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Welcome to CRITTERQUEST 2021-2023! What is Critterquest? It's a thread to post photos of those everyday creature encounters. Ask for IDs, share cool findings, or discuss your experiences with the critters posted in this thread! Chat about critters. Learn about critters!  CAUTION: This thread will contain pictures of bugs, spiders, snakes, and other potential phobia triggers. Birds and fish and other wildlife are often shared, but little is off limits when it comes to Critterquest, including the occasional fungal mold and mystery plant. There are only a few rules: 1. Please post only LIVING, wild critters. Identification help requests for and encounters with deceased animals may be posted, but should be linked with  warnings. 2. When asking for an ID, please provide your general location. You don't need to be too specific, but even saying something like "NE United States" can be very helpful in narrowing down the possibilities. 3. Do NOT mock someone's photo quality or photography skills. There are Dorkroom threads for photography advice and discussion. Your potato camera is good enough for us. 4. Please, no house pets, domesticated animals, or zoo/captive animals unless they're part of a critter encounter. We also ask that you limit content to photos that you've taken yourself, though sharing from friends and family is certainly welcome. Links to past Critterquest threads: 2017-2020 2016 2014-2015 2013 2012 Some related threads you may find worthwhile: A Bird Thread Dorkroom Bird Photography Thread Dorkroom Macro Photography Thread Dorkroom Pet Photography Thread Dorkroom Wildlife Photography Thread Mushroom Megathread
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Jul 26, 2021 13:01
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 06:35 |
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starting us off with a super cool pic of my neighbor cardinal and a very curious yellowjacket? from Colorado 
my cat is norris fucked around with this message at 13:08 on Jul 26, 2021 |
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Jul 26, 2021 13:04
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Cardinals are very nice. Two friends today.   one's fuzzy, one's sleek, both are sweet.
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Jul 26, 2021 13:08
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Saw a flannel moth on my walk with the dog a few days ago
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Jul 26, 2021 13:31
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Isn't that what the sad doot turns into?! Maybe? https://forums.somethingawful.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=884651 ^^^ the original sad doot ^^^ okay on second thought i think they may be very unrelated, but flannel moths do have very odd-looking caterpillars  (not my picture)
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Jul 26, 2021 14:07
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They sting the gently caress out of you too, more like mad doot.my cat is norris posted:and a very curious yellowjacket? from Colorado I think the orange antennae and leg tips indicates a paper wasp Polistes dominulus rather than yellow jacket the yeti fucked around with this message at 14:42 on Jul 26, 2021 |
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Jul 26, 2021 14:40
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Bucket of frogs! My niece wanted to see how many frogs she could catch.
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Jul 26, 2021 16:52
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Reposting for the new thread. The other night I had a nice treat. My old man spotted a cicada molting on the leaf of a decorative plant. I had only seen it in person once before when I was little, so I fetched my camera gear. It was a great spot to set up on the tripod and really pull in close.    You can see both sets of wings folded alongside here.  Completely out. Wings starting to unfold and take shape.  Wings at full size. He/She stayed on the next leaf overnight, letting the exoskeleton harden. It took about 20 minutes from the start with just the head broken free to being completely molted. By the afternoon of the next day they were gone, off to start their adult life.
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Jul 26, 2021 20:29
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I really love these photos, I'm glad you re-posted!
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Jul 26, 2021 23:53
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I'm glad this thread is here! I love seeing pictures of animals!
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Jul 27, 2021 00:04
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Heres where three big ol birds photobombed my video, it was kinda cool they came right over my shoulders https://i.imgur.com/hzKjexA.gifv and heres a friendly neighborhood urban deer 
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Jul 27, 2021 00:28
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An enormous ant-like creature jumped on my sunglasses in the park earlier today, didn't get a picture because I was busily evicting it off my face. It was at least the size of a nickel, maybe approaching a quarter or a solid 1/3 of a looney. Am I already dead? Please send help.
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Jul 27, 2021 00:36
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Enos Shenk posted:Reposting for the new thread. 
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Jul 27, 2021 01:16
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 A Douglas squirrel, being ill-advisedly fed by my parents
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Jul 27, 2021 02:44
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Colonel Cancer posted:An enormous ant-like creature jumped on my sunglasses in the park earlier today, didn't get a picture because I was busily evicting it off my face. It was at least the size of a nickel, maybe approaching a quarter or a solid 1/3 of a looney. Am I already dead? Please send help. Whereabouts are you? Any guess as to color, or if it had any wings?
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Jul 27, 2021 03:45
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my cat is norris posted:Whereabouts are you? Any guess as to color, or if it had any wings? Ontario, near great lakes. The monstrous beast was black as night, wingless and elongated. At first glance I took him for a spider but it was an ant shaped body. It's been some time, and I can't help myself but think about digging and lifting enormously heavy things. Probably nothing out of norm
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Jul 27, 2021 23:50
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https://i.imgur.com/fpab1D1.jpg?1 Encountered this ex-magpie on my morning run the other day. More interestingly, there were five magpies on the sidewalk around it, one vocalizing, and the other four with their heads held toward the sky. I wonder if it was some kind of funeral? They weren't eating it, in any case. I wanted to get a photo but they took off before I was able to do so. Chinston Wurchill fucked around with this message at 03:51 on Jul 28, 2021 |
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Jul 27, 2021 23:53
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There are jumping spiders that are REALLY good at mimicking ants. Here's one that's not native but has been introduced to Canada: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmarachne_formicaria
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Jul 27, 2021 23:55
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One of the thread rules is live critters only
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Jul 27, 2021 23:57
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The Red Queen posted:There are jumping spiders that are REALLY good at mimicking ants. Yeah don't think that was it, mine was much skinnier and blacker. Most jumping spiders we meet here are adorable zebras
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Jul 28, 2021 00:07
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Chinston Wurchill posted:Encountered this ex-magpie on my morning run the other day. More interestingly, there were five magpies on the sidewalk around it, one vocalizing, and the other four with their heads held toward the sky. I wonder if it was some kind of funeral? They weren't eating it, in any case. I wanted to get a photo but they took off before I was able to do so. Be so kind as to link that image instead of posting in-line, would you, please?  Corvids are fascinating...you can't help thinking that was some kind of ritual for them. You sent me down a rabbit-hole. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixYVFZnNl6s
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Jul 28, 2021 00:47
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my cat is norris posted:Be so kind as to link that image instead of posting in-line, would you, please? I've been down that rabbit hole. I have some crows I feed in my yard, only about 5 or 6. They'll start cawing when I come outside the house to go to work, and sometimes they'll start cawing when my car pulls in after work, and I get out. They haven't been around in a while, but they're crazy awesome. If they pick up a peanut from the grass they'll walk over to the sidewalk, hold it down and jam their beak into it. I also noticed that they tend to stay on the sidewalk instead of walking into the lawn. Unless there is food to be had! Hard to get pictures, cause they're not comfortable enough to come if I'm outside, but I can watch them from my window. I looked it up, and technically it's illegal to feed them since crows can be considered pests, but gently caress da police. One of my friends gets about 10-15 crows visiting at once. I'm more in a straight up suburb area though, and she has woods. All their tool using, memory, and emotions make them rad birds. I've tried to start whistling when I do feed them, to try to get them to associate the whistle with food. Because, i'm that guy on the block Of course, I have a few squirrels that also stalk my feeding grounds. But, they're pretty cool too blight rhino fucked around with this message at 01:14 on Jul 28, 2021 |
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Jul 28, 2021 01:12
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   Not sure who this fellow is, but my guess was a cicada that overslept and was looking for a place to mount up and molt. Scared the crap of me by crawling up my pant leg and onto my foot while I was letting my dog out before bed. Cute though, I think.
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Jul 28, 2021 03:35
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Synnr posted:cicada Yep. Probably one of the regular non periodical ones.
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Jul 28, 2021 03:42
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 Bird on my front step Cincinnati, OH  Mothra attacks my Oak Tree also Cincinnati, OH
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Jul 28, 2021 04:21
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Some fish from the past year or two:    
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Jul 28, 2021 04:31
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double post for cicadas    
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Jul 28, 2021 13:42
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Gooch181 posted:double post for cicadas Why's this one so pale? Is it still hardening? Do cicadas come in different colors like this?!
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Jul 28, 2021 16:01
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my cat is norris posted:Why's this one so pale? Is it still hardening? Do cicadas come in different colors like this?! I believe that's how they look immediately after coming out of the pupa
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Jul 28, 2021 16:05
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Enos Shenk posted:
oh man i need to research cicada colors Okay, evidently the periodicals are that pale color, and the annuals are green? my cat is norris fucked around with this message at 16:12 on Jul 28, 2021 |
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Jul 28, 2021 16:08
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Figured I might as well post this old pale mantis pic as well. Its kinda hard to tell just from the picture, but this one was huge. Its sitting on the handle to the front door of a building.
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Jul 28, 2021 16:08
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Regy Rusty posted:I believe that's how they look immediately after coming out of the pupa i'm envious, when i come out of the pupa i'm usually sweating, out of breath and struggling to pull my pants back up
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Jul 28, 2021 16:57
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my cat is norris posted:Be so kind as to link that image instead of posting in-line, would you, please? I had a couple recent encounters with birds. This guy was right outside my window a few weeks back.  Then this one got in my house just the the other night somehow.  I am no birdologist, but I think the first is a very young blue jay and the other some kind of sparrow. I'm in Northern Virginia if anyone knows better! I also got some pretty good pictures of 17 year cicadas molting, but that seems to be covered already.
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Jul 28, 2021 17:05
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Looks like a little newly fledged blue jay for sure. What a cutiepie! I THINK your visitor is a Carolina wren. That eye stripe is pretty distinct. Post more cicadas, bring it on.
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Jul 28, 2021 18:39
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Hm, I don't have as many good pictures of cicadas as I thought, but I did get this video: 
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Jul 28, 2021 19:13
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Saw a Monarch laying eggs so I snapped a pic once she was done: I'll come back in a week to see if I can spot some caterpillars. I'm in Ontario, so these are the ones that will fly all the way back to Mexico once they hatch.
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Jul 28, 2021 19:20
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Also spotted an adult Dog-day Cicada, Neotibicen canicularis, in keeping with the theme of this thread.
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Jul 28, 2021 20:02
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I've never seen some of these color patterns on them before, very neat!
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Jul 28, 2021 20:10
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I had this visit me on my porch: Which google says is a Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar. They were a fantastic red color, the picture does not do them justice.
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Jul 28, 2021 22:15
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 06:35 |
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Johnny Walker posted:Hm, I don't have as many good pictures of cicadas as I thought, but I did get this video: Seriously beautiful.
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Jul 28, 2021 22:15
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