One thing I have wanted to do for a long time is survey what animals live around the resort – so we got a birding guide to come over and see what he could find. I am pleasantly surprised by what we were able to find and now look forward to doing a few more surveys and…
DetailsEndemism means that specific species of plants or animals live only in a particular location, which normally is quite small. An animal or plant doing that is an endemic. For birdwatchers and other wild life watchers endemism is a major issue, as many endemics are rare, hard to find and per definition can only be seen…
DetailsSurvival in nature can be quite easy. Enough defenses invested, and one can make it quite safely through life. Examples are whales, roses and poison arrow frogs, investing in size, structures or chemistry in order to deter predators. The problem with these strategies is that they are costly, diverting energetic resources from growth and reproduction…
DetailsA visit to Lembeh would be unfulfilling, half full, unsatisfactory and almost not really a visit to Lembeh without parasites. And luckily this time I have seen a bunch of cool parasites. Some of them old acquaintances, some of them I have seen before but not in Lembeh, and some I have never seen before.…
DetailsBeing here in Lembeh this time I have been to a couple of mandarin dives. The site used now under Bianca is probably one of the best I have ever seen, with many males coming down before dusk to establish their territory and some minutes later, a bunch of females arriving to mate with the…
DetailsIt is the world´s most venomous fish and it will kill you if you step on it! Die the most agonizing death. Lionfish sure are lethal, aren´t they. Lionfish kill by injecting air bubbles into your bloodstream, creating clots, which will kill you! Never touch a lionfish, they are extremely poisonous. These are all comments I have…
DetailsCompetition between two species, analyzed in its most simple theoretical form, involves two variables. One is the efficiency with which the individuals of one species consume resources which the individuals of the other species need. The better a species will be at doing this, the higher its chances of winning the competitive race will be.…
DetailsSome blog posts are pretty easy to write, as I am pretty certain that I know the answers to the problems I present. Of course, as a scientist, I realize that time might prove me wrong, but as far as I believe I have a reasonable explanation, I am fine with that. Others are harder,…
DetailsIn contrast to plant material, meat and other animal products are very rare in nature. The ratio of meat to plants would be in the permilles, or even lower. Mainly that will be because plant matter mostly is bad food, while animal matter has all the nutrients in all the correct combinations for consumers. One…
DetailsWe had a really good year for Rhinopias and several individuals of the Weedy Rhinopias (Rhinopias frondosa) and the Paddleflap Rhinopias (Rhinopias Eschmeyri) could be seen here in Lembeh. So it was not a big suprise when we received whatsapp messages on the BOOT Show in Düsseldorf that our guides had found another Rhinopias while we…
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