Jake Buehler

Jake Buehler is a freelance science writer, covering natural history, wildlife conservation and Earth's splendid biodiversity, from salamanders to sequoias. He has a master's degree in zoology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

All Stories by Jake Buehler

  1. A red lionfish with fins spread wide next to bright red coral
    Animals

    How slow and steady lionfish win the race against fast prey

    Lionfish overcome speedy prey with persistent pursuit, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Other slow predatory fish may use the technique too.

  2. A small crustacean, Idotea balthica, that looks like a small clawless lobster, climbs along a stalk of red algae
    Life

    Like bees of the sea, crustaceans ‘pollinate’ seaweed

    Crustaceans shuttle around red algae’s sex cells, helping the seaweed reproduce in a manner remarkably similar to flower pollination.

  3. yellow underwing moth on a red clover flower at night
    Life

    Moths pollinate clover flowers at night, after bees have gone home

    Camera footage reveals that moths make roughly a third of the visits to red clover, highlighting the overlooked role of nighttime pollinators.

  4. yellow and black sail swallowtail butterfly on a pink flower
    Animals

    Butterflies may lose their ‘tails’ like lizards

    Fragile, tail-like projections on some butterflies' wings may be a lifesaver.

  5. A wandering salamander crawling on wood
    Animals

    ‘Wandering’ salamanders glide like skydivers from the world’s tallest trees

    Using their legs and tail, these amphibians have impressive control over their daring dives from coast redwood canopies.

  6. A caribou head appears behind a bush.
    Life

    Caribou gut parasites indirectly create a greener tundra

    Caribou merely sickened by parasites eat less vegetation, allowing plants to flourish.

  7. Myotis myotis bat hanging from the ceiling of a cave
    Life

    These bats buzz like wasps and bees. The sound may deter hungry owls

    Researchers have identified what may be the first known case of a mammal mimicking an insect.

  8. A male malleefowl looking at its mound nest
    Life

    How a mound-building bird shapes its Australian ecosystem

    In Australia’s mallee woodlands, malleefowl dutifully construct mounds to incubate their eggs, redistributing nutrients across the landscape.

  9. a cotton bollworm moth caterpillar on a leaf
    Life

    How a virus turns caterpillars into zombies doomed to climb to their deaths

    By manipulating genes used in vision, a virus sends its host caterpillar on a doomed quest for sunlight, increasing the chances for viral spread.

  10. Andean flamingos feed in a pool in a salt flat, with mountains in the background
    Life

    Lithium mining may be putting some flamingos in Chile at risk

    Climate change and lithium mining are threatening the flooded salt flats that flamingos in Chile depend on, a study suggests.

  11. fynbos shrubland next to lush forest on a hillside in South Africa
    Life

    Africa’s fynbos plants hold their ground with the world’s thinnest roots

    Long, thin roots help this South African shrubland commandeer soil nutrients and keep the neighboring forest from encroaching on its territory.

  12. male northern elephant seal
    Animals

    Male elephant seals aim to get huge or die trying

    Males will risk death to eat and grow as large as possible, since only the biggest males mate. But females aim for long-term survival.