Wissen Giftschlangen, wenn ihr Vorrat zur Neige geht? 🐍🧪
Kodama et al. untersuchten, ob die Rotschneckennatter ihre eigenen Toxinreserven erkennt. Nach Entleerung der Nackendrüsen zeigte sich keine Veränderung im Abwehrverhalten – offenbar überwachen die Schlangen ihren „Waffenvorrat“ nicht direkt.
🧪 ETHOLOGY: Do toxic snakes know when they’re running low? 🐍🧪
Kodama et al. tested whether the red-necked keelback detects its own toxin reserves. After experimental depletion of toxins, defensive behavior didn’t change—suggesting they may not directly monitor their arsenal. doi.org/10.1111/eth....
🚨JOB alert🚨
We have three (yes, THREE) 🌟lectureships🌟 advertised in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol.
Broad remit, including #AnimalBehaviour & #GlobalChangeBiology
⏱️Deadline: 8th March 2026
🙏Please circulate widely
😊Come join us!
Full #job details: tinyurl.com/y3us95rc
While an amazing Annual meeting of the Ehtological Society has just passed, we are hoping to see many of you in beautiful Konstanz next year! Save the date: 24.–26. Februar 2027
Spinnenpheromone im Freiland erfassen 🕷️🌿
Dössel et al. stellen eine einfache Methode zur Sammlung von Sexpheromonen im Feld vor. Am Beispiel einer Wespenspinne schließt der Ansatz die Lücke zwischen Laborergebnissen und natürlichen Signalbedingungen.
#Pheromone #Methoden #Feldforschung
🧪 ETHOLOGY: How to sample spider pheromones in the wild 🕷️🌿
Dössel et al. present a simple field method to collect sex pheromones in spiders. Applied to a wasp spider, the approach can help bridge the gap between lab findings and natural signalling conditions. #OpenAccess doi.org/10.1111/eth....
Prosocial support in adolescence regulates #behavior and corticosterone responses following early life adversity in male rats HormBehav
Read the story behind the paper, "energetics link long-term environmental variations to breeding success in a wild penguin population", below 🐧
buff.ly/NO5dogw
@bendps.bsky.social
There were also 3 awsome and very inspiring plenaries at this year's meeting of the @ethoges.bsky.social: Thomas Bugnyar (sadly I took no picture), Rosemary Grant and Lars Chittka 🐦🐝
Great job Maja Peng and Ludmila Kerhartová presenting our work on 🐭 vocal recognition 🎶 at the “Ethology 2026” conference in Grünau 👏. We also listened to Rosemary and Peter Grant giving amazing talks 🐦⬛. What an inspiration! @klivvvienna.bsky.social
New paper out on the decision strategies of bumblebees. When using visual cues to make flower choices, they switch strategy with sensory context, learning as much as necessary, but as little as possible. Based on their training time, we propose a mechanism for this switch. tinyurl.com/2r9d4jrs 🌸🐝🧠
🚨 new research: "Prey depletion by a predator guild suggests spatial differences in competitive ability, but not prey partitioning, consistent with functional trade-offs"
🦎 read it here: buff.ly/Ar0Uozg
📸 : Amber Wright
Reagiere schneller, wenn die Gefahr näher ist! 🐦🦉
Sánchez & Mennill zeigen, dass Rotrückenzaunkönige stärker reagieren, wenn Räuber in Nestnähe sind. Bei höherem Risiko riefen die Vögel schneller und näherten sich stärker an; Männchen reagierten am schnellsten! #OpenAccess #Risikowahrnehmung
🧪 ETHOLOGY: Danger closer to home 🐦🦉
Sánchez & Mennill show that rufous-and-white wrens respond more strongly when predators are near their nests. Birds called faster and approached closer at higher risk, with males reacting fastest. Read more, it's #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth....
Wer dominiert die Blüte? 🌸🐝
Mukhopadhyay et al. zeigen eine klare Dominanzhierarchie bei Bienen auf Auberginenblüten. Vibrationsbestäubende *Amegilla* sind besonders dominant, während andere Arten untergeordnet oder opportunistisch agieren. Blütenmerkmale wie Größe helfen, Konkurrenz zu reduzieren
🧪 ETHOLOGY: Who dominates the flower? 🌸🐝
Mukhopadhyay et al. reveal a clear dominance hierarchy among bees foraging on brinjal flowers. Buzz-pollinating *Amegilla* lead aggressive interactions, while other species adopt more submissive or opportunistic strategies.
doi.org/10.1111/eth....
Schadstoffe wirken nicht auf allen Arten gleichermaßen 🐟🌊
Ozeki et al. untersuchten, ob das Verhütungsöstrogen EE2 auch Kühnheit und Angst eines Meeresfisches beeinflusst. Nach 14-tägiger Exposition blieb das Verhalten unverändert – ein Hinweis auf artspezifische Reaktionen auf Umweltbelastungen.
🧪 ETHOLOGY: Pollutants don't change behavior equally across species 🐟🌊
Ozeki et al. tested whether the contraceptive estrogen EE2 also affects boldness and anxiety in a marine fish. After 14 day-exposure, behavior remained unchanged—highlighting species-specific responses. doi.org/10.1111/eth....
The 12th season of FINE starts the 24th of February with an exciting program.
To register for weekly reminders and the video link
email social.evolution.seminar@gmail.com
JOB ALERT! Lecturer in Biological Sciences Come and join us in the world class Life Sciences Building at the University of Bristol! Closing date: Sunday 8 March
JOB ALERT! Lecturer in Biological Sciences Interested in our research areas? Click the link in our bio to discover more! Closing date: Sunday 8 March
JOB ALERT!
We are excited to announce that we are recruiting three new academics at lecturer level!
Click the link below for more info on how to apply, and don’t forget to explore our research themes too!
We look forward to receiving your applications!
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Wenn Gleich aussehen nicht zu Liebe führt 💙🌈🪰
Obwohl blaue Färbung bei Libellen ehrlich Qualität signalisieren kann, zeigen Melillo et al., dass sich Paarungspartner nicht nach Farbe assortieren. Selbst wenn die Zeit für die Fortpflanzung knapp wird, ziehen ähnliche Farben keine Partner an.
🧪 ETHOLOGY: When looking alike doesn’t lead to love 💙🌈🪰
Even though blue coloration may honestly signal individual quality in damselflies, Melillo et al. show that mates don’t assort by color. Even as time for reproduction runs out, similar colors don’t attract. #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth....
Who prefers the dark? Daily activity of dung beetles from an Amazonian region EcolEntomol
Annual Meeting of the Ethologische Gesellschaft 2026
Keynote: Rosemary Grant
In her keynote speech, Rosemary Grant discusses the role of #behavior in the #evolution of Darwin’s finches.
📍 Grünau | 📅 Feb 18–21, 2026
Four days of science and exchange—where ethology made history.
@ethoges.bsky.social
Wild animal welfare postdoc opportunity! 👇
Die Reihenfolge zählt bei Insektengesängen! 🦗🎶
Kodama & Tatsuta zeigen, dass die Reaktionen männlicher Zikaden von der Struktur des Gesangs abhängen: Wird die Reihenfolge der Gesangselemente umgekehrt, nehmen die Antworten ab; die meisten Reaktionen treten im zweiten Teil normaler Gesänge auf.
🧪 ETHOLOGY: Order matters in insect songs! 🦗🎶
Kodama & Tatsuta show responses of male cicadas depend on song structure: reversing the order of song components reduced replies; most responses occurred during the latter part of normal songs. The sequence drives communication!
doi.org/10.1111/eth....
🚨 JOB ALERT 🚨
2-year postdoc in canine behaviour at Linköping University, Sweden.
#AcademicSky #ScienceJobs
liu.se/en/work-at-l...
📣 New paper alert 🧪 The authors demonstrate that Kanzi the #bonobo tracks the displacement of "invisible" juice, a first of its kind study to examine imagination in nonhuman beings.
Read the paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#GreatApe #AnimalBehavior #CompCogPapers #ComparativePsychology
New #PhD on #bees (BeeHd?)! Despite the ad saying "UK Students only", a limited number of scholarships are available for international candidates. So please apply!
