This summer I was part of an international-interdisciplinary team studying a social-ecological system in the Selenge River Valley of northern Mongolia. I know: that’s two hyphens too many, but hang in there, there were also the largest salmon in the world, sheep as far as the eye could see, and crispy yogurt chips. There were…
Author: The Ethogram
The official blog of the UC Davis Animal Behavior Graduate Group.
Sunday Sketch: Monkey Mountain
In Kowloon and New Territory, Hong Kong, over 1000 free-ranging Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) live just minutes from the busiest part of the city! These daring monkeys relax in the middle of roads, on overpasses, and on top of bus stops. Their charming personalities and surprising location have made these…
Field Frame Friday: Resident sharks
The great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) is a seasonal resident of Bimini, Bahamas during the winter months. This is the largest species of hammerhead shark, reaching lengths of up to 20 feet. They are easily identified by their characteristic hammer-shaped heads, or cephalofoils, which may help them search for prey found under the sand (Kajiura, 2001)….
Sunday Sketch: Gecko Toes
If you have ever been in the tropics and seen a gecko crawl effortlessly across your ceiling, you may have asked yourself, how do they do that? Contrary to popular belief, gecko toes aren’t sticky, but in fact utilize electromagnetic attraction between microscopic toe hairs called setae, and the fine contours of the walls and…
Field Notes: Chickens wear backpacks!
Whenever I tell people that I research chicken behavior and welfare, I usually receive two types of responses: 1) Raised eyebrows coupled with a disinterested “Huh… As long as it makes you happy, I guess” or 2) “So what kind of eggs should I be buying?” I prefer the latter, but I have to be…
Creature Feature: Greater racket-tailed Drongo
When exploring the forests of Asia, you may encounter some peculiar looking birds with forked tails who are singing whacky songs. Although they come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, the culprit of your curiosity could very well be a Drongo. Drongos are a family of birds that can be found from the Himalayan mountains…
Sociality in Livestock: Considerations for Effective Management
When we think of a traditional farm, we often visualize a red barn flanked by rolling hills of golden wheat or green corn stalks. A flock of chickens peck the ground in front of a small pen of pigs while a mama cow and her calf munch happily on hay in the shade. This agrarian…
Sunday Sketch: Soaring Albatross
With a majority of their lives spent soaring at sea, the Laysan albatross is a poster child for energy-efficient flight. Wings spanning up to 7 feet and the use of dynamic soaring allow albatrosses to fly for hours without flapping their wings. Dynamic soaring exploits wind shear, or the variation of wind velocity that occurs…
Field Notes: The secret lives of basking sharks
Basking sharks will break you. That’s an unfortunate lesson that’s been learned the hard way for centuries, among fishermen and researchers alike. It’s probably not for the reasons you imagine, because these are not your average sharks (although it is my duty as a shark biologist and conservationist to inform that you have more of…
Connections Matter: The Utility of Social Networks
Think back to your high school days, and the social interactions that come to play in the high school arena (scary and traumatic, I know, but just humor me here). Who did you find yourself making friends with? Were there clubs or sports teams that structured your friend groups? On a group level, were there…
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