More bats! The NY Times brings us the story of this nectar-eating bat from Ecuador. The 2-inch long bat has a tongue 3.3 inches long! This is proportionally the longest tongue of any mammal and the second-longest (behind the chameleon) of any vertebrate. This bat keeps the tongue in its chest – it is anchored …
Author: Reid Farmer
Reid is Moving
I wanted to make a public announcement about something I’ve told a few privately. Connie and I have accepted transfers from our current employer and will be moving to work at their Denver, Colorado office. Our move will most likely take place in January, but timing will be conditioned by the move-in date of the …
Whale Vomit
I had to post this one just so I could use the title. It’s actually an interesting story from the NY Times on what is thought to be a piece of ambergris found on a beach in the eastern US. With the general demise of whaling, this story points out that it is difficult to …
Gnatcatchers
Despite environmental gloom and doom, sometimes things do get better. The LA Times brings us the story of habitat restoration resulting in the rebound of endangered Gnatcatcher populations in the affluent LA suburbs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Yet More Neanderthal News
We’ve had quite a few posts on the explosion of new findings on Neaderthals lately, and I thought I’d bring these two to your attention. One claims to have proof that Neanderthals engaged in cannibalism. The other presents the theory that Neanderthal women and children took part in hunting, and that there perhaps was not …
Airport Bats
Connie and I were trudging through the Phoenix airport week before last, when I was amazed at this sight on the wall of one of the concourse stores. A whole roost of bat sculptures. These fruit bats are made of rusted steel and I was told the artist is a gentleman named Henri Dupree who …
Terrierman on Condors
Patrick Burns gives us his thoughts on California condor conservation and species loss. This post sort of got kicked off by an e-mail discussion that he, Steve, and I had about a lawsuit in California that seeks a ban on lead bullets. The plaintiffs maintain that many condors die after feeding on the carcasses of …
Post-Card From Above
Rebecca O’Connor’s essay “Post-card From Above” was in today’s issue of West, the LA Times Sunday magazine. It gives her perspective as a falconer on the expansion of suburban development in the area of Southern California where she lives. Also take a look at West’s editor, Rick Wartzman’s, comments on Rebecca’s work. Congratulations, Rebecca!
The Antikythera Mechanism
The BBC, New York Times, and LA Times all have fascinating accounts of an ancient “computer” used to predict astronomical phenomena. This ancient Greek device dated to about 100 BC was salvaged from a Roman shipwreck off the island of Anikythera between the Greek coast and Crete. Over eighty fragments have been found that represent …
Another Quiz
Anyone want to try and identify these three crania? That is a centimeter scale for reference. ANSWERSFrom left to right:Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Very good everyone and thank you! “In vino veritas,” eh, Pluvialis?