Tag: worldwide
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Meet the praying mantis
I made a new friend the other day in Indiana! It’s a little praying mantis friend 🙂 There are around 2,400 known species of mantids (Mantidae). These large, slow-moving insects are typically found in tropical and subtropical regions. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. Mantids are easily recognizable from the enlarged upper portion…
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Meet the peregrine falcon
It’s been an exciting month at work – we’ve had juvenile peregrine falcons hanging around! The parents have a nest in the building across the street from us, and the babies have apparently decided that the balcony on the 15th floor is a great place to chill. It’s been so cool to get to see…
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Meet the seahorse
Mothers usually get all the credit for raising their offspring, but there are some pretty amazing fathers out there, too! In honor of Father’s Day, let’s talk about one of the best animal fathers around: the seahorse. There are approximately 50 species of seahorses found in shallow, coastal waters worldwide. I personally associated seahorses with…
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Meet the lightning bug
Summer is coming. Next week (June 21) is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The summer solstice is traditionally considered a magical time when spirits and fairies find it easier to cross into our world. And although you probably won’t see any fairies in the next week or…
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Meet the wolverine
Somehow it’s already April. Which means that March is officially over. And we all know what that means: The winner of this year’s March Mammal Madness has been decided! All hail the wolverine! For those who don’t know, March Mammal Madness is “an annual tournament of *simulated* combat competition among animals.” After weeks of battling, the final…
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Meet the orca
March is Women’s History month in the United States, and this past Wednesday (March 8) was International Women’s Day. So to celebrate, I want to introduce you to a fantastic animal mother: the orca (also known as the killer whale). Orcas (Orcinus orca) are one of the most widespread species of animals and the most…
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Meet the hermit crab
My partner and I are in the process of buying a house. It is not fun. So, this week, we’re escaping to the world of an animal that always has its house with it: the hermit crab. A widespread species for aquarium tide pool exhibits, there are over 800 species of hermit crabs worldwide. The…
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Meet some Daphnia
I’ve been collaborating with another scientist to finish up some of my graduate school work. However, unlike me, he doesn’t work with voles. He works with Daphnia. What are Daphnia, you ask? Daphnia are a genus of small crustaceans that are surprisingly cute. Also called water fleas because of their flea-like movement, there are more than 200 species of Daphnia that…
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Meet the common raven
I (and apparently the rest of the world) have been watching The Sandman on Netflix. I love it. It’s such a great adaptation of the graphic novels (which I also love). The acting is fantastic. It’s visually fun to watch. If you enjoy fantasy shows and books, I recommend giving The Sandman a watch! One…
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Meet the horse
Ah, the horse. A classic staple of barnyards and beloved by children. I was no different. I, in my youth, was a horse girl. Okay, to be fair, I was only a mild horse girl. I did spend 4th grade pretending to be a horse at recess, but that’s it! Oh, and in 5th grade,…