Whitetail Deer

Whitetail Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Kingdom: Animalia

          Phylum: Chordata

                    Class: Mammalia

                              Order: Artiodactyla

                                        Family: Cervidae

                                                  Subfamily: Capreolinae

                                                            Genus: Odocoileus

                                                                      Species: virginianus

Whitetail deer have tremendous genetic variation and are extremely adaptable to several different environments.  This is due in part to two key characteristics of whitetail deer.  The first is their distinctive stomach which contains four chambers, allowing a them to feed in open, uncovered areas and store food inside their stomach before moving back into cover before digestion.  Also, they are instinctively elusive creatures and have great senses to detect predators in plenty of time to safely avoid any problem.

Deer go through a period of mating for roughly two weeks called "Rut."  During rut, male deer, or bucks, increase testosterone  levels while female deer, or does, increase estrogen levels.  This causes a high number of mating deer and increased aggressiveness throughout the buck population in a certain territory.  Scrapes, which are rubbed out circles in the ground, and Rubs, which are trees that have had the bark removed by the horns of a territorial buck, are both good signs of the rutting period.  Also, fighting, like the video above shows, is a great indication that the mating season is officially taking place. These animals are fascinating mammals and I really enjoy learning more and more about these elusive creatures.

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McMillin, J. Michael. 1974. Annual Testosterone Level in Adult Whitetail Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). The Endocrine Society.

Biological Warfare Agents - Salmonella typhimurium

Salmonella typhimurium


Since the 1980s, terrorist organizations have become users of biological agents. The most frequent bioterrorism episodes have involved contamination of food and water. In September and October of 1984, 751 persons were infected with Salmonella typhimurium after an intentional contamination of restaurant salad bars in Oregon by followers of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. 









Salmonella typhimurium is a pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria predominately found in the intestinal lumen. Its toxicity is due to an outer membrane consisting largely of lipopolysaccharides. Salmonella typhimurium causes gastroenteritis in humans and other mammals. This causes a rush of white blood cells into the mucosa, which throws off the ratios between absorption and secretion, and leads to diarrhea.

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Anisomorpha buprestoides

Anisomorpha buprestoides



I'll never forget the first time I noticed an insect's ability to camouflage itself within the surrounding environment.  My dad is a lifelong hunter and outdoorsmen, and the first time he took me hunting was quite an experience.  I was only six years old, and my experiences in the sandboxes and playgrounds didn't prepare me for the insects and animals I would encounter in the natural woods of Sylvania, Georgia.  I found ticks, grasshoppers, beetles, worms, and the most memorable of all - the Two-Striped Walking Stick (Anisomorpha buprestoides).  I discovered this insect while wiping off my hunting seat, which was full of leaves and dirt from the windy conditions.  As I swiped at the debris, the two-striped walking stick revealed itself by jumping off the seat onto the platform about a foot below.  I was startled and terrified and intrigued and curious all at the same time!  I remember wondering how a stick could jump.  All kinds of thoughts went through my head: “Can all sticks jump?” and “Have I not noticed that sticks are alive this whole time?” and “Does this mean trees move too?” I sat and pondered these questions as I sat there for about thirty minutes in the tree stand.  Finally, I had to ask my dad about this moving stick, and he clarified the misunderstanding with the truth about the camouflaged creature.

To this day, it still intrigues me just as much as when I was a little boy in the middle of the woods.  Insects and other animals don’t have the minds of humans; however, they have made incredible advances to survive in our present-day environments.  The two-striped walking stick is a perfect example of evolution.  Their camouflaging ability makes them a hard target for prey and also gives them an easiness and comfort to sustain their herbivore feeding habits without worry.  Now, when I go to pick up a little stick, I’m always wondering if it’s going to jump out at me or just simply lay there – like a stick is supposed to do!