Polar bears are top carnivores that bioaccumulate the vitamin A produced by marine algae lower down the food chain. Because vitamin A isn’t water-soluble, it can’t be easily flushed from the body and is stored in the liver instead. Bears and seals have generally high levels of vitamin A in their livers but polar bears…
To discover this, the scientists out of Germany studied 51 dogs in different conditions to see how they would react when people intentionally or unintentionally refrained from giving them a treat. Also known as unable versus unwilling paradigm. The conditions included dogs and people separated by a clear barrier as the human held a treat….
You heard right, compadre. Parthenogenesis — reproduction without benefit of sex — occurs spontaneously in a handful of species, most of them fairly simple but some surprisingly complex. The turkey is the foremost example of the latter group, with the virgin birth rate in some breeds approaching 40 percent. Parthenogenesis also occurs in some lizards. The…
Researchers studying moray eels have discovered that these serpentine fishes have a freaky second set of razor-toothed jaws that help the eels reel in prey, even on land, according to new study published earlier in the Journal of Experimental Biology. The oral jaws and the pharyngeal jaws. Nearly all fish feed underwater, and most predatory…
The female kangaroo has three vaginas, two uteruses and carries her young in a pouch. The male kangaroo has a long, pointed penis located behind his scrotum. The male kangaroo doesn’t have a pouch or nipples.Kangaroos do not have separate openings for intestinal, urinary, and genital tracts. Koalas, wombats and Tasmanian devils all share the three-vagina structure. The…
There are two recognized subspecies of tiger: the continental (Panthera tigris tigris) and the Sunda (Panthera tigris sondaica). The largest of all the Asian big cats, tigers rely primarily on sight and sound rather than smell for hunting. They typically hunt alone and stalk prey. A tiger can consume more than 80 pounds of meat…
In the new paper, the researchers studied poison frogs in the genus Phyllobates that employ a toxin called batrachotoxin, which works by disrupting the transport of sodium ions in and out of cells — one of the most important physiological functions in the body. When your brain sends signals to the body, it sends them…
Scientists have identified ancient reptiles dating back to 289 million years ago that could detach their tails to escape the grasp of their predators – the oldest known example of such behaviour. The reptiles, called Captorhinus, weighed less than two kilograms and were smaller than the predators of the time. They were abundant in terrestrial…
What do leafcutter ants and scores of middle-school students have in common? A mouth full of metal-laced teeth. Tiny arthropods such as ants, spiders and scorpions routinely bite, sting or otherwise pierce tough material like wood and skin. It’s a remarkable feat, given that humans have trouble chewing through so much as a piece…
Australia’s koalas are in trouble. The question is how much. Australia’s iconic marsupial is in trouble. The question may just be exactly how bad the country’s koala situation has become. Nearly a third of Australia’s koalas were wiped out in just the past three years, according to new figures released by a conservation group, though…
