Discover stories in Biodiversity
Weird Nature: Shrew-Eating Trout!
The story of rodent-eating trout at The Nature Conservancy's Silver Creek Preserve has been one of our blog's biggest hits. But those Silver Creek trout look like dainty eaters compared to this one. Meet the shrew-eating trout documented by researchers at Alaska's Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. And how did this many small mammals end up in a trout's stomach?
Traveling Naturalist: Elephants, Kudus and More in Tarangire National Park
The Traveling Naturalist visits Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania, home to one of the largest herds of elephants in Africa, unusual antelope, migrating zebras, lions and warthogs and much, much more. Can it stay that way? Does tourism help?
Traveling Naturalist: 5 Top Spots to See Yellowstone’s Wildlife
Heading to America's first national park? Our blogger points you to the best spots to see Yellowstone's diverse wildlife, including creatures very, very large and those very, very small.
Traveling Naturalist: 5 Marvelous Marsupials to Spot in Queensland
Northern Tropical Queensland offers some of the best wildlife viewing anywhere, if you know where to look. Our blog gives you what you need to spot bizarre marsupials, including bandicoots, sugar gliders and kangaroos that live in trees.
Silence of the Rattlesnake Researchers: Snakes, Culture and Conservation
Snakes should fear us more than we fear them. In Vermont, timber rattlesnake research unexpectedly exposes humanity's tangled relationship with snakes. Can education shape a new future?
Snake Fungal Disease: The White-Nose Syndrome for Reptiles?
Researchers in Vermont were tracking the movements of timber rattlesnakes for conservation planning, but they also made an unexpected discovery: snake fungal disease. Could these lesions be deadly to snakes ? Could it affect snake populations the way white-nose syndrome affects bats?
Snakes on a Cliff: Rattler Research in Vermont
There could be a rattlesnake anywhere: Join researchers as they scamper up rocky slopes while tracking snakes in Vermont, all to gain a better understanding of the timber rattler's movements, habits and health. Just watch where you put your hands.
Matchmaking for Elms: Restoring America’s Iconic Tree Through Genetics
Christian Marks runs a dating service. For elm trees.
For Some Elephants, an Uncertain — But Not Stressful — Future
Do savannah elephants get stressed when living near people? The answer is in their poop.
Bison Bellows and Bones: Student-Scientists on the Prairie
Bison fighting and urinating on themselves? It's just another day at the office for student researchers on TNC's Ordway Prairie.
Boucher’s Birding Blog: Apps for the Smart Birder — Which One Should You Use?
Need an app that helps you identify birds in the field? Don’t bother searching for “birds” in any app store. Unless that thrush happens to be angry, those dozens of Angry Bird apps that pop up won’t be of any use to you.
The Traveling Naturalist: Solid Gold in the Rockies
<i>Introducing The Traveling Naturalist, a new series featuring natural wonders and biological curiosities for the science-inclined wanderer.</i> The Rocky Mountains in the spring are a <b>botanist’s delight</b>, with many hills, mountain meadows and buttes awash in color. Wildflowers – many of them with interesting natural and human histories – can be easily found on your public lands. Some exist in bright but tiny cluster on alpine peaks while others cover meadows in a palette of seemingly solid color. <b>My favorite</b>: the flower that paints many foothills bright gold throughout the West, <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/balsamorhiza_sagittata.shtml"><b>arrowleaf balsamroot</b></a> (<i>Balsamorhiza sagittata). </i>
