80 critically endangered spotted tree frogs are leaping back into the wild in NSW two years after the 2019-20 summer bushfires nearly wiped out the species. “Despite all the challenges this species has suffered, releasing these 80 spotted tree frogs back into the wild is a reminder to have optimism about the conservation work we’re […]
Tag: invertebrates
Reintroducing sea otters can be beneficial to marine ecosystems
According to a recent analysis, returning sea otters to the Oregon coast is viable and beneficial to the state’s marine ecosystem if optimum reintroduction policies are followed. However, the voracious appetites of sea otters for particular crustaceans may have “insignificant” effects on local fisheries. Sea otters have a disproportionate impact on the ecosystems in which […]
Komodo dragon in danger of extinction as sea levels rise
The komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard, is threatened with extinction as rising water levels driven by the climate crisis shrink its habitat, according to the latest “red list” update. Endemic to a handful of Indonesian islands, the komodo dragon lives on the edge of forest or in open savannah, rarely venturing higher than 700 […]
What you should NEVER feed hedgehogs – three top tips to helping wildlife
HEDGEHOGS are popular visitors to your garden with as many as 10 visiting a garden over several nights, so if you want to feed these friendly creatures what should you avoid? Hedgehogs are widespread throughout England and Wales. They prey on invertebrates and are known to eat amphibians, small rodents and birds. They eat several […]
POLL: Animals are sentient beings. Should the boiling of live lobsters be banned?
Boiling lobsters alive will be banned under plans being drawn up by the government. Ministers are planning to strengthen the welfare rights of crustaceans and molluscs in the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, which is currently making its way through the House of Lords. The Bill only covers vertebrates – animals with a backbone – but, […]
New Evidence Suggests Octopuses Are Capable of Emotional Pain
Evidence from a new study suggests that octopuses experience pain emotionally, in addition, to physically; meaning that these intelligent sea creatures process pain similarly to how mammals do. While many invertebrates demonstrate a reflex response to physical stimuli, the ability to truly experience “pain” involves the emotional components of suffering and distress in addition to […]
New long-horned beetle discovered in China
Recent expeditions by the Chinese Academy of Science’s Institute of Zoology to the Yunnan Province of China have uncovered the existence of a new species of long-horned beetle. This newly discovered beetle has a beautifully colored blue-green body with short, slender, and distinctively blue legs according to a new article in Zookeys. There are over […]
New pirate ant uses sickle-shaped mandibles to decimate rivals
A new species of ant has recently been discovered in the Hortarium of the Los Baños University in the Philippines. Scientists named it the pirate ant (Cardiocondyla pirata) due to the female’s unique pigmentation pattern: a distinctive stripe across the eyes that resembles a pirates’ eye-patch. The pirate ant belongs to a genus Cardiocondyla that […]