Colorful new Tarantula species discovered

New to nature No 107: Typhochlaena costae 

Little is known about a new species of tarantula found in Brazil – but it is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. 

Click here for more

10 Month Old Orca Calf, Vicky, Dies At Loro Parque Tenerife

The reasons for this sudden death are still not known, but the veterinarians and experts are working on the necropsy to determine the causes. In recent days the Orca Ocean team, which everyday cares for the animals and monitors all their movements, had noticed changes in her behavior. For this reason, the leading experts in the field were consulted, including the chief veterinarian of Sea World who came especially from the United States to perform a check on Vicky.

Vicky is the second calf rejected by mother Kohana. Inbreeding is a possible contributor to death. 

Click here for more details

Motorcyclist Chased By Wolf

 

 "To me, it was more exciting than scary, I’ll put it to you that way. In my gut, I didn’t feel threatened at all. I would have felt threatened if I was walking or on a bicycle, but I knew I could outrun it. It also didn’t have a real aggressive feel. I don’t think it was after me, it was probably after the bike. That’s just the way I felt; I could have been wrong, I’m no wolf expert."

Click here for the full story and more pics of the chase 

GoPro Project New Zealand

An overview of some wildlife encountered and filmed with the GoPro HD Hero 2 & 3 cameras whilst out on the water looking for orca. Edited and filmed by Robert Marc Lehmann & Dr Ingrid N. Visser for the Orca Research Trust.

Don´t miss the "coming soon" GoPro Orca Project Teaser sequence at the end!

www.orcaresearch.org

Stunning footage!!!

Bloodsucking flies help scientists identify rare, hard-to-find mammals

The face of the blue bottle fly (Calliphora vomitoria). New research shows how this carrion-eater carries the mammals of the forest in his stomach. Photo by: J.J. Harrison.

Last year scientists released a study that is likely to revolutionize how conservationists track elusive species. Researchers extracted the recently sucked blood of terrestrial leeches in Vietnam's remote Annamite Mountains and looked at the DNA of what they'd been feeding on: remarkably researchers were able to identify a number of endangered and rarely-seen mammals. In fact two of the species gleaned from these blood-meals had been discovered by scientists as late as the 1990s. In the past, trying to find rare and shy jungle animals required many man hours and a lot of funding. While the increasing use of remote camera traps has allowed scientists to expand their search, DNA sampling from leeches could be the next big step in simplifying (and cheapening) the quest for tracking the world's mammals. But now a new study in Molecular Ecology adds another twist: flies. 

Click here to read more

Cornell University's biodiversity recordings made public

The Macaulay Library is the world's largest and oldest scientific archive of biodiversity audio and video recordings. Our mission is to collect and preserve recordings of each species' behavior and natural history, to facilitate the ability of others to collect and preserve such recordings, and to actively promote the use of these recordings for diverse purposes spanning scientific research, education, conservation, and the arts.

Shift in Wind Frees Trapped Orcas

Photo by Andy Moorhouse

During Thursday night, a shift in wind and tide opened up gaps in the ice through which the trapped Orca pod could escape the ice flow in Hudson Bay. Helicopters and ice hunters were sent out to confirm that they were no longer trapped in their breathing hole. No recent disturbances in the slush and no sightings of the Orcas since Thursday indicate that they have left the area.