Evolution in an Urbanizing World
A few weeks ago I was in San Diego, California for #ComSciCon19 and walking back to the dorms late in the evening when a friend grabbed me just before I stepped on something. I bent down to get a closer look and found this stick insect. After doing a bit of searching and posting a... Continue Reading →
Fireflies are great little bugs (actually beetles) that come out on warm summer evenings. They dance around the air with a light display that can mesmerize you into a lull and signals to females that they are ready to mate. Even the larvae are able to glow, but their glow is a warning that they... Continue Reading →
Last week I was watching some top-notch tennis on TV as Coco Gauff battled to stay in at Wimbledon. I was amused when a small bird, what seems to be a Wagtail (Motacilla alba), flew out onto the court and perched calmly on the net! Not being a huge tennis fan, I was surprised and... Continue Reading →
Summertime is prime for doing field work for many scientists, including those of us that work on urban organisms. I was recently out in the field collecting bugs for one of the projects I work on. The first milkweed I found, looking for milkweed bugs, was this one below. The white flowers that are next... Continue Reading →
As we expand our cities further out into previously natural areas, we encounter more wildlife in our yards. In the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area, the outskirts of the city butt up against pristine desert habitats. It has become more common to see coyotes roaming the streets. But recently, Stephen Griffin captured a rare sighting, a... Continue Reading →
Raptors are making a comeback in cities around the world, thanks to the discontinuation of DDT. We've highlighted raptors including Red-tailed Hawks and Peregrine Falcons previously in our Urban Observation of the Week. Within cities, pigeon and rat populations provide ample food and researchers in many cities are investigating what resources and landscape variables dictate... Continue Reading →
Dr. Gail Langellotto, Professor of Urban and Community Horticulture at Oregon State University, was the first speaker in the "Urban Garden Ecology" section at the 2019 IUWC. Dr. Langellotto has been conducting research in garden ecosystems since her first faculty job at Fordham University. An entomologist by training, when she moved to the Bronx she... Continue Reading →
Warning: Graphic Content Life in urban areas is not always great for some species. They are prey to other species that might be doing a little better than they are. Here is a peregrine falcon chomping a bird it caught: Thanks Kam-Yung Soh for this picture! Do you have a photo or video of an... Continue Reading →
Last week we brought you breaking news on campus of baby deer being born. The other sure fire way to tell it is spring, mating season! Here is a pair of 5-lined skinks, Plestiodon fasciatus, doing a mating ritual: Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about... Continue Reading →
Spring is finally here! How can we tell for sure, well how about a baby deer being born. We were fortunate enough to capture the birth of twins on campus here at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Check out the thread on twitter: Do you have a photo or video of an urban species... Continue Reading →
Did you know that opossums are the only marsupial in North America? They are also fairly common in some urban areas. These are great animals to have around because they eat the ticks that would otherwise chow on you and your pets! Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something... Continue Reading →
Did you know that kangaroos are really common in parts of Australia? Here's a mob of kangaroos passing through a neighborhood! Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare plant or animal that you were surprised to find in a city? If so, let... Continue Reading →
Spring is in the air and birds are nesting... Sometimes on your car?!?
Springtime is here! In the northern latitudes we are seeing birds coming back from their winter grounds.These ducks are enjoying a "pond" made by the runoff pipes. Thank you Rose Wood for the great duck pic! Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare... Continue Reading →
Coyotes seem to be everywhere in North American neighborhoods. Here is a spotting from @evoecolab in his front yard. We have explored aspects of urban evolution in coyotes in a previous post by Kevin Aviles-Rodriguez. Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare plant... Continue Reading →
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren.