MorriCritters

10/24/2025

https://prokopetz.tumblr.com/post/146711644642/that-thing-about-how-cats-think-humans-are-big

10/22/2025

Why it's wrong to kill snakes ...
See this? This is a yellow rat snake doing what snakes do best ― eating rodents and preventing disease. Some people think a wild snake will only eat once a week or so, but that’s a myth. They are opportunistic feeders and will often eat multiple prey items in one meal, such as entire nests of rodents!
This is why humans need snakes. This is why, no matter how you feel about snakes, you should never kill one. Snakes perform an invaluable service just by doing what they do ― asking nothing in return but to be left alone.
The only good snake is a live snake! (This one is multi-tasking.) 🙂

10/08/2025

Chimpanzees Attempt to Domesticate Penguins in the Kango Basin. In a bizarre twist of nature, researchers in the Congo Basin have documented a troop of chimpanzees seemingly trying to domesticate a group of penguins. Photographs show chimps leaving the shoreline with penguins clutched in their arms, while game trail cameras later capture the same chimps arriving back at their forested home, still carrying the birds.

So far, more than 30 penguins have been “relocated.” To the surprise of scientists, none appear distressed. In fact, the penguins are being fed fruit, groomed, and even petted by their new hosts. Even more astonishing is the role young chimps have taken in this odd cross-species experiment. They’ve been spotted chasing down any strays and escorting them back to the group, almost like shepherds in training.

“All 30 penguins are accounted for, and the troop seems intent on keeping them together,” one researcher noted. “It’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen.” Experts are now closely monitoring the situation.

10/04/2025

Scruffing an opossum is generally discouraged for A FEW reasons:

Stress to the Animal: Opossums are wild animals and handling them in such a way can cause significant stress. The sudden onset of stress and discomfort can put the rescuer at risk.

Ineffectiveness: Unlike other animals, scruffing is not an effective way to control or handle an opossum safely. If an opossum is in need of rehabilitative care, the first step is to safely secure them. Scruffing gives the rescuer minimal control over the opossum which can result in getting loose and not getting the care needed to recover.

Potential Injury: Handling an opossum by the scruff is not a sufficient way to support their body, potentially leading to physical injury. This is particularly true for adult opossums who can be quite heavy. An already compromised opossum is especially vulnerable to additional injury.

Alternative Handling Methods: If you need to handle an opossum to remove them from your house or take them in for rehabilitative care, you can:

Approach from behind and use your right hand at the base of their tail/booty and scoop your left hand under their belly and gently lift. Hold them close to your body with the pointy end away from you. Do not lift them by their tail.
Use a thick blanket to gently toss over and scoop up the opossum.
Gently corral into a kennel with a broom.

Due to the high risk of jaw injury, we do not recommend using live traps for opossums.

10/04/2025

10/01/2025

Off the coast of Portugal, a diver was busy with underwater repairs when he noticed an octopus hovering nearby. At first, he paid it no mind, until the octopus began to help.

Each time he reached for a wrench or dropped a bolt, a te****le slid in, offering it back like a quiet partner from the deep.

When he surfaced, no one believed him. So, he set up cameras and captured the proof: an octopus calmly passing tools to a human. The footage went viral.

Asked about it later, the diver just smiled.
“I’m just glad I had a little help down there.”

09/26/2025

09/24/2025

09/20/2025

The wildfire was out of control, flames tearing through the forest as crews were ordered to retreat. But one firefighter, gathering his gear, froze when he saw movement through the smoke.

It was a mountain lion. Limping. Covered in ash. Her golden fur dulled gray, her paws raw from heat. She didn’t bare her teeth or growl—she just stood there, eyes fixed on the water bottle in his hand.

Every instinct told him to leave. Instead, he knelt, unscrewed the cap, and held it out. Slowly, the great cat stepped forward. Then, with the dignity of a queen humbled by need, she drank.

For less than a minute, predator and protector were bound together—two lives colliding in a pocket of peace while the world burned around them.

When the water was gone, she met his eyes, then slipped back into the smoke. It would never make the reports, never be written in the official record. But in his heart, he carried it as a secret blessing.

Because sometimes, in the fiercest fire, even nature whispers back: You did good.

👉 Full story in the comments.

09/17/2025