Author Archives: tech

SCORPIONS GLOW IN THE DARK  I recently received a question about the use of technology in ecological research, which led to a discussion about blacklights. I wrote a column 5 years ago about a nighttime adventure in a southwestern desert … Continued

CAN A CENTIPEDE HURT YOU? I turned over a log in the woods last week and was pleased to see nearly two dozen pairs of bright red legs disappear beneath the leaves: a centipede. I immediately thought of three questions … Continued

ENVIRONMENTAL BYCATCH CAN BE INTERESTING A marine animal caught unintentionally by commercial fishing gear is known as bycatch. Dolphins trapped in nets targeting tuna, sea turtles swept up in shrimp trawls and terrapins caught in crab traps are bycatch. Inland, … Continued

BIRDS, SNAKES AND TURTLES PROMPT WILDLIFE QUESTIONS Q. I saw a photo on Facebook of a rattlesnake with its head looking up at the base of an oak tree and its enormous body stretched out in the leaves on the … Continued

WITH SPRING COMES ALLIGATOR QUESTIONS I received the following questions about American alligators, which have spent most of their time in a dormant state since autumn. Q. How old do alligators get in the wild? A. Determining the age of … Continued

PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMUSES ATTRACT ATTENTION Reports of baby pygmy hippos in Thailand and in Richmond, Virginia, have garnered much attention for their respective zoos, attracting many visitors. These cuties look like they are lovable little creatures whose only goal in life … Continued

NUDIBRANCHS ARE BIZARRE OCEAN CREATURES Whit Gibbons Q. I enjoy learning about bizarre animals like the terrestrial one you recently wrote about called a hammerhead worm. With all the strange animals found on land, the oceans must be full of … Continued

TERRESTRIAL FLATWORMS EAT EARTHWORMS Q. You often write about bizarre plants and animals. A few years ago, you wrote about some kind of odd invasive flatworm that eats earthworms. What was it, and is it dangerous to humans? If we … Continued

WALL LIZARDS HAVE BECOME NATURALIZED People seldom mention Milan, Italy, and Cincinnati, Ohio, in the same sentence. One reason they might do so is that both are home to a reptile known as the common wall lizard. The wall lizard … Continued

ECOVIEWS WEATHER PREDICTIONS ARE BETTER THAN EVER Whit Gibbons Earlier this summer (it is still summer until autumn officially begins on September 22), I tried to go a full day without mentioning that the weather was too hot or too … Continued