Animals Dogs of Chernobyl Can the dogs of Chernobyl teach us new tricks on survival? Scientists are studying hundreds of dogs at the Chernobyl disaster site that have managed to survive in extremely harsh conditions More than 35 years after the world’s worst nuclear accident, the dogs of Chernobyl roam among decaying, abandoned buildings in and around the closed […]
Animals Whales Use a Sound Similar to Kim Kardashian’s ‘Vocal Fry’ Whales use a sound similar to Kim Kardashian’s ‘vocal fry’ to hunt deep sea prey, say scientists Toothed whales can use vocal registers like humans to communicate and hunt. Like Kim Kardashian, whales have a “vocal fry” which can be used to find prey in deep sea. At that depth, the whales’ lungs collapse, so […]
Animals Bison Restoration US to focus bison restoration on expanding tribal herds U.S. officials will work to restore more large bison herds to Native American lands under a Friday order from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland that calls for the government to tap into Indigenous knowledge in its efforts to conserve the burly animals that are an icon of […]
Animals Are Turtles Reptiles or Amphibians Turtles are reptiles, not amphibians. People often mistake them for amphibians due to the misunderstanding about the term amphibian. The word amphibian refers specifically to members of the class amphibia, but the word amphibious that comes from the same root means “operating or living on land and in water.” It is true that many turtles […]
Animals A ‘Reptile’ Cafe Snakes, lizards and desserts meet in Malaysia’s first reptile café Malaysian reptile enthusiast Yap Ming Yang hopes visitors to his pet-friendly café will learn to appreciate snakes and lizards as much as they do furrier creatures such as dogs and cats. Bearded dragons, leopard geckos, and corn snakes are among the species resting in glass […]
Animals Why Do Cats Knead Kneading is typical kitten behaviour but may be retained into adulthood because it can help communicate messages. “Kneading” is when cats massage an object with the front paws, which extend and retract, one paw at a time. This massaging action, named for its resemblance to kneading dough, is repeated rhythmically. You may have spotted your […]
Animals Asexual Animals Reproduce Without Mates Are you familiar with asexual animals? Asexual animals reproduce without involving sex or traditional fertilization. While this might sound strange, it’s actually quite natural—and even helps many animal species survive in otherwise poor environmental conditions. In fact, many different types of animals reproduce asexually. Here are just a few examples: Sharks While rare, some shark […]
Animals Insects Weigh as Much as People and Farm Animals Combined Israeli scientists finally find the answer to a question that has bugged ecologists for decades. More than a million species of arthropods –cold-blooded creepy-crawlies including all insects — crawl and buzz around us outdoors and indoors, aboveground and underground, in our plumbing systems, in our food and on our bodies. Like them or not, they […]
Animals Ancient Bird Found in Australia Ancient bird found in Australia and thought to be eagle is a vulture In a case of mistaken identity, a new study reveals that a fossilized bird long thought to be an eagle is actually a vulture. The fossil has been held at the South Australian Museum for more than 100 years, where it has […]
Auto Worm-Like Amphibian A strange new species of worm-like amphibian which was recently discovered in Panama has been named after President Donald Trump, by a company that says it wanted to raise awareness about the problem of climate change. U.K. sustainable construction firm EnviroBuild paid $25,000 for the right to name the amphibian Dermophis donaldtrumpi at an auction […]