Hesse, a state in the heart of Germany, is characterized by a diverse biocultural landscape. From the wooded low mountain ranges like the Taunus and the Vogelsberg to the fertile valleys along the Rhine, Hesse offers a wide range of habitats for a variety of plant and animal species. The flora is marked by deciduous and coniferous trees in the forests, as well as typical Central European plants such as beeches, oaks, and chestnuts. The fauna includes a variety of species, including deer, wild boar, foxes, badgers, and various bird species like woodpeckers and owls. The people of Hesse have developed a close relationship with nature over the centuries, reflected in traditions such as the preservation of orchards and the protection of nature reserves. Despite challenges from land use, urbanization, and climate change, the protection and preservation of this biocultural diversity remain crucial for the future of Hesse and the well-being of its residents.
Small piece of coprolite 🐊💩 A coprolite is fossilized feces. It gives evidence for the animal's diet. I got it as a gift a few years ago. It's from the United States and it's labeled as "Dinosaur poop". But that doesn't mean that it comes from a dinosaur. Maybe there is someone here who can tell something about it?🙃
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This post is part of the artistic performance The Happening on Instagram.
Just a bark-eating zophoba beetle. In addition to isopods and springtails, they take care of the cleanliness of my corn snake terrarium. They cope better with the conditions in the terrarium than isopods and springtails. In the nature of their Central and South American homeland, they feed on guano from fruit-eating bats. In my terrarium they eat undiscovered remains of my snake. However, you should make sure that the zophobas don't take over. They could become a stress factor and life risk for the main residents. The larvae also like to eat styrofoam, from which many back walls are made. They eat almost everything! That's why it's important to keep an eye on it. Since zophobas pupate only in isolation, there is only a small risk of overpopulation (depending on the interior). Also, the larvae from the terrarium shouldn't be fed to other animals because this could spread diseases. If you notice that they become too many, you can put wet pieces of bark in the terrarium. An hour later you collect the bark together with the larvae and kill them friendly in the freezer. The easiest way is to collect the adult beetles and allow only a few to lay eggs. Because of these peculiarities, I cannot fully recommend it, but I have had good experiences myself. We're all pioneers with different experiences.
Today I sent another cheek swab to the DKMS ( German Bone Marrow Donor File, @dkms_de ).🤗 I was asked to do because they need to know if I was infected with the cytomegalovirus. This is a herpes virus, harmless to healthy people, but quite dangerous for weakened people, such as leukemia patients. I registered as a stem cell donor 14 years ago. At that time, it already worked very simply with cheek swabs. You could easily order a set at home. The tissue characteristics are stored in a database and compared with patients who are waiting for a transplant. So far there hasn't been a sufficient match, so I haven't yet been asked to donate cells. If someone needs my help, I'm there!🙃✌ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ (You aren't a bad person just because you don't! Tissue characteristics are sensitive data. I just want to raise awareness.)
