animals – Page 16 – The Loh Down On Science

Bat Talk

October 30, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Overheard in the bat cave – conversation? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. That’s what Genevieve Wright at the University of Maryland wanted to know. In previous studies, Wright and colleagues found that brown bats seem to make six different types of social calls. Their

Veggie Shark

October 23, 2018 Samantha Leigh

Have you ever met a shark who’s a….vegetarian? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Okay, so maybe not a STRICT vegetarian. But there IS a shark who eats more seagrass than fish! It’s the bonnethead shark—a small relative of hammerheads. Samantha Leigh and her colleagues

Low-Emission Camels

October 12, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Do you know your animal farts? Pop quiz. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Who makes more flatus than your lovable but aging dog? Ruminating animals, like cows and sheep, that’s who. They chew their cuds at one end, and release methane gas from the

Slippery Swimmers

October 9, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Want to swim like Michael Phelps? Learn from a swordfish! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Swordfish are known for their iconic sword-shaped bills. But did you know they can swim sixty miles per hour?! That makes them the fastest swimmers on Earth! What’s their

Monster Fossil

September 28, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Hey baby, what’s your state fossil? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: Learn from our mistakes: Don’t use that line. For the record, California’s state fossil is the saber-toothed tiger, of course! Naming fossils is the easy part. Finding where they go on the

Hit Parade

September 27, 2018 Jessie Yaros

Rockin’ Robin. It’s a classic hit… in more ways than one! This is Sandra Tsing Loh, with the Loh Down on Science. Songbirds pass down tunes that can long outlast any one bird’s lifetime. In fact, people have recorded melodies that are exactly the same, but tweeted decades apart! But

Toxic Baby Food

September 25, 2018 Krista Fruehauf

Ughhh, what did I eat?. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars are cute, but not when they damage crops. Plants defend themselves by producing chemicals that attract wasps, a natural pest control. Wasps lay eggs in caterpillars, and hatchlings slowly eat the caterpillars from

Naptime for Jellies

September 18, 2018 Jessica Monterrosa Mena

Sleep is for the weak. Or is it? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. During sleep, the brain declutters, organizes memories, and rejuvenates. But what about animals without a brain? Do they ever need a snooze? Enter the Cassiopea jellyfish. With no heart, bones, or

Foot-Flaggin’ Frogs

September 14, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Waving the white flag has a seductive new meaning! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying surrender — to the power of amphibian love. Meet the Bornean rock frog. These creatures live near waterfalls, and enjoy long hops on the beach. However, these romantic scenes

Bird Peace

September 4, 2018 Priyam Patel

Birds of a feather flock together. Or do they? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Bird fights happen, especially with nests nearby. At best, birds of different species ignore each other. But is that the only way to achieve avian world peace? Meet Allison Johnson