Fontitrygon margarita This smaller, oval-shaped stingray has a pointed snout, and a round, pearl-like tubercular thorn in the very top center of the stingray’s disc. Its tail is slightly longer than its body, thick at the base and whip-like at the end, with one long, serrated venomous spine about
Danger to Humans The daisy stingray is considered harmless to humans.
Paragaleus pectoralis This small shark has a slender body, long snout, and large oval eyes. The fins are somewhat small except for the elongated, pointed pectoral fins, and it has an asymmetric caudal (tail) fin. This specialized feeder preys mostly on cephalopods like squid and octopus, but will
Danger to Humans There have been no documented attacks on humans by the Atlantic
Narcine bancroftii Like the name suggests, this is one of the rays that can create an electric shock from 14 to 37 volts, from specialized organs that run along their bodies. These small rays have a circular pectoral disc, with a stout tail that as two small dorsal fins and a triangular caudal (t
Danger to Humans Lesser electric rays have been know to knock humans down with their
Mustelus norrisi This slender shark has oval eyes over a pointed snout, long pectoral fins, and an asymmetrical caudal (tail) fin with a pointed lower lobe that trails back. It is a gray on top, fading to dirty white underneath, ideal for blending into the sandy or muddy bottoms of shallow bays a
Photo © George Burgess Danger to Humans This small shark is considered harmless
Gymnura altavela These broad, flat diamond-shaped rays are much wider than they are long, with a short tail that has one or more serrated spine at the base. They are generally dark brown, sometimes with pale-rimmed dark spots or blotches. They have been reported at almost 13 feet wide, but averag
Danger to Humans The spiny butterfly ray is harmless to humans as it is not aggressive
Whether it is flowers sprouting in the spring, cicadas mating in the blistering heat of summer, or caterpillars hatching to feed on their favorite host plant – across the natural world, the timing of biological events is so important it spawned its own scientific discipline: phenology. Much of ph
Life on Earth Unique dove species is the dodo of the Caribbean and in similar danger
Florida Museum of Natural History researchers have discovered a 10-million-year-old Neotropical nursery area for the extinct megalodon shark in Panama, providing fossil evidence the fish used these types of areas to protect their young for millions of years. The article, which appeared in the journa
Life on Earth Unique dove species is the dodo of the Caribbean and in similar 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.
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
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s Environmental Archaeology Program received a nearly $800,000 National Science Foundation grant to curate some of its most delicate specimens and vital data, documenting 14,000 years of biodiversity in vulnerable regions around the Caribbean. Environmental a
damaged material and digitize handwritten specimen labels and other information in danger
