rhamphotheca:

Another Look at the Newly Discovered Hot Pink Slug form Australia

by Carrie Arnold

He’s big. He’s slimy. And he’s … neon pink?! Meet Triboniophorus aff. graeffei, a new species of 8-inch-long (20-cm-long) slug that’s found only on one Australian mountain.

Scientists already knew that a bright-pink slug lived on Mount Kaputar (map), thinking it was a variety of the red triangle slug, a species common along the east coast of Australia. But new research shows that the colorful critter is actually its own species, said Australia’s National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger Michael Murphy.

“Recent morphological and genetics work by a researcher working on this slug family—the Athorcophoridae—has indicated the Kaputar slugs are a unique species endemic to Mount Kaputar and the only representative of this family in inland Australia,” said Murphy, who’s been stationed on Mount Kaputar for 20 years…

(read more: National Geo)                (photo: Michael Murphy/NPWS)

handsomestjack:

vrisktorias-sekret:

all-good-usernames-are-taken:

WHAT A LITTLE SHIT

i lOVE HOW HE JUST HESITATES FOR A SECOND

THEN HE JUST

“REBELLION”

astronomy-to-zoology:

Titicaca Water Frog (Telmatobius culeus)

Also known as the Andean frog or Crawford’s water frog, the Titicaca water frog is a large species of frog found only in Lake Titicaca and its rivers in South America. Like other frogs the titicaca water frog feeds mostly on small fish, insects and other small invertebrates. The Titicaca water frog has excessive skin which is an adaptation for high altitude living as the excess skin helps it breathe, as more oxygen can diffuse in. It also possesses reduced lungs, a high red blood cell count and smaller red blood cells to help it breathe in its low oxygen environment. 

Phylogeny

Animalia-Chordata-Amphibia-Anura-Leptodactylidae-Telmatobiinae-Telmatobius-culeus

Image Source(s)

rhamphotheca:

Granulated Sea Star (Choriaster granulatus)

Choriaster granulatus is a large seastar, and is easily identified by its five distinctive large, short, thick conical arms. It is usually pale pink in colour, has small, brown papillae in clusters located in the central part of its body. This species grows to a maximum radius of approximately 27 cm.

It lives in shallow waters, of the Indo-Pacific, at depths of up to 40 m, and is found on rubble slopes, coral reefs,in the reef front, back reef, the external reef, and frequently in locations with rubble and detritus.

This starfish feeds on algae, detritus, and dead animals. One of its predators is the sea snail Triton’s trumpet (Charonia tritonis). It also eats various small invertebrates and coral polyps…

(read more: Wikipedia)

(photos: T - Sam Chow: M - Bernard DuPont; B - Richard Ling)