Animals Library: January 2014

Zombie flies turning bees to Zombees

"The Flight of the Living Dead", is just how John Hafernik, a Biology professor of San Francisco State University calls it when bees leave their hives, fly around in a disoriented way, get attracted to light, and then fall and wander around that reminds him of zombies in the movies.Last October, his team verified that there has been a bee infestation in Burlington, Vermont, when an amateur beekeeper found bees acting erratically and eventually killed them after seeing parasites to cause this dementia.John Hafernik first accidentally discovered these zombees in California last 2008, after that

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After Genetic Tweaks, Fruit Flies Glow When They Sense Cancer

Sniffing Setup In this experimental setup, scents travel through the tube on the left and flow over the fruit fly mounted on the translucent block. Above the fly is the lens of a microscope that allows researchers to see individual cells on the fly's antenna.University of KonstanzFruit flies are able to distinguish breast cancer cells from healthy mammary tissue, according to a new study. The humble fly joins dogs and honeybees as members of the animal kingdom that are able to detect odors associated with cancer. Unlike dogs, however, the flies can't show people when they get a hit. So, inste

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Enalikter aphson: Bizarre New Fossil Arthropod Species Discovered

Named Enalikter aphson, the ancient animal belonged to Megacheira, an extinct group of marine-dwelling ‘short-great-appendage’ arthropods.“It would have lived on the seabed in water possibly up to about 100 or 200 m deep, at a time known as the Silurian, when invertebrates were just beginning to move onto land. It would have been a very warm, subtropical environment,” said Prof Derek Siveter from the Oxford University’s Museum of Natural History, who is the lead author on a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.Source: Here

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58-Million-Year-Old Flying Seabird Discovered in New Zealand

An international group of paleontologists reported the discovery of a fossil seabird species that lived in what is modern New Zealand during the early Paleocene, around 58 million years ago. The bird, named Australornis lovei, is one of the world’s oldest species of flying seabirds.The fossil bones of Australornis lovei were collected from the Waipara greensand deposits of North Canterbury, New Zealand’s South Island.Source: Here

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One of the strangest animals on earth gets a little weirder

Mantis shrimp, the psychedelic reef-dwellers that can wallop their prey with an astounding 200 pounds of force, have a large collection of unique qualities. One is an unusually large number of photoreceptors, the light-sensing proteins that contribute to color vision. Humans have three types of color receptors, birds and reptiles have four, and mantis shrimp have an astounding 12 different kinds.Each type of photoreceptor samples a small set of wavelengths in the color spectrum, but our vision demonstrates that just three or four channels are sufficient to distinguish between different hues e

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First Wild Beaver in 800 Years Confirmed in England? [Video]

Few species recoveries have ever been as dramatic as that of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber). Once overhunted to near extinction, only 1,200 beavers remained by the year 1900. Today, after more than a century of intense management and reintroductions, the beaver population stands at more than one million (pdf), which can now be found in almost every country in their historic range in Europe and Asia.One notable exception to that recovery, so far, has been England, where beavers were all killed off more than 800 years ago (they disappeared from the rest of the U.K. around 1600). Although a

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Mexico’s ‘water monster’ may be extinct

Mexico’s salamander-like axolotl may have gone extinct from its only known natural habitat in Mexico City’s lakes.The animals’ only habitat in the wild is Lake Xochimilco, which is struggling in the face of heavy pollution and expanding urban reach.Source: Here

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First Living Coral Reef Discovered In Greenland

Canadian researchers recently stumbled upon the first coral reef ever discovered off the coast of Greenland. The findings, published in the International Council for the Exploration at Sea's journal ICES Insight, describes how the reef was formed by cold-water corals and limestone skeletons located off Cape Desolation south of Ivittuut.“It’s been known for many years that coral reefs have existed in Norway and Iceland and there is a lot of research on the Norwegian reefs, but not a great deal is known about Greenland,” PhD student Helle Jørgensbye from the Technical University of Denmark said

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Have you seen a bat-eating spider?

According to animal professionals last March of 2013, bat-eating spiders are common and are found all around the world except for Antarctica. This spider specie is known as (Argiope savignyi) and (Poecilotheria rufilata), the latter commonly known as the tarantula, were found to trap small bats in their web to eat them.According to Discovery, they have found 52 instances of this preying from 100 years of reports and observations. This is particular in the North and South of America.So, would that give Spiderman an edge over Batman?

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Low Maintenance Pets: Rabbits

As low maintenance pets, rabbits are generally viewed as a cross between cats and dogs, in the sense that though they are self-sufficient like cats, they still do require certain interactions from their owners just like dogs.Requiring a lot of physical exercise, would-be owners could either source ample spaced indoor rabbit enclosures that afford rabbits with lots of room for exercise routines, or opt for getting leashes or body harnesses that are specially designed to accommodate a rabbit’s mobility when they are outdoors. Some rabbits can be trained to be adept in moving around with body le

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Low Maintenance Pets: Geckos

While pet geckos do require a particular type of enclosure when kept as pets – specifically a heated terrarium that has an indoor temp rate between 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit – they are still widely considered to be one of the world’s top low maintenance pet varieties.With lifespans that could run as long as twenty years, geckos stand to be one of the most misinterpreted creatures in the animal kingdom, typically viewed as slimy lizards – which are descriptions that are truly far from the real non-slimy physical characteristics of geckos.As nocturnal creatures, they don’t require a lot of ex

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Zebra stripes, has a great purpose in the wild

Professor Johannes Zanker, a Neuroscience professor of Royal Holloway University, explains the significance of zebra stripes.The stripes are intended to create an optical illusion or motion illusion against predators and pesky insects that may carry diseases.

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Low Maintenance Pets – Hamsters

Like guinea pigs, hamsters also hold a reputation in the low maintenance pets scene, though they are not exactly considered as ideal for children, considering the fact that they are nocturnal – something which children are not.As a low maintenance pet, hamsters aren’t all that difficult to feed, with different varieties of commercial food pellets available for sale in pet specialty venues, matched with their dietary requirements and needs sated by regular meals of fresh fruits and vegetables.With lifespans that could range between two to three years, the enclosure or housing requirements of h

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Funny Hamster Characteristics

Carefree HamsterMotherly HamsterPlayful hamsterSick-and-tired-of-naggers hamster

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Two cats on adventure

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Low Maintenance Pets: Guinea Pigs

Also known as cavy or cavies, guinea pigs stand to be one of the top low maintenance pets in the world, famed for even being described as the ideal “starter pet” for kids.With different types of guinea pigs known to come in various coat colors, patterns and hair types, there are thirteen guinea pig breeds acknowledged by the American Cavy Breeders Association, each having their own distinct physical characteristics.As a “starter pet” for children, the guinea pig’s sturdy physical body is often described as ideal, when talking about the possible rough handing they could experience when childre

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Dian Fossey's birthday celebrated with a Google doodle

Dian Fossey, the American zoologist who was murdered in Rwanda in 1985 after a long battle to protect mountain gorillas, has been celebrated in a Google doodle.Fossey, who would have been 82 on Thursday, was born in San Francisco on January 1932 and educated at the University of California.Source: Here

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V is for vortex

The northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) was once such a widespread sight in the skies of north Africa that the bird was immortalized as an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph. The picture symbol denoted the word akh, which means ‘to be resplendent, to shine’. Ibis populations are less resplendent today, with just a few hundred of the wild birds remaining, mainly in Morocco. They can still shine, however; a study of 14 northern bald ibises reported this week on page 399 offers the first experimental evidence that helps to resolve one of the great questions of the natural world: why do migrating bi

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Bird Data Confirms That V’s Help Save Energy

Birds of a feather may flock together, but why they fly together in V formations has never been known for certain.Now, with the help of 14 northern bald ibises fitted with lightweight sensors on a 600-mile migration from Austria to Tuscany, researchers are suggesting that the explanation is one that was long suspected but never proved: The formation helps the birds conserve energy. \Source: Here

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Why do Toucans have large bill

What can one do with the nose? If one were Cleopatra of Egypt, she could rule Rome. If one were the unfortunate Sphinx of Egypt, his form minus the nose could become the wonderment of the World. If one were Tycho Brahe, he could remove the nose, for polishing amidst a heated debate or duel, to distract his opponent. For, he lost his original nose in a duel and had a metal one fixed. If one were the Tamil Detective Sambu created by Devan, he could run his thumb and index finger over the nose to make a deduction that is often wrong. If one is a proboscis monkey inhabiting the island of pulau pu

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'Falcon cam' reveals how the birds of prey close in for the kill

Scientists have strapped tiny video cameras to the heads and backs of falcons to learn how the birds hunt their prey.Footage from the on-bird cameras revealed the strategy the predators used in flight as they chased down crows and closed in for the kill.Source: Here

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Polar bear dies at Joburg Zoo

Johannesburg - One of two polar bears in Africa has died of natural causes at the Johannesburg Zoo, it said on Wednesday.The 29-year-old female, Geebee, died on Sunday, the zoo's manager of veterinary services, Katja Koeppel, said in a statement.Source: Here

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Op-Ed: Your cat thinks you are a big stupid momma cat

According to the British anthrozoologist John Bradshaw, cats regard their "owners" as large rather stupid members of their own species but not hostile.John Bradshaw is on the faculty of the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Bradshaw's specialty is anthrozoology: ""Anthrozoology is the study of interactions between man and animals, and has emerged as a specialty over the past twenty-five years, initially in North America and subsequently also in Europe, Australia and Japan. It is essentially an interdisciplinary science, involving specialists in biology, psychology, social sciences,

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What behavior do you have after playing online games?

Admit it! After playing online games, you will be bound to react like one of these guys. So which one are you?http://thayssharumrn.deviantart.com/art/Hey-Joe-98641974http://thayssharumrn.deviantart.com/art/Hey-Joe-98641974http://s600.photobucket.com/user/DarkestImmortal/media/My%20Pets/Other%20cute%20animals/PallasCatKittens.jpg.html

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Jackalopes: a myth or a misconception?

What is a jackalope? From Wikipedia: The jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore (a so-called "fearsome critter") described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers and sometimes a pheasant's tail (and often hind legs). The word "jackalope" is a portmanteau of "jackrabbit" and "antelope".But last June of 2013, Gunnar Boettcher of Mankato, Minnesota took a shot and a video that went viral about a bunny with odd spikes growing out of its face. And he call the weird bunny "

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Low Maintenance Pets

Pet owners are well aware of just how huge a responsibility keeping a pet can be, from regularly feeding them to ensuring that they are fit, healthy and happy.But while the responsibility of keeping a pet can be daunting to some, there are actually a number of low maintenance pets available in pet stores and pet specialty venues, each known for being relatively easy with their care and aftercare prerequisites, requirements and needs.This year, those who’ve been keen on keeping a pet can get a good start by looking into the “qualifiers” that define low maintenance pets from the rest.In terms o

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How the scorpion's venomous sting evolved

The sting in a scorpion's tail has been connected to common defensive proteins by scientists.Defensins are proteins common to many plants and animals that fight off viral, bacterial and fungal pests.Researchers investigated the relationship between these proteins and the neurotoxins present in scorpion venom.Source: Here

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First venomous crustacean discovered

Scattered throughout Mexico and central America are pools where water surfaces from underground networks of caves, which the ancient Maya said were gateways to the underworld. Biologists have now found that these bodies of water are home to a mysterious real-world creature as well: the first venomous crustaceans known to science.The crustacean in question, Speleonectes tulumensis, belongs to the remipedes, a group first described in 1981. Observing these pale, blind and tiny animals in their natural habitat has been hard because they live in labyrinthine cave networks that are as difficult fo

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Rodent empathy is environmental and not genetic, study shows

Rats, like humans, will show kindness to strangers, but only if the rats in distress are of a familiar type, a new study has found.Neurobiologists from the University of Chicago have discovered that rats display empathy-like behavior toward other rats, but the basis of that empathy is environmental, rather than genetic. The creatures aren’t born with an innate motivation to help rats of their own kind, but instead those with whom they are socially familiar.Source: Here

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Animals Library

Zombie flies turning bees to Zombees

After Genetic Tweaks, Fruit Flies Glow When They Sense Cancer

Enalikter aphson: Bizarre New Fossil Arthropod Species Discovered

58-Million-Year-Old Flying Seabird Discovered in New Zealand

One of the strangest animals on earth gets a little weirder

First Wild Beaver in 800 Years Confirmed in England? [Video]

Mexico’s ‘water monster’ may be extinct

First Living Coral Reef Discovered In Greenland

Have you seen a bat-eating spider?

Low Maintenance Pets: Rabbits

Low Maintenance Pets: Geckos

Zebra stripes, has a great purpose in the wild

Low Maintenance Pets – Hamsters

Funny Hamster Characteristics

Two cats on adventure

Low Maintenance Pets: Guinea Pigs

Dian Fossey's birthday celebrated with a Google doodle

V is for vortex

Bird Data Confirms That V’s Help Save Energy

Why do Toucans have large bill

'Falcon cam' reveals how the birds of prey close in for the kill

Polar bear dies at Joburg Zoo

Op-Ed: Your cat thinks you are a big stupid momma cat

What behavior do you have after playing online games?

Jackalopes: a myth or a misconception?

Low Maintenance Pets

How the scorpion's venomous sting evolved

First venomous crustacean discovered

Rodent empathy is environmental and not genetic, study shows

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