Land Mammals, features and articles | Educational Science

Feb 28, 2009

Bronx Zoo Fights for Funding with Video Starring Porcupine

The agency in charge of the Bronx Zoo has released a video starring a porcupine named Wednesday to rally support for full funding of New York State's zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums in fiscal year 2010. Currently, 76 zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums in the state share about $9 million...

Feb 28, 2009

Fish Oil Could Curb Cow Flatulence

Cows break wind a lot, and their flatulence fills the air with methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In fact, the EPA estimates that roughly 28 percent of all methane emissions related to human activity come from methane-producing bacteria in the rumens of domestic cattle, sheep and goats and other livestock...

Dec 31, 2008

How We Get Our Bearings

Research has suggested that animals and young children mainly rely on geometric cues (lengths, distances, angles) to help them get reoriented after a change of scene. Human adults, however, can also make use of feature cues (color, texture, landmarks) to get a sense of where they are. But which method...

Dec 31, 2008

Cows with Names Make More Milk

Researchers in the UK say cows with names make 3.4 percent more milk in a year than cows that just feel, well, like cows. There seems to be more than just names involved, however. The study, involving 516 dairy farmers and published online Tuesday by the journal Anthrozoos, found that...

Nov 30, 2010

Being Bullied Has Its Benefits for Groundhogs

Playing the scapegoat for bullying can actually boost a groundhog's chances of passing on its genes, researchers have found. That's because the victimized animal often enjoys being at the center of a huge social network – a position that has benefits beyond the costs of being bullied. This tactic may...

Nov 30, 2010

Foster Family Created to Help Baby Cheetahs Survive

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute welcomed two furry new additions earlier this month. Two cheetah cubs were born at the Virginia facility on Dec. 6 and Dec. 16 to two different mothers. Although zoo staff say the tiny cats are now doing well, it was rough going for the cubs...

Sep 30, 2010

Name That Baby Kiwi

The Smithsonian National Zoo is giving the public a chance to help decide on a name for one of the zoo's new kiwi chicks, one of the first in the United States to be bred in captivity. Kiwis (Apteryx mantelli) are small, flightless birds unique to New Zealand. The brown...

Aug 31, 2010

National Zoo Artificially Inseminates Asian Elephant

In an attempt to further conservation efforts for the Asian elephant, veterinarians at the Smithsonian National Zoo have performed a series of artificial insemination procedures on Shanthi, a 34-year old Asian elephant. A successful pregnancy would be an important milestone in the zoo's commitment to Asian elephant conservation, zoo officials...

Jul 31, 2010

Why Do Squirrels Chase Each Other?

The sight of squirrels vivaciously chasing each other across a park lawn or spiraling down a tree trunk is one that everyone is familiar with. But why do they do it? There are several reasons why squirrels play tag, and a lot depends on the age and the sex of...

Jun 30, 2010

Discovered: The Biggest Rat That Ever Lived

Watch out Heathcliff, there's a rat out there bigger than you. Or at least there was. Just a couple thousand years ago, the world's largest rat, weighing more than the average house cat, scuttled about what is now East Timor of Southeast Asia. The skeletal remains of the robust rodent...

Apr 30, 2010

The Best Way to Calculate Dog Years

Dogs age more quickly than humans, and, as many of us can attest, sadly don't stick around for the entire life of their owners. The dog year measure is an attempt to quantify this difference in lifespans to give an age to our furry pets as if they were to...

Feb 28, 2010

Dog DNA Diversity Helps Show How Genes Work

Dogs are possibly the most varied-looking mammal species on the planet. It's this diversity of looks that make man's best friend the perfect laboratory for connecting sets of genes to particular traits and understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern variation in dogs as well as humans and other mammals. The...

Dec 31, 2009

Altruistic Chimpanzees Adopt Orphans

Chimpanzees can be altruistic just like humans, according to a new study that found 18 cases of orphaned chimps being adopted in the wild. The kind-hearted chimp parents were discovered in the Taï forest in the West African country Ivory Coast. The adoptive caregivers, both male and female, devoted large...

Oct 31, 2011

Happy Birthday to Po! Celebrated Panda Turns 1

ATLANTA — Zoo Atlanta's celebrated new panda, Po, turned 1 year old today (Nov. 3). To celebrate the milestone, his caretakers gave him a fruit-filled ice cake, shaped like a 1, and a few other gifts — though Po's mom spoiled the fun by unwrapping them first. The exhibit's viewing...

Sep 30, 2011

Female Lemurs Benefit From Multiple Mates, Study Suggests

While it may not be as socially acceptable among humans, a female choosing to take multiple mates is a common phenomenon in the animal kingdom. But why the practice of polyandry (a female having more than one male mate at a time) is so prominent is still a mystery in...