Tag Archives: mutualism

Deadly poop

Posted on November 12, 2015 by

Leaf-cutting ants, as their name implies, cut leaves. Instead of hunting or scavenging for prey, they actively cut leaves and bring them back to their nest. These leaves are processed by smaller workers, and incorporated in to the fungus they … Continue reading →

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Species Spotlight: Leafcutter ants

Posted on October 25, 2015 by

Remember this amazing movie by Disney called the Lion King? Remember the first scene where all the animals are going to see the presentation of Simba? In the first minute, you’ll see ants walking in a line, all with a piece … Continue reading →

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Science: Breath of Life

Posted on June 25, 2013 by

In Malaysia (among other places) exist the so-called ‘Kerangas’, forests which occur on nutrient-poor sandstone hills. Kerangas actually means ‘land which cannot grow rice’ in the Iban language. Being nutrient-poor, plants have a hard time growing there. One plant, called … Continue reading →

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Science: Ants don’t care for nature conservation

Posted on June 22, 2013 by

In Mauritius, an island nation east of Madagascar, lives a plant species called Roussea simplex. This plant normally gets pollinated by the beautiful blue-tailed day-gecko (Phelsuma cepediana), a gecko that’s often kept as a pet. However, due to human activity, the … Continue reading →

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Science: How to restrain your cattle

Posted on May 28, 2013 by

One thing you might notice when walking through your garden, is big patches of small insects on the stem of a plant. These insects, known as aphids, feed on plant sap. However, this sap mostly consist of sugars, while containing … Continue reading →

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