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Has a worm ever gotten struck by lightning

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The plight of the African penguin

African penguins, known for their endearing waddle and striking black-and-white plumage, are facing an alarming population decline. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently reclassified them as critically endangered at COP16, marking a sobering point in the species’ fight for survival. This significant change in conservation status underscores the urgent need for action...

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Sensitive crocodilians?

Despite their thick skins, alligators and crocodiles are surprisingly touchy

It might be surprising, as we tend to embrace some very archaic assumptions about the group of reptiles collectively referred to as crocodilians, frequently (and incorrectly) viewing them as dull, or dim-witted, and even as stony as their armor makes them appear. However there is evidence that crocodilians are incredibly sensitive to touch. If you know anything about the extensive and often delicate maternal behaviors crocodilians engage in, their sensitivity is a bit easier to understand. The article below discusses research that was published in 2012, giving us an intriguing look at crocodilian sensitivity...

Read more:

https://news.vanderbilt.edu/.../alligators-and-crocodiles/

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Endangered axolotl release raises hopes for rare amphibian

One of the world's most endangered amphibians - the strange, perpetually smiling Mexican axolotl - has thrived after being released in artificial wetlands, scientists have discovered. In a study that provides hope for the long-term future of a creature that was pushed to the brink of extinction, scientists released 18 captive-bred axolotls in restored and artificial wetland close to Mexico City. The researchers fitted the animals with radio trackers and found that they "survived and foraged successfully at both sites" - even gaining weight. Lead researcher Dr Alejandra Ramos from the Autonomous University of Baja California said this was an "amazing result"...

Read more:

Captive-bred axolotl thrives in restored wetlands in Mexico City

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More new geckos have been found hiding in Southeast Asia’s limestone towers

Dramatic karst landscapes are a hot spot for discovering new species of these reptiles

Landscapes in Southeast Asia once thought to stifle biological evolution may instead stoke its fires. Karst ecosystems have been referred to as arks of biodiversity, a term that highlights their biological richness but also implies they merely preserve ancient lineages. These landscapes, with their isolated caves, cliffs and sinkholes, were thought to shelter species from extinction without contributing much to evolution. But the discovery over the past several years of nearly 200 gecko species in such regions reveals that karsts are far from stagnant. “They’re not museums, but centers of speciation,” says evolutionary biologist Lee Grismer of La Sierra University in Riverside, Calif. When Grismer first explored Myanmar’s karst landscapes in 2017, the richness of life hidden within the limestone towers and caves left him stunned. During a 19-day expedition, these ancient rock formations, rising abruptly from the surrounding farmland,  revealed geckos so distinct and unexpected that his team identified 12 new species...

Read more:

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/geckos-found-southeast-asia-karst

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Lesser Mouse-tailed Bat

source: alchetron

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White-crested Helmetshrike (Prionops plumatus), family Vangidae, order Passeriformes, Kenya

photograph by Birdquest

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I wanted to look up what kind of dogs the vikings had in order to make a historically accurate shitpost meme, but while googling "viking dog", figuring I'd find pictures of some kind of big cool war dogs or dogs used for hunting moose and bear, but instead I found this

the noble vallhund

herder of cows and biter of ankles

This is literally a viking corgi.

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On April 16th 2025 the US federal government has proposed to change the interpretation of the endangered species act so that it no longer protects habitat.

This is open for public comment until the end of May 19th. Please comment and make your voice heard.

Wildlife need their habitat. If the ESA redefines harm so that habitat is no longer protected, the implications for wildlife would be catastrophic.

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On April 16th 2025 the US federal government has proposed to change the interpretation of the endangered species act so that it no longer protects habitat.

This is open for public comment until the end of May 19th. Please comment and make your voice heard.

Wildlife need their habitat. If the ESA redefines harm so that habitat is no longer protected, the implications for wildlife would be catastrophic.

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EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP SCIENTISTS AT THE SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE HAVE FOOTAGE OF A LIVE COLOSSAL SQUID FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

🦑‼️🦑‼️🦑‼️🦑‼️🦑‼️🦑

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Really cool write up that links to the original paper that just came out this year (2025)!

This is a really cool example of foraging innovation.

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Aw he’s shy

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Luzon Bleeding-heart Dove (Gallicolumba luzonica), family Columbidae, order Columbiformes, endemic to Luzon, Philippines

photograph by Kao Tai

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Osprey