Danielle Levesque

The strange animals that control their body heat Some creatures can dramatically alter their internal temperature — a strategy called heterothermy — and outlast storms, floods and predators

In humans, body temperature is strictly controlled, deviating only a degree or two from the standard 98.6 (although today's average human temp may actually be slightly lower), but many mammals are more flexible. I loved learning about heterothermy in lots of weird little mammals for this piece 🧪🦊

Want to think differently about the science of ecology?

Join us at this conference this summer!

✳️ #SpecialIssue call for papers ✳️

We are accepting submissions for a NEW special issue: Applications of mechanistic #modelling in biodiversity conservation 🖥️🌎

Edited by Sean Tomlinson & Brian Helmuth

Full info and submission instructions ➡️ academic.oup.com/conphys/page...

@sebiology.bsky.social

Screening, sorting, and the feedback cycles that imperil peer review The process of peer review is vital to contemporary science, but is also under enormous strain. This study uses mathematical models to dissect the threats to the long-term viability of peer review, su...

1. Kevin Gross and I have a new paper out today PLOS Biology.

We used economic models based around screening games and the market for unpaid labor to highlight a meltdown cycle threatening peer review.

Isn’t there also a problem with giving your university log in info to a third party? How is this legal?

Sciencing for the joy of it Intrinsic motivation > extrinsic motivation. Always.

Have these Olympics been as inspirational for you as they have for me? Are they helping you find more joy? 🧪

scienceforeveryone.science/sciencing-fo...

📣Apply to join us an Associate Editor!📣

We are seeking editors with expertise in:
🌱Below-ground processes
🔥Fire ecology
🐦️Animal ecophysiology
🌊Marine and freshwater ecology
🐝Pollination networks

And more!

See here for more info👇️
buff.ly/MzIXj6U

🧪🌍️

Please repost! We are looking for two field technicians to work on our deer mouse project in the Colorado Rockies this spring-fall. Learn about physiology, ecology, and evolution, all in one project! Not to mention that you get to be in the ⛰️. Reach out if you have any questions.

THREAD: Let’s talk about Roni, the outstanding raccoon mascot of the 1980 Winter Olympics …

I got one too and it seems like a big ask for the international scientific community.

As per always on this most holy of mammal holidays, Groundhog's Day, March Mammal Madness launches our annual tournament page! #2026MMM @mmmletsgo.bsky.social libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalM...

I once watched the movie with a new colleague at a field site. They didn’t laugh once. It was not a good sign of things to come!

Throughout the year, our community has been sharing stories with us about how The Company of Biologists has supported you over time. Your stories were heartfelt, and we feel grateful and humbled that we have been able to be part of your journeys. bit.ly/4q7C0Ki

Extra food buffers thermoregulatory costs during early development but does not reduce heatwave-induced mortality in nestlings of a cavity-nesting raptor Global climate change is increasing both average temperatures and the occurrence of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves. These changes pose majo…

⚠️Paper out ⚠️
Here, we tested if extra feeding lesser kestrel nestlings during development (and under a heatwave) can help them deal with extreme heat. Spoiler: they really struggle. Extra food helps them grow when it’s just hot, but not under a heatwave. See 👇
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Hey cuties. Everything sucks ass. Get some valentines and send them to your friends.

I'm sad. You're sad. They're probably sad.

Send them a valentine.

It keeps Skype a Scientist running, which hey, is very good too.

squidfacts.bigcartel.com/product/deep...

Snow day!!!

Baz couldn’t get back inside fast enough! Glad Neko is having fun.

Please repost: 🚨Field assistant position 🐧

We offer a 14-months field assistant position through the French Polar Institute to work on king penguin ecophysiology and behavioral ecology.

Requirements: EU citizen < 30yo having experience with harsh fieldwork & wild bird/mammal handling/sampling.

One more week before the due date! 26th January 2026

@batconservation.bsky.social
@batcon.org
@batlifeeurope.bsky.social
@ibrc2025.bsky.social
@sebiology.bsky.social
@gbatnet.bsky.social

We've got ISSUES. Literally.

We scraped >100k special issues & over 1 million articles to bring you a PISS-poor paper. We quantify just how many excess papers are published by guest editors abusing special issues to boost their CVs. How bad is it & what can we do?

arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563

A 🧵 1/n

My lab is seeking a #postdoc for a 3-year project on Pilbara leaf-nosed #bat 🦇 conservation, addressing climate change vulnerability using physiological, ecological, & modelling approaches.

Apply now: murdoch.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/MurdochCaree...

The Canada Government will offer 400 postdoctoral fellowships to international researchers in early 2026. If you have a background in wildlife microbiome or quantitative genetics and are interested to apply to work on microbiome variation in Sable Island horses or caribou, feel free to get in touch

Getting ready to come to #SICB? www.instagram.com/reel/DS-8tUU...

Be sure to make time for these great things to do in #Portland🙌
thegetaway.com/destinations...

& don’t miss the cuisine 👍
www.chefdenise.com/all/famous-f...
www.voodoodoughnut.com

Apply for @glasgow.ac.uk's James McCune Smith #PhD Scholarship on this and other topics:

Indicators of #hibernation quality in #hedgehogs with me
@sbohvm.gla.ac.uk & @julianowack.bsky.social @ljmuofficial.bsky.social

Link to apply: www.gla.ac.uk/scholarships...

📅 Deadline: 31st Jan 2026

In the snow, these salamanders get supercool Blue spotted salamanders have been seen walking across snow and new research suggests how they get by in the cold.

Happy to share our “supercool” interview with @npr.org about the thermal biology of blue-spotted salamanders that migrate on snow:

www.npr.org/2025/12/24/n...

New postdoctoral fellowship opportunity! Please pass along. Excited to announce the launch of the Tom Lovejoy Fellowship Program at the University of Arizona for innovative research to protect species, sustain ecosystems, and promote a thriving planet lovejoycenter.arizona.edu/lovejoy-fell... 🧪🌐🌾

This newfound cascade of events may explain some female gut pain Gut problems like irritable bowel syndrome are often worse in women. A mouse study reveals a pain pathway involving estrogen, gut cells and bacteria.

I'm excited for the results of this study (woo basic science) showing how estrogen increases sensitivity to gut pain, which offers new ways to potentially treat issues like IBS! SO many people suffer from this, it can be debilitating, and they are often ignored. www.sciencenews.org/article/fema...

I'm still working on a body temp dataset that needs a lot of the older stuff! Might have to go back to ICANHAZPDF?

I would be in so much trouble if ours did this!

This is the Variegated squirrel (Sciurus variegatoides), an extant and highly variable species that occurs from southern Mexico to Panama in forest and woodlands of many sorts. 15 subspecies have been named. It features in #PrehistoricPlanetIceAge as >both< a CG asset and a real filmed animal :)