I feel like we are seeing a substantial amount of animals participating in behaviors that humans don't expect from them. Do you feel the same and do you feel that there is an evolutionary aspect to this, or do you think they have been participating in the activities all along and we just see so much more now because of the prolifration of videography and photography and the internet.

This is the answer in relation to why bats are a disease vector for humans. Other animals may may be more prone to viruses, but their body temp differences mean that the virus can’t survive in humans.

It's because they're mammals that fly. They need super-powered mitochondria to create enough energy to fly, but there's some sort of trade-off to that which involves the immune system. The solution to this trade-off is for the immune system to function while harboring all these viruses in a way that's harmless to the bats. If you want to know all the specific sciency details involved, there's videos about it on YouTube.

It's because they're mammals that fly. They need super-powered mitochondria to create enough energy to fly, but there's some sort of trade-off to that which involves the immune system. The solution to this trade-off is for the immune system to function while harboring all these viruses in a way that's harmless to the bats. If you want to know all the specific sciency details involved, there's videos about it on YouTube.

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I'm not sure if I have a favorite (and taiko is SO much better in person than over video, IMHO!), but here's a fun performance from the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival last year (start at ~20:30 if you want to skip the kiddos and beginner groups): https://youtu.be/XMCvAoysADU?t=1236

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Make sure the chickens are in a robust, fully enclosed enclosure (i.e., a big chicken run with a roof). For protecting dogs and other animals that are in the yard, if you can't keep an eye on them the whole time, try to install a tall fence with coyote rollers (i.e., https://coyoteroller.com/) on the top.

I would be super curious to see that study! Some friends and colleagues have done diet studies on coyotes, and found the number to be quite a bit less than that. Even in NYC, our densest city in the USA, the coyote population mainly eats wild prey (i.e., rodents and other small mammals, bugs, plants, etc.) just like their rural & suburban counterparts.

Regardless, keeping cats indoors and dogs on leash will pretty much prevent anything from happening to them. Outdoor cats are a major killer of wild birds, so yet another reason to keep our kitties indoors.

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In general the smaller the mammal the faster it's metabolic rate (with some exceptions). A faster metabolic rate generates more heat. Flight also requires a lot of effort and the metabolic rate goes quite high while animals are flying. In birds we see a typical core temperature of 102-109F and bats 99-106F.

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I am a taiko drummer, guitarist (not the best but I get the job done!), singer, and cellist. I'm flexible as far as genres, but I really like singing jazz and bluegrass!

As far as how I get it done, I don't really sleep, honestly, I have some insomnia- which gives me more hours in the day but I don't recommend it, haha. I'm getting a bit better at the work-life balance, but I feel personally connected to and passionate about a lot of my work, so it is a bit difficult. I've always been a very energetic person?

Don't be afraid to reach out to people (even cold-emailing them) who have positions/careers/etc. that you want to get into- you never know what gems of advice they might impart to you, or opportunities you might come across.

They're completely human-designed! So yes :). I have not done any research at zoos, though- but there's a whole field of people who do important work on captive animals, their behaviors, and their welfare.

(Side note that people have very polarized views on zoos, but I personally think that zoos which are accredited by the American Zoological Association [AZA] have done a LOT for conservation efforts).

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Honestly, I almost ended up at NYU studying screenwriting and symphony orchestra (I'm a cellist). I also wanted to work with wildlife since I was quite young, but was a bit torn. What pushed me over into wildlife completely was that I was offered a biology field research opportunity for underrepresented students, that would begin prior to my freshman year in college (at Cornell).

As far as how I decided what to specialize in- I was drawn to wildlife work since I was very very very young- I grew up in Queens, NY and as a child I chased cicadas, pigeons, cockroaches, and squirrels around, imagining I had my own nature show. When I got to undergrad (major: Natural Resources with focus in Applied Ecology), I followed every wildlife-related opportunity that I could, and ended up doing my senior thesis on herring gulls on an island off the coast of Maine. On the side, I kept up my interest in music/arts/creative stuff through taiko drumming, guitar/singing performance, etc., and did fencing- so in other words I tried to keep my options open and follow my interests in as many directions as possible.

For my carnivore research, again it was all about networking and following opportunities related to my interests. I kept in touch with professors that were working on projects that I was interested in, and worked for them after college, etc. In general, though, the common thread is that I've always worked on misunderstood animals, I've always wanted to work with wildlife, and I've always been interested in science communication and other creative endeavors --- it's just that the path has never been predictable.

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4012789/

There is a whole review paper on this if you are interested

I am out of my field of expertise. So take this with a grain of salt. I also imagine that there are plenty of bat species to whom this does not apply

I believe that during flight and other activities like social crowding bat body temps reach 40 or so

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4012789/

I haven't gone! I've known friends who have and absolutely loved it.

There's always a possibility- and evidence certainly strongly points in that direction. But, as a scientist, I can't say that I or anyone else truly knows conclusively!

This is one of my fave symbiotic relationships out there! It has even appeared in Indigenous lore, so it is definitely not a new relationship, either.

This relationship likely came to be simply because the two species have complementary hunting methods -- the badger can scare up squirrels through its underground work, which benefits the coyote; and the opposite - a coyote could scare a squirrel underground, which benefits the badger. Thus in some circumstances and with certain prey species (i.e., ground squirrels) they can be more successful as a hunting unit. This has been studied scientifically at least as far back as the 1980s, so I don't think it's particularly uncommon.

Oh hey- I'm in the market for a logo for our Hyenas and Communities project! ....!!

I feel like SciComm is ALL about being visual, as well as of course making the story accessible to your particular audience. I do a lot of social media work, and finding and curating the right visuals is often the most difficult part. I've contracted with a science illustrator on a few different projects recently to enhance the visuals in my scientific publications as well (making a good graphical abstract is becoming increasingly important). I can go on and on, but the short answer is yes yes yes visuals are a huge need/component in SciComm!

1. mandazi (a squarish donut-like thing that's common in East Africa)

2. chapati (an addictive flatbread omg it's so good...does it count as a pastry?)

3. spanakopita

4. literally any chocolate cake

I've had a New Caledonian crested gecko for 15 years (her name is Petrie) and she extremely really low maintenance and a ton of fun. I swear she has a sense of humor. Highly recommend.