Tag: animal news

Lightning strikes make collecting a fungus for traditional Chinese medicine a deadly pursuit

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Lightning strikes make collecting a fungus for traditional Chinese medicine a deadly pursuit

In the remote Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a rare fungus grows inside dead caterpillars. In traditional Chinese medicine, this parasitic fungus is prized for its purported medicinal effects. Known as Ophiocordyceps sinensis – colloquially, caterpillar fungus or “Himalayan gold” – it can fetch astronomical prices on the herbal medicine market: up to US$63,000 per pound. Ophiocordyceps sinensis fungus is a parasite that…

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‘Amphibious mouse’ among 27 new species discovered in Peru’s Amazon

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‘Amphibious mouse’ among 27 new species discovered in Peru’s Amazon

A specimen of spiny mouse (Scolomys sp.), a species discovered on a Conservation International Rapid Assessment expedition into the Alto Mayo Landscape in Peru, is pictured, June 16, 2022. | Photo Credit: Reuters An “amphibious mouse” with partially webbed feet that eats aquatic insects was among 27 new species discovered during a 2022 expedition to…

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Young mammoth remains found nearly intact in Siberian permafrost

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Young mammoth remains found nearly intact in Siberian permafrost

In this photo released by the Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University on Monday, December 23, 2024, University’s Scientists show the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost in Russia’s Siberia. | Photo Credit: AP Researchers in Siberia are conducting tests on a juvenile mammoth whose remarkably well-preserved remains were…

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Chile’s giant ‘living fossil’ frog faces threat from climate change and humans

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Chile’s giant ‘living fossil’ frog faces threat from climate change and humans

Environmental researchers extract genetic material from a Chilean frog’s leg (Calyptocephalella gayi) in a wetland in the middle of a neighbourhood in the city of Quilpue, Chile, December 8, 2024. | Photo Credit: Reuters A giant frog species that hopped alongside dinosaurs and is considered a “living fossil” is now losing ground in its native…

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Data on animal movements help Hungarian researchers create a swarm of autonomous drones

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Data on animal movements help Hungarian researchers create a swarm of autonomous drones

This handout photo long exposure shot shows the flight of a flock of autonomous drones during an experiment near Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. | Photo Credit: AP Moving in a dense cloud, like throngs of people walking across a crowded public square, 100 drones maneuver through the night sky in Hungary’s capital, the…

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Primates often gave birth to twins 60M years ago: new research

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Primates often gave birth to twins 60M years ago: new research

Many cultures associate twins with health and vitality, while others see them as a philosophical reminder of the duality of life and death, good and evil.  | Photo Credit: Tesla Monson/The Conversation Twins have been rare in human history and for that reason can seem special. Many cultures associate twins with health and vitality, while others see them…

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The darker side of human rights for great apes

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The darker side of human rights for great apes

In this Sept. 2, 2019 photo, a silverback mountain gorilla named Segasira walks in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. The Spanish government has announced plans to ban harmful experiments on great apes as part of a wider initiative to give them increased rights closer to the ones humans enjoy. | Photo Credit: AP The Spanish government has announced…

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Scientists are using ancient DNA to reveal the Iberian lynx’s ‘weapon’ against extinction

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Scientists are using ancient DNA to reveal the Iberian lynx’s ‘weapon’ against extinction

Many large mammals have lost genetic diversity, often thanks to the actions of people shrinking their populations. The implications can be severe because without genetic diversity, a population does not have a “genetic database” to fall back on to adapt to environmental change. The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is no stranger to this reduction in diversity. Human…

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Octopuses, fish hunt together using surprisingly complex decision-making

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Octopuses, fish hunt together using surprisingly complex decision-making

A new study lifts the veil on what happens when octopuses and fish hunt together. As it turns out, this cross-species relationship is more complex than anyone expected. | Photo Credit: The Hindu A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution lifts the veil on what happens when octopuses and fish hunt together. As it turns out, this…

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After water quality improves, scientists find sea turtles in Brazil get healthier

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After water quality improves, scientists find sea turtles in Brazil get healthier

Biologist Thayana Giao holds a Green Sea turtle during an intentional capture to monitor turtles’ health, weight and pollution level, by Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), in the Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 29, 2024. | Photo Credit: Reuters Sea turtles in the Guanabara Bay of Rio de Janeiro are getting healthier after…

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