Turtle Man Island

Natural sciences, human frailty and music

[enchantedbook]

'Halloween House' by Elwira Pawlikowska

[amnhnyc]

It’s time for Trilobite Tuesday! This jet-black, 1-in- (2.5-cm-) long proetid comes from a recently discovered outcrop in Central New York State. Can you spot the small nodes on the bottom four axial rings of its thorax? This unusual feature may indicate that the trilobite pictured may be new to science.

[robin-buckely]

TJ MIKELOGAN'S HALLOWEEN HORROR 2025 EVENT DAY 21: HAUNTED HOUSES・Monster House (2006)

Old man Nebbercracker's house is possessed and I need to know how to destroy it before it kills people.

[enchantedbook]

Mischievous spirits on the run beneath the harvest moon —

a whimsical Halloween postcard published by Raphael Tuck & Sons, c.1908–1910.

[amnhnyc]

👻 Boo! Meet the ghost mantis (Phyllocrania paradoxa). This species’ leaf-like appearance helps it disappear among foliage, concealing it from predators and prey. When tasty critters—like grasshoppers and moths—wander too close, it uses its powerful forelimbs to snatch them up! This insect has a wide range across Africa and can be spotted in Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. 

Photo: Wynand Uys, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist

[wintersvldierr]

So I suggest we make a pact, since we're both in it for the long haul: whoever dies first, the other one can come and bring flowers to their grave. How's that?

[70sscifiart]

Frank Frazetta, 1965

[amnhnyc]

Have you ever wondered how the vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) received its common name? Its feeding habits are the answer. This species often crawls undetected onto the bodies of sleeping animals (typically birds or livestock) to bite them and consume their blood. But unlike in a horror film, the vampire bat rarely kills, and its prey seldom realize they’ve been bitten.

Photo: Josh More, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, flickr

[humanoidhistory]

10th anniversary poster for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1985.

[mapsontheweb]

How long each country has been a democracy?

by geoglobal_

[classichorrorblog]

The Nightmare Before Christmas Directed by Henry Selick (1993)

[vogels1]

Australia mourned the death of one platypus — how can we save the entire species?

The death of a platypus found in a city suburb may reflect the fate of the entire species if we don't pay closer attention to how this Austr

[noaasanctuaries]

*Hearing a strange noise in the house when you're the only one home* 😳

What was that noise? Oh. It was probably just a male oyster toadfish looking for a mate! Found in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, oyster toadfish may not be known for their attractiveness, but rather the loud foghorn-like calls males produce during mating season. Male toadfish do this by vibrating their swim bladder muscles. This call can be heard over long distances, beckoning female toadfish to come say hello. Have you ever heard their calls?

📸: Greg McFall/NOAA

[mapsontheweb]

New York vs Los Angeles size comparison

[mapsontheweb]

“The Flags of a Free Empire” showing the different flags of the British Empire on a map from 1910.

[thenib]

From Andy Warner and Tracy Chahwan in our COLOR issue.

[thenib]

Tom Tomorrow.