askaboutanimals-blog

[askaboutanimals-blog]

Adorable little #woollybearcaterpillar (Pyrrharctica isabella) in #sleepyhollow. Contrary to legend, their color does not predict the intensity of a winter, and changes as they grow up. #tubebabies #Moth #growingup #cute #entomology #wildlifephotography #bugsofinstagram #spikey #fluffy #dangercheetoh #balloonfeet #psychic #mythbusting #urbanlegend #science #lepidoptera #fuzzy #fall #autumn Tucker B. (2007) Perception of interannual covariation and strategies for risk reduction among mikea of Madagascar. Human Nature, 18, 162-180 (at Headless Horseman Bridge) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2z6D_YgS37/?igshid=1kcfngx5stfb8

[askaboutanimals-blog]

The Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor) changes color from gray with spots to a uniform green based on changes in light and temperature! I caught this friend in between outfits at @silverbayymca #wildlifephotography #animalfacts #summer #camo #cute #cuteanimals #frogsofinstagram #herpetology #amphibians #fashionplate #smol #hiding #frogspotting #toes #newyork #adirondack #lakegeorge #cottage #froggo #hiding #stylin #changetwiceaday Edgren, R. A. (1954). Factors Controlling Color Change in the Tree Frog, Hyla versicolor Wiech. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 87(1), 20-23. (at Silver Bay, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Z4SbRA7_H/?igshid=1c3tqxvylakf1

[askaboutanimals-blog]

The Green Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor) changes color from gray with spots to a uniform green based on changes in light and temperature! I caught this friend in between outfits at @silverbayymca #wildlifephotography #animalfacts #summer #camo #cute #cuteanimals #frogsofinstagram #herpetology #amphibians #fashionplate #smol #hiding #frogspotting #toes #newyork #adirondack #lakegeorge #cottage #froggo #hiding #stylin #changetwiceaday Edgren, R. A. (1954). Factors Controlling Color Change in the Tree Frog, Hyla versicolor Wiech. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 87(1), 20-23. (at Silver Bay, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Z4SbRA7_H/?igshid=16s49o1e26b5y

[askaboutanimals-blog]

"Keep absolutely still. It's vision's based on movement." - Alan Grant #JurassicPark The Zebra Back #Spider (Salticus scenicus) is a common #roommate of ours, preferring to nest behind curtains, above cabinets, and on porches. They're fierce hunters of mosquitoes, small flies, and other insects, making incredibly fast, precise jumps to tackle their prey on sight. Much like the highly fictionalized #Rexie, their predatory behavior is based on movement, and they won't lock onto a stationary target. This stunning girl showed up on my balcony the other day - I'm hoping she sticks around through the summer and keeps the mosquitoes out (no offense to mosquitoes, of course). #homesecurity #pestcontrol #spiders #style #nyc #harlem #citylife #wildlifephotography #wildlife #wildlifenyc #stripes #stunting #target #eyesontheprize #targetacquired #arachnid #science #animalfacts #hunt #ontheprowl #huntress #scan #hud #predator Dill, L. M. (1975). Predatory behavior of the zebra spider, Salticus scenicus (Araneae: Salticidae). Canadian journal of zoology, 53(9), 1284-1289. Speilberg S (Director) (1993). Jurassic Park [Motion Picture], United States, Universal Pictures (at Harlem) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByZk32Mg5Uw/?igshid=19dt2pz5b2yyu

[askaboutanimals-blog]

A skinny, slightly disheveled (possibly old or not feeling so hot) raccoon (Procyon lotor) I met when he wandered into the @centralparkzoo the other day. Perfectly #healthy raccoons are often active in the middle of the day (don't believe the bad press they get) and I suspect this one might have lost out on territory or foraging options to stronger, possibly younger raccoons elsewhere in #CentralPark. A good reminder that there are plenty of animals to be found at zoos who show up on their own! Raccoons have adjusted very well to our increasingly urbanized environment, and occupy more stable, resource-rich territories when living in the big city. A handsome and fairly safe member of our #NYC ecosystem! #uppereastside #urbanecology #territory #personalspace #anthropocene #wildlifephotography #wildlife #nycwildlife #centralperk #ecology #conservation #eldercare #bandit #zoology #mammalsofinstagram #animalfacts #science #racconsofinstagram #newyorker #citylife #realestate #crowded Prange S et al (2004). Influences of anthropogenic resources on raccoon (Procyon lotor) movements and spatial distribution. Journal of Mammalogy, 85, 483-490. (at Central Park Zoo) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByTa6g9AwwE/?igshid=1tqvxxzax3o79

[askaboutanimals-blog]

A Southern Pine Sphinx #Moth (Lapara coniferarum) caterpillar seen on the hike up to Jabe's pond at #SilverBayYMCA . Despite the name, they range throughout the eastern US, at least as far north as Maine. This little one will have a fairly specialized diet of pine as a caterpillar, and nectar as an adult, coming out in the low-light hours to visit flowers. #veryhungrycaterpillar #venturebros #sphinx! #wildlifephotography #wildlife #ecology #commonnameproblems #hiking #pickyeaters #babyfood #cute #babies #lepidoptera #upstateny #nightflight #science #animalfacts #adorbz #balloonfeet #tubebabies #stripes #nectar Wagner et al. (2003) Shrubland Lepidoptera of southern New England and southeastern New York: ecology, conservation, and management. Forest Ecology and Management, 185, 95-112. (at Silver Bay, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx7u7c6ggyz/?igshid=skwxxefaeqdg

[askaboutanimals-blog]

A de-luxe apartment in the sky! The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is able to thrive in environments much colder than most of their relatives. Originally from Argentina, escapees and abandoned pet parakeets have found each other, and produced urban populations stable over more than half a century. This particular colony lives in a massive (around five by three square feet), condo style nest in Brooklyn, where many couples have their own little tunnel-apartments in the larger mass of sticks. Each couple contributes to the upkeep of the overall nest. #birdsofinstagram #parakeet #urbanecology #urban #brooklyn #ornithology #birb #birdingphotography #condo #realestate #condoboard #coop #homeimprovement #groupproject #apartment #movetobrooklyn #immigration #citylife #wildlifephotography #nycwildlife #southamerica #comingtoamerica #zoology #citylife #nyc Bull J (1973) Exotic birds in the New York City area. The Wilson Bulletin, 85, 501-505. (at Brooklyn, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx0nrjTg7Ih/?igshid=clucwyvqcbkd

[askaboutanimals-blog]

#Biblical #Birb! Or apocryphal avian, to be technical. A Tristram's Starling (Onychognathus tristramii) female (you can tell from her gray head) lives in the Ein Gedi Nature reserve, right next to the dead sea. She was one of the many bold Tristram's in the area, who come right up to tourists and scavenge their leftovers. According to legend, King Solomon, while attempting to court the Queen of Sheba, asked each bird for their fanciest feather (he could talk to animals by way of his famous ring). The then-rainbow Tristram's Starling refused, and so Solomon (maybe overreacting a little) threw ink all over him, except for the underside of his wings, leading to the black (really dark blue) with orange that we see today. #conservation #kingsolomon #kingsolomonsring #ethology #rawmythistory #myth #legends #courtship #royal #birdingphotography #bird #birdsodinstagram #colorsofthewind #angry #wingman #wingmanfail #saltingmygame #ecotourism #sheba #queen #game #biblestudy #youngwoman #ornithology #wildlifephotography #zoology #birds #sciart #steam #spni #timesofisrael Bar-Am A, Bar-Am S (11.17.2012). Life Springs Eternal at Ein Gedi. Times of Israel, volume number. Retrieved from https://www.timesofisrael.com/life-springs-eternal-at-ein-gedi/   (at Ein Gedi, Hadarom, Israel) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxyoPXVgrQp/?igshid=1rhqpuw8ee0l1

[askaboutanimals-blog]

A handsome giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas) I met while working in the Kalahari almost ten years ago. They can get to be fifteen inches long, and often carry around little mites who don't do them any real harm, but keep their exoskeletons nice and clean! #fieldwork #desert #commensal #mites #partners #hygeine #meerkatmanor #animals #wildlifephotography #wildlife #cute #legs #entomemeology #armor #travel Sustr V, Tajovsky K, Semanova S, Chronokova A, Simek M (2013) The giant African millipede, Archispirostrepus gigas (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida), a model species for ecophysiological studies. Acta Soc. Cool. Bohem. 77, 145-158 (at South Africa) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv42OwvB_uy/?igshid=1buo2zcgkivs3

[askaboutanimals-blog]

Large owl butterfly (Caligo eurilochus) taking five in the #amnh butterfly conservatory! These guys have evolved a crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) lifestyle, unusual for butterflies. It may be the reason their hearing isn't very acute anymore - they don't need to stay alert to sound the way their diurnal cousins do. #butterflies #nightlife #museum #americanmuseumofnaturalhistory #hardofhearing #nyc #science #animals #entomology #lepidoptera #eyespot #shock #nap #takeabreak #centralamerica #southamerica #wings #spots #listenup Lucas K, Mongrain J, Windmill JFC, Robert D, Yack, JE (2014) Hearing in the crepuscular owl butterfly (Caligo eurilochus, Nymphalidae). Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology, 200, 891-898 (at American Museum of Natural History) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv2wbyFhmbA/?igshid=1iw5r1oc5u0t4

[askaboutanimals-blog]

Pigeons on Park - rock pigeons (Columba livia), hanging out in a foraging flock on a street sign. It's fair to say they're New Yorkers through and through, living in dense, loosely bordered flocks and eating virtually anything organic. Like many species in New York, they're not native to North America, but came over from Europe (after coming with humans from the Middle East), and have gone through many, many generations in domestic and feral status. This long period of selection for hanging out in human-built environments may have made them better at figuring out new strategies for getting food, and for learning those strategies by watching each other. #pigeons #ornithology #zoology #wildlifephotography #nycwildlife #animals #animalfacts #birding #birb #pigeon #parkavenue #uppereastside #ues #cuny #birdingphotography #flock #citylife #social #learning #figureitout #science #nature #clevergirl #immigration #comingtoamerica #newyorker #flying #corners Bouchard J, Goodyer W, Lefebvre L (2007) Social learning and innovation are positively correlated in pigeons (Columbia livia). Animal Cognition, 10, 256-266 (at Hunter College) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv2KAtGhkBN/?igshid=1th9b3qxkdg8r

[askaboutanimals-blog]

Hi!

I’m Dr. Andrew Fulmer; a zoologist specializing in animal behavior and evolution. I’ve loved learning about animals and why we do what we do for as long as I can remember. I’ve loved sharing that excitement the whole time (sometimes as an adjunct professor, sometimes unsolicited).

Life, how it came to be as it is, and what it may be in the future, is staggering, awe-inspiring, and magnificent in its diversity. 

The foodweb is overflowing with great stories. Some are sad, some triumphant, some hilarious or adorable. I want to make a little window into our scientific understanding of some of my favorite parts for anyone who’s interested. 

So if you want to find out what makes eagles dance, cats sit in boxes, or rats laugh, please take a look here. Or on instagram, or twitter, at @askaboutanimals.

And please feel free to do exactly that. If I don’t know the answer to your question, I’ll be more than happy to look it up.

If you’re interested, you can find more about my research and teaching career at www.afulmer.com.