Mysterious sloth sneaking through the night.🐾🌃

That's me after my Jugendweihe 20 years ago. The Jugendweihe (Youth consecration) is a secular coming of age ceremony practised by German 14-year-olds, mainly known in East Germany. In 2000 there where almost 100,000 participants nationwide, 10 years later there where only around 25,000 participants. However, this has less to do with popularity. After the reunification of Germany, many moved from the east to the west. There's even evidence that the popularity of the Jugendweihe increases again. I liked it because I got money and thenceforth was allowed to stay up 2 hours longer. I lived in a children's home with very strict rules and my new privilege became a real blessing, especially because I could finally watch the really interesting movies. 🙃

You spy on me? I spy on you! 😜

A recent photo of Banana Joe, my oldest leopard gecko. He's about 20 years old (probably older).

My 10 day old snail pups. 🐌❤
It's one hour, not just ten minutes. Sorry for the wrong description! 👻

I've adopted the nest of a Giant African land snail. I suspect it's Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica. 🐚

The parent was alone for several years and suddenly had the idea to lay fertilised eggs. 🐌💡 The freshly hatched snails first eat their own eggshell, but don't stop at the shells of the others. I made plenty of sepia available, but as you can see in the last video, snail eggs are more attractive.

My darlings! ❄🌻❄🌻

🏨🐜 News from the insect hotel:


Oops! Post #404! Time for a bug report! That's my bud, the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys). Since 2011, this species has been detected in Germany and comes originally from East Asia. They are also found in North and South America. Often on house walls, they sometimes get lost inside. They can't survive the winter in warm houses, so I left it free.🕊

Without cuddle scene it goes straight omnomnom!🐁🐍💕


(time lapse)


Incidentally, it's not necessary to go to the maximum feed size. Show me a species that always hunts the strongest and biggest prey. The opposite is the case. Especially with terrarium animals that aren't at the mercy of nature, it's absurd. As smart as the animals in the wild, we as pet owners should minimize risks. I usually feed young rats, about twice the size of this mouse. Always dead. Usually I don't feed at this time of year, because of wintering. But it's still quite warm this December, so the snake doesn't have a reduced metabolism. So it gets a mouse for safety. Should be digested quickly.

🔎🐧💡 At Centro de Interpretación, Paracas, Peru:
In the coastal desert around Paracas, numerous fossils were found. Including various penguin species, such as the Inkayacu pictured here. It lived around 36 million years ago. The 2008 discovered skeleton is the first one with fossilized feathers attached to it. The feathers are so well preserved that it's even possible to draw conclusions about the coloring. They had similar feathers as modern penguins, but more gray or brownish.


The other prehistoric bird in the picture is a pseudotooth bird (pelagornithid). These birds reached a wing span of up to 6 meters and were thus about twice as large as the Andean condor. They were probably related to pelicans or storks and lived all around the world. The fossils found around Paracas are attributed to the same era as the Inkayacu.