saw an ant on the bus today, what a horrible fate. moved an unfathomable distance from everything you’ve ever known because of forces you could never possibly understand. no matter how long you follow the pheromone trail you laid you’ll never find your way home.
Did the spider that made a web in my cars mirror survive being barreled down the highway at light speed? Can insects feel fear in a way we understand? If I think too hard about this I start wondering if this is what the other side of a lovecraftian story looks like. An ant lost on the bus.
Known as caecilians (pronounced seh-SILL-yens), these critters are unfamiliar to most people, and are also an excellent example of evolution trying to create ANOTHER worm (move over, crabs, worms are the REAL final form of evolution š).
These guys have SO MANY SPOOKY TRAITS! Thereās slime, thereās scary teeth, and thereās even cannibalistic babies!Ā
But letās start with some decidedly un-spooky information. There are approximately 200 species of caecilians, all in the Order Gymnophiona, and all live in tropical and sub-tropical habitats around the world. That said, people donāt see them very often, because they spend most of their time hiding underground or in other seldom-seen locations. They range in size from ~9 cm to 1.5 m, and honestly, I like them so much.Ā
(Handsome baby! from Stuart et al. 2008)
Reportedly, their smooth, slimey skin makes them extremely hard to catch, and researchers have compared handling them to trying to handle a wet bar of soap (sources 1, 2).
Even though the word caecilians means āthe blind onesā, theyāre not actually blind (source x); they can differentiate light and dark, which COUNTS as sight (although if weāre defining blindness by ālegalā blindness in humans, thenā¦ yeah, they would qualify as blind, I guess).
its eyes are small, but I PROMISE they work. they donāt work well, but theyāre good enough for the caecilianās needs.
Before I get to the spooky bit, I want to say that I find them to be quite lovely. They come in many colours, and I think theyāre very sweet with their derpy sock puppet faces. Some species also have poisonous skin, which I, personally, respect so much (source of info: 3, source of respect: Iām happy for them).
that said, I have thus far been using images that purposefully highlight their cuteness and charm. There are other pictures which areā¦ less flattering.
Iām actually going to put most of this Spooky Fact under the cut, because it is simply TOO SPOOKY.
(Seriously, though. If you dislike creepy teeth, skin shedding, and bite-y critters, maaaaybe give this one a pass. Read about oilbirds instead! They are wholesome and not too spooky)
The state of Utah in the United States has no citizenship requirements for marriage licenses, and Utah County is the only place there that allows international couples to register their marriages online. Since the county rolled out virtual weddings during the Covid-19 pandemic, it became a wedding haven for same-sex couples who are not able to officially marry in their own countries.
As sexual minorities in China face suppression at home, Utah County is allowing them to officially marry and celebrate their love ā all for around $100. Although the marriages arenāt recognized in China, some 200 same-sex couples from mainland China and Hong Kong have gotten married via the countyās digital marriage license system since 2021.
For authorities in Utah County, the influx of international couples came as a surprise. The Utah County and Auditorās Office moved its marriage licensing service online, as part of a digitization initiative in 2019. At the start of the pandemic, a number of couples requested Zoom ceremonies, and the county made those available as well.
The service first attracted couples in Utah, followed by people from across the U.S., and later, from all over the world. From May 1 to September 20 this year, at least 77 same-sex couples with mainland Chinese addresses have been married there, said county deputy clerk Russ Rampton, who oversees marriage licensing, toĀ Rest of World.
Although same-sex marriage remains illegal in Hong Kong, under a different set of laws to mainland China, residents who get married in other places are able to apply for dependent visas in the city for their partners. Married gay people are also able to mark themselves as married in tax filings.
In his vow, however, [one marriage certificate applicant] Zhu said he was looking forward to getting married a second time ā in China. āIf one day our country allows this, I hope we could get married again in this country,ā Zhu said to his husband before theyĀ kissed.
**
Marriage equality does not stop in the West.
This is so beautiful and actually made me a little weepy xD
