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@elodieunderglass Massive continuity of...goslings?

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Þessi er í stokknum!

This one is in the deck!

you, a generalist unspecialized mouse or mouselike mammal:

- food goes from esophagus to stomach to intestine

- can eat and digest almost anything

- adaptable and can survive in many different environments

me, a specialized sanguivorous vampire bat:

- food goes from esophagus to intestine to stomach to intestine

- can only eat blood

- will die if I don’t eat for one night (unless someone vomits in my mouth)

- will die if there’s not enough humidity in the air

- will die if I exercise too much

- will become dehydrated if I drink too much

- constantly pissing so I’m not too heavy to fly

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What can baleen whales even DO about orca whales. Like can they even fight back. Imagine being a huge fat floating mass of delicious meat living in an open void with no shelter to retreat to and there are these mouth torpedos that might just decide to show up and rip you open just whenever.

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PEOPLE THIS IS NOT A DRILL BEAVERS ARE GOING TO BE FREELY RELEASED INTO THE WILD IN THE UK THIS IS HUGE!!!

It is such, such a big deal. The difference this will make for biodiversity, for carbon sequestration, for protecting us from flooding, for nature connection. People have been fighting so hard for so long to bring our beaver neighbours home and free them from the fences they’ve been kept behind. Not ashamed to admit I’ve cried a bit today after hearing this news. This is a wonderful step to make us just a bit wilder, a bit more ecologically intact, a bit more free. Moments like this remind me that progres seems unthinkable until it happens, and then it feels inevitable. I can’t wait for the first release - and shoutout to the illegal beaver bombers who got them a foothold when red tape was holding people back.

Lynx next!!!!

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sometimes I forget orchids grow on trees and I’m like. oh.

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If you like frogs. Or possums. Or cool builds. Or happiness. This is the video for you.

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sure wish pelicans would stop fucking doing that

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Hvalir eru ótrúlega mikilvægir fyrir umhverfið!

“Bowhead whales may not be the only species that can live to 200 years old. Researchers have found that the industrial hunting of great whales has masked the ability of these underwater giants to also live to great ages”

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Þessi kóngulær er í stokknum, það er mikilvægt að kynnast öllu dýraríkinu!

Redback spiders have established populations in Central Otago and Taranaki, posing a threat to human health and taonga native species such as the critically endangered Cromwell chafer beetle. We talk to Chemist Dr Andrew Twidle, who is leading the development of a pheromone tool to eradicate these invasive redback spiders, the first attempt in the world to control pest spiders using pheromones. The project is supported by Lincoln University, local iwi, and the Department of Conservation. Find more of our biosecurity, disease, and insect science Scigest podcasts on our website: https://www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/bi.... To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: https://www.plantandfood.com/scigest.

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yall the comedy wildlife photography results are coming out atm and

look

LOOK AT THIS LIL MAN

THANK YOU BRIAN MATTHEWS HOLY SHIT HES GOT SUCH A CASE OF THE MONDAYS

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"Conservationists in New Mexico are celebrating the state’s expanding population of wild river otters, as their numbers have tripled in the last 14 years.

Though native to the state, the beasts were extirpated completely during the 1900s, likely due to a mixture of overtrapping and habitat destruction.

However, groups can now be seen swimming about in waterways located in communities like Taos, Angel Fire, Pilar, and Corrales along the Rio Grande, and there’s every chance this expansion will continue.

“In 2008 to 2010, the department released 33 otters, and those reintroduction efforts took otters from Washington and brought them into the upper Rio Grande,” said Carnivore and Small Mammal Program Manager for the New Mexico Dept. of Game and Fish Nick Forman to KRQE News 13.

Ecologists say they help riverine ecosystems by keeping prey species in check and improving water quality.

“They provide that ecosystem service of being a top predator,” Forman added. “It’s good to have this species back in the role it’s always played in our rivers and lakes.”

The department now is asking members of the public to send them any photos or videos of otters in the wild they take, hoping to use citizen science to better map their distribution around the state whilst conservationists mull over whether to continue with future release efforts."

-via Good News Network, December 4, 2024

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Extra details from KRQE:

"A 2018 study showed the population grew from 33 to 100 river otters statewide. More recently, the department released nine otters from Louisiana which they hope will bring genetic diversity to the current population and help the species make a comeback. “They provide that ecosystem service of being a top predator. To have them back on the landscape after being gone for so long, it’s really bringing back that native part of the landscape,” said Forman."

-via KRQE, November 13, 2024

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"In a historic step toward the first-ever restoration of the tiger population to a nation where they were once extinct, two captive Siberian tigers have been translocated from Anna Paulowna Sanctuary, Netherlands, to the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan.

This remarkable event is part of an ambitious program led by the Government of Kazakhstan with support from WWF and the UN Development Program to restore the Ile-Balkhash delta ecosystem and reintroduce tigers to the country and region, where the species has been extinct for over 70 years.

“It is a high priority for Kazakhstan to work on the restoration of rare species. For ecological value it is important that our biodiversity chain is restored. And that the tiger that once lived in this area is reintroduced here,” said Daniyar Turgambayev, Vice-minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan.

In the early 21st century, genetic studies were carried out on bones and furs held in national collections which revealed that the population of tigers living between Iran, southern Russia, Central Asia, and the areas around the Caspian Sea was extremely similar to Siberian tigers.

This led scientists to conclude that Felis vigrata, the former name of the Caspian tiger, was simply the Siberian tiger that developed into a distinct population, but not a new subspecies, over generations of being separated by habitat fragmentation.

Bodhana and Kuma, the male and female tigers, will be housed in a spacious semi-natural enclosure of three hectares [7.4 acres] within the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve. Any of their offspring will be released into the wild and will become the first tigers to roam Kazakhstan in decades, and potentially the first-ever international tiger reintroduction.

They will play an important role in the establishment of a new tiger population in the region where they had previously been wiped out as a result of excessive hunting.

“Today marks a monumental conservation milestone to bring tigers back to Kazakhstan and Central Asia,” said Stuart Chapman Leader of WWF Tigers Alive. “This tiger translocation is a critical step to not only bring back the big cat to its historic homeland but also to rewild an entire ecosystem.”

Progress towards restoration of the area is already well underway with recovering and reintroduction of critical tiger prey species like the Kulan (Asiatic wild ass), and reforestation of over 120 acres with native trees. Being the apex predator, tigers will play a significant role in sustaining the structure and function of the ecosystem on which both humans and wildlife rely...

“With the launch of the tiger reintroduction program, we have witnessed a significant change—the revival of nature and our village of Karoi,” said Adilbaev Zhasar, the head of the local community group Auyldastar.

“This project not only restores lost ecosystems, but also fills us with pride in participating in a historic process. Because of small grants from WWF, we have the opportunity to do what we love, develop small businesses, and create jobs in the village, which brings joy and confidence in the future.”

From the very beginning, the local community around Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve has been closely involved in the project. This includes support for improved agricultural techniques and the future development of nature tourism in the area.

The translocation of these tigers is the first of several planned in the coming years, with a goal to build a healthy population of about 50 wild tigers by 2035, starting with this pioneering pair for breeding. This initiative is not only a testament to the resilience of the species but also a powerful example of governments, conservation organizations, and local communities cooperating in wildlife and nature conservation."

-via Good News Network, November 27, 2024

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Það er ekki til íslensk orð yfir þessa tegund, sem ég fann auðveldlega en hún á ættingja sem heitir smaragðs gullvespa. Svo þessi gæti heiti fjólu gullvespa

How about Xylocopa violacea (violet carpenter bee)?

Of course!

Photos thanks to the John Russel Honey Company & Steven Falk.