As this year comes to an end, take a moment to look back on the wonderful memories you made with nature, and think about the new ones you’ll create in the year ahead. Thank you for following us for science facts about animal behavior! We wish you a lovely 2026! 🌿🐤🦁🐻🦋🐍🐶🦌🦎🐜✨ #SciComm #Nature

Cassidy Cooper captured this photo of an Anna’s hummingbird. Read on to learn about the male’s impressive mating dance and song! #SciComm #Hummingbird #BirdBehavior #CourtshipDisplay #WildlifePhotography #NatureFacts #Photography #Bird #Nature

Here is a watercolor painting of a white tipreef shark to make you smile. #sciart #marinelife #coralreefs #oceanconservation #sharks #sharksandrays

Send in the clones!✨ Light bulb tunicates reproduce asexually, so in this photo taken by Karli Chudeau, you’re seeing a cluster of clones! Read on to learn more about these fascinating marine organisms. #SciComm #MarineBiology #Invertebrates #SeaCreatures #NatureFacts #Photography

Another favorite bird to paint for me is the mighty Gyrfalcon. Here are some watercolour and acrylic paintings I did over the last few years. Gyrfalcons live here in Norway, far up north. They are the biggest, and according to to some, most powerful falcons in the world. www.esthervanhulsen.com

Found in oceans all around the world, sea butterflies! There are also sea angels! Have you heard of either of them? What are they? Read the article to learn more about these fascinating aquatic creatures. #SciComm #SeaButterflies #SeaAngels #MarineBiology #OceanLife #NatureFacts #Nature

Showing how I mask off the background area & try something a little different than usual. Used the Copic markers to create a sort of stipple ombre fade. Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus). #shark #marinelife #sciart #Reef #nature #fish #fishart #animal #animalart #ArtYear #aquatic

African wild dogs are critically endangered mammals. Within their packs, there’s little aggression. They don’t even fight over food! To learn more about these fascinating animals, read on. #SciComm #AfricanWildDog #EndangeredSpecies #WildlifeFacts #AnimalBehavior #Conservation #Canids #Nature

#SciArtSeptember Day 25: Tireless Some shark species sleep on the move, either by switching off each hemisphere of their brain, or by activating nerve centers in the spinal cord, allowing them to continue swimming and breathing. #illustration #sciart #wildlife #scicomm #sealife #MarineLife #shark

Timelapse of the eighteenth piece in the Close Encounters Collection, "Smug"! #catportrait #catpainting #art #cats #gingercat #sciart #painting #catart

Raccoons are insanely adaptable! While we think of them as trash pandas in the city, out in nature, they feed on worms, fruit, & more. Ian Ramshorn Haliburton took this shot of a raccoon posing for the camera. 🦝📸 #SciComm #Raccoons #UrbanWildlife #AnimalBehavior #WildlifePhotography #Photography

Nick Chudeau captured this photo of beef cattle grazing. 📷🐄 Dr. Maggie Creamer notes that cattle can have different grazing patterns. #SciComm #CattleResearch #AnimalBehavior #Livestock #GrazingPatterns #Agriculture #Cows #Photography

Australia’s veterinary medicine regulator has approved a vaccine to protect koalas from chlamydia, one of the leading causes of koala infertility and death. Researchers found the single-dose vaccine reduced mortality in wild koalas by at least 65%.

September 11: “venomous” A blue ring octopus for #sciartseptember #sciart #coralreefs #marinelife

Have another happy honey bee visiting the sunflowers. #FlowerReport #Bloomscrolling #InverteFest I love the fractal symmetry of sunflower inflorescences.

My submission for #FishyFriday is this composite displaying all the non-shark fish I have done. Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris), Remora (Remora remora), Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) and Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans). 💙 #fish #fishart #nature #marinelife #sciart #ArtYear #animalart #art

#SciComm #TradingCards #History #Research

Dr. Ernest Everett Just (born 1883) made groundbreaking contributions to embryology and cell biology. Read on to learn more about his remarkable life and research! #SciComm #BlackScientists #CellBiology #Embryology #ScienceHistory #NaturalScience #Research #SeaUrchin

Virtual fieldwork in Animal Crossing? 🌱 Lessons from Final Fantasy about the dangers of exploiting nature? 🎮 Video games can help us connect with the importance of protecting the environment. #SciComm #VideoGames #Nature #EnvironmentalAwareness #AnimalCrossing #Nature #Biodiversity #Ecology #NSF

Aren’t otters adorable? 🦦 They have favorite rocks! Kristina Leslie, tinaleslie_ on Instagram, made this otter artwork. #SciComm #OtterFacts #Otters #WildlifeArt #SciArt #AnimalBehavior #Nature #CuteAnimals #Mammals #Art #Adorable

UC Davis vets are treating cats with a coronavirus disease, feline infectious peritonitis of FIP, with a combination of antiviral drugs and stem cells. It could bring insights into long COVID in humans www.ucdavis.edu/health/news/...

Dr. Darien Satterfield @diverdarien.bsky.social created this stunning parrotfish illustration! 🐠 Fun fact, a lot of soft white sand on beaches is parrotfish poop🤯. #SciComm #Parrotfish #MarineBiology #OceanFacts #Beach #CoralReef #Nature #Fish #SciArt

Tara Roth, StippledScience on Instagram, made this incredibly detailed tiger beetle art. These beetles are fast and ferocious predators! #SciComm #SciArt #TigerBeetle #Nature #InsectArt #Bugs #Entomology #BeetleFacts #StippleArt #Beetles #Art #Insects

How do you study a kinkajou? 🌙🐾 Alexander Vining tracked these nocturnal critters in the Panamanian rainforest, even having to track down his missing tech used for data collection! Read about his nighttime research adventure. #SciComm #Research #Kinkajou #Night #WildlifeTracking #Fieldwork #Nature

Dr. Maggie Creamer studied how cows behave in different environments. Do their grazing and handling patterns shift or stay consistent? Why is this research important for agriculture and cow welfare? Read on! 🐄 #SciComm #Research #Cows #AnimalBehavior #CattleResearch #Livestock #Agriculture #CowFacts

Here, kitty kitty… If wild animal, why friend-shaped? 🤔 Seriously though, never get close or pet wild animals. Olivia Feldman shares insights and videos of gato montes, wild cats, from South America in this article. #SciComm #WildCats #AnimalVideo #SouthAmerica #WildlifeFacts #Nature #DoNotPet #Cats

Detox Doodles! This is one of a series of daily sketches that I've been doing to curb my mindless scrolling! This page is all about cheetahs! #art #cat #cheetah #sketch #DetoxDoodles #sciart #InkArt

Clever bird… now, who could it be? The raven of course! Ramshorn Haliburton photographed one tagged for research. Want to know what kind of research? Read on! #SciComm #Raven #BirdResearch #WildlifePhotography #Photography #Ornithology #TaggedBirds #NatureFacts #Research #Birds

Everyone remembers that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, but what about cell membranes? What are they? Why are they so important to cells? Find out in Daniel Speer’s article! #SciComm #CellBiology #CellMembrane #BiologyFacts #Research #Lipids #Cells #MolecularBiology #Biology

Alycia Drwencke captured a photo of a jaguar. 🐆 Did you know jaguar's sometimes use their tails to fish?🎣 #SciComm #Jaguar #WildlifePhotography #AnimalFacts #PredatorBehavior #Photo #NaturePhotography #Fishing #Nature #Cat #Adorable

Sharks are vital for healthy ecosystems! And they contain microplastics😱. Jess Schulte & Maddie English write about sharks in the Pacific Northwest, check out the article.🦈 #SciComm #Sharks #PacificNorthwest #MarineEcology #Microplastics #OceanHealth #Research #Conservation #Nature #Photography

Coyotes often appear as tricksters in Native American folklore. They are also one of the few monogamous mammal species, and have adapted to life in cities. To learn more, check out Rebecka Halfen's article! #SciComm #Animals #Nature #Coyote #WildlifeAdaptation #UrbanAnimals #Folklore #AnimalBehavior

What are two lizards with specialized venom in North America? 🦎 #SciComm #Venomous #NorthAmericaWildlife #Nature #Herpetology #Lizards #Wildlife

Nicole Rodrigues writes about the Sierra Nevada red fox, an endangered species in Yosemite. Kayla De Guzman painted this beautiful fox! 🎨🦊 Learn more in the article. #SciComm #SierraNevadaRedFox #EndangeredSpecies #WildlifeArt #SciArt #Yosemite #Conservation #Foxes #Nature #Watercolor #UCDavis

Joseph Yu captured a photo of the Spotted Sandpiper! 🐦✨ Check out the article to learn about Spotted Sandpipers. #SciComm #SpottedSandpiper #BirdPhotography #WildlifePhotography #Birds #Nature #Ornithology #Photography #Research

What are freshly hatched salmon called? Alevins! Cassidy Cooper photographed these tiny fish in their early life stage. 🐟📷 #SciComm #Salmon #Alevins #Fish #FishFacts #Photography #WildlifePhotography #AquaticBiology #NatureEducation #Nature

Victor Santiago made this lovely honey bee art piece! Did you know honey bees can sense when it is going to rain? 🌧️⛈️🐝🌦️☔ #SciComm #Art #HoneyBee #Weather #InsectSenses #Pollinators #NatureFacts #SciArt #Nature #Insects #Rain

Ever wonder how researchers study honey bees? 🐝🍯 Adrian Perez describes one method: observing colonies in glass-walled hives. Imagine being stared at through the wall! 👀 #SciComm #HoneyBees #BeeResearch #Pollinators #Bees #Hive #Research #UCDavis #Insects

See a baby bird on the ground and not sure what to do? 🐤 They may not be abandoned! Sabrina Seaborn-Mederos explains what’s actually helpful and when it’s time to step in. #SciComm #BirdRescue #WildlifeTips #BabyBird #NatureFacts #Nestling #Fledgling #WildlifeAwareness #Birds

Megan McElligott drew this inktastic Dumbo octopus. Oops, misspoke… they don’t even have ink sacs! #SciComm #DumboOctopus #SciArt #Cephalopod #DeepSeaCreatures #MarineBiology

Allison Lau wrote about ecotourism and the beauty of nature—if you get the chance, check out our national parks! 🌲🏞️ Just remember: admire wildlife, don’t interact with them. #SciComm #Ecotourism #NationalParks #Nature #WildlifeRespect #LeaveNoTrace

Mmmm… chocolate boa? 🍫🐍 Ok, not actually made of chocolate, but close in color! PhD student Brandon R. Kong wrote about the Northern Rubber Boa and shares some awesome boa photos in this article. #SciComm #Boa #SnakeFacts #Herpetology #WildlifePhotography #Photography #Snakes #UCDavis

Ever wanted a pupper in fish form? 🐶🐟 Head over to Death Valley! Jacob Johnson writes all about the quirky and resilient Death Valley pupfish in this Creature Feature. #SciComm #Pupfish #DeathValley #DesertLife #WildlifeFacts #Fish #EndangeredSpecies

So you think you can dance? 💃🕺 Male peacock spiders sure can! They dance to impress female spiders, as failure means death 💀. Check out this colorful artwork by @cocofufufufu on Instagram. #SciComm #PeacockSpider #SpiderDance #SciArt #CourtshipDance #WildlifeFacts #InvertebrateArt #DanceOrDie

Dr. Geoff Attardo does magnificent macrophotography! Get up close and personal with mosquitoes! His photos reveal tiny details we miss. 📷🦟 attardo-lab.com/multimedia 🐜🦋 #SciComm #Macrophotography #Mosquitoes #Insects #Entomology #InsectPhotography #CaliforniaWildlife #Photography #UCDavis #Nature

Allen Butler-Struben (@BLIRTT on Instagram & Twitter) painted both the fronts and backs of White’s tree frogs, capturing their full charm in stunning detail! 🐸🎨 #SciArt #WhitesTreeFrog #FrogArt #Herpetology #WildlifeArt #Amphibians #BLIRTT #Frogs #SciArt #Painting

Cats make awesome pets and they can carry Toxoplasma gondii. 🐱 Sophie Zhu writes about how this parasite affects mammals, and why it’s important to study and manage the risks posed to humans and wildlife. #SciComm #ToxoplasmaGondii #WildlifeHealth #Research #CatFacts #PublicHealth #Ecology

Flapjack octopuses look so cute and they're undeniably aesthetic! Do they have ink sacs? Have animated movies been lying to us? The answers and more are revealed by Claire Jones in this Creature Feature. #SciComm #FlapjackOctopus #Research #DeepSea #MarineBiology #OceanLife #Cephalopod #Adorable

Got slime? Hagfish do—they have slime pores! Want to know more? Read the article featuring awesome art from Squidtoons found on Instagram and squidtoons.com #SciComm #Hagfish #Slime #MarineBiology #SciArt #Art #Nature