A novel hormone analysis provides a viable way of measuring the duration and effects of fishing gear entanglement on endangered North Atlantic right whales. This forensic technique for analyzing stress responses can also provide information on fasting periods and physical stress in whales. Published in open-access journal Frontiers in Marine Science, the technique can be...
What does the future hold for the children of the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil?
Zika virus is an arbovirus mainly transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito but it can also be transmitted by sexual contact and blood transfusion. Adult patients infected by Zika usually present only mild symptoms such as rashes, conjunctivitis, arthralgia and mild fever that last a few days.
However, the outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil in...
Scientists stunned by decline of birds during epic Southern African roadtrip
A two year project to repeat a famous bird survey by driving over 20, 000km in a 4x4 across Botswana has confirmed researchers' fears: many birds of prey are fast disappearing from one of Africa's last great wilderness areas.
Reported sightings of iconic species of eagle and vulture declined by as much as 80% compared with...
Female bats judge a singer by his song
Female lesser short-tailed bats can size up a potential mate just from his singing. A new study in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology shows that the New Zealand bat species Mystacina tuberculata relies on singing as a primary method of courtship, and the complex signals given out by males allow females to assess the...
You talking to me? Scientists try to unravel the mystery of 'animal conversations'
African elephants like to rumble, naked mole rats trade soft chirps, while fireflies alternate flashes in courtship dialogues.
Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of 'animal conversations'.
An international team of academics undertook a large-scale review of research into turn-taking behaviour in animal communication, analysing hundreds of animal studies.
Turn-taking, the orderly exchange of communicative signals, is...
Dogs prefer to eat fat, and cats surprisingly tend toward carbs
Dogs gravitate toward high-fat food, but cats pounce on carbohydrates with even greater enthusiasm, according to research into the dietary habits of America's two most popular pets.
The study sheds new light on optimal nutrition for the animals and refutes a common notion that cats want and need a protein-heavy regimen.
Findings were published this month in...