Rachel Larson, PhD
@rlarson92.bsky.social
Conservation biology postdoc at San Diego Natural History Museum, urban ecologist 🏙🐿🦝🦌, artist 👩🏻🎨 (she/her)
art insta: @ sciurusstitches
art insta: @ sciurusstitches
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:
Gila monster
American badger
Mink
Steindachner’s ebony tarantula
Ovenbird
Gila monster
American badger
Mink
Steindachner’s ebony tarantula
Ovenbird
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:
Mola Mola
Three-toed Sloth
Bornean Orangutan
Coastal Giant Salamander
Vermillion Flycatcher
Mola Mola
Three-toed Sloth
Bornean Orangutan
Coastal Giant Salamander
Vermillion Flycatcher
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Caribou
Ravens
Seals
Kea
Turkeys
Caribou
Ravens
Seals
Kea
Turkeys
November 29, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:
Gila monster
American badger
Mink
Steindachner’s ebony tarantula
Ovenbird
Gila monster
American badger
Mink
Steindachner’s ebony tarantula
Ovenbird
I worked in the scat analysis part of this as an undergrad way back when! So cool to see this work published thanks to Kate Weiss
🐇 This study presents a methodological framework using camera trap and scat data to assess how components of prey availability influence prey selection. This is done in a way that can be applied across a variety of mammal species and ecological contexts➡️ buff.ly/7iWNO4X
October 16, 2025 at 3:05 PM
I worked in the scat analysis part of this as an undergrad way back when! So cool to see this work published thanks to Kate Weiss
Reposted by Rachel Larson, PhD
This crucially important and obviously visionary work makes me feel vindicated for having said the same thing last year, albeit with much less evidence, while being mercilessly mocked by the city and its residents. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Rodent indent not self-evident: a case of mistaken identity of the ‘Chicago Rat Hole’ | Biology Letters
The ‘Chicago Rat Hole’ is a remarkable full body impression ostensibly created by
a brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) crossing fresh concrete in Chicago’s Roscoe Village that became a viral sensation.
Whi...
royalsocietypublishing.org
October 15, 2025 at 7:09 PM
This crucially important and obviously visionary work makes me feel vindicated for having said the same thing last year, albeit with much less evidence, while being mercilessly mocked by the city and its residents. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Reposted by Rachel Larson, PhD
The GRFP lives!! (due end of October)
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
www.nsf.gov
September 8, 2025 at 6:23 PM
The GRFP lives!! (due end of October)
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
Reposted by Rachel Larson, PhD
So amazing our team’s work is getting recognized on @npr.org for our successful bi-national translocation of California red-legged frogs. Was super fun chatting with Nate about the project!
How do scientists monitor the populations of the threatened California red-legged frog? With careful listening and a little help from AI.
Muddy boots and AI are helping this threatened frog to make a comeback
How do scientists monitor the populations of the threatened California red-legged frog? With careful listening and a little help from AI.
n.pr
July 20, 2025 at 2:35 PM
So amazing our team’s work is getting recognized on @npr.org for our successful bi-national translocation of California red-legged frogs. Was super fun chatting with Nate about the project!
Reposted by Rachel Larson, PhD
EEB Mentor Match for 2025 is now open!
This is an opportunity for students applying to graduate school in Ecology, Evolution, or Behavior to be matched with a mentor to guide them through the application process. Mentors can sign up too!
eebmentormatch.com
This is an opportunity for students applying to graduate school in Ecology, Evolution, or Behavior to be matched with a mentor to guide them through the application process. Mentors can sign up too!
eebmentormatch.com
EEB Mentor Match
Visit the post for more.
eebmentormatch.com
June 11, 2025 at 4:49 PM
EEB Mentor Match for 2025 is now open!
This is an opportunity for students applying to graduate school in Ecology, Evolution, or Behavior to be matched with a mentor to guide them through the application process. Mentors can sign up too!
eebmentormatch.com
This is an opportunity for students applying to graduate school in Ecology, Evolution, or Behavior to be matched with a mentor to guide them through the application process. Mentors can sign up too!
eebmentormatch.com
On my way home with my fresh-off-the-needles raccoon socks from the best conference in the world. Hope to see everybody again in 2027 in Milwaukee! #IUWC2025
June 5, 2025 at 2:41 PM
On my way home with my fresh-off-the-needles raccoon socks from the best conference in the world. Hope to see everybody again in 2027 in Milwaukee! #IUWC2025
From Akinwale Oladimeji (my academic sibling): Patterns of wildlife occurrence in urban Cape Town 🇿🇦 - there are significant species-level differences, but most species responded negatively to impervious cover #IUWC2025
a close up of a cat with its mouth open and a baby cat in the background .
ALT: a close up of a cat with its mouth open and a baby cat in the background .
media.tenor.com
June 4, 2025 at 3:42 PM
From Akinwale Oladimeji (my academic sibling): Patterns of wildlife occurrence in urban Cape Town 🇿🇦 - there are significant species-level differences, but most species responded negatively to impervious cover #IUWC2025
From Shawn Fujioka: A plant talk at a wildlife conference! Increased management effort by park staff leads to increased native plant biodiversity and reduced threats from invasive species #IUWC2025
June 4, 2025 at 3:24 PM
From Shawn Fujioka: A plant talk at a wildlife conference! Increased management effort by park staff leads to increased native plant biodiversity and reduced threats from invasive species #IUWC2025
From Nicole Kemon: Bird feeder cleaning is correlated with motives behind feeding birds, with attitudes of care & environmental stewardship leading to more frequent cleaning compared to self-interested feeders #IUWC2025
a bird is perched on a feeder in the snow
ALT: a bird is perched on a feeder in the snow
media.tenor.com
June 4, 2025 at 1:54 PM
From Nicole Kemon: Bird feeder cleaning is correlated with motives behind feeding birds, with attitudes of care & environmental stewardship leading to more frequent cleaning compared to self-interested feeders #IUWC2025
From @kayleebyers.bsky.social: Based on currently-published literature, we know very little about chronic wasting disease dynamics in urban landscapes #IUWC2025
June 4, 2025 at 1:39 PM
From @kayleebyers.bsky.social: Based on currently-published literature, we know very little about chronic wasting disease dynamics in urban landscapes #IUWC2025
From Zehidul Hussain: Looking forward to seeing the integration of behavioral videos, collar data, and landscape information to understand urban deer ecology #IUWC2025
June 4, 2025 at 1:20 PM
From Zehidul Hussain: Looking forward to seeing the integration of behavioral videos, collar data, and landscape information to understand urban deer ecology #IUWC2025
From Andrea Darracq: An interesting longitudinal (and ongoing!) dataset of coupled human health & biodiversity data to investigate OneHealth mechanisms #IUWC2025
June 4, 2025 at 1:01 PM
From Andrea Darracq: An interesting longitudinal (and ongoing!) dataset of coupled human health & biodiversity data to investigate OneHealth mechanisms #IUWC2025
From Andrea Flores: More frequent rat sightings reduces the perceived restorative benefits of connection to nature in Chicago’s urban gardens #IUWC2025
a close up of a rat chewing on a green leaf
ALT: a close up of a rat chewing on a green leaf
media.tenor.com
June 4, 2025 at 12:38 PM
From Andrea Flores: More frequent rat sightings reduces the perceived restorative benefits of connection to nature in Chicago’s urban gardens #IUWC2025
From Marie Lilly: Functional connectivity for deer drives distribution of tick-borne pathogens in New York City #IUWC2025
a person is holding a microphone with the number 3 on it in front of a deer
ALT: a person is holding a microphone with the number 3 on it in front of a deer
media.tenor.com
June 4, 2025 at 12:21 PM
From Marie Lilly: Functional connectivity for deer drives distribution of tick-borne pathogens in New York City #IUWC2025
Ready to (almost) close out the all-day UWIN symposium with my talk on white-footed mice! Come learn about the small warm-fuzzies in the big city! #IUWC2025
June 3, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Ready to (almost) close out the all-day UWIN symposium with my talk on white-footed mice! Come learn about the small warm-fuzzies in the big city! #IUWC2025
From Amanda Zellmer: AI detection tools work really well to catch most target species for wildlife cameras. They just don’t work as well for smaller species like rats/lizards/songbirds #IUWC2025
June 3, 2025 at 6:42 PM
From Amanda Zellmer: AI detection tools work really well to catch most target species for wildlife cameras. They just don’t work as well for smaller species like rats/lizards/songbirds #IUWC2025
From Laura Limonciello: A super interesting overview of the state of urban biodiversity research & urban mammal occupancies in Italy 🇮🇹 #IUWC2025
June 3, 2025 at 6:15 PM
From Laura Limonciello: A super interesting overview of the state of urban biodiversity research & urban mammal occupancies in Italy 🇮🇹 #IUWC2025
From Taylor Readyhough: Red fox avoidance of coyotes is dynamic and was significantly impacted by COVID lockdowns in Cleveland #IUWC2025
a fox is standing in the snow near trees
ALT: a fox is standing in the snow near trees
media.tenor.com
June 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM
From Taylor Readyhough: Red fox avoidance of coyotes is dynamic and was significantly impacted by COVID lockdowns in Cleveland #IUWC2025
From @sciencewithtyus.bsky.social: Cat temporal oscillation effect - cats alter their space use throughout the day to maximize access to resources (anthro subsidies in residential areas during day; natural areas at night to hunt prey) #IUWC2025
June 3, 2025 at 3:46 PM
From @sciencewithtyus.bsky.social: Cat temporal oscillation effect - cats alter their space use throughout the day to maximize access to resources (anthro subsidies in residential areas during day; natural areas at night to hunt prey) #IUWC2025
From Emily Blackwell: Raccons may be more susceptible to heat stress, given their responses (site occupancy & activity patterns) to urban heat islands #IUWC2025
a raccoon sticking its pink tongue out
ALT: a raccoon sticking its pink tongue out
media.tenor.com
June 3, 2025 at 3:27 PM
From Emily Blackwell: Raccons may be more susceptible to heat stress, given their responses (site occupancy & activity patterns) to urban heat islands #IUWC2025
Looking forward to future camera collar data from @mellamorooster.bsky.social on urban white-tail deer! #IUWC2025
June 3, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Looking forward to future camera collar data from @mellamorooster.bsky.social on urban white-tail deer! #IUWC2025
From @urbanzoochory.bsky.social: Mangy coyotes are more likely to occur in cities with milder winters & higher humidity. Thus, mange could become more common in cities at higher latitudes under climate change #IUWC2025
June 3, 2025 at 2:47 PM
From @urbanzoochory.bsky.social: Mangy coyotes are more likely to occur in cities with milder winters & higher humidity. Thus, mange could become more common in cities at higher latitudes under climate change #IUWC2025
From Austin Green: Fawning mule deer alter their activity patterns in response to urbanization and coyote presence more strongly than lone deer #IUWC2025
a baby deer is standing in the grass and looking at the camera
ALT: a baby deer is standing in the grass and looking at the camera
media.tenor.com
June 3, 2025 at 1:57 PM
From Austin Green: Fawning mule deer alter their activity patterns in response to urbanization and coyote presence more strongly than lone deer #IUWC2025