Snow leopards are no longer officially an endangered species — but that doesn’t mean the cat is out of the woods yet. Scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which maintains a “red list” of endangered species around the globe, recently reclassified the leopard species as “vulnerable,” because there are actually more snow […] More
And you thought raising human newborns was tough! Across Europe, Africa and Asia, Stegodyphus spiders reproduce in large nests that are home to a number of spider families. Among them, one species native to South Africa, Stegodyphus dumicola, feed their young in a pretty gruesome way. As females take longer to mature than males, only about 40 percent of the females reproduce. […] More
Millions of donkeys across the world are being killed to fuel the demand for a traditional remedy in China. The donkey skin remedy, named ejiao, is produced by boiling down the skin to obtain gelatin, which many of its buyers believe can treat blood conditions and promote general health. When not used to remedy blood disorders, […] More
The controversial practice of hunting and killing animals for sport has long outraged conservationists and animal lovers. But a ban on commercial hunting may do more harm than good, says one activist. Speaking at a TEDx Copenhagen event, conservationist Mikkel Legerth who co-created the Modisa Wildlife Project in Botswana, claimed that the country’s ban on […] More
Twenty-five percent of primates in Uganda’s Kibale National Park have a severe physical deformity of some kind, and researchers believe pesticides are to blame. Researchers working in the northern area of the park noticed that chimpanzees and baboons in the region had flattened noses, cleft lip, abnormal or absent nostrils, patchy fur, and concave faces. […] More
This rare beauty was pulled from a lobster trap off the coast of Maine. The lobsterman, being a responsible ocean steward, threw the animal back after realizing it was an egg-producing female. The lobsterman, Alex Todd, is a 10th-generation commercial fisherman from Chebeague Island. Todd shared the picture with the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association. They explained: “A normal […] More
Image: Twitter/@FBCSO Gator Country, a Texas alligator sanctuary that houses 350 gators, remains on high alert as floodwaters rise to the tops of containment fences. The owner, Gary Saurage, told local station KFDM on Monday, “We’re less than a foot from going over the fences. All of these are certified high fences, but look ― […] More
70M year old dinosaur skeleton has been found in Tanzania! Shingopana (Swahili – wide neck) Songwensis. Glad they gave it an African name ❤️ pic.twitter.com/bcvvv4iDAr — Ulrich J van Vuuren (@UlrichJvV) August 29, 2017 A new species of titanosaur has been unveiled in southwest Tanzania. The titanosaur, named Shingopana songwensis, existed in the Cretacious Period — some […] More
Researchers discovered an incredibly unusual frog in the mountains of India in 2017. The amphibian, which boasts shiny purple skin, a pointy “pig-nose,” and a blue ring around its eyes, was found in the Western Ghat Mountains. The new species has been named Bhupathy’s purple frog (Nasikabatrachus bhupathi) in honor of Dr. Sabrumaniam Bhupathy, a herpetologist […] More
Predators will start becoming even fiercer as global temperatures rise, says a study that looked at how warmer conditions could affect diversity and competition between species. According to a paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, warmer temperatures could cause ravenous animals to wipe out smaller prey, upsetting the delicate ecological balance of […] More
Lion researchers in Botswana have happened upon quite a spectacular group of lions. Five lionesses in the region have grown manes and are exhibiting very male-like behavior, such as mounting other females, marking territory, and roaring. While females do sometimes roar, these particular individuals are roaring on a regular basis which is something that the […] More
This is not your average lake. Lake Hillier, a pink (salty!) lake on the coast of Western Australia, is still a bit of mystery to science. The reason for the unique coloring of the water is still not fully understood by experts, but most believe that the water gets its hue from the presence of a certain type […] More
