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…
Author: The Ethogram
The official blog of the UC Davis Animal Behavior Graduate Group.
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)….
Arts & Crafts: Lunch Time with Pandas
Join our young explorers’ pandas for lunch time!
Creature Feature: Bluebottle butterfly
How does a butterfly see the world?
