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Chicken or Egg

I’m on a break…

Hilary Miller • Apr 07, 2011

Regular readers of this blog (I’m assuming here I have some) will have noticed a distinct lack of action round these parts lately. Rest assured I’m still here, but busy with analysing more data than I know what to do with, a paid writing gig, and running around after a fast-crawling toddler. Which unfortunately leaves little […] … Read More

New Zealand forests still threatened, but not THAT threatened

Hilary Miller • Feb 08, 2011

Last week Conservation International published its list of the world’s ten most threatened forest hotspots, where biodiversity and endemism is high and less than 10% of the original habitat is remaining. New Zealand was, somewhat shockingly, number 2 on their list. I must admit I thought this was a little odd – especially as their […] … Read More

RIP Richard Henry

Hilary Miller • Jan 14, 2011

From Codfish Island this morning comes the sad news of the death of Richard Henry, the last remaining Fiordland kakapo. Richard Henry was captured in Fiordland in 1975, at a time when kakapo were thought to be virtually extinct. All other kakapo currently living are descended from birds discovered on Stewart Island in 1977. A […] … Read More

Great wildlife photography

Hilary Miller • Nov 18, 2010

Some fantastic wildlife snaps from the winners of the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year (the humingbird is my favourite) http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2010/nov/17/gdt-wildlife-photography#/?picture=368699851&index=0 … Read More

Tuatara tuesday – sex determination in a warming world

Hilary Miller • Nov 09, 2010

Seeing as reptile reproduction seems to be a bit of a hot topic right now, I thought it was time to talk about sex determination in tuatara. Tuatara do things a little differently to other reptiles when it comes to sex determination – not because they have temperature-dependent sex determination (thats common to lots of […] … Read More

The weird ways of reptile reproduction

Hilary Miller • Nov 04, 2010

Two studies on reproduction in reptiles have made me go “wow, thats cool” this week. Firstly, the report of a boa constrictor giving birth to two litters of offspring without the need for a father. This sort of “virgin birth” is called parthenogenesis, and is not that uncommon in itself, having been previously observed in […] … Read More

Tuatara tuesday – an iconic parasite for an iconic species

Hilary Miller • Oct 26, 2010

As you might expect from an animal that is so evolutionarily distant from its nearest relatives, the tuatara also has some unique parasites to call its own. One of these is the tick Amblyomma sphenodonti (sometimes also called Aponomma sphenodonti), pictured here. Like many ticks, A. sphenodonti are host-specific, spending all three of their life stages […] … Read More

Tuatara tuesday — Spring fever

Hilary Miller • Oct 12, 2010

I haven’t had much time for writing this week, so instead I thought I’d share this photo as a reminder to my New Zealand readers that it is actually spring, even though it doesn’t feel like it! … Read More

Don’t forget to vote!

Hilary Miller • Oct 10, 2010

No, not for your local government (you’re too late for that). Â For New Zealand’s Bird of the Year, of course! Apparently the pukeko is out in front. Come on people, can’t we at least chose something endemic? A species that we don’t share with Australia and numerous other countries?? Â There’s plenty to chose from – [...] … Read More

A falcon’s eye view of flight

Hilary Miller • Sep 27, 2010

This video has been doing the rounds, and its so cool I just have to post it here. Â The video shows the amazingÂ maneuverabilityÂ and speed of birds of prey in flight, thanks to “on bird” cameras mounted on a peregrine falcon and a goshawk. hat-tip: Ars technica … Read More