Most primates have opposable thumbs that that help them grasp and manipulate objects. However, the spider monkey, Ateles geoffroyi, is one exception in which their hands have no thumbs at all! Instead, spider monkeys have a specialized prehensile (grasping) tail that is hairless on its underside and has a fleshy pad that is unique to each monkey…
Author: The Ethogram
The official blog of the UC Davis Animal Behavior Graduate Group.
Field Notes: The Inconvenient Truth (about field work)
Hello Ethogrammers! Maggie and Karli here, your editors who work behind the scenes with all the wonderful Field Notes writers each month. For many of us, field seasons are fast approaching, and while Field Notes gives you the glamorous, adventurous parts of our contributors’ science adventures, there is a lesser-known but equally important part of…
Field Frame Friday: A Sunrise Serenade with Song and Smells
Many bat species sing complex ultrasonic songs to attract mates and repel rivals [1]. An extremely eloquent singer is the neotropical great sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx bilineata). Males of this bat species sing year round during dusk and dawn, but singing is most intense during the annual mating season [2]. Then, harem males will sing for…
Field Frame Friday: Sneaky Snake Alert!
Many animals may respond to the presence of a predator by eliciting a signal that alerts other individuals in the area. Since snakes are a major predator of monkeys, they often respond very strongly whenever one is nearby. The female long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) in this photo is very upset with a large boa constrictor…
Field Notes: Listening to Whales.
NOAA researcher and marine mammal acoustician, Arial Brewer, shares her fascination with animal communication and love of the sea!
Creature Feature: Banggai cardinalfish
A population of small reef fish hiding amongst the spines of sea urchins in the Banggai Archipelago, doing their best to avoid capture by the hands of ornamental fish collectors, may now depend on their captors to ensure existence in the wild. The Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) are in trouble as result of their unique…
Publish and perish: A graduate student perspective
As I sit here writing this, I’m simultaneously observing the two fish swimming on my computer monitor. It is a Saturday, and like most graduate students, I have tried to master the art of multi-tasking. This weekend, however, I’m having a particularly hard time concentrating on my research. This is not because I am jaded…
Sunday Sketch: Birds of a feather
For most raptors, hunting is not a team sport. Harris’ hawks, however, play the game a bit differently. Although a few other raptors are known to hunt cooperatively, Harris’ hawks are by far the most cooperative and coordinated in their hunting behavior. They use many strategies for hunting that rely on coordinated maneuvers by each…
Field Frame Friday: There is no hiding from me, EYE see you!
Jumping spiders (phylogenetic family: Salticidae) of all arthropods (i.e. invertebrates with an exoskeleton)! In addition to the 2 sets of eyes seen in this photo, jumping spiders also have 2 sets of eyes on the top of their head. Each set has specialized function, from detecting changes in light, motion, and color, to the ability…
NEWS: The Ethogram receives outreach award from Animal Behavior Society
January 30, 2020 The Ethogram is pleased to announce that we have been named as one of this year’s recipients for the Animal Behavior Society Outreach Grant. These awards are generously provided to support creative, high-quality animal outreach behavior initiatives that promise to produce a big impact. We would like to thank the Animal Behavior…
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