There's always a possibility- and evidence certainly strongly points in that direction. But, as a scientist, I can't say that I or anyone else truly knows conclusively!

This is one of my fave symbiotic relationships out there! It has even appeared in Indigenous lore, so it is definitely not a new relationship, either.

This relationship likely came to be simply because the two species have complementary hunting methods -- the badger can scare up squirrels through its underground work, which benefits the coyote; and the opposite - a coyote could scare a squirrel underground, which benefits the badger. Thus in some circumstances and with certain prey species (i.e., ground squirrels) they can be more successful as a hunting unit. This has been studied scientifically at least as far back as the 1980s, so I don't think it's particularly uncommon.

Oh hey- I'm in the market for a logo for our Hyenas and Communities project! ....!!

I feel like SciComm is ALL about being visual, as well as of course making the story accessible to your particular audience. I do a lot of social media work, and finding and curating the right visuals is often the most difficult part. I've contracted with a science illustrator on a few different projects recently to enhance the visuals in my scientific publications as well (making a good graphical abstract is becoming increasingly important). I can go on and on, but the short answer is yes yes yes visuals are a huge need/component in SciComm!

1. mandazi (a squarish donut-like thing that's common in East Africa)

2. chapati (an addictive flatbread omg it's so good...does it count as a pastry?)

3. spanakopita

4. literally any chocolate cake

I've had a New Caledonian crested gecko for 15 years (her name is Petrie) and she extremely really low maintenance and a ton of fun. I swear she has a sense of humor. Highly recommend.

Love this question! For our domesticated kitties, it's really stimulating for them to be able to follow that drive they have for chasing (and animals have been known to chase for fun in the wild as well). It's a great way to give a cat what it needs without having it go outdoors and chase/eat wild birds.

So far, one of the most interesting things that we're seeing with some coyotes we're studying in Los Angeles is that their movements can be predicted not just by ecological factors (like vegetation, habitat, and water availability), but also by sociocultural and public health-related factors, like pollution and median income. But some of them are doing some counterintuitive things (like moving toward more polluted areas, rather than away from those areas). We have a lot of hypotheses about this, such as 1) perhaps there is more trash to access in these areas, 2) perhaps there are more rodents to eat in these areas, and 3) perhaps prey animals in these polluted areas are sicker and weaker and easier to hunt. Stay tuned!

Don't worry- you are not behind in any way!!

I highly recommend reaching out to the people who you admire and/or who have careers similar to what you would like to be in, and asking them questions/having informational interviews with them. Meanwhile, there are a good number of entry-level paid internships and paid seasonal positions in wildlife management/monitoring if you have the ability to tap into those. I recommend visiting the Texas A&M Job Board (https://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/job-board/) for a comprehensive list of most opportunities. This is largely for US-based positions though, and I'm not sure where you're located.

Also, if research interests you, look into graduate programs in wildlife-related topics - there are often scholarships or teaching assistantships available to help get you through grad school.

The coyotes are unlikely to pose a risk to you (humans). Depending on their boldness level (there's evidence that shows more boldness is usually influenced by unintentional or intentional human feeding of coyotes), they could pose a threat to, say, a small off-leash dog. The best thing you can do is make sure all of your trash/compost/other attractants are secured, keep dogs on leash (and cats indoors), and make sure to haze any coyotes that are coming too near. Hazing in this case would be making yourself big and loud, waving your arms, shaking a can of coins, yelling "Go away coyote!" etc., until the coyote completely leaves the area. Doing so consistently (and making sure your neighbors also know to do so) will help coyotes to maintain their natural wariness of people and not get into trouble.

Not sure what your exact set up is, but they're very likely checking out the fence while also simultaneously being curious about your dogs. There have been cases of coyotes playing with or attempting to play with dogs. If your dogs are small and free-roaming the yard, the coyotes could also (I'm sorry to say) be interested in whether they could be snacks. But if they're bigger dogs, it's more likely to be simple curiosity. Also, if your fence is new, the yotes might be scoping it out to see what exactly it is.

I'm a bit of a purist, I think. I trust (?) evolution, in some sense, and don't think that we should be meddling with it on a broad scale. If we're really giving such thoughts the time of day...history has shown time and again that humans can't possibly understand all of the complex and nuanced ecological connections on our planet. Not-fully-informed meddling with ecologies- such as non-native species management - has already done quite a bit of harm. Furthermore, without carnivores, there are many obvious ways that our ecosystems would be completely thrown out of balance (i.e., imagine what happens when the planet is overrun by herbivores who are eating all of the vegetation).

Fortunately the young ones are the ones most likely to do it, so they haven't yet managed to break through and give me flat tires. If it was an adult, that would be a different story. When I feel like they're getting a bit too comfortable chewing, I periodically shoo them off - which can be a bit tricky since I don't want to actually scare them away as I'm observing them. If I ever do get a flat tire while sitting at a den, I'm not entirely sure what I'll do ;).

Thanks for asking this question. It's totally normal for us to want to connect with animals- especially as many cultures have increasingly disconnected ourselves from nature.

However, I am highly against having a hyena (or any other wild animal) as a pet -- spotted hyenas in particular are apex predators and their evolutionary drive to do what they do can't be domesticated (definitely not in one animal, and likely not over generations either). Brown hyenas, striped hyenas, and spotties are all bone-crushing/bone-cracking hyenas, with very strong jaws capable of quite a bit of damage. And of course, having a hyena as a pet wouldn't be very kind to them since it would prevent them from living out their natural lives, and they likely wouldn't get everything that they have evolved to need. Spotted hyenas, for example, are highly social and intelligent animals that live in groups called "clans", which they would not have access to as a pet. Etc.

Great question! I'll get started early with this one :).

People usually become a National Geographic Explorer through either 1) applying for and receiving funding (for research, storytelling, media creation, conservation, etc.) from National Geographic Society, or 2) being selected for an award (such as the Wayfinder Award) by National Geographic Society. After that, you're an Explorer for life!