Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna) is known for its striking iridescent pink throat and crown. The males have a classic mating ritual where they perform a “shuttle” behavior where they fly from side to side, and then sing a high-intensity song. This is done in the female’s nesting area and occurs directly before mating. Photo by Cassidy…

Giant river otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) are indigenous to South America and are the largest animal in the weasel family. They are social and like to defend their territory along bodies of water like riverbanks. One study explored their behavior in Brazil and found that they spent most of their time fishing and entered their dens…

Jaguars in the pantanal area of Brazil are renowned for being excellent hunters. While caiman and capybaras are the most common meal choice, jaguars have been known to wade in shallow waters and use their tail as bait to lure fish and capture other aquatic creatures.  Check out a video of jaguars swimming and hunting…

The unique combination of color bands on this Spotted Sandpiper’s leg indicate his identity and allow researchers to track his whereabouts and behavior by observing him in the natural environment. This male (called “RS-OM” for red, silver, orange, mauve) was captured in 2022 as part of a research study investigating Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) parental and mating…

Earlier this week, I stumbled upon a small surprise in the middle of a busy downtown walkway: a baby bird, alone looking up at me, smaller than the palm of my hand. I wasn’t sure what to do at first, so I did what any cautious animal lover might do, stood nearby to protect it…

If you’ve lived in California for a long enough time and paid close enough attention to our local western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) scuttling about nearly everywhere, you have probably seen one doing his lizard push-ups, as pictured above. This behavior tends to be most common in the breeding season (spring and summer) because it…

If you’ve ever had a run-in with goose parents, you know that these birds make for fierce defenders of their babies, which we call goslings. Females typically lay 2-9 eggs, and to boost survival rates, both parents defend the nest during incubation. They become even more aggressive later in the spring as hatching time approaches….

The red-fronted lemur (Eulemur rufifrons), native to Madagascar, was once a subspecies of the brown lemur but is now considered a species on its own. Like many other lemur species, they are arboreal, meaning that they can often be found in trees, leaping from branch to branch. Their name comes from a unique patch of…

Harbor seals are the most widely distributed type of pinniped, residing along the shorelines of the Northern hemisphere. Seal pups may find themselves stranded on these coastlines, due to being lost from their mother, or not having enough to eat, and lack the necessary survival skills to go back into the wild successfully. Researchers like…

Many crocodilians (crocodiles, alligators, and caimans) in photos almost appear to be smiling wide. But make no mistake here, this Yacare Caiman (Caiman yacare) from Brazil may grow almost as long as 10 feet and probably does not want to be trifled with. The Yacare Caiman has a diet that begins with anything they can…