#theflashisgone

[markscherz]

Is there some reference people use to come up with root words to use in taxonomic naming? If I ever get the opportunity to name a family, I want to name it Phoclidae to add to the confusion of Phocidae, Pholcidae, and Pholidae and I want to look up what the options are for greek roots starting with "φώκ".

I have to disappoint you. Family group names have to be formed from the type genus within them, which is also often the oldest genus. Hylidae is derived from Hyla. Pseudoxyrhophiidae is derived from Pseudoxyrhopus.

So, to form Phoclidae, you would need to first describe a new genus in a new family, and name it Phoclus or similar. This would be formed by adding the variant form of the diminutive -ulus Latin ending, -clus, onto the Greek stem φώκη, and would mean 'little seal' (I use Wiktionary for most of my ending and root needs honestly). This might be a suitable name for a marine worm, which is probably also your best bet for discovering a new family and genus of modern organism.

Good luck in your mischievous taxonomic adventures!

[thebibliosphere]

Covid being the gift that keeps on giving, I'm newly asthmatic and my asthma is wildly out of control. I discovered today that I now need to pay attention to air quality because it was windy and therefore dusty and my lungs are *pissed*. Do you or your followers have any recommendations for air quality apps? The issues specific to my area are blowing dust, blowing fungus (coccidioides), and wildfire smoke in summer.

*wince* I’m sorry, friend. That sucks majorly.

The one I use is AirNow.gov. I can’t remember if it checks for all those things and I can’t reach my phone (thanks POTS) but I’m fairly certain it tracks for all of those...

[elsewhereuniversity]

Everyone's giving you pens, so here is a package of Ticonderoga pencils and one of those glass pencil sharpeners that looks like an inkwell.

Treasured! I’ll be keeping these for myself, so let me offer in turn the Dark Version of your gift: an object that is ostensibly a pencil, fading from the classic bright yellow around the tip to a deep crimson at the eraser-end, although the eraser itself is the uneasy white of new teeth. It does not seem to dull, which is just as well because it breaks every sharpener it uses. On closer inspection the lead seems to be encased in a sort of bone rather than wood, and there is a glossy sheen to the words written with it that doesn’t seem entirely natural.

[talesfromtreatment]

I realize you don't work adoptions, but do you have any suggestions on how to weed out the potential adopters who are going to end up being massive problems? Like, the people who end up resenting their pet for not being "grateful" for being adopted, or the people who call three times a week waffling over whether to return the pet for ever having a single health problem that might need treating.

I would say more education at time of adoption? Being frank about their personalities and the realities of having a living being?

“This cat is very shy and takes a while to warm up so don’t be surprised if she hides under your bed for a couple weeks.” ...

“This dog finds having people reaching for the top of her head to be terrifying. Don’t do that because you don’t want her looking at you as being another source of fear.”...

“While this kitten is healthy now it’s a good idea to develop a strong relationship with your vet so when she does eventually get sick or get hurt you’ve already got good rapport... Yes, most animals do have at least a couple health problems in their lives, even when young. They are living creatures after all and just as human kids and teens get sick sometimes, so do young animals. They might get into something, or take a fall and hurt themselves. And as they get older, they might develop certain conditions like (things). This is why having that good relationship with your vet is so important.”

[ask-a-vetblr]

Can any of you recommend resources on enrichment for fish? I just got two baby comet goldfish, and the tank they'll be going into when they're done quarantining is set up to be an engaging environment for them to swim around in, but I want to raise them with more mental stimulation than just stuff to swim through in the tank. I tried dropping live crickets in once with a previous fish, but they don't break the surface tension of the water, and I'm also no longer comfortable offering live prey.

gettingvetted here.

A note: comet goldfish should really only be kept in ponds and will need to be placed in one likely within a few months of acquiring them as babies. If a tank must be used, one should aim for 50-75 gallons of water per comet, and should use a filtration system that has the capacity for double the size of the tank (100-150 gallons of filtration per fish). 

Plants can be really good enrichment for fish, whether live or artificial. I prefer silk plants in tanks, rather than plastic, just to prevent any accidental tearing of fins. Also, with artificial plants, you can move them around and switch them out occasionally, which is a lot harder to do with live plants. Obviously, fake plants generally aren’t used in ponds, however. Offering of a variety of foods is also great and can often carry over to ponds - this is where live plants can come in handy as goldfish will eat them. Bloodworms or other frozen or freeze-dried food can be great treats as well.

[systlin]

I think you posted a while back about a substitute for fabric softener, but I can't find the post. I live in one of the hardest water areas in the country and my clothes are fossilizing. How do I get the hardness out without dissolving the fabric in softener?

Oh sure!! It’s super easy; vinegar. 

Seriously. 

Just regular vinegar. Put it in the fabric softener place. 

[theshitpostcalligrapher]

Can I get "Okay, I guess you're allowed to have nipples"? This is a fairly common statement at my job at a cat clinic, when I'm trying to decide whether a belly lump is concerning.

amazing 

Askbox is currently closed as I work my way through these older asks

[dedicatedfollower467]

📂

Celiquillithon Sidebottom is both autistic and ADHD, and stims by playing with the many totally unnecessary straps, flaps, cords, and buckles on their clothing.