It's #TWLHikingClub Tuesday! Check out why Savanna Portage State Park is one of our all-time favorites.
Author: Devon Bowker
The Trouble with Trilobites
It's #FossilFriday, and you know what that means---fossils. Big surprise, right? This week, with an unoriginal but begging to be used titular parody on the classic Star Trek episode 'The Trouble with Tribbles"---we're talking trilobites. Here is my trilobite. It was a gift from my brother (podcast co-host) he picked up at a rock convention. … Continue reading The Trouble with Trilobites
Spot the Difference: Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers
It's #BirdThurs here at #TheWildLife. This week, learn how to tell the difference between a Down and Hairy Woodpecker!
Hoary Puccoon
This #WildflowerWednesday, we take a look at one of my personal favorites—the Hoary Puccoon.
Sunday Fish Sketch| The Common Sea Dragon
This #SundayFishSketch comes from Ichthyologist, Rene Martin. Visit her shop on InPrint to see more of her artwork or to order prints! Meet the Common Sea Dragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus While it may be a dragon by name, the Common Sea Dragon is no more a dragon than a sea horse is a horse. One, it would be … Continue reading Sunday Fish Sketch| The Common Sea Dragon
Fossil Friday| Introducing Evolution with the Archaeopteryx
In celebration of #FossilFriday, I wanted to share an educational resource: a lesson I used during student teaching to introduce a unit on evolution. This lesson can be modified for middle school level and was written in accordance to MN state standards which very closely mirror NGSS, however, I structured this lesson for the high … Continue reading Fossil Friday| Introducing Evolution with the Archaeopteryx
Women in Science| Meet Mary Anning, Fossil Hunter, and the 11-year Old Fighting for Her Recognition
220 years after Mary Annings birth, a young girl from the very town where Mary lived her entire life is fighting to rectify a historical injustice in recognizing Anning in bronze---a fitting honor for a woman who spent her life uncovering creatures lost to time.
Mid-Season Finale| S2E5: No Brainer
In the mid-season finale, Devon and Richard talk to Lucas Brotz, research associate at the Marine Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia and a Cnidaria Scientist for Quantitative Aquatics, to discuss how a creature without a brain dominates the worlds oceans, and the many ways they impact our lives.
TWL Hiking Club| Ravens and Crows
This is merely a sample of the wonders of Ravens and Crows.
#SundayFishSketch| Larval Fish and a Podcast
The theme for this week's #SundayFishSketch was fish that don't look like fish, which is most definitely the case with almost all larval marine fish.
TWL Hiking Club| Mallards are Actually Really Awesome
It's #TWLHikingClub Tuesday| Today, we're kicking off a new series on appreciating the little things---from urban wildlife to the oh so common Mallard.
#SundayFishSketch| Tripodfish
#SundayFishSketch| Meet the Tripodfish, a deep sea dwelling hermaphrodite that, well, looks like a tripod---designed by Tim Burton.
S2E3| Animal Magnetism
In this episode, Devon and Richard explore the animal magnetism. No, not the kind you might be thinking. Instead, we're talking about the surprisingly common animal superpower which allows creatures all around the world, from the skies to the oceans, to sense the magnetic field of our planet.
S2E2: Ant Farm
In this episode, we discover that we may not be as unique, or advanced, as we thought as we learn about amazing subterranean fungi farmers, cowboy insects, and a 55 million year old relationship that puts our use (or misuse) of antibiotics to shame.
#SundayFishSketch| Rainbow Parrotfish
Aside from the species name guacamaia sounding quite a lot like guacamole, the two have nothing in common.Â
Season 2 Premier: Is Anybody Out There?
Devon attempts to settle an age old argument between him and his co-host by enlisting the help of renowned biochemist, professor, and author, Dr Nick Lane.
#SundayFishSketch| Alcock’s Spikefish
The Alcock's Spikefish, also known as the Longsnout Spikefish is a deep water (1279 to 2000 feet deep, in fact) fish living in the oceans of the Indo-Pacific.
TWL Hiking Club: Top Hikes of 2018
On this first #TWLHikingClub Tuesday of 2019, Devon and Chelsea Bowker look back on their top hikes of 2018, from the best overall hike, to the most conflicting, and most Instagram worthy.
Best of The Wild Life 2018
As 2018 comes to a close, here are some of the most read, most popular, and other top moments from The Wild Life throughout the year. #TheWildLife
#SundayFishSketch Lipogramma idabeli
It's Sunday, which means #SundayFishSketch ! This week, learn about the stunning, newly discovered, deepwater basslet Lipogramma idabeli #SciArt
Podcast SHORT: Plant or Fungi?
A random find while hiking that lead to a life history story that was unexpectedly fascinating.
Video: The Wild Life
Ahead of our Season 2 releases, we wanted to put together a video to tell you who we are, what we do, where we are going, and to say #ThankYouPatrons to our supporters on Patreon.com. The Wild Life is viewer, reader, and listener supported. If you believe in what we are doing, you can become … Continue reading Video: The Wild Life
#SundayFishSketch Xiphactinus
It's Sunday, which means #SundayFishSketch . This week, travel back to the time of dinosaurs to discover the Xiphactinus. #SciArt
#SundayFishSketch Banded Scuplin
The banded sculpin (Cottus carolinae) is a mottled brown freshwater fish with dark vertical bands native to swift moving streams of the eastern United States where they dine on insects, various larvae, and occasionally, though sparingly, on other smaller fish or crustaceans.
19 Creepy Critters and Monster Themed Animals That Will Get You In The Halloween Spirit
Halloween may already be near its end, but if you're having trouble getting in the ghoulish spirit ahead of trick or treating or the witching hour, check out these 19 creepy critters and monster themed animals to help you be more David S Pumpkins and less David S No-Fun-kins. Instead of the normal explanatory captions, I'm opting for as little detail as possible. After all, the unknown is most terrifying of all!
Where We’ve Been
This isn't my typical blog post. No wildlife, fish sketches, or hiking anecdotes. This is an explanation for my recent sparsity in writing.
#SundayFishSketch Goliath Tigerfish
If there is any fish that lives up to its name it's the Goliath Tigerfish---a truly gigantic African predator with razor sharp teeth. The largest on record weighed over 150 pounds at nearly five feet in length. For perspective, that's two German Shepard's stacked on top of each other, or a welterweight fighter---and a fighter they certainly are.
#SundayFishSketch Redeye Piranha
Piranhas need no introduction being that their teeth and diet have earned them quite the reputation, especially around Hollywood as a super villains aquarium species of choice or as the center of several B-movies.
Birding by Smartphone
In 1917, the American poet Wallace Stevens published a poem called 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. In truth, 13 is a major understatement, with just as much variation in "why" as their is in "how". Whether you're a life "lister", a casual admirer, or anywhere in between, at some point each and every one of has had a moment where we saw a bird and thought to ourselves, "what is that?"
Podcast Season 2 Updates, Topics
Season Two of The Wild Life is well in the works, with at least two interviews being done this week (for both the premier and the finale, coincidentally). With that being said, Richard and I wanted to take the opportunity to share with yall the episode topics (and working titles) for the upcoming season. Here it goes: