Sunbeam Snake

Xenopeltis unicolor

It's the Sunbeam Snake, Xenopeltis unicolor!

Wait, unicolor? I'm seeing a lot more than just ONE colour!

Fat Innkeeper Worm

Image: Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory
Head on the right

They'll have you as a guest, but be prepared for some extremely distasteful personal habits. And don't ask where the food came from...

Shaggy Mane

Image: inyucho
Coprinus comatus

My favourite name for this mushroom is Lawyer's Wig, but this cranial accoutrement has a use-by date. Perhaps you thought all lawyer's wigs were past their use-by date... apparently not.

Namaqua Rain Frog

Image: Dean Boshoff
Breviceps namaquensis

It's the Namaqua Rain Frog. Gaze upon his mighty girth and weep, puny human.

Babirusa

Image: su-lin

Ah... This reminds me of my all-time favourite episode of The Simpsons: 9F15 - Last Exit to Springfield. It's the one where Lisa Needs Braces. She also sings a great song: "they have the plant but we have the power" and Mr. Burns at one point says:

Look at them all, through the darkness I'm bringing
They're not sad at all, they're actually singing!
They sing without juicers
They sing without blenders
They sing without flunjers, capdabblers and smendlers

But mainly Lisa Needs Braces.

Yes, I own an episode guide.

Friendly Spiders Far Too Friendly

Remember social spiders?

Chromodoris reticulata and the disposable penis

Image: berniedup

Chromodoris reticulata is the nudibranch that loves 'em and leaves it.

Bloodybelly Comb Jelly

Image: MBARI
Lampocteis cruentiventer

It's Valentine's Day! Just about. I can think of nothing to better express my profound feelings of love and gratitude for my wonderful readers than a hairy, carnivorous, disembodied heart.

Sea Mouse

Image: PeterEdin

It's difficult to know what to expect from something called a "Sea Mouse". Will it be a nimble, bright-eyed thing rushing around a coral reef? Now I think of it, that's a pretty good description of just about all the small fish you get around coral reefs. Maybe it's brown? Maybe it constantly urinates all over the place like an actual mouse?

Carinariid

Image: Roger R. Seapy
Carinaria japonica

This is what happens when you give a Sea Elephant a cute, little hat.

Visayan Warty Pig

Image: auntie rain
Sus cebifrons

It's the porcine punk monk!

Cock-eyed Squid

Image: Richard E. Young
Flowervase Jewel Squid, Stigmatoteuthis hoylei

Symmetry. Sexy, sexy symmetry. We all love a bit of symmetry. In fact, we're sexually attracted to symmetry. Leonardo da Vinci used it during his short-lived career as a purveyor of softcore filth. Mathematicians and physicists can't get enough of the stuff, the dirty buggers. Sure, one can get away with certain, limited instances of culturally acceptable asymmetry - a good left side-parting, for example - just keep it under your asymmetrically placed hat.

Marrus orthocanna

Image: Hidden Ocean Expedition 2005/NOAA/OAR/OER

CHEAT! CHEAT!

That javelin is jet powered and you CAN'T DENY IT! It's like running a marathon by spending half of it on a train! For shame.