Species of the week

Bluebell (sorry, it’s a bit late) https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/bluebell-watch/  

As suggested by Frances Mullany, The polka-dot tree frog (firstly, how cool is that name?) from South America has recently been found to fluoresce under UV light. It’s apparently the first time this has been found in amphibians, and the particular fluorescent molecules it uses haven’t been found in animals before at all! http://www.nature.com/news/first-fluorescent-frog-found-1.21616 (thank […]

Sparrowhawk: the bird of prey you’re most likely to see in your garden https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/s/sparrowhawk/

Snowdrop http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/galanthus-nivalis-common-snowdrop  

It’s tortoise Tuesday http://www.galapagos.org/about_galapagos/about-galapagos/lonesome-george/  

The pangolin – it’s been species of the week before but there’s an event at ZSL on 21st February that you can book for now https://www.zsl.org/science/whats-on/saving-pangolins-earths-most-trafficked-wild-mammals  

Dodo http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-38068828  

Pygmy hippo – a calf was born at Marwell on 2nd November. Vote for his name here https://www.marwell.org.uk/zoo/pages/competitions/baby-pygmy-hippo hoping to see him when I go to Marwell with BIOL2039 students next Thursday.  

It has to be the pygmy three-toed sloth, as features in Planet Earth II last week http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p048sflc  

Giant albatross http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37729465