This Wild Life

knowledge: News from Around the Web 2/3/12-2/10/12

2012-02-03T23:03:48+00:00

Kakapo Deaths
Research has its downside. Sandra, one of 150 wild kakapos has died as a result the research intended to save the species. The world’s heaviest and only flightless parrots, kakapos are so rare that the team from the Kakapo Recovery Project knows each one by name including Sandra a resident of Stewart Island since her hatching in 1992. Read more about this story at the Otago Daily Times Online Edition.

New Birth
While the Southern Hemisphere is busy with summer activities, here in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re all about winter. Two weeks ago, a fiber-optic camera captured the birth of two black bear cubs in a den beneath an upturned sugar maple in northern Maine. Read more and see the video at Wired Science.

Upside-down Geese in Flight
Amateur videographers captured slow motion video of geese in flight whiffling—twisting their necks to flip their bodies upside down, while keeping their heads upright. Read more and see the video at New Scientist TV.

Shaaaaaarks!
Most of the earth is made up of the ocean, yet we know very little about this resource that is the source of much of our food, our recreation, and our weather. Learn some fun facts about catch limits and sharks at One World One Ocean.

knowledge: News from Around the Web 1/16/12-1/22/12

2012-01-16T19:34:08+00:00

A Kindness Hormone?
Is kindness a matter of chemistry and biology? A new study provides information about the possible answer.

Human-Led Crane Migration Resumes
How do cranes raised in captivity learn to migrate? This story highlights a person who wears a bird suit and shows us (and the cranes) the answer. Grounded before the New Year, the pilot and his flock are once again airborne.

Town Food-Independent by 2018
A town in England has made a declaration of food independence by 2018. Step-by-step, village residents learn to grow their own food. Unexpected changes in community behavior multiply their harvest.

knowledge: News From Around the Web 2/28/11-3/6/11

2011-03-04T17:00:37+00:00

Eight Animals Thought to Predict the Weather
Forget that weather forecast app on your smartphone. Just take a look around, and based off of these animals’ behavior, you might be able to predict the next later winter/early spring storm.

Male Monkeys Shower in Their Own Urine
There have been a number of theories as to why male monkeys rub their urine into their fur, from regulating body temperature to communicating aggression. Based off of brain scans of female capuchin monkeys, scientists discovered that the male urine activated the parts of the females’ brains associated with smell and sexual behavior. Could the males’ urine be sending out sex signals? Read more about monkey urine here.

Eastern Cougar Confirmed to be Extinct
The Fish and Wildlife Service have recently closed the book on the Eastern Cougar, concluding that they are, in fact, extinct and should be removed from the endangered species list. They have been on the endangered species list since 1973. Learn more about this North American puma here and here.

knowledge: The How-Fleas-Jump-Mystery Solved!

2011-03-04T16:58:41+00:00

You can finally rest easy knowing exactly how fleas propel themselves from your dog to your cat to your ankle and back! Spoiler: they use their toes.

You can read more about this great debate here.

knowledge: Bomb-Detecting Plants

2011-03-04T16:58:18+00:00

Biologists at Colorado State University have found a way to train plants to detect environmental pollutants and explosives; these trained plants lose their green upon detection. Read more here.

knowledge: RIP: One of Nation’s Oldest Bald Eagles Dies

2011-03-04T16:56:58+00:00

A 25 year old Kodiak Island bald eagle died last month from electrocution when he landed on the crossbar of a utility pole. The deceased was identified by a leg band dating back to July 1989 as part of research project into possible health damage from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which had occurred on March 24 that year. An older female, she was the second-oldest bald eagle documented in Alaska and one of the oldest in the country. You can read about her passing here.

knowledge: Number of Genes Not Related to Animal Size

2011-02-18T21:39:08+00:00

Scientists at Indiana University Bloomington and U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute have found that the water flea has a gene count 30% greater than humans. In addition, to having an astoundingly high gene count, more than 1/3 have never been seen before in other animals. Check out more about the water flea’s genes here.

knowledge: Deadly Black Widow is… a Lazy Glutton

2011-02-18T21:38:18+00:00

Researchers have discovered that the Black Widow spider will kill food it doesn’t need and leave food uneaten, which, according to scientists, is actually “strange to see in animals, because hunting involves spending energy, risking injury and killing prey that might be needed later.” Read more about these couch potatoes here.

knowledge: Happy Valentine’s Day: Unusual Insect Mating Rituals

2011-02-18T21:37:15+00:00

Here are the courting habits of seven different insects and arachnids. <3

Photo credit: Shannon McKown

knowledge: NASA Satellite Captures Images of US’s Largest Winter Storm in 60 Years

2011-02-11T21:27:42+00:00

Still affecting 30 U.S. states, from Texas and the Rockies to the New England states, is the largest winter storm since the 1950s. With 60% of the nation covered in snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain, NASA satellites have captured images of what those in the media have dubbed “Snowpocalypse 2011.” Click here to view these incredible images.

Icestorm in Indiana, 2011. Photo credit: Dawn Jenks