Articles from 2008
The Nature Notes archive is where you'll find my past writings and natural history notes. You are currently viewing a list of articles that were published in 2008.
- Wildlife News Roundup - December 2008 // 31 Dec 2008
- In this issue of Wildlife News Roundup, we find out about rising atmospheric carbon dioxide and its effects on large marine animals, the northward expansion of European butterfly populations, and the Old World origins of large cats....
- 'Soft Spoken' Bison Bulls Win More Mates // 30 Dec 2008
- During the American bison (Bison bison) mating season, bulls produce loud, low-frequency bellows. These bellows are most often used when one male challenges another and may enable rival bulls to determine which is dominant. A team of...
- New Adhesive Mimics Geckos' Toe Pads // 29 Dec 2008
- Geckos (Family Gekkonidae) belong to a group of small lizards that possess a remarkable ability to climb smooth, vertical surfaces with speed and ease. This impressive talent hinges on the geckos' specially adapted toe pads. Each of...
- Navigating the High Seas - A Magnetic Theory // 04 Dec 2008
- Sea turtles and salmon possess an astonishing ability to migrate vast distances from their birthplace and, years later, return to their home territory to reproduce. This navigational feat, known as natal homing, has baffled scientists for many...
- Wildlife News Roundup - November 2008 // 30 Nov 2008
- In this issue of Wildlife News Roundup, we learn that seabirds in the UK and Iceland have had a poor breeding season this year, turtle populations along the Mississippi are breeding earlier in response to climate change,...
- Scientists Capture Rare Amur Leopard // 26 Nov 2008
- A team of conservationists recently captured a female Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) from the rugged Primorsky Krai region of Russia's Far East. The scientists gathered detailed health information for the leopard, including blood analysis, electrocardiogram, and...
- Tree Frog Embryos Delay Hatching // 24 Nov 2008
- Scientists from Boston University have discovered that the embryos of red-eyed tree frogs (Agalychnis callidryas) use up most of the oxygen within their eggs before they hatch. Undergraduate Jessica Rogge and associate professor Karen Warkentin found that...
- Rival Antelopes Find Alternatives to Fighting // 16 Nov 2008
- Eland antelopes (Tragelaphus oryx) are the largest antelopes in the world but their considerable size doesn't mean they're eager to throw their weight around. It turns out, eland antelopes have developed elaborate means to avoid fights and...
- Safe Haven for Blue-throated Macaws // 04 Nov 2008
- The Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) is a critically endangered bird that inhabits the savannas in the Beni province of Bolivia. This rare macaw faces a variety of threats, the most serious of which include habitat destruction and...
- Wildlife News Roundup - October 2008 // 31 Oct 2008
- In this issue of Wildlife News Roundup, we find out about the evolutionary origins of bats, the social life of sabertooth cats, and the purpose of the first feathers. There's news that climate change poses grave threats...
