Whit Gibbons, Herpetologist and Author
WERE THE ORIGINAL MERMAIDS MANATEES? Christopher Columbus gets credit for the first written record of manatees in North America, ones he saw near the Dominican Republic in 1492. West Indian manatees, also called Florida manatees, are resident in peninsular Florida; … Continued
STATE NICKNAMES EMBRACE THE ENVIRONMENT Our dependence on the environment is so ingrained in human culture that we acknowledge connections with nature in a diversity of ways. One way we relate to the natural world of plants, animals and ecosystems … Continued
ECOLOGICAL MYSTERIES SWIRL AROUND NARWHALS As much as I applaud scientific research that reveals nature’s secrets, I feel a sense of satisfaction when some natural mysteries remain mysteries. The narwhal is my favorite example. Narwhals are a sort of marine … Continued
STUDENTS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WILDLIFE I received the following questions from students in a conservation class at North Carolina State University. Q. What is the most significant change you’ve observed in the way people perceive alligators and other reptiles now … Continued