The Eurasian Eagle-Owl, The Bush Dog, and The Ocean Sunfish

The Eurasian Eagle-Owl

- Found all across Europe and Asia

- 2.5 foot body length, 6 foot wingspan

- One of the largest owl species in the world

- Its scientific name is Bubo bubo, which is hilarious

The Bush Dog

- Found in the northern regions of South America

- About a foot tall, 2-3 feet long, and 15 lb in weight

- Also known as the Vinegar Dog due to the strong vinegar-like scent it produces

The Ocean Sunfish

- Found in tropical and temperate regions of the world's oceans

- The average adult can be 11 feet in length

- The average adult weighs up to 2200 lb, making it the largest bony fish in the world by weight. Its highest recorded weight is 5000 lb.

- Females produce the most eggs of any vertebrate; up to 300 million at a time

- Eats jellyfish

- Gets eaten by sea lions, killer whales, sharks, and Asian people

- Following deep dives into cold water, the sunfish will flip on its side on the ocean's surface to warm up and get a nice tan

Basking behavior

The Story of Mack and Opsonia

A short story inspired by making a joke that an Immunology textbook is still a better love story than Twilight.

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"There is a disease upon this world, Mack. We have to do what we can to save it."

"I know that. I've fought the invaders before. But this time is different...I can't see any of them. None of the phages can."

"But I can." Opsonia stepped forward. "I can see them, and I can show them to you. Then you can destroy them, and this world may yet live on."

"You would be killed in the process. I can't do it. I won't."

"This is what I was made to do, Mack." she said, her voice growing soft. "If I don't act, the world as we know it will end."

"I don't care, Opsonia. I don't care if the world crashes down and we die here. As long as we're together." Mack said. Opsonia smiled sadly.

"You have to live on and keep fighting. And you'll find another. Someone young and wild who will love you even more than I."

"I care not for those reckless lymphomaniacs. I love only you, Opsonia. We complement each other so well."

"...I know."

They drifted together in silence for several moments.

"There." Opsonia's eyes widened. "There's one of them. The invaders."

"Don't do this. Please."

"I have to." Without another word, she ran towards the foreign entity.

"Opsonia! Don't!" Mack chased after her, but could not keep up with his great size. He watched in horror as she stopped suddenly and presented the invader to him.

"We always knew it would end like this, Mack." she said, eyes glistening.

"I can't. Opsonia..."

She was bound to the invader now; there was no turning back.

"Do it, Mack. Do it."

He embraced her, gently, and blinked back his tears.

"I love you." she said softly. He continued to wrap himself around her, then the invader, completely engulfing them. Soon he could feel them both being undone.

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

The world continued to flow around him.

This Dog Eats Five Burgers At Once...You Won't BELIEVE What Happens Next!

The Gharial

Today's Animal of the Day is the Gharial, a crocodile found in northern India. It has a distinct long, thin jaw which it uses to catch fish. It grows to an average length of 15 feet and an average weight of 400 lbs. The Gharial is the only crocodilian species with sexual dimorphism, meaning the dudes look different from the girls. Male Gharials have a knobby growth at the end of their snouts, the function of which is not well understood. Some speculate that it plays a role in breathing or sound production, but it's 
probably just for looking damn sexy.

The Kunekune

Today's Animal of the Day is the Kunekune, a breed of domestic pig found in New Zealand. In the Maori language, 'Kunekune' means 'fat and round', which is also what they used to call me in high school. This breed of pig is relatively small, hairy, and short-snouted. Its most distinctive features are the wattles that dangle under its neck, which are usually only seen in certain birds and goats. The wattles are functionally useless and probably just serve as a fashion statement.

Here are some little Kunekune piglets and their mom. (WARNING: super cute)

The Secretarybird

Today's Animal of the Day is the Secretarybird. It is a large bird of prey, or raptor, found in sub-Saharan Africa. Unlike other raptors, the Secretarybird mostly stays on the ground and is also quite large, standing ~4 feet tall and weighing ~10 lbs. Snakes comprise a large part of the Secretarybird's diet, since it has a keen ability to kill them with its talons. In fact, its scientific name is Saggitarius serpentarius, meaning Archer of Snakes. Pretty badass.

[video of the Secretarybird's strut]

No one is sure why the Secretarybird is named as it is. Some say it's adapted from 'saqr-et-tair,' an old Arabic word meaning 'hunter bird.' Others say it's because the bird's head plumage makes it look like old English secretaries who kept quills behind their ears. Or maybe it was just some lonely scientist who saw the bird and imagined a secretary with long legs and a short black skirt.

Some lonely scientist named Wilson.

Oh god ;_;

The Pudu

Today's Animal of the Day is the Pudu. It is the world's smallest deer, only growing to about 15 inches (38 cm) in height and 33 inches (84 cm) in length. It is found in the rainforests of South America, which more or less by default means it's an endangered species. Also, as something that's both a "world's smallest" and a deer, it's preyed upon by pretty much everything. So the Pudu is really not having a good time nowadays.

Here's a baby Pudu and her parents.