~ Early Web Links ~

BC Rare Bird Alert is a community birding blog tracking rare and unusual bird sightings across British Columbia, Canada, with detailed location reports, maps, and observer notes. Each post documents a specific rare species encounter, making it an invaluable real-time resource for birdwatchers and ornithology enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest.

Created by Leslie Taylor, this extensive tropical plant database catalogs hundreds of Amazonian medicinal plants by common name, botanical name, ethnic uses, and healing properties. A leader in rainforest plant research since 1995, the site offers deep reference content including preparation methods, disease applications, and articles distinguishing herbs from drugs.

Sephonicus has built a personal homepage dominated by science-themed imagery, with repeated 'SCIENCE!!!' alt texts suggesting an enthusiastic celebration of scientific topics. The site is sparse in text but leans heavily into a science identity through its visuals and branding.

Elasmo.com is a detailed reference site covering the teeth of both extinct and living elasmobranchs, the group that includes sharks and rays. Fossil enthusiasts and paleontology hobbyists will find specialized information on elasmobranch dental morphology, with a focus on Neogene-era specimens from sites like Lee Creek.

A German-language gallery dedicated to Cryptocoryne and Lagenandra aquatic plants, featuring photographs and information about these popular aquarium plant genera and their hybrids. Enthusiasts of tropical water plants will find this a specialized visual reference for identifying and appreciating these fascinating species.

Produced by the staff of the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota, this reference site covers the distribution and ecology of native and introduced fish species found in Minnesota. Curated by Andrew M. Simons and Jay T. Hatch, it serves as both a scientific resource and a public education tool tied to the museum's fish collection.

Grim is an ecology postgrad whose blog covers dirt, death, decay, and the weird wonders of the biological world, from freshwater antibiotic contamination to crustacean ophthalmology. Alongside the science you'll find book reviews, horror movie musings, philosophy, ethology, and hardcore music commentary, making this a refreshingly eclectic corner of the web.

The Reptile Database, maintained by Peter Uetz and Jiří Hošek since 1995, is a comprehensive scientific reference cataloging all known reptile species including lizards, snakes, turtles, crocodiles, tuataras, and amphisbaenians. With advanced search tools, downloadable data, and regularly updated species counts backed by a team of volunteer editors, it serves as a definitive taxonomic resource for herpetologists and enthusiasts alike.

Bill Standley's curated directory of internet resources for wildlife ecologists, organized into categories covering federal and state organizations, professional and non-profit groups, universities, and taxa such as mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. The site also indexes resources for endangered species, fisheries, aquatic ecology, jobs, and wildlife-related products like telemetry equipment and optics.

Wild Harvests is T. Abe Lloyd's foraging blog focused on wild food experiments and plant identification in the Pacific Northwest, particularly Northwest Washington and Southern Vancouver Island. Posts cover edible plants like bulrush and beach pea, wetland ecology field courses, and hands-on accounts from decades of regional botanical study.