Romantic Retching

There are many ways to woo a lady, but have you ever tried… barfing? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For some flies, vomiting is quite the romantic gesture – but only in SOME species. Ryoya Tanaka and team investigated this odd behavior. They found

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Serenading Ribbits

They say love is a…mixtape of frog songs?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down On Science. Ryan Calsbeek, from Dartmouth University, and colleagues recorded male frog choruses in the wild during mating season. Different recordings were overlaid—think fake froggie boy bands—to see which mating call combinations attracted

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Spying Flies

Buzz off, lover boy. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Over the past THIRTY years, Hawaiian crickets have dramatically changed their mating calls. What gives? Unwanted attention, says Aaron Wikle and team from the University of Denver. Enter NON-native Hawaiian parasitic flies. They embed their

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Hermaphrodite Horror Stories

Hey guys, gals, non-binary humans—you think dating is hard? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying… Pity the simultaneous hermaphrodite.  An animal with BOTH sets of sex organs.  While polyclad flatworms “mate,” they blast each other with jets of corrosive seminal fluid. It eats through

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Birdie Breakups

Do seabirds sign prenups? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. All aboard for Love Island! For the albatross seabird, that’s The Falklands. Albatrosses are monogamous, generally mating with one partner for life. Or at least, for a while —  like us, they can divorce and

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Serenading Ribbits

They say love is a mixtape… of frog songs?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down On Science.  We’ve all done crazy things for love, but joining a boy band?! Frogs do something similar during mating season. But if everyone’s doing it… who gets the most groupies? Enter

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Grub Gamblin’ Seals

At sea, sometimes SEAL-ing the deal is risky business!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Imagine BULKING up to start a family. Male elephant seals need to get big to fight off other males during mating season. In fact, males can gain ONE THOUSAND pounds

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Birdie Breakups

Do seabirds sign prenups? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. All aboard for Love Island! For the albatross seabird, that’s The Falklands. Albatrosses are monogamous, generally mating with one partner for life. Or at least, for a while —  like us, they can divorce and

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Killer Fungus

Hey – isn’t it YOUR turn to take out the trash?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… more trash, more flies! And they can host a fungus called Entomophthora Muscae. Which has a sweet trick for turning its hosts into stealth killers! HOW? Andreas

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