The Mola mola is one bizarre looking fish, but they are more than meets the eye. Learn more in this short episode from The Wild Life!
Category: The Wild Life Blog
Sustaining The Wild Life
Podcasts are free to listen. Making them isn't. At the end of the year, I am able to "keep" $342 from @patreon. Usually, it's used to cover unforeseen equipment or production costs. That comes out to 65 cents per hour. That's not an exaggeration, it's an actual calculation. I'd love to expand, offer full transcripts, … Continue reading Sustaining The Wild Life
New Episode| This Rare, Sapphire Tarantula is A Beauty From Gooty
https://player.captivate.fm/episode/01067c50-5ecb-42d8-8579-39e335256ae1 Check out pictures and a transcript of the episode here Support The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month
The Wild Life 8D Soundscapes: Summer Cicadas
An immersive 8D audio experience for sleep, focus, meditation, relaxation, or whatever else you may need.
The Wild Life| 2021 Podcast Year in Review
In 2021, we produced 41 episodes (42 if we get this next one out in the next 3 days) with 12,635+ downloads across 78 countries!
The Wild Life’s 2021 Blog Top 10’s
2021 was, indeed, a year. Now, it's finally almost over with a new one about to begin. I decided to sit down and take a look at some of The Wild Life's stats for the year as a way to reflect on what worked, what didn't, and what to keep going into the future. Here … Continue reading The Wild Life’s 2021 Blog Top 10’s
The Fastest Fish in the Sea
How fast can fish really be? Faster than you'd probably expect.
Turns Out There’s a Reason for Rudolph’s Red Nose
Not every reindeer has a red nose. After all, that's part of what makes Rudolph so special—and he's not alone.
Do Fish Blink?
"Do fish blink?" is a reasonable question to ask, but it raises another— “do fish have eyelids?”
The Ebola Virus
A virus whose very reputation has solidified itself as a pathogen of fear, Ebola is one of the most notorious, pathogenic, and fatal.
Why do Elephants Have Big Ears?
When you get hot, you sweat. When Elephants get hot, well, they don't sweat. So what's a 13 foot tall and 13,000-pound animal to do?
The Impact of Barry Commoner
As one of America’s most influential environmentalist, Barry Commoner devoted his life and career to ecology, awareness, education, and enacting positive change. He was among the first to begin advocating for recycling and organic farming, as well as raising awareness about the threats of the greenhouse effect and the dangers of radioactive fallout. As the … Continue reading The Impact of Barry Commoner
Shooting a Lion
In the case of the lion, a picture represents hundreds of years of colonialism, a de-wilding of nature, and the narcissism of the human race.
Salmon Fight
This was originally written in 2015 based on a New York Times video from 2008 I decided to share this based on this week's news that the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch has downgraded British Columbia farmed salmon to "Avoid" for their "potential transmission of pathogens and parasites from farms to vulnerable populations of high … Continue reading Salmon Fight
Ostrich Cells Used to Make Glowing COVID-19 Detecting Masks
Yasuhiro Tsukamoto and his team of researchers at Kyoto Prefectural University in Japan have developed a mask that helps detect COVID-19 under blacklight using cells from the Ostrich.
Reflection: Dead Forests & Living Memories
In her article for The New York Times, “Dead Forests and Living Memories”, Helen paints a picture of a lost landscape, the struggles of restoration and conservation efforts, and the continued threat of globalization on native ecosystems.
Algae as a Biofuel
With the exception of chemosynthetic life forms such as many of those who reside at the openings of deep-sea hydrothermal vents, the vast majority of biological energy has the sun to thank for its origins. Whether it be thermal, or through photonic collisions within the chloroplasts of plant cells, the energy of life comes from … Continue reading Algae as a Biofuel
Comprehension Strategies: Antibiotic Resistance
Teaching about abstract concepts like antibiotic resistance can be a difficult undertaking. That's why it's important to utilize a variety of comprehension strategies, especially at the secondary level. The attached google slide presentation provides examples of two of my favorites: the Discussion Web, and Intra-Act. Discussion Web It is a cooperative strategy in which students … Continue reading Comprehension Strategies: Antibiotic Resistance
Dragonflies & Damselflies: What’s the Difference?
Dragonflies and Damselflies are both super similar to each other, but there are some key differences! (most of the time)
Hairy & Downy Woodpeckers: Spot the Difference
These two little woodpecker species are notorious for their visual similarity, but there are some key differences that can tip you off!
Full ‘Titin’ Protein Name is 189,819 Letter ‘Longest’ English Word
Have 3 to 5 hours? Try reading the 189,819 letter full-name of this giant human protein!
The Tawny Emperor Butterfly
The Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton) Butterfly may be beautiful, but their food sure isn’t. Finding an adult on a flower isn’t likely. Instead, you’ll find them on dead animals, poop, mud, and sap, slurping up broths of minerally goodness.
The Froghopper | DFS #11
This here is a froghopper. They can jump distances over 100 times their body length, accelerate at 4000 m/s^2 (nearly 9,000 mph), and experience 400 Gs while doing it. For context, a typical human could withstand no more than 9 Gs of force, and the average bullet travels at nearly 2000 mph. Where are the … Continue reading The Froghopper | DFS #11
Join Devon on The Wild Life
Have a nature question you want to be answered? Come on the show to have it answered by Devon (and maybe even a special guest) Comment below or email your questions to hello@thewildlife.blog
Dispatches From Somewhere #10: The Golden Silk
Trichonephela clavipes, or The Golden Silk Orb-weaver, may be huge but they look a lot tougher than they act. They’re not aggressive and only bite if handled roughly, and they're super clumsy outside of their web!If you listen to the podcast, you might remember us discussing these with @shakiguani on Tainted Love Part 2! A single thread … Continue reading Dispatches From Somewhere #10: The Golden Silk
Dispatches From Somewhere #9: False Turkey-Tail
This is not a Turkey-tail. It’s a false one! Stereum ostrea, or False Turkey-tail, is a plant pathogen and wood decay fungus. The species name, ostrea, comes from Oyster in reference to its shape. It really is a pretty little fungi 🍄
Grid-Scale Storage
The wind doesn’t always blow, and the sun doesn’t always shine—and not always equally or consistently. Even in the sunniest of places, like deserts, “the amount of sunlight can vary from minute to minute.” (The Economist, 2014) On the flipside, demand itself is also irregular, and times of highest demand won’t always match with highest … Continue reading Grid-Scale Storage
Looking for Direction
Hey, there wonderful human beings. First, an update on The Wild Life: I am currently wrapping up production on an episode with Rhiannon Kirton on Deer which I absolutely love. After that, I have an episode to finish on Horseshoe crabs and then on Whale Evolution. So, that's good! On the Science People side of … Continue reading Looking for Direction
Dispatches From Somewhere 8: American Nursery Web Spider
Fairly certain this is an American Nursery Web Spider (Pisaurina mira). This was one that caught me super off guard while rummaging through a portion of priory while leading a Tiny Nature hike with @hikehoppers. P. mira is most well known for its sexually cannibalistic behavior and extensive use of the silk web in mating. Before … Continue reading Dispatches From Somewhere 8: American Nursery Web Spider
Dispatches From Somewhere #7: Pitcher Plants
Weird plants are the best finds. On a camping trip this August with my brother, we came across a bunch of Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea) in a bog! Similar to the Venus Fly Trap, it too is a carnivorous plant, trapping insects inside its pitcher. One of my favorite things about them actually is, … Continue reading Dispatches From Somewhere #7: Pitcher Plants