Land Mammals, features and articles | Educational Science

Feb 16, 2018

Strange Infection Strikes Wisconsin Dog Shelter: What Is 'Strep Zoo'?

Two dogs at a Wisconsin animal shelter recently tested positive for strep zoo, a potentially lethal respiratory infection in animals that, in rare cases, can spread to humans. The dogs, which were housed at the Wisconsin Human Society (WHS) campus in Ozaukee, did not respond to treatment for the infection,...

Mar 4, 2018

A Woman Needed a New Hip Replacement Because of … a Dog Scratch

Dog owners may occasionally get scratched by their pet — but for one woman in the United Kingdom who got scratched on the back of the hand by her dog, the incident turned into a much bigger ordeal than she could've expected. Namely, the unremarkable scratch was the source of...

May 16, 2018

Here's When Puppies Are Most Adorable, According to Science

There's no debating it: Puppies are adorable. But is there an age when they reach peak cuteness? A new study may have an answer. The study, which aimed to determine the optimal age of puppy cuteness, found that puppies are most appealing to humans at around 6 to 8 weeks...

May 17, 2018

Dogs Might Be More Rational Than Humans

Santos said that if she asked a human to then open the box, the human would do the exact same thing: try to jiggle the handle first before attempting to pop the top open. But instead of asking a human, Santos invited a dog onto the stage to try to...

May 21, 2018

How a Prairie-Dog Plague Vaccine Could Protect Ferrets (and Maybe People, Too)

Yes, there's a vaccine for the plague, one of the most notorious diseases known to humanity. But unfortunately, this vaccine isn't for humans — it's for prairie dogs. This prairie-dog vaccine isn't new. In 2016, scientists used drones to drop vaccine-laced peanut-butter pellets onto prairie-dog colonies below. Since 2016, however,...

Jun 7, 2018

Could the Next Flu Pandemic Come from Dogs?

You've heard of the swine flu and the bird flu, but now scientists are concerned about dog flu — and, in particular, dog flu jumping to humans. In a new study, researchers say they've found evidence that dogs could potentially be a source of new flu strains that could lead...

Jun 15, 2018

Meet the Extinct Cow with a 'Bulldog' Skull

Nobody would ever say to this cow, Why the long face? The snub-nosed cow, known as a Niata, is a now-extinct breed of domesticated cattle once found in South America. Its shortened, broad profile, unique in cows, was more reminiscent of a bulldog than a bovine; it had a dramatically...

Jun 20, 2018

Mystery 'Dogman' Beast Shot in Montana Was Just a Gray Wolf, DNA Shows

A mysterious canid animal shot by a Montana rancher in May had wildlife officials scratching their heads about what kind of beast it was, but DNA testing finally has answers. It resembled a wolf — mostly — though some features were distinctly un-wolflike, which led to some pretty wild speculation...

Jul 5, 2018

Ancient Dogs of the Americas Were Wiped Out by European Colonization

Ancient dogs arrived in the Americas alongside humans more than 10,000 years ago but were later wiped out by European colonization, a new study suggests. In fact, besides a few genes in some modern dogs today, the only trace of the original American dogs in today's canines is found in...

Jul 24, 2018

Your Dog Knows When You're Upset, and Wants to Help

What's a surefire way to make a bad day a little bit better? Dog owners might say it's time spent with humankind's furry best friends. And according to a new study, your pet dog may be happy to help. Previous research has shown that when humans cry, their dogs also...

Jul 25, 2018

People Are Using Dog DNA Tests to Make Life-or-Death Decisions About Their Pets. They Shouldn't.

When Petunia, a 13-year-old pug, began having trouble walking and controlling her bladder and bowels, her owners wanted to get to the bottom of the cause. So they bought a direct-to-consumer $65 genetic test specifically for dogs. The results were shocking: Petunia (not her real name) carried a mutation linked...

Aug 4, 2018

Why Do Dogs Scratch the Ground After They Pee?

If you're a dog owner, chances are, you're accustomed to having bits of grass and soil flung into your face — a phenomenon that can usually be traced to your canine's peculiar habit of scooping up chunks of earth with its paws and propelling them energetically into the air. Veterinary...

Aug 6, 2018

People Are Feeding Their Dogs Grain-Free Diets, and It May Be Bad for Their Hearts

Gluten-free diets are going to the dogs: So-called grain-free dog foods have become popular these days, but the diets may not be good for some pooches' hearts. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it is investigating a link between grain-free dog foods — which have ingredients...

Aug 13, 2018

Woman Dies After Getting Nipped by Her New Puppy

A tiny nip from a puppy may have led to a fatal infection for a Wisconsin woman, according to news reports. The woman, 58-year-old Sharon Larson of South Milwaukee, had just adopted a puppy when it nipped her and caused a small cut, according to local news outlet WTMJ. Larson...

Sep 28, 2018

Puppy Outbreak: What Dog Owners Should Know About Campylobacter

Disease outbreaks among humans are common. But outbreaks among humans from puppies? That's a scenario that's much rarer, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently explained how this odd outbreak persisted for three years, in a new report, published Sept. 21. Between 2016 and 2018, 118 people in...