Bird droppings defy expectations
Credit: Andrew Magill For every question about bird poop, uric acid appears to be the answer. Why are bird droppings ...
Tag: Pets/Ethology
The problem with promoting ‘responsible dog ownership’
Credit: University of Liverpool Dog welfare campaigns that tell people to be 'responsible owners' don't help to promote behaviour change, ...
Preventing people from abandoning exotic pets that threatened biodiversity
From buying impulsively to abandoning exotic petsCredit: Amphibians and Reptiles Recovery Centre of Catalonia (CRARC), Abandoning exotic pets is an ...
Little helpers for the rainforest
Tropical rainforests store large quantities of carbon dioxide, produce oxygen and provide habitats for many animal and plant species. If ...
What do the red ‘ornaments’ of female macaques mean?
Credit: Lucie Rigaill Many human cultures associate the colour red with sexuality and fertility. Among nonhuman primates too, red skin ...
TGen-led study finds link between gene and severe liver damage
Expression of AEBP1 correlates with severity of liver fibrosis; may provide therapeutic target PHOENIX, Ariz. -- July 18, 2019 -- ...
Simulation explores how insects glean compass direction from skylight
Neural mechanisms could inspire designs for new skylight-based navigation tools for robotsCredit: Christian Lischka, unsplash. A computational simulation suggests that ...
Timing of spay, neuter tied to higher risk of obesity and orthopedic injuries in dogs
Credit: Sean Andersen-Vie, Morris Animal Foundation Spaying or neutering large-breed dogs can put them at a higher risk for obesity ...
Predators’ fear of humans ripples through wildlife communities, emboldening rodents
Large and medium-sized carnivores lie low, and mice 'come out to play' while the cat's awayCredit: Paul Houghtaling Giving credence ...
University of Guelph researchers track how cats’ weights change over time
Credit: University of Guelph Are cats getting fatter? Until now, pet owners and veterinarians didn't know for sure. Now University ...
Pet tags link widely used flame retardant to hyperthyroidism in cats
Credit: Adapted from Environmental Science & Technology 2019, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b02226 Feline hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine-related disease of older ...
Inbreeding depression reduces litter sizes in golden retrievers
Data from the Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study shows that inbreeding depression, the result of breeding closely-related individuals, ...
Amphibians infected by ranavirus found in Atlantic rain forest
Ranavirus is linked to amphibian decline or extinction in other parts of the world, but in Brazil, it has been ...
Insects need empathy
Immediate, science-based community action can mitigate insect declineCredit: Julia Harencar This year, German environmentalists collected 1.75 million signatures for a ...