When curled up into ball – its defensive position to deter predators – the pangolin’s overlapping scales make it look similar to a pinecone. And it’s these scales that have earned it the moniker of the most trafficked mammal in the world, as pangolins are illegally poached for them. This has led them to being […]
Endangered West African leopards show signs of recovery, despite odds. ‘It’s a win’
It’s been difficult to monitor West African leopards in Benin’s Pendjari National Park: It’s a large wilderness area, situated within a hotspot of armed conflict. The park is among the last strongholds for this geographically distinct leopard population — but a recent study shared hopeful news. Leopard density in the park increased over a six-year period, according […]
A Roman scholar proposed this nature theory more than 2,000 years ago. It took until 1999 to prove it
The shapes and curves we learn to identify as children take on new significance when we see them in the wild. The forces of nature converge to produce spirals and polygons and a multitude of other forms in both living and non-living things, on scales ranging from the microscopic to the galactic. The hexagon is […]
Sightings of humpback whales surge in Rio de Janeiro, fueling demand for whale-watching trips
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Sightings of humpback whales off Rio de Janeiro’s coast are surging as they recover from decimation due to commercial whaling, prompting an acceleration in the demand for whale-watching excursions to spot the huge marine creatures during their annual migration. The species’ population has jumped from around 2,000 to around 35,000 […]
“Swollen lesions appear around the mouth, nose, eyes, ears and genitalia with death normally occurring within 10-15 days”
UK red squirrels face a number of threats, but one of the most devastating is squirrel pox. This viral disease, carried harmlessly by invasive grey squirrels, has contributed significantly to their decline. What is squirrel pox? Squirrel pox is a fatal, yet easily transmitted disease that affects red squirrels. When did squirrel pox first arrive in […]
‘Scavenger’ dolphins increasingly rely on trawlers for food in overfished Adriatic, say scientists
Bottlenose dolphins in the Adriatic are increasingly following trawlers to scavenge for food, with baby dolphins learning the technique from their parents, a study has found. “These days the easiest way to find [bottlenose dolphins] is to look for trawlers,” said Giovanni Bearzi, a co-author of the study and the president of Dolphin Biology and Conservation in […]
They’re one of the weirdest type of animals on the planet, famous for their pouches, but what on Earth are marsupials and why do they have pouches?
What are marsupial? Do all of them have pouches – and while we are on that subject – why are pouches needed? All you need to know about the fascinating group of animals known as marsupials. What are marsupials? Marsupials are pouched mammals and are a group of mammals that most of us probably associate […]