This new feature on the blog will focus on urban introduced species across the globe, giving brief histories of where they came from, how they got where they are now & more on their ecology and evolution. The Gold Dust Day Gecko Phelsuma laticauda Best known for the starring role as the “Geico” gecko, the... Continue Reading →
Urban Observation of the Week: Golden Jackal
As we move from a city's core to its outskirts, there seems to be a shift in the kinds of flora and fauna that we can capture with our cameras. Last week we showed flowers in the city center. This week, we move to the outskirts where a photographer was able to capture this image... Continue Reading →
Urban Observation of the Week: Bellflowers in Munich
Last week we brought you many plants found in the streets of Zurich. Plants can find ways to flourish in cities, with just enough space in the pavement cracks to grow. This week, bellflowers have been spotted in Munich. Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about... Continue Reading →
Urban Observation of the Week: So Many Plants
Often when we see plants in the city they fall into one of two categories, weed or decorative. It is rare that we find plants that haven't been purposefully planted that aren't weeds. Here are some of the natural flora found in the city streets of Zurich. Do you have a photo or video... Continue Reading →
Moving to the City: Morphology and Performance in Introduced Urban Lizards
Making the best of a difficult year With a group of other students here at Ohio Wesleyan University, I had successfully written a grant to research the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) in the south of France for the summer of 2020. Like so many plans that year, this trip was canceled. While the streets... Continue Reading →
Urban Observation of the Week: Dumpster Diving Bear
As cities continue to encroach on natural landscapes, bear sightings have become more frequent. If you've ever been camping where there's bears, you know that they have to design special trash bins to keep bears out. So what do we do when they are in the city? We have to design ways to keep bears... Continue Reading →
Urban Observation of the Week: Beaver’s Going Places
Beavers are excellent builders. Similar to humans, they modify their environment to suit their needs, chomping down wood to build dams. Recently, this beaver was spotted at a subway station. Let's hope it didn't get lost on the subway line! Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something... Continue Reading →
Evolution 2021! Day 5
The annual Evolution meeting (ASN, SSE, SSB) officially kicked off Monday (virtually)! If you are presenting, consider writing a short summary of your talk for the blog (as we have done in the past for in-person conferences). And if you're attending, we've got you covered here with a list of do-not-miss urban evolution talks! (As... Continue Reading →
Evolution 2021! Day 4
The annual Evolution meeting (ASN, SSE, SSB) officially kicked off Monday (virtually)! If you are presenting, consider writing a short summary of your talk for the blog (as we have done in the past for in-person conferences). And if you're attending, we've got you covered here with a list of do-not-miss urban evolution talks! (As... Continue Reading →
Evolution 2021! Day 3
The annual Evolution meeting (ASN, SSE, SSB) officially kicked off Monday (virtually)! If you are presenting, consider writing a short summary of your talk for the blog (as we have done in the past for in-person conferences). And if you're attending, we've got you covered here with a list of do-not-miss urban evolution talks! (As... Continue Reading →
Urban Observation of the Week: Garden Echidna
Australia is well known for its wild animals, they are so different than what we non-Aussies are used to seeing. This week, we found an echidna in a garden! These egg-laying mammals are found everywhere in Australia, so it seems like it was a matter of time to see on in a backyard. Do you... Continue Reading →
Evolution 2021! Day 2
The annual Evolution meeting (ASN, SSE, SSB) officially kicked off yesterday (virtually)! If you are presenting, consider writing a short summary of your talk for the blog (as we have done in the past for in-person conferences). And if you're attending, we've got you covered here with a list of do-not-miss urban evolution talks! (As... Continue Reading →
Evolution 2021! Day 1
The annual Evolution meeting (ASN, SSE, SSB) officially kicks off tomorrow (virtually)! If you are presenting, consider writing a short summary of your talk for the blog (as we have done in the past for in-person conferences). And if you're attending, we've got you covered here with a list of do-not-miss urban evolution talks! (As... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Moving to the city: testing the implications of morphological shifts on locomotor performance in introduced urban lizards
Moving to the city: testing the implications of morphological shifts on locomotor performance in introduced urban lizards Princeton L Vaughn, Wyatt Mcqueen, Eric J Gangloff Abstract Understanding how morphology affects performance in novel environments and how populations shift their morphology in response to environmental selective pressures is necessary to understand how invaders can be successful.... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: What is known – and not known – about acoustic communication in an urban soundscape
What is known – and not known – about acoustic communication in an urban soundscape Elizabeth P Derrberry & David Luther Abstract Urban environments have some of the most highly modified soundscapes on the planet, affecting the way many animals communicate using acoustic signals. Communication involves transmission of information via signals, such as bird song, between... Continue Reading →