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Galatea H

@galateainthewild.bsky.social

350 followers 190 following 80 posts

She/Her | BSc Animal Behaviour (Hons) 🌍 Climate and nature nerd, science communicator, editor, podcaster 🦔 Hi there Bluesky! 🦋 Let's make waves. 🌊 All opinions are my own, and subject to change as science evolves and I grow 🌱 📸: Phillip Formby | WTML

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Reposted by Galatea H

Heal Rewilding @healrewilding.org.uk · Jan 15

Meet Ticket and Tailor, our Tamworth pig ecosystem engineers! 🐖🐖

They came to Heal Somerset as piglets before Christmas and we're smitten. They are brothers and never leave each other's side, always rootling around and squealing at anyone who walks by in the hope of food.
youtu.be/8jmJG_3f-HQ?...

Meet Ticket and Tailor, our ecosystem engineers!

YouTube video by Heal Rewilding

youtu.be

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 24

Sounds amazing! 🐬

Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 24

I've posted my favourite science facts this advent!

The final fact is taken from:

"Enrichment with classical music enhances affiliative behaviours in bottlenose dolphin"
By: C. Guérineau, M. Lõoke, G. Ganassin, D. Bertotto, M. Bortoletti, et al.
In: Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2022

Simplified.

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 24

Advent Sci-Fact 24:
Classical Music makes Dolphins Sociable!
When played classical music, dolphins spent more time swimming in synchrony, and gently touched other dolphins more frequently! These effects would last for 20 minutes after the music stopped!
Paper: tinyurl.com/22yjuzhl
#SciComm 🧪🌍 🐬

Diagram showing two bottlenose dolphins swimming together. Heading: Classical Music makes Dolphins Sociable!
Playing Classical Music made dolphins more social, an effect that later up to 20 minutes after the music stopped!
Arrows indicate that the dolphins swam in synchrony and gently touched other dolphins.
Species: Bottlenose dolphins!

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 23

I'm posting my favourite science facts for advent!
Today's fact is taken from:
"Human click-based Echolocation: Effects of blindness and age, and real life implications in a 10- week training program"
By: L. J. Norman, C. Dodsworth, D. Foresteire, L. Thales. In @plosone.org 2021.

Simplified

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 23

Advent Sci-Fact 23:
Humans can learn to echolocate!

Learners, taught to echolocate in ten weeks, were able to identify the orientation of objects, navigate a virtual maze and apply the skill outside of training. Improving mobility of blind learners.

Paper: tinyurl.com/2cy92ykv
#SciComm 🧪 #SciSky

Five panel diagram: "Humans Can Learn to Echolocate! 20 sessions over 10 weeks of training: "
Panel 1: Identify larger object. Diagram shows a person creating mouth clicks, and the sound bouncing off two different sized circles.
Panel 2: identify object orientation. Shows sound bouncing off a tilted rectangle
Panel 3: Navigate a virtual maze. Shows headphones plugged into a computer with a maze. Arrow keys
Panel 4: improved over time
Panel 5: improved mobility for 100% of blind learners.

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 23

This is taken from the supplementary material: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 23

Sounds like Ratatouille 2....

Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 23

Thank you!

Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 23

Yes! 🐀🚗 There are more videos in the supplementary material: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 22

Sounds like an excellent enrichment idea! 🐀🚗

Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 22

I'm posting my favourite science facts for advent!
Today's fact is taken from:
"Enriched environment exposure accelerates rodent driving skills"
By K. G. Lambert, L. E. Crawford, L.E. Knouse, M. Kent, D. Vavra, O. Harding et al.
In: Behavioural Brain Research, 2020

Simplified for clarity.

🐀

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 22

Advent Sci-Fact 22:
Rats that drive are more resilient!🐀

Rats that were trained to drive small cars had hormones in their poop that suggest they’re more emotionally resilient! Some rats would continue to drive the cars, even when there was no reward.
Paper: tinyurl.com/25vtahuz
#SciComm 🧪🌍 #SciSky

Four panel diagram. "Driving cars improves emotional resilience in rats!"
Panel 1: Rats trained to drive to receive reward
Panel 2: Rats from enriched habitats were better drivers
Panel 3: Rats still chose to drive when reward removed (approached the car faster over time)
Panel 4: Hormones in poop showed that driving made rats more emotionally resilient!

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 21

Now that would have been exciting! 🦩 Unfortunately not.

Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 21

The paper says in the cases they observed, the egg was fertilised by a male who abandoned their partner. The partner was then supported by the second female instead!

🦩🥚

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 21

I'm posting my favourite science facts for advent!

Today's fact is taken from: "investigating parental care behaviour in same-sex pairing of zoo greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)"
By: B. Regaiolli, C. Sandri, P. E. Rose, V. Vallarin, C. Spiezio.
In: @peerj.bsky.social 2018

Simplified.

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 21

Advent Sci-Fact 21:
Same sex and heterosexual flamingos are behaviourally the same!
Same sex flamingo pairs show the same incubation behaviours as heterosexual ones. Egg layers spends less time incubating, while partners incubate and defend the nests.
Paper: tinyurl.com/2xvws6wb
#SciComm 🌍🧪 #SciSky

Diagram: same sex flamingo pairs incubate like heterosexual pairs!
Left:
Male: defends and incubated
Female (egg layer): incubates less
Right:
Female: defends and incubates
Female (egg layer): incubates less

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 21

I'm posting my favourite science facts for advent!

This fact was taken from
"Evaluation of trial reintroductions of two extinct in the wild reptile species on Christmas Island"
By: J-P. Emery, @matthollanders.bsky.social , L. Valentine, Et Al.
In: Animal Conservation, 2024.

Sorry it's late!

Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 21

Advent Sci-Fact 20:
Skinks may return to Christmas Island!
Blue Tailed Skinks, had a (mostly) successful trial reintroduction. 170 released into an “exclosure” became a population of >1k! Skinks were recaptured after invasive snakes breached the fence.
Paper: tinyurl.com/24yjv5d3
#SciComm 🌍🧪 #SciArt

Diagram. Heading: "Trial Reintroduction of Native Skinks (mostly) Successful!"
170 Skinks released into wild "exclosure". Arrow indicates that these are Blue Tailed Skinks in an wild enclosure that fences out invasive snakes.
Location: Christmas Island.
Population of 1025 after 15 months! 2 generations of juveniles recorded, Skinks were returned to captivity following a fence breach.

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 19

I'm sharing my favourite science facts for advent!

Today's science fact is from:

"Open ended vocal learning in Costa's hummingbird"

By: Katherine E. Johnson, Christopher J. Clark.

In: Animal Behaviour (@asab.org) 2024.

Simplified for clarity.

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 19

Advent Sci-Fact 19:

Old Hummingbirds can learn new tricks!

Adult Costa’s Hummingbirds sing new songs after being introduced to other hummingbirds. These songs could be a combination of their existing songs, or copy the song of the loudest bird!

Paper: tinyurl.com/2cef4cf4

#SciComm 🧪🌍 #SciArt

Diagram showing two isolated humming birds on the left, singing unique songs. On the right, the two humming birds are together, singing the same, new song.
Text reads:
Costa's Hummingbirds can learn new songs as adults! Unique songs in isolation (song learnt as a fledgling). Copy each others songs once introduced! At 1-2 years old (mature)

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 19

Thank you for sharing! That sounds like a beautiful experience. 🌱

It's such a shame that gulls don't experience the love that they deserve in urban spaces.

There's one that lives near me that is a very talented worm hunter! It spends a lot of its time stamping the grass. 🪱

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Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 19

Thank you 🌱 I'm so glad you like it!

Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 18

I'm really glad you're enjoying it! Thank you so much for that fact, it's so fun to keep learning everyday :) 🌱

Galatea H @galateainthewild.bsky.social · Dec 18

I'm posting my favourite science facts for advent!

Today's fact is taken from:
"Inter-species stimulus enhancement: herring gulls (Larus argentatus) mimic human food choice during foraging"
By: F. Hacker, K. Smith, P. Graham.
In: Biology Letters 2023

Simplified for clarity.