I typically tell my summer camp kids that damselflies perch with their wings together, but this is an odd damselfly out. What’s its deal? How else can you properly identify a damselfly on the fly?
Author: The Ethogram
The official blog of the UC Davis Animal Behavior Graduate Group.
Arts & Crafts: Happy Save a Spider Day (March 14th)!
Brush up on some spider facts!
Sunday Sketch: The Small Bufflehead
They are recognized as the smallest diving ducks in North America. Their diet includes aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, and mollusks, which they capture and consume underwater. During the breeding season, these birds vigorously defend their territories by attacking intruders—either in flight or by swimming underwater—and striking at them with their wings. Art and fact by Cloude…
Creature Feature: Leaf Slug
Do my eyes deceive me or is that patch of algae…moving? Well, not exactly. This sea slug (Costasiella kuroshimae) goes by many names, often affectionately referred to as the leaf sheep or even the “Shaun-the-sheep slug” by divers in the Philippines [1]. The leaf slug – like in this artistic rendition – does bear a…
Field Frame Friday: Egg-cellent chicks
As they vanish from shelves and their prices skyrocket, everyone has eggs on the brain. But today, let’s talk about the animal that hatches out of them! Chickens are the most abundant domesticated animal on the planet. Every breed of chicken is a descendant of the red junglefowl, a group-living bird found across South and…
Science Heroes: Inza Koné
Growing up in Còte-d’Ivoire, Inza Koné’s father gifted him a baboon named Kouassi to keep him company [1]. Kouassi quickly became his best friend and taught him about the emotional maturity of primates. Despite their strong bond, living with Kouassi proved challenging as the baboon grew. He became difficult to take care of and the…
Sunday Sketch: Market Squid
Market squid lay their eggs before the end of their lifespan, attaching them to the ocean floor. This anchoring exposes the eggs to ocean currents, facilitating gas exchange for the developing embryos. The embryos can tolerate stress caused by changes in oxygen concentration and pH. Art and fact by @Squidtoons [Edited by Nicole Rodrigues] Reference:…
Love Is Wild! Episode 2: Date Ideas from the Animal Kingdom
Hey there! Did you need inspiration for a Valentine’s Day activity? Then look no further than our curated list from the animal kingdom. Cute Valentine’s Day Dates: That’s right folks, nothing cements the bond between a couple quite like plummeting toward the ground together at terrifying speeds! When bald eagles (and several other related species)…
Creature Feature Miniseries: Love is Wild (Episode 1, Gentoo Penguin)
This Valentine’s Day season, we’re bringing you tales of romance from all across the animal kingdom! We’re kicking things off with the Gentoo penguin in the hopes that your Valentine’s Day… rocks. /// Episode 1: Gentoo Penguin Ah, gift-giving. It’s part and parcel to Valentine’s Day. Humans like to show their affection for one another…
Field Notes: Hot and cold – field work explorations during a gap year and finding your Goldilocks zone
I’m walking on the beach, sun beating down on my head, sweat soaking the back of my shirt. I avert my eyes from the bright sunlight, but even so, my eyes hurt from the glare reflecting off the sea and white sand, and a headache is building. My first day on this job, I was…
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