Author: Olivia G. Schweikart
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Ferret in the Hole: The Black-Footed Ferret’s Fight for Survival
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is a small carnivore that calls the Great Plains of North America home. These mammals commonly inhabit grasslands and prairies and have a particular affinity for the burrows of prairie dogs and other small rodents. As obligate predators of prairie dogs, black-footed ferrets rely entirely on this prey species to…
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Exploring Biodiversity
“The value of biodiversity is that it makes our ecosystems more resilient, which is a prerequisite for stable societies; its wanton destruction is akin to setting fire to our lifeboat.” -Johan Rockstrom
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Species Spotlight: the Baobab Tree
Across the savannah and other regions of Africa, two trees are widely recognizable and often depicted in artwork for their stunning profiles against the horizon. The umbrella thorn acacia (Vachellia tortillas) and the baobab (genus Adansonia) serve as habitats and sources of nutrition for many species. Take a moment to compare the tree types below…
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The Third Eye: A Reptilian Perspective
For many humans seeking enlightenment, or a higher form of self-being, the third eye serves as a representation of the internal chamber, or pineal gland, that bridges a gap between the plane we inhabit and other unknown planes existing among us (McGovern, 2007). In the case of a certain reptile, however, interpretations about the role…
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Pollution to Solution: Rice University Reactor Studies aid in Climatic and Biochemical Research
In 2019, a group of researchers from Rice University created a reactor capable of reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide into a usable energy source: formic acid. Formic acid fuel-cell energy is a better long-term alternative than utilizing hydrogen fuel-cell energy—as researchers indicate hydrogen gas is harder to get into a condensed state. Head researcher Haotian Wang was…
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Your Neighborhood Gecko
Because of their solo nature, it’s not likely to spot a group of geckos in the wild. However, one species of gecko has adapted to a more urban lifestyle: the Mediterranean Gecko. Better known as the Common House Gecko, these creatures originated between the Northern parts of Africa and Southern Europe. First introduced to other…
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Protecting the Pangolin
Illegally trafficked for their scales, the Pangolin ranks as the number one most unlawfully trafficked animal, putting the species in imminent jeopardy of extinction. Photo Courtesy of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) The use of the scales dates back to roughly 1820 in Asia, where the keratin flakes were used as armor coating.…
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Stuck Like Glue
I’ll be the first to admit, whenever I saw a butterfly with a broken wing, I was the kid to create a terrarium (not very decent, mind you) and stick him/her in it hoping it would grow back… and voila, the insect would be healed! Unfortunately, the outcome was always the same: they died. The…
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Debunking the Betta
Among the top breeds of fish to own, Bettas are the most often maltreated and neglected. Sold in containers merely double there size, buyers often believe the fish are able to thrive in tight conditions. Like any other fish type, tight surroundings leads to increased stress levels, and as a result, the fish become more susceptible…
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Metabolic Bone Disease: What to Do
Muscle spasms, loss of appetite, lethargy—all are common symptoms of Metabolic Bone Disease, also known as MBD. The sad reality of purchasing reptiles in pet stores who don’t hire specialists is often the UVB lighting is not replaced as often as it should be. Though UVB bulbs and light strips may still emit a light frequency,…
Compassion Crossing 