's main threats is the Asian giant hornet. Usually, a single hornet will arrive at the honeybee nest, scout it out, and then return later with a full blown gang of around 30 others to attack the nest.

Considering that Asian giant hornets can be almost three times the size of the Japanese honeybee, you'd assume that they're pretty much screwed the second a hornet shows up... right?

WRONG AGAIN.

The first time a hornet approaches the hive, the bees will disappear just inside the entrance, luring the hornet in. Then- BAM. OVER FIVE HUNDRED BEES SWARM OUT OF THE HIVE AND SURROUND THE HORNET, BEATING THEIR WINGS LIKE A MAD MAN TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE AROUND THE HORNET TO 47°C (117°F), LITERALLY BAKING THEIR ATTACKER TO DEATH.

BEES.

DON'T.

MESS.

Andrew we did it. It’s official. We can quit tumblr now. We won.

Hairy frog. (Trichobatrachus robustus)

Everybody sit down, because I promise that you aren't ready for the tornado of badassery that I am about to send your way.

When attacked, the hairy frog will break its own bones and force them through its toe pads to create mad claw-type-things.

Yup. 

This frog goes full wolverine on whatever was crazy enough to take it on. Although it isn't known how the frog retracts it's insane bone-claws (no one was stupid enough to hang around once they saw it enter X-men mode, clearly), it's thought that the claws later retract passively, while the damaged tissue is regenerated.

It's literally a few drops of adamantium away from changing its name to Logan. 

Image: Gustavo Carra

So it's been a very good couple of weeks. I made a lot of cakes (a lot) and got into university! But I already made a post about that. This post is to congratulate Andrew! Unless you've been living under a rock, or are very very very new to the zoology side of tumblr, you'll know that Andrew over at astronomy-to-zoology recently hit 30,000 followers. That's a lot of people.

Andrew is one of very few people I know who has never told me to shut up about my snails, or to stop rambling about lemurs, or anything really, and has probably been equally (most likely more) excited than me about invertebrates - which is hard to do.

I literally can't think of any blog more deserving of the attention his gets every day. SO GO ANDREW. YEAH.

Holy moly I got into university how on earth did I do that good lord.

Vampire moth. (Calyptra thalictri)

So this may be the most terrifyingly wonderful moth I have ever seen. Brace yourselves, people.

The "Vampire moth" mainly feeds on fruit, using its proboscis to drink the juice within. Pretty standard, right? He's just a little beige cutie pie? NOPE. NOT ONE BIT MY FRIEND.

Apparently fruit isn't good enough for these guys. The males of the species will also use their proboscis to pierce the skin of vertebrates and drink their blood.

ALSO; the proboscis itself is barbed. It's like some crazy nightmare super-straw.

AND IT DOESN'T END THERE. Other species of Calyptra are known to suck tears from the eyelids of cattle. 

TEARS.

THESE MOTHS ARE SO HARDCORE I CAN'T DEAL WITH IT.

THEY DRINK BLOOD. AND TEARS.

SO. HARD. CORE.

MOTHS.

Hooded pitohui. (Pitohui dichrous)

A poisonous bird? Rad.

The hooded pitohui - alongside its two other close relatives (Variable pitohui & Rusty pitohui) - was the first ever bird to be documented as poisonous.

This bird is seriously so awesome. Its feathers and skin contain the exact same poison that is found in Poison Dart Frogs. This chemical is actually the most powerful natural toxin known to man. It's not present in very high quantities though, so for the most part these birds will only cause numbness, tingling and other minor symptoms when touched (basically they're not deadly unless you got like 50 of them and rubbed them all over your face). 

It's thought that the bird gets its poison from its diet; which is mainly Choresine beetles.

Things learnt today:

Birds are rad on so many levels.

Do not cover your face in Hooded pitohuis.

Anyone who tells you that birds are boring is wrong and clearly just jealous of the majestic wonder that is the Hooded pitohui.

Hello! I’ve actually only just finished high school myself, so I don’t find out whether or not I’ve gotten into university until the 14th of August - a date that I am dreading.

The main advice I would give is to just continue being as proactive as you currently are! I managed to get offers from all 5 of the universities I applied to, and the main thing they all said made the biggest impact was me getting actively involved in the zoological community. 

I did a lot of volunteer work at zoos, and still currently do work at my local nature reserve and london wildlife trust as a whole, which definitely helped a lot with firsthand knowledge on conservation, and people skills (which oddly enough, is needed an awful lot for work in zoology). I know zoos may seem way more exciting, but never underestimate nature reserves!!! A lot of my best memories have been whilst working at my nature reserve, and I’m pretty sure it’s what gave me the most experience.

Most of all, stick around in the ‘zoological side of tumblr’. I don’t think there is any other place in which such an amazing group of people all come together sharing one common interest. You’ll observe and be a part of debates and discussions on important zoological and biological matters with people that are seriously high up in their field; and that’s something that I don’t think you’ll get anywhere else.

YOU GOT THIS.