It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝐶𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑢𝑠, the longnose sucker. This fish is found across northern N America & Eurasia, inhabiting cold lakes, rivers, & streams. Its elongated snout helps it forage along the bottom for aquatic insects and other inverts. #Systematics Photo: Dustin Snider

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet iconic 𝑉𝑢𝑙𝑝𝑒𝑠 𝑣𝑢𝑙𝑝𝑒𝑠, the red #fox. Found across much of the N Hemisphere, it is the world's most widespread wild #canid. Its adaptability allows it to thrive in habitats ranging from forests and grasslands to farms and even cities. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics

Red Fox in Snow

ALT: Red Fox in Snow

static.klipy.com

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝑁𝑦𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑥 𝑛𝑦𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑥, the black-crowned night #heron. Found on every continent except Australia & Antarctica, this heron is most active at dusk and night, stalking fish, amphibians, and crustaceans along shorelines & wetlands. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: Calibas

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝐶𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑠, the European hamster. Native to grasslands and agricultural regions of Central & Eastern Europe, this burrowing rodent is known for its bold coloration: black belly, reddish flanks, and white patches. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: Charles J Sharp

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝐶𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑠, the European hamster. Native to grasslands and agricultural regions of Central & Eastern Europe, this burrowing rodent is known for its bold coloration: black belly, reddish flanks, and white patches. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: Charles J Sharp

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑠, the brown #basilisk. Native to Central America, this semi‑aquatic #lizard is famous for its ability to run across water, earning it the nickname “Jesus Christ lizard.” #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: Charles J Sharp

It’s a very special #TautonymTuesday! 𝐺𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎, the western #gorilla, is native to the forests of Cen. Africa. It’s the largest living #primate, known for immense strength, social #intelligence, & complex group structures led by dominant silverbacks. #Systematics Photo: Anil Oxtaz

Thrilled to receive this permanent loan from the USFWS Repository of siezed items. We finally have a tiger skin, lion skull, & babirusa skull! Plus a small sea lion skin, wallaby skull, & mounts of a long eared owl, tawny owl, Northern goshawk, red kite, mangrove cuckoo, & black-capped Kingfisher.

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝑂𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑚𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑚𝑢𝑠, the spinecheek goby. This Indo‑Pacific species inhabits sandy and muddy coastal habitats, where its subtle coloration helps it blend into the seafloor and avoid predators. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: US National Parks Service

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑎 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑎, the common #genet. This slender, spotted #carnivore ranges across #Africa and parts of southern #Europe, with a long ringed tail and cat‑like agility that makes it an excellent nocturnal #hunter. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: Frédéric Salein

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝐶𝑜𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑥 𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑥, the 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐢𝐥. This small, ground‑dwelling galliform bird breeds across Europe & W Asia and migrates to Africa for winter. It’s one of the few truly long‑distance migratory gamebirds. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: christoph_moning

ICB "#Bioinspired designs informed by natural armor have led to innovations in impact-resistant materials, flexible ceramics, and modular protective systems." #Biological Armors–Evolution, Materials, and #Bioinspiration doi.org/10.1093/icb/... @karlycohen.bsky.social et al

Methods used to study these systems—CT scanning, histology, finite element analysis, & mechanical testing—directly influence how the biological principles of armor are defined and understood. @karlycohen.bsky.social @cmdonatelli.bsky.social @schulzscience.bsky.social et al doi.org/10.1093/icb/...

This ICB paper #Biological #Armors – #Evolution, Materials, and #Bioinspiration by @karlycohen.bsky.social @cmdonatelli.bsky.social @schulzscience.bsky.social @tedstankowich.bsky.social et al doi.org/10.1093/icb/... has incredible figures like fig 4's Micro to Macro Case Study

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝑀𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑠, the European #badger. This powerful mustelid ranges across much of Europe and W Asia, With a bold black‑and‑white facial stripes and stocky build, it's a strong digger and adaptable omnivore living in woodlands and farmlands. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics

a badger is standing in a field with robert e. fuller wildlife films written on the bottom

ALT: a badger is standing in a field with robert e. fuller wildlife films written on the bottom

media.tenor.com

Talking mammal coloration! Why aren't mammals as colorful as reptiles, birds or fish? www.livescience.com/animals/why-...

Why aren't mammals as colorful as reptiles, birds or fish?

Many mammals have fur the color of brown and black. Why don't they have more exotic colors, like purple and neon pink?

livescience.com

Last week, a production team came to CSU Long Beach to film a sit-down interview for a documentary on wildlife living in Los Angeles. Hopefully, they got some good material, and the plan is to go out and film some skunks in the field later this spring!

#TautonymTuesday is back! Meet 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒𝑟, the little croaker, a small sciaenid fish found along the Atlantic coasts of S America. It inhabits shallow coastal waters and estuaries, where it schools in soft‑bottom habitats rich in invertebrate prey. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics

New paper out with Nicole Lopez showing that predation risk, male horn size, and female territoriality drive the evolution of and investment into female horns! "Territoriality, sociality and male weaponry shape horn investment in female bovids": academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...

Territoriality, sociality and male weaponry shape horn investment in female bovids

Female weaponry remains underexplored across animal taxa. We analyzed socio-ecological predictors of female horn presence and size within the mammalian fam

academic.oup.com

Animal defenses with Dr. @tedstankowich.bsky.social. Get into it: alieward.com/ologies/zooh...

Zoohoplology (ANIMAL DEFENSES) with Dr. Ted Stankowich — alie ward

Barbs. Spurs. Stinks. Scutes. Shrieks. Fashion. Drama. Animal behaviorist, evolutionary biologist, Cal State Long Beach professor, and your new favorite Zoohoplologist, Dr. Ted Stankowich, divulges ab...

alieward.com

Abbie Gobeli@acertainabbie.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Shout out @ologies.bsky.social I googled pink fairy armadillos omg cute little buddies

Barbs. Spurs. Stinks. Scutes. Shrieks. Fashion. Drama. Zoohoplology (ANIMAL DEFENSES) w/ *the* Dr. @tedstankowich.bsky.social has armadillos, skunks, pangolins, horned lizards, wombats, coyotes, kit foxes, poodles, porcupines, tigers, deer & the will to survive. www.alieward.com/ologies/zooh...

Zoohoplology (ANIMAL DEFENSES) with Dr. Ted Stankowich — alie ward

Barbs. Spurs. Stinks. Scutes. Shrieks. Fashion. Drama. Animal behaviorist, evolutionary biologist, Cal State Long Beach professor, and your new favorite Zoohoplologist, Dr. Ted Stankowich, divulges ab...

alieward.com

My @ologies.bsky.social episode on animal defenses is out now!

Ologies with Alie Ward@ologies.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Barbs. Spurs. Stinks. Scutes. Shrieks. Fashion. Drama. Zoohoplology (ANIMAL DEFENSES) w/ *the* Dr. @tedstankowich.bsky.social has armadillos, skunks, pangolins, horned lizards, wombats, coyotes, kit foxes, poodles, porcupines, tigers, deer & the will to survive. www.alieward.com/ologies/zooh...

Take a listen to this awesome episode on animal defenses with @tedstankowich.bsky.social on @ologies.bsky.social with @alieward.bsky.social !!! I’ve had the pleasure of following Ted and meeting him in person and he is extremely knowledgeable! 🦨🦨🦨

Zoohoplology (ANIMAL DEFENSES) with Ted Stankowich

open.spotify.com

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎, the short-tailed #chinchilla. Native to the high #Andes , this species is built for cold mountains—with the densest of any land mammal, compact bodies, and strong hind legs for navigating rocky slopes. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: Britannica

Check out this great episode of the kids' podcast Brains On! where I talk about skunks! My parts are at 2:00 and 20:45. omny.fm/shows/brains...

Why do skunks stink? - Brains On! Science podcast for kids

Skunks can stink, no doubt about it. But that stink is actually a superpower! Join Molly and co-host Diya as they find out how these critters use their smell to scare away enemies, what the smell is m...

omny.fm

It’s #TautonymTuesday! 𝐶𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑠, the Saharan horned #viper, thrives in N African deserts, where its horn-like scales help break up its outline against the sand. It can bury itself, exposing only its eyes—perfect for ambushing prey. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: Holger Krisp

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝐵𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑙𝑎 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑙𝑎, the stone loach. This small benthic #fish inhabits cool, fast-flowing streams across Europe and western Asia. They live on the bottom, often partly buried. A classic tautonym in freshwater ichthyology! #Systematics #TaxonomyTuesday Photo: Holger Krisp

After a week away, we’re back with #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝐺𝑙𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠, the edible #dormouse. Native to Europe & W Asia, this nocturnal #rodent is famous for its long hibernation—up to 7 months! It’s also the largest dormouse species, reaching up to 30 cm long. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: Azay

All grades are now finalized and posted! I am officially on sabbatical until August 2026!!

a man and a woman are jumping in the air in a living room .

ALT: a man and a woman are jumping in the air in a living room .

media.tenor.com

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝑃𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎, the rock #sparrow. This hardy passerine is native to southern Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia, often found in rocky hillsides and open scrub. Sparrow in a rock >> Partridge in a pear tree! #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics #bird Photo: Zeynel Cebeci