Author Archives: tech

MILLIPEDES GLOW IN THE DARK At night we saw a vicious predator attacking a much larger prey. In the morning we saw the brightest red blood I have ever seen. We were not anywhere near African big game. A larval … Continued

THE LEOPARD IS THE PRINCE OF PREDATORS The leopard, the most graceful of Africa’s predators, is feared throughout the continent. Leopards do not consider humans to be special, aside from their being easy prey that neither bite nor scratch and … Continued

NATURE TALKS GONE AWRY CAN BE MEMORABLE Environmental education may be more important these days than it has been in decades. Some ecologists, including me, have elected to deliver the message through public talks about the wonders of natural history … Continued

WHAT ANIMALS HUNT IN PACKS? Q. Most folks know that lions and wolves hunt in groups to catch what they’re going to eat. I was wondering if any other animals hunt in packs or team up to catch their food, … Continued

RIVER OTTERS ARE IMPRESSIVE ANIMALS The last time I wrote about otters I stated that sea otters are in my top 10 list of “most appealing adult mammals.” First, they are engagingly cute, especially when floating on the ocean’s surface … Continued

WHY DO SOME FISH MAKE SOUNDS UNDERWATER? Chris Kehrer, Science Program Manager at Port Royal Sound Foundation in South Carolina, recently answered a question I have wondered about since childhood. Why does the Atlantic croaker, a marine fish commonly found … Continued

SOME INVASIVE SPECIES ARE HERE TO STAY In southern Alabama or southern Georgia, seeing an American alligator gobble up a beaver amid white water lilies would be a memorable sight, and an entirely natural one. To see a Nile crocodile … Continued

Q. In a recent column you said bushmasters are the largest pit vipers in the world. I was told pit vipers have vertical pupils, which is one way to determine if a snake is venomous. However, you included a photo … Continued

HOW DO PREY ANIMALS PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM PREDATORS? Animals protect themselves from being eaten by other animals in countless ways. Some are commonplace. Others are unconventional. Camouflage and running are well-known defenses. Not being seen by a predator in the … Continued

HORNED LIZARDS NOW THRIVE IN THE SOUTHEAST When my grandson Parker was 11 years old, he called me from a coastal island with exciting news. Problem was I took the call outside a restaurant with people jabbering and at a … Continued