New research has revealed a deadly disease that threatens the survival of the world's frogs originated from East Asia, and global trade was almost certainly responsible for the disease's spread.
The frog chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) has long been identified as a cause of the decline and extinction of species of amphibians across several continents since...
'Bisexual' beetles are simply inept, new study finds
Same sex mating behaviour amongst male insects is much more likely to be due to incompetence, than sexual preference, male-male competition or evolutionary motivation -- according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
This type of behaviour is well-recognised, but paradoxical in the animal world. It carries all the costs of time and energy,...
Rapid evolution fails to save butterflies from extinction in face of human-induced change
The evolution of wild species, adapting them to human management practices, can cause localised extinctions when those practices rapidly change. And in a new study published in Nature, Professors Michael C. Singer and Camille Parmesan have used more than 30 years of research to fully document an example of this process.
A large, isolated population of...
Climate change may even threaten one of the world's most resilient lizards
Sporting a bright red-and-yellow dewlap under its chin, the color-changing Bahamian anole lizard is a popular exotic pet. This wily anole has escaped captivity on enough occasions to successfully invade large areas across the Western Hemisphere. At first glance, this suggests that the anole is well-suited to adapt to a changing climate. But a new...
Brood parasitism in fish
There are other animals besides the cuckoo who smuggle their offspring into another animal's nest. The synodontis multipunctatus, which occurs in Lake Tanganyika in Africa and is better known as cuckoo catfish, is just as cunning as the cuckoo is. Just like the bird, this savvy parasite manages to place its eggs among those of...
Don’t be afraid to reach out to colleagues, say BVA and Vetlife
