Marilyn’s recent post on Ball python #1 reminded me of a conversation I had with a visitor. We were discussing the size of snakes in North Carolina and how most people overestimate the length of a snake when they see one. Remember that when you are startled by a large snake, it is looking up at you from about an inch off the ground. Even if you are short like me you are probably 50 times taller than the snake!Read more
Posts tagged: #Larry
Big Word: ‘ologies
Sometimes it seems that scientists have a language all to their own! Learning how to decode big words in Biology can help make learning easier and more fun. Once you start investigating some of the big words you encounter, some patterns may become clear. For instance, a word that means “the study of” something usually ends in “ology”. The beginning of the word is often derived from Greek or Latin. Biology comes from bio (life) + ology (knowledge) = theRead more
Science blogging
We here in the Animal Department are still learning the ropes of blogging but have come a long way already. This weekend I attended the 2nd annual NC Science Blogging Conference in the Research Triangle where I met some of the greats in the field of science blogging and learned a lot of new ideas that I hope to apply to our Animal Department Blog. Amazingly, people traveled from all over the US and Europe to attend the conference.Blogging isRead more
Animals in the News
Below is an excerpt from a report on recent findings in wolf paleontology. This extinct species of wolf sounds a lot more vicous than the red wolves we have the museum! To read more about the research follow the links at the bottom of the post. A fearsome über-wolf that once roamed the snowy plains of Alaska may hold warning for the fate of large carnivores today, its discoverers say. The creature’s massive jaws and powerful hulking frame made theRead more
Big Word: King Phillip loves spaghetti!
Biologists group organisms based on shared characteristics and historical relationships. This practice, known as taxonomy, uses a series of increasingly specific groups to organize the elaborate tree of life. Unfortunately, the terms used in biological taxonomy can be a challenge to the novice because they are often based on Latin and Greek. In this month’s Big Word feature we will discuss some common terminology related to the classification of animals that live here at the museum. The most common taxonomicRead more
Big Word: Anthropomorphism
Are owls really wise? Are raccoons nature’s bandits? Could a bear love some bears while disliking others? These questions reflect the tendency of humans to attribute familiar emotions and intentions to animal species. The behavior, also known as anthropomorphism, springs from our desire to know the mental status of those around us. While this capacity usually serves us well at parties, scientists try to avoid anthropomorphizing about animal behavior. We can never really know if an animal is “sad” orRead more