Animals

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    Vaccinations Work Better Than Culling for Bovine Tuberculosis in Badgers, Study Finds

    Vaccinations Work Better Than Culling for Bovine Tuberculosis in Badgers, Study Finds

    Rather than culling animals amidst major disease outbreaks, a new study has found a potentially more effective alternative: vaccinations. At least that’s what researchers confirmed for curbing bovine tuberculosis in badgers in research recently published in the journal People and Nature. The findings are promising for not only protecting badgers but also cattle, which have […]

    Rare Seafaring Birds Follow Tropical Cyclones to Find Better Feeding Opportunities

    Rare Seafaring Birds Follow Tropical Cyclones to Find Better Feeding Opportunities

    A new study has found that a rare and wide-ranging North Atlantic seabird — Desertas petrel (Pterodroma deserta) — demonstrates unique foraging behaviors that involve following tropical cyclones during hurricane season in order to exploit the storms’ dynamic conditions. Unlike other seabirds who spend the majority of their lives flying above the open ocean, these […]

    UK Butterfly Numbers at Record Low in ‘Warning Sign to Us All,’ Conservationists Report

    UK Butterfly Numbers at Record Low in ‘Warning Sign to Us All,’ Conservationists Report

    Following record-low reports of butterflies in the UK, British charity Butterfly Conservation is sounding the alarm. The charity, which crowdsources data from UK participants through their Big Butterfly Count, put out a blog post explaining that participants are reporting “just over half” the amount of butterflies compared to this time last year. This year’s Big […]

    13 Sharks Test Positive for Cocaine Near Brazil

    13 Sharks Test Positive for Cocaine Near Brazil

    Scientists have detected cocaine in multiple sharks off the coasts of Brazil, according to a new study. In the study, which was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, researchers set out to analyze the levels of cocaine as well as benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in Brazilian sharpnose sharks (Rhizoprionodon lalandii). The […]

    Koalas Can Predict the Hottest Summer Days and Lower Their Body Temperatures Accordingly, Study Finds

    Koalas Can Predict the Hottest Summer Days and Lower Their Body Temperatures Accordingly, Study Finds

    A new study by researchers in Australia has found that iconic and endangered koalas have the ability to regulate their body temperatures more than previously thought. For the first time, scientists have observed free-ranging, wild koalas drastically lowering their core body temperatures during cool mornings in preparation for the most sweltering summer days. “This strongly […]