Comments for Science Diaries

Comment on Why bats are cool and we should protect them by Tigga Kingston

Tigga Kingston — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:48:54 +0000

Hi Melvin,

Yes, you can use the picture as a screen saver, glad you think he is so beautiful as Rhinolophus trifoliatus is one of my favorite bats (if not my favorite).

To keep track of bat things going on in Southeast Asia, please take a look at the Southeast Asian Bat Conservation Research Unit website http://www.seabcru.org. You can create a log in to receive further info as we update, but in the meantime it summarizes some of what those of us in the region are trying to do.

Best wishes and thanks for your interest

Tigga

Comment on Why bats are cool and we should protect them by Melvin Goh

Melvin Goh — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:40:50 +0000

Interesting picture and I certainly admire scientists like you. I am just a writer so cant compare! I would like to request to use your picture as my screen saver as it is so beautiful. Can you give that permission? Thanks and keep up the useful and important work.
Melvin Goh, Sarawak, Malaysia

Comment on caterpillars by Jim Metzner

Jim Metzner — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:52:37 +0000

For what it’s worth, here’s the caterpillar id, courtesy of Grant Gentry.
I asked Grant to identify a number of caterpillars. I hope I haven’t mixed this one up!

This caterpillar is in the Lepidopteran family Apatelodidae. It is in the Genus Zanola (sp.) We aren’t sure of the species. Apatelodids are in the same superfamily as silk moths (Bombycidae), the Bombycoidea. Most Apatelodids are tropical, we have a very few species in the states.

Comment on caterpillars by Faith Etapa

Faith Etapa — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:34:14 +0000

That is a cool Caterpillar!!!! I wish I had one!!! What kind is he/she ?? Faith

Comment on Awareness by robert

robert — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:54:23 +0000

Great photo….and thanks for the update.

Comment on Koalas ride the gale on St Bees Island by Alistair Melzer

Alistair Melzer — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:16:56 +0000

Hello Jim,
I’m just back from the western trip. I’ll give an account of that shortly. With regard to the dissapearence of the young koalas - well, we have no more insights yet. My current thought is that the young are being displaced during the males attempts to mate with their mothers - or that the mums are weaning some young too early. My colleague, Bill Ellis,did observe an adult male with a dependent back young clinging to its shoulders. This suggests that the young can be confused as who to hang on to when the activity gets too rough. There are a few observations of this in zoos too.

Do you mean removing goats? Well that is a polite way of saying “killing the goats”. They are shot by helicopter and by ground teams - all trained sharpshooters. Apparently the process is highly regulated with oversight from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty, Australia.

Alistair

Comment on Why should you care about WNS? by Helen

Helen — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:49:06 +0000

I was wondering if your researchers have considered Lyme disease,in these bats ,as I know Lyme causes fungus disease in humans.My family of six suffers frm Chronic Lyme and we all born with it and I know five of my six family members have had fungus problems from the lyme bacteria,being that bats feed on insects,and also have mites and fleas and ticks ,and Lyme and other tick borne diseases are on the upswing could this be a direct relationship? I know testing is expensive,as that’s why Dr.’s don’t like to test and treat humans.Maybe the bats would have a better chance at testing.DNA-PCR are best both blood and urine for 20 days consecutove. Don’t know about bats though.But do know this disease kills,even though gov.won’t admit.

Comment on Transformation by noella

noella — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:15:18 +0000

cool website but you guys need to put more cool pictures and enlarge them with cool information kids will actually read. other than that good job.

Comment on Koalas ride the gale on St Bees Island by Jim

Jim — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:44:51 +0000

Alistair:
Have there been any new insights into what is responsible for the disappearance of adolescent koalas?

You mention the removal of koalas. Does that mean that they were relocated from the island? If so, where were they sent?

Jim

Comment on A brief history and description of White Nose Syndrome by keoborne

keoborne — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:31:05 +0000

Justin,

For what it’s worth, I’ve seen one bat in early may around 2 pm and nothing since. Usually very active now. Here in Moreau NY there are no bats at all. I check for about 15 min. every night at twilight and see nothing but bugs. Back to the one bat, my wife and I thought it very odd to see one that early in the year and at that time of day. The bug population is massive, yet that might be phsycological. Becoming concerned with lack of sightings. Keith 6/12/08