Category Archives: Animals

The Grasslands

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Madeleine Sandilands

The grasslands areas which I surveyed on campus lie either side of the campus lake. These areas contain many differing grass species and are managed to allow patches of grasses of different heights to occur. Amongst the grassland are various … Continue reading →

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Small and successful

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Top Cat

Long-jawed orb weavers: Pachygnatha degeeri The name “orb weaver” has a poetic ring to it and the craftsmanship surrounding the design of an orb web is certainly deserving of such a title. The long-jawed orb weavers are known as the … Continue reading →

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Wolves in the leaf litter

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Top Cat

Wolf Spiders: Trochosa terricola Although they do not hunt in packs like wolves, the spiders of the family Lycosidae are very much nocturnal predators. These wolves, unlike their counterparts, are readily found in the UK and within the genus Trochosa … Continue reading →

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Campus Lake Part Three – Other Water Birds and Edge Species

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Madeleine Sandilands

The third and final part to my blogs on the bird species that can be found on the Whiteknights campus lake. Today, I am including the rest of the water birds which were sighted during the survey period, and some … Continue reading →

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Spiders in mythology and medicine

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Top Cat

Spiders have been incorporated into native lore and medicine the world over and in many tropical countries the larger species are seen as an important foodstuff. Last summer I was fortunate enough to spend a month in the Yucatan peninsula … Continue reading →

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The bite-or-flight response

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Top Cat

Spiders are not everyone’s brownie in a mug, more often they are deemed hairy, scary and relegated to a life beneath a glass on your bathroom floor. The media are not particularly supportive of these fascinating animals either. Cases of … Continue reading →

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Walk like a spider, sting like a bee

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Top Cat

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

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Top Cat

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

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Top Cat

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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Red Fox

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Conor Haugh

LATIN NAME: Vulpes vulpes WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE: These canines are about 30 inches long (45 including the tail) and usually range in colour from red to brown, although black and grey morphs exist. WHERE TO FIND THEM: The Red fox … Continue reading →

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