#nutria
The notes are so funny, I thought nutria were well known! They’re giant water rats and just their back feet are webbed. Raticate’s Pokedex entries also mention webbed hind feet for swimming so Raticate is specifically one of these :)
They were once spread around the world on purpose as a source of cheap fur, but I think synthetic fibers took over that role and most of the remaining nutria were simply released, remaining an invasive nuisance generations later.
Their nipples are up their sides so the babies can nurse will their mom swims
Some of the skull reconstructions i did a few months back :> Process pics in the bottom row. Both skulls found.
I had a bone box that was basically collecting skulls and parts too beaten up for my liking for YEARS (don’t take me wrong, i adore worn out and damaged skulls but sometimes its just too much to be aesthetically pleasing) and i finally fixed some of them up.
Both kitty and nutria were in extremely poor shapes, i even considered tossing the cat because… look at it, it was just loose parts (1st image, bottom row) but im really glad i didnt in the end. The diprosopus mod might not be the bees knees BUT for my first time reconstructing a skull i think its alright!
The nutria (which i named Berberis) i just love with my whole heart, the pictures might not convey it as good as i’d like to but you cant tell its a reconstruction until closer scrutiny. Really happy with them all in all.
sculpting skulls is a BI*CH, especially when you want a somewhat convincing mod… its just that the clay tilts and falls under its own weight, and you cant really stick the clay on the skull because then HOW are you supposed to bake the clay without damaging the bone? I managed the fitting by wetting the bone (poly clay wont stick to wet surfaces ;) and then just very delicately removing the shaped clay bits, hardening them, checking if its still fits the bone, filing, building on the shapes and elements on the “skeleton” (kitty process shows it off well, 2nd pic) and then filing more. Its a trip and a half, took a lot of time but im super satisfied knowing i can do it.
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Happy Groundhog Day! There are several animals across the U.S. that serve as the official Groundhog Day weather predictor for their region. However, the most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil, who lives in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Today, he saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter.
In Louisiana, the Groundhog Day weather predictor is Parish, a nutria who lives at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Today, Parish was presented with two signs: one that read “early Spring” and one that read “long Winter”. Parish chose to go towards the “early Spring” sign, which shows that she disagrees with Punxsutawney Phil and predicts an early Spring. However, the predictions of any Groundhog Day animal are unreliable.
These engravings feature a Maryland marmot (groundhog) and a coypou (nutria).
Images from:
Cuvier, Georges. The animal kingdom: arranged in conformity with its organization. Vol. 3. London: printed for Geo. B. Whittaker, 1827-1835.
Call Number: QL45 .C943 1827 V.3
Catalog Record: https://bit.ly/3Go7lBN
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