SAM ZLOTNIK

A white trans man with short brown hair, brown eyes, large round glasses, and a blue shirt, standing in front of a white sheet with a butterfly pattern on it.

Sam Zlotnik is a science writer, ecologist, and evolutionary biologist. He wrote for Smithsonian as part of the 2022 Mass Media Fellowship from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Sam has a B.S. and M.S. in biology, a B.A. in psychology, and is completing a Ph.D. in ecology at the University of Florida. Their Ph.D. research focuses on feeding behavior and mouthpart development in leaf-footed bugs.

You can contact Sam via email or Twitter.

Cougars Are Killing Feral Donkeys, and That's Good for Wetlands

A person holding a baby bird with an open mouth and a cotton swab with yellowish oil on it.

The Done-Up Bird Gets the Worm

Lunar Pits Maintain Surprisingly Comfy Temperatures

First images of mysterious 'milky seas' captured

The DNA of hundreds of insect species is in your tea

A Manx shearwater sitting on the ground at night.

This seabird species dives deeper when the water is clearer

Dengue fever and Zika virus make humans more attractive to mosquitoes

From boxes to galaxies: Dr. J. Garrett-Walker on emerging queer identities and the liberatory power of chosen names

A black-and-white cat rolling on the ground and chewing on a silver vine plant.

When cats chew catnip, it works as a bug spray

Science journalist talks caste, gender, and community-building in academia

Rats recognize songs unless you change the instrument

Two people standing in the position of the letter

Multi-talented software engineer discusses creativity, teamwork, and inclusion in tech

A grassy field with pink and purple wildflowers.

Environmental scientist grows wildflowers and prairie grasses next to highways

Astronomer uses computer models to study dark matter in distant galaxies

What shapes the sound of a baby's laugh?

A person in a beekeeping suit holding a wooden frame covered with honeybees.

Computer scientist studies insect swarms to guide robot design

A leatherback sea turtle hatchling sitting on the beach, facing the ocean.

Leatherback sea turtles struggle to find the ocean on moonless nights

A child eating food at a table with other people nearby.

Access to free school lunch creates health benefits for a lifetime

Honeybees experience withdrawal symptoms when deprived of alcohol

A domestic cat sitting in a cardboard box in a sunny room.

Domestic cats fall for the same visual illusions as we do

A chain-link fence with a sign that says

Living near a Superfund site shortens life expectancy for low-income residents

An agricultural field with two trucks carrying produce.

Florida Farmworkers Have Lacked Access to Basic Health Care Resources Throughout the Pandemic

A little brown bat with the white nose symptom that is characteristic of the fungal disease called white nose syndrome.

An ecological trap exposes many bats to a deadly fungus

Even megalodon babies needed nurseries to survive

A bird nest with a large baby bird in it next to a much smaller baby bird.

Brood parasites are quite picky about who they offload their kids on, depending on the climate

An adult female common glow-worm with a glowing abdomen.

Glowing worms have less sex when the lights are on

How photography can overturn traditional killing of rattlesnakes

A viper's zig-zag colors help blur their predators' vision

A leafy plant next to a laptop computer.

As scientists, we need to stop using harmful and misleading terminology

Bumble bees cut holes in plants’ leaves to trigger flowering