Monthly Archives: February 2013

Biodiversity on the University of Reading’s Whiteknights Campus Survey

Marisa Cardoso and Conor Haugh are interested in finding out the opinions of University of Reading’s students on the green environments and wildlife on campus, and the information on this blog. We have created a survey to collect factual information … Continue reading

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Walk like a spider, sting like a bee

The Woodlouse Spider: Dysdera crocata With a carapace of lustrous crimson and an abdomen of subtle cream I think this is one of the most striking spiders in the UK.

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Spiders and the tree of life

Chelicerata is a highly diverse phylum and you only need to look at the superficial differences between ticks and scorpions to see there is a great range in body morphologies and sizes. The class Arachnida, to which spiders belong, contains … Continue reading

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An introduction to the evolution of spiders

To fully appreciate the lives of spiders, which at first appear so far detached from our own, it is worth noting their fascinating evolutionary history. Did you know for example that, unlike insects, you can find spiders in the sea? … Continue reading

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Lichens on lime

A young lime tree in the centre of a patch of grass on the SW side of the University Library is particularly rich in both foliose and fruticose lichens.

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Blogging style survey – February 2013

Two of our part 3 undergraduate students have been engaged in blogging accounts of wildlife on and around campus over the past 6 months.  They are now interested to gain feedback on which styles of blogging are best received by … Continue reading

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