Life Science, Earth Science, Astronomy, and Exploration
It’s no mystery that spiders have a penchant for liquid food; that is how they eat after all. But what about a spider with a particular affinity for the blood … Continue Reading Evarcha culicivora – The Spider With A Taste for Vertebrate Blood
Last week, we highlighted a tarantula that uses structural characteristics to produce a vibrant blue color so this week, I thought I would continue with the structural color theme, but … Continue Reading Invertebrate of the Week #2: Sea Sapphires (Genus: Sapphirina)
Japanese kids get all the best toys! Apparently, Japan has developed a cultural fascination with the giant isopod (Bathynomus giganteus).B. giganteus inhabits depths in excess of 170 meters where it is believed … Continue Reading PopNature: Cuddly giant isopod plush toys and iPhone cases.
On the evening of August 21, 1986, the village of Lower Nyos in Cameroon was startled by a deep rumbling beneath nearby Lake Nyos. Within an hour, approximately 1,700 nearby people would … Continue Reading The Lake Nyos Limnic Eruption Disaster
Walk into almost any aquatic pet store and it’s likely that some of the first animals to catch your eye will be male guppies. Domestic male guppies come in all … Continue Reading Fruit, Females, and the Color Orange – Guppy Mate Preference in the Wild
Whoever said scientific field work only takes place in modest, worn-out structures clearly has never been to Antarctica and last week, South Korea reminded the polar science community that they don’t have to sacrifice all … Continue Reading N(ice) Lab: Antarctic scientific research stations
Around 2008, I saw a photograph of a splendid poison frog that emerged following an expedition into the rainforest within Estado Amapa, Brazil in 2006. During that adventure, researcher Enrico … Continue Reading Enrico Bernard’s D. tinctorius Poison Frog
We’re a little late out of the gate today with Week #1 of our new “Invertebrate of the Week” series, but I hope it was worth the wait. This week, … Continue Reading Invertebrate of the Week #1: Cobalt Tarantula (Haplopelma lividum)
If you have the opportunity to visit Barcelona, I strongly encourage you to set aside a little time and visit the magnificent Museu Blau in the Forum Building. Once you pass … Continue Reading The Magnificent Museu Blau
Biogeography was a subject that I had no idea existed when I began my university education. I always imagined Geography as being a field restricted to climatology, cartography, and GIS (Global … Continue Reading What Ecology Instructors Can Learn from Their Colleagues in Biogeography
Welcome to the first entry of Part 1 of our Animals in Extreme Environments series. Today we’re going to take a look at how terrestrial animals survive in some of the … Continue Reading “You’re Getting Colder” – How Terrestrial Animals Survive in Very Cold Climates
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (C. atrox). Photo Credit: Clinton and Charles Robertson (Wikimedia Commons)Rattlesnakes are near and dear to my heart. And I know I’m not alone. People generally love a … Continue Reading Squamation: How to identify rattlesnakes using scale patterns
I’m a sucker for great infographics and National Geographic really takes the cake with this one. Published back in 2008, Sean McNaughton and Samuel Velasco published this fantastic infographic detailing … Continue Reading National Geographic’s Incredible “50 Years of (Space) Exploration” Infographic
I doubt there is anyone reading this who when confronted with the question: “what color is polar bear fur?” wouldn’t respond “white.” It certainly looks white and yes, for all … Continue Reading Polar Bear Fur Isn’t (Technically) White – It’s Translucent!
If the molecules essential for life had social circles, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) would be high society. It is a highly conserved, highly important molecule involved in a wide range of … Continue Reading For spiny lobsters (Panulirus sp.) ATP is a molecular dinner bell
When one hears “United States Geological Survey”, he or she probably can’t help but think of rocks. Perhaps they imagine geologists roaming around the country drilling for core samples and … Continue Reading USGS Makes Digital Curation Beautiful