Announced at the end of March, the “Atlas for the Americas Flyways” website tracks high concentrations of migratory bird species at risk of major population declines along their routes throughout the Americas. This new United Nations-backed tool identifies heavily trafficked breeding grounds, migratory stopover locations and wintering areas, with the aim of providing policymakers and […]
“More than 60% of females gave birth on the same night.” Why do some animals give birth en masse?
In some species, offspring are born (or hatch) at roughly the same time. This is called synchronous reproduction: an evolutionary strategy to give offspring the best possible chance of survival. One of the main drivers of synchronised reproduction is predator satiation. Predators tend to target young animals because they are easy prey. If young are […]
Drones aid dugong conservation as threats mount across their range
Drone technology is providing important new insights into the lives of dugongs, while also revealing the vital role they play in managing seagrass meadows, one of the ocean’s most important carbon sinks. Often referred to as sea cows, dugongs (Dugong dugon) are marine herbivores that can grow up to 3 meters (10 feet) long and […]
What’s the slowest bird on the planet? Clue – it’s also a pretty slow walker and fairly dumpy…
How fast a bird flies depends on a number of factors, including the shape of its wings, its evolutionary history, and its size. What is the slowest bird? Assuming we’re dealing with flight rather than cognitive abilities, then, according to the Guinness Book of World Records and such august ornithological institutions as the US’s National […]
Trump Administration To Prioritize Livestock On Public Lands
The Trump administration, in a March 31, 2026, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), mandates that livestock production be given priority use on public lands. The administration has declared a “no net loss of Animal Unit Months” and opened allotments that are currently closed to livestock grazing. The stated purpose of the directive is to “protect America’s […]
“It can chew through coconuts with its razor-sharp teeth.” 6 weirdest rats in the world, including one deadly enough to kill an elephant…
The rat world is full of surprises – with some that contains enough poison to kill an elephant and others that can remain fertile for 30 years. From coconut-cracking rats in the Solomon Islands to rats with surprisingly long pubic hair in Indonesia, these are some of the weirdest – and most interesting – rats in the world. The weirdest […]
Loss of prey could drive Atlantic Forest jaguars to extinction
Conserving the dwindling jaguar population in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest won’t be possible without protecting its prey. That’s the conclusion of a new study, which found that the absence of deer, peccaries and other animals that sustain these big cats is driving it toward local extinction. Jaguars (Panthera onca) once ranged from the southwestern U.S. to Argentina and […]
Researchers tracked 9 great hammerhead sharks off Florida and the Bahamas. Here’s what they discovered
Giant hammerhead sharks are masters of the “thermal hustle,” maintaining peak hunting performance over a surprisingly wide range of ocean temperatures, a study in the Journal of Experimental Biology reveals. As the climate crisis unfolds, the findings provide insight into the species’ possible future movements and survival. All living things have an optimal range of temperatures they […]