Wildlife misidentification/misuse in ads or television

I’m pretty sure I saw that same TV ad here in the U.S., with the two talking crows. I suppose the ad was for paint, but I was so distracted by the bird species they used that I didn’t pay attention to the product being advertised.

3 Likes

I’m amazed to find out it is a real organism - thought it was a construct.
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/248111-Lordotus

1 Like

Clearly, the paint ad did it’s job as it seems well remembered. I recall a similar ad for Windex cleaner, also. It seems an arresting, charismatic creature is an effective marketing strategy.

2 Likes

Yup, don’t know the genus, you should be right, but it’s a bombyliid for sure.)

2 Likes

there is even one on the distribution map ‘near’ me (Montagu and Anysberg)

I met some cuties last year too! There’re also similar-looking families, e.g. Nemestrinidae, though they’re not that fluffy.

6 Likes

what big eyes you have!

6 Likes

If you can definitively tell a domestic dog track from a jackal track, you are more skilled than most wildlife biologists.

Now I’m curious as to whether the GEICO gecko can be IDed to species…

2 Likes

You don’t adopt adults… It should be a larva? ;)

2 Likes

In this case they better adopt dults, so they can count their wings to see if it’s a bee at all!

4 Likes

lol, a kinda ugly duckling story… “wait, you’re not a bee…”

3 Likes

Believe it or not, its actually not that hard at all, particularly if you have a size reference. The major thing to look out for is the degree of lobing in the toes and the shape of the X pattern through the toes
I’m still very much an amateur in tracking

3 Likes

We have a version of those cute little bee flies here in NE Ohio. At least “bee” is in the name.

2 Likes

Oh wow!

2 Likes

I believe it’s a bipedal subspecies of Phelsuma laticauda. But I’m not a gecko expert.

4 Likes

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.