Tags: Nature

The Secret To a Chameleon’s Color Change—It’s Crystals

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE Ever wonder exactly how chameleons are able to change their spots and camouflage themselves under the bright forest canopy? Well you’re not likely to guess the intriguing method involved. It turns out that while the chameleons are docile and soft, for the most part, this interesting species has a lot more in common with diamonds than anyone ever thought.

Catalina Fox Populations—From the Brink of Extinction to Potentially Off the List

Though the Catalina fox species may be the smallest species of fox in the world, it appears that size may not have anything to do with their survival. And while the animal may have been endangered decades ago, locals and visitors to the island of Santa Catalina are realized that their abundant numbers may be a sign of drastic change.

SeaWorld Researchers Change the Conversation—Saving Stranded Sea Lion Pups

Though animal rights activists have questioned the capacity of the aquarium and the living situation of the performers, SeaWorld researchers and trainers are proving that the company’s main concern is the health and well-being of the animals. And with a new decision that has suspended sea lion and sea otter shows in the weeks to come, SeaWorld’s employees are taking a stance for what they know is right.

Climate Change Helped Fuel Syrian Civil War

By now it is pretty clear that we are beginning to experience visible effects resulting from climate change. Melting ice sheets, extreme drought and even heavy rain and snowfall can all be attributed to climate change. But one of the most terrifying results of climate change is the increased threat of war. A new study has found evidence that climate change stoked the fires and helped plunge Syria into civil war.

“Alien of the Deep” Makes Its Way to the Australian Museum

A rare sea creature found off the coast of Australia in January has finally made its way to the Australian Museum for study. The creature, a rare goblin shark often referred to as an "alien of the deep" was originally found off the coast of Australia by a fishermen that has since donated it to the museum.

Genes Show Where Penguins Called Home During the Ice Age

Surviving an Ice Age may sound like an easy task for a penguin. However, a new study of how climate change has affected emperor penguins over the last 30,000 years found that only three different populations of penguins survived during the last ice age, and the Ross Sea in Antarctica was likely the refuge for one of the populations.

‘Skeletorus’ and ‘Sparklemuffin’ Species Discovered—Seriously Colorful Spiders

Add two more to the list. Not the species list, silly; the list of creatures to avoid when I’m visiting down-under. As it is, Australia has some pretty interesting, and sometimes terrifying, species unique to that region of the world. But with a new study recently published in the journal Peckhamia, researchers are adding two new arachnid species to the list. And they’re quite the colorful bunch.

How the Oceans Could Be Our Salvation from Global Warming

A new study published in the journal Science brings us closer to understanding the role our oceans play and how they have influenced our climate. Scientists hope this knowledge will help them learn how the oceans can help us cool down the planet and neutralize global warming.

Leave it to the Limpets—Researchers Find New Strongest Natural Material On Earth

If you’ve ever been pulled out to sea by a riptide you know the true power of the oceans. When a tide changes, waves can crash down on the shores with immense power, and if you’re destined to live on these shores you’d obviously have to endure a lot. And in a new study published this week in the journal of the Royal Society Interface, researchers from the University of Portsmouth and the Queen Mary University of London are revealing just how much.

Ash, Auroras or Clouds—What Could this Strange Martian Plume Be?

Covered round-the-clock by rovers and orbiters, researchers know a lot about Mars and its vast desolate plains. Yet, some mysteries remain. Of course, researchers with major space agencies continue to look for evidence of life and of conditions hospitable to support possible manned missions, but even more so researchers are interested in the anomalies above the surface.

Life in The Cold—How Penguins Deal Without Sweet & Savory Sensations

What could be worse than living on a frozen tundra, you ask? Experiencing the world in only two tastes has got to be pretty rough. And when you’re noshing down on fish day in and day out, only being able to taste things that are salty or sour has got to be a bummer too. But sadly, this is the life of the penguin.

A Race Against the Clock—Volunteers in New Zealand Try to Save Stranded Pilot Whale Pod

In a race against the clock, volunteers in New Zealand’s famous Golden Bay are attempting to save the near 200 pilot whales that beached themselves early Friday morning, Feb. 13. In what researchers say is the largest beaching event in over a decade, the pod of pilot whales became trapped on a sandbar known as the “Farewell Spit”, which is a common trap for migrating whales.

Is Climate Change To Blame for These Blooming Pink Nudibranchs?

While they be fun to look at, a new sight in northern California tide pools are causing quite a bit of concern as the shades of oceanic blue are filled with one-inch blotches of hot pink. The culprits, known as Hopkin’s Rose Nudibranch (Okenia rosacea), are sea slugs common to the warmer waters of southern California. But as water temperatures shift, researchers fear that their migration further up the coast may be a sign of what’s to come.

Watch This Spider Spin a Web That Makes Tech Designers Envious

Looking to boost the integrity of nanofilaments, important in commercial manufacturing and technology, researchers from Oxford University recently investigated how the filaments are spun in nature. Pulling inspiration from outside in their gardens, the researchers from the UK captured female Uloborus plumipes commonly known as “feather-legged lace weavers” and watched them spin their webs.

Ever Wonder How Spiders Spin Such Long Webs? Researchers at Oxford Use Microscopy to Find the Answer

Looking just outside into their gardens for a bit of inspiration, one group of Oxford University researchers has sought out to discover how common spider species spin such long, ornate fiber while only being a few nanometers thick. Hoping to reveal nature’s secret, which may someday revolutionize the technological industry as manufacturers find new ways of commercially spinning nano-scale filaments, the researchers captured female Uloborus plumipes commonly known as “feather-legged lace weavers” and watched them spin their webs.

Extreme Weather Risk Doubles Due To Global Warming

As temperatures around the globe continue to rise we could begin to experience more severe forms of weather much more often, according to a new study. Researchers taking part in the study now believe that the climate phenomena known as El Nino and La Nina are likely to increase in both frequency and violence thanks to global warming.

Scientists Discover Life 2,500 Feet Below Antarctic Ice

In a surprising twist, scientists drilling through 2,500 feet or 740 meters of ice in Antarctica have stumbled upon a colony of fish, crustaceans and jellyfish inhabiting the cold and dark recesses of the barren Antarctic sea floor.
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