Scientists compared the genomes of common vampire bats to those of 26 other bat species and discovered 13 genes in vampire bats that are either absent or no longer function. Those gene changes allowed them adapt to a blood diet high in iron and protein but low in fats and carbohydrates over time, according to […]
Tag: frogs
Too many of our wildlife species are critically endangered and approaching extinction
Elephants, tigers, and rhinos may come to mind when you think about endangered species. While there are hundreds of species around the world that are on the verge of extinction and need our help, there are numerous animals in our own country which are experiencing population declines. Learning about these creatures is crucial to assisting […]
A video of an overweight tree frog has gone viral, highlighting the cruelty in the reptile pet trade
There are numerous reasons to adopt rather than buy an animal, and one of the most important is animal cruelty in the pet trade. Many consumers in the United States go into legitimate pet businesses to buy an animal, entirely unaware that the pet store may be supporting the illegal wildlife trafficking and other unethical […]
How Climate Change and Road Salt Pollution are Endangering Frogs
Researchers believe that climate change may be affecting how frogs can withstand road salt pollution. The rising temperatures due to climate change could begin to lure out spring-breeding frogs, causing them to mate and lay their eggs too early, right before the worst of winter. This would throw off their entire life cycle, as the […]
Dead, shrivelled frogs are turning up across eastern Australia. What’s going on?
Over the past few weeks, we’ve received a flurry of emails from concerned people who’ve seen sick and dead frogs across eastern Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. One person wrote: “About a month ago, I noticed the Green Tree Frogs living around our home showing signs of lethargy & ill health. I was devastated […]
Slash-and-burn farming eats away at a Madagascar haven for endangered lemurs, frogs
Deforestation is so rampant throughout Madagascar, an island far larger than California, that it’s easy to forget the impact of tree clearance in any one specific area of the country — the lemurs that lose their habitats, the orchids that no longer bloom, the people whose land becomes barren. But recent activity in the Ankeniheny-Zahamena […]
Electronic ears listen to poachers in a key Central American jaguar habitat
A gunshot explodes through the rainforest, followed by what sounds like branches falling from a tree. A dog barks. “Tito, did I hit it?” a man asks his companion in Spanish. “Oh yes, I did hit it. Look, there is blood dripping. I shot it from over there.” These sounds were recorded on an […]
Gone fishing: the fight to save one of the world’s most elusive wild cats
For more than a decade, wildlife biologist Tiasa Adhya has spent many a day (and night) in a small wooden boat, silently gliding through dense vegetation in the wetlands and mangroves of West Bengal, scanning the banks for signs of a rarely seen wild cat – the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus). “Fishing cats are fascinating […]