Author: Neha Shukla

Lately, a research has revealed that many animals, including cats, dogs and some other mammals has the ability to see things that are not visible to human eyes. Biologists at City University and University College in the U.K, Ron Douglas and Glen Jeffery say that the secret that empowers these animals to view things is their ability to detect ultraviolet light. 

Humans need gestures of love and affection, especially during tough times. Similar gestures have been noticed in the animal kingdom as well. Animals such as Cats, dogs, chimps, Gorillas, orangutans and birds such as crows, ravens, scrub jays are known to show empathy and love towards their stressed out member of the group. To this list, researchers have added the Asian elephants, who have been noticed to show gestures of love through gentle strokes and through various sounds, communicate with the distress member to express their empathy. 

We have already seen how the rise in temperature is melting away the ice at the poles making the life of polar bears and penguins difficult. Melting ice at the poles is making these animals look for alternate hunting and breeding places. Apart from polar bear other marine animals like ringed seals, gray seals and beluga whales are exposed to these problems. Now researchers have found another challenge that these animals are facing- exposure to new diseases. 

In the animal kingdom, the burden lies with the males to seduce and impress the female for mating. We have already covered an article on peacocks, who had mastered the art of dance to impress the peahens. Apart from dance, singing is another way that male birds try to impress its female counterpart. One such research conducted on hummingbirds, showed that they are capable of changing the tunes of the songs that they learned at tender age or even create a new melody altogether. Traditionally it was believed that these…

We are familiar with the species of ants known as fire ants, which are famous for their painful stings. The venom in the stings causes acute pain in humans and fatal for other species of ants and insects, is known to be twice or thrice more toxic than DDT when compared on a per weight basis. Therefore, these are known to dominate the territory where they reside. However, recently a species of ants have invaded the fire ant territory and giving a tough fight to these native ants. 

Most people believe that the crocodiles are mainly or semi aquatic and therefore, can hide and attack its prey on land and under water. Many of us would not ever imagine a crocodile climbing a tree to attack its enemy or to feed. But this is a fact, as seen by scientists from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, crocodile can easily climb and have been seen reaching up to the tree crowns.  

Black and brown bears are known to go to hibernate during the winter seasons, to stay warm, cozy and to conserve energy. But researchers are curious to find an answer, why polar bears residing at higher latitudes, unlike brown and black bears hibernate and how do they stand the freezing cold of arctic tundra. Only female expecting babies are often seen to hide in caves during winters to save themselves in exceedingly low temperatures. 

In the bird’s world, males are attractive looking with beautiful bright colored plumage, wings, beaks and some perform dance, makes a beautiful nest and so on, to seek attention and impress females looking for a potential mate. But exactly which features are liked by the females to choose the most eligible male for mating, is not yet understood. 

Humans, unless aided with oxygen mask find difficulty in going to higher altitudes. Even a slight increase in altitude causes breathing related problem in humans. But unlike humans, birds are very well adapted to fly high without any problem. And recently it has been found that apart from birds, even bumblebees are capable of flying at great high. Wondering how high- higher than Mount Everest, which measure 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) above sea level.

Humans use their eyes apart from speaking for communication. Even a toddler can understand what his parents’ intent to signal him (anger, love, happiness) through their eyes. But how far animals are capable of conveying their feeling to other members of the clan through eyes, is not deeply studied. 

There is a lot of work going around the planet to protect the ecosystem and animals occupying them from getting extinct. Today, many species of animals and other creatures have already got extinct or are at the verge of getting extinct due to change in climate, habitat loss and poaching. Now the question that looms before us is, what will exactly happen if the bigger mammals gets eventually extinct. Scientists are of the view that with the extinction of the bigger mammals from the ecosystem, giant rats as big as…