Doomrider's Pet Spider

Self-explanatory.

Zoofights Needs More Prehistoric Animals

So I just got done watching Walking With Monsters. You've probably heard of Walking With Dinosaurs, the famous documentary that used computer animation to bring dinosaurs to life. Walking With Monsters is a prequel that details what life was like before the dinosaurs.

Zoofights has featured prehistoric animals before, especially in Zoofights 4 which was roughly half extinct species, and even used one just last year (Murducken), but the ancient past is a rich mine indeed for interesting creatures that could be fitted with various weapons, enhancements, and muscle-bound limbs and sent into battle.

Anomalocaris

This is probably as far back into the past as we could possibly go for new Zoofighters. Anomalocaris lived during the Cambrian period, half a billion years ago. It's an absolutely ancient creature that has no relatives living today. It is believed Anomalocaris could reach six feet in length - small for a zoofighter, but perhaps a genetically enlarged one or a swarm of them could make an impact.

Opabinia

And you thought Anomalocaris looked bizarre. Add three more eyes and change those spiked tentacles to a flexible arm with a spiked claw on the end and you get Opabinia. Sadly, you also have to vastly shrink him down to a size completely unusable for Zoofights. Fire up the growth ray, folks.

Pterygotus

There was a whole family of sea-scorpions once. These relatives of modern scorpions were the biggest, strongest creatures on earth when they first evolved. At a length of eight feet, this is one scorpion that didn't need any poison to survive.

Brontoscorpio

It's a damn crime we still haven't had a scorpion zoofighter. Oh sure, every so often a scorpion tail gets stitched on here or there, but never a full-on scorpion getting in there and kicking some ass. While there's no need to time travel for a scorpion, and Brontoscorpio isn't big enough to be used without a growth hormone or something (about three feet), can you resist anything whose name translates to "THUNDER SCORPION"?

Dunkleosteus

DAMN, SON, LOOK AT THIS BADASS MOTHERFUCKER. 30 FEET LONG. 80,000 TONS OF BITE STRENGTH. I CAN'T BELIEVE MAJOR FAILURE-

Never mind.

Mother Nature knows no mercy.

Just got done watching this movie called "The Besieged Fortress" I picked up as one of my birthday presents (basically I was given a hundred bucks and told "go nuts"). If you like Zoofights, and if you're reading this blog you probably do, I recommend this film. The Besieged Fortress is basically a cross between a nature documentary and an action film. It's real life but with an emphasis on the dramatic.

The basic plot follows the numerous trials of an African termite colony as they attempt to fend off natural disasters and invading ant hordes. The cast includes the termite colony, three different species of ants, and a number of "cameo" animals like a snake, a tarantula, a vulture, and a chameleon. A praying mantis makes an appearance at the film's start along with a scorpion and the chameleon to attack the winged "prince" and "princess" termites who are meant to breed and start new colonies. Surviving princes and princesses begin constructing their fortress and become king and queen. Eventually, there are millions of termites and the queen has become a massive bloated immobile egg-laying machine.

Everything starts going to shit when a lightning bolt strikes a nearby tree, which topples and damages the termite stronghold. Dust kicks up in the colony, followed by mudslides when it begins to rain. The queen only barely survives, and no sooner have the termites started to recover than the driver ants arrive.

Driver ants are the film's main antagonists, effortlessly bulldozing through every animal in their path as they roam in search of food. When the ant queen picks up the scent of termites, she directs her army into battle, leading to the film's climax as the two armies wage war.

It's not a really hardcore "educational" documentary, but you're going to come away knowing a lot more about driver ants and termites and their societies, and you'll probably have a new respect for insects after seeing what they're capable of.

Insect Photography

I've mentioned it a couple times, but I love nature. I really do. I'm fascinated by the animal kingdom and its many strange ways. I am especially drawn to a lot of the less "popular" animals - insects, fish, reptiles, and other invertebrates. My favorite animal, by the way, is the octopus. You may have been expecting praying mantis, but no - they're right near the top, but not my favorite. Regardless, insects and the other land-living arthropods (spiders, centipedes, etc) have always been favorites of mine because of their small size and abundance.

Here are some photos I've taken of insects over the last couple years.

Japanese beetles are an invasive pest species that strip plants in great numbers. They've been a bit less common around here in recent years, but there's still plenty to go around in the second half of summer.

This critter is a type of stinkbug. Stinkbugs are beetles best known for their noxious odor, hence the name. I've encountered stinkbugs several times but never been attacked by their smelly spray, luckily enough. They like to show up in fall.

Crane flies are strange animals - how did evolution decide that this was a good idea? I'm still not sure, myself, but something about these long-legged, ungainly, poor flyers with no working mouthparts is a success because I see plenty of them every August.

The other pics here are all a year or three old, but this one was shot just two weeks ago. It is, of course, a bumblebee. Bumblebees are simultaneously cute and intimidating - they can sting multiple times since their stingers don't have barbs, but if you leave them alone they're generally happy campers and won't try to fight you.

Just a few moments after photographing the above bee, this wasp flew in to visit the same plant. It was a lot more active than the bee, so I was lucky to get a shot this nice.

Out of all my insect photos, this is the one I'm proudest of. This butterfly wasn't feeling too well and so I was able to get a spectacular shot of it by picking it up and letting it sit on these flowers. Later the weather warmed up enough for it to fly away.