Researchers have assessed the habituation, learning and cognitive flexibility of a wild population of raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Wyoming, the United States. Raccoons are medium-sized carnivores that demonstrate incredible success in novel and urban environments yet have been understudied within the fields of animal behavior and cognition. Their native range in North America is currently […]
Tag: animal behavior
Drumming Chimpanzees Have Unique ‘Signatures’
It turns out that humans aren’t the only animals who pound out beats to express themselves. A new study published in Animal Behavior Tuesday found that male chimpanzees in Uganda’s Budongo Forest use “individual drumming ‘signatures’” when they drum on the buttress roots of trees, so much so that researchers could compare different chimps to […]
Male Dolphins Seen Playing ‘Wingman’ to Help Each Other Find Mates
Humans have long been thought to be distinct from other animals in our ability to form complex, multilevel alliances in order to reach shared goals. However, new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Monday shows that male bottlenose dolphins do the same thing, and they do it for a very […]
Global warming may not be as bad for animal reproduction as thought, study suggests
Animals are more likely to mate in warmer environments, a study analyzing the impact of climate change on reproductive behavior has found. Looking at the impact of temperature changes on 22 species which included a huge variety of animals such as geckos, frogs, butterflies, dragonflies, birds and sea life, research from the University of Aberdeen […]
Petition: Big Mammals Suffer Brain Damage in Captivity According to Research
Many animals, most notably big mammals, often exhibit signs of duress as a result of being held in zoos or aquariums. These activities can include behaving in an abnormally aggressive manner, pacing, or even engaging in self-destructive behaviors. One expert in this field is Shubhobroto Ghosh, the Wildlife Projects Manager for Animals in the Wild, […]
World’s longest penguin dive, of more than half an hour, is recorded
Scientists in Antarctica have recorded the world’s longest penguin dive, an astounding 32.2 minutes under the water; a full five minutes longer than the previous record. Emperor penguins, which live only in Antartica, are the tallest and heaviest penguins in the world, and have the best diving ability. They can dive as much as 500 […]
Rare footage helps explain what Narwhals use their tusks for
Scientists are marveling over never-before-seen footage of narwhals that has brought to light new evidence for what those unicorn-like tusks are actually used for. Narwhals are toothed whales who live in the Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia, but they don’t actually have any teeth in their mouth. Instead, the males grow a […]
Free-tailed funnel cloud (reprint from June 2011)
When Doppler radar first arrived in the area known affectionately to Texans as the Hill Country, the local television station meteorologists were understandably eager to show off the weather forecasting capabilities of their newest toy. Unfortunately, they got off to a less than impressive start. Night after night that summer, evening thunderstorms were forecast but […]