UK plans to reintroduce insects into environment: should humans be running interference?
Jan/100
It’s a long-standing debate; just how much of a role should humans be playing when it comes to the environment and their influence on the natural order of things with regards to ecosystems and the animal kingdom. There is even more controversy when humans choose to be involved to rectify species decline that have occurred as part of nature and not as a direct result of human impact. A new situation in the UK brings this debate to light.
Excerpt from:
UK plans to reintroduce insects into environment: should humans be running interference?
No More Dog and Cat Meat in China?
Jan/100
In an effort to prevent animal abuse, China is taking steps to end a centuries-old tradition. Recently proposed legislation would outlaw the human consumption or sale of cat and dog meat, often called “fragrant meat,” which is still considered a delicacy in some parts of China.
Original post:
No More Dog and Cat Meat in China?
Researchers Discover Swans May Not be as Monogamous as Thought!
Jan/100
Many bird species, like swans, are known for mating for life. They form partnerships, much like a marriage and unlike humans, tend to really stick to the notion of “’til death do us part”; which is why experts have been shocked by new swan relationships that have formed at a UK sanctuary.
View original post here:
Researchers Discover Swans May Not be as Monogamous as Thought!
Blue Whale Songs Getting Lower – Puzzling Scientists
Jan/100
The Blue whale–the largest animal ever to inhabit our planet–has been tracked by researchers since its numbers were perilously close to extinction in the 1960’s. Much of this tracking has been accomplished through underwater monitoring of whale “songs”, which are sung exclusively by male whales. These long, and fairly complex, sonic compositions are believed to be the means by which these whales attract mates. Over the past several years, the world’s blue whales have begun singing a different tune, of sorts; the frequency range of their songs has gotten significantly lower. And, this is happening, “in concert” all over the world–where ever these massive Cetacea migrate, feed, congregate and mate.
View original here:
Blue Whale Songs Getting Lower – Puzzling Scientists
California Butterflies See Big Declines from Eco Double Blow
Jan/100
The Clodius Parnassian butterfly is more common at the top of its elevation range in the California mountains than in the past.
Climate change is making things rough for many vertebrate and invertebrate species. But add to this a steady loss of habitat, and many species just can’t adapt successfully to the combined stresses.
From the coastal lowlands to the coniferous tree lines of Northern California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, scores of species of butterfly are in an existential fight for their evolutionary futures. The survival challenge seems to be most impacting those species whose preferred habitats lay in the lower elevations, but the effects are being felt further up as well, as more butterfly species are moving into higher-elevated habitats. This evolutionary struggle might have gone unnoticed but for the diligent work of one research team, lead by butterfly expert Arthur Shapiro of the University of California at Davis.
Read the rest here:
California Butterflies See Big Declines from Eco Double Blow
World Watches as Lily the Bear Gives Birth Online
Jan/100
Lily, a wild three-year-old black bear, began labor on Thursday. People around the world anxiously waited and watched for the arrival, which was shown live on the Internet. While most first-time litters include one or two cubs, after nearly 22 hours of labor, Lily gave birth to a single cub on January 22, 2010.
View original post here:
World Watches as Lily the Bear Gives Birth Online
Pigs Buried Alive for Avalanche Research!
Jan/100
In order to save human lives and study the effects of being buried in avalanches, researchers buried live pigs in snow while monitoring them as they died. The research was conducted in order to better understand the effects of oxygen deprivation from being buried in the snow as well as study the timescale of death. A total of 29 pigs were part of the two-week study.
View original post here:
Pigs Buried Alive for Avalanche Research!
Animal Slaughter Underway to Control Outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease
Jan/100
A confirmed outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in South Korea, has prompted officials to quarantine and slaughter animals to control the spread of the highly contagious viral disease.
See original here:
Animal Slaughter Underway to Control Outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease
There’s Such a Thing as Too Much Sex for Female Fruit Flies
Jan/100
Beauty comes with a price, and for fruit flies, the toll is upon their reproductive system, according to a new study. The most attractive females have compromised survival due to attention that they receive from male fruit flies.
Original post:
There’s Such a Thing as Too Much Sex for Female Fruit Flies
On the Brink of Extinction: Time is Running Out for Tigers
Jan/100
Time is running out for one of the world’s most beautiful, charismatic and powerful species, the tiger. According to conservationists, the wild tiger population has declined by 95 percent during the past century. Only 3,200 tigers, Panthera tigris, remain in the wild today.
View original post here:
On the Brink of Extinction: Time is Running Out for Tigers
Advert
