animals

Stories 21 - 40 | << Prev   Next >>

Hundreds of Animal Species Hit by 'Catastrophic' Flu Strain

Elephant seals, seabirds, and now a polar bear—could humans be hit hard next with H5N1?

(Newser) - "It is catastrophic ... the largest die-off for the species, period." That's how Martin Mendez, a marine biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, describes to the Washington Post the fate of hundreds of elephant seals last fall in Argentina, found dead along the shore of the Valdes Peninsula....

'True Miracle' Arrives at Animal Shelter for the Holidays

Pennsylvania-based SPCA announces it has no more dogs at facility, for first time in 47 years

(Newser) - In what staff is calling a "true miracle," a Pennsylvania animal shelter has some good news for Christmas: Before the long holiday weekend, it had a grand total of zero dogs housed within its walls. CNN reports on the impressive accomplishment of the Adams County SPCA, which noted...

Honk for These New Prison Guards in Brazil

Vigilant geese replace dogs at the Penitentiary Complex near Florianopolis

(Newser) - Who needs guard dogs when you have guard geese? Perhaps not as intimidating as a dog with bared teeth, a gaggle of the vigilant, honking birds have replaced canines as guards at a prison in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina, Reuters reports. "We have electronic surveillance, in-person...

Drought Kills at Least 100 Elephants
Drought Kills
at Least 100
Elephants
Dec 19, 2023 12:00 PM CST

Drought Kills at Least 100 Elephants

El Nino blamed for lack of water killing pachyderms in recent weeks in Zimbabwe's largest national park

(Newser) - At least 100 elephants have died in Zimbabwe's largest national park in recent weeks because of drought, their carcasses a grisly sign of what wildlife authorities and conservation groups say is the impact of climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon. Authorities warn that more could die as...

Man Films Bat Sex in Church, Makes Surprise Discovery
Man Films Bat Sex in Church,
Makes Surprise Discovery
in case you missed it
Nov 25, 2023 2:15 PM CST

Man Films Bat Sex in Church, Makes Surprise Discovery

Serotine bat thought to be only known mammal to have sex without penetration

(Newser) - There was a lot of sex happening in the church attic—but without humans and, weirdly, without penetration. Indeed, as scientists describe in a new study, it was the first time a mammal—specifically, the serotine bat native to Europe and Asia—was documented reproducing without penetrative sex. Scientists had...

Uber-Rare Lobster Becomes a TikTok Star
This Is One
Wildly Unique Lobster
Nov 20, 2023 9:09 AM CST

This Is One Wildly Unique Lobster

Split-color, split-sex Maine lobster now dubbed 'Bowie'

(Newser) - As a fifth-generation lobsterman, Jacob Knowles has seen his fair share of crustaceans. However, one half-orange, half-blue lobster recently caught his eye—and those of his millions of social media followers, per Boston 25 . As Knowles explains in a TikTok video , "it's probably one of the rarest lobsters...

No One Knows Why Dogs Are Contracting Mystery Illness

Veterinary laboratories are looking into canine respiratory sickness popping up in multiple states

(Newser) - Veterinary laboratories in several states are investigating an unusual respiratory illness in dogs and encouraging people to take basic precautions to keep their pets healthy as veterinarians try to pin down what's making the animals sick. Oregon, Colorado, and New Hampshire are among the states that have seen cases...

These Animals Are Tearing Up a Luxury Golf Course

Social media users complain of lost habitats as Arizona's Seven Canyons battles piglike javelinas

(Newser) - Seven Canyons is a 200-acre private golf course ranked among the top 25 courses in Arizona by Golf Digest . But the luxury course in Sedona is looking a little worse for wear as of late, with what the Guardian describes as "a sprawling patchwork of oversized divots that would...

21 Species Off Endangered List—Because They're Extinct

US Fish and Wildlife Service pulls 10 bird species, 8 types of mussels, 2 fish, 1 fruit bat

(Newser) - Twenty-one animals have been removed from the Endangered Species Act because, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, they're not endangered—they're extinct. The majority of the species—10 types of birds, eight types of mussels, two species of fish, and one type of bat—were listed...

Faced With Unwanted Mating, Female Frogs Fake Death
Faced With Unwanted Mating,
Female Frogs Fake Death
NEW STUDY
Oct 13, 2023 10:37 AM CDT

Faced With Unwanted Mating, Female Frogs Fake Death

'Surprising' behavior thought to help females escape from potentially deadly 'mating balls'

(Newser) - European common frogs often mate in what's called a "mating ball." In an attempt to reproduce, males seek out and cling to outnumbered females, even those already singled out by other males, in a potentially deadly struggle. As Science reports, females risk injury or drowning if unable...

There's Evolutionary Advantage to Homosexuality in Mammals

Researchers argue it's adaptive, aiding social cohesion and reducing conflict

(Newser) - The case has been made that sexual behavior between those of the same sex is "non-adaptive," meaning there is no evolutionary advantage. That's not true, according to new research that finds the behavior, witnessed across at least 1,500 animal species from crickets to dolphins to deer,...

For Gators on Golf Courses, Diet Is a Bit of a Challenge

Instead of crustaceans, maybe a cat, some canned corn, and a cheeseburger with fries

(Newser) - Golf courses, with their green space and ponds, have been shown to benefit wildlife when compared with other human-altered landscapes. But as Advanced Science News points out, previous studies looked at the abundance and diversity of animals on golf courses rather than the relationships between animals. Now, a new study...

Cat-Sized Koala Could Be Marsupials&#39; Missing Link
There Was No Record
of Koalas Here. Until Now
NEW STUDY
Sep 14, 2023 12:20 PM CDT

There Was No Record of Koalas Here. Until Now

Cat-sized 'Lumakoala' could be marsupials' missing link in Australia's Northern Territory

(Newser) - The modern koala is a well-known and well-loved marsupial, but researchers know surprisingly little about its evolution. Indeed, they describe an "approximately 30-million-year-gap" in the fossil record of Australian marsupials, or diprotodontians, a group including kangaroos, wallabies, and wombats. That gap may be closing, however. Researchers say they've...

Unique Spotless Giraffe Gets a Fitting Name

She's dubbed Kipekee, which means 'unique' in Swahili

(Newser) - The rare spotless giraffe born at a Tennessee zoo now has a fitting name. After an online vote, the baby giraffe was named Kipekee, which means "unique" in Swahili. Some 40,000 people from around the world weighed in, chosing Kipekee over Firyali ("unusual" or "extraordinary"),...

Zoo Accused of Being 'One of the Worst' Is No More

South Carolina's Waccatee Zoo has been shuttered as part of a settlement with PETA

(Newser) - Three months ago, PETA removed nine animals from what it called "one of the worst roadside zoos in America." Now, that venue has been shut down for good. The animal rights group has reached a settlement with the Waccatee Zoo, located in South Carolina's Myrtle Beach area,...

Bear Shows Why It's Not Wise to Leave Dog Food in Car

Animal got stuck inside vehicle in Colorado, but was eventually set free

(Newser) - An unlocked vehicle is not a safe place to store food, Colorado wildlife officials warned in sharing a video of a bear that sniffed out dog food inside a pickup truck, went in after it, then locked itself inside. In a cellphone video , a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer revealed...

Croc&#39;s Virgin Birth Suggests Dinos Were Also Capable
Virgin Birth Is a First
for This Species
NEW STUDY
Jun 7, 2023 12:30 PM CDT

Virgin Birth Is a First for This Species

Parthenogenesis found in crocodile suggests that dinosaurs may have been capable as well

(Newser) - A crocodile has for the first time been found capable of a virgin birth—a finding that suggests the species' dinosaur cousins were capable of the same feat. An 18-year-old female crocodile who'd been isolated from other crocodiles since the age of 2 laid 14 eggs at a Costa...

Endangered Orcas May Have Learned to Target Boats

Is it for fun? Or is it 'based on trauma'?

(Newser) - Scientists say a small group of killer whales could be putting humans and themselves in danger by repeatedly ramming, and occasionally sinking, sailboats. Orcas interacting with boats is nothing new. But scientists say there is something different about the behavior of this group of about 15 orcas off the coast...

Here&#39;s How You Can Get a Cat to Pay Attention to You
Want a Cat to
Come to You?
Do These
2 Things
NEW STUDY
May 13, 2023 6:00 AM CDT

Want a Cat to Come to You? Do These 2 Things

Researchers find cats come up to strangers more quickly when both visual, verbal cues are used

(Newser) - A group of researchers out of France took a deep dive into "the nuances of cat-human conversation," with some expected findings and some a little more surprising. For their study published last week in the journal Animals , a research team out of Paris Nanterre University led by Charlotte...

Supreme Court Delivers a Defeat to Pork Industry

Justices reject challenge to animal cruelty law in California that has effects beyond the state

(Newser) - The Supreme Court has handed the pork industry a defeat, rejecting a challenge brought against an animal cruelty law in California. Justices decided that lower courts were correct in dismissing the challenge to the law, which requires more space for breeding pigs, reports the AP . The 2018 law stipulates that...

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