Cetorhinus maximus This slow-moving migratory shark is the second largest fish, growing as long as 40 feet and weighing over 5 tons. It is often sighted swimming close to the surface, huge mouth open, filtering 2,000 tons of seawater per hour over its complicated gills to scoop up zooplankton. Ba
Basking sharks are passive and no danger to humans in general, but they are large
The 62nd John Hintermister Gainesville Christmas Bird Count saw a profusion of great blue herons, flycatchers and whistling ducks – with a rare gray-headed swamphen thrown in for good measure. On Dec. 15, a cool and cloudless Sunday, more than 100 birders stationed themselves around the city to t
Life on Earth Unique dove species is the dodo of the Caribbean and in similar danger
With an area about the size of Arizona, Ecuador seems small when compared to other South American countries, such as Argentina or Brazil. But what it lacks in land, it makes up in biodiversity. Deemed one of 17 “megadiverse” countries by Conservation International, Ecuador has the highest con
Hoping to bring attention to plants in danger of extinction, Florida Museum of Natural
Nearly 150 million years ago, many ancient crustaceans went extinct following a massive collapse of reefs across the planet, and new Florida Museum of Natural History research suggests modern species living in rapidly declining reef habitats may now be at risk. Available online and scheduled to a
current rate during this century, then a few thousand species of decapods are in real danger
The discovery that many Caribbean corals are only distantly related to their counterparts in the Pacific Ocean makes the threats of pollution and global warming trends even more serious, says Florida Museum of Natural History Malacology Curator Gustav Paulay. Paulay, a member of the team that mad
The biggest danger is global warming, however.
The remnants of an Indian village destroyed by war almost two centuries ago reveal the Seminoles were actually blending into the American melting pot before they were driven to the swamps of South Florida, say Florida Museum of Natural History researchers. In a search for clues to what life w
Warned of the approaching danger by a black ally of the Seminoles, the Indian residents
Birders in Florida may get a thrill when they spy a ruby-throated hummingbird flitting through their backyard — after all, it is the only species of hummer found in the state — but they may not know that millions of years ago when the climate was warmer and wetter, early hummingbird prototypes may
Life on Earth Unique dove species is the dodo of the Caribbean and in similar danger
Arachnologists (spider scientists) are studying how color impacts spider behavior. Male Coloration Colorful markings paired with a flashy dance might tell a female jumping spider that a male is the right species, and ready to mate. Colors give females subtle information and only males in
Voracious Visual Predators For visual predators, bright colors in prey often warn of danger
T he National Science Foundation has awarded iDigBio nearly $20 million to continue its mission of digitizing natural history collections nationwide, making them available online to researchers, educators and community scientists around the world. For the past decade, iDigBio, a collaborative
serve as a searchable archive of life and help researchers identify species in danger
In case you missed them, we’ve compiled our feature stories from 2024.
But these sea turtles face a hidden danger – boat strikes.
