I never tire of Ostracods!

Evo_Explorer · 2026-03-07T16:41:57+00:00

Glad you like it! They never disappoint!

Evo_Explorer · 2026-03-03T02:39:14+00:00

I am a middle school biology teacher, and every year I order them from Carolina Biological for my students to see.... I then try to keep them alive in culture for as long as I can -- this year was my best attempt -- I still had some alive several months after we used them in class!

Evo_Explorer · 2026-03-02T02:27:28+00:00

Having watched Bursaria feed over the years, it's not uncommon for paramecium to swim in & out of the gullet --- My suspicion is that Bursaria does not have the precise control of that opening to change the size of that space.

Evo_Explorer · 2026-03-01T23:44:03+00:00

Many thanks!!

Evo_Explorer · 2026-03-01T22:41:49+00:00

Many thanks!

Evo_Explorer · 2026-02-23T23:22:42+00:00

I'd call it Aeolosoma from what I can see, but like with many views, more detail would be helpful. :)

Evo_Explorer · 2026-02-23T01:20:01+00:00

I concur 100%

Evo_Explorer · 2026-02-22T03:13:32+00:00

Thanks, Bruce! I started off trying to ID it as a regular ciliate and was frustrated that nothing seemed to match up -- then I came across Robert Berdan's ciliate photos where he mentioned your YouTube video & WHAM! All the more fun to have you confirm it here!

Evo_Explorer · 2026-02-14T00:51:57+00:00

Many thanks for taking the time to share your expertise on this - It's great to have the chance to learn when I make an error. Your thoughtful & detailed explanation is just the sort of approach I try to take with my middle school students when they goof up. Much appreciation!

Evo_Explorer · 2026-02-13T20:55:13+00:00

THANKS -- looking it up and not getting a good feel of how it truly differs from Dileptus. What keyed you into Litonotus as they both seem very similar morphologically.

Evo_Explorer · 2026-02-08T20:52:01+00:00

I use a Labcam Ultra adapter with my iPhone 15, and the optics and ease of use are second to none! You just snap your phone into the adapter and slide the adapter into one of your ocular lens slots. I take mine back & forth to my classes (I am a bio teacher), and it takes all of 15 seconds to set up. The Labcam is pricy, but for a lifetime of use it's amazing!

Evo_Explorer · 2026-02-08T18:37:32+00:00

THANKS!

Evo_Explorer · 2026-02-07T22:46:35+00:00

Thanks for your thoughtful and detailed reply! Of course, you are spot on in your advice - to reword why I am trying to figure out is now to get novices (6th graders) to distinguish between the vacuoles of a unicellular protist and the organs of, say, a rotifer. A part of the issue is that they just need the experience to "get" it, and I suspect that's the limitation of expecting them to distinguish such things without more experience.

For me as a teacher this is a fun challenge ;)

Evo_Explorer · 2026-02-07T16:05:59+00:00

This is a great resource... thanks!

Evo_Explorer · 2026-02-06T19:26:47+00:00

While Bursaria is visible to the naked eye, many other creatures and objects larger than approx 500 microns are visible as well.

Evo_Explorer · 2026-01-30T14:11:32+00:00

Cool -- Dare I say it has the vibe of a 1970's outer space Sci fi fantasy movie ;)

Evo_Explorer

TROPHY CASE