Whit Gibbons, Herpetologist and Author
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
GRAY SQUIRRELS COMPETE WITH POSSUMS AND MONKEYS Squirrels and possums apparently think being king of the road means piling up the most roadkills for your species. Although possums ordinarily win the I-got-hit-by-a-big-truck award, squirrels seem to be trying to break … Continued
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH WILDLIFE INVADERS IN YOUR YARD? I have been asked many times how to deal with wildlife that make our backyards their homes. Many people look on deer, raccoons and armadillos as unwelcome visitors. Squirrels, possums … Continued