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.
I've adopted the nest of a Giant African land snail. I suspect it's Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica. π
The parent was alone for several years and suddenly had the idea to lay fertilised eggs. ππ‘ 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.
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.π
Without cuddle scene it goes straight omnomnom!πππ
(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.
As a kid, I always loved to watch the "Bionic Six" on TV. "Bionic, Bionic Six uh-oh-uh-ooh!" πππ In 2007, I just invented the "new BIONIC 2.0"! π€π π
This is a titmel. It's been first described in 2007. Other than camels, it lives in the mangroves only. When the flood comes, it sticks its long trunk inside a tight and wet hole. The thickening at the tip of the trunk serves as an anchor. At the back it has two huge humps which always float on the surface. They feel very nice. Because the titmel can't breathe underwater, there's a nose on each hump. It can't flee in water, so it follows a very interesting defense strategy. If an enemy appears (mostly sea cucumbers), it sprays milk out of its noses. That's very confusing for the enemy, because milk signals offspring. Every predator knows not to fight a feeding mother. When living at land, this weird animal behaves almost like a common rabbit. Always hopping around, looking for huge carrots and fresh holes. Scientists still try to figure out the reproductive system of that species. There's no evidence for sexual reproduction yet. It seems as if they just appear out of random holes in the swamp. Scientists definitely need to dig much deeper, harder and faster!
Last night, I summoned the Krampus.πΉ I wish you all a nice St. Nicholas Day!π In truth, Nicholas came yesterday to my dear serpent.ππβ€ He brought frozen mice and I even got about a spoonful of dry ice. (Yippie!π) I didn't want to waste any time and quickly picked up a few things from the room that I thought would work well with the fog.π€ A mirror, three crystal glasses, three candles and a small figure from Peru (condor, cougar, snake). Of course you can't recognise the figure correctly.π It could also be the Krampus, half goat, half demon. He doesn't go around here in Hesse, but in Bavaria.
π π»πΉ
Who say he's not a Hesse?π In a hurry I didn't align it perfectly, but no matter. The result looked pretty good.β I don't have much video editing experience yet, so I learned something new again: This time I've dealt with the track mask keying. You take a grayscale picture, which you put over the video. It's like a transparency mask. Where the picture is black, the video is completely transparent. The brighter, the more opaque the video is. If you put another video underneath, it will be visible in the transparent areas. That's basically how I made this experiment yesterday. The second video was done professionally with Snapchat.
That's my bud, the stink bug! I thought of it as a different species, but thanks to a friendly hint I know that it's the introduced species Halyomorpha halys. Since 2011, this species has been detected in Germany and comes originally from East Asia.