Questions tagged [zoology]
The biological study of animals. Very broad use so be sure to add additional clarifying tags
1,361
questions
1
vote
1answer
39 views
What are some examples of animals who return to their group when threatened?
Based on my (limited) understanding, some types of animals use the power of numbers for protection. I assume, then, some species instinctively respond to threat by immediately seeking out and joining ...
0
votes
1answer
103 views
What is the name of this insect?
This insect was found in my garden in India on the evening of August 07, 2019. It's rainy season here.
0
votes
1answer
60 views
What is this African bug?
This is an arthropod I found in an apparently abandoned mongoose burrow in the Maasai Mara game reserve, Kenya:
That was the best photo I could get of it. From what I could tell, it had six legs and ...
0
votes
0answers
47 views
What is that? Dry brown fungus? See photo please
It has appeared two days in a row on my balcony, at exactly the same place. There's nothing near that can give me a hint of what it is. The birds can access the place easily. It's an inch in size, it'...
1
vote
1answer
230 views
Do male skunks have teats?
Simple question. Do male skunks (striped skunk, eastern US/Canada if it matters) have teats? Occasionally want to identify road-kill, but don't know if teats are diagnostic for females. I believe ...
2
votes
1answer
441 views
What is the function of spongin in sea sponges?
Sea sponges (Porifera) use different types of skeletons to support their structures. Some skeletons are built from minerals, some are built from proteins like spongin, and some use both.
My question ...
2
votes
0answers
33 views
Anybody know of any sources/papers on wild animals identifying birds by their calls/sounds?
I'm doing a literature review about identifying birds, and was hoping to find some examples of animals being able to identify birds by sound (eg a mouse knowing the normal call of a sparrow is not the ...
1
vote
0answers
30 views
Knee directions
art student with very little knowledge of biology here. I was thinking about the designs of mythical creatures and I got stuck on the topic of knee directions, and couldn't work out the appropriate ...
3
votes
1answer
137 views
(How) do horizontal pupils dialate?
I was looking at mongoose eyes in particular, but my understanding is:
Circular (human-like) pupils simply get larger/smaller depending on light levels, no change in "shape"
Vertical slit (cat-like) ...
0
votes
0answers
34 views
Is it safe to feed the squirrels?
I hope this question fits here, I haven't found another community where it would fit.
Two years ago I was in a hotel in Sri Lanka (south-western coast) and in the hotel gardens there were a lot of ...
0
votes
1answer
142 views
What are these little bugs?
I recently found at least 50 of these little bugs roaming around my window sills indoors in my bedroom right behind the head of my bed. I can’t seem to find what they are. I’d love tips on what they ...
4
votes
1answer
421 views
Reptiles are a paraphyletic group because?
Here is a question I am trying to find the answer to
Reptiles are a paraphyletic group because... ?
A) They include worm lizards, which have no limbs
B) The group doesn’t include birds
C) The group ...
4
votes
1answer
148 views
Larva of Halyomorpha halys?
I just found these small insects on a Saponaria.
After search, it could be Halyomorpha halys, but I am really not sure.
Can anyone confirm? If so, should I kill them as they are considered as ...
0
votes
0answers
56 views
Why do leeches lose septae due to parasitism?
So I found this piece of information in my textbook without a proper explanation, and I can't seem to find the relation between the two.
17
votes
1answer
4k views
What is this little owl-like bird?
I was walking outside (location: Netherlands) and just saw this little bird:
Unfortunately I had to take a long range picture with my cell phone so the quality is quite bad, however I hope still ...
0
votes
1answer
73 views
If coelocanths are more related to humans than groupers -does a Coelocanth's DNA literally have more sequences in common with a human than a grouper?
Would a coelocanth and a human still have more sequences in common than a coelocanth and a grouper? Would the coelocanth and human dna basically "look" more similar than either would to a ray-finned ...
3
votes
1answer
110 views
Can birds touch their wing tips together either in front or behind (not above and below)? [closed]
Can the tips of a birds wings touch so that it would form a ring if view from above or below? I suspect it might be a bird of prey and at the moment it is picking something up from the ground but I ...
2
votes
2answers
92 views
Bug Identification: Tiny Bugs in Fairport NY
We have been finding a ton of these tiny bugs (pin head size or smaller) outside on our patios, outdoor tables, on the grill, etc.
What are they and how do we get rid of them?
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Bug Identification: Tiny Bugs
I have seen these on my hands recently and I am wondering what they are. Urban Setting. South Central Pennsylvania.
3
votes
1answer
104 views
What kind of weird little insect is this?
What kind of insect is this?
I found it in my work room.
I live in the city of São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
3
votes
1answer
106 views
3
votes
0answers
87 views
Identify round, green, flying insect with spikes in South Carolina (USA)
The tables have turned -- I need some help IDing an insect:
I've been unable to identify an insect that I came across about 6 years ago in South Carolina (USA).
We were doing a vegetation survey in ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
Can mammals and/or birds see / detect infra-red light?
Wondering if there is any evidence that mammals or birds eyes can detect light emitted in the infra-red? The reason I'm asking relates to the use of nest cameras to detect predators, using infra red ...
3
votes
1answer
83 views
is this a brown recluse spider?
What kind of spider is this? SE Michigan, light brown color, second picture less focused but w tape measure for scale. Thank you!
2
votes
1answer
77 views
What about this bat?
This happened in LaGrange GA. We heard some crawling around behind one of the faux-wood shutters on our front porch. So I eased it back and saw this:
If you can't make out the scale, the furry part ...
0
votes
1answer
128 views
Black and orange spider, what is it?
Found in Alexandria MN, on sidewalk. Small, fast little spider.
0
votes
1answer
81 views
Want to know about a creature which bite me
I am Sachin from MP India. Few minutes back I have gotten bite by a creature. What is its name? Is it harmful if I got bitten by it? Feeling little pain there.
0
votes
1answer
873 views
How far can parrots fly without needing to land?
This is for a story I'm writing. I can't find any information on how far various parrot species can travel without needing to land-- the closest I could find is this page saying that a macaw flies up ...
2
votes
1answer
137 views
Help with jellyfish species identification
Our research group (Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich) has received a letter from a special needs child who has kindly asked us to identify three jellyfish species.
Unfortunately, the ...
0
votes
0answers
53 views
Is this a Zelus luridus?
I found this little bug on my bed and I got curious to know what it was, I did some researches and then I noticed that it is very similar to Zelus Nymph but I can't be sure of it. Can you confirm it?
...
2
votes
0answers
77 views
What animal is this? A bee? red mason bee? (Bee-like with brown/orange fur)
The picture was taken at the Bodensee (Lake Constance) in Southwestern Germany in June 2019. I tried to Google "Bee with brown fur", but the only thing that came up was a red mason bee, and the ...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
Are hybrid-species individuals considered to be of the same species as their parents?
This question arises given the definition of father and mother as seen in the Spanish dictionary composed by the Royal Spanish Academy. Basically it says that a father/mother is a man/woman or a male/...
0
votes
1answer
136 views
What is this insect in a cocoon climbing a web?
I found this thing hanging from the framework of my garage yesterday:
The size of the object in the picture was about .75 inches tall by maybe a quarter inch wide. This was taken yesterday in a ...
2
votes
0answers
24 views
Is there anything that can tell me precisely how the cross sectional area/radius of a snake changes over length?
I am trying to 3D model a green anaconda which I thought would be simple, then I realized there is actually this very gradual change in thickness from a minimum around its neck to a maximum somewhere ...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
What was the cause of some egg-laying animals evolution to animal-laying?
Is there a specific reason for this evolution? Are no egg-laying animals more complex beings so their embryonic development requires more time and better nutrition conditions?
-1
votes
1answer
73 views
What is this seaside thing?
I found this on the sand and I do not know what is it? I thought it is sea devil, however I checked google and it is not. Can someone tell me what is it(its name )
0
votes
2answers
138 views
Help identifying a weird creature
Okay, so there is this weird creature, which has been crawling around our house.
I can hear it moving around, and it's especially active in the dark. I've however been able to take a picture of it.
If ...
0
votes
1answer
49 views
What species of butterfly/moth is this please?
What species is this please?
It's really tiny. That's an oregano leaf.
Location: United Kingdom
6
votes
3answers
656 views
Do birds grieve and feel emotion?
Crows are surprisingly clever with tool making/use and even understanding displacement water over sand! Clearly there's some relatively high level cognitive processes going on up in those avian brains....
6
votes
1answer
116 views
Can you identify this red insect?
Location: Lansdowne, Uttarakhand, India
Date: 27 May 2017
Time: 5.33 pm
The insect was found walking upwards on a plastic table. It was about 3-4cm long, as far as I remember; its been a long time ...
1
vote
1answer
156 views
Aquatic Snail Identification
I can’t for the life of me find an identification of these snails. They’re thriving in brackish water, but may be freshwater naturally. They’re about .8cm long at their largest. I believe they have ...
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Killer whale color
What purpose does the B/W killer whale color scheme serve? And what evolutionary pressure could possibly force all of them to go B/W in such a peculiar way ie with weird patches in the black. Also why ...
0
votes
1answer
47 views
What species would this be?
A common way to define species can be found on Wikipedia:
A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can ...
2
votes
0answers
48 views
Why does centipede keep running into my hair and bite me? [closed]
After I moved into a new house in the suburban area, I was bitten by an unknown creature near my spine at mid-night. I felt painful and dizzy. However, after 15 mins, I no longer felt dizzy and the ...
1
vote
0answers
47 views
Why can dogs hyperventilate without consequences like humans?
During the heat of summer, dogs usually breathes very fast, like 100 times per minute or more. If humans do so, we will experience an array of negative effects like dizziness, finger tingling or ...
3
votes
1answer
262 views
What species is this little white bird?
This bird was found in my backyard in the north east of Italy. It's about 5cm long and can fly as high as 1.5m (so far).
1
vote
0answers
22 views
Why are birds have balls in the form a cork screw i dont have the scientific name [closed]
Why do birds have penises in the form of a cork screw?
1
vote
1answer
81 views
1
vote
0answers
79 views
Why are dolphins born tail first?
I heard most dolphins are born tail first. I have read many explanations from books and internet articles and they said that dolphins are born tail first to prevent them from drowning.
But now I don'...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
What brazilian snake is this?
(1) Is it possible to identify the snake in the picture below?
If (1) cannot be answered:
(2) In view of the pattern of colors, is it possible the snake in the picture below be non-venomous? If so, ...
