biotic spark

Darwinian Art

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Discover Magazine has an online glimpse at an art display inspired by Darwin (and inspired against Darwin). I especially like the nativity scene featuring chimps.

(Hat tip: Katie B.)

Are Rattlesnakes Only Found in North America?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:00:00 +0000

My father-in-law posed this interesting question to me over the holidays last year: Are rattlesnakes found only in North America?

The answer: No, although they are found only in the Americas (North and South).

There are 27 species of rattlesnake, split into two genera. (The genus Sistrurus consists of 9 speices found exclusively in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The other 18 species are of the genus Crotalus, found from southern Canada to northern Argentina.)

Above: The Southern Pacific Rattlesnake I encountered in Dana Point two years ago; my first rattlesnake encounter! Very exciting!

That they are found only in the Americas suggests that rattlesnakes branched off of their more general pit viper ancestors in fairly "recent" times, geologically speaking. (Recent enough that North and South America had separated from the other continents; the evidence points toward that the ancestor probably originated in the region of the Sierra Madre, Mexico).

...

If you have a burning question about nature or natural history, I might enjoy finding the answer for you. Feel free to email it to me.

You Are Being Shagged by a Rare Parrot

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:32:00 +0000

(Hat tip: Jane.)

The Latest from Sir David Attenborough

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:22:00 +0000

If you know me, then you know how I feel about Sir David Attenborough. (I heart SDA. I want to adopt him as my grandpa.)

You've got to see his (and the British taxpayers') latest. It's called Life, and as this article says, "Think of it as 'Planet Earth: Part II'". If you've seen Planet Earth, and you know how amazing that footage is, then you know what they're talking about.

It's highly recommended that you watch all three video clips linked to here at Gizmodo (an online technology magazine).

(Hat tip: Matt B.)

Can Spider Silk Be Used to Make Cloth?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:35:00 +0000

Gold silk from 1,000 spiders in Madagascar.

Read the full story here:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/spider-silk/

(Hat tip: Matt B.)

A "Mantidote" for the Wintertime Blues?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:57:00 +0000

(Subtitle: Pray tell!)

(This is a post from a previous incarnation of this blog, when I lived in the Midwest. As we approach autumn again, and since it's currently raining praying mantises in southern California, I thought it could be worth revisiting.)

Despite the dark pleasures of autumn, which I alluded to in a previous post, we know that it all comes to an end about this time November. Strong winds will have stripped that very last vestige of life—the leaves—from the surrounding landscape, and one is left coping with winter’s stark dormancy. This is certainly a cause for depression among creature-lovers.

But mope not, because if you act now, you can preserve one of summer’s treasures to last you well into the winter season. And it’s as simple as this: Go outside right now and catch yourself a praying mantis.

The fact is, as one of the largest insects in North America, praying mantises make a particularly symbolic piece of warmer weather memorabilia. They’re also a great wild animal to collect at this time of year. And here, I think, are the top three reasons why:

(Jerry the Praying Mantis, munching on a beetle larva.)

Number 1: They seem to be readily abundant. That’s undoubtedly something to do with their life cycle: females lay up to 300 eggs, with some hatching in small intervals. And that brings us to...

Number 2: They’re just going to die anyway. That’s because they hatch out in the spring, spend all summer preying (and “praying”), mate & lay their eggs in the fall, and then promptly die from old age or frost, "whichever comes first”.

And finally, Number 3: They are simply amazing to behold. I know, because I kept one last year—his name was Jerry. Fascinatingly, mantises are one of the few insects that can rotate their heads. They also appear to have excellent vision (their eyes are a curiosity unto themselves), and a mantis’ motions and behaviors seem almost as intelligent as those of a small vertebrate.

Of the four or five people who read this blog, I know I’ve got at least one predator-lover out there (you know who you are), so I’ll now say something a bit gory regarding how a praying mantis captures and consumes its prey. (The faint of heart should read no further.) Jerry would hang upside down and ‘swoop’ his spiny forelegs down to capture an unsuspecting cricket. Grasping it tightly to the point that it could not move, he would then chew a small, rectangular incision into the top of the cricket’s thorax (just below the vestigial wings), and proceed to munch the life right out of it. It’s awesomely gruesome, and guaranteed to send shivers right down your spine! (In fact I just got shivers merely thinking about it again.) Happily, no mantis poses any serious threat to human beings, though the mandibles can deliver a painful pinch, so just remember not to be foolish (like I was) and pick them up.

By the way, once your praying mantis finally kicks the bucket, you can easily preserve him for years (and quite nicely) with ethyl alcohol or formaldehyde. Barring that, rubbing alcohol will keep him looking like a sharp souvenir for several months.

Happy bugging, everybody!

The true story of Jerry and the cricket:

PS: To prove to yourself what awesome predators praying mantises are, be sure to check out this website, Praying Mantis Makes Meal of a Hummingbird (it's for real!).

Update 1: My photos of a California Praying Mantis, after having laid eggs.

Update 2: From Wikipedia, more excellent photos of mantids here, including a link to a YouTube! video of a mantis capturing a cricket.

"Creation"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:50:00 +0000

Hmmmm!!!! (Hat tip: Michael D.)

Snake with Foot Found in China

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:38:00 +0000

(Hat tip: David J.) Read the full story here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6187320/Snake-with-foot-found-in-China.html

This story reminds me of a similar story--and one of my all-time proudest puns (see the title of this old blog entry of mine): http://peltzathand.blogspot.com/2006/11/individual-dolphin-found-with-likely.html

Why 'evolution'?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:22:00 +0000

“Evolution” is the label or single-word concept we use in English as shorthand for what we would otherwise describe as the intellectual contribution of Charles Darwin.

But is this term really the best choice?

Etymologically, the term is derived from the Latin evolvere, meaning unrolling, or unfolding. Merriam-Webster’s defines evolution variously as “a process of change in a certain direction”, “the process of working out or developing”, etc.

I think it’s safe to assume that to most people, the term connotes change. I know that’s what I used to think of when I heard the word “evolution”: a living species changing over time to become something new.

And here’s this, from a prominent book on science education standards (Science for All Americans), regarding Darwin’s intellectual contribution:

“…Prior to Darwin’s time, the prevailing view was that species did not change, that since the beginning of time all known species had been exactly as they were in the present….

One line of thought was that organisms would change slightly during their lifetimes in response to environmental conditions, and that those changes could be passed on to their offspring…

Darwin offered a very different mechanism of evolution. He theorized that inherited variations among individuals within a species made some of them more likely than others to survive and have offspring, and that their offspring would inherit those advantages. Over successive generations, advantageous characteristics would crowd out others, under some circumstances, and thereby give rise to new species.”

(Italics mine.)

So again we see: the focus is on change, undoubtedly a result of our use of the term “evolution” to encapsulate Darwin’s main idea.

I propose to challenge this. Isn’t the existence of species-change less fundamental than common descent (i.e. the notion that all organisms are literally blood-relatives of each other, however distant)?

Wouldn’t common descent better capture the profoundest insight of Darwin’s intellectual contribution?

Mountain Lion Princes of Malibu

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:39:00 +0000

(Image source: US Dept. of Agriculture)

Via the Mountain Lion Foundation's weekly newsletter Cougar Clippings, I read this fascinating blog post (LAist.com) about the mountain lions being tracked in the Santa Monica Mountains. (The Santa Monicas are the coastal mountain range along the Los Angeles Metro Area's northwestern edge).

Here's an excerpt:

"The technology used to track the lions is improving fast. Today, the collars send GPS signals to a satellite that are downloaded at park headquarters in Thousand Oaks. They get a handful of locations every 24 hours, one during the day and one every two hours at night, when they are most active.... The tracking of each cat tells a different story, although their lives are all intertwined. Here's a break down of each..."

The post then goes on to describe the almost soap opera-like interactions (!) of all twelve plus mountain lions being tracked. R ead it in its entirety here.

My Hollywood Debut

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:03:00 +0000

My hand--and my photograph of it with a Pacific Chorus-frog--is now featured on the website for Griffith Park (the "Central Park" of Los Angeles).

To see the original photograph and entry, visit my Orange County Nature post, "Pacific Tree Frog".

I'm hoping that this won't significantly change my lifestyle. If the paparazzi recognizes my palm while I'm out in public places, they'll probably start to follow me around and figure out where I live.

The Jungles of Illinois

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 May 2009 01:05:00 +0000

(from May 4, 2007)

Amazingly, remnants of a 300 million year old jungle were recently found deep beneath the flat, blacksoil Illinois landscape not far from where I used to live (Champaign), in nextdoor Vermilion County.

Did you get that?

Remnants of a 300 million year old jungle were found by coal miners working no more than a 45 minute drive away from the University of Illinois.

"It covers about 15 square miles, all more than 200 feet below ground, and probably is the largest intact rain forest from that period ever studied, according to Scott Elrick of the Illinois State Geological Survey."

"'It's that scale that makes what lies just above the Riola and Vermilion Grove mines significant,' he said."

"'We never encountered one whole forest preserved in one shot like this,' Elrick said Monday. 'The fossils just didn't stop."

"It's common to find small pockets of fossilized plants just above coal mines, he said. But in this case, experts believe, a fault that runs through the area unleashed a major earthquake that quickly sank the forest beneath a deep layer of mud, preserving it."

Read the full article here, via the Discovery Channel.

State-Run Schools Soon to be Run by the State

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:35:00 +0000

If you support the concept of public education, then I hope this story gives you pause:

"Oklahoma doesn't like Darwin, ... academic freedom"

UPDATE, 3/28/2009:
And now here's this: Will Texas Endorse Creationism?

Death Becomes Autumn

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:31:00 +0000

Note: I wrote the below almost exactly two years ago, on an earlier incantation of this blog. It will always hold true, and it is one of my favorite posts. Yet two years later I live in a place that does not experience dramatic seasonal differences.

If you live in a place that does, however, I offer the below as a timely thought for pleasure. As for me, I do miss fall. But seasons in California, are something. More on that, later.

If you’re a fan of creatures and you live in a place that experiences winter—I mean real, lifeless, snowy abyss kind of winter—now is about the time of year when it starts to hit you that you’d better say your goodbyes. There is no better symbol of this time of year than the ambience of the Halloween holiday. For animals, the ominous stench of death is in the air. Plant food sources are going dormant, the night air freezes, and the most one can hope is that he has sufficiently fattened himself up in his previous months of (relatively) carefree existence.

The cloud of death sends amphibians scurrying for shelter under rocks, logs, and underground burrows. Some insects and spiders spin themselves in silken cocoons, perhaps desperately clinging to the belief that they are constructing insulation, not their coffins. Other insects simply give up, sitting patiently while the cloud of death descends upon them, assured by the sight of their eggs (which will weather the storm) that their existence till now has not been in vain.

I don’t here wish to be down on autumn or such “Halloween ambience”—the fact is, I love this time of year. (Along with spring, summer, and winter, autumn is my favorite season.) It’s hard not to love the thrill of the eeriness that accompanies the impending dormancy of life, since we all know that we don’t have to take it seriously—spring will come again.

My History of Birding, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:04:00 +0000

I was interested in many aspects of nature as a kid, but right into adulthood, birding remained the final frontier. Lately I got to wondering: why?

Perhaps it was their intangibility? As a kid I was most interested in whatever things I could collect or wound up keeping as pets: insects, butterflies, frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, turtles, mushrooms, and so on. Birds? Birds are so... flitty.

Of course, completely inconsistent with this is the fact that at age 13, I nursed an injured Canada Goose, housing it (and taking it for daily walks--imagine what that looked like!) for over four months. Birds were not absent from my life. Yet I was content to possess only a tattered, hand-me-down photographic field guide to birds of eastern North America, which I can clearly remember was missing pages. I never once attempted to identify even the birds at the feeder. This is good evidence of my long, however relative, indifference to birds.

Almost inexplicably, this all changed in the spring of my 24th year. The springtime that year was probably no different than any other, but somehow I just took special notice of it. The trills of American Toads heightened my awareness and appreciation of a pond nearby my work. Soon I began admiring the striking red-orange epaulets of Red-winged Blackbirds, a bird which I had previously only known by name. Also present was a mysterious bird that seemed to fall somewhere between a duck and a chicken. These, I learned, were American Coots. (In retrospect: how in the hell could I have never noticed this species my whole life?!)

I sensed something strange was happening in me when one night I looked at my wife and declared: "I think I'm interested in birds."

Somewhat reluctantly, I subscribed to the local birding email listserv and bought a new field guide. I knew full well that birds are a diverse and complicated bunch, presenting no obvious major taxonomic distinctions to me (cf. reptiles: lizards, turtles, snakes). Getting to know them would require a great deal of my future time and effort. And worst of all, I worried, in the end it might not even pay off: identifying birds may at first satiate some mild curiosity, but I knew that in order to be truly satisfying, birds would have to demonstrate the same quirkiness and colorful life histories or behaviors that characterize the other natural objects of my interest....

The Art of Falconry Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:45:00 +0000

Back in November I posted about an outdoor encounter I had with an Orange County man who had a falcon on his arm. I said I was surprised to find out that the ancient hobby of falconry is still alive and well.

I've housed a lot of different types of animals. And--not that I could have convinced my wife, but--lately I toyed with the idea of keeping birds again (I had several Budgerigars when I was a kid). Thankfully, a few weeks ago we got the opportunity to pet-sit two of a co-worker's parrots. I'm happy to report that I came to my senses. Birds are way too much of a commitment: they're messy, and loud, they require lots of attention, and of course, their nature is to want to fly--which is difficult to accommodate.

If I felt that way about a couple of parrots, I can't imagine how difficult it would be to keep a bird of prey, like a falcon.

But... how fascinating they must be. I wonder. How cool would it be to have a falcon?

On Friday, May 16th, in Irvine, a man by the name of Tim Gallagher will be giving a public talk entitled "Falcon Fever: A Falconer in the 21st Century":

"Come hear Tim Gallagher illuminate the powerful, mysterious allure of falconry. In Falcon Fever, Gallagher examines the formative role falconry played in his life. The book is a compelling amalgam of memoir, history, and travelogue, in which Gallagher reveals the little-known subculture of falconry and explores its connection with his own story. Gallagher also offers a unique glimpse into contemporary falconry, examining the mutual obsession that drives individuals including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and film writer Tony Hudson."

More info: http://www.seaandsageaudubon.org/Meetings/meetings.htm

The Immortal Diabolical Ironclad Beetle

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:00:00 +0000

With a name already as hyperbolic as "Diabolical Ironclad Beetle", the addition of the adjective "Immortal" to its name may seem superfluous.

But it's been over a year since I made a captive of the Diabolical Ironclad Beetle that one of my students found outside our classroom door.

In that time it has thrived on a diet consisting merely of sliced baby carrots (new ones thrown in once every few weeks). I have cleaned its jar exactly once. It is by far the easiest and hardiest pet I have ever had.

So, to all the past, present, and future little kids of the world who would capture bugs, put them in a glass jar, and throw some grass in there, only to have them die within hours or days, I say:

Eat your heart out, suckaz!

¡Viva El Escarabajo Blindado Diabólico!

(Further info: See my Orange County Organisms post on Phloedes diabolicum.)

Be Generous With Your (Nature Photos) Rights!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:00:00 +0000

A few days ago a nature-enthusiast blogger linked to a humorous "photoshopped" version of an owl photo, something which she found on a humor website. She asked her readers if they knew what species it was. In the comments, one person replied that he did, because he was the owner of the original photograph! Apparently it had been copied and edited by the humor website without his permission. Several other commenters, including the blogger, lamented this apparently commonplace practice.

At the outset, let me here state that I am absolutely, 100% pro-intellectual property rights. I am ethically opposed to all forms of illegal downloading, including songs, movies, photographs, etc. So obviously, I regard the humor website's actions as wrong and a violation of the owner's rights, even though the humor itself was perfectly innocuous (and even though the person whose rights were violated thought the humor was tasteful).

That said, this thread reinforced a hunch I've had over the last several months: it seems to be a widespread view among amateur photographers that if you took a photograph of something, be it a squirrel, tree, sunset, or lunar eclipse, you should cautiously guard that photograph from public use. If someone were to stumble upon it and want to use it, they should have to contact you to obtain permission, and you should demand credit, and maybe even a royalty (especially if they're using your photo for their own profit).

To those who feel this way, I ask: why? (Bearing some qualifications in mind--see the note amended to the bottom of this post.)

When I was a kid, occasionally my dad and I would explore the woods that bordered our backyard. I remember one time in particular, we were curious about the extent of the creek that ran through the woods. Armed with hip-waders and walking sticks, we spent a long afternoon trudging our way upstream. At about a mile north, a short, huffing man came marching toward us at full speed, screaming at us as he approached closer. (Not a scene easily forgotten by a young kid! I was certain he was going to punch my father.) As he came face to face with my dad, he demanded to know, "How would you like it if I wandered onto your property?"

My dad, without missing a beat, held out his hand and introduced himself, saying, "We live down on 595. You are more than welcome!! I've got a garden full of vegetables and there's no way we're going to eat 'em all. You should come on down." Seeing children playing in this man's backyard, my dad added: "And bring your kids!"

My dad wasn't bluffing, nor was he being insincere, as in quick-thinking to calm a tense situation, or to set up a morality lesson for his son. I know, because there have always been neighbors or even total strangers in our yard, picking vegetables, fishing in our pond, or enjoying the flowers. (My dad's occupation puts him in a position where he interacts with dozens of different local clients each day, and whenever someone expresses an interest in flowers, fishing, or vegetables, you can bet he makes it known to them that they they and anyone they care to invite are welcome to come over.)

The lesson of that day has never left me: my father explained to me later that the man who yelled at us was probably just suspicious of us (a new word for me), and needed our reassurance that we meant no harm.

I've since observed that many people are like that man. So if you are at all one of those people, I'm imploring you to let your guard down. This here is not a call for pollyannaism about the human race. I'm not denying that there are shady figures out there. Nor am I saying that the extent of my father's openness is appropriate for everyone. All I'm asking is that you keep some perspective: we're talking about your amateur digital photographs. With all due respect, it's not your bank account number.

And if you see a nature or astronomy photo of mine that you want to use for your purposes (most likely to be found at http://orangecountynaturalist.blogspot.com), please, be my guest! I have only two conditions:

1. It'd sure be nice if you introduced yourself to me, and tell me that you intend to use my photo--only because it's a chance for us to "network". So please, be nice and introduce yourself.

2. As a matter of integrity, you should also be generous with your photograph rights.

Happy copying and pasting!

(Qualification on all of the above: Please note that I'm not referring to professional photographers or aspiring professional photographers who are trying to make a living from their work. That is another issue entirely. I also want to clarify that I'm referring only to astronomy or nature photos--i.e. photos without personal subjects. It's reasonable why someone wouldn't want to give away free access to photographs of a private or personal nature, such as a photo of a family event, etc. I usually post these in a separate, private place anyway).

Return of Orange County Organisms

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:14:00 +0000

My photoblog Orange County Organisms is active again.

When I created that blog over a year ago, I originally set out to post every day.

I actually don't think that my original goal was naive. It is not for lack of photographs of organisms, or even for lack of time to post a photo. Rather it's that, in the course of posting, I realized that one important value for me of writing the blog is the opportunity to do a little research about the life history and any "gee whiz" facts about the organism featured. And that requires that I slow down a bit. I hadn't thought of this until recently, thus the eight month period of inactivity.

So, don't expect to see a post per day. But do expect to see me post more frequently than once every eight months. : )

Fainting Goats

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:31:00 +0000

Goats with myotonia congenita. Watch the video and then read all about 'em: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fainting_goat

How the Dramatic Prairie Dog was Born

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:53:00 +0000

Spiders On Drugs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:47:00 +0000

Is That a Falcon on Your Arm?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 05:08:00 +0000

The following is a near transcript of an exchange between myself and a guy I encountered a few weeks ago with a bird-of-prey perched on his wrist.

Me: "Is that a raptor on your arm?"
Guy: "Yes."
Me: "Whoa."
Guy: "It's a Peregrine falcon."
Me: "Are you a biologist?"
Guy: "Am I a what?"
Me: "Are you a biologist or something?"
Guy: "Nope."
Me: "Wait, so why do you have a falcon on your arm?"
Guy: "It's my pet. I take it out to fly around, every evening."

There you have it. Apparently it's possible to own a Peregrine falcon as a pet, and some guy who lives less than two miles from me has one.

I didn't even know that falconry was something people still engage in. It is.

It Starts with Squirrels

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:01:00 +0000

Biotic Spark gets its first spark with a fascinating and hilarious clip of a Squirrel Obstacle Course.

Although I think the follow-up clip, Squirrel Catapult, is pretty mean (do not watch if you're a squirrel fan), I think the Twirl-a-Squirrel contraption is pure genius. "Twirl-a-Squirrel makes your selective animal charity easier."

Above photo: a California Ground Squirrel, Spermophilus beecheyi.

(Hat tip: Lady Sarah of Garroway.)