A whale’s dive shapes its song patterns, suggests new research. The study using data from suction caps attached to the aquatic mammals is the first to connect an entire humpback whale song structure to a complete dive cycle. The findings could help infer whale behavior from acoustic recordings alone, say scientists. The haunting, complex songs … Read more
He’s short-spined, a little wobbly on his tootsies, unmistakably quirky and an utter delight to those who know him. Jimothy the raccoon has gone from local curiosity to full-blown cultural mascot, and now he’s finding a permanent home on people’s epidermis in the Pacific Northwest. Tattoo shops in Seattle’s hipster neighborhood Ballard, where Jimothy has … Read more
The Keystone State is twice as nice after a rare two-headed gecko was hatched this summer. The tiny, twin-headed crested gecko made its debut on June 29th at Rockstar Geckos, a breeding business based in northeastern Pennsylvania. “This little one was a surprise!” Rockstar Geckos posted on Instagram, alongside a video of the dual-domed gecko. A rare … Read more
Nine-banded armadillos are a common sight across the southern US. You’ll find them digging in flower beds and underneath your porch. Sometimes, unfortunately, they unsuccessfully attempt to cross a busy road. They are, for the most part, harmless. But experts say the adorable armored creatures may be the culprit behind a rising number of cases … Read more
The eagles’ home has been saved — but will it ever be a happy one? Friends of Big-Bear Valley (FOBBV), which set up a 24/7 cam for Jackie and Shadow, announced they will purchase the land the pair call home after raising $10 million, largely due to a $5.5 million donation by OpenAI co-founder Greg … Read more
The “Jimothy” craze has now hit the Seattle art scene. A Seattle glassblowing studio is cashing in on Jimothy’s viral fame with handcrafted glass figurines of the four-legged internet sensation, priced at $125 each. Seattle Glassblowing Studio says each collectible is individually crafted from borosilicate glass, “turning an internet legend into a one-of-a-kind glass sculpture.” … Read more
Want free chow? Dress like a cow. Scoring choice Chik-Fil-A grub on the house today, July 14, lionized as “Cow Appreciation Day,” by the fast-food chain, is as easy as sporting spots and strapping on utters. From 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Chik-Fil-A, symbolized by a beloved bovine that encourages foodies to “Eat Mor … Read more
On July 9, 2015, a dead raccoon appeared on a Toronto sidewalk and, for reasons no one fully understood, four men from a nearby office decided to hold a funeral. They bought a cellophane-wrapped rose, signed a card, and placed it on the corpse, whom they named Conrad. In “Our Wild Familiars” (Crown, out Tuesday), … Read more
Life isn’t so ruff for Lilo — at least, not anymore. Three years ago, Luce Clark and her partner were traveling through the Indonesian jungle when they spotted a small white pup tumbling through the brush along a busy stretch of road. After being unable to find the family he belonged to, they took him … Read more
A psychic cat has correctly predicted the winning teams of all 19 World Cup matches. One-year-old British shorthair Billy has predicted the winners of all the matches that did not end in a draw so far in the tournament, much to the delight of owners Linka Lin, 33, and Mark Kelly, 35. Since the start … Read more
A parasitic tapeworm known as Echinococcus multilocularis — often called the “fox tapeworm” — has been detected for the first time in West Coast wildlife. University of Washington researchers discovered the tapeworm, which can cause a rare but potentially deadly disease in humans, in 37 out of 100 coyotes sampled near Puget Sound in Washington State. The findings … Read more
Irish Spring soap, known for its fresh scent, is often recommended online — in blog posts, social media exchanges and elsewhere — as a way to repel skunks. Yet wildlife experts say the popular household hack is more a myth than a proven solution. Some homeowners claim the soap’s strong scent can help discourage skunks from lingering … Read more
When a 3-year-old Maltese named Ginger almost drowned in a Bridgehampton swimming pool last month, critical care was nearby. Had this been any other summer, Ginger’s owner would have had to drive an hour to the nearest pet hospital in Riverhead, and in all probability the pup wouldn’t have survived. But this year, a new … Read more
Harvard scientists have been honored for creating the world’s first “vagina-on-a-chip,” a groundbreaking device that mimics the female reproductive tract using living human cells. The tiny lab-grown model allows researchers to better study the vaginal microbiome, including the effects of hormones, healthy bacteria, infections and possible treatments — all without experimenting on mice, which don’t … Read more
A surfer who was attacked by two great white sharks used a zig-zag paddle to get to safety — with just one hand. Shannon Ainslie, 41, was surfing in Nahoon Reef in East London, South Africa, when the sharks grabbed his board and pulled him underwater. One bit the top of his surfboard and caught … Read more
“Patient zero” isn’t exactly the title you want attached to your travel itinerary. But that’s the grim distinction Dutch ornithologist Leo Schilperoord now holds after authorities identified him as the first case in a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a luxury cruise ship. The 70-year-old birdwatcher and his wife, Mirjam Schilperoord, 69, had toured an Argentinian … Read more
For four years, a mallard has nested behind a bush near the front door of Caitlin Deal’s home in a Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb, offering an up-close glimpse of nature for her young son and lessons for how people can coexist with wildlife. The duck, dubbed Martha by the family, sits on her nest for about … Read more
It thawed out — and then it multiplied. Scientists successfully revived a “zombie worm” that had been frozen for 24,000 years, revealing new insight into how life survives in the most unforgiving environments over extended periods of time. According to a study published in the scientific journal Current Biology, researchers found that the microscopic organism … Read more
He’s hoping they “steer” clear of his beautiful bovines. A fed-up UK farmer has pledged to breed uglier cows to curb the relentless tide of influencers lining up to snap selfies and generally harass his handsome Highland Cattle. “The intention is to make them less photogenic,” Alex Birch, from Derbyshire, told the BBC of his … Read more
A couple says their adorable dachshund is now the “breadwinner” of the household — earning over $6,000 in just one month and helping fund their $66,239 dream wedding. Shannon Edmondson, 31, from Stalybridge, Manchester, has turned her miniature long-haired dachshund, Wilson, into a social media star, bringing in thousands through user-generated content (UGC), brand deals … Read more