Animals

[CaaC (John)+]

Great auk extinction: Humans wiped out giant seabird

"The great auk will always hold a place in my heart," Dr Jessica Thomas says.

The Swansea-based scientist spent years piecing together an ancient DNA puzzle that suggests hunting by humans caused this giant seabird's demise.

Dr Thomas studied bone and tissue samples from 41 museum specimens during a PhD at both Bangor and Copenhagen University.

The findings paint a picture of how vulnerable even the most common species are to human exploitation.

Storybook seabird

About 80cm (2ft 7in) tall, the stubby-winged and bulbous-billed great auks used to be found all across the north Atlantic - from North America through Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia and the UK.

"Being flightless, they were always targeted by local people for food and for their feathers," says Dr Thomas.

"But around 1500, when European seamen discovered the rich fishing grounds off Newfoundland, hunting intensified."

By about 1850, the great auk was extinct; the last two known specimens were hunted down by fishermen on Eldey Island, off the coast of Iceland.

"We looked for signatures of population decline [before 1500]," Dr Thomas said.

One of these signatures might be a lack of genetic diversity, suggesting individuals were inbreeding and the species, as a whole, was becoming vulnerable to disease or environmental change.

"But their genetic diversity was very high - all but two sequences we found were very different," Dr Thomas said.

In fact, the genetic timeline Dr Thomas and her colleagues were able to create showed, at the time the intensive great auk hunting began, the species was doing "really well".

"They weren't at risk of extinction at all," said Dr Thomas.

"It emphasises how vulnerable even the widespread and abundant species are to this intensive, localised pressure."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-50563953

[CaaC (John)+]

Bloody hell, I don't think I would like to be anywhere near these animals. 

 

 

[CaaC (John)+]

300m-year-old lizard discovered in Canada is the earliest known example of animal parental care

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A primitive lizard that lived 309 million years ago has been unearthed in Canada with its tail wrapped around its young.

It is the earliest example uncovered of parental care in the animal kingdom, shedding light on the evolution of love.

The fossilised remains include a juvenile positioned belly-up behind the mother’s hind limb and snugly encircled by her tail.

The pair died suddenly in a swamp-like forest in Nova Scotia, where the adult had built a den to raising its family, experts say. Their final embrace was captured in time.

The new species, which resembled today’s monitor lizard, has been named Dendromaia unamakiensis – after the Greek words for “tree” and “caring mother”.

Hillary Maddin, a palaeontologist at Carleton University in Ottawa, said that although the animals would have appeared lizard-like it is thought they would have been more closely related to humans as a member of the synapsid lineage that evolved into mammals.

“The animals were discovered in a fossilised stump showing proposed parental care behaviour," she said.

“It would have been a warmer climate than today. Other small reptiles were around, as well as some larger amphibian-like creatures. It probably fed on abundant insects and other small vertebrates.”

Now extinct, Dendromaia had long jaws, very sharp teeth, long tails, narrow bodies and thin legs. They were highly agile as they scurried about the undergrowth dining on insects and other small animals.

The earliest synapsids looked like bulky lizards but are in fact more closely related to us than the dinosaurs.

They became the most dominant group before being all but wiped out 250 million years ago when erupting volcanoes in Siberia caused the biggest extinction in history.

Dr Maddin said: “The adult was probably about 8in [20cm] long from the snout to the base of its tail.

“The level of preservation in both individuals – including the delicate structures of small bones supporting the stomach muscles – indicate rapid burial with little or no transport.”

In other words, the creatures perished together where they were found, although the cause is unknown.

Dr Maddin added: “The location of the juvenile individual beneath the hind limb and encircled by the tail of the larger individual resembles a position that would be found among denning animals.

“The animals being the same species, the position of the adult and juvenile in a denning posture and the preservational context are consistent with two predictions of parental care – prolonged offspring attendance and concealment.”

The behaviour is common among many vertebrates today, including birds, reptiles, mammals, fish and amphibians.

The previous earliest example was a 270 million-year-old fossil of the synapsid Heleosaurus scholtzi and it's young, found in South Africa. So Dendromaia, which is described in Nature Ecology & Evolution, beats the record by nearly 40 million years.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/300m-year-old-lizard-discovered-in-canada-is-earliest-known-example-of-animal-parental-care/ar-BBYiaBS

 

[CaaC (John)+]

Extinction: A million species at risk, so what is saved?

A decade-long project to save one of the world's most endangered birds has finally found success, with the birth of two chicks. But with an estimated one million species at risk across the world and nothing like the money and resources to save them all, how do conservationists choose the few they can save?

"You have to wear one of these I'm afraid," Tanya Grigg says sympathetically, handing me a distinctly unflattering blue hair net. "Any stray hairs could wrap around the birds' legs and injure them; they're so delicate." Tanya has a soft voice and gentle manner that I can imagine putting the most skittish of birds at ease. She shows me into a large aviary.

There are just two, nervous-looking birds inside - both with miniature, shovel-shaped bills and spindly waders' legs. They hop a little closer to each other and peer at us, apparently suspicious of the intrusion. Then Tanya unfolds a small chair, sits down and scatters some food in their direction. They are immediately, completely engrossed in eating.

FULL REPORT

[CaaC (John)+]

Tortoise with species-saving sex drive returns to Galápagos

VIDEO

A giant tortoise whose legendary libido has been credited with saving his species from extinction is to return to the wild on the Galápagos Islands.

Diego was among 14 male tortoises selected to take part in a breeding programme on Santa Cruz Island.

The programme has been a success, producing more than 2,000 giant tortoises since it began in the 1960s.

Diego's sex drive was said to be one of the main reasons.

The 100-year-old tortoise has fathered hundreds of progeny, around 800 by some estimates.

The programme has now finished, and Diego will be returned to his native island of Española in March, the Galápagos National Parks service (PNG) said.

• Fireworks banned on the Galapagos to protect wildlife
• New tortoise species found on Galapagos
• The iguanas heading home

He will join a 1,800-strong tortoise population, at least 40% of which park rangers believe he has fathered.

"He's contributed a large percentage to the lineage that we are returning to Española," Jorge Carrion, the park's director, told AFP news agency.

"There's a feeling of happiness to have the possibility of returning that tortoise to his natural state."

The park service believes Diego was taken from the Galápagos 80 years ago by a scientific expedition.

Around 50 years ago, there were only two males and 12 females of Diego's species alive on Espanola.

To save his species, Chelonoidis hoodensis, Diego was brought in from California's San Diego Zoo.

Diego is currently in quarantine before his triumphant return to Española, considered one of the oldest parts of the Galápagos.

The Galápagos Islands, 906km (563 miles) west of continental Ecuador, is a Unesco World Heritage site renowned worldwide for their unique array of plants and wildlife.

The indigenous species found on the Galápagos, including iguanas and tortoises, played a key role in the development of Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution.

Tourists across the globe travel there to see its biodiversity.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-51073620

 

Edited January 11, 2020 by CaaC (John)

[nudge+]

Today I learned that cheetahs are apparently so shy (to such a degree that they get too anxious to procreate and are becoming extinct as a result) that zoos give them emotional support dogs to help them learn to socialise and relax... And then I saw these pics:

 

 

 Now I need a dog AND a cheetah.

[Eco]

For those of you that are friends with me on FB, you probably have seen (although I rarely post anything), but the wife and I have gotten a new Puppy to go with our 5 year old Black Lab. His name is Bear, and he's a Plott Hound puppy that is roughly 9 weeks old. 

[CaaC (John)+]

The Mysterious Reason Why Cats Are Afraid of Cucumbers

There's a perplexing phobia that seems to have run rampant in the cat community in recent years—the feline fear of cucumbers. Search YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Vimeo, or literally any place where videos live on the internet, and you'll be bombarded by countless instances of cats who, when confronted with cucumbers, act as though they've just seen a ghost.

FULL REPORT

 

 

[CaaC (John)+]

Ants have taken up 'farming' aphids to ensure an endless supply of honeydew

Farming has taken a new direction in Britain with the discovery humans are not the only ones domesticating animals for their own needs.

Ants have cornered the micro-farming world, herding and shielding a previously undiscovered aphid about oak trees in exchange for a sugary water it excretes called honeydew.

“It is farming – they are milking the animals, moving them from high to low pastures and building shelters for them when there’s not enough protection", Matt Shardlow, chief executive of conservation charity Buglife, told The Guardian.

The aphid and its 'farmed' existence were made by naturalist and photographer Julian Hodgson in May 2018 as he was trying to find bark flies on Monks Wood national nature reserve near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.

Ants 'farming' aphids

But getting a sample for identification proved tricky as the insects are mostly nocturnal, which is why they have remained undiscovered for so long and had to be gathered from the oak trees in darkness using a head torch.

The giant pale aphid, with a projecting mouth almost twice as long as its 5-7mm body, was identified by entomologists at the Natural History Museum and in Poland as stomaphis wojciechowskii and has since been found in five other sites in Cambridgeshire.

They are thought to have been living in Britain for thousands of years.

These aphids are looked after exclusively by brown ants, which live in the decaying parts of living trees and feed off the aphid-produced honeydew.

Undiscovered for thousands of years

Some ants stroke the aphids with their antennae to encourage the production of honeydew, others guard the aphids against potential predators such as beetles.

If the aphids, normally hidden in crevices are exposed to light, the ants will escort them to a place of safety within the moss-covered base of the trunks.

And occasionally ants will pick up the smallest aphids and carry them in their jaws.

In bad weather, the ants keep the aphids underground and in summer when the sap rises the aphids are herded up the tree trunk to feed and produce honeydew for the ants.

Reporting the aphid discovery in the British Journal of Entomology and Natural History, Mr Hodgson and his co-authors highlighted the fact no aphids have been given conservation status in Britain.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/ants-have-taken-up-farming-aphids-to-ensure-an-endless-supply-of-honeydew/ar-BBZj1wf?li=BBoPWjQ

[CaaC (John)+]

Rescued owl was 'too fat to fly', Suffolk sanctuary says

An owl rescued from a ditch and thought to be injured was in fact just too fat to fly, a bird rescue centre has said.

Suffolk Owl Sanctuary said the "soggy" bird was brought in by a landowner.

When staff examined the little owl (Athene noctua), they found it to be "simply extremely obese" and "unable to fly effectively" as a result.

The owl was put on a "strict diet" to slim down from its 245g to a more "natural weight" and has been released back to the wild, the sanctuary said.

The sanctuary, based in Stonham Aspal, said when the bird was weighed, it was roughly a third heavier than they would expect a large healthy female little owl to be.

The sanctuary said it was "extremely unusual for wild birds to get into this condition naturally".

Head falconer Rufus Samkin said: "Where she was found is very productive land, and it's been a mild winter and there's a lot of food around - voles, mice.

"We think she's just done incredibly well for herself and overindulged."

He said the owl lost between 20g and 30g over a couple of weeks while staff monitored its food intake.

"We may see her again - we hope not," said Mr Samkin. "Hopefully, she's learnt to keep her weight in trim so she can escape any predators or being picked up."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-51294545

[CaaC (John)+]

 

[CaaC (John)+]

Why don't they get a veterinary surgeon just to tranquilise the poor croc then get the tyre off? 

Indonesia offers reward for plucking tyre off giant croc's neck

Indonesian authorities are offering a reward to anyone who can rescue a saltwater crocodile with a motorbike tyre stuck around its neck -- and survive.

The contest will see one brave croc hunter land an unspecified amount of cash, but it will mean coming face to face with the 13-foot (4-metre) reptile Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi.

Local conservation authorities have been trying -- and failing -- for several years to find a way to untangle the croc after video showed it gasping for air. 

That sparked worries the tyre was slowly killing the beast.

After a recent sighting, the province's governor instructed his resource-strapped conservation agency to figure out how to end years of fruitless attempts.

The agency offered few details on the reward, or how outsiders might pull off the task.

But its chief -- who said the cash would come out of his own pocket -- warned that he was not calling on amateurs to hunt down the reptile, but rather addressing people with a background in wildlife rescue and a thirst for conservation.

"We're asking the general public not to get close to the crocodile or disturb its habitat," said Hasmuni Hasmar, head of the Central Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/indonesia-offers-reward-for-plucking-tyre-off-giant-crocs-neck/ar-BBZu2wV

[CaaC (John)+]

A partial descendant of 'Lonesome George' species found near a volcano

© Reuter's Lonesome George was the last of his kind before his death in 2012

Conservationists say they have found 30 giant tortoises partially descended from two extinct species, including that of the famed Lonesome George, around the largest volcano on the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos National Park and Galapagos Conservancy said they discovered a young female who has a direct line of descent from the Chelonoidis Abingdon species of Pinta Island in Ecuador.

The last of those tortoises was Lonesome George, a giant tortoise, who was believed to be over 100 years old when he died in June 2012.

Another 11 males and 18 females were from the Chelonoidis niger line of Floreana Island in Ecuador.

© Reuter's Conservationists found 30 giant tortoises at the bottom of a volcano

The 45-member expedition was working around the Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island.

The conservationists said pirates and whalers had taken tortoises from other islands in the archipelago and left them near the volcano.

Those found during the new expedition were hybrids descended from both the extinct and other species.

The Galapagos Islands, which once held 15 closely related species of tortoise, according to the Galapagos Conservancy.

The nonprofit organisation estimates that 20,000 to 25,000 wild tortoises live on the islands today.

At least four of the species are now considered extinct.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/partial-descendant-of-lonesome-george-species-found-near-volcano/ar-BBZyO88?li=BBoPWjQ

 

[CaaC (John)+]

Koalas found dead on Australia logging plantation

Dozens of koalas have been found dead or injured at a timber plantation in the Australian state of Victoria, sparking an investigation by officials.

Blue gum trees - an important koala habitat - were harvested from the plantation in December, leaving only a few isolated stands of trees.

Some koalas had starved to death in the remaining trees. Others were apparently killed by bulldozers.

About 80 surviving koalas have been removed and are being cared for.

The deaths come after tens of thousands of koalas were killed in the bushfires that have ravaged Australia. The marsupial is listed as "vulnerable" by Australia's Environment Ministry.

'Australia should be ashamed'

After the plantation was logged in December, reports of hundreds of starving koalas came in, environmental group Friends of the Earth Australia said.

"People apparently witnessed the bulldozing of many dead koalas into slash piles," it said.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning said it was prepared to prosecute over the incident.

Local resident Helen Oakley, who first raised the alarm on Wednesday, posted a video to Facebook, saying she had seen dead koalas at the site.

"There are koalas lying there dead," she said. "Mothers killed and their little babies. Australia should be ashamed of this. We need help."

Animal protection group Animals Australia said it has sent teams to the site in order to "save as many of these precious animals as possible".

It added: "We are still gathering the details as to what has occurred in this case but it would appear that there are various breaches of legislation, including the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which we will be supporting authorities to pursue."

Andrew Pritchard from the Department of the Environment said 25 koalas had been euthanised. He told ABC News the surviving koalas would be "rehabilitated at a later stage".

Investigations underway

The company behind the logging is currently unclear. According to the logging industry, the blue gum trees were harvested in November and the contractor followed all of the protocols in place to protect the animals.

However, Animals Australia said it was investigating several apparent breaches of the legislation.

"By law, the companies that own these plantations must provide koala 'spotters' to identify koalas in trees before logging commences, so that animals can be safely removed and relocated. There is also a legal responsibility to ensure the welfare of koalas after logging has ceased," it said.

The Australian Forest Products Association said the remaining trees were cleared after the contractors had left. It has vowed to investigate the incident.

Chief Executive Ross Hampton told The Age: "It is unclear as yet who bulldozed the trees with the koalas apparently still in them, but it is absolutely certain that this was not a plantation or a forestry company.

"We support all those calling for the full force of the law to be applied to the perpetrator.

The incident comes after a number of koalas were killed in recent bushfires in the country.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-51346637

[CaaC (John)+]

Why this coyote and badger 'friendship' has excited scientists

 

Like a page out of a child’s storybook, a coyote and a badger trot side by side, seemingly the best of friends.

The remote camera video clip was captured recently under a busy highway in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains. It’s gone viral on Twitter, showing just how much people love to cheer on unusual animal bonds. 

Scientists have known for a long time that coyotes and badgers in the American West hunt cooperatively for small mammals; the partnership is even featured in Native American mythology. But until now, the phenomenon has always been thought to be purely transactional. What’s so striking about the video, says independent behavioural ecologist Jennifer Campbell-Smith, is that it’s not “these cold, robotic animals taking advantage of each other—they’re instead at ease and friendly.”

Case in point: The coyote wags its tail and bows down playfully, signalling that it’s inviting the badger to follow it into the tunnel. The badger’s body language is relaxed; the animal even lifts its tail to waddle more quickly to keep pace with the coyote. “The badger was showing happy behaviour—for a badger,” she laughs. The animals are known for being notoriously grumpy.

What’s more, the affability between the animals shows that they certainly know each other as individuals. “I wouldn’t scientifically want to use the term friends, but these are two wild animals that clearly understand their partnership.”

The video, taken by the nonprofit group Peninsula Open Space Trust, is an important discovery for scientists: It shows both the first example of coyote-badger cooperation ever taken in the San Francisco Bay Area and possibly the first video showing two species sharing a culvert—a tunnel that allows water to flow under a road and wildlife to bypass highways. But there’s another crucial takeaway here, she adds: Helping the public to relate to the wildlife in their own backyards.

Such clips help “people see that, oh wait, just like I can have a friendship with a dog, they can, too,” she says. “It’s not just a human thing; all animals can collaborate.”

Win-win situation

Coyotes and badgers occasionally form short-term alliances to hunt ground-dwelling creatures, particularly in areas with relatively high densities of predators and prey, such as open expanses of Wyoming, Montana, and Oregon. The most common structure is one coyote and one badger, though occasionally two coyotes will join up (two badgers have not been observed, however), notes Campbell-Smith. (Learn how coyotes are hacking life in the city.)

It's not known how the relationship begins, or whether it’s learned behaviour from the species’ parents, she says. But there’s no question the association is mutually beneficial.

That’s because the carnivores complement each other’s hunting styles. If a coyote spends time near a badger, there’s a good chance the badger is going to scare up a squirrel, which the coyote can then run and catch. If the badger hangs around a coyote, there’s a likelihood the coyote will drive the prey underground, which then gives the badger—a superior digger—a meal.

Research has backed up the efficacy of this mutualism: Coyotes and badgers that hunt together are both more effective at getting food. For instance, observations in Wyoming have revealed that coyotes that team up with badgers save energy and likely time by not having to search, chase, and stalk Uinta ground squirrels.

Such studies have also shown the coyote-badger affiliations are more common in rural areas untouched by humans—making this video all the more exciting, notes Megan Draheim, a conservation biologist at Virginia Tech and founder of the District Coyote Project, which studies the predators.

“This is a great reflection of how much nature and wildness there can be in urban areas, and why it’s important to think about nature and plan for it.”

It also gives the public a glimpse into the coyote’s playful side, Draheim adds. 

Usually considered “mean, skulking animals,” coyotes are “very intelligent, and have a lot of interactions with other animals around them.” It’s amazing, she adds, “how close that [coyote in the video] mirrors the playfulness of our own dogs.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/why-this-coyote-and-badger-friendship-has-excited-scientists/ar-BBZHnLA?li=AAg17eQ&ocid=mailsignout

[CaaC (John)+]

Big Tim, one of Kenya's last giant 'tusker' elephants, dies at 50

Big Tim

 

Edited February 7, 2020 by CaaC (John)
Replace Video

[CaaC (John)+]

Need a hand? Incredible moment orangutan reaches out to help a conservationist who looked stuck in the river as he cleared snakes from apes' habitat   

SLIDES - 1/4

This is the heartwarming moment an orangutan tries to assist a man stood in a river by offering its outstretched arm. 

The great ape, who lives in a protected conservation forest area in Borneo, was seen leaning forward and lending a helping hand to the man who had been in the muddy river searching for snakes.

The striking images were taken by amateur photographer Anil Prabhakar, from Indonesia, who had been on a safari with his friends when he spotted the touching scene.

Mr Prabhakar later found that the man worked for the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation- a non-profit organisation aimed at protecting the endangered species.

The worker had been clearing away snakes in an effort to guard the orangutans when he was interrupted by the inquisitive ape.

However, the amateur photographer revealed the man refused the orangutan's hand after he put away the camera - as it was a wild animal.

Mr Prabhakar said: 'Someone told him there was a snake in the river. The warden went there and cleared the bushes.

'An orangutan came to the banks and was watching what he was doing. He then came closer and gave his hand.

'The warden just moved away. I asked him why later and he said: ''It's a wild animal, not one we are familiar with''.

'But they are to protect them.'

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation is an Indonesian non-profit organisation founded in 1991. 

The foundation, which has 400 members of staff, is currently taking care of almost 650 orangutans.  

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/need-a-hand-incredible-moment-orangutan-reaches-out-to-help-a-conservationist-who-looked-stuck-in-the-river-as-he-cleared-snakes-from-apes-habitat/ar-BBZJfTR?li=AAnZ9Ug#image=4

[CaaC (John)+]

@Devil-Dick Willie, @Harry and all the other Aussies, anywhere near you?

Menacing bats swarming small Australian town

The fearsome flock has swooped in on the town’s botanical gardens and is perched in trees near schools.

Even more worrisome for residents is that the colony appears to be expanding.

“It’s like a bat tornado over the town,” explained resident Adam Kaurila, who is considering yanking his two daughters out of school over bat exposure and scratch alarms.

The biggest concern when it comes to bat bites and scratches is lyssavirus, a disease similar to rabies.

Three cases have been confirmed Down Under — all fatal.

Kaurila’s wife also expressed apprehension for her kids’ safety.

"They’re not stepping a foot in that ground until something is, we know that is, being done, said his wife, Susanne.

Bats are a protected species under Queensland law, meaning the city council is limited in how it can manage them.

While nonlethal methods such as noise, smoke and light are effective deterrents, they can’t be utilized while the bats are breeding, according to news.com.au.

In Charters Towers — located about 150 miles southwest of Ingham, residents there are also coping with a severe bat problem.

One Aussie politician says enough is enough.

“There comes a point where I think breaking the law really becomes ‘dogging it,’ as we say in North Queensland,” said state representative Bob Katter. “And I think that point has probably been reached.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/menacing-bats-swarming-small-australian-town/ar-BBZMM83

[Devil-Dick Willie]

Theres about a thousand bats who live down the road from me. Little fuckers swarm about and head up the mountain to eat bugs. 

[Machado]

35 minutes ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

Theres about a thousand bats who live down the road from me. Little fuckers swarm about and head up the mountain to eat bugs. 

The guy in your avatar retired from football a few days ago. How do you feel about it?

[Devil-Dick Willie]

18 minutes ago, Machado said:

The guy in your avatar retired from football a few days ago. How do you feel about it?

Isn't he retiring from football at seasons end? He was essentially functionally retired anyway.

[Machado]

43 minutes ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

Isn't he retiring from football at seasons end? He was essentially functionally retired anyway.

I saw him crying at a press conference the other day I think he's done but he was still playing games for Academica.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

5 hours ago, Machado said:

I saw him crying at a press conference the other day I think he's done but he was still playing games for Academica.

Either way a deadset legend who was capable of scoring goals at the top level for 20 years. Also he's certainly not at Academica. He's still in Bremen?

Edited February 10, 2020 by Devil-Dick Willie

[nudge+]

23 minutes ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

Either way a deadset legend who was capable of scoring goals at the top level for 20 years. Also he's certainly not at Academica. He's still in Bremen?

Machado has mistaken a cat for a dog in another thread earlier today, that makes me fairly certain he's mixing up Pizarro with someone else here too  in fact I'm pretty sure he's mistaken him for Hugo Almeida haha. 

[Machado]

Damn it.