Tag Archives | mammal

Look Who’s Talking

April 17, 2013

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) It looks like Doctor Dolittle might not have been so special after all—as it turns out, animals really can talk! According to a new study, bottlenose dolphins can actually identify the vocal patterns of other dolphins familiar to them. What’s more, scientists have observed variations in these patterns that imply bottlenose dolphins may in fact be sharing additional information with one another. However, this news really comes as no surprise seeing as though dolphins are the second smartest animal in the world—second only to humans. Regardless, this level of communication between species is uncommon and could mean big news for the future understanding of animal communication. Continue reading to find out what scientists believe this could mean for the animal world. — Global Animal

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Fungus Makes Cave Dwellers Go Batty

April 10, 2013

(ANIMAL WELFARE) Hibernating gray bats, native to cave systems in Alabama, have received a rude wake-up call.  Already suffering from endangerment, these gray bats are just one of seven species, who have contracted a life-threatening fungus. The fungus, known as white-nose syndrome, specifically targets cave dwelling bats, and is thought to have derived from Europe. Precautions to prevent the further spread of the disease westward, includes the desired closing of caves around the Rocky Mountains. Continue reading to find out what people are doing in order to protect uninfected bat populations. — Global Animal

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Giant Prehistoric Camel Unearthed

March 5, 2013

(ANIMAL DISCOVERY) Giant prehistoric camel remains have been discovered on Ellesmere Island in the High Arctic. The location at which the discovery was made is the furthest north camel remains have ever been uncovered. This camel also appeared to be at least 30 percent larger than the average camel of today and lived around 3.5 million years ago. Read on to learn why this mammal was so far north and what this means for camel evolution. — Global Animal

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Mammoth Resurrection Approaching?

September 19, 2012

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) The long-extinct woolly mammoth may soon roam the Earth again. Researchers have recently found well-preserved woolly mammoth bone marrow, which contains undamaged nuclei. With nuclei in possession, scientists now have the complete genetic makeup of a woolly mammoth. If researchers are able to find living cells in these long-dead samples, then they will be one step closer to cloning a prehistoric species. — Global Animal

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Giant Panda’s Lucky Six

August 2, 2012

(ANIMAL NEWS) CALIFORNIA — A twenty-year-old panda named Bai Yun set a record this week when she gave birth to her sixth cub. The latest birth made the San Diego Zoo resident the panda mom with the most babies outside of China. Read on for details about this endangered mammal and how she and her cub are getting along. — Global Animal

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Dead Dolphins In Peru Baffle Scientists

April 23, 2012

(ANIMAL NEWS) Dolphins are mysteriously dying around the world in Cape Cod, The Gulf of Mexico, and Brazil. Since January, dead dolphins have washed ashore in Peru, the death toll reaching a staggering 877. Scientists are still trying to explain the bizarre deaths, and their best prediction at the moment is that its due to a virus outbreak or acoustic trauma. Read on to find out more details about these unsettling occurrences. — Global Animal 

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Deadly Bat Fungus Invades West

April 4, 2012

(ANIMAL NEWS) A disease that has killed millions of bats is now spreading across the United States. White nose syndrome, a disease only found in bats, is moving west and has now infected Missouri. Bats are an ecologically important species for pest control, and a huge loss in their population could affect farmer’s crops to the tune of $22 billion. Read on for the details on how a fungus has dramatically diminished bat populations. — Global Animal 

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No Candy For Kitty

March 16, 2012

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) Your kitty might stare at you when you’re enjoying a big bowl of ice cream, but scientists suggest that domestic cats and their carnivorous cousins, like lions and tigers, have lost the ability to taste anything sweet. It’s a genetic mutation that other animals don’t share, since finding and tasting carbohydrates is essential for survival in omnivorous animals. Carnivores, however, can survive without. Read more to find out which animals do, or don’t have these sweet-sensing genes. — Global Animal

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