zoology

Rodents of the genus Apodemus are among the most widespread and abundant small mammals in Europe and play a central role in the ecology of numerous zoonotic pathogens. Owing to their ecological plasticity, high population densities, and frequent infestation by arthropod vectors, Apodemus species contribute to the maintenance and transmission of a diverse array of bacterial, viral, and protozoan a…

For more than 150 years, this fossil's identity remained a mystery. Scientists now say it belonged to an ancient scorpion.

Hungerford, Berkshire: In a nearby farm, ever-resourceful birds and bees are getting creative with where they build their nests There are some unusual nesting spots being utilised in the farm and stableyard, revealed by pauses between chores. My wheelbarrow trips to the muck heap are attended by pied and grey wagtail pairs that make small aerial assaults on insects, though I’ve yet to locate thei…

The UK’s biggest bird of prey has been compared to a flying barn door. So how can one fitted with a satellite tracker disappear in prime grouse-shooting country? The six police officers arrived at the Snilesworth estate in two pickup trucks last week, according to one account. They asked to go up on the moors, a source said, and “so off they went”. A vast expanse of spectacularly undulating lands…

The discovery of Jian changmaensis solved a mystery The post Newly Discovered Four-Winged Dinosaur Didn’t Need to Fly to Hunt Birds appeared first on Nautilus .

Enigmatic 415 million-year-old fossils belong to a giant scorpion that may have reached lengths of around 3 feet (1 meter), a remarkable body size because most life on land at that time was small.

Payton Barry, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences, is diving into the world of Maryland’s streams. Under Tamra Mendelson’s mentorship, he studies how introduced species of darters, a family of freshwater fish, are affecting native ones. Equal parts dedicated researcher and enthusiastic science communicator, Payton has creatively pieced together funding from organizations like The…

Did you spot the elk calf in Matthew Hill’s photo this morning? Here it is! When I asked Matthew how, in the tagging process, he found the hidden calves, he replied: Typically the cow has a vaginal insert transmitter that comes out when the calf drops, which allows us to pinpoint the birth location. Several … Continue reading Here’s the elk calf!

Octopuses may be even smarter than we thought. Researchers at Dartmouth found that octopuses can learn to use mirrors to locate food hidden behind them—a skill previously seen only in vertebrates like mammals and birds. After training, the animals correctly identified the food’s location about 73% of the time, showing they could use a mirror as a tool rather than simply reacting to a reflection.

The deep-sea octopus is fully mature despite fitting in a palm, a trait researchers think may help it reproduce faster than larger relatives.

A blue-glowing spider was only the first clue. Deep in Angola, scientists uncovered a hidden world of species still waiting for names after long trek.

Bear believed to have unlatched and opened a locked window, and was seen turning on and drinking from a tap Police and hunters in Fukushima, Japan were searching for an “extremely intelligent” bear which, after attacking four people, apparently evaded capture by unlocking a window from the inside. The one-metre-long bear was seen drinking from a tap and showed no reaction when struck by a tranqui…

Deep underwater, a whale’s haunting call has puzzled researchers for nearly forty years. What is behind this enigmatic song?

Scientists in Finland found bees could solve an insect version of the classic "box-and-banana" problem.

With no training, bumblebees can work out how to use a ball like a ladder to feed on sugar from an out-of-reach flower.

Bumblebees appear to be capable of coming up with creative solutions to new problems to get a sugary reward—and their strategies include cheating

Ancient rivers in Kenya hid a crocodile unlike anything alive today. Fossils are now revealing just how dangerous it really was.

Climbing support team rescue Hillary Dawa Sherpa almost a week on from when he was last seen A Nepali Sherpa guide who was believed to have died on Mount Everest has been found crawling to base camp a week after going missing – and after his funeral rites had begun. Hillary Dawa Sherpa, named after the famous climber Edmund Hillary, was last seen on 29 May but did not reach base camp with other c…