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Ravens Map Kill Hotspots Across Yellowstone, Not Just Follow Wolves
9 days ago•Source: ZME Science
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1.975 min•27 days ago
Canadian Farmer Delivers Swift Kick to Save Goat from Cougar
A Canadian farm owner, Gina Moore, intervenes to save her Nigerian dwarf goat from a cougar attack on her British Columbia farm, delivering a swift kick that deterred the predator. She says adrenaline drove her actions as the security-camera video captured the dramatic moment, and notes that habitat changes are bringing bears and cougars closer to her property.
42.395 min•1 month ago
Huge Underground Bee Colony Found Hidden at New York Cemetery
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Dolphins’ sponge tools reveal culture-driven hunting in Shark Bay
Rare footage from Shark Bay shows bottlenose dolphins using sea sponges as protective tools on their snouts to hunt along the seafloor. The behavior alters echolocation and is transmitted from mothers to offspring; only about 5% of the population uses it, and calves typically learn it over 3–4 years. Sponge shape changes the acoustic beam, affecting hunting efficiency, with cone-shaped sponges guiding clicks more narrowly than basket-like sponges. The study, led by Ellen Rose Jacobs of Aarhus University and the Shark Bay Dolphin Research Project, highlights cultural transmission and the costs of tool use in a changing ocean, and was published in Royal Society Open Science.
Oldest Humboldt Penguin Turns 38, Celebrated with Fish Ice Cake
Spneb, a 38-year-old Humboldt penguin at Paradise Park in Cornwall, is believed to be the world’s oldest, celebrated with an ice cake topped with sardines and sprats as visitors watched, while her 21-year-old mate Prince looked on.
Senior Golden Retriever Turns Vet Wait Into a Solo Walkabout
At a veterinary visit, Tequila, a senior Golden Retriever, turns the waiting room into a self-guided stroll—carrying her leash, sniffing shelves, and confidently wandering past staff—winning smiles from thousands online.
Welsh 10-Year-Old Sparks Rescue of Endangered Axolotl Hidden Under a Bridge
A 10-year-old girl, Evie Hill, spotted a critically endangered axolotl under a bridge by the River Ogmore in Bridgend, Wales, prompting her family to rescue it, name it Dippy D, and seek expert care. Researchers note axolotls are often kept as pets and warn that releasing non-native species into the wild is illegal; the salamander is now recovering in Leicester after the family’s quick行动 and consultation with breeders.
Girl on a UK beach uncovers jaw of giant Triassic ichthyosaur
On a Somerset beach, 11-year-old Ruby Reynolds and her father found jaw fragments dating to about 202 million years ago, leading scientists to name Ichthyotitan severnensis, a colossal ichthyosaur potentially around 82 feet long—the largest marine reptile known—based on skeletal jaw evidence; the discovery, described in PLOS ONE, highlights how citizen science and coastal erosion can rewrite natural history.
Hong Kong pond yields a new 24-eyed box jellyfish
Researchers in Hong Kong’s Mai Po Nature Reserve describe Tripedalia maipoensis, a tiny box jellyfish about 0.6 inches long, as a new species—the fourth described in the Tripedaliidae family. DNA analysis shows it is distinct from Tripedalia cystophora (16S rRNA ~17.4% difference). The jellyfish has 24 eyes arranged in four rhopalia, with two lens eyes likely forming images to aid navigation under mangroves. Found during nocturnal sampling of shrimp ponds, this is the first box jellyfish formally reported from Chinese coastal waters and underscores hidden biodiversity in human-modified habitats. The study was published in Zoological Studies.
Midlife Habits in a Tiny Fish May Forecast Lifespan Across Vertebrates
Stanford researchers tracked 81 African turquoise killifish with automated surveillance and found that midlife differences in sleep timing and daytime activity already distinguish longer‑ from shorter‑lived individuals. Using machine learning, just a few days of middle‑aged behavior could predict ultimate lifespan, revealing a stepwise aging pattern and linking behavioral changes to liver‑gene activity. The findings suggest wearable‑type monitoring in humans could detect early aging signals and guide preventive interventions in the future.
Wildlife as vectors for antibiotic‑resistant bacteria across ecosystems
A study of wildlife in northern Italy finds foxes and several bird species carry hospital-linked Klebsiella pneumoniae strains that resist multiple antibiotics, including the NDM-5 gene, signaling that antibiotic resistance is present beyond clinical settings. Researchers say wildlife can act as sentinels for environmental contamination and help map how resistance travels through ecosystems, aided by factors like wastewater and waste runoff. The findings show a low prevalence (about 2%) but indicate environmental reservoirs of high‑risk clones (like ST307) and shared plasmids, highlighting the need for broader wildlife monitoring and cleaner wastewater to slow the spread.
Peaceful queen succession observed in naked mole rats, challenging the species' bloody reputation
In a Science Advances study, researchers at the Salk Institute observed a rare peaceful transfer of power in a naked mole rat colony: after relocating the Amigos colony, the reigning queen Teré paused reproduction for almost a year, two of her daughters began reproducing in sequence, and Arwen ultimately became the new breeding queen by the end of 2025, showing that even highly eusocial mammals can exhibit flexible, nonviolent queen succession.
Headless Chickens: What the Science Really Says
Live Science explains that chickens do not stay alive for long after their heads are removed: brain death typically occurs within about 30 seconds of neck injury, with the heart dying a few seconds later, and any movement seen is usually reflexive from residual neural activity rather than conscious life. Movements after decapitation can last up to a minute or so, but are not signs of the bird being alive in any meaningful sense. The famous Miracle Mike case involved partial brain preservation and is not representative; it occurred because only part of the brain and brainstem remained, allowing limited life support-like activity under unusual conditions.