FLORA FAUNA

5,060 articles

Gas sensors 'see' through soil to analyze microbial interactions
Jul 19, 2016 (SPX)
Rice University researchers have developed gas biosensors to "see" into soil and allow them to follow the behavior of the microbial communities within. In a stu...
Long-whiskered tree mice lead Philippines biodiversity claim
Jul 16, 2016 (AFP)
A Philippines island has the world's largest collection of unique mammal species, scientists have discovered, as the area's habitats face danger from hunting an...
Suburban birds angrier, more agressive than their rural peers
Jul 15, 2016 (UPI)
City life demands a more aggressive disposition -- for humans and for bids. The same goes for suburban life. A new study found birds living among suburban envir...
Bacteria work together to avoid the pitfalls of aging
Jul 14, 2016 (UPI)
To counteract the defects that are an unavoidable part of aging, bacteria simply proliferate. They grow and divide, grow and divide. Until now, researchers were...
How do plants protect themselves against sunburn
Jul 14, 2016 (SPX)
To protect themselves against type B ultraviolet rays (UV-B), which are highly harmful, plants have developed cellular tools to detect them and build biochemica...
Biodiversity plunges below 'safe' levels: study
Jul 14, 2016 (AFP)
Having a range of different plant and animal species helps guarantee the health of the Earth, but a study Thursday suggested that biodiversity may be declining ...
At the insect singles bar, cicadas provide the soundtrack
Jul 12, 2016 (SPX)
Summer days resonate with the sound of cicadas trying to make a love connection. But like a lot of singles, male cicadas don't always attract the kind of mates ...
Rare Indian rhinos face growing threat from poachers
Jul 12, 2016 (AFP)
As night falls over the lush plains of India's Kaziranga national park, a small group of lightly armed forest guards sets out on foot to protect the world's lar...
How plants sense electric fields
Jul 12, 2016 (SPX)
The cells of plants, animals and humans all use electrical signals to communicate with each other. Nerve cells use them to activated muscles. But leaves, too, s...
Scientists simulate tiny bacteria-powered 'windfarm'
Jul 12, 2016 (SPX)
A team of scientists from Oxford University has shown how the natural movement of bacteria could be harnessed to assemble and power microscopic 'windfarms' - or...
Frogs that can take the heat expected to fare better in a changing world
Jul 11, 2016 (SPX)
Amphibians that tolerate higher temperatures are likely to fare better in a world affected by climate change, disease and habitat loss, according to two recent ...
Bornean orangutan, whale shark sliding towards extinction: conservationists
Jul 08, 2016 (AFP)
The Bornean orangutan is on the verge of extinction, a top conservationist body said Friday, also warning that the world's biggest fish, the whale shark, and a ...
Turtle power: How hatching together avoids capture
Jul 08, 2016 (SPX)
New research has found that green turtles hatching en masse from their nests 'swamp' predators, allowing more individuals to reach the safety of the sea. The st...
Weird pupils let octopuses see their colorful gardens
Jul 07, 2016 (SPX)
Octopuses, squid and other cephalopods are colorblind - their eyes see only black and white - but their weirdly shaped pupils may allow them to detect color and...
Transforming water fleas prepare for battle
Jul 07, 2016 (SPX)
Water fleas can thwart their enemies by growing defensive structures such as helmets and spines. What's more, this predator-induced 'arming' process is not a on...
Wide range of venomous fishes, tout potential for medical therapies
Jul 07, 2016 (SPX)
Upon hearing the word "venom," most people probably think of a snake's fang. But the ability to produce and inject toxins into another animal is so useful, it h...
Pakistan's lonely elephant suffering 'mental illness': experts
Jul 07, 2016 (AFP)
Pakistan's lonely elephant Kaavan has become the subject of a high-profile rights campaign backed by music icon Cher, but efforts to improve the pachyderm's lot...
North America once hosted a relative of the ostrich
Jul 05, 2016 (UPI)
A relative of the modern ostrich once strutted across North America. Scientists have identified the bones of a 50 million-year-old fossil -- recovered a decade ...
China passes law to 'regulate' wild animal products
Jul 04, 2016 (AFP)
China has passed a new wild animal protection law banning the sale of food from endangered species, but allowing other products to be made from them, state medi...
Encounters between gators, humans on the rise in Florida
Jul 04, 2016 (AFP)
At a small outdoor amphitheater in the Florida swamp, about 50 tourists gawk at the spectacle center stage: a man placing his head between the massive jaws of a...
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