Laura's Animals / Wildlife Blog October 2005 Archive

Wildlife News Round-Up #24
Photo © / .

Monday October 31, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Abandoned Mine Shafts Provide Habitat for Bats
Protecting bats (Order Chiroptera) has become a priority in the Michigan, where abandoned mine shafts are being adapted to provide bats with much needed habitat. For safety and liability ... Read More

Monday October 31, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Young Male Bluebirds Assess Parents' Food Resources
Researchers studying the habits of bluebirds in central California have found that young male bluebirds stay with their parents longer if the parents' food resources are plentiful. If the parents' ... Read More

Sunday October 30, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Australian Government Awarded for Great Barrier Reef Protection Plan
The WWF has awarded the Australian Government with its highest accolade, the Gift to the Earth, for developing and implementing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan. The plan ... Read More

Wednesday October 26, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Chimpanzees Chat About Food
Researchers have discovered that chimpanzees at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland use various grunts to communicate with each other about the food they find in their pen. Monkeys are already ... Read More

Tuesday October 25, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

What You Can Do to Help Keep the Endangered Species Act Strong
The Endangered Species Act has saved over 99% of the species that it protects from extinction. Unfortunately, proposed revisions to the Endangered Species Act are set to significantly weaken its ... Read More

Tuesday October 25, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Understanding Bird Flu
If you would like to find out more about bird flu (also referred to as 'avian influenza'), the following resources provide you with an in-depth view of what bird flu ... Read More

Monday October 24, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Twelve Black Rhinos Released in South African Game Reserve
The WWF reports that twelve black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) have been released into a reserve located in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. The release marks an modest but encouraging step in the protection ... Read More

Saturday October 22, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Pere David's Deer Make Comeback Along Yangtze
Pere David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), once common along China's central and lower Yangtze River basin, were driven to extinction in the early 1900s by hunting and habitat loss. The deer ... Read More

Thursday October 20, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Britain's Isle of Sheppy Watchful for Signs of Bird Flu
The BBC reports that the Isle of Sheppy, a small island located in the Thames Estuary just off the coast of north Kent, is on the frontline in the battle ... Read More

Thursday October 20, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Western Snowy Plover Loses Critical Habitat
The House of Representatives recently approved a plan to revise the Endangered Species Act. The plan significantly weakens the protection of threatened wildlife by eliminating the requirement that critical habitat ... Read More

Wednesday October 19, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Wolves Alter Face of Yellowstone in a Decade
In 1995, grey wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park after having been absent from the area since the early 1930s. Their 65-year absence was the result of a series ... Read More

Tuesday October 18, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Bird Eggs Strengthened by Speckles
For decades, a debate about why birds' eggs are speckled has focused on two possible explanations: Explanation 1. Speckles provide camouflage. This explanation maintains that speckled eggs blend into their surroundings ... Read More

Monday October 17, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Two New Species of Ancient Flying Reptiles Unearthed in China
Fossils of two new species of ancient flying reptiles have been unearthed by paleontologists working in Liaoning, China. The new species, Feilongus youngi and Nurhachius ignaciobritoi, belong to a group ... Read More

Sunday October 16, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Wild Horses Return to Mongolia
In the 1960's, hunting and habitat destruction drove Przewalski's Wild Horse (Equus caballus przewalskii) to the brink of extinction. The horse disappeared from its natural range throughout Mongolia and Central ... Read More

Saturday October 15, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Tool Use by Gorillas Observed for First Time
Wildlife Conservation Society scientists recently observed and photographed gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) using sticks as tools. This marks the first time tool use has been documented for the species. Until this ... Read More

Friday October 14, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Elk Mating Season Highlights Population Control Controversy
Each year in late September through early October, populations of elk (Cervus elaphus) in the Rocky Mountain National Park begin their mating season. Dominant males defend their harems (which consist ... Read More

Thursday October 13, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

African Spider Preys on Blood-Fed Mosquitos
Scientists have revealed that an East African species of jumping spider (Evarcha culicivora) preferentially preys on mosquitos that have recently fed on vertebrate blood. Experiments showed that, when presented with ... Read More

Wednesday October 12, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Conservationists Call for Reintroduction of Eurasian Lynx to Britain
Until recently, scientists believed the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) disappeared from the British Isles several thousand years ago. But new evidence now suggests that the lynx disappeared from the British ... Read More

Wednesday October 12, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Great White Shark Traverses Indian Ocean
A satellite tracking study conducted by marine biologist Ramon Bonfil has—for the first time—revealed a transoceanic journey of a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) from South Africa to Australia and ... Read More

Friday October 7, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Debate Surrounds Midwestern Mountain Lion Sightings
There is an ongoing dispute over whether or not cougars (also called mountain lions or pumas) now roam throughout the midwestern US. Since this secretive cat is an endangered species, ... Read More

Wednesday October 5, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)

Sea Lions Take Over Newport Harbor
Sea lions and people are engaged in a turf dispute in southern California's Newport Harbor. The marine mammals have taken up residence in the harbor. Their boisterous, territorial behavior often ... Read More

Saturday October 1, 2005 | permalink | comments (0)