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!
Tag: wildlife
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 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?”
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?
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!
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 🍄
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
Dispatches from Somewhere #6: The Indo-Pacific Rock-Boring Urchin
One of my favorite finds from our trip to #Oahu, an Indo-Pacific Rock-Boring Urchin (Echinometra mathaei).
Giraffes Need Friends, Too
Giraffe Social Circles and What They Mean for Conservation November 14th, 2021 Photo Credit: Steven Gerner CC BY-SA 2.0 What do Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Gilmore Girls, and Giraffes have in common? The women are the stars of the show. Despite being one of the most popular animals on Earth, giraffes are not studied as … Continue reading Giraffes Need Friends, Too
Making some changes
After nearly 5 years of podcasting and blogging, I'm forging a new path. I don't know how it will look. I don't know what to tell you to expect. What I do know is I've thrown out a lot of the fluff that was eating up my bandwidth and adding to my stress. What remains? … Continue reading Making some changes
The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish & a Genetic Trojan Horse
The Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish may not look like much, but their impact is inarguable.
Protecting Wolves with Dr John Vucetich
Today on The Wild Life, why protections were ended, what’s happened since, why hunting wolves is viewed by many as unjustifiable, their social nature and disruptions, the why behind anti-wolf rhetoric, and how protections can be put in place once again.
Behind the SCiENcES with Dr Gilad Bino
Before you sit down with us to learn all about platypuses, join us for a glimpse Behind the SCiENcES with Dr Gilad Bino. Dr Bino is passionate about conservation and science. He seeks to address the ongoing biodiversity crisis by understanding the underlying processes that shape biodiversity at multiple spatial and temporal scales to inform … Continue reading Behind the SCiENcES with Dr Gilad Bino
To Keep Things Going
Hey readers, If you're a regular follower you may know that I have just been admitted into a biology graduate program beginning this August. I am incredibly excited about this opportunity, admittedly nervous at how my work-life balance will look as I continue to teach full-time, but excited. Here's the honest truth, though. It's going … Continue reading To Keep Things Going
Dispatches from Somewhere #5| American Alligator
This is one of my favorite shots I’ve ever managed to capture. I snapped this in 2015 at one of my all-time favorite parks, @brazosbendstatepark near Houston, TX. It sorta looks like she’s lunging forward, but in reality, she was sitting in a quickly flowing stream with her mouth open against the flow, presumably to catch fish … Continue reading Dispatches from Somewhere #5| American Alligator
Dispatches from Somewhere #4| Antheraea polyphemus
Admittedly, this photo isn't from any time recently. I took this during the summer of 2014 at Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley, MN. It was while I was working for a nonprofit organization called Tree Trust building a 180-foot swamp foot boardwalk with local high school students. It was also my first time seeing one … Continue reading Dispatches from Somewhere #4| Antheraea polyphemus
TWL NEWS| Wildlife Weekend Update: August 3, 2021
Vermont’s 25th annual rabies bait drop to begin Thursday On a similar note, Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Fun Run Pro Am Race for the Cure will be taking place this Friday Beginning on Thursday, technicians will begin distributing 450,000 quarter-sized blister packs containing a rabies vaccine that will … Continue reading TWL NEWS| Wildlife Weekend Update: August 3, 2021
Time to Meet our New Cohost, Courtney Downing!
It's time to meet our new cohost, Courtney Downing! This has been one we've wanted to share for quite some time, so it feels great to finally share it with you all. Next week? Platypuses with Dr Gilad Bino!
Bears! with Brogan Holcombe
Get to know Brogan Brogan is a Master’s Student working in the Wildlife Habitat & Population Analysis Lab at Virginia Tech She’s also the one behind #SundayScientistShoutout on Twitter which she does every week for scientists or STEM activists from underrepresented groups. Follow Brogan @Brogan_Holcombe or look up her #bearseyeview for awesome bear videos! GET … Continue reading Bears! with Brogan Holcombe
Behind the 𝗦𝗖i𝗘𝗡c𝗘𝗦 with Dr Mariela Gantchoff
Meet this week’s guest before the episode airs! She is an ecologist at the intersection of theoretical and applied ecology, currently working on landscape and quantitative ecology in relation to the conservation and management of terrestrial wildlife. A lot of her current research involves working to understand wildlife use of natural and developed landscapes, range … Continue reading Behind the 𝗦𝗖i𝗘𝗡c𝗘𝗦 with Dr Mariela Gantchoff
Dispatches from Somewhere #2: Pretzel Top
The pretzel top is not to be trusted
Dispatches from Somewhere #1: What a Wasp
I’ve had this picture on my camera roll for almost a year now and I figured I should finally get to posting it. If you’re wondering what this scorpion looking flying insect is, it’s the Pelecinus polyturator, a type of wasp. The adults drink nectar and are pretty harmless, unless you’re a June Bug. That’s … Continue reading Dispatches from Somewhere #1: What a Wasp