Animals

Feb 05, 2019 08:24 AM EST

Pika survival rates dry up with low moisture

In the Pacific Northwest, dry air interacts with low snow conditions to affect pika abundances at different elevations

Feb 04, 2019 08:05 AM EST

Butterflies thrive in grasslands surrounded by forest

For pollinating butterflies, it is more important to be close to forests than to agricultural fields, according to a study of 32,000 butterflies by researchers at Linköping University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala.

Feb 02, 2019 11:05 AM EST

How new species emerge

Life on earth is complex and diverse. In the course of evolution, more and more new species have emerged that are adapted to constantly changing environments. Using modern genetic analyses, researchers can now fully decipher the genetic information of organisms in order to better understand their evolutionary histories and adaptations.

Feb 02, 2019 11:03 AM EST

Crossbreeding threatens conservation of endangered milky storks

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has discovered that the conservation of Milky Storks (Mycteria cinerea), an endangered wading bird native to Southeast Asia, is threatened due to crossbreeding with their more widespread cousins, the Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala).

Feb 02, 2019 11:02 AM EST

Salmon populations may adapt their eggs to survive in degraded rivers

A University of Southampton study suggests that the membrane of salmon eggs may evolve to cope with reduced oxygen levels in rivers, thereby helping their embryos to incubate successfully.

Pangolins, Elephant Tusks, White Rhino (IMAGE)

Feb 01, 2019 02:40 PM EST

New study sheds light on illegal wildlife trade in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's illegal wildlife trade is contributing to a global extinction crisis. Every year millions of live animals, plants and their derivatives are illegally trafficked into and through Hong Kong, by transnational companies and organised crime syndicates.

New Species Clavicornaltica belalongensis (IMAGE)

Feb 01, 2019 09:12 AM EST

Citizen scientists discover pinhead-sized beetle in Borneo

The discovery is the latest in a series of newly described species collected as part of the Taxon Expeditions initiative aiming to bring biodiversity and taxonomy closer to the layperson

Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Tanks at the New England Aquarium (IMAGE)

Feb 01, 2019 09:06 AM EST

Factors in 'alarming rate' of cold-stranded sea turtles in Cape Cod Bay

The number of cold-stunning and stranding events among juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtles, one of the world's most endangered species, is increasing at an "alarming" rate and has moved north from Long Island Sound to Cape Cod Bay, say researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mass Audubon and the University of Rhode Island.

Feb 01, 2019 08:58 AM EST

Ancient pandas weren't exclusive bamboo eaters, bone evidence suggests

The giant pandas we know and love today live only in the understory of particular mountains in southwestern China, where they subsist on bamboo alone. In support of their tough and fibrous bamboo diet, they've got distinctive teeth, skull, and muscle characteristics along with a special pseudo-thumb, the better to grasp and hold bamboo stems, leaves, and shoots with. But according to new evidence reported in Current Biology on January 31, extinct and ancient panda species most likely had a more varied and complex diet.

Jan 31, 2019 09:12 AM EST

Endangered sharks being eaten in UK

Endangered species of hammerhead and dogfish are among the sharks being sold as food in the UK, researchers have revealed.

Jan 31, 2019 08:30 AM EST

Urban biodiversity: Remarkable diversity of small animals in Basel gardens

Gardens in urban areas can harbor a remarkable diversity of species. This has been found by researchers from the University of Basel in a field study carried out with the support of private garden owners from the Basel region.

Jan 31, 2019 08:19 AM EST

Solving the mystery of Serengeti's vanishing wild dogs

Tanzania's Serengeti National Park is rich enough in wildlife to support large carnivores; so why did wild dogs disappear?

REGISTER The Southern Black-Throated Finch

Jan 30, 2019 09:16 AM EST

How to send a finch extinct

An endangered Queensland bird is at risk of extinction because environmental legislation is failing to protect its habitat, according to a University of Queensland-led study.

Jan 30, 2019 09:04 AM EST

Rutgers researchers contribute to visual guide to identify invasive self-cloning tick

Rutgers researchers and other scientists have created a visual guide to help identify and control the Asian longhorned tick, which transmits a fatal human disease in its native countries and threatens livestock in the United States.

Jan 30, 2019 09:00 AM EST

Anemones are friends to fish

New research from the University of Delaware, however, shows that larger-bodied fish also associate with anemones. The difference is that the big fish associate with anemones as juveniles, while the smaller bodied species partner with anemones throughout their lives.