Insects come in many beautiful shapes, sizes, and colors – and Pachyrynchus argus, a weevil found in Australia, is gorgeous inside and out! Its iridescent patches are as structurally unique as they are lovely to look at. Whereas most insects only appear glittery in direct sunlight (due to the mirrorlike layers in their exoskeleton), P. argus’ showy shine…
Field Frame Friday: How did they get the name spider monkey?
Black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) eat mostly fruit, but also occasionally eat tree bark, nuts, eggs, insects, and even spiders! However, these monkeys get their name from their long, lanky, spidery limbs and tail, not from their occasional arachnid snacks. Is that considered cannibalism?! [Photo by Grace Davis and caption by Maggie Creamer] Reference van…
Animal Myths: AIR
Everyone loves a fun animal fact (check out our Fun Facts here for some examples), but sometimes these “facts” contain more fiction than truth. As scientists, part of our objective is to bring truth to the forefront, so we are tackling some of the most common animal myths and misconceptions. We solicited some help from…
Sunday Sketch: Right-Handed Sharks
Climate change alters many aspects of the ocean ecosystem, including how fish grow and develop. Recent research found that raising Port Jackson shark eggs (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) in warmer temperatures (based on those projected for end-of-century) led to increased mortality and, in those that survived, increased right-handedness! Sketch and fact contributed by Karli Chudeau Vila Pouca, C.,…
Field Frame Friday: An island where birds rule all!
In the Seychelles, an island chain off the east coast of Africa, White-tailed tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus) on Cousin Island don’t have the threat of predators so they nest on the ground in the hollows of trees or root nooks. This pair could care less how close humans were to them, but it is still important…
Creature Feature: Hamadryas Baboon
Don’t expect theoretical physics from this Einstein impersonator, the hamadryas baboon
Sunday Sketch: Llama Ovulation
Humans ovulate once a month during a normal hormonal cycle, regardless of how much action (or not) we get. Llamas, however, have a much more efficient system. Did you know that male llamas can induce ovulation in females by copulating with them? This means that females llamas only ovulate when they’ve actually had sex! While…
Field Frame Friday: Forgetfulness = Biodiversity!
The Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) is a small rodent that looks similar to a guinea pig. Their favorite treats are nuts and seeds, and sometimes they store these treats in the ground to eat later. Sometimes agoutis forget about the nuts and seeds and they grow into a new plant. These forgetful rodents are…
Field Notes: Eat, [don’t] sleep, watch calves, repeat
Research teaches you way more than you’d expect: Which trendy caffeinated drinks do and don’t work to keep you awake (stick to coffee.) What exercise you can do during observations to stay active without distracting your subjects (squats.) Which podcasts are best for keeping you alert without making you panic when you’re outside alone in…
Sunday Sketch: Budgie Attraction
Looking for something to impress that special someone with this Valentine’s Day? Female budgies prefer males who successfully solve puzzle boxes. Talk about smart mate choice! Fact and sketch contributed by Amelia Munson Chen, J., Zou, Y., Sun, Y., & Cate, C. T. (2019). Problem-solving males become more attractive to female budgerigars. Science, 363 (6423),…
