The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is native to South America and is the largest living rodent species. They’re known for being very gregarious, often photographed nearby other animal species, and they reside in semi-aquatic habitats. Their social groups have been noted to range from 6-16 adult members, and they have what’s called a “strictly linear” social…
Author: The Ethogram
The official blog of the UC Davis Animal Behavior Graduate Group.
Field Notes: From Shared Curiosity to Deep Data Dive: Meeting and Tracking the Pacific Marten
Harlin/Hayley Steele (they/she/ze/he) stayed in a cabin in the California wilderness during the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown. Through the window, they observed this member of the weasel family, which they say “looks like a ferret and bounces like a squirrel, but with actual rhythm.” As they describe, “I’d never seen an animal move…
Arts & Crafts: Happy World Walrus Day (November 24th)!
How much do you know about walruses?
Field Frame Friday: Anna’s hummingbird
Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna) is known for its striking iridescent pink throat and crown. The males have a classic mating ritual where they perform a “shuttle” behavior where they fly from side to side, and then sing a high-intensity song. This is done in the female’s nesting area and occurs directly before mating. Photo by Cassidy…
Sunday Sketch: Red Pandas
The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is native to the eastern Himalayan mountains and southwestern China. The populations in the wild are decreasing due to habitat loss and deforestation. Thus, research has been done on their reproductive activities in captivity, to explore future breeding opportunities to assure the species remains. Reproductive behaviors between males and females…
Field Frame Friday: Giant River Otter
Giant river otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) are indigenous to South America and are the largest animal in the weasel family. They are social and like to defend their territory along bodies of water like riverbanks. One study explored their behavior in Brazil and found that they spent most of their time fishing and entered their dens…
Sunday Sketch: Largest migration in all mammals!
The humpback whale is the only species of whale in Megaptera, and is very popular for whale-watching because they often breach the surface of the ocean. These magnificent animals have one of the largest migration lengths of any mammal, for example, traveling 10,000 km. They typically travel from high latitudes to feed and move to…
Sunday Sketch: Osprey hunting
Check out this fun fact about osprey!
Creature Feature: African wild dog
Think of a wolf: pack-living, broad-ranging, adept at taking down large prey cooperatively. Then give even the adults the playfulness, charisma, and expressive face of a puppy. Paint this creature’s coat with blotches of yellow, black, white, and brown, a unique splatter pattern for each one, and give it a pair of oversized, saucer-shaped ears:…
Science Heroes: Ernest Everett Just
Imagine a young boy combing the shores of Charleston, South Carolina, gathering seashells, his mind buzzing with questions about marine biology. That boy would grow up to be Ernest Everett Just, one of the most brilliant scientists of the 20th century. Born in 1883, Everett came into a world still reeling from the Civil War….
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