Comment Wow (Score 1) 1
So, then what else is out there? What have we lost that we didn't even KNOW was there?
Comment Wow (Score 1) 1
Incredible what's still left in the world. Cloud forests are amazing places, and really need more protection.
Submission + - The Amazon rainforest wants its TLD back from Amazon.com (mongabay.com)
terrancem writes: The Seattle-based Amazon.com has applied for its brand to be a generic top-level domain name (.amazon), but South American governments argue this would prevent the use of this internet address for environmental protection, the promotion of indigenous rights and other public interest uses. Along with dozens of other disputed claims to names including ".patagonia" and ".shangrila", the issue cuts to the heart of debates about the purpose and governance of the internet.
Submission + - Civet poop coffee may be threatening wildlife (mongabay.com)
Damien1972 writes: Popularization of the world's strangest coffee may be imperiling a a suite of small mammals in Indonesia, according to a new study in Small Carnivore Conservation. The coffee, known as kopi luwak (kopi for coffee and luwak for the civet), is made from whole coffee beans that have passed through the gut of the animal. The coffee is apparently noted for its distinct taste, though some have argued it is little more than novelty. Now, this burgeoning kopi luwak industry is creating "civet farms," whereby civets are captured from the wild and kept in cages to eat and crap out coffee beans.
Comment Bigfoot BS (Score 1) 1
Subtitle pretty much says it all: Bigfoot genetics study published in journal created for bigfoot genetics study.
Submission + - Volcano may have killed off new bioluminescent cockroach (mongabay.com)
terrancem writes: A newly discovered light-producing cockroach, Lucihormetica luckae, may have already been driven to extinction by a volcanic eruption in Ecuador. The species, only formally described by scientists this year, hasn't been spotted since the Tungurahua Volcano erupted in July 2010. The new species was notable because it represented the only known case of mimicry by bioluminescence in a land animal. Like a venomless king snake beating its tail to copy the unmistakable warning of a rattlesnake, Lucihormetica luckae's bioluminescent patterns are nearly identical to the poisonous click beetle, with which it shares (or shared) its habitat.
Comment Better idea? (Score 1) 2
I wonder if they could have used resources better saving species that don't need constant human help to survive. Still, glad they aren't extinct.
Submission + - Artifical misting system allows reintroduction of extinct toad (mongabay.com) 2
terrancem writes: The Kihansi Spray Toad went extinct in the wild in 2005 when its habitat in Tanzania was destroyed by a dam. However conservationists at the Bronx Zoo managed to maintain a captive population which is now large enough to allow a bold experiment to move forward: reintroducing the toad into its old habitat. To make the once tropical gorge moist again, engineers have designed an artificial misting system that should allow toads to survive in the wild. The effort marks what may be the first time conservationists have ever re-established an "extinct" species in a human-engineered ecosystem.
Submission + - Unusual discovery of new African monkey species (mongabay.com) 1
rhettb writes: In a remote and largely unexplored rainforest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), researchers have made an astounding discovery: a new monkey species. The new primate, which is name the lesula and described in a paper in the journal PLoS ONE, was first noticed by scientist and explorer, John Hart, in 2007. The discovery of a new primate species is rare nowadays. In fact, the lesula is only the second newly discovered monkey in Africa in the past 28 years.
Comment Flickr makes good (Score 1) 1
Wow! Beautiful insect. I wonder how many other undiscovered insects could be found on Flickr. Maybe a good research project for entomologists?
Submission + - Flickr photo leads to new insect discovery (mongabay.com) 1
rhettb writes: Scientists have discovered a previously unknown species of lacewing insect after stumbling upon a series of photos posted on Flickr, according to a paper published in the journal ZooKeys. Entomologist Shaun Winterton first found evidence of the species when he randomly stumbled upon a set of photos posted by Hock Ping Guek, a Malaysian photographer. Winterton recognized the insect as a potentially new species, but needed to collect field specimen in order to formally describe it. About a year later, an individual was collected at the same site, enabling Winterton to write up the description in ZooKeys. Hock is a co-author on the paper.
Submission + - NASA tool shows where forest is being cut down (mongabay.com)
terrancem writes: A new tool developed by NASA and other researchers shows where forest is being chopped down on a quarterly basis. The global forest disturbance alert system (GloF-DAS) is based on comparison of MODIS global vegetation index images at the exact same time period each year in consecutive years. GloF-DAS could help users detect deforestation shortly after it occurs, offering the potential to take measures to investigate clearing before it expands.
Comment Re:Clarification: Bigfoot vs. Orang Pendek/Yeti (Score 1) 2
Tasmania also has terrestrial leeches, so the Tasmanian tiger is also a possibility!
Comment Bad news (Score 1) 1
Another reason why we should be dealing with invasive species the moment they become a concern. The first Burmese python, or other big invasive snake, seen in the Everglades should've set Florida on high alert. Now, who knows how the species will, if ever, be stopped.
Comment Giant crabs eat Antarctic thanks to warming (Score 1) 4
So climate change won't only devastate the Arctic...but Antarctic ecosystems as well.
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