wild animals

Animals the way nature intended it; explore the world of wild animals and the controversies surrounding domestication and hunting of feral beasts.

Rewilding death: The plan to restore the necrobiome
ve walked extensively across the UK's national parks, marvelling at the rolling hills and panoramic views, occasionally surprised by a deer bounding out of the brush. What I have never seen is a large dead animal.
By Udley3 years ago in Petlife
Why we should build for wildlife as well as people
Every time we build something, another patch of ground that could have been a home to wildlife disappears. But Dusty Gedge argues that, in many cases, we can return that patch of ground to nature – up on the roof.
By Holy horse3 years ago in Petlife
How sea otters can fight climate change
Sea otters are creatures steeped in superlatives. Enhydra lutris is the furriest animal on Earth, with up to 140,000 hairs on every square centimeter of its body – meaning its hairs are 700 times as dense as those on a human head. Unlike many other marine mammals, they lack blubber, so they keep themselves warm by eating a quarter of their body weight in food a day. Sea otters also play a singular role in supporting kelp forests ecosystems in the North Pacific.
By Holy horse3 years ago in Petlife
The far-reaching benefits of tiger sharks for climate
On the westernmost tip of Australia in the aptly named Shark Bay, at least 28 species of shark swim through the clear waters and undulating seagrass meadows – the largest in the world. Tiger sharks in particular are common frequenters of the jagged inlets of Shark Bay. These mammoth predatory fish brush their 15-ft-long (4.5m) bodies through the seagrass, occasionally snatching a majestic grazing sea cow for a meal. While the presence of tiger sharks is a threat to their prey, these predators are crucial to the health of the marine ecosystem that supports both species.
By Baru Ku3 years ago in Petlife
The hidden bustling world of hedgerows
Hedgerows are as British as fish and chips. Without these walls of woody plants cross-stitching the countryside into a harmonious quilt of pastures and crop fields, the landscape wouldn't be the same. Over the centuries, numerous hedges were planted to keep in grazing livestock, and some of today's are as historic as many old churches, dating back as far as 800 years. Today, Britain boasts about 700,000 km (435,000 miles) of them, a length that surpasses that of its roads.
By Fra Tusha3 years ago in Petlife
The mysterious inner life of the octopus
It was a big night for Inky the octopus. The day's visitors had been and gone, and now his room in the aquarium was deserted. In a rare oversight, the lid of his tank had been left ajar. The common New Zealand octopus had been without female company for some time, sharing a tank with only a fellow male, Blotchy. The loose lid provided Inky with an opportunity. With eight strong suckered limbs and, quite possibly, intimate concerns on his mind, Inky hauled himself out of the water, made his way under the loose lid, and off across the aquarium floor.
By Holy horse3 years ago in Petlife
Tiger cub bullied by vicious bear, grows up to take revenge!
To guard their cat colony, cat leaders do not hesitate to please humans. A tiger named Songda, who has been lying in wait for 1 year to defeat the vicious bear, has become the master of the forest.
By Sinha Ceni3 years ago in Petlife
How does wildlife find garden ponds?
here, at the bottom of the emptied pond, wriggled an unexpected cadre of eels. This body of water was huge, originally designed as an outdoor swimming pool by whoever lived in the house previously. But the former owner soon deemed it too cold to swim in. So they had filled it with ornamental goldfish instead.
By keenan eliezer3 years ago in Petlife
Bears are not just carnivores, study finds
Bears are perceived as fierce carnivores, but a team from Washington State University recently studied the diets of giant pandas and sloth bears and found that bears are closer to omnivores. Bears also appear to need much less protein than they do in captivity in zoos.
By Gareth Geyer3 years ago in Petlife
The Rooster and Its Many Faces
The Rooster is traditionally considered to be a favorable sign. His crow is a sign of the break of dawn and the beginning of a new start, chasing away the ghosts and evil spirits of the night. The only creature of the Chinese zodiac with wings and, per se, is regarded as the messenger that attaches the two worlds of heaven and earth.
By Rachel Caspari3 years ago in Petlife
Bears may not be carnivores
Bears are perceived as fierce carnivores, but a team from Washington State University recently studied the diets of giant pandas and sloth bears and found that bears are closer to omnivores. Bears also appear to need much less protein than they do in captivity in zoos.
By Gareth Geyer3 years ago in Petlife
The world's only flying mammal
1. Bats are found in almost every corner of the world Bats live on every continent on Earth, except Antarctica. Bats can be found as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far south as Argentina and the southernmost tip of South Africa. The largest bat is the giant golden-crowned flying fox, a rare fruit bat that lives only in the Philippines. Not only does this bat weigh 1.5 kg, but it also has a wingspan of 1.5 to 1.6 meters! The smallest bat in the world is the Kitts hog-nosed bat, an endangered bat species that live in southeastern Burma and western Thailand. This tiny bat is probably the smallest mammal on Earth.
By Gareth Geyer3 years ago in Petlife