Author: The Ethogram

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

Field Frame Friday: Inside Out Lunch

Seastars literally turn inside out when they are feeding! To start their meal, stars will force open the shell of the invertebrate (such as the cockle shown here) using their underbelly suction discs, after which they insert their stomach through their mouth parts and into the shell. The stomach will secrete digestive juices that breakdown…

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Sci Hero: Minakata Kumagusu

Minakata Kumagusu loved nature, folklore, and cultural traditions so created his own learning path that went far beyond the walls of a classroom!

Science Heroes: Minakata Kumagusu

Science Heroes: the column highlighting scientists and naturalists that if you don’t know, you should! This month highlights naturalist, folklorist, and philosopher MinaKata Kumagusu!

Sunday Sketch: Caribbean Reef Squid

The Caribbean reef squid’s (Sepioteuthis sepioidea) tentacles and head are made up almost entirely of muscle. They use these muscles to move fast, escape predators, and capture prey. On top of their already impressive athleticism, Caribbean reef squids also have some of the largest eyes relative to their body size of any animal in the…

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Sunday Sketch: Anise Swallowtail

Anise swallowtails’ (Papilio zelicaon) yellow-and-black wings stand out in their natural habitat and make them conspicuous to both people and predators. While many people think anise swallowtails are gorgeous, these high contrast wings send a message to predators: “Don’t eat me, I’m poisonous!” Sketch contributed by Hee Jin Chung. Fact contributed by Allison Lau. [Edited by…

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