They’ve been around for 15 million years; hedgehogs roamed Britain with mammoths and sabre-toothed tigers. But in a single lifetime the much-loved mammals have been driven towards extinction, their national population apparently plummeting more than thirtyfold. As Philip Larkin wrote in The Mower – a poem composed after he killed a hedgehog while cutting long […]
Author: Supertrooper
‘Extinct’ Bird Rediscovered in Myanmar, Surprising Scientists
Scientists found the Myanmar Jerdon’s babbler alive and well during a recent expedition. A bird thought to have gone the way of the dodo decades ago has been rediscovered in Myanmar (Burma), scientists reported Thursday. A team led by the Wildlife Conservation Society stumbled upon the bird, a Myanmar Jerdon’s babbler, last May while studying […]
Results of the Best Photo of the Week Ended 14 Mar 2015
We are delighted to announce the results of our latest photo competition. First Place is awarded to Bob Shepardson for his outstanding capture entitled “Beware of the Dark”. Jefferson Silva wins Second Place for his brilliant composition “Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)”. Third Place goes to Sergei Zlatkov for “The Love”. See detailed results below: (click on thumbnails […]
Biologists Surprised by Acrobatic Skills of Juvenile Praying Mantises
A new study published in the journal Current Biology reveals that, unlike other jumping insects, wingless baby mantises don’t spin out of control when airborne. In fact, they both create and control angular momentum at extraordinary speeds to orient their bodies for precise landings. The smaller you are, the harder it is not to spin […]
Peregrine falcon found shot dead at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s headquarters
A peregrine falcon which was nesting on Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s office roof has been discovered shot dead outside the building in Belper. Police have launched an investigation into the illegal killing after the corpse of the male bird was found by a local photographer and x-rays revealed it had been recently killed by a shot […]
New monkey species discovered in the Amazon Rainforest
Flaming orange tail and ochre sideburns set new Brazilian monkey apart from its closest relatives. Scientists have discovered a new species of titi monkey in Brazil, according to a recent paper published in scientific journal Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia. Titis (genus: Callicebus) are new world monkeys found across South America. These tree-dwelling primates have long, […]
Poll: Should koalas be culled in overpopulated areas to prevent starvation?
Australia needs to consider allowing healthy koalas to be euthanised in order to control numbers in overpopulated areas, where the animals risk dying painfully from starvation, a koala expert says. Although not endangered in any state, koalas are listed as vulnerable in the eastern states of Queensland and New South Wales, where their habitat is […]
Study shows one reason why pigeons so rarely crash
A pair of researchers with Harvard University has uncovered one of the secrets behind pigeons’ impressive flight abilities. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, David Williams and Andrew Biewener describe how they videotaped some of the birds flying through an obstacle course they made, and what they found when […]