Meet the giant wood moth — the heaviest moth in the world.
Insects in Australia tend to be surprisingly large, from pug-sized spiders to stick insects bigger than your hand, but when a female giant wood moth showed up at a Queensland school, she surprised everyone.
“We have a range of animals on our grounds at Mount Cotton State School, such as bush turkeys, wallabies, koalas, ducks, the occasional snake that needs to be relocated back to our rainforest, echidnas, tree frogs, possums, chickens and turtles,” Meagan Steward, the school’s principal, told The Dodo in a statement. “But a giant wood moth was not something we had seen before.”
Construction workers spotted the moth while working on a classroom addition at the edge of the rainforest. Female wood moths can have a wingspan up to 10 inches and weigh as much as two finches, according to the Queensland Museum. The weight of this giant insect is partially due to the 20,000 eggs she carries and deposits in the bark of trees.
According to Dr. Christine Lambkin, head of entomology at the Queensland Museum, these heavy moths have difficulty flying and tend to just crawl up trees and wait for the males, who are half their size.
While these moths are common along the Queensland coast, their natural camouflage makes them a rare and exciting sight.
After the construction crew snapped a few photos of the giant fuzzy moth, she was returned to a tree in the nearby rainforest, where she could wait for a mate to find her.
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Shelter Dog Has Given Up On Humans After Waiting 5 Years For Someone He Can Trust
Can you change his mind?
Meet Peanut. He’s a goofy 5-year-old shelter dog who loves nothing more than sunbathing and playing fetch.
“Peanut is loyal, playful, and affectionate with his favorite people,” The Vanderpump Dog Foundation wrote on Instagram.
A post shared by The Vanderpump Dog Foundation (@vanderpumpdogs)
Given Peanut’s sweet personality, one would think adopters would be clamoring to take him home. Heartbreakingly, though, he’s been waiting for a forever family for over 500 days.
Peanut was adopted when he was just a puppy and returned shortly after. Since then, he’s been in and out of the shelter and has never gotten the chance to truly settle in and get comfortable anywhere.
A post shared by The Vanderpump Dog Foundation (@vanderpumpdogs)
Because people have given up on him so many times, Peanut has a hard time opening up to visitors at the rescue.
“He’s terrified of people and invisible to adopters,” @savethedogs wrote on Tiktok. “They say he’s unadoptable. But really, he’s just been waiting five years for someone he can trust.”
When Peanut is meeting a new person for the first time, he typically cowers in the back of his kennel, so he gets written off as too unfriendly to be a good dog.
What those potential adopters don’t see is that once Peanut feels comfortable, he turns into a completely different pup. He actually loves being around the shelter staff and volunteers and enjoys a cuddle and belly rub just as much as any other dog.
“[B]ecause of his past, he needs to learn to trust you first,” The Vanderpump Dog Foundation wrote on Instagram. “If you can relate, and you are looking for a dog to truly be your best friend and companion, Peanut could be the perfect dog for you!”
Peanut would do best with a family who understands his past and accepts him for who he is. He would prefer to be in a one-dog household with only adults.
“He thrives on structure, and needs an owner who is ready to guide [him] so he can be the goofy guy we know him to be,” The Vanderpump Dog Foundation wrote.
A post shared by The Vanderpump Dog Foundation (@vanderpumpdogs)
At the end of the day, all Peanut wants is for someone to see through his terrified exterior and take the time to really get to know him.
“Peanut just needs someone to give him a chance,” The Vanderpump Dog Foundation wrote.
If you’re interested in potentially adopting Peanut, check out his profile on The Vanderpump Dog Foundation’s adoption page.
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