Lacertae III: Bessemer Cruciballis

Pain. In the darkest places. Seeping, dripping, seeking, eating all it can.

Ice. Falling. Hail from the sky down to the frost covered ground. White, pure, but killing any hopes for spring.

Longing. I’m hearing you speak. Say words at a coffee table. Knowing that you will return to this moment. Knowing this is the moment I will remember in the weeks…

Ducks. Snow. Tamed memories.

Little things I remember. 

Your presence. Essence. The place in the world your had. 

Eclipse. Moonshine. 

Water. The lake. Roaring waves. Iceland. Dark smiles.

Juxtaposition, and it’s still a hot coffee I’m drinking. Another morning. I’m here. I can still here you. It doesn’t feel fair. But since when was the goddess fair? She made both the grass and the snake hiding in it. Or just perhaps the precursors. The soup that makes our reality. The memorial service.

The ducks. The lake. The Lacertae.

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Animals as elements: 117-118 Tennessine Tennessee Cave Salamander, Oganesson Cat

Tennessine is a transactinide with a half life of 51 milliseconds. It might have more stable isotopes, however production of Tennessine is very expensive as it requires other rare elements. It’s tied with the Tennessee Cave Salamander, a Salamander native to Tennessee.

Oganesson is the last animal and elements for this series. Named after Yuri Tsolakovich Oganessian it is probably a solid radioactive element that is radioactive. Unlike its Nobel Gas forebears further up the periodic table, Oganesson isn’t likely to be non reactive. Only 4 or so atoms of Oganesson have ever been produced.

Cats are one of the most wonderfully adaptive animals. The Domestic cat is extremely good at hunting, and survival in even fairly extreme condition. It’s very adapt at desert survival and will likely outlast the end of the human they are tied to Oganesson for this reason. This is also why their is a clock in this picture, the clock is near midnight, near the time when climate change and war drives humanity into a spiral of self destruction, leaving cats to take our place.

Animals as elements: 115-116 Moscovium Giant Jerboa, Livermorium Woodpecker

Moscovium is a transactinide that has a half life of 0.8 seconds and thus is very difficult to get a hold of. Despite this it seems a little easier to synthesize than previous transactinides in that about 200 atoms of it have been produced. It’s named after the Moscow oblast.

Great Jerboas are a mouse like mammal that lives in Europe and Russia. One might used to be able to find one in the lands around Moscow however they have become extinct in that region. They are bigger than almost all other Jerboas alive.

Livermorium has a half life of about 60 milliseconds and thus it has had not many chemical experiments taken place on it. It’s tied with Woodpecker as Livermore California after which it the elements is named has woodpeckers.

Animals as elements: 113-114 Nihonium Squirrel Glider, Flerovium Tube Worm

Nihonium gets its name from Japan (Nihon) as the naming rights went to the Riken institute in Wakō. It’s a transactinide that has a very short half life of about 10 seconds. It’s isotopes however are slightly more stable and have contributed to the “Island of stability” theory.

Squirrel gliders are a Australian animal, and as much as I wanted to find a Japanese native animal that was as flighty and unpredictable as a squirrel glider I struggled and eventually ended up tying them to Nihonium.

Flerovium is also a heavy transactinide that sits in the Carbon group of elements. It has had a number of chemical experiments that have shown it behaving somewhat like a liquid or gas, rather than a solid.

Giant Tube Worms are much like other Tube Worms only giant. They are actually fairly small creatures comparatively that live under the ocean near volcanic vents. They build up their Tubes over time and may even pass them onto their offspring. They are tied to Flerovium as they live in heavy liquid.

Animals as elements: 111-112 Roentgenium Drugstores Beetle, Copernicium Deer

Roentgenium is one of the more interesting transactinides in that it has in what little experiments that have been carried out on it behaved like gold. Although this isn’t entirely surprising as it would be expected as gold is directly above it in the periodic table. It’s highly radioactive and has a shortish half life, but might have more stable isotopes.

Drugstore beetles are one of the most expensive beetles known to man, not in their beetle state though. Their larvae can eat through even lead in desperate times. The eggs will spread quickly piggybacking on yeast spores and decimate any stores in a matter of weeks. They particularly like strychnine but also happily eat hair, leather, parchment, leather and books. So they are not good news for a library. They are tied to Roentgenium because of it’s danger and stark beauty.

Copernicium that has been produced has short half life of 25 seconds. Again a transactinide that is predicted to behave like zinc or mercury, if a more stable isotopes can exist. Deer scatter when scared and I felt somehow that this made them a good match.

Animals as elements: 109-110 Meitnerium Chicken, Damstradium Taenia solium

Meitnerium is another highly radioactive element that has a half life in the seconds. It is named for Lise Meitner who was one of the discoverers of process to achieve nuclear fission. She did not receive the Nobel Prize for her work. Some attribute this to endemic sexism. Meitnerium has not had many chemical studies on it as it’s half life is to brief.

Chickens are domesticated bird, however their ability to survive now in general depends on humanity survival. It’s tied to Meitnerium as much like Lisa Meitner chickens do not get nearly the praise for the contribution to humanities continued survival that they should have.

Darmstadtium is element 110 (only 8 left) and again a highly radioactive with a short half life. It’s named after Darmstadt as it was originally discovered by a team of nuclear physics in the town.

Taenia Solium is better known as a tape worm. The human varieties of which have in general come from pork meat that has been poorly cured or cooked. I’m not making any purposeful reference to the town of Darmstadt by tying it to Darmstadtium! The creature is very like any heavy transactinide in it ability to only survive in specific environments and be somewhat deadly when not properly managed. Darmstadtium was the only element in the 110-118s left to fit it as a animal as element, when I was allocating the last few animals to elements.

Animals as elements: 107-108 Bohrium Megascolides australis, Hassium Giant Sloth

Bohrium is a very unstable radioactive transactinide element that can only be produced synthetically like all of the elements above 100. Only limited experiments have been performed on Bohrium as it half-life is barely a minute long.

Megascolides australis is a giant earthworm that makes a thumping noise in response to noise above them. Much like Bohrium, they are rare and secluded.

Hassium is so unstable that only about 100 atoms of it have been created in a lab this far. It’s named after the German state of Hesse.

Giant Sloths used to live throughout most of the American continent. Now, unfortunately, they are extinct but they did eat Avocado and spread their seed, Hass is a common verity of avocado and it rhymed with Hassium so that was why I chose it to represent Hassium.

Animals as elements: 105-106 Dubnium Elephant, Seaborgium Leafy Sea Dragon

Dubnium named after Dubna a town in Russia where it was discovered. It’s a unstable radioactive transition metal, and has a half life in minutes. Much like other elements in the 100s is only used in high level radioactivity experiments.

Elephants never forget or so a certain saying goes. Elephants used to live all over Europe and Asia, including in Russia. Unfortunately human activity and environmental changes have caused it to become extinct in many areas it used to live. I felt elephants being heavy they would tie with a heavier elements, and so I decided to tie them to Dubnium.

Seaborgium is named after Glenn Theodore Seaborg who after his involvement in the Manhattan Project became one of the most strident proponents of nuclear arms control. He also was the co-discoverer of 10 elements and the use of iodine-131 in medicine for thyroid treatments.

Leafy Sea Dragons are a relative of the Seahorse that live on the south coast of Australia. They are very peaceful well camouflaged creatures. As Seaborg was a propensity of peacemaking I felt a peaceful Sea creature was best.

Animals as elements: 103-104: Lawrencium Electric Eel, Rutherfordium Kakapo

Lawrencium is a actinide metal (technically) and it sits on the very edge of the “island of stability” and thus is one of the few elements past 100 that have had chemical experiments performed with it. Though it is still radioactive and these experiments revel more about how the elements behave overall than Lawrencium itself. It’s tied with electric eel as electric eels also tend to like to sit on the edge of islands.

Ruthfordium is a transition metal, though this doesn’t make it stable. It’s also has very long history of naming called the transfermium wars.

The kakapo or night parrot is a strange nocturnal parrot native to New Zealand. Their are not many left and it is critically endangered. It’s tied to Rutherfordium as I felt like it.

Animals as elements: 101-102 Mendelevium Godwit, Nobelium Ermine

Mendelevium could have easily been named Seaborgium due to its discovery. It was fairly difficult to capture and like most elements with numbers beyond 100 is only used in research.

The Godwit is a long-legged, long-beaked migratory bird. They are hard to distinguish between each species and were once considered a delicacy. They are tied to Mendelevium as it required Aqua Regia to prove it wasn’t Fermium and because it was almost called Seaborgium. That’s probably the most stupid chemistry joke I will ever make.

Nobelium is an element with a history almost as grandiose as its name. It had several false discoveries and nine controversies that could make a good TV documentary to fall asleep too. It is close to impossible to produce in large quantities and so most of its properties aren’t fully known.

Ermine (Stoats) are ferret-like creatures that live in most of the northern hemisphere. They were once used for fur and sometimes domesticated by those allergic to both dogs and cats. They were also sometimes considered Nobel and thus their connection to Nobelium.

Animals as elements: 99-100 Einsteinium Human, Fermium Osprey

Einsteinium was discovered in the debris of the first nuclear explosions. It has no long lasting isotopes, and what is present is so radioactive it will glow blueish. It was first discovered after the Ivy Mike nuclear test. However it’s discovery was kept secret until after the end of World War II. Humans have intrinsically linked to Einsteinium discovery as the discovery led Humanity into the Anthropocene (at least in mind). It also is amazed at how easily humans forget they are animals too.

Fermium was also discovered in the debris from Ivy Mike though it was more difficult to find enough of to prove it was indeed a different element. Fermium is named after Enrico Fermi who was a major researcher in nuclear physics .

It’s tied with Osprey as Ospreys are birds that live all over the world and as they still can be found at the Fermi lab in Illinois today.

Animals as Elements: 97-98 Berkelium Coyote, Californium Bear

Berkelium is named after Berkeley California, much like it’s neighbor Californium which is named after the state. Thus both are depicted as animals one might find in California the Coyote and the Brown Bear.

Berkelium is a transuranic metal only used to synthesize heavier elements and can only be produced in nuclear experiments and explosions.

Californium is slightly more useful in being used to produce neutrons to start nuclear reactors and also the heaviest element currently discovered, element 118 oganesson. It’s a silvery transuranic mental that tarnishes in air.

Animals as elements: 95-96 Americium Bald Eagle, Curium Moon Jellyfish

American is an element that sits (in the periodic table) under Europium and thus names after America. I expect element 149 would be named Australiacisium, but that’s just speculation. It’s used in Smoke Detectors and in some nuclear battery applications. It’s tied to Bald Eagle for obvious reasons.

Marie and Pierre Curie were long term researchers of radioactive isotopes and Curium was named in their honor. It’s a hard and dense metal that forms strongly fluorescent bonds with organic compounds. It’s from this ability that some have got the idea of people glowing after exposure to radioactive isotopes. Curium is mostly used to produce other radioactive isotopes.

Crystal Jellyfish are round relatively small Jellyfish that can survive rather depleted oxygen regions. They can be bioluminescent and thus this is why they are tied to Curium.

Animals as elements: 93-94 Neptunium Earwig, Plutonium Dog

Neptunium is a hard radioactive metal that comes just after Uranium. Because of this it was named Neptunium as that’s the planet after Uranium. No prizes for where Plutonium gets it name from. It’s mostly produced as a by product of Nuclear energy production or to make heavier elements.

Earwigs are a rather surprising motherly bug, in that they will look after their young up to their second molt. Their wings resemble ears when unfolded, hence the name. They are tied with Neptunium as I felt how they got their name was similarly odd.

Plutonium is probably the most famous post transuranic metal. Its used nuclear fusion and fission explosions and bombs. It’s also had use a medical indicator but this was never developed beyond lab tests that were nonconsensual. Much like Pluto, Micky’s dog, Plutonium is depicted as a dog. In this case my Dog Willow.

Animals as elements: 91-92 Protactinium Serval, Uranium Panther

Protactinium is a highly toxic relatively stable radioactive element. It only used for scientific research and is usually a by-product of nuclear energy and research. It’s bioactive and reacts readily with organic compounds and oxygen.

Servals are medium-sized carnivorous cats. They will hang using their hearing and can bring down larger prey. They generally avoid other large cats. They are paired with protactinium as servals have been known to be very vicious.

Uranium needs almost no introduction. It’s a mildly to very radioactive element, but very useful element, mostly used in nuclear reactors, scientific research and medical machinery. It can also be used for hardening, plating and in alloys.

Black Panthers (or leopards but not Jaguars) are large cats live in Africa and Asia. They are stealthy jungle hunters, and capable of hunting large prey as a apex predator. They are tied with Uranium as Africa is a major exporter of Uranium and I felt the pather reflected the raw power of Uranium.

Animals as elements: 89-90 Actinium Trypanosoma brucei, Thorium Maned Wolf

Actinium is the first of the Actinides, a series of 15 similar elements that share similarities. Some are only available when man-made, others occur in nature in stable or semi-stable states. Actinium itself is very radioactive and doesn’t really have much use. It’s matched with Trypanosoma brucei which is one of the parasites that plague humans and other creatures from the Tsetse fly.

Thorium is a slightly radioactive rare earth actinide which most common isotope has a half life close to the age of the universe itself (so pretty much stable). It’s named for Thor the Norse God of thunder, and is used in crucibles, arc lamps, catalytic conversation of ammonia.

Manned Wolf is not a fox nor a wolf. It is in fact it’s own special species of candid. They lack the split eyes of foxes and the double coat of a wolf. They live in South American grasslands and jungles and hunt alone. They use scent markings heavily and are sometimes referred to as a Skunk wolf. Like Thorium they are strange and familiar at the same time.

Animals as elements: 87-88 Francium French Hen, Radium Skate

Francium is the second rarest naturally occurring element. It’s an alkali metal and generally degrades by decay into astatine. It shares many properties with Astatine and caesium and can form similar salts to both. Its instability makes it if little practical use. Francium was discovered in France (hence the name) in the Curie Institute. It originally has the name Eka-caesium.

French hens are a domestic food animal that, may or may not have originated in France. The name has stuck, and so it gets tied with Francium.

Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive element in alloys of Uranium, and very rarely in Calcites. It’s the most infamous application was in watch and clock diles to make them glow in the dark over long periods. This practice led to the horrendous treatment of the Radium Girls, who were instructed to use their mouths to point the paintbrush. This led to radium ingestion, which acts like calcium in the body and deposited into bones eventually causing cancer. It also helped (along with polonium) to cause madam Curies death.

Skates are Rays that are generally smaller in size, they are slippery and able to fit in small spaces. Thus I tied them to the equally slippery Radium.

Animals as elements: 85-86 Astatine Macrolepiota procera, Radon Wandering Albatross

Astatine is a very rare radioactive element that only exists on earth as a decay product of other elements. It’s only real use is in radioactivity experiments and in the production of heavier elements.

Macrolepiota procera is a common fungus that is famous for forming the fairy ring. It’s upper part (fruit body) is short lived and thus tied to Asatine for this reason. Also no one really seems to know if fungi count as plants or animals. I’m going to count them as animals for the purposes of this art series and because I like fungus.

Radon is a unstable Nobel gas. It really only exists in nature again as a decay product of heavier slightly more stable elements. It’s mostly used as a tracer to determine the age of other things.

The Wandering Albatross is a large sea-bound bird that close to lives entirely in flight, only coming to ground to mate and hunt. It seems a fitting tribute to the Radon.

Animas as elements: 83-84 Bismuth Humpbank Anglerfish, Polonium Stork

Bismuth is a soft post-transition metal that is famous for its hues of Rainbow like crystals. It’s also the first element that isn’t completely stable even in its ground state, though its half-life is so large as to be greater than three times the age of the universe. It’s used in cosmetics, solder, plating and alloys and ammunition. It used to be used like iodine, until it was found to be mildly toxic. It is still sometimes used in disinfectants but at a much-reduced dosage.

The humpback anglerfish is a fish that hints using its natural luminescent light. Like almost all anglerfish it is an ambush carnivore. It’s tied to bismuth as they both use light to distract from their potential dangers.

Polonium is famous for its toxic radioactive states. It has no stable elemental form and has been used as a assassination weapon. It may have also contributed to Marrie Curie’s death. She discovered and named the element after her homeland of Poland, then occupied by the Russians. It was the first (but not the last) time that an element was named as a political statement.

Storks are long-legged wading birds. They share a long mythology that includes birth and death and have been depicted as both bringing of babies and as bringing death (though this much less so). Storks are third to Polonium as there are many Storks that call Poland one of their homes (as they are migratory birds). They were thought to be close to completely monogamous, but this has lately been shown to be untrue, though it’s helped in the rise if their mythology throughout the western world.

Animals as Element’s: 81-82 Thallium Deathwatch Beetle, Lead American cockroach

Thallium is a greyish metal that isn’t usually found free in nature. It has to refine from other metals. It’s highly toxic and was used in rat and insect poisons but has since been banned. It’s still used as a poison by those with nefarious intent. It is now used in some sorts of x-ray imagery in tiny quantities.
Deathwatch beetles will tap and scrape at the inside of old decaying woods, it is their primary food-source. Some say that they were the inspiration for Edgar Allen Poe’s Tell tale heart. They will eat most slightly rotting wood and wood related fugues, and possibly occasionally found their way into untreated or rotting wood floors and even poorly made caskets and scared the “heart” out of more than a few people.

Lead is a heavy, malleable and slightly toxic metal. Its uses have been varied throughout time, including use in currency, armour, weapons, as an alloy and even in primitive medical uses until its toxicity was well known. It is still used in medicine, but almost always as a shield against radiation in x-rays. It also gets used in manufacturing.
American cockroaches are different to European and even what most Australian’s would call cockroaches (generally in Australia its a field cricket). They are exceptionally hardy insects and are generally able to survive fire, floods, and even partial decapitation. This isn’t true of all species of cockroach, so its not recommended you should try it. It is also said they are the only thing that is likely to survive a nuclear winter, should nuclear apocalypse come.

Animals as elements: 79-80 Gold Lion, Mercury Messenger pigeon

Gold is a lustrous heavy and precious metal, mostly prized for its color and weight. It’s been used as currency and as a precocious desired thing for as far back as history books will ever go. It’s still used as a standard “best metal” in the Olympic Games and many, many other things. Jewelry is its main use, often alloyed with silver or copper to help its strength and help prevent corrosion. It’s also used in electronics and computing.

Lions are large carnivores that used to live in most of the Eurasian continent. They still form the crests and symbology of many countries. Especially that of England which likely hasn’t had native lions for at least 2 centuries. They now mostly reside in Africa and some central Asian countries. They often have gold coats (also yellow, grey, light brown) and this is why they are tied to gold.

Mercury is a toxic metal that is liquid when at room temperature. It’s often very hard to handle and use in a practical way. Though it used to be used in the dying of top hats. In fact the Mercury would be found to be the culprit of many poisoning’s that led to madness, liver damage and of course death. It inspired the Mad Hatter Alice in wonderland and thus helped coined the phrase “Mad as a Hatter.” Its still used in thermometers, weather measuring instruments and thermostats, compasses, some dental applications (in very small amounts) and in some types of lighting.

Messenger pigeons are technically a specific bread type of domestic pigeon that has its home finding abilities selectively bred. Despite it not being a actual species it made sense that Messenger pigeons matched with Mercury than the Domesticated pigeons. The main reason being that most domestic pigeons would not travel as far, and mercury would when used as for compasses.

Animals as elements: 77-78 Iridium Scorpion, Platinum Donkey

Iridium is a hard dense metal, that is the most corrosion resistant metal. This often means its used in spark plugs and in a huge number of alloys for strengthening or corrosion resistance. Though it’s rarity makes it difficult to obtain.

Scorpions aren’t rare but they are often quite hard to find, and their tails are hard and difficult to avoid if one is wanting to catch them. Most are not toxic, but will hurt considerably if they sting you. It’s tied to iridium as they are both hard to find.

Platinum is the “rich mans silver” often a substitute for white gold in some jewelry for purposes of hardness. It’s also used in electronic components, catalytic converters, thermometers, and chemotherapeutic agents. It can be toxic as a salt but not when pure.

Donkeys are known to be hard working, sure footed and somewhat grumpy animals that have been used as beasts of burden by humanity for centuries. Not to be confused with mules or hinny, which are interned with horses. They are tied with platinums as they are equally hard working and diverse.

Animals as Elements: 75-76 Rhenium Haddock, Osmium Ostrich

Rhenium is the second last fully stable elements on the periodic table. It is named after the Rhine where it was first discovered. It is used in many alloys as well in catalytic converters used in cars. It’s costly due to the difficulties in refining, and it’s the rarity. Its rarity probably could even sometimes make some consider it Rhinegold, which features in some Norse folktales.

Haddock are sizeable cod-like fish that have become a staple food source in some countries.  They are tied to Rhenium as they have been known to swim into the brackish waters near the Rhine entrance to feed on the small freshwater fish who live their often in abundance.

Osmium is a hard silvery metal that is mostly used in industrial manufacturing, fountain pen nibs and electrical contracts. Although I was tempted to tie Osmium with a mammal or reptile, Ostriches seemed a better match as they land-bound birds, often considered very hardy and their feathers were previously used in quills before the popularity of quills ceasing. Ostriches are also often depicted putting their heads in the sand, which is strange as they are incapable of doing this.

Animals as elements: 73-74 Tantalum Tantulum elegans, Tungsten Rhinoceros

Tantalum is rare transition metal that your almost certainly using now. It’s used in capacitors in almost every modern computing device. This it is one of the metals most prized in the recycling of such devices. It’s not very toxic at low levels but can easily become so in high doses. It’s tied with the Tantulum elgans a sea bound slug that shares a similar name.

Tungsten is a very hard transition metal. It’s used in heating elements, mining and aerospace. It’s getting harder to source and mine and has become rarer in recent years.

Rhinoceros are large megafauna herbivores that are unfortunately endangered. It’s tied to Tungsten as they both have increased rarity and hardness.

Animals as elements: 71-72 Lutetium Hen Harrier, Hafnium Danish Landrace Ram

Lutetium is the last of the lanthanides. It’s another not so rare “rare-earth” metals. Being almost as common as silver in the earths crust but significantly more difficult to process and thus expensive. It’s main use is in determining the age of other minerals, as its isotopes decays in a very predictable pattern and length that gives it an edge over other isotopes. It’s paired up with Hen Harrier as they both share naming issues, the Hen Harrier called many different names throughout Europe, it’s the same with Lutetium which also had many different names in Europe until recently.

Hafnium is a return to the transition metals, it’s used in computing and neutron capture rods in nuclear reactors. It’s resembles Zirconium and is often mistaken for it.

The danish landrace goat bread out of domesticated and wild goats in Denmark. It is often mistaken for other breeds of goat. It’s tied to Hafnium as they both get mistaken often.

Animals as Elements: 69-70 Thulium Idiacanthus Atlanticus, Ytterbium Tench

The black dragonfish (Idiacanthus atlanticus) is one of the weirdest looking of the dark sea hunting fish that we know of. It’s likely many more exist that we don’t know about that are just as if not more weird. It almost exclusively hunts in the dark of the ocean and it’s bioluminescent light is almost invisible to human eyes, it however is able to see and use it to hunt its prey.

Thulium is a fairly rare “earth” element, it maintains this name despite being available in sufficiently detectable quantities in the ocean. It’s mostly used in lasers and X-ray machines. All this makes it a suitable candidate for being tied to the black dragonfish.

Ytterbium (not to be confused with Yttrium, it’s one of four elements named after the same Swedish Town) is the second last lanthanide. It’s mostly used to help form stainless steel, in lasers, and as a source of gamma rays. It will react fairly readily with oxygen outside of an alloy and forms a white salt.

Tench are a fresh water fish, though “fresh” is stretching it as they tolerate very low oxygen environments that even Carp has trouble surviving at. This is why it’s paired with Ytterbium.

Animals as elements: 65-66 Terbium Western Spade-foot, Dysprosium Water Buffalo

Terbium is probably one of the weirdest elements in the first 100 elements besides Mercury. It reacts with pretty much everything including water. Its ability to react readily means it often needs care in its handling, but it is handy as an alloy being used in the production of tungsten, fluorescent tubes, phosphorescence paint, sonar technology, and even in the detection of certain nasty strains of bacteria.

The Western Spadefoot is an arid area toad that lives in the California region. A nocturnal toad that mostly lives in small ponds and has one of the quickest known metamorphosis of any toad, in that it will transform form spawnling to tadpole, to small toad in a matter of 12-13 days if conditions are optimal.  This is why I related this strange looking toad with Terbium, they both transform quickly in the right circumstances.

Dysprosium is probably one of those elements most people wouldn’t even pay much attention to. Mostly as it is not exceptionally useful as a separate element. Though its use in ultraviolet LED’s has led to it being in broader use in your remote controls in recent times as LED’s replace earlier ultraviolet light emitting means. It is also used as in nuclear reactor control rods as it is able to perform very well for neutron capture.

Water buffalo are large bovine (bovid) from South-Southeast Asia. It is a partially domesticated animal with many feral populations within countries throughout the world. Both its milk and meat are eaten, and it is also used as a beast of burden for the tillage of fields and cropping. It mostly likes to live in wetland and grasslands ranging as far as tropical savannah.  It is connected to Dysprosium as it current main source is in Southeast Asia, but it may be sourced from the others such as Australia in the not too distant future as well.

 

Animals as elements: 63-64 Europium Moon Jellyfish, Gadolinium Ruddy Shelduck

Europium is a element that is liquid at room temperatures, and often can look like a silvery metal. It can oxidize fairly easily so care is taking in its handling. It’s used in lasers, lights, CRT monitors, and computing.

The moon jellyfish is a odd little creature that is only about 25-40 cm round when full grown. It’s capable of a small range of movement and can swim to a very small extent. It generally follows currents to feast on plankton. It’s tied to European as its a water creature that likes lukewarm environments.

Gadolinium is a fairly rare, rare earth metal, that has applications in medicine for radiation therapy and as a neutron absorbing elements that can be used in fission nuclear reactors.

Ruddy Shelducks is a duck that has amazingly orange coloured feathers that lives all over Europe and Asia. It’s usually nocturnal and like most ducks is an omnivore. It’s tied to be Gadolinium as when it’s in it’s mineral form as Gadolinite it’s an amazing orange-red colour like the Shelduck.

Animals as Elements: 59-60 Praseodymium Igauna, Neodymium Crow

Praseodymium is a lanthanide with the unusual ability to have a +5 oxidation state. Though it generally is happy with just forming +3 oxides. Pure praseodymium will develop a lovely green shaded +3 oxide on its outside given time. It is one of the most useful lanthanides, used in everything from optics to magnets, lights, construction, catalysts, aircraft engines and even has helped get us the ability to chill things down to within a few thousandths of a degree of zero. It was hiding in plain sight for many years, often being confused with silver due to its very similar lustre and hardness. There is no doubt that some ancient silver vessels probably have some praseodymium in them.

Iguana makes a good match for praseodymium as they both tend to form the same green and tend to hide in plain sight and are surprisingly useful.

“Neodymium will make lovely glass.” As the song goes. Ok maybe only I heard that song. Or made it up? Neodymium is also a non-rare “rare earth metal” being no rarer than no rarer that cobolt, nickle or copper. It is, as you probebly guessed mostly used to make glass in a verity of colors, especially blues and pinks. It is also used in ceramics. The existance of neodymium will possibly help us achive fusion power in years, from its us in high powered lasers.

Crows are where the name Corvid comes from. They are one of the most talented birds, being able to form patterns and predict how things will happen. Some crows have been seen picking up nuts they have cracked using cars on pedestrian crossings. Others have used the same tactics to help kill prey. It’s tied with Neodymium as they are both exceptional.

Animals as Elements: 57-58 Lanthanum Goat, Cerium Blue Mud Dauber Wasp

Lanthanum is a element that has a entire group of 15 similar metallic elements that share similarities to it. The Lanthanides. It’s a very sharing element, giving a +3 electron charge to its shell, it will react with oxygen, the halogens, and most acids. It’s the strongest and hardest base (alkaline) element in its group.

Goats are one of the animals longest domesticated by humans. A very versatile animal, of the bovines, it is able to live in most environments with human assistance. Breading has led to making of goats suited to some of the more hostile environments humans will endure to live in. This versatility has led me to match goats with Lanthanum.

Cerium is a very well used element, though not biologically important it isn’t toxic. Its main use is now in catalytic converters, gas lamps, in TV screens and as a additive in glass. It also may see future use in water splitting and soil state fuel cells. Alloys of cerium have been used in paints to produce both red and blue colors.

The blue mud dauber wasp, is much like other mud dauber wasps only, unsurprisingly, blue. Mud dauber wasps often have a specific prey item, be it spiders, crickets, ants or any number of insects. The blue mud dauber specially hunts the black widow spider. It’s color likely comes from the need to surprise it’s prey. Mud daubers play a very critical part in the environment in keeping insect species in check. Much much cerium keeps many of our fabulous inventions safer.