Testudo marginata, the Marginated Tortoise, is the largest species of Mediterranean tortoise—although these tortoises start out tiny and humble! Like many other tortoise species the Marginated Tortoise is at risk of extinction in the wild. One component of this species’ conservation is the use of captive breeding programs. To provide the best conditions for new…
Category: Field Frame
Field Frame Friday: Spotty Dads are not Shoddy Dads
A Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) father keeps a vigilant eye on his nearby nest from a creek-side perch. In Spotted Sandpipers, males take on most of the parenting duties, including incubating the eggs and protecting the newly hatched chicks, while females provide less parental care. One goal of my research is to determine how parental…
Field Frame Friday: Gobble Grabbin’
Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) can be common backyard birds in some cities—like here in Davis, CA! Texas A&M PhD Student Amanda Beckman visited Davis as part of a study spanning the country to learn more about the genetic and behavioral impacts that urban living might have on Wild Turkeys, receiving some help in the field…
Field Frame Friday: A Little Moo for You!
Jersey dairy calves (like the cutie seen here) are smaller than their Holstein counterparts, which are the black and white spotted dairy cows. Jerseys typically weigh around 60 pounds (27kg), compared to Holstein calves who can be born at over 100 lbs (45kg)! These are the two most common breeds of dairy cows in the…
Field Frame Friday: Simply Ravenous
Common Ravens (Corvus corax) are famously smart, adaptable and opportunistic, and while these traits serve them well, they can often get them into trouble, too. What kind of trouble do you think the raven on the left got itself into to earn a bright blue tag and the attention of scientists? The tagged raven and…
Field Frame Friday: Who’s this chick??
A Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) chick shows off its shiny new leg band, which contains a unique ID number used by researchers to identify this individual. This chick will continue growing throughout the summer, migrate south for the winter, and perhaps return to its birthplace in the Mono Basin to breed next summer. [Photo and…
Field Frame Friday: Turtle party!
Meet Testudo hermanni hermanni, a Mediterranean tortoise present in Italy, France and Spain. Its captive breeding was made necessary by the destruction of its native habitat. The challenge for current breeders, unlike most of the species bred as pets, is to maintain as much as possible the purity of the species, subspecies and, if possible,…
Field Frame Friday: This is how I show my love – QUAIL
A California Quail (Callipepla californica) poses majestically on a shrub. California Quail participate in brood-mixing, where multiple female quail will raise multiple offspring (related and not-related) in communal family groups. It is suggested that females involved in communal family groups also live longer than those in single family groups. There are benefits of being a…
Field Frame Friday: Flexy Fanaloka
Check out this trail cam photo of a spotted fanaloka (Fossa fossana) taken in Madagascar during Meredith Lutz’s field season. Spotted fanaloka adjust their activity patterns to avoid humans and invasive carnivores, like dogs, during seasons of increased human and dog activity. [Photo and Caption by Meredith Lutz] Reference: Farris, Z. J., Gerber, B. D.,…
Field Frame Friday: Where’s the beef? Being social!
Beef cattle are social creatures! They form complex social groups and hierarchies made up of close companions and individual acquaintances. Next time you are observing cattle grazing or driving through some pastures, check out their herd structures! [Photo and caption by Alycia Drwencke] Sowell, B. F., Mosley, J. C., & Bowman, J. G. P. (1999,…
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