Author: The Ethogram

The official blog of the UC Davis Animal Behavior Graduate Group.

Field Frame Friday: Coming Out of Your Shell (Twice!)

Testudo marginata, the Marginated Tortoise, is the largest species of Mediterranean tortoise—although these tortoises start out tiny and humble! Like many other tortoise species the Marginated Tortoise is at risk of extinction in the wild. One component of this species’ conservation is the use of captive breeding programs. To provide the best conditions for new…

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Field Frame Friday: Spotty Dads are not Shoddy Dads

A Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) father keeps a vigilant eye on his nearby nest from a creek-side perch. In Spotted Sandpipers, males take on most of the parenting duties, including incubating the eggs and protecting the newly hatched chicks, while females provide less parental care. One goal of my research is to determine how parental…

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Field Notes: The Winding Path to a PhD with Zoo Animals

I’m a first year PhD student in the Animal Behavior Graduate Group, but I’ve had many different titles over the last ten years: zookeeper, animal trainer, and most recently, veterinarian. When people discover I am a licensed veterinarian, most are justifiably confused. “Why are you still going to school? Haven’t you had enough?” they ask….

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