Alex Van Bell
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alexvsbiology.bsky.social
Alex Van Bell
@alexvsbiology.bsky.social
8 followers 14 following 5 posts
Naturalist and Animal Outreach Educator
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alexvsbiology.bsky.social
The Big Perspective // A Lovely Poison Frog (Phyllobates lugubris), while no larger than your fingernail, stands out in a big way on this year's World Frog Day // Costa Rica, 2024.

#frog #poisonfrog #poisondartfrog #phyllobates #frogsoftheworld #frogphotography #tinyfrog #frogcore #worldfrogday
The name 'Lovely Poison Frog' might be one of my favorites in the animal kingdom! Is it lovely? Yes. Is it poisonous? Enough to risk heart failure if you eat one, so yes. Is it a frog? You bet! During the breeding season, these miniscule frogs are not territorial and simply pair up to lay nests deep within the leaf litter, maintaining a small pocket of moisture to keep the eggs healthy. When the eggs hatch, it is the male's job to carry his young to the nearest source of water, and they can often be seen hopping across the landscape of leaves in broad daylight, just like we see here. Sadly, this lovely poison frog, and by extension, World Frog Day, is not just featured to show appreciation for frogs. It is also to bring awareness to a scary issue that is growing in our modern world! Thousands of frog species, like the lovely poison frog, are currently at risk due to: Habitat loss and deforestation Urbanization and monoculture Habitat fragmentation Pesticides, fertilizers, and pollutants Poaching for the pet trade And worst of all, chytrid fungus! - a recent phenomenon, this fungal disease outbreak has decimated frog populations worldwide. While several hundred species of frogs could face extinction in less than a century, this isn't a time of doom and gloom. There are many easy ways that you can help keep frogs safe in your day-to-day life, such as: 1. Avoid contact with water when wearing sunscreens, bugsprays, gels, lotions, perfumes, or colognes. 2. Advocate for cleaner water practices and the creation of more natural areas where you live. 3. Don't support frogs in the exotic pet trade. 4. If you're an avid hiker, wash and scrub your shoes between every hike. Doing this can reduce the spread of pollutants and disease to frogs in other areas.
March 22, 2025 at 2:07 AM
alexvsbiology.bsky.social
Barking up the wrong tree // An Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) has its nap interrupted by a barking Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Guess hating noisy upstairs neighbours is a universal experience across the animal kingdom. That face says it all! // Canadian Wildlife, 2025.
March 14, 2025 at 3:41 PM
alexvsbiology.bsky.social
Return to Crab // The Red Land Crab (Gecarcinus lateralis) and Blue Land Crab (Cardisoma guanhumi) have two very different ideas of what to do during the night. Our little red friend forages amongst the soil, while the blue titan hides deep within its burrow // Costa Rica, 2024.
The Red Land Crab, no bigger than a small plum, eats piggishly as it buries its mandibles into the dirt, using its pincers to doliscard any inedible detritus. Carcinisation, a.k.a. the return to crab! This fancy word is used to define a specific form of convergent evolution, in which species that are not closely related to one another evolve similar body plans within their environment. Think of dolphins and sharks having similar shape, or bats and birds developing their wings independently of one another, but perhaps the most crucial example of this is carcinisation. This subsect of convergent evolution for distantly-related crustaceans evolving to all have the same "crab-shaped" design is so common in nature that it has become its own word. Lineages of crabs worldwide have all adopted "the perfect design," from the bottom of the oceans to the shallow coasts, and sometimes, even in the middle of a rainforest. This much larger, artichoke-sized Blue Land Crab sits patiently in its subterranean burrow underneath a tree, waiting for dawn or dusk before emerging again. Despite these crabs not displaying typical crab-like behaviour, such as being on a beach or underwater, these carcinized compatriots are the real deal. Both of these species of crustaceans belong to the 'True crab' family. Their body plans, once adapted for a semi-aquatic lifestyle, are conveniently perfect for roaming the humid rainforests as well, only returning to water to lay their eggs. With tomorrow being International Crab Meat Day, I figured this was a fun way to explore these fascinating arthropods beyond just how tasty they are, as it is important to learn where our seafood comes from and how you can eat seafood sustainably. Interestingly, this capitalistic holiday appears to be slowly evolving into a more official holiday of crab appreciation, just as many crustaceans "return to crab," showing their appreciation for nature's peak design.
March 10, 2025 at 9:02 PM
alexvsbiology.bsky.social
The Friendly Lake Serpent // A Lake Erie Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon insularum) basks lazily upon the shore, unaware of her importance.

As invasive round gobies destroy much of the Great Lakes habitats, Erie watersnakes shift their diet in preference to these invaders, keeping the invasion at bay.
On its island domain of Pelee Island, this rare but stunning metre-and-a-half brown snake is completely harmless to people, but often still frightens beachgoers and vacationers of this island getaway. However, the Lake Erie watersnake, despite what family rumors and wives' tales of watersnakes being venomous and aggressive tell you, I myself as a biologist can confirm that the watersnake is not venomous and not aggressive, only defensive due to its poor eyesight. This large snake is only likely to bite you if you pick her up because she perceives you are some heron, fox, or bird of prey that wants to eat her. If you leave her alone, she'll continue to be lazy. If you are foolish enough to pick her up, like it would be foolish to pick up any wild animals, then most extreme first-aid for a watersnake bite would be a band-aid, as their sharp teeth are a fraction of the length of your finger hairs, and only designed to hold on to her slippery prey of fish and frogs. It's quite sad because while the Lake Erie watersnake is painted as a lake monster, they are eating up real monsters in the lake: Round Gobies! Round gobies are not local to Lake Erie. They were introduced and have become a scourge that is slowly killing our Great Lake ecosystems. But in the wake of this fish invasion, watersnakes may be our only hope. Watersnakes are not only able to eat round gobies; they have started to shift their primary diet from native fish to the now overly abundant round gobies. This selective preference means that the Lake Erie watersnakes may be helpful lake serpents to us, keeping the exploding goby numbers at bay and preventing these invasive fish from getting out of control.
February 28, 2025 at 6:15 PM
alexvsbiology.bsky.social
Fruity for fruit poops // Collared Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus) feeding on the fruits of an American Muskwood (Guarea guidonia). These trees are known as an ingredient for many laxatives. In the wild, this aids the bird in digestion and aids the tree in its seed dispersal // Costa Rica, 2024.
The Collared Aracari is a close relative of the toucans, which is makes sense given that these birds have long, broad bill like their toucan "cousins." While these long bills are often used for piercing and squashing tough fruits, they may also use them to more easily pluck insects, lizards, and even baby birds out of hard to reach places. Collared Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus) feeding on the fruits of an American Muskwood (Guarea guidonia). These trees are known as an ingredient for many laxatives. In the wild, this aids the bird in digestion and aids the tree in its seed dispersal, Costa Rica, 2024.
February 26, 2025 at 4:50 PM