The Roberts Lab is a behavioral ecology lab with research interests in the evolution of animal communication and social behavior. Currently, we are particularly interested in context-dependent behavior, that is, behavior(s) that is performed differently depending on the current social, physiological, or environmental context. We apply an integrative approach to our research program, incorporating techniques from several disciplines (e.g. environmental measurements, field and laboratory observation and experimentation, neurohormone and chemical extraction). Such an approach, involving both field and laboratory experimentation is absolutely necessary to address questions about the evolution of animal signals, sexual selection and mate choice, and group formation and social behavior in a rigorous and controlled fashion. Follow the links at the left to learn more about recent projects we have developed or collaborated on over the past several years.
Is it possible to keep a grass spider inside? I dont want them to die because right now i am studying two of them, Charles and Darwin about the size of the tip of my thumb.
Hi there! Love the names! It should be fairly easy to bring them inside for further study. You just need a container that is appropriate to the size of the animals, some semi-natural materials for them to climb on, and a source of water. A cotton ball that you can drip water into every couple days would suffice. Oh, and this probably goes without saying, but make sure the lid of your container is not air-tight. They don’t need a lot of air exchange, but they need some. Hope that helps!