Musically inclined mice inflate their throats like balloons to sing their whistling tunes. The rodential aria is produced by inflatable air sacs in the mice’s airway, researchers report May 6…
Category: Animals
Cows’ methane burps may be fueled by a newfound organelle in gut microbes
A newly discovered organelle may hold the key to how much methane cattle burp out. The organelle doesn’t belong to cows. It’s part of fuzzy single-celled protozoa called ciliates. The…
Giant, kraken-like octopuses may have ruled the Cretaceous deep
The kraken — a gigantic, tentacled sea monster capable of dragging ships and sailors down into the depths — is a creature of Norwegian myth. But millions of years ago,…
Sweat bees turn a greenish color in muggy weather
When the weather gets muggy, iridescent bees shift their metallic hue. The insects are a rich blue-green when ambient humidity is low. But as the amount of moisture in the…
Got pesky, invasive corals? Blast ‘em away with air guns
Invasive corals are getting blown out of the water — with undersea air guns. While corals around the world are dying in vast numbers due to ocean acidification, climate change,…
This kea parrot is the first-known disabled alpha male
A parrot missing half his beak is top bird at New Zealand’s Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. The parrot, named Bruce, wins every fight with other kea parrots and gets priority access…
An endangered mouse may need a helping hand to adapt to climate change
A tiny mouse on the brink of extinction in coastal California may be able to adapt to a hotter world — though it might need a little help. Genetic analyses of critically…
Treetop toilets may act as communication hubs across mammal species
When a human has a sudden need to take a number two, they might seek out a public bathroom. When mammals in the cloud forests of Costa Rica need to…
New mutations help the H5N1 bird flu virus infect cows but not people
H5N1 bird flu viruses have acquired a molecular trick that makes them more easily infect mammary glands in cattle, but this adaptation does not appear to affect humans. To infect…
AI and tech advances may soon enable talking with animals
In the animated movie Up, a boisterous dog wears an electronic collar that translates his doggy thoughts into English words. “My master made me this collar,” he tells his new…
