Even for the world’s largest carnivorous bat, a hug is the best hello. Spectral bats are far more cooperative than researchers long assumed, routinely greeting one another with wing wraps…
Category: Animals
Streaked shearwaters poop only while flying over the ocean
This seabird poops on the fly. Streaked shearwaters, oceanic birds that spend much of their time out on the open Pacific Ocean, defecate almost exclusively in the air, researchers report…
A single protein makes lovesick flies spill their guts
Vomiting up a droplet of sugar might not seem like the most romantic gesture from a potential suitor. But for one fly species, males that spill their guts are quite…
Warm autumns could be a driver in monarch butterflies’ decline
Toastier fall weather might cause migrating monarch butterflies to wing it and change their flight plans, starting the countdown toward death. Eastern monarchs captured during their autumn migration and exposed…
Squashing the spotted lanternfly problem may require enlisting other species
A beautiful menace is on the move in the United States. Polka-dotted, red-and-gray-winged insects are gliding along sidewalks, climbing on plants and crawling up buildings. Spotted youngsters are leaping away…
This snail may hold a secret to human eye regeneration
A snail may hold the key to restoring vision for people with some eye diseases. Golden apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata) are freshwater snails from South America. Alice Accorsi became familiar…
The mystery of melting sea stars may finally be solved
A mysterious disease has been turning sea stars into goo since 2013. Now, there’s a leading suspect behind the killings — a bacterium called Vibrio pectenicida, researchers report August 4 in Nature Ecology &…
Some probiotics could feed, rather than fend off, infections
Probiotics aren’t universally gut-friendly, a study in mice suggests. At least one type of usually beneficial gut bacteria may invite an unwanted guest. A single dose of Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria,…
Some killer whales hunt in pairs to maximize their bounty
Grabbing a meal with a friend is way better than dining solo — and killer whales agree. The whales prefer to hunt for herring in pairs, researchers report July 3…
This desert beetle runs to cool off
In the hot dunes of Southern Africa’s Namib Desert, the black beetle Onymacris plana runs fast for its tiny size. Turns out, the speed not only helps the beetles find…
