For years, humans have postulated and told folktales to answer the question, “Why did zebras get their stripes?” Now scientists may have an answer: pest control! While the stripes may not deter biting flies from afar, researchers found that flies failed to make controlled landings on the zebra by either failing to decelerate and bumping…
Author: The Ethogram
The official blog of the UC Davis Animal Behavior Graduate Group.
Field Frames Friday: “Empty Nesting”
Both sexes of the Chestnut-mandibled toucan, or Swainson’s toucan, (Ramphastos ambiguus swainsonii) help with incubating the eggs and raise the chicks together. Generally, females will lay just about 2 or 3 eggs at a time in an old decayed tree or an abandoned woodpecker’s nest. [Photo by Grace Davis on Barro Colorado Island, Panama; Caption…
Field Notes: IQ tests for Urban Monkeys – How intelligent are the monkeys of Malaysia?
It’s humid and hot, and the taxi has finally arrived at the attraction of the day for this foreigner’s vacation – a Hindu temple situated in a lush Malaysian rainforest. As you pay the taxi driver and get out of the car, you notice a visitor approaching you from the corner of your eye. You…
Sunday Sketch: Cichlid Moms
“Fish are babies, not food!” Mother Astatotilapia burtoni cichlids may need to take a reminder from the sharks of Finding Nemo. These fish have an extreme form of maternal care. After laying their eggs, they carry them around in their mouths until they hatch! Protecting their eggs from all kinds of would-be predators comes at…
Field Frame Friday: How many species do you see?
The Farallon Islands, just off the coast of San Francisco, California, are a prime habitat for sea birds, marine mammals, and sharks. The Farallons sit in a highly nutrient rich area due to ocean currents which attract a whole ecosystem of animals to feed, reproduce, and rest. [Photo by Alycia Drwencke and caption by Karli…
Field Frame Friday: (Don’t) Share the Love.
Dominant yellow-rumped cacique (Cacicus cela) males mate with many females while males lower down in the hierarchy mate with only a few females, if any. Dominant males can consort with anywhere form 1-27 females and will guard them while they forage and nest. [Photo by Grace Davis in Barro Colorado Island, Panama; Caption by Maggie…
Newsroom: Primate play
This week, we debut a new section on the Ethogram: Newsroom. Here, we aim to make scientific literature more accessible to the general public by covering recent publications by UC Davis Animal Behavior students, faculty, affiliates, and the broader research community. Researchers at UC Davis, Bucknell University, and GERP [the Malagasy primate research group] have…
Sunday Sketch: Rabbits and Food Preferences
*Sniff, sniff* “That’s my favorite!” Rabbits can transfer food preference information to their offspring during different stages of development. They can be exposed to the mother’s food preference in utero, through nursing, and through exposure to the mother’s poop that are in the nest! Sketch and fact contributed by Karli Chudeau Bilko, A., Altbacker, V. &…
Field Frame Friday: What do behavioral scientists do when they aren’t observing animals for research?
They observe animals for fun! On a boat trip from San Francisco Bay to the Farallon Islands, it is rare not to have a whale sighting. However, to see two fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) cruising together is magic! [Photo by Alycia Drwencke and caption by Karli Chudeau]
Sunday Sketch: The Dolphin Digestive Tract Debris Dilemma
A recent study found plastic debris in the digestive tracts of 50 dolphins, whales, and seals. Surprisingly, a large amount of the trash came from synthetic fibers (found in clothing, fishing nets, and toothbrushes), while the rest were from plastic fragments. Keep in mind that plastic pollution affects many other marine organisms, as well. Therefore,…
