Are animals more rational than you think?
From MIT Press Reader: "From tool-making crows to alligators that lure birds with twigs, animals may be more rational than we ever imagined."
Listen here: https://starrytimepodcast.podbean.com/e/lynx-creature-corner/
New research suggests that spiders "smell" with their legs.
@ConversationUS reports: "Although spiders are renowned for their vibration sense and some, like jumping spiders, for excellent vision, surprisingly little is known about their sense of smell."
"Researchers ‘Translate’ #Bat Talk. Turns Out, They Argue—a Lot"
AKA, #bats are just like us:
"One of the call types indicates the bats are arguing about food.
Another indicates a dispute about their positions within the sleeping cluster.
A third call is reserved for males making unwanted mating advances
and the fourth happens when a bat argues with another bat sitting too close"
food, hierarchy, sex, and autonomy
the endless squabble
American educator and zoologist Cornelia Clapp died #OTD in 1934.
Clapp was a pioneering zoology researcher and leading ichthyology scholar. Her work on the toadfish was instrumental in correcting the idea that its egg was attached by a "sucker" to the yolk stalk, as she discovered that it was instead adhered with a disc of "transparent secretion" that could be separated from the membrane.
GUYS WE'RE HAVING A BABY PYGMY HIPPO FOR CHRISTMAS 
https://metrorichmondzoo.com/newsroom/pygmy-hippo-born-before-christmas/
For the first time, California ground squirrels have been observed hunting, killing, and eating other animals.
@popsci reports: "Most squirrels are omnivores, but are usually seen eating nuts, seeds, and grains."
If Humans Die Out, Octopuses Already Have the Chops to Build the Next Civilization, Scientist Claims
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a63184424/octopus-civilization/
Sisters Maude & Constance were encouraged in their interest in #biology & #zoology by their naturalist father & became prolific collectors of marine specimen, many still housed by Natural History Museum, Dublin.
Their work lead to a survey by Royal Irish Academy headed by Edward T. Browne of UCL in 1895 & 1896. The sisters continued their systematic study, gathering specimen of jellyfish & plankton by dredging & tow-netting, recording sea temp & changes in marine life for 28 years! 
The surprising new history of horse domestication, from @SciAm.
"Archaeological and genetic discoveries topple long-standing ideas about the domestication of equines."
Subscription may be required: https://flip.it/aFO9aP
ACAB @mynameistillian@plush.citycan i ask a question to evolutionary biologists, anthropologists and zoologists/ornithologists
so i been reading that a lot of birds are sentient to the point that they recognise people's faces and can use tools
but like. i always wondered why haven't they become more technologically advanced
like they existed for thousands of years, right? something would change by that time
or am i just being ignorant
boosts okay
Collapsing wildlife populations near ‘points of no return’, report warns https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/10/collapsing-wildlife-populations-points-no-return-living-planet-report-wwf-zsl-warns #IUCNredlistofendangeredspecies #Endangeredspecies #Treesandforests #Climatecrisis #Deforestation #Biodiversity #Conservation #Environment #Worldnews #Wildlife #Animals #Farming #Zoology #Science #Biology #Cop16 #WWF
Crows Are Even Smarter Than We Thought
"Earlier this year, a team of researchers from Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia and the University of Bristol found that a species of crow called the hooded crow (...) is able to manage a mental feat we once thought was unique to humans: to memorize the shape and size of an object after it is taken away—in this case a small piece of colored paper—and to reproduce one like it."
#science #zoology #crow #birds
https://nautil.us/crows-are-even-smarter-than-we-thought-820066/
20 books that have had an impact on who you are. One book a day for 20 days. Very little explanation, no reviews, only book covers. Open to discussion in the comments!
Helped develop a lifelong curiosity about the natural world. Dare I say, more influential than David Attenborough…
Book 17/20
Tigers are disappearing from Southeast Asia but a forest in Thailand is offering new hope.
From CNN: "The tiger population in the country’s Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) ... is estimated to have more than tripled between 2007 and 2023, from 41 to 143."
These bacteria trigger a sex change in wasps — scientists finally know how
Sad news this week about @hakaimagazine, which has announced it will shut down at the end of the year. For now, it’s still publishing brilliant science stories, like this beautifully illustrated one on the anatomy of seals.
https://hakaimagazine.com/news/for-seals-big-hearts-mean-big-dives/
What Olympic runners can learn from cheetahs.
From BBC News: "Cheetahs are famous for being the fastest land animals – but research suggests there's much more to their athleticism than just speed."
For seals, big hearts mean big dives. "An enlarged aorta enables seals to dive for longer durations."
@hakaimagazine has a great explainer, in comic-strip form: https://flip.it/7MazTK
