Wild Things: Tarantulas, Jellyfish and More...
Hummingbirds, attacking bears, ancient hominids and other news updates in wildlife research
- By T.A. Frail, Megan Gambino, Laura Helmuth, Erin Wayman and Sarah Zielinski
- Smithsonian magazine, July-August 2011,
Black Bear (Ursus americanus) large male walking, Alberta Canada. (Donald M. Jones / Minden Pictures)
Mother bears have a fierce reputation, but they’re not the ones to worry about. Researchers led by the University of Calgary analyzed 59 fatal black bear attacks in the United States and Canada between 1900 and 2009. Most incidents could be blamed on hungry males. The bears most often attacked people traveling alone or in pairs, predominantly in August when black bears bulk up before denning.
Additional Sources
"Box Jellyfish Use Terrestrial Visual Cues for Navigation," Anders Garm et al., Current Biology, April 28, 2011
"The hummingbird tongue is a fluid trap, not a capillary tube," Alejandro Rico-Guevara and Margaret A. Rubega, PNAS, May 2, 2011
"Tarantulas cling to smooth vertical surfaces by secreting silk from their feet," F. Claire Rind et al., Journal of Experimental Biology, June 1, 2011
"Diet of Paranthropus boisei in the early Pleistocene of East Africa," Thure E. Cerling et al., PNAS, May 2, 2011
"Fatal attacks by American black bear on people: 1900–2009," Stephen Herrero et al., Journal of Wildlife Management, May 11, 2011
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