Animals

August 20, 2024

Endangered Ocelot Is Caught on Camera in the Atascosa Highlands Region of Arizona for the First Time in 50 Years

Conservationists in Arizona are excited about a highly rare sighting. An endangered ocelot was caught by a wildlife camera in the Atascosa Highlands region—the first in the area in more than 50 years. After analyzing the animal’s spots, researchers confirmed it had never been recorded before. Ocelots are small neotropical cats, about the size of a bobcat.

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August 18, 2024

Scientists Look into Anti-aging Secrets of the Greenland Shark, Which Live for Centuries

Aging is a process all living beings seem to go through, but certainly not in the same ways. Currently, the oldest living person is 117, while the oldest living dog and cat are 24 years and 28, respectively. Some animals, like parrots and tortoises, can clock many decades, with species such as the Galapagos tortoise easily outstripping human lifetimes. But no animal has mastered longevity with the finesse of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus)

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August 11, 2024

New Study Reveals Komodo Dragons Have Iron-Capped Teeth

At 10 feet long, venomous, and covered with a scaly suit of armor, Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are already terrifying—and fascinating—enough.  And just to add to it, scientists have recently found that these giant lizards have iron-tipped teeth. Using chemical and structural imaging, the researchers, led by paleontologist Aaron LeBlanc, discovered that iron is the protective orange layer coating the serrations and tips of the lizard's teeth.

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August 8, 2024

Record-Breaking 17 Endangered California Condor Chicks Born at LA Zoo This Year

In 2022, the magnificent California condor flapped its mighty wings once more over the redwood forests of California. The enormous bird had been absent from the region for a century, and its return was due to a careful breeding and releasing strategy that has fought the tide of extinction. Now, in a record year for the condor, the LA Zoo's program welcomed a whopping 17 chicks to boost the population.

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