Do Elephants Have Mommy Issues Too?
Elephants are very social animals, and just like humans, they benefit from close attachments to their families. But what happens when a baby elephant is born and raised inside a zoo?
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Animal behavior
Boredom Will Be the Death of Me: The Power of Animal Enrichment in Big Cat Conservation
Zoos and rehabilitation centers play vital roles in big cat conservation efforts, serving as research centers and rescue facilities that contribute to both captive and wild conservation strategies. Animal enrichment is integral to the daily care of captive animals, stimulating cognitive abilities, encouraging natural behaviors, and enhancing overall welfare, thus aiding in conservation efforts. A recent study evaluated biological factors such as sociality and body weight, as well as husbandry factors like group size and enrichment provision, in relation to zoo animal welfare indicators such as playtime and engagement with the environment. The study found that animal enrichment, rather than biological factors, significantly reduces stereotypical anxious behavior, increases activity, and promotes interaction with the environment, thereby enhancing the animals’ quality of life.
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Hive Minds: Bumblebees Collaborate to Learn Complex Behaviors
In a groundbreaking discovery, bumblebees have been shown to have a more sophisticated social culture than previously known. Bees could learn to solve a challenging puzzle through social interaction, demonstrating their ability to learn new and complex behaviors beyond their individual cognitive abilities. This study suggests that advanced social learning is not unique to humans, and encourages further exploration of collaboration and culture in the animal kingdom.
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Need to Build a Bubble Machine? Get Help From a Pistol Shrimp!
Featured Image Caption: Pistol shrimp and goby fish make great roommates. The pistol shrimp has poor eye sight, but can
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Shh! How Do Body Scales Protect Larger Moths from Echolocation?
Most of us have heard of camouflage, but what about acoustic camouflage? Moth scales may interfere with bats’ echolocation, helping to keep moths hidden from predators.
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How Can Pesticides Affect the Development of Aquatic Life?
Agriculture uses pesticides to maintain continuous food production. But what is the effect of these chemicals on aquatic animals? With this in mind, researchers from Brazil collaborated to study the effect of one of the most used pesticides in the country on zebrafish.
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Climbing to Survive: Ants in the Rainforest Canopy May Be Resistant to Effects of Climate Change
Climate doesn’t just change across different biomes – even a single tree can have multiple climates. How do the canopy and forest floor differ in their climate, and how does this impact species at these locations?
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These Bat Teeth Were Made for Chompin’: An Evolutionary History of Bat Teeth
Featured Image Caption: Bats like the Honduran White Bat (Ectophylla alba) pictured above eat fruits, primarily figs, using their short
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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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Plastic Pollution Drives Crabs Crabby
Differing types of plastic may affect certain wetland species more than others.
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