Endangered Jaguars May Lose Designated Land if Area Ranchers Have their Way

Medicine & Technology May 24, 2015

In March 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service set aside just over 1,000 acres of land straddling the U.S. and Mexican border in an effort to bolster the rapidly dwindling numbers of jaguars. This beautiful spotted cat, who once roamed from Argentina in South America, all the way up to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, has now been practically wiped out in the United States. But that is irrelevant to the angry ranchers who believe providing room for the cats was "unlawful, arbitrary, and capricious."

Hunter Pays $350,000 for the Opportunity to Kill Endangered Black Rhino, And He's A Conservationist

May 21, 2015

Armed with a high-powered 500 Nitro Express rifle and a CNN camera crew, Texan Corey Knowlton ended his three-day trek through the dusty plains of Namibia by doing what he had travelled over 8,000 miles to do: shoot and kill a black rhino.

The Quandaries of a Modern Ecologist—How Ecological ‘Flash Mobs’ Are More Like Magnets Than You Might Think

Apr 08, 2015

When it comes to ecological modeling, often the devil is in the details. But with so many complex theories at play, and so many realistic, natural variants it becomes an almost impossible task to decipher exactly it is that the researchers are trying to show us. This time the researchers made it easy for us.

A Century of Climate Change—How the Complex Landscape of the Appalachian Forests Will Fare

Apr 03, 2015

The tropical rainforests near the equator aren’t the only woodland areas affected by the effects of climate change. The Central Appalachian forests have been experiencing major effects such as heavy rainfall, drought and heat spells as well. And according to a new vulnerability assessment published today by the USDA Forest Service, the complex landscape reveals resilience to climate change in some areas, but also costly vulnerabilities in others.

Reef Oasis Found in Depths of Murky Iraqi Waters

Feb 20, 2015

While growing climate changes and ocean acidification pose particular threats to coral reef species around the world, it appears that researchers may have good news on the horizon. While many reefs have been well-documented and researched, a new study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals that new reefs may be right under our noses, and they be far out of the tropics.

Endangered Subspecies of Giraffe Born in Chester Zoo, Raising Hope For The Future of The Species

Dec 31, 2014

The tallest terrestrial animal on the planet, giraffes, occupy the scorching plains of Sub-Saharan Africa. And, despite popular knowledge, "giraffe" is what scientists like to call an umbrella common name, consisting of, at least 9 different subspecies. And while some subspecies are more abundant than the rest, one particular subspecies that is quite endangered has new hope on the horizon. On December 29th, a Rothschild's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti) calf, named Zahra, was born at the Chester Zoo in England, added some new genetic variation into the small population left in captivity of Rothschild's giraffes.

Great Lakes' Water Levels Cause Erosion Concern

Dec 31, 2014

The Great Lakes have been rising over the last two years, putting an end to a decade of lower than average water levels, and creating favorable conditions for both boating and commercial shipping. In fact, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say water levels in lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario are all above seasonal averages for the first time in 16 years.

Seals May Use Earth’s Magnetic Field to Navigate

Dec 31, 2014

While past research has described the specie in great detail, a new study has found that Antarctic seals may be using the Earth's magnetic field as a natural GPS while hunting.

Chatty Zebra Finches May Slur Their Speech When Drunk, But Then Again Who Doesn’t?

Dec 31, 2014

Well, they may not be the normal bar hoppers you’re likely to spot out on New Year’s Eve, but a new study shows that when zebra finches imbibe even just a bit, they won’t likely pass a sobriety test no matter how high their tolerance. Spiking the drinks of the small Darwinian subjects, researchers with the Oregon Health & Science University found that after drinking even small amounts of liquor the birds were less inclined to fly around but certainly slurred their songs and chirps with a distinct drunken vibe.

A Holiday Filled With Chirps & Cheer—The Christmas Bird Count

Dec 21, 2014

When it comes time to the Christmas season, people innately begin counting the birds: four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and whole lot of other species. But if you’re an ornithologist, then the holiday season also marks an important time for bird-watching. Waking up before sunrise and catching a glimpse of the black-necked stilts or the white-tailed kites may be a part of your daily agenda, but when Dec. 14 rolls around you’re ready for day long adventures to camp out and count the local bird species in the skies.

Warblers Flee, As Warnings from Mother Nature Reveal Coming Storms

Dec 20, 2014

In the study of ecology, it’s long been known that animals have a sort of sixth sense above and beyond what humans can perceive. Perhaps through the aid of their keen senses of smell or their abnormally acute sense of hearing, animals such as dogs are able to sense the presence of cancers, the onset of seizures, and even changes in the climate. But in a new study led by UC Berkeley ecologist Henry Streby, it’s birds that are sensing a change. Golden-winged warblers to be exact.

What’s Happening to All Our Giraffes? The Disappearing Species Faces Silent Extinction

Dec 08, 2014

In what perhaps may be the most shocking upset in the news this week, ecologist revealed last Friday, Dec. 5, that giraffes may be headed towards extinction – and it’s in part due to a lack of awareness of dangers facing the African species. While contemporary studies in Africa’s central savannahs have revealed the collected threats that human encroachment , habitat loss and black market poaching has posed to wildlife communities, researchers say that giraffes are amongst some of the hardest hit populations in the long list of black market species. And without significant change in the way giraffes are protected, they may disappear all together within a matter years.

Why Researchers Have to Go In Disguise—The Penguin in the Room

Nov 04, 2014

Looking for a way to observe king penguin colonies in the ice fields of Antarctica, researchers led by Yvon Le Maho from the University of Strasbourg, France developed a fluffy little rover shaped in the image of a penguin chick so that they could get an up-close view of the male penguins’ nesting behaviors.

Endangered Gray Wolf May Have Made a Trip to Grand Canyon

Oct 31, 2014

It’s a photo worth a thousand words, and one of a near impossible candidate. Captured in the national forest near Grand Canyon National Park, authorities revealed Thursday Oct. 30 that a collared endangered gray wolf from the northern Rocky Mountains may be roaming the lands. A species that environmentalists and national park officials haven’t seen since the 1940’s when the gray wolf was driven to extinction in the area.

Crytptic New Species of Leopard Frog Found in New York City

Oct 30, 2014

For a field-based ecologist, the continental United States is pretty much a textbook of well-known organisms. The thrilling new species often making front-page news are more likely to found in the tropics or open-oceans, than in the plains of the Midwest or the large metropolis cities of the East and West coasts. With such well-defined niche habitats, the species in the United States aren’t too surprising to the experienced biologist, however, sometimes new life can be found where you’d least expect it. No, we’re not talking about the mutant turtles in the sewers of New York City, but it does appear the jam-packed hub may be home to another unique amphibian, colloquially known as the “Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog”.