This study started from a discussion with my co-author and postdoctoral researcher, Sabrina Rondeau, whose recent findings showed that these queens can survive submersion for over a week, which is extraordinary for a terrestrial insect. We wanted to understand how that's even possible.
Since at least 1886, a groundhog now named Punxsutawney Phil has emerged from his burrow every Groundhog Day to predict when winter weather will end. Other groundhogs (Marmota monax) around the country have joined him in this climatological soothsaying. Folklore, likely stemming from Celtic mid-season festivals, dictates that if Phil sees his shadow, winter will continue for six more weeks, whereas if he doesn't, spring will come early. (Many people around the country are probably hoping that shadow doesn't appear after recent winter weather.)
(Image credit: Getty Images/DamianKuzdak) With winter around the corner, preparing your garden is probably high on your to-do list - but before you grab your rake and trimmer, it's important to be wary of hibernating hedgehogs who could be hiding outdoors. Hedgehogs start to hibernate in late October to mid-November and tend to nestle down in places such as leaf piles, compost heaps, and under dense bushes - common spots where we often cut back or remove before the colder months creep in.
The new request for comments is from Collabora's Muhammad Anjum. Collabora does a lot of FOSS development, although its work on LibreOffice may be the most visible. (That may even speed up, as earlier this year, it merged with Allotropia, the company working on a WASM version of LibreOffice.)