Dec 6th, 2023 - Humans actually pose more of a threat to manatees than they do to us, but just in case you didn't know, here's the scoop on these gentle giants. Manatees are often called "sea cows" because they are large marine mammals that primarily feed on seagrass in the waterways where they live. Humans pose the biggest threat to manatees, but are manatees a threat to humans? The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering reclassifying manatees as endangered after their population has dwindled since 2017, Axios reported. So, are manatees dangerous? Keep reading for everything you should know about ... [Read More]

Dec 6th, 2023 - Researchers just published the discovery of a new species of creepy crawly in the San Joaquin Desert. Whether you're fascinated or horrified (or both) by creepy crawlies in the great outdoors, here's another critter to put on your radar: Researchers have confirmed the discovery of a previously unknown scorpion species in California's San Joaquin Desert. It's not exactly new news: The venomous Tulare Basin scorpion, also called the Paruroctonus Tulare, was first discovered and photographed by citizen scientist Brian Hinds back in 2020. He posted his pics to the social network iNaturalist, ... [Read More]

Dec 6th, 2023 - Mice can recognise their reflection in a mirror and detect changes in their appearance, adding to the number of known species able to form visual self-image – like humans. In a series of experiments, researchers from the University of Texas in the US placed white and black markings on the faces of black mice and placed them in a box with a mirror.  When the ink spot was white, the mice noticed the physical change in their reflection and spent more time grooming their heads in front of the mirror, according to the study  published  in  Neuron . The experiment was ... [Read More]

Dec 6th, 2023 - During the wee hours of Christmas Eve this year, before the gift wrapping begins and the aroma of gingerbread brightens the air, a spacecraft is set to launch to the moon. It's called the Peregrine Lunar Lander, named for the fastest flying bird on  Earth . If all goes to plan, the robotic avian will zoom through space and fly into the moon's gravitational tides, then meticulously lower its orbit until eventually touching down on a region of ancient lunar lava flows known as the Bay of Stickiness, or Sinus Viscositatis. This mission will be one for the history books for ... [Read More]

Dec 6th, 2023 - Bears in Siberia are wandering around "half-asleep" following abnormally high temperatures this fall, according to the Department for the Protection of Wildlife of the Amur Region. The bears are ready to hibernate, having accumulated the fat reserves needed to sleep through the winter, but warm temperatures in November have kept them up past their bedtime, the government department said in a translated Telegram post on Nov. 21. "In some areas, half-asleep bears still walk around the dens," representatives wrote in the post. Bears were spotted traipsing around in a daze a month past the time ... [Read More]

Dec 6th, 2023 - The updated Covid-19 vaccine is also authorised for use in the US and the European Union. Health Canada has granted expanded authorisation for Novavax 's updated Covid-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid XBB.1.5 (recombinant protein, adjuvanted) [NVX-CoV2601]. The vaccine is indicated for the active immunisation of those aged 12 years and above for Covid-19 prevention.  The company plans to make the adapted protein-based, non-mRNA vaccine available in the country soon. The move comes after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization of the Public Health Agency of Canada recommended the use of XBB ... [Read More]

Dec 6th, 2023 - Joining the likes of killer whales ( Orcinus orca ) and bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ), plus a number of primates, a common dark-furred mouse has passed what's known as the mirror test, backed up by gene mapping, that suggests it may possess well-developed self-recognition. Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSMC) have used observational and neural analysis to gauge whether the common lab-bred C57BL/6 mouse ( Mus musculus ) could notice a change in its appearance – here, a spot of contrasting white ink on the forehead – when ... [Read More]

Dec 6th, 2023 - In a world first, a megamouth shark has been seen pregnant. A female of this super rare, deepwater species was found washed up on a beach in the Philippines last month. Unfortunately the megamouth shark ( Megachasma pelagios ) had to die for us to see this, with one dead young shark found next to her and a further six pups inside. The discovery proves that megamouths are ovoviviparous , which means that they develop in eggs which hatch inside the mothers, who then give birth to live babies. The mother megamouth was found on November 14 in Barangay Ipil, Dipaculao, Aurora Province. She ... [Read More]