canorousCepaea

Definition: Genus of small, terrestrial snails that takes pleasure in exploring flora and fauna

[canorouscepaea]

about me:

wowowow finally making this blog! lets get our intros out of the way shall we? lets do it

* main interests and posts on here are gonna be about nature and biology as that is one of my favorite hobbies

* ive always been a nature person and i really care about conservation but also just connecting to the outdoors and all the wonderful species we as humans share a home with

* i own a crested gecko named apollo, two fish (a molly and a platy), and an african dwarf frog, all of whom i love very much :)

* i want to make this blog about critters i find myself on a daily basis in the north eastern US but will probably reblog cool things about biology from other blogs from time to time i havent quite decided yet

* i use the app Seek to help me identify organisms in nature! it’s by a company called iNaturalist and is pretty accurate with its identification. i’m not an entomologist or biologist (i’m a neuroscience major haha) so this is super helpful to me

* idk i cant think of anything else to say lol im a full time student and make this blog to give me something to look forward to in life but also i hope to inspire at least one person to appreciate nature a lil more >:)

* this blog is also a safe place for those of all races, genders, sexualities, and what have you. i like to believe im an activist in my real life community but that isnt what this blog will be dedicated to

* if you want my twitter is @/troglo_dyke (haha) and my spotify is .katydid. (like the bug :3)

[canorouscepaea]

just another self indulgent post about hummingbird clearwings (forgive me!!)

their tails/abdomens remind me of fishing lures with the way the plumage looks so fluffy at the very end :3 dont worry id never use you to catch fish, little guy!! i could also see a bit of resemblance with a crawfish with the overall shape of the body but that might be said about most other hawk moths.

something else that kept me from identifying these as moths the first time i ever saw one was the lack of fluff on the antennae! instead, their shaped like teeny tiny baseball bats or bunny ears and very solid looking. i'll let it slide because the rest of the body is furry

[canorouscepaea]

Here's one of my 'fall-favorites,' the Eastern Newt.

i hike somewhere near a pond with some small streams and marsh, so plenty of wetlands. ngl, i've developed a sort of phobia of stepping on them under the orange leaves as i walk 0_0

theyre very small and soft (like literally walk like theyre made of rubber) so i fear greatly for their lives

this specimen is actually in the juvenile stage of its lifetime. They start as tadpoles, then, like a frog, rapidly grow to adapt features that allow terrestrial life, i.e. legs n lungs, thicker skin, etc.

But Wait, There's More!

because you heard me correctly my fellow fucking crocodile hunters, this specimen is in the juvenile state. this thing is the charmeleon of its evolutionary line... if charmander were a tadpole (poliwag to charmeleon feels cursed to me).

so where else do this thing have to go? You beat out frogs - hell, you beat out toads - with the whole extra life thing. whats next now that youre on land? tap into some arboreal potential, maybe? become expert diggers?

no.

thats not what they do.

they go back to the water.

*sigh* theyre still pretty cute, i must admit, especially retaining those red dots from the juvenile days <3

in their juvenile state, their bright orange skin is to tell predators, "dont eat me, my skin is freaky nasty," due to it containing tetrodotoxin. for us humans, we dont have much to worry about when coming across one of these on a stroll. if you touch it, wash your hands. never touch these with an open wound. dont touch your eyes, nose, mouth yadda yadda yadda you arent gonna die.

do not eat, freaky nasty.

yayyy i finally did what i said id do last week!!!!!!!!!!!

.... (._.)

im like trying to be positive ab life rn w school and what not so!! i decided to take a more memoir-esque approach. like im writing in a journal, or what i would tell a friend if they asked me to give them a synopsis on the 'interesting' facts ab this species.

idk <:)

this isnt a diary by any means, but i definitely take inspiration from @bunjywunjy 's biology related posts in terms of tone and overall motivation and passion, but i especially like talking about stuff that i can actually see irl; local species!* and i like inserting my style of humor in there as a narcissist as well as to appeal to an audience.

*not just native species (;*-*) im in the USA, we have a ton of invasives here. its kind of our trademark.

id love feed back it you hate this or love this or dont care. i just appreciate interactions with ppl <3

[canorouscepaea]

hey all

im here to yell in my own face and tell myself:

i am going to post regularly here from now on!!!!!!

hold me accountable bc i have tons of cool nature photos that ive been sharing with my friends through text and shit and then i completely neglect this part of my nature endeavors!! i guess ive kind of seen it like a homework assignment to write a lil blurb ab a mushroom/bug/whatever on here but in reality i want this site to be like a cool space to zone out and think about nature n biology! i shouldnt see it as a chore and instead see it as a time to think positively and unwind

that being said, i am now using google photos to access my camera roll on my computer so that typing, research, and thus posting is more streamlined and easy. thank you for your patience with me everyone!! i wish i were a tumblr veteran and ran an actual blog back in the day but alas ive always been a lurker (-.-;)

<3

[canorouscepaea]

sweetie little bold jumping spider ft. my roommates finger

i love jumping spiders so much. this one we found outside after our workout and i hope it was proud of us (leg day is hard ;-;)

this guy is also commonly called the Daring jumping spider so courage must run in the family. jumping spiders have amazing stereoscopic vision due to their forward facing eyes. this means that their perception of depth is something to marvel at, and gives them an advantage when hunting prey with their jumping ability!

jumping spiders can produce silk just like other arachnids but dont use this to build a web, rather its used to traverse rugged terrain and drop down from heights quickly and safely - like spiderman! only these critters probably lack that sense of justice that makes spiderman a superhero (thats okay little guy i think youre super just the way you are :))

Phidippus audax

[canorouscepaea]

hello hello im back!!

found this false death cap outside of my dorm building today. its an amanita and you can tell because of the dots scattered around its cap.

this shroom isnt poisonous like its namesake the death cap, and actually is known to produce psychedelic affects when consumed properly. THAT BEING SAID!!!!!!!!! 🔈🔈DO NOT🔈🔈 ever. under any circumstances ❌🚫❌ eat a mushroom that you have not properly identified for any reason!!!! if this were falsely identified and someone consumed it, that very someone would die. thats just the facts. this stuff is serious and i believe that in order to fully appreciate mushrooms and and other parts of nature you have to acknowledge the facts no matter how they may restrict your ability to interact with nature. safety comes first and safety for us can also mean safety for the wildlife we encounter. so please!!

dont eat strange mushrooms :)

Amanita citrina

[canorouscepaea]

hello my lovely followers and any other viewers of this account!!

i recently lost my phone in the woods and could not find it. it’s been raining where i am so it’s likely that i have no access to the contents even if i find it (super cool of me to do honestly i’m thrilled that this is happening /j)

so this means that i have absolutely no photos of wildlife to share with you. and idk how long this will last, for all i know i will take photos on my new phone today and post them tomorrow- my point is that if i go on a bit of a hiatus, don’t be alarmed. i love this account and seeing people adore the same critters and such that i find outside, there’s just obviously been a lot more on my mind.

i hope you understand!! btw i did get a new phone and dropped quite a hefty bill on it too (curse you apple, steve jobs can rot in hell) so i’ll see you guys in a wee bit <3

[canorouscepaea]

lady bug larva :)

i never remember that those little round buttons have a larval stage despite the fact that they’re beetles!! they just are so small already why do they need to metamorphosize ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ

protect your local lady bugs!! they take care of pests and look cute (plus in some cultures they represent good fortune!)

when i was younger and found ladybugs in my yard i would scoop em up and put them in a little paper cup house i made with tape, styrofoam, and a paper cup. i decorated the outside with markers and drew flowers and i thought i had created nothing short of ladybug paradise. i even gave them a leaf to sleep on! little did i know this was NOT how to care for a lady bug and they always escaped (luckily for them, haha)

but i always enjoyed ladybugs and learning about how they control aphid populations so i can appreciate them at every stage of their life :)

Harmonia axyridis

[canorouscepaea]

not actually sure what kinda shroomage this is; it’s a gilled, shelf mushroom and possibly a polypore? the edges are all scalloped and ruffled like a skirt and the tops are such a smooth, lovely shade of beige :)

makes me wanna set this pic as a desktop background, the lighting was simply divine <3

[canorouscepaea]

large maple spanworm moth :) absolutely magnificent wingspan on this thing. it seriously looks like a leaf! just stuck to the side of a house haha. i found its lesser relative while skyfishing here and i can’t believe how different they look! both are gorgeous in their own right, though

Prochoerodes lineola

[canorouscepaea]

INCREDIBLE GHOST PIPES!!!! this is a species of herbaceous perennials plant, not a mushroom/fungus. although edible, some specimen have been found to be slightly toxic so i didn’t eat these! theyre reportedly similar to asparagus in taste which made me want to try them but i left them alone :(

absolutely THRILLED to have found this organism as they’re fairly rare and just marvelous to look at ˚✧₊⁎❝᷀ົཽ≀ˍ̮ ❝᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ their shape reminds me of lillies of the valley, all droopy and melancholic lookin.

Monotropa uniflora

[canorouscepaea]

green shore crab waving hello (o^^o)

this is a classic looking crab right here. their shells are so detailed with camouflage to blend into the intricacies of the shoreline and evade the ever-vigilant gaze of seabirds >:) truly some fascinating bottom feeders right here! crabs are known for cannibalism but also for growing entire limbs back from scratch as long as the center body is in tact! and to think though convergent evolution, these things evolved 5 separate times!!!!!! we should appreciate crabs more

Carcinus maenas

[canorouscepaea]

incredible sand shrimp i found in Maine!!! the shore has been so incredible i could stare at the tiny movement in the tides for hours and hours. these little guys were checking out some hotdogs we put in crab traps but couldn’t move in on the kill due to some ferocious green shore crabs. against the dark muddy sand these shrimp look like ghosts you can barely see them (hence their name!) so happy i got to get a closer look :))

Crangon septemspinosa

[canorouscepaea]

patch of jelly ochre clubs (aka jelly babies!!! yes people actually call them that and i love it because just look at them. they’re babbies)

there isn’t too much to say on this species since they’re fairly common and inedible (though inconsequential). i still think these are precious and something to smile about, so i hope you enjoy :)

Leotia lubrica

[canorouscepaea]

adorable eastern harvestman hiding out on some bark. could barely see it since the legs just disappear against the texture of the tree!! i have a soft spot for harvestmen, i just think they look so goofy. i love how their tiny little bodies are suspended by super long squiggly legs that are so thin they often look like they’re levitating 0_0

this is the same order of arachnid as the species commonly referred to as “daddy long legs” (i much prefer the term harvestman or papa long legs LOL). harvestmen arent spiders, tho! this is due to a lack of segmentation in the body. in contrast to spiders, also, the second pair of legs behind the very front are often used as ‘feelers’ and behave more like antennae than legs as the weight of the body is not supported by them which i find perplexing. they are also very sensitive to stimuli like antennae and help the harvestman catch prey. these false legs are also used for respiration and allow the organism to breathe. so complex for such a little guy!!! this species is also completely harmless to humans. they lack fangs, venom, and do not bite. the mandibles that they DO have are too weak to deal significant damage to human skin so no need to be afraid of these critters :)

Leiobunum vittatum

[canorouscepaea]

big white fluffy Lymantria dispar moth i found laying some eggs (therefore, blurry photo haha)

this is the same species i found while sky fishing despite the very different appearances. the phenotypic differences remind me of how scientists struggle with defining bird species at times, especially songbirds like finches and sparrows, because of the drastic differences in coloration between specimens. this difference in colors (and size now that i think about it), however, is an example of sexual dimorphism! females are white with black spots and males are brown and much smaller. think of how pokémon have different appearances based on sex; the same phenomenon occurs irl!

i saw tons of these moths creating little egg pouches on the sides of trees that were just as fluffy as the moth itself that look like this:

once again, these moths and especially their caterpillars are invasive and can have devastating effects on the ecosystem around them, however since i was not a local in the area and by no means informed on the health of this forest, i didn’t take measures to destroy the eggs. i highly encourage any North American followers/viewers of this post to do research on their area to understand how to deal with this species and reverse the damage done when this species was introduced here.

[canorouscepaea]

yellow tipped coral fungus i found on a hike!

absolutely jaw dropping specimen to find with a fascinating texture to find terrestrially. anyone who’s seen it’s marine lookalike would immediately recognize this spongey, branchy, eye candy. similarly, as well, both marine coral AND land coral are a perplexing amalgamation of life more closely related to animalia than to botanicals! i’ve seen some people describe mushrooms as flesh plants and i have to giggle because although not entirely true, it’s close enough to the truth that i have to just shrug like “i guess!!” ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ (disclaimer!!! marine coral genuinely is considered an animal but to the average biology content consumer, coral can very easily be mistaken for plant life. i just find these parallels funny and exciting. food for thought, if you will)

Ramaria formosa