Balloo is definitely my sweetest raccoon friend. They’re all non aggressive, and trust me to varying degrees, but she trusts me the most of all of them. She even likes to be petted, doesn’t mind if I give her chest scratches, or rub her paws gently. Her mother brought her around as soon as she was able to venture out, and she’s been an amazing part of my life ever since. I absolutely cherish every moment with her. Now, I know some people might get the wrong idea about me, but let me tell you folks, I’m not some animal guru who’s never been bitten, oh I’ve been bitten by lots of different animals. It’s not often, and it’s always my fault, but it happens, and you have to accept it as part of the game, and if you can’t, you should just stick to watching videos of other people doing it. Balloo has never bitten anyone, and I certainly don’t foresee it happening anytime soon. Me personally, I don’t mind, it’s not really that bad, and normally they’re not trying to hurt you. Usually when an animal bites it because they’re scared and felt threatened, or in most of my cases, it’s over excited and hungry animals that don’t realize they’re taking the food too hard, especially babies and new comers that are unfamiliar with “taking it nice”. But they learn, they’re not trying to hurt me. I live a rough and tumble lifestyle, an occasional bite from an animal is the least of my injuries. 😂 Song credits: Fade into you, by Mazzy Star #ballootheraccoon #raccoons

The OG fish friend, Elvis the smallmouth These are clips from our 25th dive together. Song credits: It had to be you, by Betty Hutton #elvisthesmallmouth #fish #bass #fishfriends #animalbehavior #animallovers #ichthyology #underwaterphotography #wildlife

Sweet Balloo is still alive!!! It’s been a long winter, I have barely seen any of my raccoon friends, and it’s been since November that I’ve seen Balloo. She showed up at just the right time last night before I went to bed. I checked outside to see if any of them were there, and there she was. The joy I felt when I realized it was her was off the fuckin charts! I was starting to worry that something happened. Thankfully she’s looking well, and no visible signs of injury. You can see in the video how she’s constantly checking her back for threats. Once they trust you, they’ll feel safe in your presence, but are still very alert to anything that comes by. She, and the others, will bolt the moment they hear other people approaching, dogs barking, or cars on the road. Sometimes even other raccoons will scare them away. As always, I am a professional, and I assume all risks involved, please don’t try anything you see me doing. Song credits: Reunited, by Peaches and Herb #animalbehavior #animallovers #wildlife #raccoons

Random Wild Adventures # 2 Just some random clips from my outings. Song credits: Wild Horses, by The Rolling Stones #wilderness #wildlife #nature #underwaterphotography

This video is of two clips. The first is where Elvis finds me at the beginning of our 25th dive together. The second clip is near the end of the dive where he’s gotten his fill of food and we’re just chilling. Many people get the impression that he’s solely interested in food, but there’s been multiple dives where he completely refused food, or others where he eats to his fill, and then refuses. In both instances, he’s still interested in staying right by me for the entire dive. I didn’t even get the idea to try finding him food until the near end of our 2nd dive together. No, he was not a pet that was released. No, this isn’t filmed in an aquarium. These are all completely wild animals that I’ve built a bond with. I know for some people this is hard to believe, but I’m able to befriend just about any kind of animal. There’s much more to our animal friends than popular science or cultural consensus will have you believe. Follow me for more fun and exploration into the wonderful world of animal consciousness. #elvisthesmallmouth #fish #bass #animalbehavior #ichthyology #wilderness #fishfam #underwaterphotography #animallovers

All bite, no bark Elvis made absolutely sure that everyone knew he was king and rightful owner the the weird black grub-grabbing alien superstar. These are some of the remaining clips from dive # 24. Whether you’re a long time follower of this story or just recently got hooked on this funny little fish, I warn you, as I slowly progress through our dives, you’ll see everything that I saw. The good, bad… and the ugly. Song credits: Shout, by Tears for Fears #elvisthesmallmouth #fish #bass #animalbehavior #ichthyology #fishfam #animallovers #wilderness

Love tames even the snakes of this world. Featured in this video is, Orion, my adult male Brazilian rainbow boa. I’ve had him for 12 years now, and as you can see he’s quite friendly. Snakes and reptiles generally only bite humans out of fear, we’re messing with them or stepping on them, and they feel the need to defend themselves. I’ve learned that if you simply respect them as you would a dog or cat, they will not only calm down around you, but given time, they’ll even find safety and comfort with you. Trust is earned when respect is given. Song credits: Love song, by Snake River Conspiracy #brazilianrainbowboa #rainbowboa #snakes #snake #reptile #herpetology #animallovers #animalfriends #fyp #yo

I know that the old love songs give these videos an over the top vibe, or is even potentially “woowoo” for some people. I do this because it makes it fun to watch. In all seriousness, I am very much interested in studying the behaviors that Elvis and the other fish exhibit. We all know very little about the inner workings of other humans that speak our language, so what could we possibly know about the inner life of the animals that most of us either ignore or disregard? I’m not saying that I know everything, in fact, I feel like I’m just starting to find out, I’m saying that I’m learning and that it’s a journey that has no end. I’m enrolled in their school and they couldn’t be better teachers. Song credits: That’s where it’s at, by Sam Cooke #elvisthesmallmouth #fish #bass #ichthyology #animalbehavior #fishfam #animallovers #underwaterphotography

Mighty Muskie These are the top predators of North America freshwater fish. They’re sleek, stealthy and lightning fast. They are known to eat anything large enough to go down their mouths, even their own kind. They’re as elusive and easily spooked as wild cats, so sometimes getting close enough for a good shot is tricky. Muskies are my favorite fish to find on dives and it’s always memorable when I get to see them up close. What’s funny is that I had spent years trying to catch them, and only caught one small one in my life, but now that I’ve been diving, I see them fairly frequently and I’ve seen some whoppers! Song credits: The one piece puzzle, by Skyclad #muskies #predator #underwaterphotography #rexcolubra

How the heck do you even tell them apart? Good question! Pearl, Red, Fox, and Silver are some of my most conspicuous of squirrel conscripts. These 4 visit almost every day. They’re all North American grey squirrels, but they have slightly different but subtle features that make them recognizable as individuals. If you look around Pearls eyes, they’re ringed with a light cream colored fur, whereas Fox, and Red have darker rings, Silver has a shade in between the three. Silvers over coat is covered with bright silver fur(hence the name) whereas Fox, and Red have a darker brown tint to their coat, and Pearl has a greenish grey color to her coat. Pearl has a small white patch on her left shoulder that the others don’t have. If you look closely they have slightly different shapes to their heads and bodies, and even the hair on their tails. Even the way they hold their ears is slightly different. Fox keeps his pointed straight up whereas Red keeps hers more canted outwards. #squirrel #squirrellove #backyardbuddies

Random Wild Adventures (New series idea?) I love being surrounded by untouched raw nature. The beautiful scenery and the wonder of the creatures who inhabit it evokes a deep sense of belonging and harmony. This sense of harmony is canceled out by the chaos of concrete, trash and the right angles of modern civilization. My escape is, and has always been, in the wilderness. Song credits: Music provided by Insergent, available on Spotify. #RandomWildAdventures #rexcolubra #wilderness #wildlife

Balloo is the highlight of my nights. This was her as a youngin. Such a cute little shit. People wonder if she bites, and the answer is no, she’s actually very gentle with me. She will deliberately make sure not to bite down on my fingers, even if I’m clutching the food. This isn’t the case with all of the raccoons I’ve dealt with, so I don’t recommend you doing this unless you’re a professional. This is the result of lots of time spent together. #ballootheraccoon #raccoon #trashpanda #backyardbuddies

Casting out good vibes Elvis was the first of my fish friends, now I have dozens. These are clips of us hanging out. I’ve learned how to identify them by their unique and distinguishing patterns as well as any facial disfigurements from catch and release fishing. #fishfam #fish #bass #animalbehavior #animals #elvisthesmallmouth

Elvis and I on our 24th dive together #Elvisthesmallmouth

Observing the different behaviors that I see in wildlife, especially aquatic species, is really my favorite part about being in nature. I mean, yeah, animals are cool to look at, but their behavior gives us a window into how they think and feel. #bass #fish #ichthyology #animalbehavior #science #underwater

Friendly snakes??? Oh fuck yeah. Let me show you. Song credits: Bang a gong (get it on) by T. Rex

To me, bonding with animals is as natural as breathing. If you’re calm and respectful, you’ll be surprised how calm and respectful they can become. This is the result of quality time spent together. Song credits: Knocking on heaven’s door, by Bob Dylan #animals #fish #raccoon #cat #squirrel #snakes #rexcolubra

My five sweet babies. I have two hog island boas, Pepper(F) and Mojo (M), and then there’s three Brazilian rainbow boas, Jewel, Sanja(F) and Orion(M). These snakes are unbelievably friendly and stunningly beautiful. #rexcolubra #boas #snakes #reptiles #herpetology #pets #exotics

This is a clip from my 23rd dive with my friend Elvis the smallmouth. I’m about to exit the water, but before I do, I have to say goodbye. You can see he is not ready for me to leave yet, but unfortunately I get tired and cold. For those of you new to this story, I met Elvis in 2021 and swam with him until mid fall 2023, for a total of 34 dives together. #Elvisthesmallmouth #animallover #fishfriend #fish #bass #ichthyology #animalbehavior #wildlife #animals #zoology #biology #fyp

Welcome to the All-Animal Channel on Nostr. I’m new here, so help me grow. I’m willing to do follow for a follow. I post only animal related content.