The Ethogram

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…

Arts & Crafts: High Flying Friend

Check out this young explorer’s soaring bird artwork!

Field Notes: A Life-or-Death Game of Musical Chairs: How Do Baboons Choose Where to Sleep at Night?

Let’s take a little journey back in time. Remember when you walked into a classroom on the first day of school in, say, 8th grade? If you lucked out and your teacher let you choose where to sit, you had a pretty challenging decision ahead of you, whether you recognized it at the time or not….

Sunday Sketch: How the Reef Gets Made

A fact about the tiny creatures behind one of the planet’s largest geological structures

Ask a Scientist: Sneaky Snacking

Why do ants steal my food?

Sunday Sketch: Cool Under Pressure

A fact about an almost indestructible lil critter

Field Frame Friday: Caterpillars, Masters of Disguise!

Like many caterpillars in the family Papilionidae, spicebush swallowtails (Papilio troilus) are masters of deception. Young caterpillars mimic bird poop, while older caterpillars scare predators off with intimidating fake eyes (aka “eyespots”). During the day, they rest inside carefully constructed leaf rolls. The one you see above was made on one of its host-plants: sassafras (Sassafras albidum)….