Read about the wonderfully interesting world of dog democracy!
Sunday Sketch: Speedy Beetles
Watch out! Tiger beetles run so fast that they temporarily go blind. To avoid tripping hazards (and find prey!) they run in short bursts, taking breaks to orient.
Field Notes: There is something in the water.
Splish-splashing for science? Researcher Amelia Munson shows the benefits of working in a different type of “field” environment!
Newsroom: Just the Tipping Points
Check out how male water strider mating tactics exhibit tipping points based on group size and composition in our latest Newsroom piece by ABGG student Adrian Perez!
Field Notes: Singing Titi Monkeys
A typical morning of titi monkey vocalization recording starts off with a 4:30 AM alarm. I roll out of bed, start coffee, and am out in the door in under ten minutes. The 20-minute drive goes by quickly as I mechanically drink my coffee. As I gather my recorder, microphone, and camera, interns begin to show…
Field Frame Friday: Dimethylsulfoniopropionate: what a mouth full… of food.
Bluefin trevally (Caranx melampygus) or ‘omilu in Hawaiian are able to detect dimethylsulfoniopropionate (say that 5 times fast, or just say DMSP). DMSP is a chemical produced by phytoplankton (marine algae) that is an indicator of food productivity. This chemosensory adaptation is important for foraging success! [Photo and caption by Karli Chudeau] DeBose, J.L., Nevitt,…
Newsroom: A Bee of All Trades
Check out our newest piece by ABGG grad student Adrian Perez, telling us all about the task repertoire of honeybees!
Sunday Sketch: Glow-In-The-Dark Pocket Shark
A new species of pocket shark (Mollisquama mississippiensis) that was found in the Gulf of Mexico has recently been classified. Pocket sharks get their name from the “pocket” glands behind their pectoral fins. The glands in glow-in-the-dark pocket sharks produce a bioluminescent fluid. Their bodies also generate light all over from bundles of glandular organs…
Field Notes- The Tale of the Pilot Study: Where little goes as planned and not all data fits into a spreadsheet.
“Please put your tray tables up and your seats in their upright position to prepare for landing.” Looking out the window, a mosaic of vivid aqua, bright cerulean, and deep indigo below indicates that we have reached our island destination in the middle of the Pacific. The flight attendant’s announcement instigated a flurry of activity…
Sunday Sketch: Spider Emojis
The Hawaiian happy face spider (Theridion grallator) is endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago. Small (< 5 mm) and fairly inconspicuous despite their unique coloration, happy face spiders live on the underside of leaves on the islands of Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. The spiders are polymorphic, showing individual variation in the pattern and color of…
Field Frame Friday: Tummy temperature telemetry…for science!!!
Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) can be an elusive species, especially concerning the weaning process (going from milk to prey) in pups. Using stomach temperature telemetry (sensor that can detect changes in stomach temperature), researchers could detect patterns of food ingestion in pups. The results showed that 63.7% of milk ingestions occurred while the pups were…
Sunday Sketch: Under the Weather
If I were a sick bee, a thoughtful bee I would be!
Field Frame Friday: Urchin and shrimp, the perfect roommate duo
Red slate-pencil urchins (Heterocentrotus mamillatus) often have permanent housemates (called obligate simbionts) a small shrimp (Levicaris mammillata) or the aptly-named red slate pencil urchin shrimp. While the relationship hasn’t been thoroughly researched, it seems that the shrimp keeps things nice and tidy, while the red-slate pencil urchin protects the shrimp from predators. [Photo and caption…
Creature Feature: Laughing Kookaburra
No one likes being laughed at. And no one likes sibling sabotage. The laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) does both with little regard for what we find objectionable. Laughing kookaburras are the largest kingfisher species in the world and can be described as stout, stocky, and overall pretty thicc [1]. These creepy kooks, like many frightening…
Sunday Sketch: Silent but deadly
Read about predatory flatulence in this week’s Sunday Sketch.
Field Frame Friday: World Lemur Festival!!
Although they may not look much like their more famous dancing sifaka cousins, woolly lemurs (Avahi) move by vertical clinging and leaping. Eastern woolly lemurs (Avahi laniger) like the one seen here are nocturnal, pair-living, folivorous (leaf-eating) primates only found in Madagascar. Madagascars’ 112 and counting lemur species are currently the most threatened mammal group…
Field Frame Friday: Feathered bandit stare-down.
Ever have a coastal picnic and have a uninvited guest sneak onto your picnic blanket and make off with your sandwich? Research shows that to protect your food, try staring down the gull that is eyeing that delicious feast you brought to the beach. When stared at, gulls took on average 21 seconds longer to…
Creature Feature: Slave-making ants
“Take no prisoners!” said no slave-making ant ever.
