Veterinary Info

AI Technician/Veterinary Assistant

2023-02-06T18:07:00.003-05:00

Dog behavior

2023-02-02T20:37:00.003-05:00

Your dog's behavior is a product of their genes

"The largest, most successful genetic experiment that humans have ever done is the creation of 350 dog breeds," says senior author Elaine Ostrander, founder of the Dog Genome Project at the National Human Genome Research Institute. "We needed dogs to herd, we needed them to guard, we needed them to help us hunt, and our survival was intimately dependent on that."

"Identification of the genes behind dog behavior has historically been challenging," says first author Emily Dutrow, postdoctoral fellow at the National Human Genome Research Institute. "The inherent complexity of canine population dynamics features varying degrees of selective pressure for aesthetic and morphological traits, some of which may be linked to behavioral traits, so pinpointing the genetics of canine behavior can be complicated."

Kennel clubs generally categorize dog breeds on the basis of the jobs they are best suited for. To find the genetic drivers of the behavioral tendencies that make dogs good at specific tasks, the researchers gathered whole-genome data from over 4,000 purebred, mixed-breed, and semi-feral dogs, as well as wild canids. By applying computational tools originally developed for studying single cells rather than whole organisms, Dutrow and team identified 10 major genetic lineages among hundreds of dog breeds, solely on the basis of DNA data. The researchers found that each lineage corresponded to a specific category of breeds historically used for tasks such as hunting by scent versus sight or herding versus protecting livestock, indicating that common sets of genes were responsible for behaviors among dog breeds well suited for similar tasks.

To understand the nature of these behaviors, the researchers turned to individual dog experts: pet owners. Using 46,000 behavioral assessment surveys sent to owners of purebred dogs, the researchers identified unique sets of behavioral tendencies among the 10 lineages of dogs. For example, behaviors associated with increased prey drive were associated with the terrier lineage, which contains breeds historically used for catching and killing prey.

"Having established significant behavioral tendencies correlated with the major canine lineages, we then identified genetic drivers of these behaviors by performing a genome-wide association study on the DNA samples," says Dutrow. "We were particularly interested in livestock-herding dogs, who display one of the most easily defined breed-typical behaviors, characterized by an instinctive herding drive coupled with unique motor patterns that move herds in complex ways."

The researchers' search led them to specific genes involved in brain wiring in herding dogs. They found that variants near genes involved in axon guidance, a process that shapes brain circuitry, appeared highly enriched. They also saw an enrichment for genes important for development of areas of the brain involved in social cognition and learned fear responses.

"When you get a certain input or stimulus, the degree to which that creates a reaction in different parts of the brain shapes how we behave," says Ostrander. "So, if nerves within and between brain regions don't communicate in specific ways, then the behavior doesn't happen, and this is where axon-guidance genes come in to play."

Genetic variants associated with sheep dogs are often located near genes involved in ephrin signaling, an axon-guidance process that is involved in brain development and is implicated in behavior in other species, including humans. For example, the sheep-dog-associated gene EPHA5 has also been associated with human attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety-like behaviors in other mammals. These findings could help us understand the high energy requirement of sheep dogs and their hyper focus when given a task.

"The same pathways involved in human neurodiversity are implicated in behavioral differences among dog lineages, indicating that the same genetic toolkit may be used in humans and dogs alike," says Dutrow.

"Emily's methodology allowed her to capture the different histories of dog breeding across the world, in one approach, one experiment, and without prior assumptions," says Ostrander. "After 30 years of trying to understand the genetics of why herding dogs herd, we're finally beginning to unravel the mystery."

Courtesy: sciencedaily

Cats podcast

2023-02-02T20:11:00.001-05:00

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Flirting Cats, Walking Sharks, Preventing Cerebral Palsy
We discuss a new app that can translate a cat’s meow into human languages, how the Epaulette shark is teaching us about climate change, and a potential treatment that might prevent cerebral palsy.

Flirting Cats

“Did My Cat Just Hit On Me? An Adventure in Pet Translation” by Emily Antheshttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/29/science/cats-pets-ommunication-artificial-intelligence.html
“Melody matters: An acoustic study of domestic cat meows in six contexts and four mental states” by Susanne Schötz, Joost van de Weijer, and Robert Eklundhttps://peerj.com/preprints/27926/
“The Animal Translators” by Emily Antheshttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/science/translators-animals-naked-mole-rats.html

Walking Sharks

“These Sharks Can Walk, and They Might Help Us Understand More About Climate Change” by Orlando Mayorquinhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/08/25/walking-epaulette-shark-climate-change/7879031001/
“Aquatic Walking and Swimming Kinematics of Neonate and Juvenile Epaulette Sharks” by Marianne E Porter, Andrea V Hernandez, Connor R Gervais, and Jodie L Rummerhttps://academic.oup.com/icb/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/icb/icac127/6650877?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false

Preventing Cerebral Palsy

“Study offers hope for preventing cerebral palsy” by University of Aucklandhttps://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/966360
“Tumour necrosis factor blockade after asphyxia in foetal sheep ameliorates cystic white matter injury” by Christopher A. Lear, Benjamin A. Lear, Joanne O. Davidson, Jialin Sae-Jiw, Johanna M. Lloyd, Simerdeep K. Dhillon, Alistair J. Gunn, and Laura Bennethttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36087304/
“Cerebral Palsy Facts and Statistics” by Pierrette Mimi Poinsett, M.D.https://www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/cerebral-palsy/research/facts-and-statistics/#:~:text=Around%20764%2C000%20people%20in%20the,with%20cerebral%20palsy%20each%20year.
What is Cerebral Palsy?https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/facts.html#:~:text=Cerebral%20palsy%20(CP)%20is%20a,problems%20with%20using%20the%20muscles.

Courtesy: https://www.discovery.com/

Ladybugs

2023-01-16T00:05:00.005-05:00

Ladybugs, also known as lady beetles or ladybird beetles, are a group of insects that are popular among people due to their bright red and black coloration. They are considered beneficial insects as they feed on aphids and other small insects that can damage plants. In Asia, ladybugs are found in many different habitats, including forests, grasslands, and agricultural fields.

In Asia, different species of ladybugs are found. The most common species are the seven-spotted ladybug and the Asian ladybird. The seven-spotted ladybug is native to Europe and is known for its seven black spots on a bright red background. The Asian ladybird is native to Asia and is known for its orange coloration with black spots. Both these species are beneficial for agriculture as they feed on aphids, which can damage crops.

Ladybugs play an important role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. They are prey for many different animals including birds, spiders, and other insects. In addition to their ecological importance, ladybugs are also considered a symbol of good luck in many cultures. They are often featured in children's books and are a popular subject for art and photography.

In recent years, ladybugs have been in decline due to habitat loss and the use of pesticides. To protect these beneficial insects, it is important to protect and restore natural habitats, reduce the use of pesticides, and promote sustainable agriculture practices. By doing so, we can help ensure that ladybugs and other beneficial insects continue to play an important role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem in Asia.

Source: AI and UNH

Ladybug

2014-07-24T05:19:00.000-04:00

Ladybug

Coccinellidae

Ladybugs, ladybirds, or lady beetles—whatever one calls them—are favored by farmers as voracious pest-eaters.

Photograph by Raul Touzon

Many people are fond of ladybugs because of their colorful, spotted appearance. But farmers love them for their appetite. Most ladybugs voraciously consume plant-eating insects, such as aphids, and in doing so they help to protect crops. Ladybugs lay hundreds of eggs in the colonies of aphids and other plant-eating pests. When they hatch, the ladybug larvae immediately begin to feed.

Ladybugs are also called lady beetles or, in Europe, ladybird beetles. There are about 5,000 different species of these insects, and not all of them have the same appetites. A few ladybugs prey not on plant-eaters but on plants. The Mexican bean beetle and the squash beetle are destructive pests that prey upon the crops mentioned in their names.

Ladybugs appear as half-spheres, tiny, spotted, round or oval-shaped domes. They have short legs and antennae.

Read full here...http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/ladybug/

Black Widow Spider

2014-05-26T03:05:00.000-04:00

Black Widow Spider

Latrodectus hesperus

Notorious for their bloodthirsty courtship, black widow spiders are identified by the colored markings on their black bodies.

Photograph by George Grall

Black widows are notorious spiders identified by the colored, hourglass-shaped mark on their abdomens. Several species answer to the name, and they are found in temperate regions around the world.

This spider's bite is much feared because its venom is reported to be 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake's. In humans, bites produce muscle aches, nausea, and a paralysis of the diaphragm that can make breathing difficult; however, contrary to popular belief, most people who are bitten suffer no serious damage—let alone death. But bites can be fatal—usually to small children, the elderly, or the infirm. Fortunately, fatalities are fairly rare; the spiders are nonaggressive and bite only in self-defense, such as when someone accidentally sits on them.

The animals most at risk from the black widow's bite are insects—and male black widow spiders. Females sometimes kill and eat their counterparts after mating in a macabre behavior that gave the insect its name. Black widows are solitary year-round except during this violent mating ritual.

These spiders spin large webs in which females suspend a cocoon with hundreds of eggs. Spiderlings disperse soon after they leave their eggs, but the web remains. Black widow spiders also use their webs to ensnare their prey, which consists of flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. Black widows are comb-footed spiders, which means they have bristles on their hind legs that they use to cover their prey with silk once it has been trapped.

Find more here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/black-widow-spider/

Scarab

2014-04-25T03:17:00.000-04:00

Scarab

Scarabaeidae

Most scarabs are monotone black or brown, but some wear bright colors, intricate patterns, an iridescent glow, or even a metallic sheen.

Photograph by David C. Hawks

Scarabs are a mesmerizingly diverse family of beetle found in every part of the world except in the oceans and on Antarctica. There are about 30,000 scarab species comprising about 10 percent of all known beetles.

The June bug pinging incessantly off your front porch light is a type of scarab. The Japanese beetle that savages your landscaping? A scarab as well. The enormous rhinoceros beetles of Central and South America are scarabs. And perhaps the most famous member of the family, the sacred scarab, was actually worshipped by the Egyptians as the embodiment of the sun god Khepri.

Most scarabs are monotone black or brown in color. But many, particularly tropical varieties, explode with bright colors and intricate patterns. There are even species that are iridescent and some with a truly unnatural-looking metallic sheen.

Scarabs are generally oval-shaped and stout, ranging in size from miniscule to mythic. The smallest grow to about 0.08 inches (0.2 centimeters) while the Hercules beetle can reach a palm-covering 6.7 inches (17 centimeters) in length.

Diets of these beetles vary from species to species. Some consume live plants and are considered agricultural pests. Some eat fruit, fungi, carrion, or insects. There’s even a variety that subsists on the slime left by snails.

But the most well-known diet item is consumed by the scarabs called dung beetles. These beetles subsist entirely on the undigested nutrients in the waste of herbivores like sheep, cattle, and elephants. The Egyptian sacred scarab is a dung beetle.

Dung beetles have a keen sense of smell that allows them to hone in on their favorite food and use specialized mouth parts to draw out moisture and nutrients from the waste. Some species simply live in the dung, while others form perfectly spherical dung balls, which they roll with their hind legs, often over large distances, to a place where they can bury it. Females plant a single egg in a dung ball where it matures from larva to fully formed beetle, feeding off the waste. Because they move so much waste underground, dung beetles are considered essential to controlling disease and pests among livestock.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/scarab/#close-modal

Hornet

2014-03-22T03:24:00.002-04:00

Hornet

Vespidae

Hornets eat leaves and tree sap but are also accomplished predators, feeding on flies, bees, and other insects.

Photograph by H.L. Fox/Animals Animals

Hornets are wasps of the genusVespa, closely related to (and resembling) yellowjackets. There are about 20 hornet species. Most live in tropical Asia, but the insects are also found in Europe, Africa, and North America, where the European hornet was introduced by humans.

These social insects construct hives by chewing wood into a papery construction pulp. They mature from egg to adult inside the community hive.

Queens dominate hornet hives and are the only females to reproduce. Most other hornets are asexual female workers that perform essential community duties such as building the hive, gathering food, feeding the young, and protecting the colony. Males are few and they have only one real role—mating with the queen. Males typically die soon after their sexual task is complete.

In colder climes, hornet nests are abandoned in winter and only new, young queens (and their eggs) survive the season by finding protected areas under tree bark or even inside human dwellings. In the spring, such a queen will begin a new nest, and soon her young will become workers and take over the chores of the new hive—leaving the queen to tend to reproduction. She will produce more workers to expand the hive and then, before she dies, yield a breeding generation of new queens and males (drones) to restart the cycle of life.

These insects eat some tree sap but they are also accomplished predators. A hornet hive will eliminate many flies, bees, and other insects.

Workers defend their hive with potent stingers. Though these insects do not sting humans unless provoked, some people are allergic to their venom and can have very dangerous reactions to a sting.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/hornet/#close-modal

Ant

2014-01-24T07:29:00.000-05:00

Ant

Formicidae

One of 10,000 species of ants, this leaf-cutter ant hauls a leaf more than three times its size back to the nest.

Photograph by Roy Toft

Ants are common insects, but they have some unique capabilities. More than 10,000 known ant species occur around the world. They are especially prevalent in tropical forests, where they may be up to half of all the insects living in some locations.

Ants look much like termites, and the two are often confused—especially by nervous homeowners. However, ants have a narrow "waist" between the abdomen and thorax, which termites do not. Ants also have large heads, elbowed antennae, and powerful jaws. These insects belong to the order Hymenoptera, which includes wasps and bees.

Enthusiastically social insects, ants typically live in structured nest communities that may be located underground, in ground-level mounds, or in trees. Carpenter ants nest in wood and can be destructive to buildings. Some species, such as army ants, defy the norm and do not have permanent homes, instead seeking out food for their enormous colonies during periods of migration.

Ant communities are headed by a queen or queens, whose function in life is to lay thousands of eggs that will ensure the survival of the colony. Workers (the ants typically seen by humans) are wingless females that never reproduce, but instead forage for food, care for the queen's offspring, work on the nest, protect the community, and perform many other duties.

Male ants often have only one role—mating with the queen. After they have performed this function, they may die.

Ants communicate and cooperate by using chemicals that can alert others to danger or lead them to a promising food source. They typically eat nectar, seeds, fungus, or insects. However, some species have diets that are more unusual. Army ants may prey on reptiles, birds, or even small mammals.

One Amazon species (Allomerus decemarticulatus) cooperatively builds extensive traps from plant fiber. These traps have many holes and, when an insect steps on one, hundreds of ants inside use the openings to seize it with their jaws.

Read full here...

Pelican

2014-01-16T02:20:00.000-05:00

Pelican

Pelecanus

A brown pelican

Photograph courtesy Gary M. Stolz/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

There are more than half a dozen species of pelicans, but all of them have the famous throat pouch for which the birds are best known. These large birds use their elastic pouches to catch fish—though different species use it in different ways.

Many pelicans fish by swimming in cooperative groups. They may form a line or a "U" shape and drive fish into shallow water by beating their wings on the surface. When fish congregate in the shallows, the pelicans simply scoop them up. The brown pelican, on the other hand, dives on fish (usually a type of herring called menhaden) from above and snares them in its bill. Pelicans do not store fish in their pouch, but simply use it to catch them and then tip it back to drain out water and swallow the fish immediately. The American white pelican can hold some 3 gallons (11 1/2 liters) of water in its bill. Young pelicans feed by sticking their bills into their parents' throats to retrieve food.

Pelicans are found on many of the world's coastlines and also along lakes and rivers. They are social birds and typically travel in flocks, often strung out in a line. They also breed in groups called colonies, which typically gather on islands.

Read full here...

Cuban Screech Owl

2014-01-10T07:59:00.002-05:00

Cuban Screech Owl

Gymnoglaux lawrencii

The Cuban screech owl is endemic to Cuba, where it is found in wooded areas, often nesting in abandoned woodpecker holes.

Photograph by Steve Winter

The goggle-eyed Cuban screech owl gets its other common name, bare-legged owl, from its featherless lower appendages. While most of the world’s more than 200 owl species wear feathers down to their toes, the Cuban screech owl’s warm tropical habitat appears to have encouraged it to evolve permanent Bermuda shorts.

These nocturnal birds of prey are endemic only to Cuba, and their substantial range covers nearly the entire island. They prefer forest and wooded areas with palm trees, which they bore roosting holes into. They will also frequently occupy abandoned woodpecker holes.

Their feathers are dark brown with white spots on top, and their bellies and bottom wing feathers are grayish-white. They have large brown eyes outlined with dramatic white feathers. The Cuban screech owl is not well studied, and information about its diet is scarce, but, like most owl species, it likely feeds on small mammals, other birds, frogs, and insects.

The bare-legged owl became the Cuban screech owl in 1998, when the American Ornithologists’ Union reclassified it in the genus Otus, which includes scops and screech owls. However, in 2003, the union, citing differences in morphology and vocal patterns, reversed itself, placing the owl in its own genus,Gymnoglaux, and restoring its former name.

Read full here...http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/cuban-screech-owl/

Wood Stork

2013-11-24T13:31:00.000-05:00

Wood Stork

Mycteria americana

Wood storks fish with an unusual but effective method: Opening their bills underwater, they wait for a fish to pass by, then snap!, like a mousetrap, the bill is closed, and the fish is eaten.

Photograph by Joel Sartore

Wood storks are tall, white denizens of freshwater or brackish wetlands and swamps. They can be identified by their long legs, featherless heads, and prominent bills.

These waders feed on minnows in shallow water by using their bills to perform a rare and effective fishing technique. The stork opens its bill and sticks it into the water, then waits for the touch of an unfortunate fish that wanders too close. When it feels a fish, the stork can snap its bill shut in as little as 25 milliseconds—an incredibly quick reaction time matched by few other vertebrates.

The storks prefer to employ this technique in isolated pools created by tides or falling freshwater levels, where fish congregate en masse. In some areas, such as Florida, breeding begins with the dry season that produces these optimal fishing conditions.

Though wood storks eat small fish, they eat a lot of them. An average nesting pair, with two fledglings, may eat over 400 pounds (181 kilograms) of fish during a single breeding season.

Wood storks are social animals. They feed in flocks and nest in large rookeries—sometimes several pairs to a single tree. Females lay two to five eggs, which both sexes incubate for about one month. Young fledge about two months after hatching.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/wood-stork/#close-modal

Wild Turkey

2013-11-14T02:28:00.001-05:00

Wild Turkey

Meleagris gallopavo

Wild turkeys, with their distinctive feathers and gobbling call, were Benjamin Franklin's choice for the national bird of the United States.

Photograph courtesy Gary M. Stolz/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The turkey was Benjamin Franklin's choice for the United States's national bird. The noble fowl was a favored food of Native Americans. When Europeans arrived, they made it one of only two domestic birds native to the Americas—the Muscovy duck shares the distinction.

Yet by the early 20th century, wild turkeys no longer roamed over much of their traditional range. They had been wiped out by hunting and the disappearance of their favored woodland habitat.

Wild turkeys typically forage on forest floors, but can also be found in grasslands and swamps. They feed on nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, and salamanders.

Wild turkey reintroduction programs began in the 1940s, and the birds were relocated to areas where populations had been decimated but woodlands were recovering. Such efforts worked so well that wild turkeys now live in areas where they may not have occurred when Europeans first reached the Americas. Today, flocks are also found in Hawaii, Europe, and New Zealand.

Only male turkeys display the ruffled feathers, fanlike tail, bare head, and bright beard commonly associated with these birds. They also gobble with a distinctive sound that can be heard a mile (a kilometer and a half) away.

Females lay 4 to 17 eggs, and feed their chicks after they hatch—but only for a few days. Young turkeys quickly learn to fend for themselves as part of mother/child flocks that can include dozens of animals. Males take no role in the care of young turkeys.

Domestic turkeys have white-tipped tails because they are the descendants of a Mexican subspecies that was taken to Europe for domestication in the early 16th century. The feature distinguishes them from most modern wild turkeys, though captive diet, lifestyle, and breeding have caused other physical discrepancies.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/wild-turkey/

Prehistoric Elephant-Spork for mouth

2013-10-06T03:01:00.001-04:00

Absurd Creature of the Week: This Prehistoric Elephant Had a Huge Spork for a Mouth

Russian writer Anton Chekhov insisted that everything irrelevant to a work of fiction be removed — if you describe a rifle mounted on the wall, someone had better fire it off at some point. This dramatic principle is called Chekhov’s gun, and it actually applies quite well to the natural world: Animals don’t waste energy developing worthless characteristics. Traits that help a species survive get passed along through generations, while those that are no longer useful fade away (or in the stubbornly contrary case of the human appendix, abruptly explode).

Platybelodon’s remarkable modified tusks. Image: American Museum of Natural History, via the Biodiversity Heritage Library

If Chekhov had time-traveled back between 8 million and 20 million years and met Platybelodon — an ancestor of the modern elephant that looked like it got hit in the face with a shovel, then absorbed that shovel into its mouth — he would have demanded the creature explain itself. What possible purpose could such a ridiculous trait serve? “A good one, thank you very much,” Platybelodon would reply, probably in a really funny voice.

The spork-faced Platybelodon’s strange jutting jaw actually consists of a second pair of flattened, widened tusks (tusks themselves being modified incisors). When the genusPlatybelodon, which means “flat tooth,” and its species were first described in the 1920s, “their lower incisors were thought to function to shovel, scoop, dig and dredge soft vegetation in aquatic or swampy environments,” vertebrate paleontologist William Sanders of the University of Michigan wrote in an email to WIRED. “But recent analysis of tusk wear surfaces show that they were used more as scythes to cut tough vegetation.”

The paleontologist who proposed this slicing behavior in 1992, David Lambert, theorized that instead of roaming shorelines, Platybelodon fed on terrestrial plants, grasping branches with its trunk and cutting them away with its built-in scythe. Indeed, cross-sections of the tusks reveal a structure that provides extra strength and resistance to abrasion for such foraging, said Sanders.

So it could well be that Platybelodon wandered around Miocene Asia, Africa, and North America, scything vegetation like some sort of peasant, only without all the pesky class struggles. And it was just one of a horde of similar animals in the family Gomphotheriidae, all with modified lower tusks of varying styles. The Platybelodon genus alone had more than 15 species, reaching “the apex of development of these lower tusks,” according to Sanders. Their radically flattened teeth suggest “strong selection for specialized feeding on a particular range of plants,” which was crucial given that “for much of the Miocene there were often three to five or more genera of proboscideans occurring in the same landscape, competing for forage.”

Pegging the various appearances of such proboscideans, though, is difficult, because flesh-like schnozes don’t fossilize as easily as bone. We’re actually quite lucky to have Platybelodon preserved at all, considering that fossilization is a really hard thing to pull off. Even if you can avoid getting carted off in a dozen different directions by scavengers, you need to settle in the right spot. And Platybelodon just so happened to do us a solid by dying — sometimes en masse — next to or in rivers, the prime locales for fossilization.

Osborn’s reconstruction of Platybelodon from his 1936 book Proboscidea. Males sported larger scythes than females — an example of sexual dimorphism. Image: American Museum of Natural History, via the Biodiversity Heritage Library

Henry Fairfield Osborn, a paleontologist who described Platybelodon in a 1932 paper and quite extensively four years later in his book Proboscidea, accordingly assumed the creature to be a water-dredger (thanks to the work of Lambert and others we now believe that Platybelodon, like a lot of animals, was probably just partial to water and happened to sometimes die in it). In his book, Osborn quoted another paleontologist, Alexei Borissiak, who in 1929 wrote that Platybelodon was “deprived of a trunk” but would scoop through the water and “seize its food with its muscular upper lip, covering the mandible.” In fact, Borissiak reckoned Platybelodon’s snout looked a bit like that of the hippopotamus, “although much more lengthened out.” Osborn’s illustrations of Platybelodon certainly reflect this.

But “think about what an elephant looks like,” Sanders asks us. “The trunk is a very separate entity from the mouth. You have to be able to get food into your mouth, and if your front limbs are occupied in posture, and you have upper and lower tusks that would make it difficult to have a long projecting tongue or mobile lips, then you need a proboscis.”

A model of Platybelodon featuring a dexterous proboscis, in keeping with Lambert’s grab-and-slash theory. Image: Wikimedia

“[Osborn's] ego preceded his expertise,” he added, “and we are still digging out from the weight of his ‘authority’ on proboscideans.” Yet Osborn’s flat trunk/lip persists in most modern reconstructions — including an oh-so-close-to-actually-being-cute one in the Ice Age movies — conflicting with Lambert’s more widely accepted grab-and-scythe theory.

Trunks aside, could the bizarre mug ofPlatybelodon, so wonderfully adapted for feeding, have proved cumbersome when, say, fleeing from predators? Sanders doesn’t think so. And even ifPlatybelodon did face-plant here and there, its size would have proved quite the advantage as far as not getting eaten goes. It was somewhat smaller than the modern African elephant, which only rarelyfalls prey to that continent’s apex predator, the lion. But according to Sanders, Platybelodon might have had a counterpart predator in the ferocious wolf-like creodonts, meaning “flesh tooth,” meaning a slicing tooth designed to deprive you of flesh, meaning let’s be grateful it was Platybelodon worrying about them and not us.

So be they teeth like scissors or teeth like a shovel, evolution never creates a rifle it doesn’t intend to fire. Where fiction has Chekhov’s gun, nature has Platybelodon’s giant spork.

Read full here... http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/10/satellites-map-sinking-venice/

Whooping Crane

2013-09-28T10:26:00.001-04:00

Whooping Crane

Grus americana

Back from the brink of extinction, the endangered whooping crane is making a slow recovery. Only about 200 are currently living in the wild.

Photograph courtesy Luther Goldman/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Whooping cranes nearly vanished in the mid-20th century, with a 1941 count finding only 16 living birds. But since then, these endangered animals have taken a step back from the brink of extinction. Captive breeding programs have boosted their numbers, and successful reintroduction efforts have raised the number of wild birds to over 200, with roughly the same number living in captivity.

The massive whooping crane management effort involves numerous U.S. and Canadian governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and other contributors. The process even includes using ultralight aircraft to lead young whooping cranes on their first southward migration, from Wisconsin to Florida.

These majestic white birds are the tallest in North America. They live in family groups and frequent marshes, shallow lakes, and lagoons. Cranes feed by foraging with their bills and gobbling up plants, shellfish, insects, fish, and frogs.

The whooping crane's primary natural breeding ground is Wood Buffalo National Park, in Canada's Northwest Territories and Alberta. Here the cranes perform elaborate running, leaping, wing-flapping dances to choose mates that they will keep for life.

When summer ends, these migratory birds set out for the Gulf Coast of Texas, where they winter in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Managers hope to establish a Wisconsin breeding population that will winter in Florida, where a small introduced population lives year-round on the Kissimmee Prairie.

Whooping cranes are generally safe from hunting and egg collection, which hastened their decline. However, their biggest threat—loss of wetlands—persists. Though the areas that the birds frequent are protected, they are isolated and make the entire population vulnerable to any disastrous ecological event or change.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/whooping-crane/

Ostrich

2013-09-28T09:41:00.000-04:00

Ostrich

Struthio camelus

Portrait of an ostrich

Photograph by Carsten Peter

The flightless ostrich is the world's largest bird. They roam African savanna and desert lands and get most of their water from the plants they eat.

Though they cannot fly, ostriches are fleet, strong runners. They can sprint up to 43 miles (70 kilometers) an hour and run over distance at 31 miles (50 kilometers) an hour. They may use their wings as "rudders" to help them change direction while running. An ostrich's powerful, long legs can cover 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters) in a single stride. These legs can also be formidable weapons. Ostrich kicks can kill a human or a potential predator like a lion. Each two-toed foot has a long, sharp claw.

Ostriches live in small herds that typically contain less than a dozen birds. Alpha males maintain these herds, and mate with the group's dominant hen. The male sometimes mates with others in the group, and wandering males may also mate with lesser hens. All of the group's hens place their eggs in the dominant hen's nest—though her own are given the prominent center place. The dominant hen and male take turns incubating the giant eggs, each one of which weighs as much as two dozen chicken eggs.

Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand. The old saw probably originates with one of the bird's defensive behaviors. At the approach of trouble, ostriches will lie low and press their long necks to the ground in an attempt to become less visible. Their plumage blends well with sandy soil and, from a distance, gives the appearance that they have buried their heads in the sand.

Ostriches typically eat plants, roots, and seeds but will also eat insects, lizards, or other creatures available in their sometimes harsh habitat.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/ostrich/

Carolina Wren

2013-09-20T13:33:00.000-04:00

Carolina Wren

Thryothorus ludovicianus

Favoring warmer southern climates, the Carolina wren—the state bird of South Carolina—fills its habitat with sweet songs.

Photograph by Mark Chappell/Animals Animals—Earth Scenes

The Carolina wren is an adaptable dweller of forestlands, swamps, farms, and tree-filled human communities.

Carolina wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) are small but very vocal animals. Males are especially outgoing and are the only ones to produce songs. They employ one of the loudest songs per volume of birds. They are apt to sing anytime and anyplace they happen to be.

Carolina wrens are usually found in pairs, and each pair stays on its home territory all year long. Because these wrens cannot survive cold winters, they tend to live in southern climes, and are the official state bird of South Carolina. They are found as far north as the Great Lakes, and warm winters spur them to extend their range northward. However, when colder years arrive, many northern birds are unable to survive and fringe populations plummet.

These large wrens feed on insects, larvae, and spiders but also eat berries and fruit. They forage on or near the ground and hop along far more often than they fly. They use their bills to poke about and search for hidden meals and try to remain close to brush in which they can hide.

Carolina wrens are monogamous, and breeding pairs may stay together for years. They work together to construct nests—which may be found almost anywhere. Wrens nest in natural locations such as branches, tree-holes, and stumps but also frequent windowsills, mailboxes or other attractive human-made spots.

Females lay about four eggs and incubate them for two weeks while their mates bring them food. Both parents feed their chicks for an additional two weeks before they gain independence. A mating pair of Carolina wrens may have several broods each year.

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http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/carolina-wren/

Tundra Swan

2013-06-22T13:25:00.000-04:00

Tundra Swan

Cygnus columbianus

The graceful tundra swan feeds not only on underwater flora and shellfish but has developed a taste for grains and corn, much to the chagrin of farmers.

Photograph by Bates Littlehales

The snowy white tundra swan breeds in the Arctic and migrates many miles to winter on North America's Atlantic and Pacific coastlines, bays, and lakes. The eastern population frequents the Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina, while the western population typically winters in California. These animals fly some 3,725 miles (6,000 kilometers) round-trip between their distant habitats, and make the daunting journey twice each year. Tundra swan subspecies also winter in Europe and Asia.

Tundra swans are often confused with trumpeter swans, and indeed the two species are very similar in appearance. They are most easily distinguished by their calls.

Tundra swans winter on the water and sleep afloat. They are strong and speedy swimmers that take to the air with a running start, clattering across the water's surface with wings beating. In flight, the rhythmic flapping of the swan's wings produces a tone that once earned it the name "whistling swan."

These large birds feed by dipping their heads underwater to pluck aquatic plants, tubers, and roots. They also eat shellfish and are developing an increasing taste for grains and corn found in farmland areas.

Believed to mate for life, these swans actually pair up for nearly an entire year before breeding. Though in their winter grounds they gather in huge flocks, they breed as solitary pairs spread out across the tundra. Each couple defends a territory of about three-fourths square miles (two square kilometers).

The bird's tundra nests are large stick dwellings lined with moss and grasses. Ideally, they are situated close to a pond or other water source.

Females typically lay about four eggs and incubate them for 32 days while males guard the nest. Young chicks are protected from cold and predators, including swarms of voracious Arctic mosquitoes. Tundra swans can be nasty when aroused, and the birds may even be able to fend off predators like foxes and jaegers.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/tundra-swan/

Osprey

2013-06-21T14:19:00.000-04:00

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

An osprey preparing to dive

Photograph courtesy NASA

Ospreys are superb fishers and indeed eat little else—fish make up some 99 percent of their diet. Because of this appetite, these birds can be found near ponds, rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways around the world. Ospreys hunt by diving to the water's surface from some 30 to 100 feet (9 to 30 meters) up. They have gripping pads on their feet to help them pluck fish from the water with their curved claws and carry them for great distances. In flight, ospreys will orient the fish headfirst to ease wind resistance.

Ospreys are sometimes confused with bald eagles, but can be identified by their white underparts. Their white heads also have a distinctive black eyestripe that goes down the side of their faces. Eagles and ospreys frequent similar habitats and sometimes battle for food. Eagles often force osprey to drop fish that they have caught and steal them in midair.

Human habitat is sometimes an aid to the osprey. The birds happily build large stick-and-sod nests on telephone poles, channel markers, and other such locations. Artificial nesting platforms are common in areas where preservationists are working to reestablish the birds. North American osprey populations became endangered in the 1950s due to chemical pollutants such as DDT, which thinned their eggshells and hampered reproduction. Ospreys have rebounded significantly in recent decades, though they remain scarce in some locales.

read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/osprey/

Cardinal

2013-05-18T11:26:00.002-04:00

Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Noted for their bright red plumage, cardinals have about two dozen songs.

Photograph courtesy Harvey Doerksen/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The northern cardinal is so well loved that it has been named the official bird of no fewer than seven U.S. states. Bright red cardinals are easily identified by even casual bird watchers, and are often seen frequenting backyards and bird feeders. When foraging elsewhere the birds eat insects, seeds, grain, fruit, and sap.

Cardinals, also called "redbirds," do not migrate and have traditionally been more common in warmer climes such as the U.S. southeast. However, in recent decades they have expanded their common range north through the United States and even into Canada. This population growth may be due to an increase in winter birdfeeders and to the bird's ability to adapt to parks and suburban human habitats.

Only males sport the brilliant red plumage for which their species is known. The color is a key to mating success—the brighter the better. Females are an attractive tan/gray.

Cardinals are active songbirds and sing a variety of different melodies.

Males can be aggressive when defending their territory, and they frequently attack other males who intrude. This tendency sometimes leads cardinals to fly into glass windows, when they charge an "intruding bird" that is really their own reflection.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/cardinal/

Does't look like an Angry Bird?

Toucan

2013-05-03T10:35:00.002-04:00

Toucan

Ramphastos toco

The toucan's large, colorful bill may look like it packs a bite, but it is better adapted for feeding than fighting.

Photograph by Jason Edwards

The Toco toucan is at home in South America's tropical forests but recognized everywhere. The toucan's oversized, colorful bill has made it one of the world's most popular birds.

The 7.5-inch-long (19-centimeter-long) bill may be seen as a desirable mating trait, but if so, it is one that both male and female toucans possess. In fact, both sexes use their bills to catch tasty morsels and pitch them to one another during a mating ritual fruit toss.

As a weapon, the bill is a bit more show than substance. It is a honeycomb of bone that actually contains a lot of air. While its size may deter predators, it is of little use in combating them.

But the toucan's bill is useful as a feeding tool. The birds use them to reach fruit on branches that are too small to support their weight, and also to skin their pickings. In addition to fruit, Toco toucans eat insects and, sometimes, young birds, eggs, or lizards.

Toco toucans live in small flocks of about six birds. Their bright colors actually provide good camouflage in the dappled light of the rain forest canopy. However, the birds commonly keep up a racket of vocalization, which suggests that they are not trying to remain hidden.

Toucans nest in tree holes. They usually have two to four eggs each year, which both parents care for. Young toucans do not have a large bill at birth—it grows as they develop and does not become full size for several months.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/toucan/

Thick-Billed Murre

2013-04-25T10:08:00.001-04:00

Thick-Billed Murre

Uria lomvia

Thick-billed and thin-billed murres rest on a rock in the sun on Gull Island in Alaska. Thick-bills are recognizable not just by their slightly heavier bills but also by the white line down the sides of the bill.

Photograph by Michael Melford

The thick-billed murre swims far better than it flies. Takeoff is awkward, but once it's airborne, it can fly at about 75 miles an hour (120 kilometers an hour). Among the deepest underwater divers of all birds, it uses its stubby wings to "fly" through the water, routinely reaching depths of more than 330 feet (100 meters)—sometimes even twice that—in pursuit of the fish, squid, and crustaceans it feeds on.

Covered in black feathers on its head, back, and wings and white feathers on its breast and underside, this waterbird can be found in and around Arctic waters. In the summer it breeds off the rocky coasts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia. But in winter—when it's not breeding—the thick-billed murre is at sea, off the edge of open ice southward to Nova Scotia and northern British Columbia. It also winters off the coasts of Greenland, northern Europe, and southward in the Pacific Ocean to northern Japan.

The thick-billed murre doesn’t build nests. Instead, the female joins others of her species in a large, noisy colony and lays a single egg on a narrow cliff ledge. She then arranges pebbles and other debris close to the egg, cementing them with feces to form a support that prevents the large egg from rolling off the ledge if it dislodges. The egg hatches in 30 to 35 days. Both parents feed the chick, caring for it until it fledges at about 21 days old. At this time, chicks make a migratory journey that is unique among birds, swimming as far as 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) in the first leg to their wintering grounds off the coast of Newfoundland.

Rad full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/murre/

Canvasback

2013-04-19T11:04:00.002-04:00

Canvasback

Aythya valisineria

Canvasbacks are diver ducks well equipped with their own form of flippers—large webbed feet that make them smooth and graceful swimmers.

Photograph by Jac6.Flickr, Flickr

Canvasbacks are diver ducks well equipped with their own form of flippers—large webbed feet that make them smooth and graceful swimmers. They spend much of their time in the water and use their long bills to feed by digging through bottom sediments in search of aquatic plant stems and roots, or submerged insects, crustaceans, and clams.

On land, canvasback movements are clumsy and the ducks seldom stray too far from the water’s edge. But when “cans” take to the air they can cover a lot of ground.

Each year when winter weather begins to chill northern lakes, ponds, and prairie wetlands, the canvasbacks’ food becomes scarce and the ducks take flight in enormous flocks. Thousands of birds migrate together each year to traditional wintering sites like the Chesapeake Bay, San Francisco Bay, Gulf Coast, and Mexico. The majority of North American canvasbacks breed in the Prairie Pothole wetlands and migrate via the Mississippi Flyway to the Mid-Atlantic and Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, or along the Pacific Flyway to the California coast.

The Chesapeake Bay’s Susquehanna Flats area was once the winter home of perhaps half of the North American canvasback population. But the shoals’ lush beds of wild celery have declined with compromised water quality and increased sedimentation. Chesapeake canvasback numbers followed suit and have declined some 80 percent over the last 50 years.

Rad full here.... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/canvasback/

Steller's Sea Eagle

2013-04-17T10:42:00.000-04:00

Steller's Sea Eagle

Haliaeetus pelagicus

Holding its prey down with powerful talons, a Steller's sea eagle displays its wings, which can have a span of over 6 feet (2 meters).

Photograph by Tim Laman

These very large, powerful eagles are also striking in appearance. They are dark but dramatically colored with white tail, shoulders, rump, thighs and forehead.

These eagles are believed to breed only in far eastern Russia, along the coasts and surrounding islands of the Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea. They are most common on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Each winter, many Steller's sea eagles migrate from their breeding grounds to Japan, and a few reach Korea or even farther afield. Other individuals do not migrate, but simply move to open water as winter approaches.

Open water provides these eagles with their main food sources along coastlines and lakes. In their breeding grounds, Steller's sea eagles subsist largely on salmon, and they both hunt and scavenge for this resource. Annual salmon runs provide an enormous bounty and Steller's sea eagle nests are typically located near coasts and rivers where these fish appear en masse.

These birds of prey hunt from a perch or from flight by diving and clutching prey in their talons. They also stand in shallow water or on the ice and grab passing fish when the opportunity arises. Like other eagles, Steller's also steal food from other birds.

In Japan, Steller's sea eagles feast on cod. In addition to fish, they eat crabs, shellfish, squid, small animals, ducks, gulls, and carrion.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/stellers-eagle/

Mallard Duck

2013-04-08T08:47:00.000-04:00

Mallard Duck

Anas platyrhynchos

Male mallards, or drakes, are more distinctively colored than females, who are mottled brown with a flourish of iridescent purple on their wing feathers.

Photograph by Bates Littlehales

The green head and yellow bill of the mallard duck is a familiar sight to many people living in the Northern hemisphere. In fact, the mallard is thought to be the most abundant and wide-ranging duck on Earth.

Mallards prefer calm, shallow sanctuaries, but can be found in almost any body of freshwater across Asia, Europe, and North America. They’re also found in saltwater and brackish water and are commonly found in wetlands.

The male, or drake, is the more distinctively colored of the mallards. Its iconic green head sits atop a white neckband that sets off a chestnut-colored chest and gray body. Females are mottled drab brown in color, but sport iridescent purple-blue wing feathers that are visible as a patch on their sides. They grow to about 26 inches (65 centimeters) in length and can weigh up to 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms).

Mallard groups can often be seen head dipping or completely upending in the water. They rarely dive though, spending their time near the surface and dabbling for invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and a variety of plants. They also graze on land, feeding on grains and plants.

Mated pairs migrate to and breed in the northern parts of their range and build nests on the ground or in a protected cavity. They normally lay about a dozen eggs, and the incubation period lasts just under a month. Mallards are territorial during much of this period, but once incubation is well underway, males abandon the nest and join a flock of other males.

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/mallard-duck/