A recent study by John Alroy at Macquarie University in Australia suggests that about 200 frog extinctions have occurred and hundreds more will be lost over the next century, so we are on pace to create a mass extinction. Many factors are contributing to this alarming decline – habitat destruction and the introduction of the deadly chytrid fungus are the main culprits. At least another 6.9% of all frog species may be lost within the next century, even if there is no acceleration in the growth of environmental threats. That means that reptiles and amphibians are going extinct at 10,000 times the rate of other organisms!
An albino animal is born without the ability to produce color pigment in its skin, hair, feathers, scales, or eyes. As a result they color ranges from snowy white, pink to an off-white straw color. Being light colored is certainly not an advantage in the wild – animals are more visible to both predators and prey and the lack of melanin negatively affects their vision by affecting development of the eyes in addition to causing extreme photosensitivity making survival even less likely. If you have seen an albino animal in the wild you are lucky, especially if it has matured into an adult; more commonly you will have a chance to see one of these rare creatures in a zoo.
This week the US Navy has agreed to limit its use of sonar that may inadvertently harm whales and dolphins in waters near Hawaii and California. For the first time, the Navy has agreed to put important habitat for numerous populations off-limits to dangerous mid-frequency sonar training and testing and the use of powerful explosives. Scientific studies have documented the connection between high-intensity mid-frequency sounds, including Navy sonar, and serious impacts to marine mammals ranging from strandings and deaths to cessation of feeding and habitat avoidance and abandonment. To celebrate this historic agreement we want to share a selection of photos featuring the marine animals that are benefiting from this plan.
A recent study published in Science Advances explores the question ‘Why do animal eyes have pupils of different shapes?’. In short – if an animal is a hunter they have round or vertical pupils and, in turn, prey species have horizontal pupils which give them the advantage of a panoramic view to detect predators and to flee across uneven ground. But wait, why do small cats (lynx, bobcats and housecats) have vertical pupils while large cats (pumas, leopards and lions) have round ones? The authors suggest that ambush predators have vertical pupils that determine distance better while round pupils are more useful for cats that chase down their prey.
Bright red stink bug hatchlings gather together to amplify their warning coloration, a cluster of mushrooms glow in the darkness of the rainforest floor and a flying frog spreads its foot membranes wide to glide from branch to branch in this colorful and fascinating gallery of Bornean images from Ch’ien Lee. Bowl-shaped orchid leaves catch falling leaf litter which degrades into fertilizer for the plant and a parasitic flower lures pollinating flies with the smell of carrion. Can you find the green katydid and the brown grasshopper that mimic leaves so well that they are barely detectable?
Katherine Feng brings us a new selection of panda images from China including shots of an extremely rare brown-and-white panda named Qi Zai who was rescued from the wild in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi Province. The giant pandas of the Qinling Mountains are considered to be a subspecies of giant pandas. While most of the pandas (including those of the Qinling Mountains) are black-and-white, Qi Zai is unique and rare because of his brown-and-white color variation.
Though the exact cause of this color variation is not known, it is suspected that it has a genetic basis as a few others have occurred in the past. All recorded brown and white pandas have been from the Qinling Mountains which has a giant panda population of about 300 individuals. This panda subspecies is rare and quality photos of them are even rarer! Check out this gallery which also includes new photos of panda babies including newborns of the black-and-white variety.
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