Thursday, April 25, 2024

Unique pig-nosed turtle is over-harvested in New Guinea

Numbers of pig-nosed turtles have declined steeply over the past 30 years, researchers have discovered. The unique reptile has become an international conservation icon, due to it having no close relatives and being considered the turtle most adapted to life underwater in freshwater ponds and rivers. Yet demand for its eggs and meat in Papua ... Read more

Birds eavesdrop on predator chipmunks

Ground-nesting birds eavesdrop on chipmunks in order to protect their nests, according to scientists. Ovenbirds and veeries live alongside egg-eating chipmunks in the Hudson Valley, New York, US. Researchers have found that when simulated chipmunk calls are played, the birds nest up to 20 metres further away. The study is the first to show that ... Read more