animal behavior Archives - Page 4 of 7

The FWP weekly digest of wondrous wildlife happenings
and other interesting items from the natural world

Creatures to meet | Things to learn
Things to do

Lisa S. French

1.5-minute read

One of the most spectacular events in the natural world is taking place now in the African Serengeti—the awe-inspiring, seasonal wildebeest migration. In late spring through fall, up to 1.5 million wildebeest and thousands of zebra and Thomson’s gazelles embark on the long trek from the treeless plains of the southern Serengeti in Tanzania, north to the savannas and woodlands of Kenya.

Navigating Mara River rapids and dodging the hungry lions, cheetahs, and hyenas that trail the herd is no small feat, so what motivates these high plains drifters to travel so far in such massive numbers? Survival.

Like many migrating species, wildebeests are on a mission to find food. These bearded relatives of antelopes can weigh up to 600 muscle-packed pounds. Maintaining almost a billion pounds of wildebeest-i-ness across the herd requires a tremendous amount of grass and water. When the dry season begins in May and food and water are in short supply, wildebeests head west and north, following a route determined by rainfall, grass growth, and access to prime grazing real estate. In early winter, they complete the 300-mile migration loop, tracking the rain and grass back down to the southern plains. Every February, approximately 8,000 calves a day are born in transit and are up on their hooves toddling along with the herd in just three hours—the great migration and life cycle of the wildebeest continues uninterrupted.

The remarkable journey of these African ungulates has now inspired scientists to create algorithms that mimic the highly efficient swarm-like movement of the herd, which instinctually finds the shortest route to the greenest pastures. Intelligent algorithms based on these natural patterns of wildebeest herd migration could be used in cutting-edge applications ranging from unmanned vehicles and planetary mapping to nanobots that can target and destroy cancer cells—because nature is the most intelligent system of all.

Wherever you are in the world, you can keep tabs on the amazing traveling wildebeests courtesy of HerdTracker. Compared to the congestion of mega-migration, this summer’s bumper-to-bumper beach-bound traffic doesn’t seem so bad after all…

If you’d like to learn more about the megafauna of the Serengeti, we highly recommend Animals of the Masai Mara (Wildlife Explorer Guides), by Adam Scott Kennedy and Vicki Kennedy.

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Lisa S. French July 30, 2021

Fireflies That Blink in Sync | New Tree Equity Scores

1-minute read

From A Place Made for We, Favorite World Press

Then each tiny firefly
said hi-hello to the night,
blinking and flashing
its very own tiny light.

Witnessing the luminous dance of blinking, flashing fireflies is one of the quiet delights of summer. Their seasonal light show is so utterly soul-soothing, it’s easy to imagine that they blink for our benefit. We know that these mesmerizing glow dispensers use flashes of light for bug-to-bug communication, but why do some species of male fireflies in large swarms coordinate their flashing and blink in sync?

According to a recent study, it appears that flashing in unison is the bioluminescent language of cooperative courtship. Male fireflies communicate using distinct flash patterns while flying, and females signal back from the ground “message received”. In large swarms of hundreds or thousands of male fireflies, random blinking and flashing could make it overwhelming for lady bugs to visually track and communicate with a specific light pilot. Scientists from the University of Connecticut believe that when groups of male Photinus carolinus fireflies blink in sync, it gives female fireflies a flash-free window to signal their interest and selectively respond to the bug of their choosing. Yes, it’s good to glow—and for some species of fireflies, when it comes to courtship, it’s better to glow together and give a girl some uninterrupted time to blink back.

Got enough trees?

Back in April, we promised to give you an update on United States tree equity scores, and here it is. The new Tree Equity Score tool developed by our partner @AmericanForests gives scores for all 486 urbanized areas of the U.S. and their 150,000 neighborhoods. Each score is an indicator of how close the city is to achieving Tree Equity—ensuring that all, not just some, people can experience the many health, economic, and climate benefits that trees provide. A zero-to-100-point system makes it easy to understand how a community fares. With the knowledge the score provides, community leaders, tree advocates, and concerned citizens can address climate change and public health through the lens of social equity. Visit TreeEquityScore.org to see how your neighborhood stacks up.

We leave you with a gentle reminder that for every print or e-book that you purchase from the FWP series, Frankie and Peaches: Tales of Total Kindness, we’ll plant one wildlands tree in a place where it’s needed most to help cool, clean, and green our home planet. Thanks for reading with us!

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Lisa S. French July 21, 2021

Bird’s Eye Compass

1-minute read

Oh, the places they’ll go…

Every spring and autumn, one in five birds travel the byways and flyways of our planet between northern breeding grounds and southern winter sanctuaries. Some species migrate astonishing distances nonstop—no layovers, no in-flight movies—like the bar-tailed godwit, which flies 7,000 miles between Alaska and New Zealand, in just seven days.

So how do nature’s long-distance frequent fliers choose the best possible migration route and stay on course to reach their destination? Send over the video if we’re wrong, but we’re pretty sure that no one has ever seen a bird consulting a sat-nav app with an intensely focused look on its feathered little face. Through evolutionary adaptation, avian navigators have developed a special retinal flight guidance mechanism that helps them to perceive altitude and direction. To locate where they need to go to survive takes no more effort than the blink of an eye.

According to new research in Nature, migratory songbirds like the European robin have photosensitive proteins in the retina of their eyes that get activated by light and function as a compass that follows directional information from the Earth’s magnetic field. The birds’ brains automatically interpret the magnetic signals that guide them north to food resources and safe nesting grounds in the spring and south to warmer habitats in the fall. Because she’s smart like that, Mother Nature has equipped our feathered friends with precisely what they need to successfully manage life-sustaining comings and goings.

FYI – U.S. Bird Health Bulletin: Songbirds in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states are currently facing an unknown disease epidemic. Until wildlife researchers can determine the origins, the Audubon Society has up-to-date information and precautionary recommendations to prevent the spread of disease on your patch, how to report sightings and symptoms, and how to handle stricken birds. The pathogen is most common in young Blue Jays, European Starlings, Common Grackles, and American robins, so keep your eyes peeled out there for birds with vision problems, eye swelling, and neurological symptoms.

On a cheerier note, if at long last you’re planning on hitting the flyways and highways to do a bit of roaming of your own this year, whether you’re an old-school map-o-philiac or a sat-nav nomad, wishing you safe and very happy travels.

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Lisa S. French July 14, 2021

Nature’s Fireworks

Some species of sea anemones have special proteins
that enable them to produce their own light.

It’s good to glow.

Wishing You

an Illuminating

Independence Day.

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Lisa S. French July 4, 2021

Fishy Antifreeze

1-minute read

It’s officially summer in the northern hemisphere. With record-breaking high temperatures already being recorded in the U.S., Canada, parts of Europe, and the Arctic, it looks like 2021 is going to be another climate change-intensified scorcher.

If you’re in need of a way to keep cool—really cool—how about a little cold water swimming? And what could be more refreshingly chilling than a dip in a polar sea? Well, as tempting as that may seem when the thermometer reads 116°F, unlike polar fishes, we gill-free types are just not equipped to last long in cold water. So what do our piscine pals have that we don’t to help them survive frigid marine temperatures? Bodies fortified with antifreeze.

To manage the challenges of a life lived in icy seas, Arctic and Antarctic fish species that aren’t able to migrate to warmer waters evolved with antifreeze proteins in their blood and body tissues. These protective proteins lower the freezing point of polar fishes to below water temperature. When they come into contact with ice crystals either on their skin or gills or through eating or drinking, the antifreeze binds to the ice to prevent the scaly swimmers from turning into fish-icles. Now, how cool is that?

If you’d like to learn more about which animals have adapted to life in the coldest environment on the planet, the New Zealand government has created a splendidly informative poster of the wildlife occupying the world’s largest marine protected area in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

And if you’re keen to swim with fishes of the non-polar variety this summer, courtesy of The Guardian, scientist Heather Massey has some tips on how to avoid hypothermia while paddling in open waters.

Fishy business aside, just a reminder that extreme heat, like extreme cold, can be life-threatening. If you’re suffering through triple-digit temperatures and can’t make it to a pool or the beach, Google the location of your nearest cooling center and head on over. For tips on how to manage a heat wave without air conditioning, check out this list from MedicineNet. Keep cool. Stay safe.

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Lisa S. French June 29, 2021

Zebras: Snazzy-Suited Insect Repellers

1.5-minute read

It would be understandable if the zebra’s fellow savanna dwellers experienced pelt envy. The wild horses’ intricate black and white coat patterning is an extraordinary sight to behold. According to researchers at the University of California at Davis, there is more to the snazzy fur of the African equine than meets the eye. After a century of stripe speculation, scientists studying how differences in color and pattern help species adapt to their natural environment have concluded that the zebra’s markings aren’t just good-looking—they’re functional, signaling pesky biting flies to bug off.

So how do zebra stripes repel insects? As it turns out, dreaded blood-sucking, disease-carrying tsetse, stable, and horse flies are fairly picky when it comes to landing sites. They are far less likely to land on black and white striped surfaces than either all white or all black surfaces. And the greater the number and the narrower the stripes, the fewer the insect attacks. Researchers discovered that zebras in regions of Africa with more flies had more and thinner stripes, especially on the vulnerable face and legs where flies bite while the animals graze.

You may be wondering why zebras, in particular, evolved to develop insect-repelling markings. Biologists believe that because zebras have shorter and thinner fur than many other horse species, nature may have equipped the African equine with the extra protection of stripes to help increase its odds of survival on the savannas.

Even with built-in bug protection, zebras will need ongoing assistance from their friends to keep prettifying the planet. There are currently three species of stripey-suited wild horses roaming the African continent: the plains, mountain, and endangered Grevy’s zebras. As a result of habitat loss, poaching, disease, competition for food, and lack of access to water, Grevy’s populations have declined from 15,000 in the 1970s to only 3,000 across Kenya and Ethiopia. You can find out how conservationists are working to prevent the extinction of one of Africa’s largest remaining land animals and how you can pitch in to help at Grevy’s Zebra Trust and Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

What else this week? June 4th and 5th, 2021, kick off the Virtual Launch Gala for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration—a global rallying cry to heal the planet. Can we get a determined woohoo for getting out there to reimagine, restore, and recreate healthy ecosystems? Generation restoration—heck yeah!

And on the local-to-FWP front, for the very first time, Cornell University scientists have recorded humpbacks singing in the waters off New York City. Have a listen to their haunting whale songs—goosebumps! Happy to have you, big fellas—be careful out there!

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Lisa S. French June 4, 2021

Training Bees to Detect COVID-19

30-second read

We often marvel at the brainpower of bees, because well—it’s marvelous. Despite possessing only a minuscule amount of grey matter, the essential pollinators are also clever little problem solvers capable of basic math, maze navigation, and scent memorization. According to a news release from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and as reported by the Washington Post, the industrious insects may soon be adding COVID-19 detection to their bee CVs.

A worker bee’s daily duties include quickly and accurately discriminating one scent from another to locate the best sources of pollen. Now, scientists are putting that advanced sensory skill to good use by training the insects to sniff out the coronavirus, because bees are also able to detect the very subtle scent caused by COVID infection. During training, when an infected sample is presented to the insects, researchers reward them with sugar water. After several repetitions, the bees learn to extend their tongues without receiving a reward when they detect the scent of the virus.

With early lab results showing that COVID can’t elude sensitive sniffer bees, the research team is continuing the development of the tongues-out test to train multiple bees simultaneously, as well as a biosensor to deploy the insects for early diagnosis, and ultimately a biochip utilizing bee-gene odor sensing abilities that won’t require insect deployment. These projects aim to offer low-income countries lacking in financing and infrastructure quick, accurate, cost-effective tests for the coronavirus. Once again, when it comes to problem solving, it looks like the bee team is the A-team.

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Lisa S. French May 10, 2021

Survival of the Friendliest

1-minute read

Much has been written about the stress-reducing, joy-inducing power of human friendship. In good times and in bad, positive social interactions can provide a life-affirming sense of community and belonging. In addition to being psychologically restorative, the company of trusted friends has also been proven to reduce the risk of health problems and increase longevity.

Researchers studying whether members of the animal kingdom experience similar benefits from sociability have determined that for adult female giraffes being friendly is also more than just a nice idea—it’s a lifesaver. Compared with other environmental factors (food sources and distance from towns), chewing cud and slurping savanna water in familiar and amiable company is critical to their survival.

And just how do giraffes configure friendships to increase their lifespan? Do the endearingly long-necked animals benefit more from having exclusive besties, or do they gain a greater advantage from mixing and mingling within a larger group? According to a January 2021 study, it appears that female giraffes that are more gregarious and form stable associations with at least three other group members, live longer. Similar to human friendship groups, giraffes that connect with other members of their community (known as a tower) may experience life as more predictable and less stressful. And faced with ongoing environmental change, compared to lone roamers, giraffes inclined towards sisterhood also benefit from cooperative calve care and the sharing of important knowledge about the location of food and predators. When it comes to survival in the Serengeti, it looks like sticking your neck out and being gir-affable results in a life-extending payoff.

As the world turns, if you’re feeling more sociable today, and you’ve got a bit of a spring in your step, it could be because March 20th marks the vernal equinox. Or perhaps you’re particularly chirpy this Saturday because it also happens to be World Sparrow Day. You can learn more about how to keep the little brown fellows flying from the Audubon Society. Now that’s something to tweet about, friends!

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Lisa S. French March 20, 2021

For Cicadas, the Waiting is the Hardest Part

2.5-minute read

In about six to eight weeks, billions (or possibly trillions!) of periodical cicadas will emerge from the earth at the same time in the Eastern, Great Lakes, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. Some things have been bugging us about this mass insect invasion. Why do cicadas only pop up-top every 13 and 17 years? What do they do underground for all of that time? And why are there so many of them? We thought we’d do a little digging and find out, so here’s a quick Q & A about the noisy critters to keep you up-to-date on your insect info—you know, for Trivial Pursuit.

What is this ginormous bunch of bugs called?
The astonishingly large populations of cicadas that emerge from the earth at precisely timed 13 and 17-year intervals are called broods. In 1893, the broods were assigned Roman numeral designations by American entomologist Charles Marlatt. The 2021 17-year Brood X is made up of three different species with distinctive color patterns, sizes, and behaviors. Every 221 years, the 13 year and 17-year broods come out together in one tremendous bug fest. The next time that will happen is 2118. Optimists: schedule your 97-year cicada reminder with Siri now.

Why the extended percolation time?
About two feet below the earth, baby cicadas, known as nymphs, begin the long preparation for their emergence by feeding on fluid from tree and plant roots until they have matured enough to dig tunnels and crawl to the surface. The brood making their debut this year began their journey way back in 2004.

How do cicadas know when to launch?
Some biologists believe that fluctuations in root fluids might serve as cues for marking the passing years, and that cicadas may have a built-in timing mechanism that prompts them to start tunneling upward. Soil and bug body temperatures reaching a specific level could trigger the synchronized “let’s do this” launch.

What’s all the noise about?
For the first two weeks of their short, four to six-week lives, male cicadas gather in a colossal insect chorus to serenade the lady bugs. By contracting their rib membranes, the singing insects create surreal-sounding cycles of raucous buzzing that can reach 100 decibels—equivalent to the noise level of a jackhammer or a jet flyover at 1,000 feet.

Why are there so many of the little buggers?
There is safety in numbers. Cicadas are a non-toxic source of food for all manner of creatures including birds, squirrels, cats, dogs, turtles, snakes, and spiders. But even the hungriest of the hungry can only eat so many of the crunchy insects from a billion-bug buffet. Emerging synchronously in enormous numbers helps to ensure that enough cicadas will survive to sustain their brood and come back to sing another year.

When do cicadas go underground?
Female cicadas lay anywhere from 2-30 eggs in tiny nests on pencil-sized twigs. In about six to ten weeks the eggs hatch, the nymphs fall to the ground and burrow into the soil and the amazing prime-numbered life cycle of the periodical cicada begins again. Pro-tip for Brood X states—hats on when roaming under tree canopies this July and August.

Is 2021 Brood X emerging at a location near me?
The American Forest Service has created a handy map indicating where and when the 13 and 17-year broods emerge. You can check it out here.

Are there any songs about cicadas?
As a matter of fact, there are quite a few! These are some top picks:
• The Squirrel Crossed the Road/Jane Siberry
• Day of the Locusts/Bob Dylan
• Sicka Cicadas/Kathy Ashworth

So that’s this bug’s life—thirteen to seventeen years under the ground and only about six weeks under the sun. Perhaps the cicadas are not singing, but complaining—and who could blame them. Whether your response to the synchronized mass emergence of cicadas is “oh, wow” or “oh, eww”, we think you’ll agree that the recurring natural phenomenon is pretty remarkable.

And that’s this week’s Wild & Wondrous. Don’t forget to spring forward. Welcome back, light! Btw, today, 3.14, is also Pi (Π) Day, so if you are into numbers or into pie or into both, go wild!

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Lisa S. French March 14, 2021

Why the Big Brain, Octopus?

2.5-minute read

The world was a vastly different place when we posted our first entry dedicated to the beauty, mystery, and magic of nature in December of 2018. We can’t be sure what challenges lie ahead post-pandemic, but as long as the planet keeps going, so do we. And like Earth, we rely on a little help from our friends, so thank you very much for reading! We’re celebrating our 100th blog post with a title tweak from Weekly Wondrous to Wild & Wondrous, some insight on the intelligence of the octopus—and a mountain of cake. We hope you’ll join us!

Coming out of your shell has its benefits. For example, you might become smarter and grow lots of limbs—if you’re an octopus, that is. When the marine mollusk shed its shell about 530 million years ago, it got two anatomical upgrades: super flexible arms, and a bigger brain to coordinate them. While the octopus may resemble a vacuum bag with adjustable attachments, there is more to the weirdly wonderful animal than meets the eye. It has evolved to become one of our oceans’ most clever occupants.

High intelligence typically occurs in long-lived species like elephants, apes, whales, and dolphins that have to manage interdependent social bonds. Although octopuses only live about two years, are usually loners, and don’t nurture their young, the invertebrates developed a very sophisticated nervous system that rivals vertebrates in size and complexity.

So, why the big brain? Researchers at the University of Cambridge believe that once the octopus emerged from its protective housing, the increase in intelligence and growth of flexible limbs enabled the shell-less mollusk to survive in a much wider range of environments. The 300 species of octopus have adapted to diverse marine habitats all around the world. Plus, the vulnerable, soft-bodied animals needed more developed sea-smarts to protect themselves from predators.

Just how smart are they? Problem solving and tool use are two hallmarks of advanced cognitive abilities in animals, and octopuses are able to do both, which means they’re pretty darn clever. Octopuses use stones and shells as armor against sharks and to block the entrance of their dens. When hiding places are hard to come by, they haul around coconut shells to use as makeshift mobile homes. And if they are caught between a den and a coconut shell, to discourage attacks, octopuses can change their skin color to mimic advancing predators. The masters of multi-tasking are also skilled at finding and extracting food from hard-to-reach places. Not only do they use their big brains to figure out how to pry open clams, mussels, and oysters, they can fetch food from a maze, open boxes, and remove lids from jars.

If you’re wondering if all octopus limbs are created equal, each of the eight arms can bend, lengthen, shorten, and turn clockwise and counter-clockwise in all directions. Scientists at Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory observing ten wild-caught octopuses have recorded 16,563 arm movements in 120 minutes of video. Top that!

Similar to an elephant’s trunk, the octopus’ exceptionally flexible arms are primarily made of muscle and connective tissue and rely on internal pressure to create movement. Although they have a wide variety to choose from, octopuses prefer to use specific arms for specific tasks, like rear arms for walking versus front arms for exploring, and some are lefties and some are righties.

It’s obvious that the octopus is not your run-of-the-mill mollusk. Aiming to pass on the sea creature’s big brain benefits to humanity, scientists and engineers are continuing to study its cognitive ability and complex arm movements to help develop bio-inspired soft robots for use in medicine and industry. All we can say to that is, we’re glad you came out of your shell, octopus!

If you’re also feeling inspired by the marine animal’s amazing maneuverings, you can download giant Pacific octopus wallpaper from the Monterey Bay Aquarium for your daily viewing pleasure.

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Lisa S. French February 21, 2021