All articles tagged with #animals
A zebra finch study shows that the early-morning song isn’t random joy but a rebound from nocturnal silence: melatonin and hormones prime the birds to wake, and the return of light lets them release the stored energy in a powerful dawn chorus, a timing-based vocal warm-up pattern observed across species.
A seven‑month‑old macaque named Punch at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan was hand‑reared after his mother rejected him and has struggled to fit in with his troop, relying on an orangutan plushie for comfort as he was reintroduced in January; after online attention, he’s slowly bonding with other monkeys and even received a hug from an adult, capturing hearts online.
A USC-led study observed mice performing first-aid–like behaviors toward an unconscious cage-mate—sniffing, grooming, and face-directed actions—triggered by unresponsiveness and strengthened by oxytocin signaling; responses are stronger for familiar cage-mates, suggesting an innate caregiving tendency that could aid group survival, though it is not human CPR.
A review of 503 cannibalism reports across 207 snake species finds that cannibalistic behavior has evolved independently at least 11 times. The behavior appears across continents and contexts, often linked to environmental stress or scarce food, with many captivity cases; jaw flexibility and dietary generalism help some snakes consume conspecifics. Researchers say cannibalism can provide ecological fitness as an opportunistic feeding strategy, though much of the data are anecdotal and more study is needed.
During a Florida cold snap, a North Palm Beach pizzeria used tail meat from a cold-stunned invasive iguana on a pizza called 'the Everglades,' a move that sparked debate over culinary novelty vs wildlife ethics after the state allowed capture of cold-stunned iguanas.
Two senior cats, Xena the orange cat and her 16-year-old sister Cheese, stage a slow-motion face-off that TikTok viewers found endearingly funny, complete with witty captions and a Calico spectator in the background.
An ecologist photographed a Siberian peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus calidus) at the Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary near Alice Springs, marking the farthest inland documented sighting of this subspecies in Australia. The rare migrant’s appearance is linked to 2024's unusually high rainfall that created temporary wetlands and attracted prey and predators, highlighting how extreme weather can shift wildlife distributions in arid regions. Peregrine falcons are among the world’s fastest birds, and this sighting underscores the rarity of such inland records.
A global wildlife photo roundup this week features a mother and baby sloth in Costa Rica, iguanas immobilized by cold in Florida, a rescued hedgehog, and a variety of other standout moments from polar bears and finches to manatees, highlighting wildlife resilience and the power of nature photography.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s Nuveen People’s Choice Award 2026 shortlist features 24 images, including a sika deer carrying the head of a rival after a fight and a playful lynx; voting is open worldwide and the winner will be announced March 25, with the exhibition at London’s Natural History Museum.
A moody shot by Christopher Paetkau shows a polar bear mother with three cubs napping on mud along Canada’s Hudson Bay coast in the summer heat. The image is shortlisted for Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People’s Choice Award 2026 and highlights how shrinking sea ice from climate change is forcing polar bears to spend more time on land in search of food.
A Fresno Humane Animal Services officer responding to four dogs abandoned at an orchard discovers two pregnant dogs and ends up rescuing 13 dogs in total. The two mothers and their puppies were transferred to Ruff Day Rescue, where the puppies eventually found forever homes, while an adult dog named Hope remained at the facility until she was adopted.
Rio de Janeiro's BioParque do Rio treated animals to frozen popsicles to help them endure a scorching heatwave, with primates such as spider monkeys shown enjoying the icy treats as staff check on their comfort.
In a Panama rainforest, a white-necked jacobin hummingbird chick about one inch long was observed flicking and twisting to mimic a poisonous caterpillar, scaring away wasps and other predators. Scientists say this may be the first clear record of caterpillar-like mimicry in a hummingbird, a potential Batesian strategy to boost nest survival in predator-rich tropical forests; further experiments with artificial chicks are planned to test which colors or movements elicit attacks.
The article presents a collection of fascinating facts across various scientific fields, highlighting discoveries about the brain's capacity, animal behaviors, medical innovations, and environmental phenomena, emphasizing how much there is still to learn about our world and ourselves.
Recent DNA sequencing has revealed that bones previously thought to be juvenile woolly mammoths in Arctic regions are actually whale remains, highlighting the importance of modern genetic techniques in accurately identifying fossils and understanding Earth's history.