When most people imagine rainforest predators, they think of jaguars, harpy eagles, or anacondas. These are the animals that appear in documentaries and tourism brochures. Yet some of the most important members of tropical ecosystems pass through the forest almost unnoticed. One of them is the tayra. The tayra (Eira barbara) ranges across much of […]
The Hidden Ecosystem Inside an Army Ant Swarm
Most people see an army ant swarm as a moving mass of predators. Thousands of ants surge across the forest floor, overwhelming insects, spiders, and other small animals in their path. To most observers, the swarm appears chaotic and destructive. Yet hidden within the rushing columns is an entirely different world—one that exists because of […]
The Hidden Decline Beneath Our Feet
On a recent trip to research insect populations, I visited a small sliver of the Chihuahua desert that runs through the extreme southeast corner of Arizona. While hiking through the flat expanse, I encountered hundreds of eager hover flies. I say eager, because the flies followed and buzzed around me relentlessly. While I couldn’t identify […]
Biodiversity Increases While Species Losses Continue to Climb
Defining Biodiversity Species By some measures, worldwide biodiversity may be increasing. At the same time the rate of extinction, due mostly to habitat loss, remains high, especially in tropical areas where deforestation continues at a pace noticeable to even the most unconcerned bystander. You might wonder how these statements can both be true. Biodiversity, a […]
California Kelp Forests
Only a few years ago (2013 – 2015) most of the kelp forests of Northern California disappeared. Ninety percent of these northern majestic forests were decimated by the purple sea urchins leaving a barren underwater landscape. Many fish and invertebrates that depend upon kelp to provide a habitat to hide from predators, reproduce, and find […]
Coral Reef
Sometime between 500 and 600 million years ago, the very first coral species appeared on earth. Of course, no one really knows when they actually appeared or what they originally were. What color were they? Did they sting fish? We guess a lot about them from looking at fossil corals and observing the way coral […]
Madagascar Fires
Madagascar is a land of wonders. Most species living on this, the World’s fourth largest island, are found nowhere else. While it is right off the east coast of southern Africa, the wildlife is very different than anything found in continental Africa. So it is concerning to see the number of intentionally set fires that […]
Plastic Ban in Maharashtra, India
A new plastic ban is in effect in Pune, Maharashtra, located in western India. I visited in July, shortly after the new ban went into effect. I noted that my to-go orders came with paper bags, instead of plastic bags and utensils. Even my favorite gift shops in the Thulshi Bawg section of Pune offered […]
Crazy Ants: The New Ant Invasion
Nostalgic Days Do you miss the days when all you had to worry about when cutting the grass was a few painful blisters from those persistent fire ants? No? Well, just wait a bit and you might. The new ant invasion now spreading throughout Texas and the Southeast arrived sometime in the last two decades […]
Vaquita Capture Program Ends
Vaquita Rescue Program Setback A rescue program to save the vaquita, the world’s most endangered cetation (whales, dolphins and porpoises), has not started off well. Earlier this year, I reported that there were only an estimated 30 vaquitas left in the world. That number may now be down to 15 or less. The ambitious program […]
The Most Painful Stings
Painful stings leave an impression. Everyone who has ever been stung has a story to tell. Some of the stories of painful stings include common characters, such as honey bees (Apis melifera). Being stung by a bee is fairly common, but unless you are allergic to them, your story is comparable to a common children’s […]
Vaquita: The World’s Rarest Marine Mammal Is In Trouble
Another species of marine mammal is on the verge of extinction. The Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), a small porpoise endemic to the northern Gulf of California, is reportedly just 30 individuals away from being lost forever. The name vaquita is Spanish for “little cow,” and it looks somewhat like a panda mixed with a dolphin. […]