dr. dolittle
Posts by this author
August 18, 2011
Seals are actually able to reduce the temperature of their brains to decrease the amount of oxygen needed to sustain metabolism during dives. In a recent study, the brains of harp (Pagophilus groenlandicus; shown above) and hooded (Cystophora cristata) seals were found to cool by as much as 2.5°C…
August 16, 2011
The winner of our Summer Photo Contest is "Dip in the Pool" (above) submitted by Amanda Byrnes. The photo was taken this summer in Massachusetts. This particular photo was chosen because it exemplifies how frogs, which are ectotherms, can cool off in the heat of the summer. Congratulations Amanda…
August 11, 2011
Chicks hatch from their eggs with the ability to walk and swim. After only 3 days in the egg, chicks begin to move. Researchers wanted to know if the movements in the egg prepared chicks for their big debut. They synchronized electromyograms for leg muscles, force, and video from late-stage…
August 9, 2011
Male:
Female:
Images Source: USFWS
Ever wonder how the plumage of birds can be so colorful? Take, for example, the Yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) shown above. Those yellow feathers are possible because of yellow-red dietary pigments called carotenoids. It turns out that…
August 4, 2011
Once again, NOVA did not disappoint. I really enjoyed watching the "Rat Attack" special. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who has not yet had a chance to watch it, but I found the cyclical correlation between black rat populations and bamboo flowering fascinating. I was astonished to learn how…
August 3, 2011
Once again I find myself looking forward to a special program by NOVA National Geographic called "Rat Attack". The program airs tonight so be sure to check your local PBS listings for times.
Here is a description of the special:
"Once every 48 years, bamboo forests in parts of northeast India go…
August 2, 2011
What could be more exciting than Shark Week on Discovery Channel? It airs at 9pm Eastern every night this week. You can also see video clips online such as my personal favorite, the top 10 weird sharks.
Be sure to check out the video clip of the frilled shark (above) which was once thought to…
July 28, 2011
A reader sent in this intriguing question in response to the previous post on cuttlefish:
"What is there vision like? Do they really see around them clearly enough to have evolved mimicry?"
Researchers Mathger et al. have shown that the animals are actually colorblind but can distinguish objects…
July 26, 2011
Photo: KENPEI, Wikimedia Commons.
Researchers have isolated an antimicrobial peptide from swallowtail butterflies, Papilio xuthus (image above). After creating a synthesized version of the peptide they called Papiliocin, they wanted to know how it worked. What they found was that Papiliocin…
July 21, 2011
I watched an amazing Nova special on cuttlefish, a relative of octopus. These animals really are the "Kings of Camouflage!" I have seen animals that can change colors to match their environments, but I have never seen one able to produce moving colors or to contort their bodies to mimic objects in…
July 19, 2011
I was recently sent this intriguing question from a reader:
Dear Dr. Dolittle,
I heard in my science class that because honeybees have such high blood sugar levels, they can survive freezing...is that true?
To answer this question, I turned to expert Dr. John G. Duman from the Department of…
July 13, 2011
Our summer photo contest is still under way! Please send your favorite photo of how animals are spending the summer to drdlttl01@gmail.com for a chance to win a fabulous "What's new in comparative physiology" t-shirt from The American Physiological Society!
July 12, 2011
Photo Copyright: Arizona Game and Fish Department
Looking at this photo, I can't help but wonder why a bobcat thought it would be a good idea to climb to the top of a saguaro cactus...a really tall saguaro cactus. I had to find out. I did what anyone would do and searched Google.
I found this…
July 8, 2011
Image Source: The Goldfish Bowl: Canterbury Writers
Gills are to fish what lungs are to mammals. This is where gas exchange between the animal and the environment takes place. As water flows across the gills, oxygen is taken up into the blood of the fish and carbon dioxide is removed. In both…
July 6, 2011
Image source: The American Physiological Society.
I just read an amazing review article written by George Somero from the Department of Biology at Stanford University on how the field of comparative physiology may be used as a crystal ball to predict how different species will respond to global…
July 1, 2011
I will be celebrating the 4th of July this weekend with lots of barbecues while enjoying the summer weather. But I wonder what our animal friends will be doing this weekend...
If last year is any indication, we know the animals at the Oregon Zoo will be having a lot of fun! To see just how much,…
June 29, 2011
Anyone who has seen the movie March of the Penguins knows that these animal undergo long periods of fasting. There are actually 3 stages of fasting in birds.
Phase I: This is a short phase in which they burn stored fat for energy.
Phase II: In this long phase, animals are constantly losing…
June 23, 2011
I just found this website called Africam where they have live video feeds of animals in, you guessed it, Africa. It is so neat!
My favorite recorded video they have shows an African fish eagle calling. It is such an impressive sight to see how far back this bird stretches its neck during the…
June 21, 2011
I hate this time of year when mosquitoes come out in droves to feast on unsuspecting victims. If only garlic and silver crosses worked...
The problem with mosquitoes is that they are known to transmit numerous diseases such as malaria, west nile virus, yellow fever, rift valley fever, dengue fever…
June 16, 2011
Image: US Geological Survey
You may recall a recent post on white nose syndrome in bats. Check out this YouTube video for an overview of this devastating syndrome.
Here is an update on the progress of researchers studying the fungus:
It turns out that the fungus is lethal to bats in America but…
June 14, 2011
Image: Brian Skerry, Smithsonian Magazine.
Check out the world's largest fish, the whale shark, which can reach lengths of more than 45 feet! These fish were featured in a recent article from Smithsonian Magazine. You would think the diver would be afraid of being eaten by the "shark", but it…
June 10, 2011
Image: La Brea Tar Pits
Image: ©2010 Betsy Malloy Photography
All that is left of this prehistoric species are bones like those shown above found at the Los Angeles La Brea tar pits. Many of these wolves ended up there as they presumably hunted "easy" prey stuck in the pits and in the process…
June 8, 2011
Image source: www.etsy.com
It may be hot outside now, but soon enough black bears will be entering their annual hibernating ritual. This brief BBC clip is worth watching (and learning from) over a tall glass of iced tea or lemonade. In the meantime, if you see bears and their offspring while you…
June 2, 2011
Veterinarians can learn a lot about an animal just by looking at their coat and eye color. That is because certain inherited disorders are associated with these traits, which have been described in a recent review article published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal.
Take coat color-related…
May 31, 2011
Young male finches are able to copy their father's songs and will adopt the songs of foster parents from other species. However, they resist learning tape-recorded songs. Researcher Patrice Adret at the University of Chicago wanted to know if they would be able to learn recorded bird songs if they…
May 26, 2011
It should not be surprising that the decline of most bird species may be attributed to changes in their habitat. These changes may include human-related causes such as increased farming, urban sprawl, industrial development, logging, drilling and mining. Global warming is to blame for earlier…
May 24, 2011
PHOTO CREDIT: M. Walters, University of Canterbury
Like bees, birds are important plant pollinators. Scientists have provided evidence that declining bird populations have negatively impacted plant reproduction. They found that on islands where bird populations have dwindled, the density of…
May 19, 2011
In this amazing video from National Geographic, a mongoose is shown winning a battle with an Asian cobra. How can these cute animals compete against such a deadly snake?
It turns out that the mongoose is resistant to snake venom, specifically, alpha-bungarotoxin. This toxin is lethal to many…
May 17, 2011
Image Source: tsuru-bird.net
The low body temperature of armadillos is thought to contribute to their susceptibility to infection with the bacteria responsible for causing leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae. In fact, armadillos were intentionally inoculated with the bacteria in the 1960's to allow…