Aphrastura is a small genus of terrestrial passerine birds in the ovenbird family Furnariidae. Commonly known as rayaditos, these birds are endemic to southwestern South America. Aphrastura includes two previously-known species: the thorn-tailed rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) and the Masafuera rayadito (Aphrastura masafuerae). The former species inhabits the temperate forest biome of the South American continent, […]
Tag: temperate forests
Red Panda is Being Driven Closer to Extinction, New Study Shows
Using GPS telemetry, scientists from the University of Queensland, the University of Southern Queensland and the Red Panda Network have monitored 10 red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) and documented disturbances using camera trapping for 12 months in eastern Nepal. They’ve found that human impact is causing the mammal to restrict its movements which is further fragmenting […]
Secrets of California’s skydiving salamanders revealed by researchers
A new study is shedding fresh light into the incredible world of California’s temperate forests, and the daring survival techniques of one of its inhabitants: parachuting salamanders. The study, published on Monday in the journal Current Biology, shows how salamanders living in the canopy are able to parachute consistently, slowing their speed and controlling their […]
New maps show where humans are pushing species closer to extinction
Animals around the globe are losing ground to farming and ranching, and their numbers are dwindling at the hands of human hunters. But the question of where to direct precious resources to protect that biodiversity remains vexing. This week, a team of researchers published a new study with the potential to aid that calculus, for […]
Snowy tigers and giant owls: conservation against the odds in Russia’s Far East
The Russian Far East is one of the wildest places on Earth: where giant tigers roam snow-covered forests and the world’s biggest owls stalk frozen rivers. Bordering northern China and North Korea, the forests of Primorye are known for the diversity of habitats, including coastal forests along the Sea of Japan, vast coniferous forests in […]