Animals

400 Year Old Greenland Shark Is World’s Oldest Vertebrate

400 Year Old Greenland Shark Is World’s Oldest Vertebrate

Around the same time pilgrims were trying to make it on the colony of Jamestown, a young shark was swimming around the Arctic seas. This special female shark—born approximately 400 years ago—might be the world’s oldest vertebrate, according to a new study published in the journal Science. The ancient and mysterious Greenland shark is likely […]

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    8 Manatees Found Dead, Toxic Algae Suspected as Culprit

    8 Manatees Found Dead, Toxic Algae Suspected as Culprit

    An illness that might be linked to toxic algae blooms combined with a record number of boat collisions has taken a toll on Florida’s manatee population this summer. Since May, eight dead manatees have been found in the Indian River Lagoon in Brevard County, a waterway that’s been fouled with microscopic toxic algae, the Orlando […]

    ‘Fantastic News’: England’s Plastic Bag Usage Drops by 85%

    ‘Fantastic News’: England’s Plastic Bag Usage Drops by 85%

    England has cut its plastic bag use by 85 percent ever since a 5 pence (7 cent) charge was introduced last October, according to government figures. England’s plastic bag usage has dropped significantly ever since a 5p levy was introduced last year. Flickr The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced that 6 […]

    Pokémon Go Players Become Unusual Heroes for Animals

    Pokémon Go Players Become Unusual Heroes for Animals

    Pokémon Go—the app that has hoards of people roaming streets, parks and public spaces looking for imaginary Pokémon—turns out to be beneficial for animals. This is what Pokémon Go players see when their eyes are glued to their phones.Photo credit: brar_j, Flickr While playing the app several users have stumbled upon abandoned or injured animals […]

    This Popular Insecticide Is Lowering Sperm Count in Honey Bees by 40%

    This Popular Insecticide Is Lowering Sperm Count in Honey Bees by 40%

    Neonicotinoids, a common and highly controversial class of insecticides linked to catastrophic bee deaths, could be significantly lowering the sperm count of male drone honey bees and cutting their life span by a third, Swiss researchers found. Researchers from the Institute of Bee Health at the University of Bern, Switzerland discovered that male drone honeybees […]

    World’s First Urban Bee Highway Helps Save Pollinators

    World’s First Urban Bee Highway Helps Save Pollinators

    By Tasnim Abdi In 2015, ByBi, an environmental group based in Oslo, Norway, designed the world’s first urban bee highway—a route filled with green roofs and flowers—that supports bees living in city environments. ByBi One-third of Norway’s 200 wild bee species are endangered. The bee highway works with businesses, schools, organizations and individuals residing in […]

    Will Aquarium Release 110-Year-Old Lobster Back to Sea?

    Will Aquarium Release 110-Year-Old Lobster Back to Sea?

    By Ashley Palmer Hot on the heels of the Maine State Aquarium‘s acquisition of a 110-year-old lobster named Larry, who was rescued from a restaurant in Florida, PETA sent a letter to the aquarium calling for the old-timer to be released back into the ocean that he had called home for more than a century. […]