Can anyone help explain this behavior of pigeons circling for a tower for at least several minutes? Seems like a massive waste of energy (but I mostly work with animals concerned wjth energy conservation). #birds #behavior #ornithology #birders #animalbehavior

New paper with 6 of my undergrads: box turtle blood samples perform better in immune tests if stored frozen, and the sexes (and individuals) differ in immune performance: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

People naming the siren, an elongated and drab aquatic salamander:
"What's that word for something that is irresistibly alluring yet dangerous?"
"You okay?"

Many snakes use a defense in which they spray feces, urine, and glandular secretions from their butt. This produces a revolting, hard-to-remove scent. Herp people call this stink "musk" and being hit with it "getting musked".
Just a random snake fact that's come to mind lately for some reason.

This may sound primitive and unscientific, but through the fairies, we COULD ask Mothra for help

Linnaeus gave domestic cats the Latin name Felis catus. I think this proves that he forgot to name them, and then somebody asked about them so he panicked and named them on the fly.

The thing about venomous American snakes versus venomous Australian snakes is that the American ones have rattles and big white mouths and bright primary color banding, whereas the Australian ones look like the result of an AI prompt for "generic brownish snake"

I am normally disciplined about not accepting peer review invitations that I don't have time for, but apparently I will throw that rule out the window if the topic is orangutan. I will make the time for those sweet, lanky armed goofballs of the forest.

With snow on the ground now, here is the last box turtle found during my research season. He was at the bottom of a small gorge at my study site. Did he tumble down or climb down, and how much energy will it take to get out of the gorge? It's a struggle for me. #herpetology #ecology #turtles

"CLEANING" THE OCEAN USING NETS IS A DANGEROUS IDEA.

The Ocean Cleanup is using boats & a net to collect ocean plastic (left). I've circles all the animals trapped in their early prototypes (right).

There are better ways to solve the ocean plastic problem... 🧵
#INC5 #PlasticsTreaty #PlasticTreaty

Is it even a grant proposal if you don't say "leveraging"?

Fewer bats -> more pesticides -> bad for kids
"Frank illustrates that farmers increased insecticide use by over 31%, and infant mortality increased by nearly 8%, in counties that experienced bat declines"
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

And here's my most recent paper, with a big assist from many colleagues. Takeaway: no matter where you go, some #turtles are shy and some are bold. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

New here, and to outward facing social media. I'm a biology professor, researching #ecology and animal personality in #herps. Mostly focused on box turtles these days. This guy is my favorite - a 76+ year old named Robin who has graced a journal cover and been the subject of a published poem.