News
We bring you the latest from around the World in wildlife and conservation news.
New Study Finds Grizzly Bears Able To Use Tools
A new study has made some startling revelations about bear intelligence. The study undertaken by Washington State University, placed some donuts on a string that was deliberately out of reach of grizzly bears. Of the eight bears that were tested, six pushed stumps or plastic boxes under the treats to boost them up to receive their prize.Whilst this kind of use of tools is primitive it does show that bears have cognitive thinking skills and are able to creatively problem solve.“Cognition is really describing the part of the brain that actually thinks, rather than reacting based on instinct or emotion. In this case, it’s thinking about solving a problem by manipulating an inanimate object.” said veterinarian Lynne Nelson, assistant director of the Washington State University (WSU) Bear Research Education and Conservation Center.
Bats Make Use Of Polarized Light To Navigate
Many people wear sunglasses to avoid polarized light, however this type of light for bats is actually pretty useful and they use it to find their way.According to new research the greater mouse eared bat is the first mammal known to use polarized light to navigate. The bats make use of polarized rays that are scattered at sunset to adjust their internal compass so that they end up flying in the right direction.“Every night through the spring, summer and autumn, bats leave their roosts in caves, trees and buildings to search for insect prey,” Stefan Greif, a biologist at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland and co-author of the study, said in a statement.
Seals May Forage For Food At Off Shore Wind Farms
New research suggests that offshore wind farms may be adopted by seals for hunting.As the number of these type of wind farms continues to rise there may be an effect on both seals and their prey, however scientists are unable to tell whether the effects will be positive or negative.Wind farms are rows of wind turbines that make use of the wind to generate electricity. They tend to be located offshore so they can easily benefit from the strong coastal winds and can generate large amounts of electricity without any carbon emissions. Denmark for example gets 30 per cent of its energy needs from wind power.
Fun Facts About The Gazelle
The gazelle is a type of antelope that lives in both Asia and Africa. They closely resemble deer but come from the same family as sheep, cattle and goats. You can tell a gazelle by it s ringed curved horns, their white rumps and tan or reddish brown coats.HabitatThere are 19 different species of gazelle and most live in the hot dry deserts and savannas of Asia and Africa. In order to maintain proper hydration in these harsh environment, the gazelle shrinks its liver and heart. Breathing can result in a loss of water and a smaller liver and heart means there is less of a requirement for oxygen, which means the gazelle needs to breathe less and loses less water in the process.
Fun Facts About The Chinchilla
The chinchilla is a species of rodents that reside in the northern Chilean mountain range of the Andes. Chinchillas are prized for their fur, something which almost lead to the extinction of the species.The species first popped up some 41 million years ago and the ancestors of the chinchilla were the first rodents to inhabit South America. The fur of the species became popular in the 18th century and by the 20th century the species had been nearly hunted to extinction. By 1900 most South American countries banned the practice of hunting wild chinchilla.
It Takes 21 Seconds On Average For Mammals To Pee
The bladder of an elephant can hold almost 18 litres of fluid but the elephant has the remarkable ability to pee just as fast as a cat. According to the results of a new study, most mammals greater in size than rats take the same amount of time to urinate, for approximately 21 seconds. This… View Article
Highland Zoo Welcomes Litter Of Six Pallas’s Kittens
Recently at a Scottish Zoo, there were six rare kittens that were born whose first steps outside the nest box were caught by hidden cameras.The baby Pallas’s cats look a little like Persian cats however they are more suited to the mountainous parts of central Asia.Highland Wildlife Park’s new additions are just under three months old. Though handlers have still not been able to capture up close images of the new offspring, cameras positioned both inside and outside of the nest box have captures images of the kitten’s playing and exploring their home.
Dogs Are Not Quite Colour Blind
Despite what you may have heard in the past, the vision of a dog is not simply black and white. In fact dogs just like their human owners have multi coloured vision. The only difference is they cannot see as many different colours as their handlers. The reason for this is because the retina of a dog has only two types of colour detecting cells (cones).