It’s the Rainy Season now in Tanzania. I’ve been told that it should be coming to a close soon.  I clearly underestimated how wet it would be. The vegetation is so much more green and lush from before. The roads are bumpier, rocky and fill with large gaping crevices. Streets I’ve traveled dozens of times [...]

I am back and ready to work. Kind of. LOL, this heat and humidity is kicking my butt. What was I thinking coming back in the rainy season? Oh, yeah, I gotta know how the different seasonal patterns may affect natural history of the Pouched Rats. My time has been on getting the necessary approvals [...]

I will be departing the United States for Tanzania, Africa. I am actually quite excited about the return. I’m looking forward to returning to the field, seeing how things may have changed, remained the same, everything. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again, catching up, hearing stories.  I am also excited about getting back to [...]

My hands are full lately, as you can tell. Here I am checking on one of my Ghana Pouched Rats. Just as adorbs, but I am sure very different than my Tanzania Pouched Rats – in look and behavior. Notice how I’m NOT in this picture with this sleepy-head rat.  I’m interested in working with [...]

Science is experiencing a boost in enthusiasm and participation from the Citizen Science Movement.  For those familiar it conjures up images of kids, adults and seniors counting birds or counting stars at night.  Having thousands of eyes and ears all over the globe helping a team of scientists collect or sort through piles of data [...]

Mambo vipi Marafiki? (How are things my fiends?) I know it’s been a while but I needed a little time to recuperate, rest and reset my clock.  Readjusting to home has taken more time than I thought I would have needed.  Physiologically, it has been a roller coaster: my belly, my appetite, my sleep. It [...]

Checking traps…. I get a lot of giggles for tweeting this.  I catch something everyday, sometimes females, sometimes males…I get more giggles when I tweet this.  On Thursday, September 6, 2012 I caught something new, different.  I knew right away it was a carnivore and it was beautiful.  I am doing a capture-mark-recapture study of [...]

Hello from Tanzania! To me time is flying. I have less than 3 weeks left in this beautiful place and a few more trap nights to log under my belt and then I head home.   Today I share a video post and my recommendation for acquiring cost-effective field clothes. But be mindful of context [...]

Karibu Marafki, Checking in with you all and answering your questions.  This one I get often. What exactly are you studying in Tanzania? I’m trapping.  Seriously, I’m studying African Giant Pouched Rats, Cricetomys gambianis in the wild to learn more about their natural history and behavioral ecology. Specifically, we (my PI and I) are interested [...]

I’ve been in Tanzania nearly 2 weeks and I’m getting settled. Here’s an overview of what I’ve been up to. I’ll be setting the traps soon to catch rats. If you would like to see more photos from my Trip to Tanzania, then follow allow on my Facebook Fan Page.  I’ve posted my pictures from [...]