It’s hard for most people to resist a petulant flash of puppy-dog eyes—and according to a new study, that pull on the heartstrings might be exactly why dogs can give us those looks at all.
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The healing power of fish skin for a dog named StellaVeterinarians used a creative approach to treat the burns of Stella, a 1-year-old Rottweiler puppy, who escaped a house fire. Smoke inhalation prohibited Stella from being sedated for skin grafts, so the team used cod…
Wombat poop: Scientists reveal mystery behind cube-shaped droppingsDespite having round anuses like other mammals, wombats do not produce round pellets, tubular coils or messy piles.
Researchers revealed on Sunday the varied elasticity of the intestines help to sculpt the poop…
Zoo won’t panda to taste, says fruit’s too sweet for its monkey menuSelective breeding has made the fruit we eat so full of sugar, Melbourne Zoo has had to wean its animals off it.
Fruit is vital in human diets, and we all need to eat more. But at the zoo, keepers found fruit-heavy…
Praying Mantis Seen Hunting Fish for the First TimeOne night in March of last year, a praying mantis crept onto a rooftop garden in India and perched on an artificial pond, waiting intently. When an unsuspecting guppy swam by, the insect snatched it up and gobbled it down—marking…
Tiny Treadmills Help Test Sea Turtle Hatchling StaminaScientists believe that sea turtle hatchlings have an innate instinct that guides them toward the brightest low horizon and away from tall dark silhouettes, which orients them toward the ocean’s surf. However, excess…
Animals in medicine cared for like the heroes they areTelling the public about those of us who work in animal research may not change opinions, but I want to break the silence.
I want real information to be available so, no matter what opinions are formed, they are…
Pretty birds studied by UWM researchers may help unlock genetics of fending off diseasesThe better looking a male tree swallow is, the more effective his immune genes are, and the more likely his offspring will be equipped to resist parasites and disease-causing pathogens, researchers have discovered.
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Why this deer disease could change the way Americans hunt foreverThere's increasing concern [chronic wasting disease], a prion disease similar to mad cow, eventually could cross the species barrier and spread to humans. Many scientists think it's not a matter of if, but a matter…
Surprise: Blue Whales Are Mostly ‘Left-Handed’a new study adds a surprising new detail to the marine mammals' underwater ballet: They don’t spin and turn at random. Instead, the 80-foot-long giants show a preference for either their right or left side—the…
Earliest evidence for dog breeding found on remote Siberian islandNow it appears these ancient Arctic dwellers did something even more remarkable: They may have been among the first humans to breed dogs for a particular purpose. An analysis of canine bones from Zhokhov suggests…
First warm-blooded lizards switch on mystery heat source at willThe first known warm-blooded lizard, the tegu, can heat itself to as much as 10 °C above its surroundings – making it unique among reptiles.
But bizarrely, it only switches on its heating system at…
Pollution Is Turning Sea Snakes Black—for a Surprising ReasonThe turtle-headed sea snake usually sports beautiful bands of alternating black and white. But for decades, researchers have been puzzled by populations living near Pacific Ocean cities that seem to have lost their stripes.
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Brothers Unexpectedly Discover Fossil of Japan’s Oldest Water BirdWhen two brothers were walking near a reservoir in a small town in northern Japan, one noticed something peculiar in the ground. The brothers collected a few of the intriguing pieces and took them to paleontologists at…
Five Awesome Facts For Bat Appreciation DayWith over 1000 living species, bats are actually one of the largest groups of mammals (besides rodents) and make up 20% of known mammal species. They range in size from the less-than-one-ounce bumblebee bat to the 2.6-pound…
Sperm whale’s skin comes off during mass ‘scratchathon’IT LOOKS like a plastic bag floating in the ocean, but it’s something much stranger: a transparent chunk of skin from a sperm whale. It got rubbed off during a mass “scratchathon”...
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Frozen semen, guinea pig tumors and spare organs help zoo save and preserve livesThe St. Louis Zoo’s frozen zoo is like a bank, an important depository of tools that researchers can use to help animals now and in the future. It’s housed in the Endangered Species Research Center and Veterinary…
Office pets lighten mood at Delaware County treasurer’s office[Delaware County Treasurer Jon] Peterson learned about axolotl, also known as Mexican salamander, from Brittany Hollingsworth, a deputy treasurer in the office. Her 4-year-old son's specimen is named Maxine. It's…
Bird Wearing Tiny Aviator Goggles Flies Through Lasers for ScienceObi the parrotlet readies for takeoff. Wearing his mini protective goggles, he waits patiently for a signal: a decisive finger point to a target perch. The finger moves in a flash and so does Obi, right to the directed…
African elephants are being born without tusks due to poaching, researchers sayAn increasing number of African elephants are now born tuskless because poachers have consistently targetted animals with the best ivory over decades, fundamentally altering the gene pool.
In some areas 98 per cent…
Goffin’s cockatoos make same tool from different materials – video reportResearchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna and the University of Oxford have shown that Goffin’s cockatoos can make and use tools out of different materials, and may even be able to anticipate…
World’s hardiest animal has evolved radiation shield for its DNA[Tardigrades] can survive in the vacuum of outer space, withstand temperatures ranging from close to absolute zero to nearly 100°C, cope with pressures six times greater than those at the bottom of the deepest…
DOLPHINS DON’T USE SENTENCES: HOW BADLY EXECUTED RESEARCH HAS CREATED A FALSE NARRATIVE OF CETACEANDolphins aren’t communicating in sentences. They’re talking over each other all the time. They’re certainly not being chivalrous about letting female dolphins repeat themselves in conversation. Dolphins…
Czech mates: Why so many of the best police dogs hail from overseasIn the city, where crime is never far away, four-footed cops are coming to the rescue. But be warned: Their English is pretty shaky.Officer Jon Low stands in the middle of Lakeside Park in downtown Oakland, California,…
Restored Wetlands Provide Critical Habitat for Migratory Birds, Many Other SpeciesLandowners across the country are voluntarily restoring and protecting wetlands on private lands. This not only provides high-value wildlife habitat but provides many other benefits, such as cleaner water (wetlands act…
White killer whales were a legend – now they are everywhere...over the past few years the researchers have encountered no fewer than five – and perhaps as many as eight – white orcas in the western North Pacific. They are virtually unheard of elsewhere in…
Dog’s adoption leaves owner at a lossNot even two months after getting settled in with a pair of chihuahua-mix dogs named Bob and Bird, Central Point resident Terry Sharpe is facing the loss of one of the dogs over what he feels was a lack of communication…
Dolphins recorded having a conversation ‘just like two people’ for first timeResearchers have known for decades that the mammals had an advanced form of communication, using distinctive clicks and whistles to show they are excited, happy, stressed or separated from the group.
But scientists…
Group of people honk horn at horse causing girl to be thrown offIt was a ride she'll always remember for all the wrong reasons.
That's because a group of people honked their horn, laughed, and then screeched off, spooking the horse and causing Peake to fall off.
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Early Neutering Poses Health RisksA new study in the journal Veterinary Medicine and Science finds that neutering or spaying these dogs before 1 year of age triples the risk of one or more joint disorders--particularly for cranial cruciate ligament,…
Swarm of Bees Follows CarFor two days, bees chased a car to rescue their queen--that may have just been stuck in the trunk
"The swarm of around 20,000 had followed her and were sat around on the boot of the car," said beekeeper Roger Burns
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Santa Monica Pony Rides OwnerThe hardest part of the ordeal, she said, was being vilified for doing work that she loves.
"Marcy (Winograd) didn't just stand on the corner and say, 'I don't like pony rides,'" Angel said. "She…
Girl and Her Animals Are Becoming FamousA girl in video became famous over the night after she posted a video from their family farm showing their insane skills. The tricks you will see are more likely to be seen performed by dogs.
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Pit Bull With Violent History"... is this just a symptom of a greater quandary? There is no state or federal law governing "rescuers." There is no prior experience or training mandated, nor are there maintenance, health and…
HSUS Announces National Ag Advisory CouncilWe Support Agriculture Coalition Responds
“HSUS is not interested in enhancing animal welfare. It’s a Washington D.C.-based interest group led by a vegan animal rights activist,”…
Reptile Owner Sues City2010 Raid, Exotic Animal Seizures
Six years after Milwaukee police broke into Terry Cullen's properties, killed his dogs and seized hundreds of lizards, snakes and crocodiles, the internationally…
Don’t Clean Up Dog Poop?Chicago Considers $500 Ticket
"I don't think this is something that will be used very often, but when we have that problem house, where the backyard is full of dog feces, and neighbors are calling…
Break A Window To Free A Dog In A Hot Car?Not In Indiana
See a dog trapped in a car on a hot summer's day? If you break the window--at least in Indiana--you're the one police will be talking to. Unlike in 19 states, it's not…
RSPCA Head Admits Charity Too PoliticalVows to Bring Fewer Prosecution in Future
In his first interview since taking over as chief executive, Jeremy Cooper admitted the RSPCA had become "too adversarial" and dragged too many people through…
Zika VirusNamed after the Ugandan forest where it was first isolated in 1947, the Zika virus is spread primarily through the bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, who must feed on blood in order to mature and lay her eggs.
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