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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 5h

#Inktober2025 Day 17: Ornate
The Japanese white-spotted pufferfish creates elaborate geometric circles in the sand. This "sand art" is thought to attract females, making his work truly a labor of love. #Inktober

A pufferfish admires his carefully crafted sand art while he waits for a female to come along and be dazzled

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 6h

#Inktober2025 Day 16: Blunder
This actually happened to me. Mommy skunk and her five babies were adorable, but EEK!! I don't know how I avoided getting skunked, but I'm pretty sure that was my fastest 5K time ever. 😅
#Inktober

A jogger stumbles into a group of skunks (a mom and her five babies). The jogger is terrified but the skunks seem unbothered.

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 14h

The gold edge is so stunning!

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 1d

Gah! Just stepped off the elevator in my building and was face to face with this lovely lady. Guess I'm in charge of the department skeleton this Monday (Mandy Bull). Eh... come get candy!

A human skeleton is dressed in a fish print tropical floral shirt and field hat and holding a dipnet containing a rainbow darter.

Sign on the skeleton reads, "Life is much harder/ When you're a darter/ You don't have to pay bills/ But there's worms in your gills/ But that's fine and dandy/ Dr. Million has candy!"

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 1d

*That's* the term I was trying to remember; thank you!!

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 2d

#Inktober2025 Day 15: Ragged
Yeahhhh... Cardinals look pretty rough when they're molting. #Inktober

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 2d

#Inktober2025 Day 14: Trunk

I always picture Mimics (from tabletop RPGs) with pharyngeal teeth. Side effect of being an ichthyologist, I guess. Put a rasping tongue on this one too for good measure (love you forever, cyclostomes). #Inktober

A Mimic (living treasure chest with two sets of fanged jaws and a protruding tongue covered in teeth.

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 3d

#Inktober2025 Day 13: Drink
This beetle in the Namib desert has no access to water except when the fog rolls over the dunes. Then it sticks its abdomen straight in the air and collects condensation that rolls down to its mouth.
...Yep, it drinks with its butt. Heh. Bottoms up! #Inktober

A Namib beetle raises its abdomen into a foggy sky to collect drinking water from the vapor.

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 5d

#Inktober2015 Day 12: Shredded

#Inktober

The Shredder (villain from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) grates parmesan cheese over a frightened man's spaghetti while saying menacingly, "SAY WHEN"

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 6d

The parrot is now arguing with me that it is "Murdoch bed" (the cat), not his own bedtime, and we allegedly need "warter" immediately. 😑 Can I claim him as a dependent *now*?

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 8d

#Inktober2025 Day 11: Sting
#Inktober

A male velvet ant admires a female while she fantasizes about "killing cows"

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 8d

#Inktober2025 Day 10: Sweep

Woman sweeping up debris on a floor while parrots gleefully replace all the debris behind her

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 10d

#Inktober2025 Day 9: Heavy
#Inktober

Lord Nibbler walks away whistling happily while a dung beetle strains to carry his latest dropping of "dark matter"

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 11d

#Inktober2025 Day 8: Reckless
I've heard of Tarantula Island in ACNH. I can only imagine this is how that would go for me ...
#Inktober

Animal Crossing player skips across an island beach with a bug net, blissfully unaware of the horde of tarantulas skipping along behind her.

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 12d

#Inktober2025 Day 7: Starfish
... this is a real starfish that exists. I think about it once a day. ⭐🍑 #Inktober

Ink drawing of a starfish with a "big butt"

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 12d

I have some growing up in my recently-rewilded yard here in Alabama. Maybe my babies will make it on the map someday too. ♥️

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 12d

I heard the peewee in my head as I read it.

Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 12d

Actual ecologists: no spoilers!!

Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 12d

It's that time again: Paramecium Wars!! This time you can choose your fighter! Scan the code and choose who you think will in our competition experiment in Ecology lab.

Flyer for Paramecium Wars experiment. Depicted are P. aurelia and P. caudatum in a "vs." arrangement. Text: "Two Paramecia will enter. One will prevail. Who do you think it will be? Scan and choose your fighter!!"

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 12d

It's that time again: Paramecium Wars!! This time you can choose your fighter! Scan the code and choose who you think will in our competition experiment in Ecology lab.

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 12d

One group has named them Biggie and Tupac 😅

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 12d

Yes!! ♥️🐟

Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 13d

Excuse me where is the photo of you in the costume?

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 13d

Putting a CW on this one for physical/spiritual harm.
Inktober 2025 Day 6: Pierce

A hand bearing thousands of tiny cuts, each one delivered by a well-meaning cliche

Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 14d

#Inktober2025 Day 5: Deer
Remember, if you see one of these cuties by itself and it isn't injured, leave it alone! Mom is likely nearby getting a much-needed snack and she will be back soon. If the fawn really is in crisis, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. #Inktober

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Dr. Kara M. Million @darterdancer.bsky.social · 14d

Scoop!!

A white budgie perches on a human's head

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