The slow-motion pitter-patter of tiny giant tortoise feet has been worryingly rare in recent years, but that looks set to change thanks to the first successful hatching of the species with artificial incubation. One week after the intervention, the 13 babies are building up their strength on a diet of banana slices and leafy greens […]
Republicans try to weaken 50-year-old law protecting whales, seals and polar bears
BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine (AP) — Republican lawmakers are targeting one of the U.S.’s longest standing pieces of environmental legislation, credited with helping save rare whales from extinction. Conservative leaders feel they now have the political will to remove key pieces of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, enacted in 1972 to protect whales, seals, polar bears […]
A Plant-Eating Croc? Newly Identified Species Demonstrates Crocodilian Versatility
Measuring no more than 2 feet long from nose to tail, a newly-described crocodilian nicknamed “Elton” likely lived its entire life on land where it lounged in the Cretaceous Montana sunshine, eating plants and insects. Elton was about the size of a big lizard, according to Montana State University professor of paleontology David Varricchio, whose […]
Many people go their whole lives without seeing a platypus in the wild. We just saw four in one night
Hunting platypuses takes patience. On Thursday afternoon, I headed into the Royal national park, south of Sydney, with researchers who had reintroduced a small population of the elusive monotremes two years ago. There was a big net and torches – and our dinner. It could be a long wait. The platypus was thought to be […]
It squirts toxic blood from its eyes, has armoured spiky skin and can self-inflate to twice its size. Is this one of the weirdest animals on the planet?
You might think the world’s most powerful lizard is the Komodo dragon – the largest and heaviest lizard in the world, with a venomous bite to boot. But power isn’t always about size – and the world’s weirdest lizard has special powers that allows it to wield superiority over potential predators. Meet the North American […]
Study busts big bad myth that wolves are growing fearless of humans
After years of being hunting to near-extinction, wolves are making a comeback in some of their historical ranges in Europe and North America. With their return comes a growing concern that the predators are moving too close to human settlements, becoming bolder and less fearful of people. Researchers set out to see if that’s true, […]
Indochinese leopards face ‘bleak’ future, but hope persists
PETCHABURI, Thailand — Swaths of butterflies flutter around Chalong Thongsong and his team of rangers and researchers as they walk along a muddy trail into the forest of Kaeng Krachan National Park. The biggest of Thailand’s national parks, Kaeng Krachan is home to more than 450 wild animal species. Arriving at a camera trap chained […]
More than half of world’s bird species in decline, as leaders meet on extinction crisis
More than half of all bird species are in decline, according to a new global assessment, with deforestation driving sharp falls in populations across the planet. On the eve of a key biodiversity summit in the UAE, scientists have issued a fresh warning about the health of bird populations, with 61% of assessed species now […]