Wildlife News Roundup - November 2008
In this issue of Wildlife News Roundup, we learn that seabirds in the UK and Iceland have had a poor breeding season this year, turtle populations along the Mississippi are breeding earlier in response to climate change, and an endangered fruit bat fights its way back from the brink of extinction. There is also news of a Supreme Court decision that fails to protect whales off California's southern coast and a new wildlife sanctuary has been created to help protect Russia's rare Amur leopards.
- Big Trouble for UK and Icelandic Seabirds (BirdLife International) — November 26, 2008. Seabirds have had an abysmal breeding season in the UK and Iceland, according to data collected at coastal reserves in the region. Species such as the Black-legged Kittiwake, the Arctic Tern, and the Arctic Skua reared virtually no chicks this year.
- Alien-like Squid Seen at Deep Drilling Site (National Geographic) — November 24, 2008. A bizarre squid has been photographed by a Shell Oil ROV (remotely-operated vehicle) that was working at the Perdido oil and gas development site in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Turtles Alter Nesting Dates Due To Temperature Change (Science Daily) — November 20, 2008. Populations of turtles living along the Mississippi River have altered their nesting season by as much as three weeks to accommodate earlier springs due to climate change.
- Earliest Swimming Turtle Fossils Found (National Geographic) — November 19, 2008. Turtle fossils unearthed from Scotland's Isle of Skye have provided scientists with the earliest known evidence of swimming turtles.
- New Hope for Thirty Remaining Amur Leopards (WWF) — November 19, 2008. Russia's rare Amur leopards will receive protection in a new nature sanctuary that connects three previously smaller reserves. The sanctuary, Leopardovy Zakaznik, will be managed by the Ministry of Nature Resources of Russia.
- Sound Waves Silence Whales' Song (Scientific American) — November 18, 2008. The noise pollution in the waters off California's southern coast has increased tenfold in the past fifty years due to commercial shipping traffic and Naval sonar operations. The noise drowns out the songs of whales in the region and greatly threatens their well being.
- Save the Whales, But Only When National Security Isn't at Stake (Scientific American) — November 12, 2008. The US Supreme Court ruled that the Navy need not worry about the effects sonar has on whales when training off California's southern coast. The news comes as a bitter disappointment to conservation groups such as the NRDC who have worked tirelessly to protect whales in the region.
- Wildlife Consumption in China Rising (WWF) — November 11, 2008. The WWF reports that traditional medicine trade in China has fueled an increased demand for wildlife. Poor resource management and lack of standards means sustainable collection of wild plants and animals is not taking place.
- Global Warming Threatens Lemmings in Norway (National Geographic) — November 5, 2008. New research has revealed that falling lemming populations in Norway may be the result of the effects of climate change.
- Critically Endangered Fruit Bat Make Dramatic Return From Brink Of Extinction (Science Daily) — November 3, 2008. The Pemba flying fox was on the brink of extinction in 1989 but now its population has boomed to an astonishing 22,000 individuals.
About Wildlife News Roundup
Wildlife News Roundup is a monthly digest featuring animals and wildlife headlines from around the web. It includes headlines from well-established sources such as the World Wildlife Fund, BBC News, New York Times, National Public Radio, National Geographic, and Birdlife International. The sources are selected with care and include only those that archive articles for many years, offer top-notch science writing, and follow stories as they develop over time.
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Photo © Richard Leishman / iStockphoto. A young Amur leopard.