In the popular TV series “The Walking Dead” humans can hide from zombies by covering themselves in zombie guts, masking their scent. The California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) uses a similar tactic to hide from a major predator, the rattlesnake, which relies on smell to track down its prey.
Category: News
How the robin’s red breast could be the key to colours that never fade
Sheffield scientists now know why kingfishers catch fire, robins are red, and jays are blue: the pattern of colour on a bird’s wing may have nothing to do with pigment, and everything to do with feather structure on a scale of billionths of a metre. The research has a potential pay-off for fabric manufacturers and […]
Damming the Amazon: new hydropower projects put river dolphins at risk
A dam-building boom is underway in the Amazon. More than 400 hydroelectric dams are in operation, being built, or planned for the river’s headwaters and basin. Scientists know that tropical dams disrupt water flow and nutrient deposition, with negative consequences for aquatic animals, especially migratory species. But little detailed knowledge exists as to the impacts […]
Toxic Algae Causing Brain Damage, Memory Loss in Sea Lions
A toxin produced by marine algae can impair sea lions’ memory, scientists reported Monday, making it difficult for sick sea lions to find their way to food. Large growths, or blooms, of the algae off the coast of California may have contributed to the unprecedented number of starving sea lions that have washed up on […]
Wild birds in Brazilian state of Amazonas being illegally traded
Wild birds in the state of Amazonas in Brazil are being trafficked for food and pet trade, according to a new study published today in Mongabay’s open-access journal, Tropical Conservation Science. Researchers found that between 1992 and 2011, the state’s environmental agency had seized nearly 2,700 wild birds being traded illegally. The study shows that […]
Wildlife decline threatens UK’s biodiversity, study finds
A decline in wildlife is threatening core functions of the ecosystem that are vital for human wellbeing, researchers behind an unprecedented study of biodiversity in the UK have warned. Climate change and habitat loss are leading to a reduction in biodiversity, with species that act as pollinators and natural pest controls most at risk, the […]
Will 2016 Be a Breakthrough in the Fight to Save Elephants?
Just outside Arusha High Court in northern Tanzania one morning in November, the five men waited for the magistrate to call their names. All had been charged with killing elephants. This was the fourth preliminary hearing for a suspected head poacher and his accomplices since their arraignment more than a year ago. The younger ones […]
Video: Spectacular Alligator Mating Display
Every spring the male alligators put on a spectacular mating display but can Helen get them to start flirting? Taken from Animal Super Senses.