tiwane 的最愛

Eating a Rufous Owl Ninox rufa.
While the quality of the photo isn't great, I clearly observed (with binoculars) the shape of the python's head, its slender body, and its colour (pale grey with darker, sparse, markings) which all suggested the ID of Oenpelli python.
Observed in a patch of monsoon forest beside a sandstone scarp.

Witnessed a Reticulated Python battling with a Common Water Monitor. We heard a large splash and the as the water monitor ran into the stream with the Python wrapped around its body. Later, checked the stream to find the Retic still wrapped around the dead water monitor.

Drama. These guys all normally get along pretty well, but here a squirrel decided to start something and nearly got kicked in the head as reward. Moments later they were back to munching sunflower seeds side-by-side again.

A very tenacious spider. It had already brought the grass into its burrow after the initial tickle but I didn't have my camera handy.

I gently pulled out the grass, tickled again, and the spider grabbed onto it once more. So cool.

ID for the possible ectoparasite. Not sure which phylum to place this in, but the white mark on tip could be distinctive for a species or genus ID if an expert had a look. Leaning towards polyclad flatworms or maybe it is a mollusk.

My first attempt at diatoms cleaning.

Three specimens observed, from the same sample of my previous observation https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/141202070 taken on 2022-11-05.

Stria density: 7-8 per 10 μm (center), 10-11 (extremities).
Puncta density: 11 per 10 μm.
Length 213-225 µm, width 41-44 µm.

Stigmata visible near the central nodule.

According to Diatoms of Europe vol.3 by Kurt Krammer, 2002, it looks like Cymbella peraspera:
“Valves moderately to distinctly dorsiventral, dorsal margin rather evenly arched, ventral margin with a slightly gibbous central portion. Valve ends not protracted and broadly rounded. Length (130)154-320 µm, breadth 44-52 µm, maximal length/breadth ratio about 6. Axial area moderately wide, linear, widening at mid-valve to form a shallow central area, about ¼ to nearly ⅓ of the valve breadth. Raphe slightly lateral, tape ring near proximal and distal ends, becoming filiform near the proximal and the distal ends. Proximal raphe ends with moderately large roundish central pores which are slightly ventrally deflected; terminal fissures sickle-shaped and dorsally bent. Striae throughout radiate. Puncta distinctly and more or less roundish in focus high and low. A large number of stigmata on the ventral side of the central nodule, in focus low differently shaped from the puncta, commonly distant from the middle ventral striae. Striae 5-8/10 µm, becoming up to 10/10 µm near the extremities. Puncta 7-10(11) in 10 µm.”