Peter Hudson

Wildlife disease ecologist studying spillover.
Loves natural history & photography.
Produces free online nature mag @

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

A black-backed jackal grabs a morsel of food from the talons of a vulture. While they clean up carrion they also play an important role as mesopredators limiting the abundance of the smaller ungulates.

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

Our new e-magazine of PT Aware on black-backed jackals is available and can be downloaded at
https://t.co/Ew0gSp8ul0

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

The offspring of Black-backed jackals are helpers at the den and help gather food for the next litter and this increases their inclusive fitness. Learn more about these meso-predators in our upcoming free e-magazine at https://t.co/0wi3qqt1Bn

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

Sons of sons.....Vancouver Island and my son carries my grandson out across the bay after a beautiful day here in wonderful British Columbia.

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

Have you a cool shot of a black-backed jackal?⁠
then you could still get it published in our e-magazine - PT Aware that will be published next week - upload immediately to https://t.co/8Zkfe1lXYq

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

Do you have a cool shot of a black-backed jackal?
then you could still get it published in our e-magazine next week - PT Aware. Upload immediately to our https://t.co/0wi3qqt1Bn website:
https://t.co/8Zkfe1lXYq

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

@24beavers Excellent!

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

4 of the 5 brothers hunting in the last light of the day, looked as though they were hunting zebra but they caught a baby Eland right in front of us. Cheetah taking Eland is not really credible but only 1 did the hunting while the other 4 caused confusion

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

Can you tell the age of a rattlesnake by the number of segments in a rattle? Not accurately I would say. Each segment is indeed the remains of a skin slough and these increase with age but the rate depends on food availability and some snakes loose sections of their tail.

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

Eastern Diamond back Rattlesnake in the early morning light of northern Florida - they flick their tongue up and then in and then out and down - in between they take the tongue into the mouth and press against the Jacobson's organ to check the scent.

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

These Trumpet Pitcher Plants in the Florida long leafed pine ecosystems are well adapted to get limiting nutrients from invertebrates. A habitat that once dominated land from Virginia to Texas and depends on fire and yet we are so scared about fire as a management tool.

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

@24beavers Good job Tony!!!

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

Are trumpet pitcher plants behaving like wolves and hunting in packs? Unfortunately not ... while the number of insects caught per patch goes up with more leaves prey capture per leaf did not so for this predator there was no advantage or disadvantage of foraging in groups.

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

All the indicators show that abundnace of secretraybirds is declining fast so IUCN have made them threatened. These birds, once thought to be cranes, are in fact raptors. Download free photo community magazine at https://t.co/pofFJs2pVp

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

Our White-tailed deer team have found Omicron in 14% of deer on Staten Island, evidence they may become reinfected after Delta and it is primarily in yearlings who move about a great deal
https://t.co/BIdH471beo

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

Kurt Vandegrift, Suresh Kuchipudi & our team found high levels of Covid infection in white tailed deer and that could act as a potential reservoir for humans
https://t.co/QCJ6ur1Yxk

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

@TheFerrariLab Ahhh inciteful is very different to insightful and would have had been concerned - it may have incited disgust or horror !

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

How does it do that without choking? Like humans, the ostrich tongue moves back towards the throat when it swallows, but it has a special pocket & seals the trachea to prevent food going down the wrong way. Special birds for sure.

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

@BatOneHealth @rainamontana @aaas very well deserved ... outstanding person and a great pleasure to work with

[Peter Hudson @PeterPjh18]

@joselab_psu Excellent news !