Did you know there’s a rat poisonous enough to kill an elephant? Lophiomys imhausi, also known as the crested rat, the maned rat, and the African crested rat, is a deadly rarity says Aoife Glass. The crested rat is the only known poisonous rodent, and the only known mammal to sequester plant toxins for use as […]
Tag: Caracal
Experts looked inside Cape Town’s largest predator. What they found has them worried
Most of Cape Town’s caracals have rat poison in their bodies. The discovery, reported in Environmental Pollution, raises concerns about the hidden effects of rodent control on wildlife, and calls for tighter regulation of these chemicals. Caracals are wild cats native to Africa and parts of the Middle East and Asia, instantly recognisable by their long, tufted ears. The […]
Social Media Could Boost Wildlife Conservation Efforts for Small Mammal Species, Experts Say
Photos of wildlife on social media have the power to boost conservation by depicting predators not only as beautiful, but as similar to domestic pets. A new study has found that, through their millions of followers, Instagram and Facebook can steer public engagement and awareness toward support for predators like wildcats, who are sometimes shot […]
Inbreeding adds to growing threats to Africa’s smallest wildcat, study finds
Populations of the black-footed cat, a little-known feline in Southern Africa, have been declining for the last half a million years and exhibit very high degrees of inbreeding. This could increase their risk of a disease called amyloidosis, according to a new genetic study. “Frequently genomic studies focus on large charismatic cats so that small […]
Wild Caracal Captured in Chicago Suburb
Residents of Hoffman Estates, a suburb northwest of Chicago, were startled by the sight of a wild cat roaming their neighborhood. After being spotted multiple times, local authorities managed to capture the elusive animal on Tuesday. Using a pole with a cord, they were able to lasso the caracal from under a resident’s deck. The […]
Ridiculously rare photo catches Asian caracal swimming a river in India
If you’ve ever thought of the caracal before, you’ve probably pictured it inhabiting the savannas of Africa, its long-fringed ears sticking up above the wild grasses. But although the caracal (Caracal caracal) is best known from its African habitats, a tiny population persists in India. It’s here, on the Chambal River, that a tourist, Vaibhav […]