Cryptozoology Online: Daily News

Seeing green helps spiders perfect jump

2012-01-30T14:39:00.000+01:00

Jumping spiders use green light to gauge the distance of their jumps, a Japanese study has found.

The findings not only explain how the spiders so reliably hit their targets, they may help to improve computer vision.

Professor Akihisa Terakita, Dr Mitsumasa Koyanagi and Dr Takashi Nagata and colleagues of Osaka City University in Japan report their results this week in the journal Science.

There are thousands of species of jumping spider spread throughout the world, which have a remarkable ability to leap several times their body length on to their prey. The scientists looked at a particular species (Hasarius adansoni) that lives in the fields around the Osaka City University. "We often find them in our houses", says Terakita.

Most jumping spiders have four sets of eyes. The key to their athletic prowess appears to be the main eyes in the centre. In the 1980s, studies showed that the retina of these central eyes are very unusual - having four layers of photoreceptor cells instead of the normal single layer.

The Japanese scientists knew that the spiders were not using 'binocular vision' to measure distance. This is the main technique we use, where each eye gives a slightly different picture of the scene and the brain can then work out how far away things are.

The spiders were also not using 'lens accommodation' - thickening or thinning of their lenses. The spider lens is "in a rigid cuticle and therefore not able to be altered in thickness", says Terakita.

They weren't using 'motion parallax' either. This is used by insects such as the praying mantis, which sways back and forth thus giving itself different pictures of the object.

This left scientists wondering how do spiders measure depth.

'Depth defocus'

Terakita's team examined a mechanism known as 'depth defocus', where the depth (or distance to an object) is determined by measuring the fuzziness of its image.

Their first discovery was that the two deepest layers of the retina only had receptors for green light.

Whether or not an image is focussed depends on two things: the wavelength (or colour) of the light, and distance between the lens and the layer of photoreceptors. Other scientists had already noted that green light would only be sharply in focus in the deepest retinal layer. In the next layer, which is a little closer to the lens, green light would be 'defocused' giving fuzzy images.

So why would the spiders bother collecting a fuzzy image? Terakita thinks that the spiders are in some way measuring the fuzziness of the image in the nearer layer and using that to judge distance by depth defocus.

The culmination of their research was an experiment where four spiders were repeatedly tested for their ability to jump on flies in either red or green light. In the green light they jumped perfectly. In the red light they consistently fell short, jumping only about 90 per cent of the distance to the flies. The value of 90 per cent fitted nicely with theoretical calculations the scientists had done using lens equations.

'Excellent eyes'

Professor Marie Herberstein of Macquarie University, who was not part of the research, is an expert in colour and vision in spiders. "Jumping spiders have excellent eyes", she says. "Their entire life revolves around vision, unlike most other spiders which rely on vibration."

"Depth perception is important to these spiders, not just for jumping on prey, but for things like males approaching females (which can be much larger). Cannibalism is rife amongst spiders and when they are hungry, well anything that moves, they just jump on it."

"The real beauty about this paper is the fullness of their explanation", says Herberstein. "I particularly value the fact that they went on to do the behavioural study. High tech is great but in the end you have to test [the hypothesis] on the whole animal."

Terakita's team have looked at just one species of jumping spider, but both he and Herberstein suspect that other jumping spiders are also using depth defocus.

"About ten kinds of jumping spiders have had their retina structure investigated by different research groups", says Terakita. "All of them have a four-layered retina. So we think most jumping spiders have a similar system."

"How to detect depth is one of the ongoing challenges in the field of computer vision", adds Terakita. He thinks there may be much to learn from the spider's system.

Clare Pain
ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/01/27/3416523.htm

Snow Leopard Discovery In Tajikistan Shows Need For Conservation

2012-01-30T14:24:00.000+01:00

A recent biodiversity survey in a remote corner of Tajikistan has yielded surprising results.

Fauna & Flora International (FFI) recently teamed up with local and international scientists to conduct a survey of life in the Zorkul nature reserve, near the Afghan border. FFI's team planted camera traps which captured images of five different snow leopardsin one valley, according to a press release.

Wired UK reports that the FFI team, with the help of Panthera, planted 11 cameras around a 5.8 square mile (15 square kilometer) area in August 2011.

The survey's results have prompted a quick response. FFI's Dr. Alex Diment told Wired UK that FFI is training local rangers in the nature reserve "on how to work in the harsh field conditions, and how to combat illegal poaching and other threats."

Their actions are undoubtedly warranted. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species currently lists snow leopards (Panthera uncia) as endangered.

FFI reports that habitat loss and poaching have caused at least a 20 percent decline in snow leopard populations in the past 16 years.

Scientific American writes that scientists in Australia have created "embryonic stem-like cells from the tissue of an endangered adult snow leopard." The scientists' (theoretical) goal is to help save endangered big cat species by reproducing them in labs.

Earlier this month, a team from the Wildlife Conservation Society photographed mother and cub snow leopards together in Afghanistan.

Below, check out images of the snow leopards in Tajikistan and photos of several other species identified by FFI's biodiversity survey.

photos: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/24/snow-leopard-tajikistan-photo_n_1224993.html?ref=weird-animals

Birds Invade Town: La Grange, Ky. Swarmed By Black Birds

2012-01-30T14:20:00.000+01:00

Residents in a Kentucky town are saying "Get the flock out of here" to thousands of black birds that fill the sky each night.

At dusk, the birds take flight in La Grange, Ky., and create what some locals describe as a "cloud of birds," according to TV station WAVE. The birds nest down in a wooded area for the night and depart each morning in a huge pack, reports said.

Fine-feathered friends, they're not. Residents complain that they're constantly cleaning up after the avian arrivistes, who started showing up last November in the community northeast of Louisville. Nearly everyone has heard their town compared to Alfred Hitchcock's classic film "The Birds."

To protect themselves from bird poop, some people have begun carrying umbrellas, even on sunny days, CNN reports.

The birds' unexplained presence has allegedly coincided with a surge in respiratory ailments, according to one woman who spoke with WAVE.

While nobody is sure why the birds migrated to La Grange, wildlife experts told CNN that the behavior of flying clockwise in large groups is called murmuration and is common among starlings.

In an effort to scare off the unwelcome newcomers, a married couple blasts a noisy air canon. But the birds keep coming back.

video here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/birds-invade-town_n_1233709.html?ref=weird-news

Lucas and Juno: Special bond of a rescue dog and dying boy

2012-01-30T14:18:00.000+01:00

As nearly anyone who has adopted a dog or cat from a shelter can attest, there’s something special about a rescued pet; it’s as if the animal senses he’s been given a second chance at life. That’s certainly the case with Juno, aBelgian Malinois who was rescued from a shelter just days before she was to be euthanized. But since coming to live with her family in Alcoa, Tenn., Juno has taken on the role of rescuer to four-year-old Lucas Hembree.

Lucas suffers from Sanfilippo syndrome, an inherited, metabolic disease caused by the absence or malfunctioning of an enzyme needed to break down long sugar molecules. As the disease progresses, children lose the ability to speak, walk and eat. The disease also causes severe neurological damage that leads to aggressive behavior, hyperactivity and seizures.

“The most catastrophic thing parents hear when they learn their child has this disease is that there’s no cure or treatment available,” says Lucas’ father, Chester.

Unless that changes, Lucas isn’t expected to live past the age of 15 and may be in a vegetative state by the time he is eight. Realizing that every moment is extra precious, Chester and his wife, Jennifer, want their son to experience as much as he can while he still has the capacity to enjoy it.

Prayer and persistence So when the disease started to take a toll on Lucas’ joints, Chester looked into getting a service dog to keep Lucas steady when he walked. “I was told that a service dog would cost at least $15,000, and that Lucas wasn’t a good candidate because of his deteriorating abilities and his behavior,” Chester says. “I refused to accept this answer.”

Continued: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46168614/ns/todaytoday_pets_and_animals#.TyaX-8V-XtE

Man's best friend for 30,000 years: Canine skulls discovered in two separate digs reveals historic relationship Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2091192/Dog-skull-Siberia-33-000-years-old--hints-mans-best-friend-didnt-come-single-ancestor.html#ixzz1kwlrxhlz

2012-01-30T14:15:00.000+01:00

Dogs have been a loyal companion to mankind for more than 30,000 years, findings reveal.

Scientists believe that two 33,000-year-old skulls unearthed in digs in Siberia and Belgium show dogs were domesticated long before any other animal, such as sheep, cows or goats.

Researchers from the University of Arizona said the skulls had shorter snouts and wider jaws than undomesticated animals such as wolves, which use their longer snouts and narrower jaws to help them hunt.

The researchers think dogs could have been the first species of animals to be domesticated by humans, long before farm animals were bred for their meat and skins.

This offers a possible explanation for why breeds such as pugs and huskies look so different, despite being the same species.

The scientists used carbon dating to determine the age of the two skulls, then looked at the bone structures and concluded that claims the dogs had been domesticated were ‘pretty solid’.

Study author Dr Greg Hodgins, whose findings were published in the journal PLoS ONE, said: ‘Both the Belgian find and the Siberian find are domesticated species based on morphological [structural] characteristics.

‘Essentially, wolves have long thin snouts and their teeth are not crowded, and domestication results in this shortening of the snout and widening of the jaws and crowding of the teeth.

‘The interesting thing is that typically we think of domestication as being cows, sheep and goats, things that produce food through meat or secondary agricultural products such as milk, cheese and wool and things like that.

‘Those are different relationships than humans may have with dogs. The dogs are not necessarily providing products or meat.

‘They are probably providing protection, companionship and perhaps helping on the hunt.

‘And it’s really interesting that this appears to have happened first out of all human relationships with animals.’

Article: If You Spot Bigfoot, Should You Shoot Him?

2012-01-30T14:09:00.000+01:00

In the new Animal Planet reality TV show optimistically titled "Finding Bigfoot," a team of experts examines video of an alleged Sasquatch spotted in the Canadian Rockies. The video, shot by a man named Todd Standing, shows something large and dark, standing atop a wooded ridge and then ducking back behind a bush. It could pretty much be anything, and when the experts concluded that the subject was probably not a Bigfoot, Standing expressed his frustration: "No video is ever going to be evidence, ever. It's never going to be good enough…"

Standing, like many Bigfoot researchers, misses the problem: It's not so much that any Bigfoot video is inherently worthless, it's that his video, like all that have come before it, is of such poor quality that there's no way to know what we're seeing. It could have been anything – a guy in a dark jacket (or gorilla costume), a bear or even Bigfoot. The fatal flaw in Bigfoot photos and videos is the image quality, not the image subject. If Standing, the "Finding Bigfoot" team, or anyone else shot well-lit, clear video of what was obviously a 12-foot-tall, hairy bipedal creature in the woods, that would be compelling.

But even the highest-quality photograph or video can't be considered definitive proof of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or any other mythical beast. Similarly, if the goal is to simply make scientists and the general public take Bigfoot seriously, then some verified remains of the creature – be they hair, teeth, blood, bones or something else – would do the trick. [Infamous 'Yeti Finger' Flunks DNA Test]

But definitive proof is a very high standard. Most Bigfoot enthusiasts — and the general public — would be satisfied with nothing less than the rock-solid definitive proof offered by a living or dead specimen.

This issue brings up a longstanding debate within the Bigfoot community: Would be ethical to shoot and kill a Bigfoot? Some say yes, because that's the only way to prove they exist, and once proof is found, funds could be made available to protect them as an endangered species. Others say no -- that because Bigfoot sightings are so rare, they must have very small populations and killing one might drive the animals to extinction. Shooting a suspected Bigfoot with tranquilizer darts is an option that has gained some steam.

Ethics and the lethal-or-nonlethal debate aside, there's a good reason aiming your gun at a Bigfoot could be a bad idea: It might be illegal. A Texas teen shot what he believed to be a Chupacabra earlier this year, and while charges were not brought against him, if the creature turned out to be someone's dog or a mangy coyote, he could potentially havefaced a felony charge.

The point is, you simply can't know for sure if the mysterious, burly figure you have lined up in your sights is the real beast, or a bear or someone's pet – or, even worse, just a person in a gorilla suit.
This story was provided by Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to LiveScience.

Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and author ofScientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries. His website is www.BenjaminRadford.com.

http://www.livescience.com/18063-shoot-bigfoot.html

Cold-stunned turtles washing ashore (via Herp Digest)

2012-01-30T12:30:00.001+01:00

The cold snap plaguing large areas of the Tar Heel state is causing problems for sea turtles, who have begun washing up on shore in large numbers after being stunned by quickly-dropping water temperatures.

As of Thursday morning, 19 marine reptiles - three loggerheads, 16 green turtles - had been found on regional beaches, mostly in the Cape Lookout area.

Twelve of the green turtles died Wednesday night, but Jean Beasley, director of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail Beach, said the rest of the group was showing some signs of life.

"I think within 72 hours we should have a pretty good idea," Beasley said late Wednesday. "It's going to take us a while to warm these turtles up."

Because reptiles, including turtles, can't regulate their own body heat, they're susceptible to sudden, drastic shifts in water temperature.

"If it's a gradual lowering of temperature, they can survive and do pretty well," Beasley said. "But if they've been at 78 degrees and it drops into the lower 60s, they are probably going to stun."

Cold-stunned turtles appear extremely lethargic and in some cases will stop moving entirely as more of their blood supply diverts to the core of their bodies, a condition Beasley said is a relatively common occurrence in North Carolina during the winter months.

"Last year, we had up over 150, and we had quite a few that died," she said. "The longer they're exposed to the severe cold, the bigger impact it's going to have on their basic systems, their core body and their vital organs, so the sooner we can get them the greater chance they have."

To recover from a cold stun, sea turtles must be warmed gradually. Raising their core temperature too quickly can result in a reverse shock, which can kill them, Beasley said. And though the extreme cold weather has passed, turtles may continue to wash up on shore in the coming days.

"We'll still have the hangers-on. Those that are under the docks will be showing up on shore, but hopefully we're not going to have another major event," Beasley said.

If you find a cold-stunned turtle on the beach or in shallow water, call the Topsail Beach facility at (910) 470-2800 or (910) 470-2880, or the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network at (252) 241-7367.

If the turtle is small enough to be moved, Beasley recommends placing it in a garage or carport and covering it with a towel.

"Just keep them out of the weather, but do not start warming them up," she said. "As soon as those numbers are called, we'll have somebody out to get the turtles."

Turtle Rules Limit Harvest (via Herp Digest)

2012-01-30T12:25:00.000+01:00

At the end of the month the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Board will vote on new rules for taking turtles out of the wild. On Thursday the DNR held a public hearing in Macon.

Right now there are no limits on the number of freshwater turtles trappers and farmers can catch or breed. In 2010 lawmakers passed legislation requiring the DNR to come up with rules on commercial turtles.

David Hem's been a turtle farmer in North Georgia for 20 years. He takes mature snapping turtles from the wild and harvests their eggs on his farm.

"Most of it's going to China, the baby turtles. So, all I do, I don't sell the meat or anything. I have my own turtles, my own ponds. I dig eggs every season and sell the babies after I hatch them and they get shipped. Probably 99 percent of them go to China."

New rules would require reporting harvest numbers and species. That would limit Hem's take to 300 snapping turtles a year. DNR officials say the Chinese are buying American turtles for food and medicine after decimating their own wild populations.

Animal rights activists hopping mad over kits (via Herp Digest)

2012-01-30T12:23:00.000+01:00

Controversy over the sale of "frog-o-sphere" kits has reached Windsor, with an online petition to get one store to stop carrying them gaining almost 400 signatures in one day.

"I was floored when I saw they were selling these frog-o-spheres, especially at a place called Green Earth, which I thought was more of an eco-friendly, green place to shop," said Dan MacDonald, a longtime animal rights activist who started the petition against the Devonshire Mall store on Thursday. "A tiny frog in a plastic case, that's the least green thing I can think of. They might as well start selling fur coats and deer heads."

The kits, which contain one or more African dwarf frogs, gravel containing micro-organisms and sometimes snails and plants in a small cube-shaped aquarium, have been targeted by animal rights activists before. On its website, PETA calls them "cruel and terribly unnatural cubes" and claims the frogs are often neglected by untrained staff at the stores and warehouses where they're kept before being sold.

Christine, a manager at Green Earth who declined to give her last name, said she wouldn't comment on the petition.

However, she said staff receive training and know to only use dechlorinated water, handle the frogs while wearing gloves and feed them two food pellets per frog twice a week.

Christine said Green Earth has been selling the frogs since the spring and is currently sold out. She was unable to say how many kits the store has sold, but estimated five per cent of customers contact the store to ask for a replacement frog because theirs died shortly after purchase.

"From what we were told, they're very happy in the smaller aquariums because in the wild, they're at risk from predators, so they're constantly hiding. So they feel safer in that smaller container," she said.

Two experts contacted by The Star said the small aquarium was suitable for the frogs, at least until they're sold. David M. Green, a conservationist and amphibian expert at McGill University, said the frogs should be transferred to a tank holding between 75 and 190 litres of water to live long-term.

"You can keep them in there temporarily. Not for their entire lives, no, that's miserable. But they're fine for a few weeks. They live in puddles. They live in muck. They live in mud wallows," he said, adding the water should be kept at room temperature or warmed with a tropical fish heater.

Another expert said he didn't want his name used because he was worried about repercussions from extreme animal rights activists, who have targeted his colleagues in the past. He forwarded an email from his university's administration warning about extremists who made threatening phone calls, firebombed residences and cut the brakes of vehicles belonging to researchers and professors.

He said concerns about the size of the tank are the result of people projecting human concerns onto animals. "Sure, I would like a lot of space to run around, a clean habitat. But I am a human, not a frog," he wrote in an email.

Some postings on animal rights sites say the small tank is to blame for restless, aggressive frogs, but the expert said the source of the problem is more likely something counterintuitive - keeping the tank too clean.

"Probably the cruellest thing about the picture on the website is how clean the water is," he wrote. "Species from this family of frogs are adapted to hiding and feeding on the bottom in murky water."

Regardless of whether the tank environment is suitable, MacDonald said a big part of the problem is how the kits are marketed as toys and gifts, not pets. He said shoppers were tapping on the glass and asking if the frogs were real when he visited the store.

"A lot of people buy these on impulse, because they're very, very cute," he said. "But it is an ecosystem. If that's disturbed, it sets the whole thing off and the frog dies a really terrible death."

Why is the land of snakes, so inept at dealing with snake bites? (via Herp Digest)

2012-01-29T12:23:00.000+01:00

The number of people who died of snakebite in India was not known for decades. But there was no doubt thousands perished. This was, after all, the proverbial land of snakes. Finally, in April last year, a study estimated about a million people were bitten by snakes and approximately 46,000 died annually. These first reliable figures illustrate the enormity of the problem rural people face in this country. We also know more people are killed by snakes in India than any other country in the world.

Snakebite is a major occupational hazard in a country where farmers typically walk barefoot along field bunds. While we can exhort them to wear footwear, it will take years for this long-observed practice to change. People also tend to walk in the dark without a torch. For several decades, the price of disposable batteries was prohibitive for ordinary villagers, but the use of the new, affordable Chinese-made rechargeable torches may reduce the death toll. The other habit that puts rural people in harm's way is sleeping on the floor. When farm economy is floundering, advising them to sleep on bedsteads will only elicit blank, uncomprehending stares. If people get bitten and are rushed to the hospital, the lack of doctors, trained in treating snakebite, as well as the limited availability and effectiveness of antivenom serum, jeopardize their lives further.

The only way to save a person from a lethal venomous snakebite is the administration of antivenom serum, even though too many people rely on superstition and alternative forms of medicine. Indians have had a surefire way of surviving a lethal bite as early as the 1920s, when the Central Research Institute began producing this life-saving drug commercially. Yet, almost a century later, despite snakebite continuing to be a major public health crisis, the availability of antivenom serum in small towns and villages, where bites usually occur, is limited.

Six manufacturers produce a serum made from the venoms of the Big Four: cobra, common krait, Russell's viper and saw-scaled viper. Despite advances in antivenom production techniques, those of the Indian companies remain relatively unchanged since the 1950s. Several international publications have criticized Indian antivenoms for their impurity and for causing complicating side effects.

All the companies claim identical potency for their antivenom serums, which is astonishingly low. This means many more vials are needed to neutralize the harmful effects of a venomous snakebite. One study says a person needs an average of 51 vials to treat cobra and krait bite, while 32 vials are needed to treat Russell's viper bite. Another study quoted as much as 91 vials being used to neutralize cobra and krait bites. Such high doses of impure antivenom serum can potentially cause adverse reactions. In Sri Lanka, up to 87% of snakebite victims who were treated with Indian antivenom developed untoward side effects.

A standard clinical procedure to validate the claimed potency values has never been published. Inexplicably, prior to the mid-1950s, antivenom serums were much more potent than those currently available. It's not clear why the Indian authorities lowered the standards.

The low potency and high adverse reactions have raised doubts about the effectiveness of Indian antivenom serum. Venom is a protein-rich soup with numerous toxins, peptides and enzymes. What snakes eat determines the combination and proportion of these elements in their venom. In many species, the venom of young snakes, which eat small creatures like frogs, undergoes a transformation as they grow older and switch to eating larger animals like rodents. Where they live also appears to influence the kind of venom they produce, even within a species. For instance, the venom of Russell's vipers in south India is quite different from the north. So antivenom made with the venom of a southern viper may not work against the same species in other parts of the country.

Indian antivenom is produced for four snakes against the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of twelve high-priority species for South Asia. In short, we do not know what coverage the antivenom serum has. Does it neutralize the bites caused by the young of the same species, and is it as effective anywhere in the country. Does the serum made for the Big Four counteract the venom of any others? In the absence of these tests, physicians have no choice but to try and save the lives of their patients with the only tool they have.

In 2010, WHO recommended a set of standard procedures for the assessment and evaluation of antivenoms anywhere in the world. David Williams, a clinical toxinologist working with the Global Snakebite Initiative, says Indian antivenom has to be tested for effectiveness against the high-priority snake species. Only then can doctors be sure that the treatment they are providing their patients, which is often expensive and beyond poor people's means (between Rs. 450 and 500 a vial), is effective.

Williams further advises that once the lack of effectiveness of the available antivenom serum is established, if the problem cannot be fixed easily, then a new start has to be made to produce a broad-spectrum antidote for the entire region. Several manufacturers should be licensed to produce this life-saving drug. Antivenom should be distributed free or at heavily subsidized rates through the public health system. In Tanzania, people sought antivenom treatment much more readily when it was provided free, which indicates their reliance on traditional medicine and superstition is at least partly driven by cost considerations.

Indian health authorities must recognize snakebite for what it is: a neglected tropical disease that maims and kills tens of thousands of poor people. While the WHO acknowledged this fact in 2009, snakebite is yet to feature in any of the organization's programs. Besides the development of an effective antivenom serum and training doctors, a major awareness campaign needs to be launched to teach people to avoid being bitten by snakes, as well as the appropriate first-aid practices to follow in the event of a bite. India has to overcome poor governance, abysmal regulation of antivenom quality, and social inequity to arrest the unconscionable loss of lives to snakebite

In Bucks County, volunteers await duty as salamander escorts (via Herp Digest)

2012-01-29T12:21:00.000+01:00

On a warm and wet March night, Devich Farbotnik was heading home to Quakertown on a back road when his headlights caught something shiny spilling across the macadam.

He hit the brakes.

Farbotnik, an environmentalist, quickly realized that he had chanced upon - luckily, without also flattening - a surge of salamanders in the heat of their annual breeding rite. Jumping out of his truck, he kept oncoming traffic at bay as he shepherded the slithery paramours from one swampy side to the vernal pool on the other, there to hook up.

A half-dozen mating seasons have passed since then in upper Bucks County, and Farbotnik, now 31, has presided as crossing guard at each. On the first mild, rainy evening of late winter or early spring, he heads for the 518-acre Quakertown Swamp, a favored haunt of not only salamanders but also frogs, toads, birds, and muskrats.

During the salamanders' few nights of canoodling, he posts himself at the tiny amphibians' most beaten paths on rural roads through the swamp in East Rockhill and Richland Townships.

Upwards of 1,000 salamanders might be out and about. "Just one person going through at the wrong time," he said, "could kill a lot."

This year, Farbotnik will get some help.

The Doylestown-based Heritage Conservancy and a brigade of volunteers are planning to set up amphibian-crossing signs at five locations where the salamanders - eight documented species ranging from three to eight inches long - typically traverse the roadways, along with frogs and toads. The seasonal pools become nurseries for their fertilized eggs.

Similar amphibian rescues have taken place in the city's Roxborough section, in Chester County, and Delaware Water Gap. Approached by Farbotnik and Laura Baird, a resource protection specialist for the nonprofit conservancy, township supervisors agreed to provide highway assistance. In Richland, roads will be closed, except to locals, on crossing nights. In East Rockhill, the township has promised to reduce traffic.

The Quakertown Swamp volunteers - about 25 so far - also will be out with clipboards and headlamps doing a census of sorts, counting the salamanders stepping out on date nights, as well as frogs and toads. It will be a baseline for determining, year to year, if the population is declining. "It's taken a few years to finally pull the right people together," said Farbotnik, also a carpenter and an avid birdwatcher who pursued that avocation to every state but Hawaii. Later this week, he will head to Alaska just to look for a dusky thrush.

At the moment, the salamanders are hibernating in the swamp, just south of Quakertown. But in a couple of months, they'll be in Farbotnik's sights.

The salamanders, which live both on land and in water, play an important role in the life cycle of the swamp, the largest inland wetland in Bucks County. The Heritage Conservancy owns about 80 acres of it. With permeable skin that easily absorbs toxic chemicals, the salamanders are a critical indicator of the swamp's well-being. Their very presence, Farbotnik said, "pretty much means there's a healthy ecosystem."

Standing guard over them is easy work, Farbotnik said. But the devil's in the timing.

"They only move when it's raining," he said. And while the larger ones are obvious, spotting the smaller ones can be tough. "You have to really look for them."

Once the salamanders finish doing what they do, they hightail it out of the water and back to the marsh, leaving their progeny to their own devices. But the return trip isn't as potentially calamitous because not all depart the vernal pools at the same time.

Farbotnik said he signals to surprised motorists, who usually know nothing about the annual breeding rite, to stop, and explains what he's doing. The salamanders, he said, are probably just as surprised to see him. "They probably think it's a predator," he said. "I'm sure they don't realize I'm trying to help."

Monitor lizards heading for extinction in Malacca (via Herp Digest)

2012-01-29T12:19:00.000+01:00

Malacca: Frequent hunting of Malacca's giant monitor lizards, allegedly for their skin and meat as well as their body liquid for aphrodisiac purposes, could drive the reptile to extinction.

"Fifteen years ago, these reptiles could be easily spotted lazing along the river bank of scenic Malacca River. Now, they are hard to come by," said city councillor Ronald Gan Yong Hoe.

"In some countries, monitor lizards are protected under Endangered Species Acts. We hope the state government will move to conserve our local reptiles," the member of the Malacca Historic City Council said.

"If nothing is done, the extensive poaching of this reptile could lead to its extinction," he said.

Gan said the local monitor lizards, known locally as biawak, are large water monitor species (varanus salvator) capable of growing up to three metres long and 25 kilos in weight.

He said that apart from their skin and meat, the reptlie was sought for a liquid from its body that was commonly believed to increase sexual prowess in both men and women.

Gan said the reptile's thick and leathery skin was used for clothing accessories, such as bags and belts, while its meat was said to have healing powers for ailments such as asthma and pneumonia besides increasing sexual prowess.

He said that besides poaching, the reptiles were often exposed to other risks, such as being hit by vehicles when crossing roads.

On a more positive note, Gan said a father and daughter from Australia, who dubbed themselves as Biawak Dundees, were rescuing and treating injured monitor lizards here.

Gan added that following a proposal by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, the state government has made lizard- watching one of the features of the Malacca River cruise.

Meanwhile, mayor Zainal Abu said poaching activities along the river bank has declined due to continuous patrols by the council's enforcement officers.

However, he added, there could still be some hunting upstream and it was up to the state Wildlife and National Parks Department to curtail such activity.

Tiny Crooners: Male House Mice Sing Songs to Impress the Girls

2012-01-29T11:02:00.001+01:00

ScienceDaily (Jan. 26, 2012) — It comes as a surprise to many that male house mice produce melodious songs to attract mates. Unfortunately for us, because the melodies are in the ultra-sonic range human ears cannot detect them. Through spectrographic analyses of the vocalizations of wild house mice, researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have found that the songs of male mice contain signals of individuality and kinship.

Their results appear in the journal Physiology & Behavior and in theJournal of Ethology.

It has been known for some time that house mice (Mus musculus) produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) during courtship but it has generally been assumed that these are no more than squeaks. However, recent spectrographic analyses have revealed that USVs are complex and show features of song. Although the vocalizations are inaudible to human ears, when playbacks of recorded songs are slowed down their similarity to bird song becomes striking. Frauke Hoffmann, Kerstin Musolf and Dustin Penn of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna’s Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology aimed to learn what type of information is contained in males’ songs for the discerning ear of the female mouse to detect. Their initial studies, the first to study song in wild mice, confirmed that males emit songs when they encounter a females’ scent and that females are attracted to males’ songs. Additionally, the scientists discovered that females are able to distinguish siblings from unrelated males by their songs – even though they had previously never heard their brothers sing.

In their recent studies, Penn’s group recorded and analysed the courtship calls of wild-caught male house mice for the first time, using digital audio software to examine parameters such as duration, pitch and frequency. They found that males’ songs contain “signatures” or “fingerprints” that differ from one individual to another. Moreover, they confirmed that the songs of siblings are very similar to one another compared to the songs of unrelated males, which helps explains how females can distinguish unrelated males. This finding could potentially lead us to understand how female mice avoid inbreeding.

Interestingly, in some species of birds the males with the most complex songs appear to be most successful at attracting females. Further studies are needed to determine whether the complexity of male mouse vocalizations has an effect on females that is similar to that of “sexy syllables” in birds.

The vocalizations of wild house mice differ significantly from those of inbred strains of laboratory mice. Wild male mice produce more syllables within high frequency ranges than laboratory mice, a result that is consistent with other studies that find genetic effects on mouse song. “It seems as though house mice might provide a new model organism for the study of song in animals,” says Dustin Penn. “Who would have thought that?”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126100633.htm

Protesters take on bird charity over plans for village turbine

2012-01-29T11:02:00.000+01:00

Campaigners have objected to plans for a new seabird centre at Bempton after failing to win backing for their own campaign against a nearby wind turbine.

A group called Bempton Residents Against Turbines is fighting plans for three turbines, including one 150ft tall just half a mile from the RSPB centre at Bempton.

They have written to the Heritage Lottery Fund, which has so far given the RSPB £33,000 to develop plans to extend the centre, to object, claiming the RSPB has lost sight of its conservation role by not joining the fight against the turbine, which will supply electricity to a pig unit at Norway Farm. The RSPB insists there is no evidence that there will be an impact on seabirds or birds in surrounding farmland.

But David Hinde, who lives in Bempton, and a spokesman for the group, said there were fears that the development could lead to a slew of similar applications on the coast. He said: “Bird lovers will be amazed to find RSPB conservation officers saying that they are intending not to object to a 150ft turbine, the largest single commercial turbine in the Yorkshire Wolds at Cliff Lane, Bempton, less than half a mile from the RSPB Visitor Centre on the Flamborough Heritage Coast.

“This is the first to threaten and open the floodgates on the Flamborough Heritage Coast through precedent, to even more at this height and above. And it will be visible from Filey Brigg and Filey Country Park and The Bay of course.

“The Flamborough Heritage Coast, that RSPB are supposed to be a protective partner in, a tourism partner too, obtain a large amount of their income from RSPB members who proudly display their member sticker on their porch window.

“When the RSPB migration recorder at Buckton tells you that 100,000 migratory birds will be passing in the line of the turbine proposed on their way to Buckton and Bridlington Bay, including whooper swans and the rare pink-footed geese too, as they shortcut across this part of the headland, one questions how this organisation with royal patronage deserves to have a P in its name – or an R for that matter.”

However, site manager at Bempton Ian Kendall said there was no evidence that turbines impacted on birds – be they seabirds or farmbirds.

Mr Kendall said: “As a scientific organisation which we largely are, we can only state facts; the facts are that it is not going to affect the seabird colony at all because they don’t feed on the fields, they feed on the sea.

“We have eight species of seabirds here and they are completely and utterly oceanic. Guillemots, razorbills and puffins are hardly capable of walking on the land; these birds have developed over the millennia to be completely and utterly dependent on the sea.

“Pink-footed geese pass down the coast and they can quite easily see turbines.

“The fact is birds avoid turbines in the same way that they avoid buildings.”

A report by ecologists on behalf of the applicants for the turbine says over 72 species of birds could use the field, including 51 of conservation concern, but says potential impacts through collisions “are limited by the small scale of the development”.

The Heritage Lottery Fund finance has allowed the charity to work up detailed plans for a major extension of its facilities along with Beverley-based Salt Architects.

The aim is to make it an attractive year-round visitor destination with a dedicated learning space and areas for research.

The RSPB will be putting in a bid to the HLF for around £640,000 in June. Mr Kendall said: “We are not at this stage about growing visitor numbers, it is about giving existing visitors a better experience. The aspiration is to create a community space. At the moment if people come to Bempton and the weather is bad there is absolutely no classroom space whatsoever.”

The HLF said the objection had been noted.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/protesters_take_on_bird_charity_over_plans_for_village_turbine_1_4172153

Rattlesnake roundup in Georgia now a humane wildlife festival

2012-01-29T11:00:00.001+01:00

Calls for final roundup to do the same

January 2012: Georgia could soon say goodbye to the outdated ‘rattlesnake roundups'. The Evans County Wildlife Club in Claxton, Georgia, have changed their annual round-up to a wildlife festival where snakes will be celebrated rather than collected in their hundreds and butchered for their meat and skin.

The Center for Biological Diversity, Coastal Plains Institute, Protect All Living Species and One More Generation have sent a letter to the club, congratulating them on the decision, and are also presenting a 5,000-strong petition to Whigham Coummunity Club, which hosts the state's last remaining rattlesnake roundup.

‘We're so happy the rattlesnake roundup in Claxton is being switched to a humane event that celebrates these great native animals and recognizes the importance of saving them,' said Collette Adkins Giese, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity who works to protect rare and vanishing reptiles and amphibians. ‘The Whigham Community Club needs to follow suit. It needs to recognize that massacres of endangered animals are just wrong, and clearly the wrong message to send to young people about our relationship to the natural world.'

'All wildlife has a valuable place in nature'The Evans County Wildlife Club is replacing its annual rattlesnake roundup with the Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival, which will feature displays of the imperilled eastern diamondback rattlesnake and other native wildlife. Educational programmes, entertainment and a variety of other activities will be offered at the event, held during the second weekend in March.

Continued: http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/rattlesnakes-roundup2012.html

New 40,000 square mile haven for Pacific’s leatherbacks

2012-01-29T11:00:00.000+01:00

But how do they get there safely?

January 2012: Protection for 40,000 square miles of protected critical ocean habitat off the shores of Washington, Oregon and California are now in place - creating a haven for the endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle. The new protection laws establish critical habitat in areas where leatherbacks feed on jellyfish after swimming 6,000 miles across the ocean from nests in Indonesia.

This is the first permanently designated area for leatherbacks in continental US waters and, although it is substantially smaller than the original proposals for 70,600 square miles, it is the largest area set aside to protect sea turtle habitat in the United States or its territories.

Now we need migration safeguards for these ancient animals‘Habitat protections are vital to the survival of leatherbacks. We urgently need migration safeguards for these ancient animals as they make the longest, most epic journey of any creature on the planet to get to our West Coast every year,' said Catherine Kilduff of Florida's Center for Biological Diversity.

However, there are concerns that the new rules do not extend to protect turtles' migratory paths from commercial fishing, water pollution and marine vessel traffic. The new regulation excludes protections for migration through these habitats and also excludes consideration of dangers to the turtles from fishing, such as mile-long drift nets used for swordfish off California.

‘This is a major decision to protect feeding hotspots for endangered leatherback sea turtles, but the federal government failed to acknowledge that the turtles need safe passage to get there,' said Ben Enticknap, Oceana's Pacific project manager.

‘Leatherbacks finally have a safe haven along our coast, but still face extinction due growing threats from fisheries, pollution and ship strikes,' said Teri Shore, programme director at SeaTurtles.org in California.

Pacific leatherback population declined by more than 95 per centMile-long drift gillnets and longline gear used to catch swordfish, sharks and tunas are the two types of fishing gear most commonly known to capture and kill leatherback sea turtles. While current regulations restrict fishing to protect these sea turtles, the Fisheries Service is currently developing proposals to expand the use of these fishing gears into areas important to the leatherback.

The largest of all sea turtles, leatherbacks can grow up to nine feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds. Pacific leatherback sea turtles have declined more than 95 per cent since the 1980s; as few as 2,300 adult female western Pacific leatherbacks remain. The species dates from the time of the dinosaurs, having survived for 100 million years virtually unchanged; but now they face the danger of extinction.

The leatherback sea turtles feeding off the US West Coast make the longest known migration of any reptile, across the Pacific Ocean where they nest on beaches in Papua, Indonesia. They make this great migration to feed on jellyfish in the productive ocean waters of the American Pacific. They are generally found off the West Coast in the summer and fall months.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/pacific-leatherback.html

Bournemouth resident mystified by 'blue sphere shower'

2012-01-28T16:03:00.000+01:00

A man in Dorset has been left mystified after tiny blue spheres fell from the sky into his garden.

Steve Hornsby from Bournemouth said the 3cm diameter balls came raining down late on Thursday afternoon during a hail storm.

He found about a dozen of the balls in his garden. He said: "[They're] difficult to pick up, I had to get a spoon and flick them into a jam jar."

The Met Office said the jelly-like substance was "not meteorological".

Mr Hornsby, a former aircraft engineer, said: "The sky went a really dark yellow colour.

"As I walked outside to go to the garage there was an instant hail storm for a few seconds and I thought, 'what's that in the grass'?"

Continued: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-16754531

Fungi-filled forests are critical for endangered orchids

2012-01-28T12:38:00.003+01:00

Older forests with just the right fungi may be secret to saving vulnerable plants.

When it comes to conserving the world's orchids, not all forests are equal. In a paper to be published Jan. 25 in the journal Molecular Ecology, Smithsonian ecologists revealed that an orchid's fate hinges on two factors: a forest's age and its fungi.

Roughly 10 percent of all plant species are orchids, making them the largest plant family on Earth. But habitat loss has rendered many threatened or endangered. This is partly due to their intimate relationship with the soil.

Orchids depend entirely on microscopic fungi in the early stages of their lives. Without the nutrients orchids obtain by digesting these host fungi, their seeds often will not germinate and baby orchids will not grow. While researchers have known about the orchid–fungus relationship for years, very little is known about what the fungi need to survive.

Biologists based at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center launched the first study to find out what helps the fungi flourish and what that means for orchids. Led by Melissa McCormick, the researchers looked at three orchid species, all endangered in one or more U.S. states.

After planting orchid seeds in dozens of experimental plots, they also added particular host fungi needed by each orchid to half the plots. Then they followed the fate of the orchids and fungi in six study sites: three in younger forests (50 to 70 years old) and three in older forests (120 to 150 years old).

After four years they discovered orchid seeds germinated only where the fungi they needed were abundant—not merely present.

In the case of one species, Liparis liliifolia (lily-leaved twayblade), seeds germinated only in plots where the team had added fungi. This suggests that this particular orchid could survive in many places, but the fungi they need do not exist in most areas of the forest.

Meanwhile, the fungi displayed a strong preference for older forests.

Soil samples taken from older forest plots had host fungi that were five to 12 times more abundant compared to younger forests, even where the research team had not added them. They were more diverse as well. More mature plots averaged 3.6 different Tulasnella fungi species per soil sample (a group of fungi beneficial to these orchids), while the younger ones averaged only 1.3.

Host fungi were also more abundant in plots where rotting wood was added. These host fungi, which are primarily decomposers, may grow better in places where decomposing wood or leaves are plentiful.

All this implies that to save endangered orchids, planting new forests may not be enough. If the forests are not old enough or do not have enough of the right fungi, lost orchids may take decades to return, if they return at all.

"This study, for the first time, ties orchid performance firmly to the abundance of their fungi," McCormick said. "It reveals the way to determine what conditions host fungi need, so we can support recovery of the fungi needed by threatened and endangered orchids."

###

The University of Alaska Fairbanks and Purdue University also contributed to this study. The abstract will be available here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05468.x/abstract.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/s-ffa012412.php

For the Birds: Winged Predators Seek Certain Trees When Foraging for Caterpillars

2012-01-28T12:38:00.001+01:00

ScienceDaily (Jan. 26, 2012) — Location matters for birds on the hunt for caterpillars, according to researchers at UC Irvine and Wesleyan University. Findings suggest that chickadees and others zero in on the type of tree as much as the characteristics of their wriggly prey.

Unfortunately for caterpillars, munching on tree leaves that are healthy and tasty can dramatically boost their own risk of becoming food. Study results, published online this week in The American Naturalist, show that dining on the trees that are most nutritious for caterpillars -- such as the black cherry -- can increase by 90 percent their chances of being devoured by a discerning bird.

"The jump in risk is surprising," said co-author Kailen Mooney, assistant professor of ecology & evolutionary biology at UCI. "It shows that for caterpillars, moving from one tree to the next can mean the difference between getting eaten and surviving."

The findings indicate a "neat potential pest control system," because the healthiest tree species harbor the greatest number of caterpillars, thereby offering the easiest pickings for winged predators, said lead author Michael Singer of Wesleyan. "Our study addresses basic theoretical questions in ecology, but we also want forest managers and conservation biologists to take away practical knowledge."

Mooney, who specializes in the ecology of predatory birds, said tree identification is probably learned by birds, not genetic. He added that Southern California bird species probably do the same with coastal sage scrub, determining which types of bushes afford a better chance of tasty insect treats.

With help from a small army of students, the scientists conducted a two-year experiment in Connecticut forests involving hundreds of tree branches either covered with bird-proof netting or left bare.

Mooney noted that the results illustrate a stark choice between gaining strength through a good diet but being more vulnerable to predators and remaining weaker and hungrier but more safe.

"If a caterpillar could feed on nutritious, high-quality tree species and be left alone, this would be the best of all worlds," he said. "Instead, it's faced with a trade-off. Overall, it appears that it's better to feed on poor-quality tree species and have fewer caterpillars around you than to be on a nutritious plant with many others."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126143653.htm

Ecologists Capture First Deep-Sea Fish Noises

2012-01-28T12:37:00.002+01:00

ScienceDaily (Jan. 26, 2012) — University of Massachusetts Amherst fish biologists have published one of the first studies of deep-sea fish sounds in more than 50 years, collected from the sea floor about 2,237 feet (682 meters) below the North Atlantic. With recording technology now more affordable, Rodney Rountree, Francis Juanes and colleagues are exploring the idea that many fish make sounds to communicate with each other, especially those that live in the perpetual dark of the deep ocean.

Though little is known at present about the significance of sounds made by deep-sea fishes, Rountree and Juanes say that if, as their pilot study suggests, these tend to be low-amplitude, then man-made noise in the oceans may turn out to be a particular problem for some important species.

Their paper appears in the new book, "Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life," from Springer Science+Business Media in its "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology" series. It compiles papers from an international workshop in Ireland in 2010.

Using hydrophones deployed by fishermen during normal fishing operations, Rountree, Juanes and colleagues obtained a 24-hour recording in Welkers Canyon south of Georges Bank that yielded "a wealth of biological sounds" including sounds of fin, humpback and pilot whales, dolphins and examples of at least 12 other unique and unidentified sounds they attribute to other whales or fish.

Their new paper includes graphics showing the number of these grunts, drumming and duck-like calls recorded per minute by time of day, plus peak volume and frequencies of various noises. Some of the sounds exhibited strong temporal patterns, for example fin whale and dolphin sounds dominated the recording and peaked at night.

Continued: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126142908.htm

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds… and bees, bats, butterflies and bugs!

2012-01-28T12:37:00.000+01:00

Nearly 2,000 species recorded at headquarters

January 2012: Inspecting insects, scrutinising spiders, peering at pipits and looking at lichens were just some of the activities RSPB staff got immersed in as they spent their spare time last year compiling a wildlife stock-take of the society's headquarters nature reserve. The naturalists recorded a staggering 1,915 native species for the Bedfordshire nature reserve for the year.

Last year's total brings the list of native and non-native species recorded at the site - known as the Lodge - to 4,035. Theoretically, this total makes the Lodge the third highest RSPB nature reserve for the highest number of species recorded, but many of the society's 211 UK reserves are thought to contain even more species, but they haven't yet been surveyed as intensively. The site is officially only trumped by Minsmere, in Suffolk, and Abernethy, in the Highlands .

A staggering 693 new native species were recorded for the Lodge last year – almost two a day – but ecologists regard this as a vast underestimate because the potential for the discovery of species new to RSPB sites is believed to be enormous.

But 125 previously recorded species have not been seenOne of the most bizarre discoveries of 2011 was the discovery of the revoltingly-named dog vomit slime mould. A brief visit from by an Arctic redpoll – a type of finch – from northernmost Scandinavia was the most interesting new bird sighting.

Fifty-three of the newly recorded native species have very limited ranges in the UK, including two species of clearwing moth. However, 125 threatened species previously recorded species weren't found at the site during the audit, including the nationally-scarce barbastelle bat.

Overall, the RSPB network of more than 200 nature reserves across the UK supports a recorded 15,253 native species (32 per cent), of the UK's estimated 47,000 freshwater and land-dwelling species. But even this figure is believed to be an underestimate.

'Anyone can make amazing discoveries if they look hard enough'There is still a vast potential for species to be discovered for the network. For example, all of the UK's 246 regularly-occurring native bird species have been recorded at some time or another across the RSPB reserve network, but only just over a third of the UK's native insects have been found.

Mark Gurney is an RSPB ecologist. Commenting on the findings, he said: ‘The UK's wildlife is often thought to be well-known in contrast to other parts of the world. But we have proved that anyone can make amazing discoveries if they look hard enough.

‘The Lodge is a well-managed reserve, but it is similar to many woodland and heathland sites across southern England. What makes it the third most important site for us in the UK is that we have looked hard at what we have. If we repeated the same exercise across our network we would expect to find many, many more species.'

Reserves are crucial for UK's wildlifeMartin Harper, the RSPB's director of conservation, said: ‘The RSPB is famed for bird conservation, but we recognise that we have a huge responsibility for other wildlife too. Our nature reserves already contain examples of one third of the UK's wildlife and we suspect that will figure will rise dramatically. The management of nature reserves is crucial in creating a haven for a diversity of species.'

The RSPB works with a diverse range of partner organisations to help wildlife on its reserves and the society is involved with projects to reintroduce species to some of its reserves. For example, the society is reintroducing the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly at Tudeley Woods, in the Weald, with Butterfly Conservation and the Forestry Commission.

The RSPB is also working with Plantlife to conserve the nationally-rare fen orchid, through special management at its Sutton Fen nature reserve.

The RSPB has a network of 211 nature reserves across the UK, stretching from West Cornwall to the Shetland Islands.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/rspb-reserves.html

Expert: kill more seals in Stockholm's waters

2012-01-28T12:23:00.005+01:00

A leading fisheries consultant has warned that killing more seals and cormorants is the only way to reverse the trend of ever diminishing fish stocks in the Stockholm archipelago.

Sverker Lovén, chairman of Fiskefrämjandet, a fish-promotion association, has carried out a detailed investigation into the disappearance of several breeds of fish in the waters outside the capital, most noticeably perch and pike.

He has come to the conclusion that if something is not done about the number of seals preying on the fish, there is a good chance they will eventually die out altogether.

”All indications suggest that seals and cormorants are the cause of the collapse of fish stocks. Perch and pike have completely disappeared from some parts of the archipelago,” said Loven to Metro newspaper.

Another fish under threat is the trout.

”The recapture of trout we have tagged, has decreased by around 90 percent in the past ten years and the stock of adult trout as a whole has decreased to the same extent,” he added.

Despite the fact that this could signal overfishing, the number of people fishing in the archipelago over the same period has declined sharply.

By killing more seals, a major problem could therefore be avoided in years to come, argues Lovén.

Seals consume some 25-50 tonnes of fish on a daily basis, while cormorants devour some 15-18 tonnes, meaning that, at the current rate, it is impossible for fish stocks to replenish.

http://www.thelocal.se/38534/20120116/

British tourist killed in bee attack

2012-01-28T12:23:00.003+01:00

A British man was stung to death by a swarm of bees while he was on holiday with his wife in Africa, it has emerged.

Mick Bryan, 61, and Jacqueline, 43, were exploring Tanzania when the killer bees launched an attack on the Cambridgeshirecouple at a remote campsite.

The father-of-three attempted to drive off after the attack but collapsed and later died in hospital. His wife was also stung but survived.

Speaking to The Sun, a family member said: “They were out in the middle of nowhere getting ready to have some lunch when they heard a buzzing noise. Mick shouted to Jacqueline to run.

“He was covered in bees. He tried to drive off but it all happened too quickly. Jacqueline couldn't get any phone reception so she had to run to the main road for help.”
His sister Louise Adam, 64, is also quoted as saying: “He was a wonderful man. He'd do anything for anyone.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of the death of a British National in Tanzania and are in contact with the family, providing consular assistance.”

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/british-tourist-killed-in-bee-attack.html

Humpback whales off Aberdeen for 2 weeks

2012-01-28T12:23:00.001+01:00

Humpback whales spotted off Forvie
January 2012. Forvie National Nature Reserve is on the way to becoming a whale-watching hotspot, with visitors spotting Humpback whales regularly over the last two weeks.

Visitors to Hackley Bay on the reserve, which is managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) watched three whales for several hours last Sunday, as they surfaced and spouted through their blow-holes. The whales were about a mile offshore, but were readily visible as they are so large; Humpbacks are 40 to 50 feet long and weigh about 40 tons. The whales were first spotted last week and are still being seen by visitors this week.

Migrated from the Arctic
Humpbacks migrate every year from their summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding waters. They are often found near coastlines. They feed only in summer on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton and small fish, and fast and live off their fat reserves in the winter.

Forvie reserve manager, Annabel Drysdale, said: "It was so exciting to see humpbacks on our own doorstep, and it was wonderful to see everyone at Forvie really enjoying this incredible experience. We're hoping to see the whales back again soon! We hope people will enjoy the rest of the wildlife and beauty spots on the reserve as well. But I would like to remind visitors to keep their dogs under control to protect birds and other vulnerable wildlife."

Ian Hay, East Grampian Coastal Partnership project officer, added: ‘'The last year has been amazing for large whales with Humpback, Sperm and Fin whales being seen in the local area. If you see any whales or dolphins, please let the Sea Watch Foundation know so that we can better understand their presence in the area. If anyone has managed to get pictures, we would be delighted to see them as well."

A Humpback whale was spotted feeding in Aberdeen Harbour in 2011.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/aberdeen-humpbacks.html

New Witness Corroborates 2011 Sighting

2012-01-28T12:01:00.000+01:00

I was going to post another item this weekend but I felt this partly finished article ought to go out now. The reason is because of the William Hill award for the best Nessie sighting of 2011 and there are four contenders including the sighting in this title. The winner will be decided at the end of January and I thought it best to complete the story on this sighting so that whoever judges will have a fuller picture.

Note, I have no interest in who the eventual winner is and I do not stand to gain financially from it! The award candidates do not even know I am writing this. In fact I have been looking into this case since July and was awaiting further information, but so be it.

Back in July I was at Loch Ness and stopped at the shop of the Hargreaves at Foyers to buy some provisions (I documented that in an older posting). So I talked about their sighting with them and before I left the lady said that an Ala MacGruer had seen something too. I noted the name and headed south back to Edinburgh.

Continued:
http://lochnessmystery.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-witness-corroborates-2011-sighting.html

Endangered Lesser Antillean Iguana breed at Durrel

2012-01-27T13:47:00.000+01:00

After eleven years of waiting rare Iguanas breed again at Durrell
January 2012. For the first time in eleven years Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust's rare Lesser Antillean iguanas have successfully bred, producing two young hatchlings.

Increasingly endangered in its wild habitat, the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, and held by only a handful of zoological institutions worldwide, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust remains the only one to successfully breed this species.

Commenting on this exciting news, Mark Brayshaw, Head of Durrell's animal collection at the charity's headquarters in Jersey, said, "We are delighted by the arrival of these new hatchlings. They are feeding and growing well, and we are continuing to monitor them carefully at our herpetology department. We will continue our efforts to breed the iguanas and are encouraged by this recent success."

Bred in 1997 & 2000
Durrell's first successful breeding of this species was a single offspring in 1997, followed by eight juveniles in 2000. Between 2000 and 2011, despite efforts to get the most recent offspring to produce viable eggs, the annual clutches laid were all unfertilised eggs. Finally, in September 2011, one of the females, who had been paired with an unrelated male who arrived at Durrell's Jersey-based wildlife park in 2003, produced these latest two fertile eggs which subsequently hatched after an incubation period of 75 days.

The juveniles, vibrant green throughout, are quite different in appearance to adults. In a couple of years the young iguanas will lose their green colour and become grey with cream heads, like their parents.

Threats
The Lesser Antillean iguana (Iguana delicatissima) is an increasingly endangered cousin of the better known common green iguana, and its decline in numbers has been caused by a combination of problems, including habitat loss, interbreeding with the introduced non-native green iguana, and the introduction of predators.

So little is known about the iguana's behaviour in the wild that Durrell's previous breeding successes have led to a better understanding of the environment and conditions they need in order to reproduce. Some of the original 9 Jersey-bred iguanas have since been moved to other institutions as part of a wider conservation breeding effort. Durrell hopes to continue to gain enough experience to help other institutions breed Lesser Antillean iguanas, which will help establish a sustainable ‘safety net' breeding population.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/antilles-iguana.html

Nearly 90 different marine mammal species consumed by people in 114 countries

2012-01-27T13:43:00.000+01:00

Porpoises and dolphins are being deliberately harvested

January 2012: A new and exhaustive study into the deliberate and accidental harvesting of the world's marine mammals has shown that nearly 90 different species are eaten in more than 100 different countries.

The fate of the world's great whale species has long commaned global attention, but the fate of smaller marine mammals has been less understood, specifically because the deliberate and accidental harvesting of dolphins, porpoises, manatees and other warm-blooded aquatic denizens had not been studied or monitored.

Netted, trapped and hunted – with no idea about sustainabilityIn an attempt to reverse this, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and Okapi Wildlife Associates have conducted the global study of human consumption of marine mammals using approximately 900 sources of information. The main finding was that, since 1990, people in at least 114 countries have consumed one or more of at least 87 marine mammal species. In addition to this global review, Wildlife Conservation Society scientists work in remote countries around the world to assess and actively address the threat to dolphin populations with localized, applied conservation efforts.

‘International bodies such as the International Whaling Commission were formed specifically to gauge the status of whale populations and regulate the hunting of these giants,' said Wildlife Conservation Society's Dr Martin Robards, lead author of the new study. ‘These species, however, represent only a fraction of the world's diversity of marine mammals, many of which are being accidentally netted, trapped, and - in some instances - directly hunted without any means of tracking as to whether these harvests are sustainable.'

Even the narwhal appears on people's platesIn order to build a statistically robust picture of human consumption rates of marine mammals around the world, Dr Robards and co-author Dr Randall Reeves of Okapi Wildlife Associates, started with records on small fisheries focused on small whales, dolphins, and porpoises from 1975 and records of global marine mammal catches between 1966 and 1975. From there, the authors consulted some 900 other sources and consulted with numerous researchers and environmental managers, an exhaustive investigation that took three years to complete. The team counted the information only if it contained actual evidence of human consumption of marine mammals, omitting instances where marine mammals were caught (either intentionally or not) for fishing bait, feed for other animals, medicines, and other uses.

Unusual species - Narwhal, manatee, sea lion & many more
The list of marine mammals killed for human consumption includes obscure species such as the pygmy beaked whale, the South Asian river dolphin, the narwhal, the Chilean dolphin, the long-finned pilot whale and Burmeister's porpoise. Seals and sea lions also make the list, including species such as the California sea lion and lesser known species such as the Baikal seal, as does the polar bear. Three species of manatee and its close relative the dugong, considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, are also widespread targets of human consumption.

Overall, the historical review reveals an escalation in the utilization of smaller cetaceans, particularly coastal and estuarine species since 1970, often caught as bycatch in nets meant for fish and other species. Once caught, these small cetaceans are being increasingly utilized as food, particularly in poor areas, in what the report's authors call ‘fishing up the food chain'.

‘Obviously, there is a need for improved monitoring of species such as the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and other species,' said Dr Howard Rosenbaum, director of WCS's Ocean Giants programme. ‘In more remote areas and a number of countries, a greater immediate need is to understand the motivations behind the consumption of marine mammals and use these insights to develop solutions to protect these iconic species that lead to more effective management and conservation.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cetecean-consumption.html

99 whales stranded in New Zealand

2012-01-27T13:41:00.000+01:00

Four day rescue effort has to be called off as weather worsens

January 2012: Ninety-nine pilot whales have stranded at New Zealand's Golden Bay - prompting a massive and prolonged rescue operation. However despite concerted efforts over a four-day period, the whales repeatedly restranded - and sadly those that remained beached will now be euthanized.

The whales originally came to shore at 11am on Monday, January 23, and Department of Conservation (DOC) staff and an army of volunteers cared for the whales during the afternoon, covering them in wet sheets to keep them as comfortable as possible. The whales were left at nightfall with the hope that they would refloat themselves on the 10.45pm high tide.

An inspection the next day revealed that 40 live whales remained stranded on the Farewell Spit beach. Seventeen had refloated themselves overnight and were swimming in a south-easterly direction.

The remaining 40 stranded whales were then refloated at 11am on Tuesday, but after milling around 200 metres offshore they failed to refloat themselves on the high tide and became restranded. Rescuers have once again painstakingly cared for the whales. But despite the best efforts the whales failed once again to refloat on Wednesday's high tide - and only 25 whales survived by this state.

An inspection at first light on Thursday morning revealed that the pilot whales refloated the previous day had restranded themselves. The pod has stranded even further to the east than before making the chances of a successful refloat even more unlikely.

The whales had now been ashore for five high tides and have been twice refloated with the assistance of DOC staff and volunteers.

With the whales in noticeably poor condition and with a gale warning in force, an assisted refloat would not be possible, forcing the decision to euthanize all surviving whales.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/whale-stranding230112.html

Worst fish-kill in recent times off Guyana and Suriname

2012-01-27T13:37:00.000+01:00

In what authorities believe is one of the worst fish-kills in recent times, a lot of Curiass is being washed up on the Guyanese and Surinamese foreshores, apparently due to murky Atlantic Ocean waters and the discharge of freshwater into the sea.

The Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture says mostly dead Cuirass have been sighted since January 9 and the situation peaked on January 20 when a “significant amount of dead fish was observed on the beaches in the area.

Consultations with Surinamese Fisheries Department officials have revealed that similar occurrences of dead fish have been observed in the vicinity of Nickerie and Coronie during the same period, the ministry here stated.

“An on the spot observation conducted by the Regional Fisheries Officer revealed that the gills were heavily coated with sling mud and slime. This condition may have resulted in oxygen deprivation to the fish resulting in death,” Guyana’s Fisheries Department added.

While the observance of dead fish is said to an annual occurrence by local fisherfolk in both countries, Guyana’s Fisheries Department believes that this year’s was “noticeably worse” and may have resulted from one of or a combination of factors.

They include turbidity of the water in the area – caused by excessive rainfall in the general region resulting in excessive cloudiness of the water due to suspended particles from the rivers which flow into the ocean and reduced dissolved oxygen levels. The other major factor could have been a high fresh water discharge – the high discharge of fresh water from the rivers may have disrupted the salinity content of the water in the area which could adversely affect fish in the area.

The University of Guyana’s Biodiversity Centre is expected to conduct tests on samples collected on January 22 to determine the cause of death of the fish. Results will be available several weeks later.

The Fisheries Department said it was also conducting continuous water quality tests to determine the effects of the rainfall on the water quality in the area.

According to officials, the situation has improved greatly since Sunday January 22 and Wednesday, with far less dead fish observed on beaches along the Upper Corentyne Coast. “The situation is being continually monitored by staff of the Fisheries Department,” the Agriculture Ministry department said.

http://www.demerarawaves.com/index.php/201201253191/Latest/worst-fish-kill-in-recent-times-off-guyana-and-suriname.html

On-the-loose cat in the cockpit delays Air Canada flight

2012-01-27T13:33:00.000+01:00

Ripples, the cat that grounded an Air Canada flight for four hours after he got loose and hid in the cockpit Wednesday, wound up more upset than anyone on board, his owner says.

“Right now, he’s just hiding out in his kennel. He doesn’t want to come out because he’s a little shook,” Debbie Harris, the cat’s owner, said with a chuckle. “I don’t think he’ll come out of the kennel for awhile.”

The 10-year-old male tabby got loose as passengers were boarding Air Canada Flight 603 from Halifax to Toronto early Wednesday morning. Air Canada allows passengers to carry pets into the cabin as long as they weigh less than 20 pounds (nine kilograms) and are in a crate that can be stored underneath a seat.

Ms. Harris, who was on her way to visit her daughter, said she thinks the latches on Ripples’s crate weren’t shut properly after security personnel inspected the cat before boarding the plane. When she boarded, the crate popped open and the cat jumped out.

The owner, along with other passengers and crew members, tried to catch him, but he quickly ran into the cockpit, past the captain’s feet and between a panel into the wiring of the airplane, out of reach. Ripples, who his owner said usually responds to his name, didn’t come out as she and crew members called to him. Eventually, maintenance crews were brought on board to deconstruct the panelling
and remove the cat.

“When I finally got to see him, it was like he was in a head stand. His butt was up in the air and his head was down, jammed between this pipe and this metal thing,” Ms. Harris said. “I [was] crying and trying not to hurt him. I finally got him pulled out and then they had to put the plane back together.”

But before passengers were able to re-board, Air Canada staff did a thorough inspection to ensure the cat hadn’t caused any damage. The flight, which usually departs at 5:40 a.m., took off around 10 that morning.

“I felt bad and was just thinking: ‘How in the heck did you get out of this? You’ve never gotten out of it before,’ “ Ms. Harris said.

While pets have been known to get loose in cargo bays, Peter Spurway,a spokesman for the Halifax International Airport Authority, said he’s never heard of a case like Ripples. “I’m sure that there will be some other [stories] that will pop up now, but in my experience it’s the first one.”

Ripples – who was named for his rippling stripes – isn’t usually much of an explorer, according to Ms. Harris. He’s actually quite shy.

“He doesn’t like to be around people and I guess it was just too much action,” she said. “He was too much of a scaredy-cat to do much of anything except shiver and shake.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/on-the-loose-cat-in-the-cockpit-delays-air-canada-flight/article2314522/

Neglected horse had half-metre-long hooves

2012-01-27T13:30:00.000+01:00

A farm-owner in northern Sweden has been reported to police after a horse was found to have overgrown hooves measuring an "unprecedented" 50 centimetres in length.

“It's absolutely terrible. Just awful. The inspector who made the discovery was left in a state of shock,” Helena Ahlqvist, head veterinarian in Västernorrland County, told The Local.

“The case is unprecedented. No veterinarian has ever seen anything like it before. There's nothing like it described in any of the literature. It's a case of the most severe animal cruelty.”

According to Ahlqvist, the horse, named Charlie, was immediately put down following the discovery in late November 2011 on a farm near Sollefteå.

The veterinary reports state that Charlie was 27 years old, could no longer walk, and had not had his hooves tended to in years.

“When I stroked my hand over Charlie’s shoulders I could feel that he was only skin and bones,” wrote the veterinary head, Anders Paulsson, in his report.

“It can't be ruled out that he could no longer lie down and stand up.”

The report asserts that Charlie stood in his small stable all day, unable to move around at all, suffering from "severe physical and psychological pain".

As horses are pack animals, the fact that the horse stood alone in a cramped stall resulted in complete indifference to the veterinarian’s voice, an indicator of deep suffering, according to the report.

Charlie was one of five horses referenced in the report and all five were found to have suffered from various levels of neglect and had to be be put down.

The owner has now been reported to police and may face charges of animal cruelty and violation of the animal welfare act according to the county administrative board.

http://www.thelocal.se/38682/20120123/

VIDEO: Clever crows show remarkable ability to use tools to improve their lives

2012-01-27T13:26:00.000+01:00

Crows can sled down roofs, of course, but distinguish between styrofoam and rocks to help make their lives easier to eat? They can do that too, according to new research.

Crows are often believed to be one of the smartest species of birds.

A video of a crow learning the best way to sled down a roof, for example, popped up recently. But a team of researchers in New Caledonia have discovered that crows are also adept at using tools to get food.

In an experiment, scientists discovered that crows not only know how to use tools to help themselves, they know how to use the right tool.

When presented with styrofoam "rocks" and regular rocks, as well as rubber balls, the crows would discard the styrofoam and use the rocks and rubber balls to help them get to food that was beyond their reach.

Scientists had not expected these New Caledonian crows to be able to differentiate among the different types of similarly-sized and shaped objects.

Watch video here: http://www.pri.org/stories/science/environment/video-clever-crows-show-remarkable-ability-to-use-tools-to-improve-their-lives-8095.html

British tourist killed in bee attack

2012-01-27T13:25:00.000+01:00

A British man was stung to death by a swarm of bees while he was on holiday with his wife in Africa, it has emerged.

Crayola Katydid & Cowboy Frog Among 46 Newfound Jungle Species

2012-01-27T12:23:00.001+01:00

A spiny armored catfish and a cowboy frog are among 46 species that may be new to science discovered in the South American country of Suriname, researchers now reveal.

The species were discovered in a scientific expedition into southwest Suriname, which holds one of the world's last pristine tropical forests.

"Our team was privileged to explore one of the last remaining areas of vast, unroaded wilderness in the world," said Trond Larsen, director of Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program. "As a scientist, it is thrilling to study these remote forests where countless new discoveries await, especially since we believe that protecting these landscapes while they remain pristine provides perhaps the greatest opportunity for maintaining globally important biodiversity and the ecosystems people depend upon for generations to come."

The three-week survey, an initiative of the nonprofit Conservation International, explored three remote sites along the Kutari and Sipaliwini Rivers near the village of Kwamalasumutu from August to September 2010 to catalog the regions' wildlife and help develop sustainable ecotourism opportunities for the local indigenous people. The expedition included 53 scientists, indigenous Trio people, and students.

Continued: http://www.livescience.com/18105-46-species-hiding-suriname-jungles.html

WEST LAKES ‘FACES BEING RUINED BY NUCLEAR DUMP’

2012-01-27T12:01:00.003+01:00

CUMBRIA is “sleep walking” towards accepting a nuclear dump that will change the Lake District forever, campaigners have claimed.

Save Our Lake District, Don’t Dump Cumbria has formed to oppose building an underground dump for Britain’s nuclear waste.

The group formed as the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely partnership’s consultation drop-in sessions got under way.

The campaign has been backed by a prominent geologist and members have been attending the drop-in sessions across the county.

Dr Ruth Balogh, who has played a central role in forming the group, said: “Now MRWS is consulting about its proposals, there is an urgent need for people to understand what’s really going on here.

“We are sleep walking into accepting something that has never been tried before, where the geology is unsuitable, and which relies on the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority coming up with technical fixes some time in the future.

“Despite more than 250 documents on the MRWS website, it fails to make clear that if this goes ahead, it will ruin the western Lake District and set the seal on Cumbria as a nuclear economy – and everything that implies.

“It’s a process that’s spending millions of taxpayers’ money – mainly on bureaucracy and spin.”

Dr Balogh claimed it was the councils who indicated interest who have their say, not residents.

She said: “We have raised many important arguments, but when the MRWS cannot answer them, they push them off into the future and get their spin doctors to dream up explanations. And despite constant reassurance there is a right of withdrawal at any time from the process, this can only be exercised by Cumbria, Allerdale or Copeland councils – not the various communities involved.”

A MRWS spokesman said: “It is very important for people to be aware of these discussions so they can get involved and decide what they think would be best for the area. If a repository is built in West Cumbria, it could lead to a number of different negative and positive impacts. These include possible effects on the national park and tourism, as well as the extra jobs and investment a repository might bring.”

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/west-lakes-faces-being-ruined-by-nuclear-dump-1.917547?referrerPath=news

Oldest dinosaur nursery found in South Africa

2012-01-27T12:01:00.002+01:00

An ancient dinosaur nursery – the oldest nesting site ever found – has been unearthed in an excavation at a site in South Africa.

The 190-million-year-old nesting site of the prosauropod dinosaur Massospondylus reveals significant clues about the evolution of complex reproductive behaviour in early dinosaurs.

It discover clutches of eggs, many with embryos, as well as tiny dinosaur footprints, providing the oldest known evidence that the hatchlings remained at the nesting site long enough to at least double in size.

“This research project, which has been ongoing since 2005 continues to produce groundbreaking results and excavations continue. First it was the oldest dinosaur eggs and embryos, now it is the oldest evidence of dinosaur nesting behaviour,” said Prof. Bruce Rubidge, Director of the Bernard Price Institute (BPI) at Wits.

The authors say the newly unearthed dinosaur nesting ground is more than 100 million years older than previously known nesting sites.

At least ten nests have been discovered at several levels at this site, each with up to 34 round eggs in tightly clustered clutches. The distribution of the nests in the sediments indicate that these early dinosaurs returned repeatedly (nesting site fidelity) to this site, and likely assembled in groups (colonial nesting) to lay their eggs, the oldest known evidence of such behaviour in the fossil record.

The large size of the mother, at six metres in length, the small size of the eggs, about six to seven centimetres in diameter, and the highly organised nature of the nest, suggest that the mother may have arranged them carefully after she laid them.

“The eggs, embryos, and nests come from the rocks of a nearly vertical road cut only 25 metres long,” explained Canadian palaeontologist Prof. Robert Reisz, a professor of biology at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, who led the study.

“Even so, we found ten nests, suggesting that there are a lot more nests in the cliff, still covered by tons of rock. We predict that many more nests will be eroded out in time, as natural weathering processes continue,” he said.

The fossils were found in sedimentary rocks from the Early Jurassic Period in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa. This site has previously yielded the oldest known embryos belonging to Massospondylus, a relative of the giant, long-necked sauropods of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

The discovery was published in the prestigious international journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

http://www.discoveryon.info/2012/01/oldest-dinosaur-nursery-found-in-south-africa.html

Leucistic impala on the Kruger

2012-01-27T12:01:00.001+01:00

White impala photographed by Ian MacDonell

January 2012. Ian MacDonell writes "I took of a leucistic impala this past November about 1/2 kilometre from Shingwedzi Camp in the Kruger Park in South Africa. The pattern shows it to be a different one than the one already on your website. Since it has reached adulthood in an area with many predators its mostly white coat seems not to be a great disadvantage."

LEUCISTIC IMPALA ON THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK - PHOTOGRAPED BY IAN MACDONNELL

Leucism (or Leukism)

Leucism is a very unusual condition whereby the pigmentation cells in an animal or bird fail to develop properly. This can result in unusual white patches appearing on the animal, or, more rarely, completely white creatures.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/leucistic-impala.html

Cat Shot With Arrow: 'Cupid' Expected To Make Full Recovery

2012-01-26T11:03:00.001+01:00

You can shoot an arrow through a cat, but it's still going to land on its feet.

A stray orange tabby in Houston earned the nickname 'Cupid' this week after he survived a piercing shoulder to shoulder wound, KHOU reports.

The 2-year-old feline managed to elude neighborhood residents for about three days before being captured by a member of BARC -- the city rescue group -- and taken to the Brittmore Animal Hospital.

Dr. Amanda Taylor took x-rays and determined that there was no 'paws for concern' before surgically removing the weapon.

"This definitely wasn't an accident. An orange cat doesn't look like something you hunt for. Luckily, this kitty is a tough one and came out OK," said Taylor, according to local reports.

Dr. Taylor added that no vital organs were harmed and that 'Cupid' is expected to make a complete recovery.

Video: http://main.aol.com/2012/01/20/cat-shot-with-arrow-cupid_n_1218741.html?ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News

Bees 'could deter vandals' at Greenfield heritage park

2012-01-26T11:03:00.000+01:00

Heritage park bosses could use bees to act as a deterrent to stop vandal attacks on historic buildings.

They are looking for sustainable ways to protect old mill buildings at Greenfield Valley Heritage Park, near Holywell, Flintshire.

One idea already tabled is using bees to deter people from going into the protected buildings.

A planning application is due to be submitted to Flintshire council to erect fencing around some of the sites.

An area around Greenfield Mill had to close last summer due to concerns it was in a dangerous condition, with surrounding footpaths also shut to walkers.

Park manager Chris Wright said the deterioration was partly due to age as well as vandal attacks.

He said it would be difficult to deter people determined to get into buildings on the free access public site, making the idea to use bees "seem sensible".

He hopes a beekeeping group could use the land to produce honey, with the bees themselves helping to pollinate wildflower meadows which could also be created in the area.

Safety issues

"They could be a deterrent," said Barbara Chick, publicity officer for the Welsh Beekeepers' Association.

"I haven't heard of them being used as security bees."

However, she pointed out there may be health and safety issues if someone was stung and said she would not agree to their use as a security measure.

Read on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-16645223

Pythons and Anacondas banned from US import and transportation

2012-01-26T11:02:00.001+01:00

Burmese pythons target birds
January 2012. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has banned the importation and interstate transportation of four non-native constrictor snakes. Release of snakes into the wild is threatening birds and other animals in the Everglades and other sensitive ecosystems across the United States.

"In recent years, the release of nonnative snakes into sensitive bird habitats such as the Florida Everglades has reached epidemic proportions," said George Fenwick, President of American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation's leading bird conservation organization. "Unwitting individuals are buying these animals only to later realize they can't keep a six-foot-long snake in their homes. They dump them in the wild, where they breed and feed on native birds and other wildlife."

Burmese python, the yellow anaconda, and the northern and southern African python
The final FWS rule - which incorporates public comments, economic analysis, and environmental assessment - lists the Burmese python, the yellow anaconda, and the northern and southern African pythons as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act in order to restrict their spread in the wild in the United States. It is expected to be published in the Federal Register in coming days. Sixty days after publication, interstate transport and importation of live individuals, gametes, viable eggs, or hybrids of the four snakes into the United States will be prohibited.

The action is supported by wildlife conservation organizations, including ABC, which had sent a letter to FWS in April 2008 calling for the ban. "This was a decision that had to be made. Populations of long-lived and reproductively prolific invasive snake species, such as the Burmese python, represent an ecological and economic disaster that can quickly overtake even the most far-reaching eradication efforts to protect endangered and declining species," Fenwick said.

Brown tree snake on Guam
Fenwick cited the widespread destructive impacts that resulted from introduction of the brown tree snake to Guam from its native range of New Guinea and Australia in the 1950s. Preying on eggs and birds alike, the brown tree snake has caused the extinction of nine of the eleven native land bird species on Guam. "Its predation of native birds has been so complete that the brown tree snake now survives by feeding almost exclusively on the island's lizard species," he said.

South Florida & Everglades
The Burmese python has established breeding populations in South Florida, including the Everglades, and caused significant damage to wildlife. It continues to pose a great risk to many native birds, including threatened and endangered species. Burmese pythons on North Key Largo have killed and eaten highly endangered Key Largo wood rats, and other pythons have preyed on endangered wood storks.

Birds targeted by Burmese pythons
According to a recent study of the intestines of 56 captured Burmese pythons in or adjacent to Everglades National Park, 50 were found to have eaten multiple bird species, including White Ibis, Limpkins, King Rails, and Clapper Rails.

In the Everglades alone, state and federal agencies have spent millions of dollars addressing threats posed by pythons - an amount far less than is needed to combat their spread. If these species spread to other areas, state and federal agencies in these areas could be forced to spend more money for control and containment purposes.

Those who already own any of these four species of banned snakes will be allowed to keep them if allowed by state law. However, they will no longer be able to take, send, or sell them across state lines. Those who wish to export these species may do so from a designated port within their state only after acquiring appropriate permits from FWS.

FWS is also considering banning five other species of nonnative snakes that the agency also proposed in 2010 - the reticulated python, boa constrictor, DeSchauensee's anaconda, green anaconda, and Beni anaconda.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/us-pythons.html

Airport proposals 'catastrophic' for wildlife

2012-01-26T11:02:00.000+01:00

Any airport development in the Thames Estuary would be catastrophic for fragile ecosystems and wildlife, warns Kent Wildlife Trust which is prepared to fight any proposals.

This is in the wake of news that the Government may include options for an airport in the Thames Estuary in a draft policy framework for UK aviation, due for public consultation in March.

John Bennett, Chief Executive of Kent Wildlife Trust, said:

“The Thames and Medway estuaries are extremely rich in wildlife and are internationally important for nature conservation. An airport here, whether coastal or offshore, will be catastrophic for wildlife communities.

“The impact on breeding, feeding and migratory birds will be huge, but there is also a wider community that includes wildflowers, bees, water voles and brown hares. Offshore, there are important habitats for fish and seals.

“Thames Estuary Airport options must be withdrawn from the draft policy framework for UK aviation.

“Ten years ago, Kent Wildlife Trust, with many others, successfully campaigned against plans for an airport at Cliffe Marshes in North Kent. However, the area is still under considerable pressure. If necessary, we are prepared to fight once more to protect our natural heritage.”

Water voles
The Hoo Peninsula is home to important populations of this mammal, which has undergone a long decline in Britain. A new airport on the peninsula would lead to direct habitat loss and indirect damage to the remaining habitats.

Black-tailed godwit
The Thames and Medway Estuaries are famous for their thousands of waterfowl and waders, such as the black-tailed godwit. The coastal habitats also support majestic birds of prey, such as the marsh harrier. A new airport in the area would render large areas uninhabitable for many species of birds.

Shrill carder bumblebee
The Hoo Peninsula supports important populations of nationally rare bumblebees such as the shrill carder bumblebee. Building an airport over the Isle of Grain would destroy a large area of coastal grassland that these bees need. Air pollution from aeroplanes could also harm habitats elsewhere in the area, reducing the number of wildflowers.

Short-snouted seahorse
Seahorses have been found in the Thames and Medway Estuaries but we know very little about them as yet. Loss of marine habitat to a new airport could be bad news for populations of this species.

Seals
Common and grey seals use the sandbanks in the Thames Estuary at low tide. Planes using a new airport may scare them off and the loss of marine habitat from an airport would probably affect populations of the fish they feed on.

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/2012/01/24/airport-proposals-catastrophic-wildlife

Tiny alcohol amounts double worm's life

2012-01-26T11:00:00.003+01:00

Tiny portions of ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, can more than double the lifespan of a tiny worm known as C elegans.

The worm, found in soils, where they eat bacteria, is used frequently as a model in aging studies, according to University of California Los Angeles biochemists.

"This finding floored us - it's shocking," said Steven Clarke, a California professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

In humans, alcohol consumption is generally harmful, Clarke said, and if the worms are given much higher concentrations of ethanol, they experience harmful neurological effects and die, other research has shown.

Clarke's research team - Paola Castro, Shilpi Khare and Brian Young - studied thousands of these worms in the first hours of their lives, while they were still in a larval stage.

The worms normally live for about 15 days and can survive with nothing to eat for roughly 10-12 days. "Our finding is that tiny amounts of ethanol can make them survive 20 to 40 days," Clarke said.

The scientists fed the worms cholesterol, and the worms lived longer, apparently due to the cholesterol. They had dissolved the cholesterol in ethanol, often used as a solvent, which they diluted 1,000-fold.

"It's just a solvent, but it turns out the solvent was having the longevity effect," Clarke said.

"The cholesterol did nothing. We found that not only does ethanol work at a 1-to-1,000 dilution, it works at a 1-to-20,000 dilution.

"That tiny bit shouldn't have made any difference, but it turns out it can be so beneficial.

"The concentrations correspond to a tablespoon of ethanol in a bathtub full of water or the alcohol in one beer diluted into a hundred gallons of water," Clarke said.

http://www.phenomenica.com/2012/01/tiny-alcohol-amounts-double-worms-life.html

Russian scientist claims signs of life spotted on Venus

2012-01-26T11:00:00.002+01:00

The Indo-Asian News Service reported Saturday that a Russian scientist has published what he claims is evidence of life on Venus, Earth’s nearest neighbor in the direction of the sun.

Leonid Ksanfomaliti, an astronomer based at the Space Research Institute of Russia’s Academy of Sciences, analyzed photographs taken by a Russian landing probe during a 1982 during a mission to explore the heavily acid-clouded planet.

Venus is roughly the same size as Earth, but it has a thick atmosphere dominated by carbon dioxide. With an atmospheric pressure 92 times Earth’s, a waterless and volcano-riddled surface and a surface temperature of 894 degrees, the planet has never been considered a serious target of research into the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

But in his article, published in the magazine Solar System Research, Ksanfomaliti says the Russian photographs depict objects resembling a “disk,” a “black flap” and a “scorpion.”

“What if we forget about the current theories about the non-existence of life on Venus?” he wrote. “Let’s boldly suggest that the objects’ morphological features would allow us to say that they are living.” Other research has suggested that liquid water may have once covered Venus, but the scientific consensus suggests that there have been no oceans there for at least 2 billion years.

The Venus Express spacecraft, built by European engineers, has been observing the planet since its 2005 launch. Scientists working on that project have not reported similar findings, but they also have not ruled out the possibility that life — albeit microscopic — could still lurk there beneath the clouds.

The project is largely dedicated to analyzing what its leaders describe as a “greenhouse effect”-related eco-catastrophe that once converted Venus into an uninhabitable wasteland.

Ksanfomaliti cautioned that the objects he wrote about seem to “emerge, fluctuate and disappear” in different photographs taken from a variety of vantage points.

http://news.yahoo.com/russian-scientist-claims-signs-life-spotted-venus-070321311.html

85-year-old woman wields shovel to stop moose stomping

2012-01-26T11:00:00.001+01:00

An agitated moose ran down and stomped a well-known Bush pilot from Willow, but he was saved when his wife grabbed a shovel from their pickup truck and whacked the big animal until it backed off.

George Murphy, 82, and his wife, Dorothea Taylor, 85, told the story of their recent moose encounter Sunday afternoon from Murphy's hospital room in Anchorage, where he is recovering from gashes to his head and left leg as well as seven broken ribs.

They were at the Willow Airport around 10:30 a.m. Friday running their golden retrievers as they do almost every day. They drive along the access road in their truck and let the dogs, Fellar and King Tut, run on ahead.

When it came time to round up the dogs, Murphy told Taylor she could wait in the truck.

"Sometimes both of us go and walk the old dog back," Taylor said. Fellar is 12 and moves slow. Tut, his son, is 3 and can run like the dickens. "But this time it was 30 below and just too darn cold out there."

Murphy was hiking back to the truck with Fellar when he saw the moose up the road. As he first told the story, he referred to the ungulate as a bull but when he thought about it later, decided it must have been a cow. No matter. It was big, and stressed.

"He was way off. Jeez, he spotted me and he started to come right after me. So I was trying to get to the truck. But I didn't make it," Murphy said.

At the airport, there were no trees to duck behind. Murphy dove into the deep snow for protection. And the moose came at him.

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When it came time to round up the dogs, Murphy told Taylor she could wait in the truck.

"He was way off. Jeez, he spotted me and he started to come right after me. So I was trying to get to the truck. But I didn't make it," Murphy said.

At the airport, there were no trees to duck behind. Murphy dove into the deep snow for protection. And the moose came at him.

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Read more her"He started to stomp. Then he turned around and stomped again. And there was nothing I could do. I was afraid he was going to kill me."

"He started to stomp. Then he turned around and stomped again. And there was nothing I could do. I was afraid he was going to kill me."

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97 POUNDS OF FURY

Murphy, a retired state construction engineer, flew for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race nearly three decades, stopping only a couple of years ago. He once was the chief pilot for the race. He's well known among both mushers and pilots as well as the news crews he carried to cover the race. He ran a flying service for a while and still has the 1948 Aeronica he bought back in 1966, when he first met Taylor in the then-new village of Port Lions, on Kodiak Island.

He and Taylor, a retired teacher, are both familiar with wild animals. They filled their freezer with moose and caribou until they gave up hunting a couple of years back. They've been married some 40 years.

From inside the truck, Taylor heard the dogs barking in alarm and jumped out to investigate. At 5 feet tall and 97 pounds, she is tiny but tough. Years ago, she shot and killed a trophy size brown bear on Kodiak Island. The mount is on the wall of the home they built on 8 acres in Willow.

She saw the moose rear up and strike at something on the ground with its front hooves. She didn't know that her husband was down or that the moose was stomping him. She couldn't see him in the snow.

Tut was at the moose's rear, barking and trying to nip its back legs. Fellar was standing near the moose's front, barking like crazy too.

"I thought he was trying to kill Fellar, the old dog," Taylor said.

Still unaware of the danger her husband was in, she yelled for him to come help her with the dogs.

On instinct, she ran to where the action was. "And the moose started after me."

A HANDY TOOL

Taylor raced back to the truck but instead of jumping in for safety, she released the tailgate to look for something she could use. She grabbed a big grain shovel that they keep on hand to dig out if the truck gets stuck.

She walked back to the moose, making a racket with the shovel on the road, where the snow was hard-packed. She kept shouting for her husband to get over there and help.

Taylor took a swing at the moose and it backed off a little, but then it reared up and stomped its target again. It didn't let up.

"So I kept hitting it some more," Taylor said. She swung mainly at the rump but said she got in at least one good lick to the head. She knew she was too close but what could she do? Finally, the moose turned away.

"When it turned and started to go off slowly, I hit it with everything I had," she said. Tut, the younger dog, took over and chased the moose away.

"Then I saw it wasn't Fellar the moose was after at all. He was striking over the top of Fellar, to get George."

Her husband was conscious and said he may have broken ribs. That was the least of it, she thought. Blood was spurting out of a deep crack in his head. The snow was crimson. She grabbed his Iditarod baseball cap, which had fallen off, and used it to try to stop the flow the blood.

She couldn't get her husband up so she got the dogs in the truck and then ran for help.

She checked her pockets for her cellphone but couldn't find it -- she forgot it was in her purse, back in the truck. She dashed to the hangar for Denali Flying Service and hoped the owners were there.

"I jerked the door open and called 'Help! Help!' " Barry Stanley came out and called 911.

Even then, Taylor thought her husband would die from the loss of blood. Anchorage was just too far away.

But help came in time. The Willow volunteer fire department got there and stabilized him. Murphy was then rushed by medical helicopter to Providence Alaska Medical Center.

'AT THE END OF THEIR ROPE'

It's hard to say what set the moose off. If it was a cow, there was no calf around that might have explained its behavior. Maybe a snowmachine harassed it. Maybe the dogs spooked it. It might just have been stressed from an especially harsh winter, with extreme cold temperatures and heavy snow.

"They don't actually have a heckuva lot to eat," Murphy said.

"And they don't have enough stamina," Taylor said.

"They're just at the end of their rope," Murphy said. "They'll just strike out at anything."

He is not upset with the moose. Neither is his wife. They don't want anyone to try to kill it. No one could be sure they got the right one, anyway.

How long did the attack last?

"Forever," Taylor said.

"Too long," Murphy added. Every time he thought it was over, the moose struck again. It had a scary look in its eyes.

Just as Taylor didn't know her husband was under attack, he didn't know his wife was fighting off the moose. Now that he's heard the story, he's sure it would have killed him without her quick action. Her effort was amazing, he said.

"Jeez, that was a pretty hard thing for anyone to do, to walk up on a moose like that. Heck, all she had was a shovel."

"Well, we've helped each other out of problems before. This just happened to be the latest," Taylor said.

Murphy spent hours in the emergency department and then a night and day in intensive care. They don't know how many stitches he got but the main gash to his head is at least 6 inches long. He has a big wound on his left leg, too. He can walk on his own and says he feels pretty good. He is officially in fair condition. Many pilots have popped in to see him or send wishes. He hopes to go home soon.

When he awoke in the ICU Saturday morning, he first thought the whole thing was one bad dream. Then he noticed the hospital ceiling and knew he wasn't home.

They still plan to run their dogs at the airport. "I'll probably have a revolver," Taylor said. Then she stopped herself. She doesn't want to needlessly kill a wild animal. She'll have to think more on that.

"We still like to have the moose around," Murphy said.

Still, next time he won't go as far from the truck.

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Miami Roofers Discover Massive Bat Colony In One Roof

2012-01-25T12:16:00.000+01:00

Think about how many houses in South Florida have roofs with barrel tiles. Now imagine that each one contains thousands of squealing bats.

In the video above, Miami roofers discover a particularly dense roosting area for bats. As noted by Buzzfeed, it conjures up visions of Temple of Doom.

Bats are quite common in Florida. Local pest removal companies cite the most common types are the Brazilian, or Mexican Free-Tail Bat, and the Evening Bat.

According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says, as bats' natural habitats disappear, they're more likely to settle in places like roof titles. And when this video was taken in July, bats nestle in crevices to give birth and nurture their young.

As cringe worthy as these flying mammals are, it's illegal to kill bats in Florida because they are a very necessary part of our local ecosystem. The FWC reports that a single bat can eat up to 3,000 insects a night. Come mosquito season in July, you'll be wishing for your very own bat infestation.

See below for a close-up shot of one of the little bats at minute 1:05. (The FWC says that bats are very fragile and remind Floridians to avoid handling them.)

See videos here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/22/miami-roofers-bats_n_1221915.html

Rare Chinese white dolphin gets DNA bank

2012-01-25T12:12:00.001+01:00

A Hong Kong conservation group said Saturday it has set up a DNA bank for the rare Chinese white dolphin, also known as the pink dolphin, in a bid to save the mammals facing a sharp population decline.

There are about 2,500 Chinese white dolphins in the Pearl River Delta region, the body of water between Macau and Hong Kong, with the majority of the mammals in Chinese waters and the rest in Hong Kong.

But experts say their number has dropped significantly in the past few years due to overfishing, an increase in maritime traffic, water pollution, habitat loss and coastal development.

In a bid to save the dwindling population, the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong said it had joined hands with a Chinese university to set up a DNA bank, which will also spearhead a genetic research project.

"We hope to offer the scientific community a standardised genetic analysis platform to assess the sustainability of Chinese white dolphin populations," Judy Chen, the foundation chairwoman said in a statement.

"The collected data will provide important reference to governments in the region for developing critical strategies of Chinese white dolphin conservation," she added.

The biological samples of these dolphins will be sent to the DNA bank to investigate the environmental impacts on the mammal, the statement said.

The Chinese white dolphins, a sub-species of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, are unique for their pink skin. They are listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The mammal was the official mascot at the handover ceremony when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997, while dolphin watching is a favourite tourist attraction in Hong Kong.

Its population in Hong Kong has dropped from an estimated 158 in 2003 to only 75 in 2010, according to the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society.

http://news.yahoo.com/rare-chinese-white-dolphin-gets-dna-bank-110435551.html

Sumatran elephant upgraded to critically endangered status

2012-01-25T12:06:00.000+01:00

Species has lost half its population and 69% of its habitat through deforestation in the past 25 years.

The Sumatran elephant has been placed on the list of critically endangered species after losing half of its population in a single generation, prompting calls from conservation groups for emergency measures to halt the destruction of its habitat.

Deforestation is seen as the primary reason for the collapse in numbers in Indonesia, which until recently was seen alongside India and Sri Lanka as one of the last great refuges for elephants in Asia. The animal is now at risk of becoming extinct within decades.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgraded the risk assessment after tracking the loss of 69% of the animal's habitat over the past 25 years. With their home forests burned, felled or converted to plantations, the wild population has fallen to no more than 2,800.

In its latest "red list" of threatened species, the IUCN noted that many of the remaining elephant communities were likely to disappear because they do not live in protected areas and there is a high risk of conflicts with humans. It cited studies showing that at least six herds disappeared between 2007 and 2009 in Riau province - a centre for the paper, pulp and palm oil industries. "That this pattern will continue seems certain," it warned.

As plantations have expanded, Sumatra has experienced some of the worst deforestation rates in the world. Conservation groups said the Indonesian island has lost more than two-thirds of its natural lowland forest - the most suitable habitat for elephants - in the past 25 years.

With the upgrading of the risk assessment, WWF called for an immediate moratorium on habitat destruction. "The Sumatran elephant joins a growing list of Indonesian species that are critically endangered, including the Sumatran orangutan, the Javan and Sumatran rhinos and the Sumatran tiger," said Carlos Drews, director of WWF's global species programme.

"Unless urgent and effective conservation action is taken these magnificent animals are likely to go extinct within our lifetime." The organisation advised the government to assess large habitat patches that could be designated as protected areas, and linked with smaller habitat through a network of conservation corridors. In the longer term, it suggested the authorities consider habitat expansion and forest restoration.

"It's very important that the government of Indonesia, conservation organisations and agro-forestry companies recognise the critical status of elephants and other wildlife in Sumatra and take effective steps to conserve them," said Asian elephant expert Ajay Desai. "Indonesia must act now before it's too late to protect Sumatra's last remaining natural forests, especially elephant habitats."

However, without more public pressure or more funds, the Indonesia authorities are likely to continue to support or turn a blind eye to the loggers and plantation owners. The threat upgrade follows a flood of grim conservation news due to poaching, habitat loss and a lack of awareness among consumers.

The Javan rhino was declared extinct in Vietnam in October after the last one was found dead with a bullet in its leg and its horn sawn off. A month later, it was followed by Africa's western black rhinoceros and warnings that the Sumatran rhino is on the brink of extinction in Indonesia.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/24/sumatran-elephant-upgraded-critically-endangered?intcmp=122