Fun Animals Wiki, Videos, Pictures, Stories: October 2013

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Some Spiders Can Eat Bats

One night in 1941, G.C. Bhattacharya walked in to a cowshed in Calcutta, India and saw a small figure struggling and twisting against one of the walls. It was a small bat fighting its way out from in between two of the bamboo strips that the shed's walls were made of. As he got closer, Bhattacharya saw that the crevice was not the only...

Spiders exchange gifts for sex

Female spiders like being courted with gifts from their male counterparts. New research shows that the females store more sperm from males if they bring a gift prior to mating. It is not only human males who benefit from flattering that special lady with gifts.In the world of nursery spiders it is normal for males to initiate mating by...

Snakes on the brain: Are primates hard-wired to see snakes?

Was the evolution of high-quality vision in our ancestors driven by the threat of snakes? Work by neuroscientists in Japan and Brazil is supporting the theory originally put forward by Lynne Isbell, professor of anthropology at the University of California, Davis. In a paper published Oct. 28 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy...

Do "Kid Cages" Really Protect Children From Wolves?

In rural Reserve, New Mexico, children wait for school buses inside boxy, wood-and-mesh structures that look like chicken coops. The "kid cages" are meant as protection from wolves. But are they even necessary? The issue is part of a long-simmering political debate, which recently came to a boil in the Southwest when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife...

SECRET DOLPHIN SPECIES reveals itself to stunned boffins

A previously unknown species of humpback dolphin has been blithely swimming the waters off northern Australia, according to boffins. A research team made up of scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the American Museum of Natural History and other groups set out to figure out the number of distinct types of humpback...

Researchers shed new light on flying fox — world’s least-studied bat

According to an October 29 news release from Pensoft Publishers, a specimen of Mortlock Islands flying fox that has remained preserved in a jar of alcohol in The Natural History Museum in London, England, for more than 140 years received renewed interest – and a new name – by a team of bat biologists from the College of Micronesia. ...

Scientists discover new species in 'Lost World' in Australia

On the second day of a four-day trek to Cape Melville a team led by Dr Conrad Hoskin, from James Cook University, and Dr Tim Laman, from Harvard University, discovered three reptile species, including a "bizarre-looking" leaf-tailed gecko, a golden-coloured skink and a boulder-dwelling frog — species that have been isolated from their...

Dinosaur-era bird tracks: Proof of 100-million-year-old flight?

It's all about the fourth toe. While birds and dinosaurs both left three-toed footprints, few dinosaurs have the backward-facing fourth toe that birds use to grab a branch or provide drag during landing. So when Anthony Martin saw the four-toed impression left in an Australian rock more than 100 million years old, he knew he was looking at...

Southeast braces for ‘crazy ants’ invasion

Researchers at the University of Texas are warning that the invasive species from South America has the potential to change the ecological balance in the southeastern United States, largely because the ants can wipe out colonies of what’s been widely considered the insect villain of the region, the fire ant. The crazy ants, officially called...

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Are Marmoset Monkeys Taking Turns To Talk?

When we talk to one another, we take turns. This simple rule seems to apply to all human conversation, whether the speakers are English city-dwellers or Namibian hunter-gatherers. One person speaks at a time and, barring the occasional interruption, we wait for our partner to finish before grabbing the conch. Timing is everything: cutting...

Is the Abominable Snowman a Bear?

A British scientist has linked supposed hair samples from the legendary Yeti, or "Abominable Snowman," to a breed of ancient Arctic bears that he says could have survived to the modern day—but other experts say the results need to be published before any conclusions can be drawn. Bryan Sykes, a respected geneticist at Oxford University...

Bee brains challenge view that larger brains are superior at understanding conceptual relationships

Phys.org) —The humble honeybee may not seem very intelligent at first sight, but recent research has shown that it possesses a surprising degree of sophistication that is not expected in an insect brain. Specifically, the honeybee can understand conceptual relationships such as "same/different" and "above/below" that rely on relationships...

Dinosaur Shocker

Neatly dressed in blue Capri pants and a sleeveless top, long hair flowing over her bare shoulders, Mary Schweitzer sits at a microscope in a dim lab, her face lit only by a glowing computer screen showing a network of thin, branching vessels. That’s right, blood vessels. From a dinosaur. “Ho-ho-ho, I am excite-e-e-e-d,” she chuckles. “I...

Older Siblings' Cells Pass from Female Dogs to Their Puppies in the Womb

Some people possess a small number of cells in their bodies that are not genetically their own; this condition is known as microchimerism. In prior studies, researchers from the Univ. of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine found that this condition also exists in dogs. Now, the researchers have found evidence that this condition can be...

Monkey that Purrs like a Cat is Among New Species Discovered in Amazon Rainforest

Washington, D.C. – At least 441 new species of animals and plants have been discovered over a four year period in the vast, underexplored rainforest of the Amazon, including a monkey that purrs like a cat. Found between 2010 and 2013, the species include a flame-patterned lizard, a thumbnail-sized frog, a vegetarian piranha, a brightly...

U.S. Wildlife Supports Conservation Plan for Lesser Prairie Chicken

The species is one of the candidates under the federal conservation for the Endangered Species Act. At this time, there are only an estimated 18,000 in the bird's population. But just in December 2012, the population was at close to 45,000. The conservation plan proposed that landowners work to manage their land properties via the advantage...

Dino impact also destroyed bees, says study

Scientists say there was a widespread extinction of bees 66 million years ago, at the same time as the event that killed off the dinosaurs. The demise of the dinosaurs was almost certainly the result of an asteroid or comet hitting Earth. Source: H...

Hard-as-woodpecker-lips MOUSE GOBBLES live scorpion, LAUGHS off stings to face

The mighty mouse, native to the southwestern US, has managed to take the toxin, which is lethal to other animals, and turn it into an analgesic that numbs pain. Michigan State University assistant professor of neuroscience and zoology Ashlee Rowe had already figured out that the mice weren't bothered by bark scorpion toxin, but didn't know...

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Killer whales may have menopause so grandma can look after the kids

Killer whales are just one of three species – we're one of the others - that continue to live long after they've stopped reproducing. But scientists still don't know why these three alone evolved this unusual menopausal trait. In a bid to find out, NERC has agreed to fund a project worth nearly £500k to look at why killer whales stop...

Tiny bats use leaves as megaphones to call hom

Bats are climbing inside curled leaves and using them to amplify sound, marking the first time an animal has been observed using a tool to increase its vocalization range. A recent study has shown that Spix's disk-winged bat uses the shape of the leaves to boost the sound of both incoming and outgoing calls. The tiny bats — so named for...

Some Monkeys Have Conversations That Resemble Ours

The sounds of marmoset monkeys chattering may hint at the mysterious origins of human language. A new study shows that marmosets exchange calls in a precisely timed, back-and-forth fashion typical of human conversation, but not found in other primates. The monkeys don’t appear to have a language, but the timing suggests the foundations...

Amazon rainforest is home to 16,000 tree species, estimate suggests

Almost four hundred billion trees belonging to 16,000 different species grow in the Amazon, according to a new estimate. More than 100 experts analysed data from 1,170 surveys to come up with the figures, highlighting the extraordinary scale and diversity of the Amazon rain forest. Source: H...

Dolphin calf born at Brookfield Zoo

Dolphin shows at Brookfield Zoo have been temporarily canceled to allow a male calf born Wednesday to bond with his mother. The 40-pound calf was born to Tapeko and is about 3-1/2 feet long, according to a release from the zoo. Staff are “cautiously optimistic that the calf is healthy and doing well,” zoo spokesman Jamie Hansen said in...

Behold, the MONSTER-CLAWED critter and its terrifying SPIDER BRAIN

The massively clawed beast is an example of a megacheiran, an extinct group of creatures related to modern day chelicerates, which include spiders and scorpions. This marine spider provides evidence that the ancestors of scorpions and spiders branched off from other arthropods, including insects, crustaceans and millipedes, more than half...

Buy a huge Diplodocus dinosaur for £600,000

A huge Diplodocus skeleton, discovered in the US in 2009, is being auctioned in the UK for £600,000. The Diplodocus skeleton, nicknamed "Misty," is being sold at Summers Place Auctions in West Sussex on November 27. Source: H...

Friday, October 18, 2013

Markers of the best dog food options – Packaging

Though the packaging of certain products are simply the façade (the mask or the frontage, so to speak) of the said item, a close inspection of the said product would reveal a lot about the inherent quality of the product itself.When talking about the markers of the best dog food options, packaging also plays an important role, and not in...

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Markers of the best dog food options - The dog's 'wild' diet

While it is true that dogs are among the most commonly found domestic animals in the world, in no way does this mean that their constitutions are still not specific to the “wild”.This is the reason why dog food products that are “calibrated” to match with a dog’s natural diet are considered to be the best.The dog’s “wild” diet Just as...

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Markers of the best dog food options – The Dog's Say

To some extent, finding the best dog food of choice for dogs can be a game of trial and error, with responsible dog owners, at times, required to give different dog food brands and meals a go before an ideal can be found.Should you be undergoing your own trial and error phase in finding the best dog food of choice for your dog, don’t fail...

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Markers of the best dog food options – On Preservatives

Preservatives have somewhat become a subject of concern for food items today, with dog food choices even having their share of concerned dog owners who question the type of preservatives being used in the making of dog food meals.In defining the best of dog food options available in the market from the rest, the type of preservatives used...

Monday, October 14, 2013

Markers of the best dog food options – The Use of Human-Grade Ingredients

As with almost every other food choice or option, there are markers that define the best dog food options from the rest. From the packaging to the type of meats used in their making, the use of human-grade ingredients and not cut-offs of by-products is one.The use of Human-Grade Ingredients Regardless if we’re talking about chicken, meat...

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Biswamoyopterus laoensis: New Species of Flying Squirrel from Laos

The new species is named Biswamoyopterus laoensis. The suggested common name is the Laotian giant flying squirrel. Biswamoyopterus laoensis is a large flying squirrel that weighs 1.8 kg and measures about 42 inches (1.08 m) in total length – the body is about 18 inches (0.46 m) long and the tail is 24 inches (0.62 m) long. Source: H...

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Best Organic Dog Food – Sojo’s

In offering a wide gamut of different selections of organic dog food options, Sojo’s has made a habit out of churning out healthy, grain-free and truly organic dog food meals.As such, it really is no wonder why it continues to be one of the top organic dog food brands among discerning pet circles based here and there.Sojo’s “Low Grade”...

Two-Tailed Ancient Bird Uncovered

The early bird gets two tails? A 120-million-year-old bird sported a long tail and a second, unexpected tail frond, paleontologists suggest. The discovery points to a complicated evolutionary path for the tails we see in birds today. One of the oldest known birds, Jeholornis, lived in what is today China, along with a trove of other feathered...

Elephants and humans have 'unique bond'

Researchers from the University of St Andrews have found that African elephants seem to have an instinctive understanding of what it means when a human points to something. Commenting on this new research, Rachel Melling, an animal keeper from Knowsley Safari Park said African elephants were "highly intelligent". Source: H...

Close call: Seal gives shark the slip

Wildlife photographer David “Baz” Jenkins seems to have a knack for photographing great white sharks.His website is filled with pictures of the fearsome predators leaping from the sea and devouring seals. But a photo Jenkins took during a July shark-watching cruise in South Africa is garnering the Irish photographer so much attention that...

Thursday, October 10, 2013

The Best Organic Dog Food – Lily’s Kitchen

Using only the best and freshest of ingredients, Lily’s Kitchen has built a solid reputation not only in offering dogs with a wholesome, healthy and natural organic dog food option, but also extends its product offerings to cats.With freshly deboned meat and fish playing an important role in the making of its products, Lily’s Kitchen continues...