Witch Doctor
@witchdoctor.bsky.social
Socialist. Scientist.
Professional drug expert.
Amateur macabre medical historian.
_____
Header image by George Wylesol.
Nothing I do on here represents or is on behalf of my employer.
Professional drug expert.
Amateur macabre medical historian.
_____
Header image by George Wylesol.
Nothing I do on here represents or is on behalf of my employer.
Happy Halloween🖤 #13DaysOfHalloween Day 13 is the Pacific blackdragon, one of the blackest (no joke, called ultrablack) animals, determined by whether they reflect <0.5% of the light hitting it. They live a couple hundred to ~2000 yards deep and have a bioluminescent lure they use to attract prey 🧪
October 31, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Happy Halloween🖤 #13DaysOfHalloween Day 13 is the Pacific blackdragon, one of the blackest (no joke, called ultrablack) animals, determined by whether they reflect <0.5% of the light hitting it. They live a couple hundred to ~2000 yards deep and have a bioluminescent lure they use to attract prey 🧪
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 12 is the black hollyhock. This beautiful flower (most commonly a deep red or purple) is a pollinator-friendly plant that can grow to be over 6ft tall! The hollyhock is edible, is believed to have medicinal properties, and is used to create dyes. 🧪 🖤
October 30, 2025 at 5:04 PM
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 12 is the black hollyhock. This beautiful flower (most commonly a deep red or purple) is a pollinator-friendly plant that can grow to be over 6ft tall! The hollyhock is edible, is believed to have medicinal properties, and is used to create dyes. 🧪 🖤
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 11 is the black sea hare! This total chonk of a sea slug is a hermaphrodite, with both sets of sexual organs able to contribute to reproduction at the same time. While it looks like an amorphous blob on land, it spreads its wings and becomes a flowing beauty in the water 🧪 🖤
![A photo of a black sea hare, found in a river. The photo is from Williams, M., 2006 (Jan 28) Aplysia fasciata in Portugal. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15666](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:huxnm7v2o5vv673swzhs2ckl/bafkreidupzuh4jx3uiczkcb7wwndxdgj33dlwrviaw5t6ijvau7h35ofje@jpeg)
October 29, 2025 at 6:31 PM
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 11 is the black sea hare! This total chonk of a sea slug is a hermaphrodite, with both sets of sexual organs able to contribute to reproduction at the same time. While it looks like an amorphous blob on land, it spreads its wings and becomes a flowing beauty in the water 🧪 🖤
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 10 is the black brittle star, a relative of the starfish. It often lives in dense communities, spanning hundreds of square yards on an ocean floor! Despite variations in appearance and location, they exhibit remarkable population homogeneity pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37524805/ 🧪
October 28, 2025 at 3:20 PM
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 10 is the black brittle star, a relative of the starfish. It often lives in dense communities, spanning hundreds of square yards on an ocean floor! Despite variations in appearance and location, they exhibit remarkable population homogeneity pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37524805/ 🧪
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 9 is the Dracula parrot, living in New Guinea rainforests. They have hooked beaks and featherless heads, unlike other parrots, giving them a vulture appearance. While they look super spooky (and their calls sound like screams), the 🧛 parrot feeds almost exclusively on figs 🧪
October 27, 2025 at 3:56 PM
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 9 is the Dracula parrot, living in New Guinea rainforests. They have hooked beaks and featherless heads, unlike other parrots, giving them a vulture appearance. While they look super spooky (and their calls sound like screams), the 🧛 parrot feeds almost exclusively on figs 🧪
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 8 is the bat flower. Resembling a bat in flight, this stunning perennial is found in the understory of tropical Southeast Asian regions. It has bat-like wings (bracts) and cat whiskers (bracteoles). Its color and faint decaying scent attract flies and beetles as pollinators 🧪
October 27, 2025 at 1:10 AM
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 8 is the bat flower. Resembling a bat in flight, this stunning perennial is found in the understory of tropical Southeast Asian regions. It has bat-like wings (bracts) and cat whiskers (bracteoles). Its color and faint decaying scent attract flies and beetles as pollinators 🧪
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 7 is the black squirrel! Or is it? The black coloration is due to a pigment gene grey squirrels likely picked up from fox squirrels. Grey squirrels are actually white, black, and orange, but the ones with MC1R∆24 are just black! bmcecolevol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.... 🧪
October 26, 2025 at 12:56 AM
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 7 is the black squirrel! Or is it? The black coloration is due to a pigment gene grey squirrels likely picked up from fox squirrels. Grey squirrels are actually white, black, and orange, but the ones with MC1R∆24 are just black! bmcecolevol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.... 🧪
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 6 is the Brazilian treehopper, one of >3K types of treehoppers, with fancy helmets on both male and female bugs (and funny enough, not much treehopping). The black “beads” will pop off if picked up by a predator, adding a layer of defense www.sciencefocus.com/nature/what-... 🧪
October 24, 2025 at 8:11 PM
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 6 is the Brazilian treehopper, one of >3K types of treehoppers, with fancy helmets on both male and female bugs (and funny enough, not much treehopping). The black “beads” will pop off if picked up by a predator, adding a layer of defense www.sciencefocus.com/nature/what-... 🧪
Lovely thread, and a heads up that if you see garlic chive (Allium tuberosum) flowers, they are both beautiful and pack a delicate, garlic flavor!
Great for an edible garnish or salad (or just regular snacking, if you’re a garlic lover like me) #GardenSky
Great for an edible garnish or salad (or just regular snacking, if you’re a garlic lover like me) #GardenSky
October 23, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Lovely thread, and a heads up that if you see garlic chive (Allium tuberosum) flowers, they are both beautiful and pack a delicate, garlic flavor!
Great for an edible garnish or salad (or just regular snacking, if you’re a garlic lover like me) #GardenSky
Great for an edible garnish or salad (or just regular snacking, if you’re a garlic lover like me) #GardenSky
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 5! The ninja lanternshark, discovered 15 years ago, remains fairly rare and elusive, because...well…ninja! Not only is this a bad ass name, it emits a blue light, due to photophores (mostly around its head) 🤯 Learn more here: www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/n... 🧪
October 23, 2025 at 2:51 PM
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 5! The ninja lanternshark, discovered 15 years ago, remains fairly rare and elusive, because...well…ninja! Not only is this a bad ass name, it emits a blue light, due to photophores (mostly around its head) 🤯 Learn more here: www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/n... 🧪
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 4 is the black flying fox! This is one of the larger bats, found in Australia, Indonesia, and surrounding regions. They eat pollen and nectar (though may eat other plant materials when food is scarce), and while they’re not endangered, they are susceptible to heat stress 🦇 🧪
October 22, 2025 at 4:23 PM
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 4 is the black flying fox! This is one of the larger bats, found in Australia, Indonesia, and surrounding regions. They eat pollen and nectar (though may eat other plant materials when food is scarce), and while they’re not endangered, they are susceptible to heat stress 🦇 🧪
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 3 looks like it came out of the Snow White poison apple basket! The black diamond apple is a black/deep purple apple, grown in a mountainous region of Tibet. The color comes from the UV exposure and high (3k+ m altitude). Due to a short growing season, one apple can cost $7+ 🧪
October 21, 2025 at 2:34 PM
#13DaysOfHalloween Day 3 looks like it came out of the Snow White poison apple basket! The black diamond apple is a black/deep purple apple, grown in a mountainous region of Tibet. The color comes from the UV exposure and high (3k+ m altitude). Due to a short growing season, one apple can cost $7+ 🧪
#13DaysOfHalloween day 1 is the black seadevil anglerfish! They are found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans and Ross Sea. Unlike other deep sea anglerfish, the males are not parasitic.
While they live hundreds of meters deep, footage was shared of one near the surface earlier this year. 🧪
While they live hundreds of meters deep, footage was shared of one near the surface earlier this year. 🧪
October 20, 2025 at 1:05 AM
#13DaysOfHalloween day 1 is the black seadevil anglerfish! They are found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans and Ross Sea. Unlike other deep sea anglerfish, the males are not parasitic.
While they live hundreds of meters deep, footage was shared of one near the surface earlier this year. 🧪
While they live hundreds of meters deep, footage was shared of one near the surface earlier this year. 🧪
Nasturtium is a beautiful, edible plant with a peppery taste. The flowers are fairly mild, while the leaves are stronger. I also like freezing the flowers into ice cubes for a fun beverage addition. #GardenSky #BloomScrolling
July 29, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Nasturtium is a beautiful, edible plant with a peppery taste. The flowers are fairly mild, while the leaves are stronger. I also like freezing the flowers into ice cubes for a fun beverage addition. #GardenSky #BloomScrolling
Edible flowers in the garden, part 1!
Borage has a mild cucumber flavor and is a fun addition to salads.
More ideas here: www.bbc.co.uk/food/borage
Borage has a mild cucumber flavor and is a fun addition to salads.
More ideas here: www.bbc.co.uk/food/borage
July 12, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Edible flowers in the garden, part 1!
Borage has a mild cucumber flavor and is a fun addition to salads.
More ideas here: www.bbc.co.uk/food/borage
Borage has a mild cucumber flavor and is a fun addition to salads.
More ideas here: www.bbc.co.uk/food/borage
July 10, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Saw a Virginia creeper sphinx moth!
July 10, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Saw a Virginia creeper sphinx moth!
Doc Duck says, “Poke’em if you’ve got’em!”
So happy my baby got the MMR vaccine.
So happy my baby got the MMR vaccine.
June 16, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Doc Duck says, “Poke’em if you’ve got’em!”
So happy my baby got the MMR vaccine.
So happy my baby got the MMR vaccine.
I bought the gaygels and the gay-doh.
June 3, 2025 at 1:48 AM
I bought the gaygels and the gay-doh.
My little one asked for “one of mommy’s books” for bedtime and pulled this off the shelf 😅
March 20, 2025 at 12:25 AM
My little one asked for “one of mommy’s books” for bedtime and pulled this off the shelf 😅
Dracula parrots, also known as Pesquet’s parrots or vulturine parrots, lives in the rainforests of New Guinea. They have hooked beaks and feather-less heads, unlike other parrots, giving them a vulture look. The parrot feeds almost exclusively on figs ♥️🖤 #SpookyScience 🧪
January 10, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Dracula parrots, also known as Pesquet’s parrots or vulturine parrots, lives in the rainforests of New Guinea. They have hooked beaks and feather-less heads, unlike other parrots, giving them a vulture look. The parrot feeds almost exclusively on figs ♥️🖤 #SpookyScience 🧪
Whoa! ‘Histoplasmosis Associated with Bat Guano Exposure in Cannabis Growers: Two Cases’ 🧪 #MedSky 🦇
academic.oup.com/ofid/advance...
academic.oup.com/ofid/advance...
December 12, 2024 at 1:39 AM
Whoa! ‘Histoplasmosis Associated with Bat Guano Exposure in Cannabis Growers: Two Cases’ 🧪 #MedSky 🦇
academic.oup.com/ofid/advance...
academic.oup.com/ofid/advance...