Mimicry can be found everywhere you look, or listen, in the natural world. Many species copy the signals or cues of others in order to gain advantages. Scientists continue to be fascinated by the study of these evolutionary adaptations that were first described in the 19th century. What is honest mimicry? In honest mimicry, two […]
Tag: butterflies
Wildlife Crossings: A Win-Win for Wildlife and Drivers
Who hasn’t seen an animal on the side of the road, struck by a vehicle? Collisions with vehicles are a leading cause of mortality for various species and are the result of the fragmentation of wildlife habitats. Roads and other infrastructures impede animals’ movement and ecological connectivity. Animals depend on this connectivity in their habitats […]
Beautiful Tortoiseshell Butterfly Recolonizes England Decades After Elm Disease Had Eliminated it
The butterfly-mad British are celebrating what seems to be a permanent return of this large and spectacular species after Dutch elm disease killed it off from the island. Unlike the small tortoiseshell butterfly, the large tortoiseshell butterfly hasn’t been a resident of the UK since the 1960s, but after several years of continuous widespread sightings, […]
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 […]
As forests are cut down, butterflies are losing their colours
The world is becoming less colourful. For butterflies, bold and bright wings once meant survival, helping them attract mates and hide from prey. But a new research project suggests that as humans replace rich tropical forests with monochrome, the colour of other creatures is leaching away. “The colours on a butterfly’s wings are not trivial […]
Scientists to attempt to rear swallowtail butterflies from eggs frozen in nitrogen
Researchers are to attempt to rear swallowtail butterflies from eggs frozen in liquid nitrogen in a test to see whether cryopreservation could support the long-term conservation of Britain’s largest native species. In a groundbreaking project, researchers will freeze eggs of captive-bred European swallowtails in liquid nitrogen at -196C and attempt to rear butterflies from the […]
How Close Are Manatees to Extinction?
The Indian River Lagoon, a long braid of brackish mangroves and shifting islands, runs along Florida’s Atlantic coast. It is home to 4,300 species, including many of the state’s remaining manatees, whose large, paddle-tailed bodies graze slowly through the shallows. For decades, the lagoon has also been a destination for Florida’s municipal sewage. State law […]
Conservationist Hail Recovery of 150 Struggling Species Thanks to Projects by Natural England
Two years ago, the UK government gave roughly $15 million to its own conservation organ called Natural England for the purpose of preventing species decline. Now, its report card has arrived, and its A+ work has seen the recovery of 150 struggling or declining species. Natural England used the money to fund 63 projects involving […]