Totally agree…

I’ve been using mint for the last 4 years, and while I have had to use the command line for some obscure installs, it also works as an OS without needing to use it (i jumped in at the deep end and installed it in a pc I got from my brother and used it as my everyday OS)

I don’t understand why Mint isn’t the first suggestion for Linux ‘virgins’ switching over from Windows etc, it has everything you need pre installed plus the download manager for anything else

Linux has a flavour for everyone, and after a while when you’re confidence and skills grow there is the fun of using the command line and a bit of tinkering…or not, if you are happy with the ‘basics’

It’s a dwarf nagami variety, so a bit more like a bush

Don’t be so modest, I bet it’s really lovely (your new spider seems to agree), and tasty (assuming the fruits are edible)

… a tendency to hide inside wardrobes

Lol

If it is the A. bruennichi then it’s certainly a female.

You’re going to have to do a post if it lays eggs… Also is it dangerous to humans?

Really nice photos btw (and jealous that you have a kumquat tree)

Nice! How big do you think it is?

they’re presented on a legit looking website mixed in with real information. It really can poison the well of information out there

I completely agree with this, I’m not against ai art (I’ve had a mini dabble to ‘create’ something, it’s fun! and from a science perspective a photo realistic dinosaur created using up to date research can help present information and capture an audience) however, it does need to be labelled as such when depicting actual living things today

Also, the text on this website also reads like ai mind babble with lots of ‘flowery’ phrasing and repetition, I’ve no idea if it is ai generated but even my attempts at writing read better (I hope)

The ‘authors’ are also suss- ‘…Sophia has a deep love for furry friends, from the tiny shrew to the giant elephant. She spends her days studying how these incredible creatures live, play, and interact with their environment. With a heart full of curiosity and compassion, Sophia is dedicated to protecting mammals and their habitats’

This is ‘Sophia’

Quite fascinating in a horrendous way, I genuinely hope this isn’t the future of the internet

If it turns out I’m wrong about any of the above I will happily edit my comment (and include an apology)…I doubt that will be happening though…

I had a similar experience recently while researching for !nudibranchs@mander.xyz…I found these gems pretending to be nudibranchs

In fact the whole site has some wonderful ai abonimations masquerading as real animals…

…This is a ‘mud skipper’

Bats!

axolotls

It’s weird out there!

Pop on over we’ve got giant millipedes and a freaky grim creeper caterpillar!

Totally cute, definitely!

I honestly thought I was looking at one of the ‘less accurate’ attempts at taxidermy while scrolling… 🤣

I did not know that

One of the issues about finding interesting things on the internet is that I only speak English, and a smattering of very poor French and Italian. When I come across things like this to post I have to trust that it doesn’t translate to ‘I’m a horny MILF who fucks vegetables’ or something similar…but I imagine most people posting photos of owls, insects and mushrooms won’t be slipping that sort of info in their usernames and write ups (I hope)

Buffy The Fish Owl 🧛‍♀️

I like this, who’s the artist?

It’s like night and day lol

He’s a little cutie isn’t he?

Was going to say Game of Thrones, really atmospheric

I love it when it grooms itself

The zebra spider (Salticus scenicus) is a common jumping spider of the Northern Hemisphere. Their common name refers to their vivid black-and-white colouration,[1] whilst their scientific name derives from Salticus from the Latin for “jump”, and the Greek scenicus, translating to “theatrical” or “of a decorative place,” in reference to the flashy, zebra-like coloration of the species.[2]

This species is naturally associated with open habitats such as rock faces, shingle beaches and occasionally the trunks of trees.[5] Due to their preference for open, vertical habitats they are often found living in proximity to humans in urban habitat such as on garden fences and the walls of buildings.[6] Spiders have also been known to enter houses, where they can often be found living in the corner of windowsills.[7]

Zebra spiders tend to hunt smaller spiders and other arthropods. They have been observed feeding on mosquitos that are almost twice their length. They have also been observed taking on prey items up to 3 times the length of the spider, such as some of the smaller species of moth. Like other jumping spiders, these spiders use their large front eyes to locate and stalk their prey. They move slowly towards their prey until they are close enough to pounce on top of their victim, and their hunting behaviour has been described as cat-like. Using their acute eyesight, they are able to accurately judge the distances they need to jump.

Before jumping, they glue a silk thread to the surface that they are jumping from so that if they miss the target, they can climb up the thread and try again - However, they may ‘abseil’ with a silk thread if they wish to descend from a height safely, for instance they have been documented ‘abseiling’ from ceilings. They ignore unappetising insects such as ants.

wikipedia

Stilt Walker…

Yep, I’m going to scale back next week and maybe try a different approach…the trouble is I really enjoy looking at photos of beautiful creatures, there’s some stunning images out there

That is great!

I find it really amazing at how an artist/designer can depict their subject by condensing the visual information to the bare minimum, but without losing sight of what they are trying to portray. You know it’s an owl, and you know it’s a skunk.

It’s the essence of it, beautifully rendered