They may not be black and yellow but these neotropical orchid bees might be the smelliest stars of the bee world! The males of these iridescent bees collect perfumes from the flowers they visit which they then display to females. The exact perfume blend is highly species specific–males shop around for just the right combination….
Field Frame Friday: Lemur siesta
This week we introduce a new biweekly feature: Field Frame Friday, where we feature some of the best pictures from our fieldwork. Greater bamboo lemurs can be found in bamboo forests in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar. Their range, however, is severely fragmented, and the species is highly endangered (Wright et al., 2008). Here…
Creature Feature: American Crow
The American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) might not look like much compared to its more menacing cousin of “Nevermore!” fame, the Common raven (Corvus corax), but behind those beady eyes lies a keen intelligence, a playful nature, and a particular knack for problem-solving. It is the largest crow species in North America and is highly adaptable, capable…
Sunday Sketch: Tool-Using Elephants
Did you know? It’s well known that elephants possess very complex nervous systems, similiar to those of higher thinking mammals such as whales, dolphins, and primates. But it’s not as well known that elephants are also tool users, altering tree branches and using them swat away pesky flies! Sketch and fact contributed by Victor Santiago…
Field Notes: Salmon surgeries
Learn how UC Davis researchers track migrating salmon in the Central Valley in this month’s Field Notes.
Creature Feature: Plainfin midshipman
Many males across the animal kingdom sing to attract a mate: birds are arguably the most famous, right behind adolescent human males; other notable examples include frogs, humpback whales, and crickets. A fish likely didn’t even come to mind; yet, the plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus), an intertidal fish that inhabits the San Francisco bay, among other…
Field Fiasco: A scaly, slithering serpent
It was pitch black, in the early hours of the morning. We all walked with our handlamps down to the ground in a straight line on the trail. None of us spoke, it was too early for chit-chat. Three silent bright lights walked one by one through the dense understory of the Congolese rainforest. We…
Creature Feature: Tree-kangaroo
Nearly everyone knows about the kangaroos that inhabit the plains of Australia, hopping about and carrying infants, or ‘joeys’ in their pouches, but I would bet that not many know that there also exists an entire genus of forest-dwelling, tree-dependent kangaroos. These creatures are the arboreal counterparts to the terrestrial kangaroos we have come to…
Field Fiasco: Truck Troubles
Everything comes with trade offs. It’s a fundamental truth that governs how we think as biologists, but it also applies to pretty much everything else in life. In terms of field work, I get the luxury of having Davis serve as my field site. So no, I don’t get to spend my summers in the…
Creature Feature: Wild turkey
In Northern California, turkeys are a common roadblock, daily hazard, and yearly Thanksgiving staple. However, people rarely take a second to stop and appreciate these animals’ interesting behavior. There are actually two species of turkey, Meleagris gallopavo that ranges from Mexico to Canada and Meleagris ocellata that lives exclusively in the Yucatan Peninsula1. This creature…
