Introvert Inverts - and verts

31/12/2024

Back in October I lost my heart rabbit.

There had been no indication that something was wrong. He was getting pain meds for arthritis daily and eating normally.

It was a complete and utter shock and I'm still not ok. It's been very hard to talk about it, I'm tearing up just writing this. I haven't even taken his body to get cremated yet, it still hurts too much.

He was the nicest and coolest rabbit I'd ever had, or probably will have.

I was getting ready to move him inside, he was going to retire to house bunny due to his bad knees.

Of course I still take care of the other buns and chickens. But going out there without bunny kisses and nudges is a new heartbreak every morning, I'm still not used to him being gone. I look for him every day, but my hearts not in it anymore. At least not now. I'm sure things will get better, spring will probably, hopefully bring a renewed sense of belonging amongst the fluffle. (And winter tends to bond rabbits better than I can so maybe Billy will stop peeing on everyone)

It was hard losing Allie, but magnitudes harder losing Moony. And makes me hyper aware that Iris has a terrible heart condition, Freya is 13 and Reboot is 18.

RIP Moony

25/12/2024

You ever been bit by a snail?

22/12/2024

The always adorable Muffin, my tailess whip scorpion molted and it's just perfect.
I still don't know how to s*x these things tho.

17/12/2024

I upgraded my stripe knee (Aphonopelma seemanni), Grulla to a bigger tank and this is the first time I've attempted to hold her, she was super chill. I realized she has a little mohawk between her eyes!

16/12/2024

I was reminded last week I haven't posted any chickens or rabbits in a while.
There is a reason for that I'll go into a bit later, but I've also failed to introduce two new members of the back yard crew. They came to us in need this past spring. The black and white is Geebus, G for short.
The white is UVB, which means Unexpected Vet Bill or Billy for short. Sometimes it's Dr Horrible because he's an ass. But required urgent surgery within days of arriving because his lower eyelid was ripped badly. Not sure by what but I have my suspicions.
G is very shy with the other rabbits but is getting there. He's friendly with me. Billy sprays the other rabbits. He doesn't have nuts, so I can't neuter him again, but it's super annoying and I wish he'd stop. Otherwise he's nice too.

That's it though, no more rabbits, we are full up on crazy.

Meanwhile all the chickens have finished molting and are growing in feathers nicely.

10/12/2024

We have BABY GHOST MANTISES!

Omgomgomgomgomg!

04/12/2024

I was feeding my snails and found 3 baby assassin bugs!

I just recently moved the assassin bugs to a bigger aquarium, and then the snails to this enclosure, and left some of the dirt since it was nicely inoculated with springtails. Apparently nymps too!

26/11/2024

I feel like doodoo but that didn't stop me upgrading a few of my Horror Hamsters like I promised them, on Tarantula Tuesday.

In order: Omen, Rabbit, Samhain, Tiny, Strax and Tigrillo all moved into bigger accommodations. Not pictured is Nyctalus who escaped and ran to the closet where I was able to catch her so she's pouting.

24/11/2024

Helped my hubby put up a shelf for me in my cat/bug/spider room so I can put some terrariums up there.

10/11/2024

31/10/2024

Almost done with

Finding some info to share has had its frustrating moments. Unfortunately a lot of readily available info about spiders comes from pest control websites.
This bothers me a lot. I'm not sure I want to learn anything about a creature the author intends on killing. Whether or not it's correct, I don't even know because it didn't open any.
If you've spent any time here you'll know I'm all about the pollinators, no pesticides or herbicides. Well I've obviously branched out into pet insects, I've had cockroaches for ever and then isopods and springtails when I learned about bioactive enclosures. Meaning a tiny little web of life so to speak. The isopods and springtails clean up after the pet you keep, but then the isopods and springtails become just as loved. One can't help but learn about them and you realize all these critters are needed for balance in habitats. Detritivores clean up by eating the "trash" left behind by nature: dead plants, p**p, fungus, mold etc. They also feed bigger bugs, spiders, small mammals, bird etc. So on and so on. So spiders absolutely have a place, they eat bugs. Who'd fill that niche if the spiders are all exterminated? Yeah we have other bug eaters but populations get out of balance then you get issues like plagues of locust eating crops, or mosquitos spreading diseases further, how about termites eating houses? 40% of insects are said to be on the decline which is horrible news, but that also allows those considered to be pests to possibly explode in numbers. So we need those little predators too.

Everything has its place in nature, even mosquitos but they need to be in balance and pesticides mess that up. Everyone likes bird, so why do they kill the bugs and spiders that birds eat? Or the plants that will feed them seeds in the winter. People love butterflies but only plant non native plants so the native butterflies have to work harder to find food and places to lay eggs. People love honey and fruit but kill native bees and wasps constantly!

So help out Mother nature by NOT smashing every spider you see!

30/10/2024

No is complete without a little arachnophobia.

A phobia is a phobia when it lasts 6 months or longer and causes significant and often irrational disruption of day to day life. This means immediate anxiety even just thinking about your fear, activity avoidance and physical responses such as increased heartbeat, sweating, nausea, shaking etc.

It's not entirely clear what causes phobias. Certainly trauma can but not always. Some say it's a racial or genetic memory thing, meaning avoiding something dangerous is hardwired into the brain. Though that certainly doesn't explain my niece who has loved spiders from the beginning.

Sometimes cultural or religious teachings can start phobias, sometimes it's the parents.

There are numerous treatments for phobias. My favorite is education. A lot of fear stems from misinformation and can be alleviated but an open mind and willingness to learn.

According to the American Psychological Association at least 10 million Americans have a phobia and around 40% of those are of the "creepy" creatures like spiders, insects and snakes.

29/10/2024

Oh I'm tired, only a few more days.

But did you know it's also ?

Some bats eat spiders and some spiders eat bats.

The little brown bay or Myotis lucifugus is knows for eating spiders even though plenty of flying insects are available.

And then any spider big enough with a web strong enough can catch and eat little bats.

K, goodnight

28/10/2024

Spider camouflage

Even super predators need to hide from bigger meaner predators. Also, some want to hide from their prey.

Some crab spiders can gradually (2 -21 days) change colors to match the flower they stay on to hunt unsuspecting insects.

Some spiders have the perfect patterns and colors for the area they live in like the lynx spider or the lichen huntsman.

The Dolophones conifers or wrap around spider does just that, it flattens out on a branch and fits the curve perfectly.

Some camouflage by mimicking other creatures like ants.

Some look just like bird p**p!

27/10/2024

The Argyroneta Aquatica or diving bell spider is the only spider to spend its whole life under water. It can breathe within a bubble of air that is trapped in the hairs on its abdomen. The lungs are on the underside and they respiratory directly through those instead of a mouth or nose.

They are found in parts of Europe and Asia and live in lakes, ponds, swamps, slow streams and marshes. They need aquatic plants for their bubble nests.

Using silk they build a diving bell of sorts attached to plants underwater. They go to the surface to collect air with special hairs on their abdomen. Then they place the air inside the diving bell where they will live.

They can monitor the air quality and adjust the oxygen level as needed. In the winter they make a sturdier diving bell deeper down and hibernate.

They are solitary and hunt for tadpoles, aquatic insects, shrimp and even other spiders. The females are ambush hunters, they stay in the bell and dangle their front legs down intothe water from their nest.

The males leave their nests more than the females do, hunting actively for food and mates.

They play an important role in that they are often found in bodies of water with low PH and low concentration of oxygen and many other predators who eat aquatic insects cannot survive in those conditions. They keep the insect numbers in balance.

26/10/2024

All spiders are carnivorous, except for the ones who aren't.

Spiders will generally kill and eat anything that they can overpower. Obviously this will vary with spider size and strength and some have some sort of specialty when it comes to prey. Small mammals, birds, reptiles and even fish are sometimes meals.

But the jumping spider Bagheera kiplingi of Mexico and Central America primarily eats the little protein and sugar rich nubs that grow on the leaves and stalks of swollen-thorn acacia. They will eat small insects that also feed or live on the tree but those are the minority.