Scott | May 27, 2009

Tweet If you have ever driven by a landfill it becomes quite apparent that it is not a biological wasteland.  As tractors move an endless supply of debris about the land, the skies are littered with flocks of birds capitalizing on the smorgasbord of human consumption.  It is disturbing to see wildlife integrate a daily [...]

Category: Human Threats, Raptors, Wildlife management | No Comments »
Tags: hawks, landfills, methane burners, owls, Raptors, scorched raptors

Scott | May 21, 2009

Tweet As if H. G. Wells has put pen to paper once again in an attempt to modernize his classic tale about moving between different points in time, I found myself putting one foot in front of another in a world reminiscent of the 80s and 90s.  I thought random shootings and lead poisonings were [...]

Category: Endangered species, pollution, Wildlife, Wildlife management | 2 Comments »
Tags: bullets, california condor, condor 286, condors, lead bullets, lead poisoning

Scott | May 18, 2009

Tweet The widespread use of thousands of pesticides, which broadly includes insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, that were once considered safe for wildlife have recently become the subject of many studies. Results from these studies conclude that there is strong evidence linking the application of pesticides and amphibian population declines. The most commonly used pesticide, atrazine, [...]

Category: amphibians, pollution | 2 Comments »
Tags: amphibians, atrazine, frogs, herbicide, pesticide, pollution, toxins, water

Scott | May 14, 2009

Tweet Fish exhibit quite a number of learned behaviors that can relate to foraging, recognizing predators, pain, and social organizations.  All of these are important for the survival of the individual as well as the species itself.  Even everyday human-fish interactions can divulge learned behaviors such as feedings.  The fish in both my aquariums swim [...]

Category: fish | No Comments »
Tags: classical conditioning, fish, Pavlov, zebrafish