Animal Of The Day!

This is the Paucidentomys vermidax, the edented Sulawesi rat. It lives in remote rainforest areas on the Indonesian island that is part of its name. It is the only rodent without molars, which it doesn't need because its diet is likely entirely made up of soft, easy to chew earthworms.

Discovered only in 2012, it is one of the most recent species of rodent (and mammal) to be described.

ok i have a plan (gets distracted) (gets distracted) (gets distracted) (gets distracted) (get distracted) (gets d

the air conditioning is OFF.

the window is CLOSED.

he is listening to BABY SHARK 10 HOUR LOOP.

i hate this dog.

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Someone who blindly follows a crowd is often compared to a lemming, which are famous for following each other blindly (often to their deaths). However, this perception isn’t entirely true. Most species of lemmings migrate to some degree; the largest migration is undertaken by Norway lemmings. These expeditions are so large that individuals can be trampled, or forced over the edges of cliffs by sheer pressing momentum of the crowd, but none willingly throw themselves to their deaths.

(Image: A defensive Norway lemming (Lemmus lemmus) by Juniors Bildarchiv)

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[ID: Two photos of a gray squirrel sitting in a tree with a cookie half the size of its body held in its mouth. End ID]

Oh to be a squirrel with a big cookie...

Eastern gray squirrel (sciurus carolinensis)

November 1st, 2024

Bagley Nature Area, Duluth, Minnesota

okay, to the average person's credit, prairie dogs and marmots at least share a tribe: Marmotini. this tribe also includes chipmunks and other ground squirrels, including some wacky characters like the distinctly patterned Ictidomys family:

...and Sciurotamias, the rock squirrel* family!! rock on, little dude!!!!

✨️🐭✨️

now groundhogs, as we all know, are marmots (family Marmota), the family which shares its tribe's etymological root.

a prairie dog resembles a marmot (vaguely), but they have their own family!! and it's Cynomys!! Which is derived from Greek for dog mouse. you gotta admit, that thing is pretty dogmouse.

anyways, i'm trying to assess the subspecies of the guy from the meme. it's not the White-Tailed Prairie Dog, who has a nifty dark coloration on its face and stuff.

my guess would be... Black-Tailed? idk, someone smart and observant help. ok bye

✨️🐭✨️

(*not to be confused with the rock rats... they are entirely different guys)

just saw this clip and i think itd make a funny reaction image what do u think... does it have potential

predators are more conflict-averse than prey - a herbivore can get into a territorial dispute, get gored by a horn, and spend the next while weakened but still easily able to regain its strength from grass and tubers or whatever. a hunter that gets scratched by prey it still manages to kill might not be able to get a kill afterwards, and slowly starve. an ambush predator will back down if you stare at it, but a plant-eater will try to kick you to death.

Everybody give a lil' clap

It's time for rat fact number TWO

Today's rat source:

Pest Reaction

The Biggest Rat In The World (Gambian Pouched Rat)

Whether you're a rat lover or just curious about the natural world, join us as we dive into the world of the biggest rat in the world - the