

I have spent the better part of my life learning about the behaviour of organisms. From tapeworms to vertebrates, animals are amazing. But, I am loathed to admit, so are plants and fungi. (Just don’t tell my botanist and mycologists friends I said so, or I’ll never live it down.) My books have sprung from my years of teaching
The Wisdom of Loki
We learn more about the art of lying every time we turn around. Here are some discoveries that have made the news–well, at ones that caught the eyes of animal behaviourists!
- Parasitic Birds Blend into Their NestsBe they protists, worms, or vertebrates, parasites depend on their ability to deceive. The nest parasites, like the cowbird and cuckoo, mimic the offspring of their host birds. Their eggs often look like the eggs of a host bird (at least within the visual world of the host), and when they hatch they imitate the hunger calls of the baby host birds. Some can imitate the calls of a nest full of hungry chicks. Although their eggs and offspring are usually larger than their host, the adoptive parents don’t care. In fact, birds favor large offspring because it signals health. … Read more
- Kudos to a Great Graphic Artist Rubin Bolling: Alternative MAUS Hits Home-by Ptera Hunter Among the best responses that I have seen to date about the recent mashugana decision by the Tennessee School Board to ban a book about the holocaust (because a cartoon mouse shows a breast) comes from graphic artist Ruben Bolling (a.k.a., Tom the Dancing Bug.) One of Mr. Bolling’s most recent parodies, the Approved Maus, features two mice desperate to be themselves in a world that demands masks and vaccines. In lieu of a license to post it, I am providing a link to his blog and cartoon: https://boingboing.net/author/ruben_bolling As the author of a book on deceit, … Read more
Ptera Hunter’s book recommendation
The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language by Mark Forsyth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Consider this one if you’ve thought about reading an etymology book for fun but never got around to it. I admit I’m weird and keep a copy of a ragged, old, red American Heritage Dictionary near my desk just for its Proto-Indo-European glossary. However, this one made my list of bedtime stories. Forsyth builds humor into his book, explores common words with fascinating histories, and explores words lost to time. –And somehow, he manages to bring the collection full circle, ending where he started.

My GoodReads Reviews:
You’ll notice a lot of 5 stars. If I don’t like something, I usually, with rare exception, ignore it, but I’ll share the ones I enjoyed.
View all my reviews
A Totally, Unabashedly Incomplete Book About Bugs
We’ve asked our authors to recommend some of their favorite books. Here is what Ptera Hunter submitted:
Goodreads Book Giveaway

Silent Consent
by Circa24
Giveaway ends September 15, 2023. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway
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