Darren Naish is a science writer, technical editor and palaeozoologist (affiliated with the University of Portsmouth, UK) who mostly works on Cretaceous dinosaurs and pterosaurs. He also studies such things as the 
Preparing blog posts for Tet Zoo takes hours, sometimes days or even weeks. It's done in "spare time". Putting crap on facebook takes minutes and can be done during the course of a normal work day. Some of the stuff is soooo hilarious it deserves to be shared...
Francisco Gascó (aka Paco) knocked this up, thanks Paco. It was taken in about 1992 1994 (when I was 18 19): note the Battat dinosaurs on the terrarium lid, Greg Paul theropods on the wall, and Luis Rey spiky amargasaur t-shirt. The croc skull is a juvenile C. niloticus.
My one and only photo of a British big cat, taken on Dartmoor c. 1992. Yeah, right. From left to right: Ewen Bennett, Matthew Colmsee, Paul Rutkowski, John Martin. Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme expedition.
We had a big debate on facebook: who would win in a fight between all 540 toad species, Darwinopterus, or PZ Myers? Reese Witherspoon said Darwinopterus, and Science agrees with her!
Finally, here's me in Mark Witton's pterosaur dungeon (aka the foamadome), wrestling a baby titanosaur. Note the legendary trousers in the background, as seen on (web) TV!
Back to toads soon, but it's all down to time...
Life Science
Comments
And in the style of facebook, I give a thumps up 'like' to this post! :)
Posted by: Antimini | October 18, 2009 8:57 AM
After fighting the toads, don't forget to speak of Sinotyrannus and Neovenatoridae! Theropod ground is rumbling!!!
Posted by: J.S. Lopes | October 18, 2009 9:30 AM
Based on the presence of Battat dinosaurs, the first photo is not older than 1994.
Posted by: Brad McFeeters | October 18, 2009 12:09 PM
Is the baby-sauropod also made of foam?
Posted by: Sordes | October 18, 2009 12:46 PM
That's young Indiana Jones or Young Einstein? ;-)
Posted by: Jerzy | October 18, 2009 3:57 PM
That's young Indy! ;)
Thanks for the refference!
Posted by: Francisco Gascó | October 19, 2009 2:59 AM
Ah, so this is all the hubbub going on at facebook! excellent :D
Posted by: Tim Morris | October 19, 2009 6:01 AM
Reese Witherspoon...? O RLY?
Posted by: David Marjanović | October 19, 2009 6:41 AM
Hmm... reportedly :)
Posted by: Darren Naish | October 19, 2009 6:45 AM
Clearly, someone needs to update this classic quiz by replacing 'five year olds' with 'toads'...
Posted by: Dartian | October 19, 2009 6:53 AM
From showing off juvenile croc skulls to wrestling foamy titanosaurs - paleontology sure has some fascinating rituals. =D
Posted by: Nikola | October 19, 2009 7:03 AM
Caption for the first one:
"This belongs... In a museum!"
Posted by: Oll Lewis | October 19, 2009 11:23 AM
Wow Darren. That top photo, I remember when you looked like that! Probably a couple of years before we met, but still how I remember you.
The years... have been kind.
Posted by: David Craven | October 19, 2009 1:36 PM
Hey, I'm jealous. I don't have a croc skull and your dinosaur figurines are cooler than mine.
Posted by: Gwen | October 19, 2009 5:08 PM
Yeah. How did you get that croc skull at that age!?!
Posted by: David Marjanović | October 19, 2009 6:28 PM
Oh, you know, I went to a few parties.
Posted by: Darren Naish | October 20, 2009 4:08 AM
<headdesk>
Posted by: David Marjanović | October 20, 2009 10:57 AM
Yes, Reese Witherspoon!!!! And you should know, Darren, that she is thrilled that she got a mention in Tet Zoo. She's finally made the big time!
Posted by: Jason J Brunet | October 20, 2009 12:00 PM
Crazy stuff!
Posted by: Albertonykus | October 20, 2009 8:21 PM
That top photo looks more like a young Egon methinks...
Posted by: Graeme Elliott | October 21, 2009 6:20 AM
What did you keep in the terrarium Darren, im a dab hand at reptile and amphidian keeping myself.
Posted by: Zach hawkins | October 23, 2009 1:13 PM