The result of selective breeding for certain traits over time has resulted in many species being experts in their respective behaviors. From weaving webs and nests to perfecting camouflage, these described species have mastered their unique survival and reproductive behaviors. They didn’t need 10,000 hours of practice; instead, they needed over 10,000 years of evolution.
Every species has a unique relationship with time, which is seen in those animals’ respective lifespans, gestation periods, birth intervals, brood development, and internal clocks. Time touches every aspect of life, from major life periods such as mating seasons and migrations, to daily functions such as the time of day to hunt and rest.
One common theme in nature is the interconnectedness among species, with each species having its own unique relationships with others. These relationships are along a spectrum of beneficial to detrimental, and symbioses in particular and their corresponding effects hold significant importance in the lives of the species involved.
In southern Colorado, there are two canyons in the Sangre De Cristo mountains where the wind pushes sand beneath them in such an intense and persistent manner that great dunes are formed. All year long, they’re eroded and maintained in an endless cycle of air and mineral, forming a stunning and unique ecotone. It’s part alpine, part desert, part grassland, and its name is Zapata Ranch.
Five books that explore the idea of symbiosis and offer insights on forming cooperative relationships with everything from food to communities to our minds.
In ancestral animals, such as fishes and reptiles, a robust and pervasive form of integument–scales–arose and has a variety of functions, including protection and locomotory assistance.
From the vastness of the universe all the way down to the very personal challenges of a young man from Wyoming, a selection of books that examine the micro to better understand the macro (or vice versa).
We are now on the cusp of one of the great transitions to occur each year on the shortgrass prairie: the shift from the growing season to the dormant season, when life becomes subdued by the threat of winter.
Here in the West, September’s arrival signals many transitions– the transition from afternoon monsoons to high county snow squalls; from dark green aspens to groves of golden foliage; from serene herds of grazing elk to the aggression of the rut. So, in the spirit of this magical time of year, here are six books that build on the theme of transition. Whether describing an author’s physical movement across landscapes or a fictional character’s transition through time, these stories remind us to embrace and respect the ever-changing nature of our lives.