Post B15Kk5ewVEJN2Mo7Ky by futurebird@sauropods.win
(DIR) More posts by futurebird@sauropods.win
(DIR) Post #B15HVIlDD9LfSmzqFs by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:14:46Z
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"Crabs Home Store" is an interesting small business out of Jiangsu China that sells internationally over aliexpress. (There are a surprising range of crafts and art on aliexpress if you know how to find them under all the plastic junk.)They do crab taxidermy it's amazing to look at. I'm very thankful I'm not as interested in crabs as ants or this place would be very dangerous for my wallet. https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1103983039
(DIR) Post #B15HcYyZJxPlmWhrY8 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:16:05Z
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"More Crabs Photo" ?Thank God. I was getting worried.
(DIR) Post #B15Hq1BrjPbD3HLG40 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:18:22Z
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@riley None of them. They are real crab shells.
(DIR) Post #B15I4NmUXJidAbK4iO by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:21:06Z
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@riley I'm more concerned about rare species being poached and don't know enough about crabs to say if there is any cause for concern on that front. I will leave it to crab experts to point out such problems and anyone wanting to buy these kinds of things should research the species. They shop keepers speak no English and for all I know they are perfect conservationist. I just think their taxidermy work is amazing.
(DIR) Post #B15IVSJTnJ912pf768 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:25:57Z
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@riley If they start getting more international customers they might. But it looks like they have a brick and mortar shop and are doing booming business in China as it is. I guess there are a lot of crab fans.
(DIR) Post #B15IZXuQvk23YhthK4 by Burn_this_@beige.party
2025-12-09T21:26:42Z
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@futurebird Pediculosis pubis is on the board, just too small to see at this distance.
(DIR) Post #B15It6e40UgInCZFiK by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:30:13Z
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@riley IDK. I've mostly interacted with ant people on aliexpress. There are a lot of small businesses that make ant nests, ant keeping supplies etc. They are very friendly, and some are pretty serious about insect conservation although they are hobbyists. But also they don't sell ants, just things to keep them as pets.
(DIR) Post #B15JaBNmGliPwAUSem by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:38:03Z
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@riley By "interact" I mean we send each other horrible google translated notes back and forth through the terrible built in message system on aliexpress. But one guy helped me cure a bad mold problem when I was just starting out.
(DIR) Post #B15JiGYkuBBMJITnpA by Bfordham@infosec.exchange
2025-12-09T21:39:30Z
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@futurebird I'm sorry..."ant people"..."small businesses"...I'll see myself out
(DIR) Post #B15JkkFFVT5CxOXOng by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:39:59Z
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@Bfordham 😡
(DIR) Post #B15K260DriP5MNmalU by wtrmt@mastodon.social
2025-12-09T21:43:01Z
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@futurebird Just one more crab, this time from Chile
(DIR) Post #B15Kgr5aDbBsymj3SK by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:50:29Z
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@riley People call aliexpress "Chinese Amazon" but it's not really like amazon at all... it's like amazon+etsy+ebay in some ways.
(DIR) Post #B15KiGV7DuJA5ALApc by llewelly@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:49:41Z
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@Bfordham @futurebird a big business ant is probably a honeypot.
(DIR) Post #B15Kk5ewVEJN2Mo7Ky by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T21:51:03Z
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@llewelly @Bfordham This is making me think about "wealthy bugs of importance" again.
(DIR) Post #B15MPXPoJNIGwp3bEm by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T22:09:43Z
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@SarraceniaWilds I haven't! It's been a few years. Here is one store (I have not shopped with them, but by looking at related listings you'll find more there are like a dozen. Many are also "pet shops" so don't be alarmed if you find they sell things for cats and dogs too. )https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1102025004
(DIR) Post #B15OHYJpGhSfLEZt32 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T22:30:43Z
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@riley When talking to ant people language isn't that important. There is a shared understanding :)
(DIR) Post #B15OhpYLoY0GK0tzLk by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T22:35:28Z
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@riley The current problem is I can't tell when someone is using machine translation sometimes... so I always just ask (and of course I send my messages in both languages and the Chinese clearly labeled as "machine translated" )Which can make some people who know English annoyed... but I need to know. A person can send you this very clear-sounding text but it's not saying what they think.
(DIR) Post #B15PNS5XRhXbi4GvGy by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T22:43:00Z
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I was just not aware of the concept of crab taxidermy. But it seems like it's a fairly developed art. A little creepy for my tastes, but I can see the appeal.
(DIR) Post #B15PTorhfuB05Xpx32 by rgulick@social.coop
2025-12-09T22:44:04Z
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@futurebird What kind of taxidermy *isn't* a little creepy?
(DIR) Post #B15PUXN6CXQy7ere5o by gbsills@social.vivaldi.net
2025-12-09T22:44:07Z
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@futurebird Taxidermy is creepy, full stop.
(DIR) Post #B15PfjZVBLiZ960LmC by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T22:46:12Z
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@bri_seven Yeah. Poor babies. Even if it's kind of a fascinating study.
(DIR) Post #B15QZPunS3ryOmW6E4 by Gorfram@beige.party
2025-12-09T22:56:20Z
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@futurebird I'm guessing ant taxidermy isn't really a thing.*or, at least, not a very big thing 😜
(DIR) Post #B15QfvZqe5A8Knp4fA by graydon@canada.masto.host
2025-12-09T22:57:30Z
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@futurebird I will admit that my initial read of "crab taxidermy" had the crabs performing the taxidermy, which was alarmingly creepy to contemplate.
(DIR) Post #B15QqlyChlw3iwO0vI by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T22:59:30Z
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@Gorfram Depends?https://knithacker.com/2011/05/domestic-hunting-trophy-ant
(DIR) Post #B15QsqQJ7QTG7AWGUy by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T22:59:53Z
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@graydon You know they'd be good at it though!
(DIR) Post #B15R0wCVWRiCLjvKgS by Moss@beige.party
2025-12-09T23:01:14Z
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@futurebird *grump* with the name Crabs Home Store they should have things like closet organizers and shower curtains for crabs.
(DIR) Post #B15RSJimBKqr7F4Z5E by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-09T23:06:17Z
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@Moss ......I know I shouldn't bite but...How exactly could a crab take a shower?
(DIR) Post #B15S2wGcLYiR5YMdzE by Moss@beige.party
2025-12-09T23:12:52Z
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@futurebird Seriously, when they can’t even buy an appropriately made shower curtain?!?
(DIR) Post #B15Wx5VVZw7tmPMIhk by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-10T00:07:46Z
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@apLundell It's not an ant and I almost don't want to admit that I have this one speed dial in my bookmarks... yet... who else would keep track of such things. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1813919466/bubble-bath-time-self-care-bug-real-bug(I am curious what "ethically sourced wasp" means. )
(DIR) Post #B15el6csONqJPMbPyy by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-10T01:35:19Z
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@Virginicus You might think but look at this:The sheen on the shell, the color, those aren't just natural to a dead crab shell.And most important the life like eyes, which are made of resin to mimic what the living crab/lobster would look like. This is an artform. It's subtle, but amazing.
(DIR) Post #B15eqNRrH6KL1sxjhw by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-10T01:36:09Z
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@apLundell Those are "edible ants" some people like to eat dried ants. It's probably fine. IDK.
(DIR) Post #B15fV5c4UUDHaT9X2u by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-10T01:43:31Z
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@apLundell OK it looks exactly like the dried ants people sell to eat for some reason that I know about because ... well I have looked for every ant thing that exists.
(DIR) Post #B15flVcdYbXkt1FMGG by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-10T01:46:35Z
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@apophis @Gorfram Pinning is about having a sample of a species so you can compare new bugs against it and put it under a microscope and stuff. Pinned insects often look very sad. Their eye look dead because the fluid in them is gone (but the facets remain) I guess that's why the crabs are kind of fascinating. It's like if pinning could preserve what an ant really looked like when alive.
(DIR) Post #B15nfj5vLyxWZ9hP16 by mcsquank@mastodon.online
2025-12-10T03:15:08Z
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@futurebird @Virginicus also an artform
(DIR) Post #B15q3fT6gdLSB75QXo by 3janeTA@beige.party
2025-12-10T03:41:53Z
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@futurebird this is pretty great
(DIR) Post #B1CwuqIp5zeYxWjcNU by asakiyume@wandering.shop
2025-12-13T14:01:44Z
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@futurebird Wowwww! Sooo many varieties! These are insanely beautiful!