The Creature Awaits

My personal blog - sometimes silly, sometimes serious...and apparently featuring a lot of animals. __________________________________ **TRIGGER WARNING: Some posts in the "The Creature Awaits" section contain close-ups of spiders and other critters that may trigger some people! They should be hidden from view when scrolling the "Home" section - apologies if I missed any! __________________________________ "I'm a pretty mellow person who just wants everyone to love each other and get along. I love God, my husband, our cat kids and the rest of our family and friends, and I have a fondness for cats, dinosaurs and all other animals, gaming, corny/retro sci-fi, action and fantasy movies and animation. I listen mostly to classic rock/pop, select heavy/melodic power metal artists, and film/game soundtracks." __________________________________ A note before you read anything... I do not claim to know everything, and sometimes feel I really don't know much of anything... This is simply a place where I post about things I enjoy, my beliefs and ponderings for anyone interested in perusing them. I am not an argumentative person and can't stand debating. If you're looking for a fight, please start it somewhere else. Thanks! __________________________________ Whatever you believe, peace and love to the beautiful part of creation that you are, whatever that may be. "All are welcome, no exceptions." : )

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Creature Awaits #246

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

As the Pantone color of the year is "Peach Fuzz", so we'll dive into the second month of this relatively new year by featuring creatures of this cozy, comforting color. : )

(Beautiful photography by Luiz Lapa (CC BY 2.0 Deed))

The Eurasian Bullfinch

Scientific Name: Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Region: Throughout Europe and temperate regions across Asia

Size: About 6" (~15.2cm) tall

Interesting Notes: In many English-speaking parts of Europe, this is bright and beautiful bird is simply known as a Bullfinch, as it was the first bird to be given that name. There are now a handful of both Old and New World bullfinches. The peach belly and grey back only appears on the male, these parts are a soft, pale brown on females, though the black markings remain in similar locations.

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Creature Awaits #245

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

As the Pantone color of the year is "Peach Fuzz", so we'll dive into the second month of this relatively new year by featuring creatures of this cozy, comforting color. : )

(Fantastic capture taken by skilled-photographer, Rushen (CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed))

The Black-Headed Cat Snake

Scientific Name: Boiga nigriceps

Region: Rainforests throughout Borneo, Western Indonesia, southern Thailand and West Malaysia

Size: Up to about 5'6" (~1.75m) long

Interesting Notes: By adulthood, this beautiful snake's head has darkened to somewhere between olive green and black. Its body color can range anywhere from pale peach to red to black, though its belly is always pale with yellow under its neck. Though it primarily lives in trees, it will descend to the rainforest floor in search of prey as often as needed.

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Creature Awaits #244

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

As the Pantone color of the year is "Peach Fuzz", so we'll dive into the second month of this relatively new year by featuring creatures of this cozy, comforting color. : )

(A beautiful capture taken by Jörg Hempel (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE Deed))

The Blue-Tailed Damselfly

A.K.A: The Common Bluetail

Scientific Name: Ischnura elegans

Region: Near still or slow waters throughout Europe and the Middle East

Size: About 1.1"-1.4" (~2.7cm-3.5cm) long with a roughly 1.4" (~3.5cm) wingspan

Interesting Notes: Interestingly, while male adults of this species are primarily blue and black, and female adults are either the same or sport a green or brown thorax, juvenile females of this species can range widely in color. They are generally lighter in tone overall and can range anywhere from violet to green to peach (as pictured.) : )

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #243

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

As the Pantone color of the year is "Peach Fuzz", so we'll dive into the second month of this relatively new year by featuring creatures of this cozy, comforting color. : )

(Gorgeous still taken by talented photographer, Christian Gloor (CC BY 2.0 Deed))

The Pink Skunk Clownfish

A.K.A: The Pink Anemonefish

(Yes, despite the name, it's actually more peach in hue. : ) )

Scientific Name: Amphiprion perideraion

Region: Reef lagoons and slopes across the western Pacific and eastern Indian oceans

Size: Up to about 3.9" (~10cm)

Interesting Notes: Unlike many anemonefish species, the Pink Skunk Clownfish, one of the smallest anemonefish, is willing to share its anemone host home with another species. : )

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #242

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

The Pantone color of the year is "Peach Fuzz", so we'll dive into the second month of this relatively new year by featuring creatures of this cozy, comforting color. : )

(Stunning photography by Arttu (CC BY-NC 2.0 Deed))

The Moluccan Cockatoo

A.K.A: The Salmon-Crested Cockatoo

Scientific Name: Cacatua moluccensis

Region: Seram Island of Indonesia originally, though it is an introduced species to Oahu, Hawaii

Size: About 1.5'-1.7' (~46cm-52cm) tall

Interesting Notes: This pale peach parrot boasts one of the loudest calls of any bird worldwide at up to over 120dB - loud enough to possibly damage someone's hearing and comparable to a thunderclap or fireworks. Sadly, this highly-intelligent, sociable and gentle bird's numbers in the wild sharply declined due an abundance of illegal unauthorized capture for the pet trade; however, protective efforts have been put in place to hopefully help these wild populations recover over time. (…Hopefully soon!)

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #241

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

(Beautiful photograph taken by WestPark (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Deed))

Buoy Barnacles

Scientific Name: Dosima fascicularis

Region: Temperate waters across the Atlantic and Pacific

Size: About a .47"-.78" (~1.2cm-2cm) long shell portion

Interesting Notes: If unable to find a suitable floating surface to attach itself to, this delicate and unique barnacle secretes a gas-filled cement, creating its own natural float. It is the only known barnacle to do this. This structure is the pale yellow shape, similar in appearance to expanding foam, visible at left in the photo above. (Hopefully the little guys pictured found their way back to the sea after this photograph was taken! : ) )

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Creature Awaits #240

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

(Awesome photograph by Sarah H. Olson and the rest of the team at the Wildlife Conservation Society (CC0 1.0 Deed))

The Hammer-Headed Bat

Scientific Name: Hypsignathus monstrosus

Region: A region of western central Africa

Size: About a 3'4" (~1.0m) wingspan

Interesting Notes: The males of this unique fruit bat species, the largest of continental Africa, have a large resonating chamber in their snout used in producing loud honking noises to attract potential mates. Females of the species look more like other fruit bat species, and weigh roughly half their male counterparts' weight.

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #239

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

We're back after a two-week hiatus for Christmas and New Year's! Hope you all had a beautiful Holiday!! Happy New Year!!

(Elegant photography by Bernard Dupont (CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed))

The Blue Crane

A.K.A: The Stanley Crane, The Paradise Crane

Scientific Name: Grus paradisea

Region: Primarily South Africa, with a smaller population in Namibia

Size: About 3'3"-3'11" (~100cm-120cm) tall, with a 5'11"-6'7" (~180cm-200cm) wingspan

Interesting Notes: This elegant bird - the national bird of South Africa - holds an important place culturally amongst both the Xhosa and Zulu. The bird's picturesque plumes are worn in the hair and headdresses of both peoples. The Xhosa decorate those considered "Men of Trouble" with these feathers to signify them being tasked with keeping peace among their people, while the Zulu use them to honor noble warriors and kings.

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #238

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

We continue this year's Christmas-time theme…"Peppermint" where we'll feature beautiful animals sporting Red and White. : )

(Adorable still taken by Tubifex (CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed))

The Anthony's Poison Arrow Frog

Scientific Name: Epipedobates anthonyi

Region: The western border between Equador and Peru

Size: Only about 0.7"-1" (~19mm-26mm) long

Interesting Notes: The female of this tiny, peppermint-colored frog will lay her eggs under leaves on the forest floor. The male will then guard them for two weeks until they hatch into tadpoles, and then will carry them on his back to the water they will live in until emerging as fully grown frogs two months later.

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #237

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

We continue this year's Christmas-time theme…"Peppermint" where we'll feature beautiful animals sporting Red and White. : )

(Beautiful photography by Vaikoovery (CC BY 3.0 Deed))

The Red Costate Tiger Moth

Scientific Name: Aloa lactinea

Region: Throughout southeast Asia

Size: About 1.6" (~40mm) long

Interesting Notes: Though destined to grow into a beautiful moth, sadly the caterpillar phase of this gorgeous insect is somewhat considered a pest - feeding on a variety of crops including coffee, sunflowers, sweet potatoes and beans.

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #236

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

Due to personal and work-related issues, I missed posting last week, so we're getting a double-post this week to make up for it. Apologies for the delay again! Hopefully things will be better again soon. : )

Second, the start of this year's Christmas-time theme…"Peppermint" where we'll feature beautiful animals sporting Red and White. : )

(Brilliant photograph taken by skilled photographer, Mike Goad (CC0 1.0 Deed))

The Pompadour Cotinga

Scientific Name: Xipholena punicea

Region: Central northern South America

Size: About 7.8" (~20cm) long

Interesting Notes: The preferred habitat of this brilliant bird is the relatively rare subtropical varillal biome - unique white sand forests found only in the Amazon Basin of South America, Maputaland of South Africa and in Malasia and Indonesia of Asia. Another sexually dimorphic species, female Pompadour Cotingas have grey in place of the red found in males.

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #235

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

Due to personal and work-related issues, I missed posting last week, so we're getting a double-post this week to make up for it. Apologies for the delay again! Hopefully things will be better again soon. : )

First, our final November camouflaged creature feature… : )

(Beautifully photographed by the talented, Brian Gratwicke (CC BY-NC 2.0 Deed))

The Vietnamese Mossy Frog

Scientific Name: Theloderma corticale

Region: Northern Vietnam through southern Laos and China

Size: About 2.4" (~6.1cm) long

Interesting Notes: This beautiful little frog's bumpy skin and mottled markings help it seamlessly blend into mossy forest floors and lichenous rock facings alike.

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #234

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

For November we'll be exploring some uniquely camouflaged creatures… : )

(Awesome capture by the talented, Richard Ling (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Deed))

The Reef Stonefish

Scientific Name: Synanceia verrucosa

Region: Coral Reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea

Size: Usually up to 11" (~27cm) long

Interesting Notes: Perhaps one of the most effective hunters of the sea, the Reef Stonefish, in addition to its ability to strike at heedless passing prey at bizarrely high speeds, blends near-perfectly into its colorful coral home. It's also one of the sea's most dangerous fish to humans as its dorsal spines contain an extremely toxic venom primarily used for self-defense against predators.

(If you're having trouble seeing it - look for the "frowning" mouth towards the bottom of the red, then look up a bit from the sides of it to find the two small eyes. : ) )

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #233

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

(Sorry I had some things come up so this is a day late, but hopefully it was worth the wait! : ) )

For November we'll be exploring some uniquely camouflaged creatures… : )

(Fantastic photography by Andreas Kay (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Deed))

Hemeroplanes triptolemus and Its Snake-Mimicking Caterpillar Stage…

Scientific Name: Hemeroplanes triptolemus

Region: Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica & Guatemala

Size: Only about 1" (~2.5cm) long

Interesting Notes: When feeling threatened, the caterpillar phase of Hemeroplanes triptolemus, a species in the Sphinx Moth (a.k.a. Hawk Moth) family, leans backwards and puffs out its upper sides to reveal markings closely resembling a snake's head. It even attempts mimic the motion of a snake rearing to strike - hopefully chasing away any and all potential predators..

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #232

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

For November we'll be exploring some uniquely camouflaged creatures… : )

(An awesome captures by skilled photographer, Charles J. Sharp (CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed, cropped))

The Phantastic Leaf-Tailed Gecko

A.K.A: The Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko, The Eyelash Leaf-Tailed Gecko

Scientific Name: Uroplatus phantasticus

Region: Tropical forests along central eastern Madagascar

Size: Only about 3.5" (~9cm) long, including their leafy tail

Interesting Notes: These remarkable little leafy reptiles are so well camouflaged, that, when remaining still, both predators and prey struggle to see them. Not only do they sport the warm colors and markings of fallen leaves, but even their skin's texture contains leaf-like veining. Interestingly, there is a tendency in males of the species to also have notches in their tails as though decomposing, but most female tails appear more intact.

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #231

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

Continuing our October series.. "Cute…but Deadly" : )

(Beautiful photography by Jeff Lipshitz of the Channel City Camera Club (CC BY 2.0 Deed))

The Leopard Seal

Scientific Name: Hydrurga leptonyx

Region: The Antarctic

Size: About 7.9'-11.5' (~2.4m-3.5m) long & weigh about 440lb-1,320lb (200kg-600kg)

Interesting Notes: Though adorable at a distance, Leopard Seals can definitely be deadly up close. Though attacks on humans are rare, there are recorded instances of these strong and beautiful creatures attacking inflatable boats and biting, and even dragging, explorers and scientists into dangerous icy waters.. However, not all tales of their encounters with humans end in tragedy. One such story, documented in 2006, involved Paul Nicklen, a photographer for National Geographic, who dove among them, capturing their daily life. A female Leopard Seal took notice of Nicklen, and for four days, took pity on him as "a helpless predator" and brought him food. She brought dead penguins at first and then switched to injured ones - thought to be a way to teach him to hunt for himself. Nicklen stated the experience will "stay with him forever."

You can read more on the experience and see his photography on the National Geographic website here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/140311-paul-nicklen-leopard-seal-photographer-viral

[thecreatureawaits]

Creature Awaits #230

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry. Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

Continuing our October series.. "Cute…but Deadly" : )

(An awesome capture by Eric Polk (CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed))

The Bloody-belly Comb Jelly

Scientific Name: Lampocteis cruentiventer

Region: The Northern Pacific Ocean, usually between about 820'-4,921' (~250m-1,500m) deep

Size: About 6" (~16cm) long

Interesting Notes: As a comb jelly, this bizarrely beautiful creature doesn't move like a true jellyfish, but propels itself by rhythmically waving rows of hair-like cilia. Being totally translucent, its stomach's deep red color - one of the hardest colors to see at this ocean depth - stealthily keeps predators from spotting any bioluminescent meals still digesting within its stomach. Like its fellow comb jellies, instead of stinging its prey, it produces an extremely sticky, glue-like substance that holds its prey captive as it's slowly dragged into its mouth.