May 3, 2018
From finding a friend to fending off foes, the right call can go a long way. Graduate student Tracy Burkhard talks about the Alston’s Singing Mouse, a rodent with a unique way of communicating.
flora & fauna
Central Texas Tortoise Rescue Provides a Home for All Kinds of Turtles
Although most people think of more traditional pets, such as cats and dogs, as needing help, Central Texas Tortoise Rescue provides a needed service for turtles and tortoises that need new homes.
Longhorn Lab Report: Swipe Left, Swipe Ribbet
February 20, 2018
Still looking for a match after Valentine’s Day? UT biology professor Mike Ryan, author of A Taste for the Beautiful, may have some dating advice for you — if you’re a frog, that is.
Alpaca Wool Offers a Sustainable Alternative to Synthetic Fibers
February 19, 2018
Tierra Prometida, an alpaca ranch 15 miles west of San Marcos, is home to dozens of alpacas. Alpaca wool is more eco-friendly than synthetic fibers and even other woolly livestock.
Longhorn Lab Report: The Satan Fish Lurks Below San Antonio
January 19, 2018
UT ichthyology curator Dean Hendrickson is on a quest to find the Satan fish lurking beneath San Antonio.
State legislation threatens local tree ordinances in Texas cities
December 4, 2017
This summer, concerned citizens filled the halls of the Texas Capitol, testifying passionately over controversial subjects from insurance coverage of abortions to the “bathroom bill” aimed at transgender people. Meanwhile, city officials and activists from cities and towns across the state gathered in Austin to fight for an entirely different category of living things that call urban landscapes like Austin home: trees.
Hurricane Harvey’s Furry Refugees
November 6, 2017
Cat sisters and Houston natives Jamie and Alice had an uncertain future when their apartment was flooded during Hurricane Harvey. Until, however, a human from Austin took them in to her home.
The Value of a Tree: myTreeKeeper and Austin’s Urban Forest
Other than as hammock poles and hiding spots for the elusive albino squirrel, the nearly 5,000 trees on the UT main campus are useful for helping filter the air and keep buildings cool with shade, and a new interactive website can now show curious Longhorns an exact dollar amount for the benefits their favorite tree provides.
Science under the Stars lecture features lemurs
November 14, 2016
On Thursday at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory, integrative biology graduate student Amanda Perofsky gave a talk about the diverse world of lemurs and some of the challenges they face.
Tropical fish move to stay cool
October 20, 2016
When ocean temperatures rise, tropical fish which struggled to adapt would rather pack up and move than adapt.
As climate change causes warmer ocean temperatures, temperature-sensitive coral reef fish tend to migrate to a cooler area if given the chance, according to a recent international study led by University of Copenhagen’s Adam Habary and supervised by UT Marine Science Institute postdoctoral fellow Jacob Johansen.
Julianne Hodges 