Did you know that different species of mosquito have different tastes in blood? The species pictured above, Culex tarsalis, is native to California and prefers to bite birds, though it will also bite humans and can potentially spread West Nile Virus. In contrast, the invasive species Aedes aegypti is considered an urban mosquito and prefers…
Author: The Ethogram
The official blog of the UC Davis Animal Behavior Graduate Group.
Creature Feature: Mara
Argentinian wildlife Creature Feature, Part 2: a sociable, engineering large rodent
Sunday Sketch: Snail
Snails can feed on a variety of food sources, such as plants or decaying material. They have a radula, which contains teeth that enable them to eat. New teeth are constantly forming to replace those worn down from eating. Snails can graze or grind their food, and their radula is adapted to the types of…
Sunday Sketch: Tardigrade
Tardigrades are exceptionally resilient animals. They can endure extreme temperatures ranging from -272.8 °C to 150 °C for 15 minutes, as well as low and high atmospheric pressures, ranging from 200 to 280 hPa to 7,500 MPa. Additionally, they can withstand ionizing radiation and X-rays up to around 5000 Gy, high doses of ultraviolet radiation…
Newsroom: The cliff’s edge: rearing environment and spatial cognition in egg laying hens
A common question I get about chickens is “can they fly?” And to many people’s surprise the answer is yes! Although they might not go far or look very graceful, chickens can absolutely fly. Like their ancestors the Red Jungle Fowl, chickens naturally seek safety by flying up to perch in trees and roost at…
Creature Feature: Gato montes
Argentinian wildlife Creature Feature, Part 1: The elusive, savvy, cat of the monte
Sunday Sketch: Honey Bee
Honey bees perform a dance to invite other bees from the same colony for grooming. This behavior can help them get rid of harmful parasites. Art and fact by Nicole Rodrigues, Instagram & Twitter @n3rodrigues [Edited by Nicole Rodrigues] Reference: Siefert, P., Buling, N., & Grünewald, B. (2021). Honey bee behaviours within the hive: Insights…
Science and Culture: The Power of Play – Video Games as Agents of Ecological Awareness
Global urbanization and advancements in technology have led to a disconnect between people and the natural environments around them [1,2]. This lack of interaction with nature has contributed to rising issues including mental and social health concerns, diminished ecological knowledge, and heightened conservation challenges [3,4]. The onset of COVID-19 lockdowns in spring of 2020 sparked…
Creature Feature: Axolotl
You may be familiar with the axolotl (“ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl”, scientific name: Ambystoma mexicanum) – not only has the little guy been featured in popular games such as Minecraft, Fortnite, and Roblox, the internet has also grown very fond of its permanent Mona Lisa smile [8,5,19]. Beyond overwhelming cuteness levels and favorable recognition in the media, however,…
Sunday Sketch: Parrotfish
Scarus psittacus, commonly known as parrotfish, is named for its parrot-like beak, which it uses to bite off chunks of coral that it crushes and digests. Most of the sediment found on white sandy beaches is parrotfish poop. Art and fact by Darien Satterfield, Instagram & Twitter & Tiktok @DiverDarien [Edited by Nicole Rodrigues] References:…
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