organisms

Children of New Zealand, lay down your arms and step away from the feral cats. The opportunity to fire on felines for a cash prize is no more.These Frogs Might Be the Worst Jumpers EverA feral cat hunting contest for kids under 14 years old, slated to take place in North Canterbury on New Zealand’s South Island, is officially cancelled following days of intense pushback. The North Canterbury Hunting Competition announced its resolution to scrap the segment in a Tuesday Facebook post. “The decision has been made to…

A team of scientists say they’ve figured out the cause of a devastating sea urchin die-off that occurred last year along the waters of the Caribbean Islands and Florida. The algae-eating sea urchins were likely wiped out by microscopic organisms known as ciliates. While the mystery has been solved, it’s not clear exactly how the outbreak started, and the die-off will have dire long-term effects on the region’s coral reefs and ecosystem.Gillian Jacobs Reacting to Her D&D Character Sheet From Community | io9 InterviewIn…

A white-bellied pangolin rescued in Uganda last year.Photo: Photo by ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP via Getty Images (Getty Images)Mammals have a pretty basic blueprint. Among other things, we give birth to live young, we’re warm-blooded, and, perhaps most obviously, we all have hair. (Yes, even dolphins.) But in the churn of natural selection, some mammals ended up with appendages that look like they should be found on a reptile, bird, or insect. That’s convergent evolution for you: Why should reptiles be the only ones to enjoy the…

Elephant see, elephant do, it seems. In a new paper this week, researchers describe an Asian elephant that has learned how to peel a banana before eating it. The pachyderm, named Pang Pha, likely adopted the trick from watching humans but appears to only peel certain bananas.Rare Polar Bear Attack in Canada | Extreme EarthPang Pha is a female Asian elephant and resident at the Berlin Zoo. Zookeepers there alerted scientists at the Humboldt University of Berlin and elsewhere about Pang Pha’s peeling trick, so the…

A team of researchers performed magic tricks for several species of monkey, and they found that the animals’ gullibility may depend on the structure of their hands.Rare Polar Bear Attack in Canada | Extreme EarthSpecifically, the team found that the monkeys were more likely to be duped by the sleight of hand if they had opposable thumbs. The research is published today in Cell Biology.Magic tricks are a great way to test animal intelligence, perception, and cognition. The researchers used a classic trick called the French…

In the Atlantic Ocean, between the coasts of West Africa and the Caribbean, there’s a disjointed series of mats and clumps of brown, tangled algae known as sargassum seaweed. It’s supposed to be there. Or, at least, some of it is. In the Sargasso Sea—the only sea without a land border, bounded instead by four currents—sargassum offers critical habitat to marine life and is an integral part of the ecosystem.What Was Your First Experience with Super Mario Bros? | io9 InterviewBut in recent years, things have gotten off…

Researchers in Israel have found that tomato and tobacco plants that are dealing with stress factors make a popping sound that can be detected over 3 feet away, a reaction that seems tantamount to a human moaning in anguish or yelling in pain.Drought and Christmas Trees | Extreme EarthPlants were previously known to produce ultrasonic vibrations, but the new work reveals that the sounds produced by at least two plants are airborne. The team’s work is published today in Cell.“We know that there’s a lot of ultrasound out…

A man in India recently had the misfortune of becoming the world’s first recorded person to get sick from a fungi that normally attacks rose plants. The case seems to be a rare example of a plant pathogen crossing over into humans. Thankfully, the infection was treatable, but the incident could illustrate the growing danger that fungi will pose to people in the years to come, the doctors say.A Mononykus Hunts In ‘Prehistoric Planet’The strange medical tale was detailed this month in Medical Mycology Case Reports.…

Enjoy your swim in the oceans surrounding Hawaii—just don’t get too close to the wildlife. Officials with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources have referred 33 swimmers to U.S. law enforcement after the large group was allegedly following a group of dolphins in Hōnaunau Bay on the coast of the Big Island on Sunday morning. Rare Polar Bear Attack in Canada | Extreme EarthAs seen in drone footage and pictures released by the Department yesterday, the 33 swimmers approached a pod of spinner dolphins and were…

The rats don’t run this city—garbage rules do. New York City Mayor (and crypto enthusiast) Eric Adams proposed a new rule this week for the city’s composting program. It would require residents to set aside yard-related waste like leaves, branches, and grass aside for composting. The plan aims to get more garbage that would attract rodents off the streets. Misha Collins on What Made Supernatural Successful“This material, the most putrescible portion of New York City’s curbside waste stream, attracts rats and other…