Tick-borne illness babesiosis is spreading in the US, CDC report shows The number of new cases of babesiosis, a tick-borne illness, increased significantly between 2011 and 2019 in the United States, a new CDC report found. It’s also spreading consistently in three new states — now, the disease is endemic in 10 states in the Northeast and Midwest. The increase […]
Category Archives: Nature
Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Six More Weeks of Winter
The celebrated groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his Pennsylvania burrow on Thursday and saw his shadow, a sign of six more weeks of frosty weather in North America, which so far has enjoyed one of the mildest winters on record. Thousands of revelers gathered at dawn in Punxsutawney, a small town northeast of Pittsburgh, to celebrate Groundhog Day […]
What Does ‘Splooting’ Mean?
What does ‘splooting’ mean? And why are New York’s squirrels doing it? Those taking a stroll through New York City’s parks may be stopped in their tracks this summer by a squirrel sprawled out, face down, limbs outstretched and lying still. Don’t be alarmed, says New York City’s Department of Parks & Recreation. They’re just “splooting.” A tweet by the […]
23 Bird, Fish and Other Species Extinct
23 Bird, Fish and Other Species Extinct The ivory-billed woodpecker is among 23 species declared extinct by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The service has proposed removing them from the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which protects species under threat. In all, 11 birds, one bat, two fish, one plant and eight types of mussel have been declared extinct. […]
Bees Kill Dozens Of Endangered Penguins
Swarms of bees killed at least 63 endangered penguins in South Africa on a beach outside Cape Town, according to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds. David Roberts, a veterinarian with the foundation, said the group “found bee stings around the penguins’ eyes” after conducting tests on the affected population. “This is a very rare occurrence. […]
Songbirds Crash Into NYC Skyscrapers
Hundreds of Migrating Songbirds Crash into NYC Skyscrapers This week’s avian death toll was particularly high. Hundreds of birds migrating through New York City this week died after crashing into the city’s glass towers, a mass casualty event spotlighted by a New York City Audubon volunteer’s tweets showing the World Trade Center littered with bird carcasses. […]
No Bull: Scientists Potty Train Cows To Use ‘MooLoo’
Researchers Toilet-Trained Cows in Hopes of Reducing Their Greenhouse Gas Emissions Researchers in Germany have potty trained cows, all in the name of science Cows are smart. “Why shouldn’t they be able to learn how to use a toilet?” Turns out cows can be potty trained as easily as toddlers. Maybe easier. It’s no bull. Scientists put the task to […]
Ducks Show They Can Mimic Human Speech ‘You Bloody Fool!’
Australian Ducks Show They Can Mimic Human Speech by Picking up Swearing: ‘You Bloody Fool!’ The first documented instance of ducks being able to mimic sounds has researchers reviewing the evolution of vocal language learning in birds. The musk duck is a highly aquatic, stiff-tailed duck native to southern Australia. It is the only living member of the genus Biziura. […]
National Panda Day
March 16 is National Panda Day, a day for celebrating the fluffiest, bamboo-munching bears. Every year on March 16, we celebrate the fluffiest, bamboo-munching bears that are a source of national pride for China. There are two subspecies of panda: The Giant, black and white panda, and the ‘Qinling panda’ – A much smaller, brown subspecies of panda, discovered in […]