In this issue of Wildlife News Round-Up, there are a number of headlines focusing on the emergence of Brood XIII, a brood of periodical cicadas expected to emerge very soon from the soils of the midwest to breed. There is also news of the discovery of a rare soft-shell turtle in Cambodia, a find that gives conservationists reason for hope in saving this unique and threatened turtle. Also this month, the WWF has published several reports on various conservation topics including the effects of climate change on cetaceans, the impact drilling in Bristol Bay would have on North Pacific Right Whales, and the top ten species affected by illegal trade.

• Cicada Outbreaks Linked to Other Animals' Booms, Bust (National Geographic) — May 30, 2007. Periodical cicadas spend much of their life cycle buried underground but emerge to breed once every 17 years (though some cicadas emerge at different time intervals). When they emerge from the ground, they come out in the millions and their temporary above-ground population surge influences animals all around them.
• Amphibian Bacteria Fights Off Deadly Fungus, Study Says (National Geographic) — May 29, 2007. Scientists have discovered that some salamanders possess a bacteria on their skin that fights-off the deadly chytrid fungus, a disease that threatens amphibians around the world.
• Drilling in Bristol Bay Could Be Nail in the Coffin for World's Most Endangered Whale Population (WWF) – May 29, 2007. The WWF warns that oil and gas drilling in Bristol Bay could push the North Pacific Right Whale into extinction. Drilling in the region is expected to resume now that President Bush's has rescinded of a moratorium on drilling in the region.
• Reintroducing Endangered Leopards to the Northern Caucasus (WWF) — May 22, 2007. The WWF has initiated a project to reintroduce Persian Leopards to Sochi National Park in the Northern Caucuases. Several leopards will take from captivity from different locations throughout Russia. These leopards will be placed in pens in the park and their offspring will become members of a new founder population of the endangered leopards.
• Cicada Facts: Understanding the Invasion (National Geographic) — May 21, 2007. Millions of periodical cicadas, known as Brood XIII, are expected to emerge from the soils of the midwestern states of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana.
• Global Warming's Effect on World's Largest Creatures (WWF) – May 21, 2007. A report by the WWF and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society outlines the threats cetaceans face due to climate change. The changes that are impacting cetaceancs include rising sea temperatures, falling salinity levels, and rising sea levels.
• New Species of Sea Anemone Found In Deepest Pacific (Science Daily) — May 18, 2007. Scientists have discovered a new species of sea anemone that lives on the sunken carcasses of dead whales (these carcasses are also referred to as 'whale fall').
• West Nile Virus Threatens Backyard Birds (Science Daily) — May 17, 2007. Scientists report of declines in many backyard bird species due to West Nile Virus. The disease has affected familiar species such as titmice and chickadees.
• WWF's Top Ten List of Traded Species (WWF) – May 16, 2007. The WWF has released a list of the top ten species in need of immediate protection from the threats they face due to illegal trade. Some of the species on the list such as tigers and Asian rhinos are critically endangered while others species are experiencing rapid population declines.
• Rare Soft-Shell Turtle, Nesting Ground Found in Cambodia (WWF) – May 16, 2007. Cantor's Giant Softshell Turtle (Pelochelys cantorii), a rare freshwater turtle, has been discovered in Cambodia's Mekong River giving conservationists renewed hope for saving this threatened species.

About Wildlife News Round-Up

Wildlife News Round-Up 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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