The California mantis shrimp, despite its name, isn’t a true shrimp. Using their antennal scale, it communicates with other mantis shrimp. Art and fact by @Squidtoons [Edited by Nicole Rodrigues] Reference: Burrows, M. The mechanics and neural control of the prey capture strike in the mantid shrimps Squilla and Hemisquilla . Z. Vergl. Physiol. 62, 361–381 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00299261
Field Frame Friday: Tern Time
Researcher Kay Garlick-Ott sets up GoPro cameras at a breeding colony of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) on Stratton Island in the Gulf of Main. Kay is recording the birds’ behavior to learn about the causes and consequences of Common Tern aggression. These birds have a repuration for being nasty . . . which is why…
Sunday Sketch: Stratiomyidae Family of Flies
Stratiomyidae is a family of flies that exhibits incredible diversity in shape, size, and color, including numerous species that mimic wasps. Art and fact by Allen Chew, Instagram & Twitter @toldentops [Edited by Nicole Rodrigues] References: Tree of Life Web Project. (2008). Stratiomyidae. Soldier flies. Version 29 September 2008 (under construction). Retrieved from http://tolweb.org/Stratiomyidae/10444/2008.09.29 in…
Sunday Sketch: Banded Alder Borer
The Banded Alder Borer, scientifically known as Rosalia funebris, is native to the Pacific Northwest. These insects feed on Alder, Ash, and other hardwood trees, and they are sometimes attracted to fresh paint. Art and fact by Kirsten Sheehy, Twitter @1010sheehy [Edited by Nicole Rodrigues] Reference: Oregon State University Plant Clinic. (n.d.). The Banded Alder…
Sunday Sketch: Freckled Hawkfish
The freckled hawkfish, also known as Paracirrhites forsteri, belongs to the Cirrhitidae family. It is the most abundant type of hawkfish found in the Red Sea, which is the saltiest and warmest sea on Earth. Hawkfish primarily feed on small fish and invertebrates living among coral. Art by Darien Satterfield, Instagram & Twitter & Tiktok…
Field Frame Friday: Panda Personas
Did you know that despite sharing a common name, giant pandas and red pandas are not closely related? They were both given the name panda simply because both specialize on eating bamboo, and the word panda is an adaptation of nigala ponya which means “bamboo eater” in Nepalese. Red pandas are actually in an entirely separate family (Ailuridae) of which they are the sole living…
Arts & Crafts: An Early Bird Breakfast
Could it be a Toucan? Or maybe a Penguin? Come decide for yourself, when you see the latest oatmeal animal creation!
Sunday Sketch: Peacock Spider
In peacock spiders, to initiate reproduction, male spiders perform a mating dance for the females, wiggling around and displaying vibrant colors on their bodies during the dance. In response, females either mate with the males as a sign of approval or consume them as a form of rejection. Art and fact by CocoFu, Instagram @cocofufufufu…
Newsroom: Winging it Alone and Flying Solo — The Effects of Single Parenthood on Single Parents
Check out this Newsroom about pigeon parental behavior and physiology!
Sunday Sketch: Opossum
The opossum, the only marsupial in the United States, often has thirteen nipples. It has so many because it can give birth to up to twenty young at once, and only those that receive milk survive. Art and fact by Kirsten Sheehy, Twitter @1010sheehy [Edited by Nicole Rodrigues] Reference: Marable, A.D., & Smith, M.D….
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