One man’s trash is a common coot’s treasure, at least when it comes to plastic. In Amsterdam, the birds have been constructing nests out of plastic food wrappers, masks and…
Category: Animals
Hammerhead sharks’ diets may affect if they roam or stay home
Great hammerhead sharks are known for their long migrations, but scientists have now discovered that some individuals in the Bahamas instead spend all year snacking without leaving their plentiful and…
Gray seals may sense their own blood oxygen levels
The seals’ ability to detect the amount of oxygen in their blood may help them make diving decisions and avoid drowning.
Stinky penguin poop strikes fear into the hearts of Antarctic krill
The foul stench of penguin poop sets Antarctic krill on edge. In lab experiments, the mere scent of penguin droppings — or guano — sent krill scrambling for escape, researchers…
Some of Sydney’s koalas are chlamydia-free, but still at risk
Some of Sydney’s koalas are facing an uncompromising dilemma. The koalas living in one corner of Australia’s largest city are perilously inbred, researchers report February 26 in Conservation Genetics. But…
The mystery of how iguanas crossed the Pacific Ocean may be solved
Scaly sailors may have made a record-setting oceanic voyage. Tens of millions of years ago, iguanas in North America floated across the Pacific Ocean. Clinging to vegetation washed into the…
Narwhals may use their iconic tusks to play
Videos show narwhals using their tusks in several ways, including prodding and flipping a fish. It’s the first reported evidence of the whales playing.
Dolphins and humans team up to catch fish in Brazil
Many hands make light work. Or, in the case of cooperative interspecies foraging in southern Brazil, flippers and hands catch more fish together. Dolphins and humans have hunted mullet together…
Some sea turtles are laying eggs earlier in response to climate change
Green sea turtles are adjusting their nesting habits in response to rising global temperatures. Individual females are laying their eggs earlier in the season to cope with warmer conditions, researchers…
How a Labrador retriever’s genes might affect the dog’s obesity risk
Labrador retriever owners are likely familiar with how persistent their dogs can be in their quest for food, whether begging under the dinner table or stealing a snack left unattended.…
