Clik here to view.
Don’t Pet the Fuzzy Caterpillar
Keeping up my posting of interesting organisms, this little guy has been getting a ton of press lately. Adorable, looks like a tribble, and makes you want to cuddle them. But these little guys might be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Grumpy Cat: Frog Version
If there is one internet meme that I’d like to see last forever it’s grumpy cat. And, as WTF Evolution has noted, if we dream it up, evolution can provide. I give you: grumpy frog. Not only are these...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Eeeek! That bug is hairy!
In honor of Halloween – all you ever wanted to know about the inner workings of a tarantula. That is, of course, if you’re not too scared… Tagged: tarantula
View ArticleClik here to view.
That’s a lot of poop, Mr. Sperm Whale
Although known to occur in its (much smaller) cousins the dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) and the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps), photographers recently experienced defensive defecation by the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
An artichoke with legs: the pangolin
Some days I just need a pick me up. While others take to the internet and fine photos of kittens telling them to hang in there, I seek the adorable face of the pangolin. Also known as the spiny...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Interdisciplinary research to the rescue!
Many a engineering accomplishment has actually been guided by biological inspiration. For example, Velcro was invented after Swiss engineer George de Mestral picked burrs from the fur of his dog and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Another Bacteria that Causes Lyme Disease
Sure, finding new and interesting species and describing them is exciting. But finding new bacteria that cause a well understood disease? Equally if not more exciting (my little parasitic loving heart...
View ArticleClik here to view.
CRISPR like immunity found in a GIANT virus
I don’t know which I’m more excited about. The prospect of a giant virus that is so large you can see it under a light microscope, or said virus having a immune similar to the well publicized CRISPR...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Save the tapeworm! And the Kakapo…
One of New Zealand big five species to see (think African safari checklist, but for flightless birds in New Zealand) is the kakapo. These parrots can live up to 95 years (maybe longer) and is very...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A conflict of mega proportions
One megafauna hunting and killing another megafauna on the plains of Africa. Your head immediately goes to the epic battles between wildebeests and tigers? Impala and cheethas? But there is another...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Look, Ma! No Mitochondria
Mitocondria, the powerhouse of the cell, the most famous organelle found in all eukaryotic cells from Elephants to fungi. That is until now. Researchers at University of British Columbia have found the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Seeing Red
Intense breeding since the 1300s has bread canaries of all colors of the rainbow. But until 1920, one color, red, remained elusive. After crossing the canaries with the red siskin of Venezuela (and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Measuring animal superlatives: How strong are gecko toe pads?
One thing I learned from doing the Planet Earth posts is that we are OBSESSED with superlatives. The world’s largest animal, smallest amphibian, fastest runner, highest jumper, we cannot stop looking...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Paying the Price of Protecting Pandas
I don’t like pandas. This is not a secret, but I often get flack because they are so cute and so many people like the furry beasts. Despite my dislike of pandas (it’s not because they are cute, or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Corpse flowers UNITE!
I don’t know if you have noticed, but there are a lot of corpse flowers in bloom right now. Given that these plants (Amorphophallus titanum) flower rarely, this is a particularly interesting feat. At...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Discovering a new species of whale
We discover new species of insects often. We’re discovering new bacteria at such an alarming rate, it’s getting difficult to count and name them all. But it’s odd when we find new charismatic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Epic Battles: Humpback Whales vs. Killer Whales?
Altruism: behaviour of an animal that benefits another at its own expense. This is rare within species (bees and other social animals being the notable exception), but between species? Practically...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The indestructible tardigrade
“Water bears” or tardigrades are the most resilient animals ever. Slight hyperbole, but really not that far off. They are able to withstand extreme radiation, temperature changes and even the vacuum of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Life with the most dangerous bird on the planet
“Imagine an ostrich as described by H.P. Lovecraft, or maybe a turkey fused with a velociraptor” excellent words to describe the Cassowary. Alternatively: six-foot-tall murdermachines. These birds are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Elusive Arctic Bumblebee
A group of UC Riverside professors are driving thousands of miles across Alaska, looking to better understand bumble bee populations in the arctic and their response to climate change. And to find the...
View Article
