"Sage goat" is a term used to refer to pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) by some folks. A prongorn is not a goat, or an antelope (contrary to what its scientific name suggest, which means "American antelope-goat"). Pronghorn are the only extant species within the genus Antilocapridae. They are the sole survivors of an ancient lineage and don't have any close relationships to other modern ungulates. Their oddest anatomical feature is their head-gear. They have a boney core and sheath like a horn, but they branch out and the sheath is shed annually like an antler.

Pronghorn are the fastest terrestrial animal in North America, and in a mile (or longer) race, they are the fastest terrestrial animal on Earth. They evolved their speed to evade a predator that is now extinct (the American cheetah), but retain their incredible speed and endurance. They run from "ghosts" so-to-speak. They are truly fascinating animals, and until I build my own page about them, please visit Ultimate Ungulate for more information on them.

Yes. I go by 'Jadewolf926' on deviantart and a few other places. It was a nickname I've used for a very long time. Most people know me better by that name. If you still like to call me Jade, by all means, I have no objections.

If you do, please contact me to let me know and credit it properly.

Contacting me is a must when it comes to this. I often have people commission me for tattoo work and it would be violating copyrights for you to freely take artwork meant solely for them. If you are interested in a personal tattoo, go to the Shop page and check out the commission status.

Commission status is found on the Shop page, and when the status is set to open it means I would love to take commissions.

The status for trades can be found in the Info page. When accepting requests, I will do trades for artwork, prints, crafts, unique items, etc.

At the moment I have two snakes. I have a ball/royal python (Python regius) and a western hognose (Heterodon nasicus). They are housed in custom Boaphile Plastics enclosures, with more than enough room to move around comfortably and grow.

I have two cats, both rescued strays. Both are long-haired and orange.

I also technically have a dog, but he lives with my parents and is the family dog. He is a jack russell terrier and has been with the family twelve years.

Besides art and photography, I tend to collect things. I collect skulls (many of which I have cleaned myself), Zuni fetishes, dinosaur/prehistoric things, and many other ‘natural’ items.

I’m also an equestrian. I rode for my university’s varsity hunter/jumper team and competed regularly. I love horses, and for me it is about the animal, not just the glory of competition (although, competing is fun). I’ve been trained in western pleasure, low-level dressage, and hunter/jumper. My favorite thing is jumping and riding trails (which are not mutually exclusive). I also enjoy just being around the animals, in the saddle or not.

A corvid is a bird found in family Corvidae within the order Passeriformes. This group includes crows, ravens, magpies, jays, choughs, nutcrackers, ground jays, and treepies. Corvids are considered among the most intelligent birds/animals, with the ravens and crows often being referred to as ‘feathered apes’.

A Zuni fetish is a stone-carved animal. They are carved (believe it or not) by the Zuni Native Americans, although other tribes such as the Navajo carve them as well. (The Zuni are the most well known for their stone carving skills.) In short, it is believed that the spirit of the animal depicted exists within the carving. Each animal has a separate meaning. There are traditional meanings, but often times people have personal meanings for each animal. Certain fetishes are carried for certain tasks, such as a deer or mountain lion, when hunting. Zuni fetishes often have offerings attached with sinew, such as points (usually added to hunting fetishes), feathers, turquoise, etc. Even the specific offering has meaning.

An anthropomorphic animal is an animal with human characteristics. (Anthro meaning ‘human’ and morph meaning ‘shape’; they are human-like animals.) They are found all throughout human history, lore, and popular culture. We humans love to anthropomorphize things. Examples include, but are by no means limited to many of the Egyptian gods, Disney and Warner Brothers characters, Coyote and Raven in Native American lore, kitsunes in Japanese lore, etc. In art, this can mean myriad things, from depicting a horse smiling to a human form with an animal head. Zoomorphic is another term that can be used for the more human end of the spectrum. Zoo of course meaning ‘animal’ and that pesky ‘morph’ which tells us it is an animal-like human.

In my artwork, I tend to keep to the animal side of the spectrum, usually keeping more animal characteristics than human. Often times the anthropomorphism is so subtle, people don’t even notice (think back to the ‘horse smiling’ example).

Totemism is the idea/belief that you can learn from a natural (and sometimes unnatural) entity, most commonly another animal. Many people recognize one or two totems that they feel best represents their attributes, or qualities they wish to learn/practice. Other people allow totems to freely enter and leave their lives, sometimes recognizing one or a few that remain pretty constant influences. The qualities a person learns from are the anthropomorphic metaphors created for each animal based on our knowledge of its behavior. For example ‘Raven’ could represent intelligence, learning, teaching, and cleverness. This is because of their ability to do these things (remember back to ‘What is a corvid?’). However, these metaphors are often highly influenced by culture, sometimes providing inverse meanings for the same animals. It’s all about perspective, observation of behaviors, and how those behaviors are interpreted. For example, think about the European versus Asian view on mythical animals, such as dragons. One believes them to be benevolent and friendly, the other believes them to be vicious beasts that only brought terror and misfortune. For these reasons, recognized Totemism is often a very personal philosophy.

Totemism isn’t just found in a select few, but in our everyday lives and is practiced by nearly everyone. A school mascot is a totem for a school, as well as a team mascot being a totem for a team.