Lost in Time Zones: Pandas Experience Jet-Lag in Zoos
All animals have an internal clock, called a circadian rhythm, that helps the body know when to perform key functions
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Animal behavior
Plastic Pollution Drives Crabs Crabby
Differing types of plastic may affect certain wetland species more than others.
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The Clock is TICKing – Tick attachment may increase under climate change
Ticks are risk-takers facing a daily dilemma: stay near the damp soil or climb the grass to find a host. Choosing one means losing access to the other. Ticks use weather conditions to inform whether to climb or stay put, but climate change may alter their behavior. Life or death for the tick has huge implications for human and animal health since ticks can transfer diseases with their bite. Click the tick to find out how hotter, more humid days will affect tick behavior.
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Biologists go the distance for the safe release of migratory birds
Migrating birds have embarked on treacherous voyages for hundreds of thousands of years. Yet, habitat loss and climate change might be their biggest challenge. With many species on the brink of extinction, conservation programs aim to return and sustain wild populations of the world’s most vulnerable species. Captive breeding programs must select the fittest birds to survive such a perilous flight. Researchers find that sharper wing tips might improve survival during the first migration. There’s no time for winging it.
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Commuting to… pollinate? How bees are choosing fragmented sites to forage
Like social bees, solitary bees are important pollinators. How do they choose where to forage when their habitat is broken up?
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Springtails stick the landing as the world’s tiniest acrobats
With one powerful flick of their tail, aptly-named springtails propel themselves from water to air. Though a close relative of insects, springtails can soar at heights 16 times the length of their body. No larger than a grain of rice, springtails are leaps and bounds ahead of cats when it comes to landing on their feet. Their controlled take-off, landing, and ability to right themselves in midair is unmatched and have caught the attention of scientists. These ancient acrobats may yield key innovations for robots with controlled landing.
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Why are zebras striped? – Biting flies read between the lines
Why are zebras striped? A simple question with a seemingly complex answer. The stark black and white striped pattern has mystified scientists as to why the animal developed such coloration. Researchers have tested ideas from individual recognition to camouflage from predators. Perhaps the stripes help zebras avoid attacks from a much smaller predator. A recent study adds a piece to the puzzle, though this research poses more questions that leave the stripes an enigma.
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What’s Right with Lights at Night?
The varying effects of artificial light on the mating success of different firefly species
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How Many Ways Can You Count Wolves?
Although radio-collaring is often used to monitor wolf populations, scientists are turning their attention towards methods that do not require live-capture of animals. What are some of these options, and how do they stack up against radio-collaring?
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“Where Did the Turtles Go?”: How One Case Study Brings Perspective On How Endangered Species Populations Are Studied
Recent study highlights the unique difficulties involved in estimating the state of endangered species populations.
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