African Mud Turtle
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ceratosaurus.bsky.social
African Mud Turtle
@ceratosaurus.bsky.social
29 followers 73 following 86 posts
Amateur artist, master procrastinator

Adores anything living, but extinct stuff especially

Jack-of-all-trades, I do drawings, blockbench models, pixel art and clay
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Reposted by African Mud Turtle
octopolis.bsky.social
Was not actively participating in #invertober this year but I do have this old drawing of a scaly-food gastropod that I simply must share
A digital drawing of an underwater hydrothermal vent with an octopus riding a giant scaly foot gastropod with some sick-ass turbines in the distance
October 10, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
martynwarren.bsky.social
I FUCKEN FINISHED!!! As always, it took me 2 months, but I got there in the end.
The final illustration of a pink silkmoth with beige and brown upper wings and vibrant pink lower wings. Oh, and an incredibly fluffy body. A close up showing the detail of the furry wings.
October 9, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
petrathepostdoc.bsky.social
*chanting*
ALL HAIL THE GREAT INVERTEBRATE
NEVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH BACK PAIN
OH GREAT INVERTEBRATE GRANT ME THE SAME
October 8, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
altnps.bsky.social
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston shut its doors, one of many presidential libraries forced to close as the government shutdown continues.
October 2, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
octopolis.bsky.social
Paging @aptshadow.bsky.social
meme of two muscular people locking arms, duplicated 8 times. arms are labeled 'spider' and 'octopus'
October 1, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
origamipete.bsky.social
More ancient chelicerates for #InverteFest!
These are:
Plesiosiro (Haptopoda), Goniotarbus (Phalangiotarbida), Pleophrynus (Trigonotarbida) and the still surviving hooded tick spider (Ricinulei), which were discovered in the fossil record first and only then also found in the wild.
Plesiosiro, an obscure arachnid from the carboniferous period. Designed by me in 2011. Structure based on a 48 by 48 unit grid. This little critter caught my attention because of the segments split in half. Goniotarbus, an obscure arachnid from the carboniferous period. Designed by me in 2011. Structure based on a 48 by 48 unit grid. This model is no longer accurate, The interpretative reference image I had used to produce this model is now out of date. Pleophrynus, a Trigonotarbid from the carboniferous period. Designed by me in 2020. The structure is based on a 64 by 64 unit diagonal grid. I've had a Trigonotarbid in my sights for a long time as a subject but I was eyeing Palaeocharinus originally. The complex segmentation of the abdomen was simultaneously what piqued my interest in the first place but a daunting task all the same, which hampered any progress. Many years have passed and that dream model has yet to materialize. Then one day a friend approached with an inquiry for a commission to recreate a different Trigonotarbid altogether and I jumped at the opportunity. This is the result. I'm still seeing opportunities for improvement but it really was the best I could do three years ago. An origami model of a hooded tick spider. Designed by me in 2011, based on a 48 by 48 unit grid. These really are funky little oddballs. I still have the struggle it was to try and find usable reference images in vivid memory. Thankfully, if and when I deem this one is due for a redo, I'm going to have much better references to compare against. :)
August 31, 2023 at 9:38 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
villesinkkonen.bsky.social
oh I forgot I made this too...Rare venture to invertebrates. but who doesnt like nice Trigonotarbid
November 22, 2024 at 7:53 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
mbarinews.bsky.social
Can you identify this animal? 🔍️👀

Did you get a kick out of shouting “acorn worm” at your phone? If so, you might enjoy playing @fathomverse.bsky.social. This month, you can find acorn worms by playing FathomVerse and earn a special badge!

Learn more about acorn worms: www.mbari.org/animal/acorn...
September 17, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
joschuaknuppe.bsky.social
Continuing along, we jumped back into the Ordovician.
Fezouata, oh you beautiful bastard! So many gooby, shelly armored critters!
October 17, 2024 at 10:09 PM
ceratosaurus.bsky.social
Doing something a little different
A WIP diagram of Megistaspis limbatus, an asaphid trilobite that is the type species of Megistaspis. Made with Inkscape.
September 9, 2025 at 12:17 AM
ceratosaurus.bsky.social
Some #floorphone for my friend @floorphone.bsky.social

MePhone is doing pushups while Floory is watching something (I headcanon YouTube Shorts) on MePhone's screen
MePhone4, a black iPhone-reminiscent phone from the object show Inanimate Insanity, is doing push-ups outside on the grass. The Floor, a fellow character from Inanimate Insanity, is underneath MePhone and looking up at his screen, saying "Ooh~...❤️"
September 2, 2025 at 1:27 AM
ceratosaurus.bsky.social
My submissions for the #LemuriaChallenge

(Descriptions in alt text)
Bryomedusa graptolithoides Habitat: Coral Reefs Clade: Bryozoa (relative of Cyclocladus) Size: 20-30 cm long Ecology: Pelagic Filter Feeder Additional Info: Bryomedusa is a genus of filter-feeding bryozoan related to Cyclocladus that has evolved to become pelagic. Its mesh-like structure reduces the weight of the bryozoan’s skeleton. Its zooids act like cilia, both sifting through water to find food and keeping the bryozoan afloat, while the vibraculan zooids at the base allow it to swim forwards. Tabulospongus auraeum Habitat: Snail Reefs Clade: Porifera (Demospongiae, Acarnidae) Size: Up to 10 meters across, 1 meter tall Ecology: Sessile Filter Feeder Additional Info: Tabulospongus is a crucial part of Lemuria’s snail reef ecosystems: it provides additional substrate for vermetid snails as well as providing hiding places for small fish. The vermetid snails encrusting on the sponge provide it with protection from organisms that would like to eat it through the simple expedient of providing a physical barrier. However, if the encrusting snails grow over the small pores through which Tabulospongus intakes water, they could eventually starve the sponge. To prevent this, Tabulospongus turns spicules surrounding the pores into upwards-pointing spines that can grow up to a centimeter long. Harpagonemertes gigas Habitat: Snail Reefs Clade: Nemertea (Monostilifera) Size: Up to 10 meters long Ecology: Benthic Ambush Predator Additional Info: Harpagonemertes is a truly enormous nemertean (though still between 3 and 5 times smaller than the longest species of modern nemertean, Lineus longissimus) that acts as the apex predator of the snail reefs. It uses its proboscis, armed with a single highly venomous stylet, to capture pelagic prey like small fish and pelagic annelids. Like some other nemerteans, Harpagonemertes has incredible regenerative powers, being able to regenerate a new tail or head after amputation. Tittilatios spp. Habitat: Snail Reefs Clade: Annelida (Sabellida) Size: 10 cm tall Ecology: Sessile Filter-Feeder Additional Info: Tittilatios is the most common genus of sabellid worm present in the snail reefs and has a lifestyle rather similar to other sabellids. It uses its crown of tentacles to filter plankton from the water, which it then eats. If threatened by a predator, Tittilatios can retreat into its tube. Dracoderes rapax Habitat: Coastlines Clade: Kinorhyncha (Cyclorhagida) Size: 4 cm long Ecology: Opportunistic Detritivore and Scavenger Additional Info: Dracoderes is a large genus of kinorhynch found on the coastlines of Lemuria, burrowing in the sediments of the wrack line and surf. Like its much smaller cousins, Dracoderes primarily feeds on diatoms and detritus found in the sediment; however, it is also usually one of the first scavengers to arrive at a washed-up corpse or frond of algae. To allow for efficient diffusion despite its size, Dracoderes has a ridged cuticle that increases surface area. Cardiodiscus commensalis Habitat: Coral Reefs Clade: Acoela (Convolutidae) Size: 1 cm long Ecology: Coral Epibiont Additional Info: Cardiodiscus, named for its resemblance to the geometric shape of a cardioid, is an epibiont of large corals like Megamedusa. It feeds on the coral’s mucus and transfers zooxanthellae from the host’s body to its own to allow it to secondarily photosynthesize. However, it does little harm to its host, hence the specific name. Phyllodoce peregrinus Habitat: All Oceans Clade: Annelida (Phyllodocidae) Size: 10 cm long Ecology: Pelagic Scavenger and Predator Additional Info: Phyllodoce peregrinus is a pelagic member of the common benthic genus Phyllodoce. P. peregrinus has a number of adaptations for pelagic life, including enlarged parapodia similar to the related nektonic genus Tomopteris and a translucent body. It uses its eversible proboscis to capture small prey like copepods.
August 20, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
ambylotl.bsky.social
I HATE THEROPOD PALEONTOLOGYY
August 17, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
joschuaknuppe.bsky.social
And here the result of the Patrick Burn Formation #paleostream!
This has been our first adventure into the Silurian, a short but important period for eurypterids and our own ancestors. The PB Formation from Scotland preserves a brackish fauna with such elements.
August 11, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
he-who-silenced.bsky.social
Ah the beauty of nature

“Ah.. the dick is getting bonered…” -my brother 2025
June 21, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
yee-qi.bsky.social
Omnidens hunts Vetulicola, Nectocaris hang behind.

Using light as defense only works once eyes start evolving; something this bioluminescent plankton uses to its advantage against its blind predators.

#paleoart #sciart #art #artist #paleontology #artistonbluesky
🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡 🐡
Shoal of eyeless, fish-shaped Vetulicola stir up glowing blue clouds of organisms in the water. Two-tentacled, squidlike Nectocaris linger in the background. An enormous, flap-sided, long-armed Omnidens lurks below.
June 17, 2025 at 6:25 PM
ceratosaurus.bsky.social
An aline for my art swap with @he-who-silenced.bsky.social
Two limpet-like aliens emerge from the ocean onto brown mudflats. They have a flat, tan body and a grey shell. The left one is fully in frame, and can be seen laying eggs. The right one is not fully in frame. The sky is cloudy and greyish-blue, and two clouds can be seen.
June 11, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
racecarart.bsky.social
The Fighting Dinosaurs fossil, aka "The risk I took was calculated but man am I bad at math."
A cartoon illustration of the "fighting dinosaurs" fossil specimen, featuring a protoceratops and a velociraptor. The protoceratops is on top of the velociraptor, succumbed to blood loss after the latter embedded its killing claw into its throat. The velociraptor is pinned beneath the dead ceratopsian, its arm still clutched in its prey's beak. The velociraptor is still alive, its eyes wide in realizing how dire its situation is.
May 28, 2025 at 4:17 AM
ceratosaurus.bsky.social
#paleoart of a baby (meraspid 0) Platypeltoides submitted for the KOI spring contest.
A baby Platypeltoides trilobite resting on pale sand in a shallow ocean. The trilobite is light brown and only has two segments: a cephalon (head) and pygidium (tail). Protruding from the rear end of the cephalon are two genal spines.
May 28, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
wwawwroww.bsky.social
Houcaris consimilis (=Ramskoeldia consimilis) is a Lower Cambrian predatory radiodont from the Chengjiang Biota.

#radiodonta #radiodont #Houcaris #Ramskoeldia #Amplectobelua #Amplectobeluidae #arthropod #arthropoda #lobopodia #paleoart #paleontology #cambrian #art
May 18, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
thepalass.bsky.social
Discussion in #PapersinPalaeontology: comment onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... and reply onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... on Omnidens appendages and the origin of radiodont mouthparts
Photograph of part of a fossil specimen of the euarthropod Omnidens qiongqii (YKLP 12474) showing the oral apparatus with a talon-like structure. Scale bar (lower right corner) is 10 mm.
May 6, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
lordtrilobite.bsky.social
April 7, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
joschuaknuppe.bsky.social
Result from yesterdays Emu Bay Shale #paleostream!
This was our first Cambrian formation piece AND No. 50 in this series!
This place had some interesting challenges attached to it and it's fauna has some fascinating members.
April 6, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by African Mud Turtle
reshetz.bsky.social
The missile engine whistling is easily top 5 of worst sounds in the world and every person that ever shilled for russia deserves this unforgettable experience in my humble opinion
April 5, 2025 at 11:31 PM
ceratosaurus.bsky.social
Keurbos susanae, a new enigmatic arthropod from my old friend the Soom Shale, has been finished!

doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70004
Keurbos susanae, an enigmatic arthropod here reconstructed after Acheronauta, pursues a conodont in the polar waters of the South African Soom Shale. The water is dark green and becomes lighter close to the top, and there is a large iceberg on the top-left corner. Underneath the iceberg, there are the faint shapes of moon jelly-like jellyfish. The arthropod itself is white and worm-like, with a dark underbelly adorned with scleritis. It is curving up, trying to pursue the Notiodella.
April 2, 2025 at 10:45 AM