Tag: ecology

Just like humans, animals living in urban areas are constantly prone to metal intoxication. In France, a team of researchers studying the level of metal intoxication in birds have found a strange relation between the color of the plumage and the level of metal toxin in the bird’s body. They observed that the birds with dark shade plumage were better at getting rid of metal toxin from their bloodstream. 

The popular known fact that bamboo is the only food that panda exclusively feeds on, is not true. Researchers from the Monell Center have found that the panda has also liking for sweet food. The research, based on panda behavior and molecular genetics reveals the presence of taste receptors and confirms that the panda has a strong liking for natural sweeteners as fructose and sucrose. 

When we talk about intelligence in the animal kingdom, animals like chimpanzees, dolphins or crows are the first one to come across our minds. But it’s time to get over them, because as per the latest research, common goats are way more intelligent than formerly believed. 

Infidelity is very general trait to be observed in the animal kingdom. Maternal and paternal genetic tests have revealed that even the species that were considered to be faithful in their relationship, were often not loyal to each other. Merely about 10 percent of the species follow monogamy and are truly faithful to each other. However, according to a latest research led by University of Pennsylvania revealed that Azara’s owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) are remarkably devoted and faithful to their mating partners. 

Animals use different defense techniques, such as camouflage, mimicry or unusual associations or group living to defend themselves from its predator. The jumping spider who seeks the help of ants in order to protect themselves from its enemy, the spitting spiders, exhibits defense mechanism, which is completely weird and of course different. Interestingly, the ants, which act as a protector for the jumping spiders against the spitting spider, equally love to feed on them. 

We are often fascinated by the bright colors of the animals. In nature, these bright colors of the animals are not just to impress females or a fashion statement, rather are the characteristics of animals with an anti-predatory defense, such as a poison or sting. Predators over the time have understood to avoid attacking such animals, which either can hurt them or might taste awful. 

As proposed by the researchers from the University of Göttingen and the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ), plants are capable of making arduous decisions when caught in tough situation and until now, plants intelligence was underestimated. 

Fruits are good for maintaining a healthy body as well as a healthy mind, is a fact that almost everyone knows. A research conducted to understand the genesis of intelligence in the primates also confirms the same. Researchers have found that the lemurs gorging heavily on fruits show better cognitive abilities than the lemurs that feed on a variety of food such as leaves, insects, seed and so on. The finding supports the notion that eating seasonal fruits or fruits that are difficult to get, gives certain cognitive edge to…

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.