biology

2023-07-07 @ 19.20.07 ∈ In English

Stressed rattlesnakes found to calm down in the company of a nearby ‘friend’

In highly social animals, such as mammals and birds, this phenomenon is well studied. Now, researchers have examined social buffering in rattlesnakes and found that the presence of a second snake significantly reduced rattlesnakes' change in heart rates after they experienced disturbance. It is the first evidence of social buffering in reptiles.

2023-06-15 @ 17.05.41 ∈ In English

Urban great tits less stressed than their countryside cousins, finds study

"The great tit's high cognitive capacity means it is highly adaptable, and urban great tits seem to have adapted so well to the new environment that they are not stressed by high population density. Another possible explanation is that it was the most intelligent and most flexible individuals who succeeded in colonizing urban environments in the first place," says Anders Brodin, biologist at Lund University.

2023-06-14 @ 19.35.34 ∈ In English

Climate change has increased diversity of butterflies in Sweden and Finland, may have major ecosystem consequences

New research shows that butterflies have expanded their ranges over the past 120 years to cope with a warmer climate in Sweden and Finland. Although driven by a warmer climate, range expansions have also been influenced by human land use and vary according to species thermal tolerances and habitat preferences.

2023-06-14 @ 19.14.46 ∈ In English

How seeing corpses reduces the lifespan of flies

Researchers led by Christi Gendron at the University of Michigan have found the link between death perception and reduced aging in flies. [A] specific group of brain cells in the fly, called R2 and R4 neurons, are activated when flies encounter other dead flies, and that this increased activity leads to more rapid aging.

2023-06-09 @ 17.49.03 ∈ In English

Wolves in Minnesota switch to fish as a main source of food in the spring

A team of wildlife specialists from the University of Minnesota, the University of Manitoba and Voyageurs National Park has found […] that wolves do, in fact, catch and eat fish, almost exclusively in the spring. This was because deer are a less reliable food source due to reductions in population each year over the hunting season.

2023-06-08 @ 12.15.34 ∈ In English

A documented case of a crocodile virgin birth

In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, [a team of entomologists and reptile specialists] describes their surprise at the discovery of a clutch of eggs laid by an American crocodile who had been kept alone in an enclosure at Parque Reptilandia park in Costa Rica for 16 years prior to laying the eggs.

2023-06-01 @ 16.49.40 ∈ In English

Biodegradable plastic from sugar cane also threatens the environment, finds new research

[A doctoral study] has found that the behavior of small perch exposed to bioplastics in fish food changed over a period of six months. They reacted far more when they met fellow perch than normal. In addition, there were signs of reduced movement, altered ability to form shoals and altered reaction when approached by danger.

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