View allAll Photos Tagged pigmentation
The Brewster and the Lawrence warblers are hybrids between the blue winged and the golden winged which, other than pigmentation, are highly similar and can produce fertile offspring. The Brewster looks and sounds like a golden winged but with a masking of a blue Winged (this one is one generation back cross to the golden winged).
Leucistic mallard duck with lighter pigmentation. Leucism is a common cause of unusual plumage in waterfowl.
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The final stop on our first trip of 2022 was in Big Bend National Park where we found this Purple Prickly Pear cactus.
From Wikipedia:
"A member of the prickly pear genus, this species is most notable as one of a few cacti that produce a purple pigmentation in the stem.
Native populations of Opuntia macrocentra are found in Arizona, New Mexico, Southwestern Texas, and Northwestern Mexico.
This cactus is a slow growing perennial that inhabits a wide range of soil substrates and habitat types. It can be found below the elevation of 5000 ft in areas of sandy desert flats, rocky hills, or valley grasslands."
The adult humpback whale is generally 14–15 m (46–49 ft) long, though individuals up to 16–17 m (52–56 ft) long have been recorded. Females are usually 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) longer than males.
The species can reach body masses of 40 metric tons (44 short tons). Calves are born at around 4.3 m (14 ft) long with a mass of 680 kg (1,500 lb)] The species has a bulky body with a thin rostrum and proportionally long flippers, each around one-third of its body length.[14][15] It has a short dorsal fin that varies from nearly nonexistent to somewhat long and curved.
Like other rorquals, the humpback has grooves between the tip of the lower jaw and the navel. The grooves are relatively few in number in this species, ranging from 14 to 35. The upper jaw is lined with baleen plates, which number 540–800 in total and are black in color.
The dorsal or upper side of the animal is generally black; the ventral or underside has various levels of black and white coloration. Whales in the southern hemisphere tend to have more white pigmentation. The flippers can vary from all-white to white only on the undersurface. Some individuals may be all white, notably Migaloo who is a true albino. The varying color patterns and scars on the tail flukes distinguish individual animals.[
The end of the genital slit of the female is marked by a round feature, known as the hemispherical lobe, which visually distinguishes males and females.
Unique among large whales, humpbacks have bumps or tubercles on the head and front edge of the flippers; the tail fluke has a jagged trailing edge. The tubercles on the head are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) thick at the base and protrude up to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).
They are mostly hollow in the center, often containing at least one fragile hair that erupts 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) from the skin and is 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick. The tubercles develop early in gestation and may have a sensory function, as they are rich in nerves. Sensory nerve cells in the skin are adapted to withstand the high water pressure of diving.
In one study, a humpback whale brain measured 22.4 cm (8.8 in) long and 18 cm (7.1 in) wide at the tips of the temporal lobes, and weighed around 4.6 kg (10 lb). The humpback's brain has a complexity similar to that of the brains of smaller whales and dolphins.
The structure of the eye indicates that eyesight is relatively poor, being only able to see silhouettes over long distances and finer details relatively close. Computer models of the middle ear suggest that the humpback can hear at frequencies between 15 Hz and 3 kHz "when stimulated at the tympanic membrane", and between 200 Hz and 9 kHz "if stimulated at the thinner region of the tympanic bone adjacent to the tympanic membrane". These ranges are consistent with their vocalization ranges.
As in all cetaceans, the respiratory tract of the humpback whale is connected to the blowholes and not to the mouth, although the species appears to be able to unlock the epiglottis and larynx and move them towards the oral cavity, allowing humpbacks to blow bubbles from their mouths. The vocal folds of the humpback are more horizontally positioned than those of land mammals which allows them to produce underwater calls. These calls are amplified by a laryngeal sac.
This image was taken in Reykjavik, Iceland
They are 1 month aged & all siblings, their plumes haven't grown yet completely, they are so small that 3 can be held together in one handful! Here they're quietly posing for the first official photo just after their meal :-)
I'm handfeeding them but in few days they will learn to eat on their own & to fly!
For the moment I call them as the number in their rings: 20,23,24... Could you suggest a name for each one?*
Scientific name: Agapornis Roseicollis. These belong to the 'major' size variety. Once adults, they are a little bit bigger then the average size. One is deep cobalt purple blue (in the centre) & the other two are in a lighter blue with some turquoise hues & sky blue in the belly. The plumage of their heads will become almost white and the beak will loose the ink pigmentation when they grow.
Ref. Inseparable 036
*Edited later: left to right, here are their names: Jean Pierre, Sapphire (Zaffiro), Giacomino.
©WhiteAngel Photography. All rights reserved.
I had my first ever encounter with a leucastic hawk today in Marin County. A brief encounter it was, but what a treat! A short explanation of leucism cribbed form the website thespruce.com: Leucism, or leukism, reduces pigmentation in birds, preventing melanin from being properly deposited in the feathers or skin. Leucism is an abnormal condition resulting from a genetic mutation that causes birds to appear white or faded in color, either fully or in patches.
The elusive axanthic green tree frog spotted today at Neabsco Boardwalk in Prince William County, VA. This Green tree frog is missing it's yellow pigmentation causing it be more blue than green in color.
Visit my website www.jcernstphoto.com
I've seen this fellow quite a lot over the past six month or so but he's never settled near me. Whilst the light was poor at my favourite nature reserve today I took the opportunity to snap him before he flew off.
Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin.
A little red squirrel showed up on our deck with a white tail and small white areas on the fur.
This is a condition known as Leucisim.
More common than a complete absence of pigment cells is localized or incomplete hypopigmentation, resulting in irregular patches of white on an animal that otherwise has normal colouring and patterning. This partial leucism is known as a "pied" or "piebald" effect; and the ratio of white to normal-coloured skin can vary considerably not only between generations, but between different offspring from the same parents, and even between members of the same litter. This is notable in horses, cows, cats, dogs, the urban crow and the ball python but is also found in many other species.
NOTE: Albinism is a condition in which there is an absence of melanin. Melanin is what is present in the skin and is what gives skin, feathers, hair and eyes their color. ... Leucism is only a partial loss of pigmentation, which can make the animal have white or patchily colored skin, hair, or feathers.
Robert W. Brown Memorial State Beach
Alameda, California
This seemed to be a female; she was swimming in the company of a Mallard drake. If she were an albino, her eyes would not be this dark. The lack of color in her feathers may be the result of leucism, a condition that causes a loss of pigmentation in a variety of animals. It's also possible that this is the hybrid offspring of a mallard and another species of domestic duck.
Uno de los parajes más carismáticos de La Pedriza, La Charca Verde, que debe su nombre al efecto que produce la pigmentación de las rocas en su fondo junto con los reflejos en sus aguas, lo que le da su característico color verde esmeralda.
One of the most charismatic places in La Pedriza , La Charca Verde, which owes its name to the effect produced by the pigmentation of the rocks at its bottom along with the reflections in its waters, which gives it its characteristic emerald green color.
While Buckeyes have new broods through most of the year, only the Autumn brood can exhibit seasonal polyphenism,
also known as polyphenic pigmentation, which is adaptive for insect species that undergo multiple matings each year, and in the Buckeye, this results in distinctly eye catching rose colored ventral wings! Known as a 'rosa morph', their color variation is an Autumn delight!
Different pigmentation patterns provide appropriate camouflage throughout the seasons, as well as alter heat retention as temperatures change. The Summer version of the Common Buckeye has light yellowish ventral wings and is called the 'linea morph'...
The adult humpback whale is generally 14–15 m (46–49 ft) long, though individuals up to 16–17 m (52–56 ft) long have been recorded. Females are usually 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) longer than males.
The species can reach body masses of 40 metric tons (44 short tons). Calves are born at around 4.3 m (14 ft) long with a mass of 680 kg (1,500 lb)] The species has a bulky body with a thin rostrum and proportionally long flippers, each around one-third of its body length.[14][15] It has a short dorsal fin that varies from nearly nonexistent to somewhat long and curved.
Like other rorquals, the humpback has grooves between the tip of the lower jaw and the navel. The grooves are relatively few in number in this species, ranging from 14 to 35. The upper jaw is lined with baleen plates, which number 540–800 in total and are black in color.
The dorsal or upper side of the animal is generally black; the ventral or underside has various levels of black and white coloration. Whales in the southern hemisphere tend to have more white pigmentation. The flippers can vary from all-white to white only on the undersurface. Some individuals may be all white, notably Migaloo who is a true albino. The varying color patterns and scars on the tail flukes distinguish individual animals.[
The end of the genital slit of the female is marked by a round feature, known as the hemispherical lobe, which visually distinguishes males and females.
Unique among large whales, humpbacks have bumps or tubercles on the head and front edge of the flippers; the tail fluke has a jagged trailing edge. The tubercles on the head are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) thick at the base and protrude up to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).
They are mostly hollow in the center, often containing at least one fragile hair that erupts 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) from the skin and is 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick. The tubercles develop early in gestation and may have a sensory function, as they are rich in nerves. Sensory nerve cells in the skin are adapted to withstand the high water pressure of diving.
In one study, a humpback whale brain measured 22.4 cm (8.8 in) long and 18 cm (7.1 in) wide at the tips of the temporal lobes, and weighed around 4.6 kg (10 lb). The humpback's brain has a complexity similar to that of the brains of smaller whales and dolphins.
The structure of the eye indicates that eyesight is relatively poor, being only able to see silhouettes over long distances and finer details relatively close. Computer models of the middle ear suggest that the humpback can hear at frequencies between 15 Hz and 3 kHz "when stimulated at the tympanic membrane", and between 200 Hz and 9 kHz "if stimulated at the thinner region of the tympanic bone adjacent to the tympanic membrane". These ranges are consistent with their vocalization ranges.
As in all cetaceans, the respiratory tract of the humpback whale is connected to the blowholes and not to the mouth, although the species appears to be able to unlock the epiglottis and larynx and move them towards the oral cavity, allowing humpbacks to blow bubbles from their mouths. The vocal folds of the humpback are more horizontally positioned than those of land mammals which allows them to produce underwater calls. These calls are amplified by a laryngeal sac.
This image was taken at Isafjordur, Iceland
Leucism is an abnormal condition of reduced pigmentation affecting various animals and birds, such as this House Finch, that is marked by overall pale color or patches of reduced coloring and is caused by a genetic mutation which inhibits melanin and other pigments from being deposited in feathers, hair, or skin...
This is my very first Leucistic bird and finally got to see it yesterday! It has been showing up in Eva's yard recently...the wind chill was in the teens and all the birds and I felt like icicles, but it was glorious to be out in the sun after a week of rain and overcast!
While Buckeyes have new broods through most of the year, only the Autumn brood can exhibit seasonal polyphenism,
also known as polyphenic pigmentation, which is adaptive for insect species that undergo multiple matings each year, and in the Buckeye, this results in distinctly eye catching rose colored ventral wings! Known as a 'rosa morph', their color variation is an Autumn delight!
Different pigmentation patterns provide appropriate camouflage throughout the seasons, as well as alter heat retention as temperatures change. The Summer version of the Common Buckeye has light yellowish ventral wings and is called the 'linea morph'...
The butterfly is visible within the chrysalis and will emerge within a day. The shed skin of the caterpillar can still be seen at the top of the chrysalis.
"Just before the monarchs emerge, their black, orange, and white wing patterns are visible through the pupa covering. This is not because the pupa becomes transparent; it is because the pigmentation on the scales only develops at the very end of the pupa stage. " from the University of Minnesota, monarchlab.org/biology-and-research/biology-and-natural-h...
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Monarch_Chrysalis-0493-sc01
This rare, 9-month old male white lion was photographed in the Timbavati Game Reserve, adjoining Kruger National Park in South Africa. During our visit to South Africa last summer (2019), there were only three white lions known to exist in the wild. We were privileged to see two of them.
Flickr EXPLORE 5/12/2020 - Thank You!
White Tiger
The white tiger or bleached tiger is a leucistic pigmentation variant of the Bengal tiger, Siberian tiger and hybrids between the two. It is reported in the wild from time to time in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, in the Sunderbans region and especially in the former State of Rewa. It has the typical black stripes of a tiger, but carries a white or near-white coat.
- - -
Der weiße Tiger oder gebleichte Tiger ist eine leuzistische Pigmentierungsvariante des bengalischen Tigers, des sibirischen Tigers und Hybriden zwischen den beiden. Es wird von Zeit zu Zeit in freier Wildbahn in den indischen Bundesstaaten Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Westbengalen, Bihar, Odisha, in der Region Sunderbans und insbesondere im ehemaligen Bundesstaat Rewa gemeldet.
Er hat die typischen schwarzen Streifen eines Tigers, trägt aber ein weißes oder fast weißes Fell.
Read more / Mehr lesen: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_tiger
White is maybe the most rigorous and psychological color, it seems to purify the surfaces, it’s a color that makes the vacuum merge. The empty spaces have slight contrasts of shape as a value.
I like to deal with this non-pigmentation because it is process is a ramification of many harmonic elements that allude to a perfect informality. These pictures may seem incongruous because they are elegant and messy at the same time.
Many Buckeyes I encounter have no discernible blue pigmentation in their wings, but this one had just enough blue to stand out from the crowd...I've seen photos of some that have large areas of blue...I'd love to find one of those!
The adult humpback whale is generally 14–15 m (46–49 ft) long, though individuals up to 16–17 m (52–56 ft) long have been recorded. Females are usually 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) longer than males.
The species can reach body masses of 40 metric tons (44 short tons). Calves are born at around 4.3 m (14 ft) long with a mass of 680 kg (1,500 lb)] The species has a bulky body with a thin rostrum and proportionally long flippers, each around one-third of its body length.[14][15] It has a short dorsal fin that varies from nearly nonexistent to somewhat long and curved.
Like other rorquals, the humpback has grooves between the tip of the lower jaw and the navel. The grooves are relatively few in number in this species, ranging from 14 to 35. The upper jaw is lined with baleen plates, which number 540–800 in total and are black in color.
The dorsal or upper side of the animal is generally black; the ventral or underside has various levels of black and white coloration. Whales in the southern hemisphere tend to have more white pigmentation. The flippers can vary from all-white to white only on the undersurface. Some individuals may be all white, notably Migaloo who is a true albino. The varying color patterns and scars on the tail flukes distinguish individual animals.[
The end of the genital slit of the female is marked by a round feature, known as the hemispherical lobe, which visually distinguishes males and females.[15][19]
Unique among large whales, humpbacks have bumps or tubercles on the head and front edge of the flippers; the tail fluke has a jagged trailing edge. The tubercles on the head are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) thick at the base and protrude up to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).
They are mostly hollow in the center, often containing at least one fragile hair that erupts 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) from the skin and is 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick. The tubercles develop early in gestation and may have a sensory function, as they are rich in nerves. Sensory nerve cells in the skin are adapted to withstand the high water pressure of diving.
In one study, a humpback whale brain measured 22.4 cm (8.8 in) long and 18 cm (7.1 in) wide at the tips of the temporal lobes, and weighed around 4.6 kg (10 lb). The humpback's brain has a complexity similar to that of the brains of smaller whales and dolphins.
The structure of the eye indicates that eyesight is relatively poor, being only able to see silhouettes over long distances and finer details relatively close. Computer models of the middle ear suggest that the humpback can hear at frequencies between 15 Hz and 3 kHz "when stimulated at the tympanic membrane", and between 200 Hz and 9 kHz "if stimulated at the thinner region of the tympanic bone adjacent to the tympanic membrane". These ranges are consistent with their vocalization ranges.
As in all cetaceans, the respiratory tract of the humpback whale is connected to the blowholes and not to the mouth, although the species appears to be able to unlock the epiglottis and larynx and move them towards the oral cavity, allowing humpbacks to blow bubbles from their mouths. The vocal folds of the humpback are more horizontally positioned than those of land mammals which allows them to produce underwater calls. These calls are amplified by a laryngeal sac.
This image was taken in Juneau, Alaska
Found : At Lozerheide in a shallow ditch where there was still water and rotting leaves.
This one has lateral spots...
Leucism /ˈljuːkɪzəm/ is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin.
We can just about count on seeing a Rough Green Snake on any hike here, but this one had a curious slight difference that caught my eye...a bit of blue coloration on the sides of it's eye! I have no idea whether it's a pigmentation anomaly or an injury...?
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus Megaptera.
The adult humpback whale is generally 14–15 m (46–49 ft), though longer lengths of 16–17 m (52–56 ft) have been recorded. Females are usually 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) longer than males.
The species can reach body masses of 40 metric tons (44 short tons). Calves are born at around 4.3 m (14 ft) long with a weight of 680 kg (1,500 lb).
The body is bulky with a thin rostrum and proportionally long flippers, each around one-third of its body length.[15][16] It has a short dorsal fin that varies from nearly non-existent to somewhat long and curved.
As a rorqual, the humpback has grooves between the tip of the lower jaw and the navel. They are relatively few in number in this species, ranging from 14–35. The mouth is lined with baleen plates, which number 270-400 for both sides.
Unique among large whales, humpbacks have bumps or tubercles on the head and front edge of the flippers; the tail fluke has a jagged trailing edge.
The tubercles on the head are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) thick at the base and poke up to 6.5 cm (2.6 in). They are mostly hollow in the center, often containing at least one fragile hair that erupts 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) from the skin and is 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick. The tubercles develop early in the womb and may have a sensory function as they are rich in nerves.
The dorsal or upper-side of the animal is generally black; the ventral or underside has various levels of black and white coloration. Whales in the southern hemisphere tend to have more white pigmentation. The flippers can vary from all-white to white only on the undersurface.
The varying color patterns and scars on the tail flukes distinguish individual animals. The end of the genital slit of the female is marked by a round feature, known as the hemispherical lobe, which visually distinguishes males and females.
This image was taken from the breakwater at Honningsvag Harbour in Norway
Petit canard noir et blanc que l'on rencontre uniquement lors de la migration . La pigmentation de ses plumes noires fait en sorte qu'elles réagissent de façons particulières à la lumière affichant ainsi différentes couleurs. Il faut donc attendre le bon angle pour libérer le trésor !!!
Small black and white duck that occur only during migration. The pigmentation of its black feathers makes them react in particular ways to light thus displaying different colors. So you have to wait for the right angle to release the treasure !!!
Eristalis tenax, the common drone fly, is a common, migratory, cosmopolitan species of hover fly It is the most widely distributed syrphid species in the world, and is known from all regions except the Antarctic. It has been introduced into North America and is widely established. It can be found in gardens and fields in Europe and Australia. It has also been found in the Himalayas..Eristalis tenax is a large, stocky bee mimic. The eyes are marbled in black. Males have hovering displays. The average wing length is 9.75–13 mm and their average wingspan is 15 mm.
The exact appearance of the drone fly can vary considerably.The abdomen can vary in color from dark brown to orange. Pigmentation has an important role in the control of body temperature; the black areas down the center of the drone-flies abdomen may absorb solar radiation and so warm the dorsal blood vessel, which is right underneath
The Bromeliaceae family comprises over 50 genera and nearly 4,000 species. All are native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, with the exception of a single species, Pitcairnia feliciana, discovered in Africa in 1937. Ornamental bromeliads represent a segment of economic importance for countries linked to the flower and ornamental plant market.
Family: Bromeliaceae
Scientific name: Ananas lucidus
Common name: Curauá - Ornamental Pineapple, Garden's Pineapple
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Origin: Brazil.
Size: It reaches 1.20 meters in height.
Ananas lucidus is a native plant, not endemic to Brazil, also distributed in other tropical countries in the American continent. In Brazil, it occurs in the North (Amazonas, Amapá, Pará, Roraima), Northeast (Bahia, Ceará) and Southeast (São Paulo) regions.
It is a very rustic bromeliad, with very ornamental foliage and fruit. Due to its hardiness, the Garden's pineapple is widely used to delimit areas or flower beds that should not be invaded by people or animals. It can be planted alone, in compositions, in groups or as a border.
The inflorescence formed by an about 4 cm long and 3 cm broad spike, of hermaphrodite flowers surrounded by pink bracts; the spike carries on top a thick rosette of leaves which later on is surrounded by several smaller ones. The flowers have long petals ( about 15 mm and 3 mm broad), of a white colour at the base, and violet blue on the apex.
Adult plants flower spontaneously, at any time of the year; fruits usually appear about six months after the flowers bloom. The fruit has about 5 cm of diameter and 6-8 cm of height when ripe takes on a reddish color. Very fibrous, is not edible and usually contains few seeds, at times none. Its purpose is for ornamental use only.
They must be grown in bright places, with sunbathing for at least 4 hours a day. Ornamental pineapple appreciates temperatures above 15°C. Sunlight helps to produce the pink pigmentation in the leaves.
Very resistant, the Ornamental pineapple withstands the coldest months well, as long as it is protected from icy winds and frost. The plant grows all year round. However, during the Winter, development takes place at a slower pace, requiring less watering and fertilization only every eight weeks.
The plant has also other employments besides the ornamental one, it is in fact cultivated, since remote times, by the natives for getting fibres from the leaves as they are particularly flexible, resistant, and long lasting, utilized for fabricating ropes, tissues and several handicrafts.
In the recent years, this fibre has been utilized also in industrial applications, and a further increment is expected, in particular in the automotive industry for the production of bio-degradable materials in place of the fibreglass, as it is almost doubly resistant of same, to be employed in the internal cars’ fittings.
On Explore: January 26, 2023
Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin.
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus Megaptera.
The adult humpback whale is generally 14–15 m (46–49 ft), though longer lengths of 16–17 m (52–56 ft) have been recorded. Females are usually 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) longer than males.
The species can reach body masses of 40 metric tons (44 short tons). Calves are born at around 4.3 m (14 ft) long with a weight of 680 kg (1,500 lb).
The body is bulky with a thin rostrum and proportionally long flippers, each around one-third of its body length.[15][16] It has a short dorsal fin that varies from nearly non-existent to somewhat long and curved.
As a rorqual, the humpback has grooves between the tip of the lower jaw and the navel. They are relatively few in number in this species, ranging from 14–35. The mouth is lined with baleen plates, which number 270-400 for both sides.
Unique among large whales, humpbacks have bumps or tubercles on the head and front edge of the flippers; the tail fluke has a jagged trailing edge.
The tubercles on the head are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) thick at the base and poke up to 6.5 cm (2.6 in). They are mostly hollow in the center, often containing at least one fragile hair that erupts 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) from the skin and is 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick. The tubercles develop early in the womb and may have a sensory function as they are rich in nerves.
The dorsal or upper-side of the animal is generally black; the ventral or underside has various levels of black and white coloration. Whales in the southern hemisphere tend to have more white pigmentation. The flippers can vary from all-white to white only on the undersurface.
The varying color patterns and scars on the tail flukes distinguish individual animals. The end of the genital slit of the female is marked by a round feature, known as the hemispherical lobe, which visually distinguishes males and females.
This image was taken on a whale watching trip from Isafjordur in Western Iceland
This album's name is dedicated to my favourite game of all time Elder Scrolls Online and race of all time, The Argonians (reptile humanoids). There's a story for you to read below about some of them towards the bottom.
What does Ku Vastei mean? Read below
By Lights-the-Way, Mystic of the Mages Guild
It is hard to describe the culture of my people. Often my tongue stumbles as I try to explain, but it is my hope that ink and quill will give me time enough to gather my thoughts. And perhaps, though such writing, I will finally connect the parts of me that now feel so divided; my homeland of Murkmire and my new life within the Mages Guild.
These journals are to become my ku-vastei. And, as I write that, I can think of no better topic to begin with.
Ku-vastei roughly translates to "the catalyst of needed change," though such a direct translation in no way does justice to the original meaning. Another translation could be "that which creates the needed pathway for change to occur" or even "the spark which ignites the flame which must come into being."
Perhaps a more direct analysis should be first presented. Ku-vastei is a noun, a thing or person. Vastei directly translates to change, an important part of my culture. Ku is harder to speak of. It is that which leads to change, though not that which creates change. An important role, as stagnation is a fate worse than death.
Take a boulder which sits atop a cliff, teetering in place. It must fall eventually. The ku-vastei does not push the boulder off the cliff; rather, it picks the pebble which holds the rock in place. And so it falls, not by a push, but by a pathway cleared.
Ku-vastei is revered, just as change itself is revered, for to look back at what was means to stumble as you move forward. Sometimes, a little push in the right direction is all someone needs to remember such wisdom. Other times, they may need to be shoved.
-------------------------------------
The Gee-Rusleel Tribe
by Emmanubeth Hurrent, the Wayfarers' Society of Wayrest
I've had the privilege to speak to two different Miredancer elders now, and I've learned a great deal from both of these conversations. The "Gee-Rusleel," as they call themselves, are among the most introspective Argonians I've met in my travels. They also tend to be the most pleasant. For all their reclusiveness and wariness, I've never met a people more willing to share a meal or a game of Shells and Stones. They are skilled crafters, with a particular knack for working with Hist amber and egg shells. They are also peerless navigators, guiding their flat-bottom boats effortlessly through the swamp, master weavers, and skilled cartographers.
The most defining characteristic of the Miredancer tribe, however, is piety. This deep reverence for the Hist has earned them the right to name a "Sap-Speaker" for countless generations.
According to the elders I spoke with, the Sap-Speaker is the Hist's direct intermediary. (This is, of course, subject to debate. Many tribes boast unique methods of communion with the Hist. But as far as I have seen, the Miredancers make the most compelling case for the methods they use.) Sap-Speakers often go into seclusion for days or even weeks on end, venturing either down into the roots or high into the canopy of leaves in the uppermost branches. Here, they commune with the Hist. Indeed, the word that one of the elders used was "journey."
These journeys into the Hist tax the Sap-Speakers, but are thoroughly private affairs. After days by themselves, the Sap-Speakers emerge to hide away with old books, scrolls, and tablets. I asked after the purpose of these periods of seclusion, and this is what the elders told me. "The Sap-Speaker enters the embrace of the Hist to learn from the great tree," one elder said. "While in close contact with the roots and branches, the Sap-Speaker receives visions and other forms of communication that neither you nor I would understand."
The other elder continued. "Even the Sap-Speaker finds some of what is shown to be mystifying and confusing. I have heard that a Sap-Speaker is treated to ancient metaphors, arcane secrets, and visions that make little sense to creatures so far removed from sap and pulp." Apparently, the second period of seclusion allows the Sap-Speaker time to reflect on what he or she was shown, as well as time to consult with the ancient writings of Sap-Speakers who came before. After a suitable period of study and reflection, the Sap-Speaker emerges to reveal the Hist's will to the tribe.
I attempted to get more information about what happens while the Sap-Speaker meditates among the roots or branches, but I'm not sure the elders knew much more. They did tell me that the only nourishment the Sap-Speaker receives during these periods of seclusion is provided by the Hist itself in the form of sap, leaves, and the otherwise forbidden fruit of the tree.
There is a price to pay for the gift of Hist communion, however. Ingesting large quantities of Hist sap is a dangerous affair, even for Argonians. Sap-Speakers routinely suffer the effects of sap-poisoning, including "gold tongue" (permanent change of mouth pigmentation to a golden hue), unbidden hallucinations, "bark-scale" (thickening and darkening of surface scales), and other maladies they were reticent to talk about. The current Sap-Speaker, Thumarz, was in seclusion during my visit to the tribal village. I hope to meet him someday. If he's half as wise as the elders I interacted with, I'd no doubt learn a great deal from him.
Despite their deeply religious nature, the Miredancers also seem to have an obsession with games of all types. They are particularly fond of the games Nine-Shells and Shells and Stones, as well as sports such as the popular "teeba-hatsei" (also known as "hip and tail ball.") In addition to lovingly explaining their own games, they wanted to know everything I could tell them about the games we play back in Wayrest. I must admit, their enthusiasm was quite infectious! And I found it highly amusing to watch them try to re-create Deceiver's Bones from the vague description I provided.
The Miredancers are also inveterate gamblers, but they often forget to collect their winnings. Unlike the games of men and mer, Miredancer competitions appear to be completely devoid of malice or injured pride. Victory and defeat seem more like afterthoughts than objectives, due in no small part to their phlegmatic disposition. As in most things, their focus is strictly on the moment—the now. It pains me to leave their village, but I still have many more tribes to study. I doubt any of them will be as fascinating or as friendly as the Miredancers.
["the tribe is not currently in the game but in the world of the game"]