Biodiversity Blog

Wednesday, 31 May 2023

Pets as Invasive Species: Dogs

 Woof. (Photo: Andrea Stacks) Last in our series on pets as invasive species looks at “Man’s Best Friend.” Are pooches so perfect? First, let’s define what an invasive species is. We’ve got a great blog on it here, but to summarize: the National Invasive Species Information Center defines an invasive species as non-native to the ecosystem i...

Monday, 20 March 2023

"Save the Insects, Save the Planet" with Dr. May Berenbaum

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.   Please stay tuned for a possible reschedule in the near future. Email nicole.elmer[at]austin.utexas.edu if you have any questions   About the talk:  With more than a million described species, the Class Insecta is the most species-rich group of multicellular organisms on Earth; insects can be found in...

Tuesday, 18 January 2022

Pets as Invasive Species: Cats

 Cute but deadly. Author's cat, Hazel, poses in the sun. It’s not often an invasive species is crowned as ruler of the internet. That title goes to cats. From chatrooms with “Meowspeak,” to I Can Haz Cheezeburger, to Grumpy Cat (R.I.P), it’s funny to imagine fire ants or zebra mussels ever getting adorable memes made about them. With cats, ...