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Shortage of male turtles could be solved by splash of cold seawater

21 July 2023

Over 99 per cent of green turtles born on beaches in the northern Great Barrier Reef are now female due to nest overheating, but cooling their nests with seawater may help to rebalance the sex ratio


Giving jaguars 'food poisoning' may stop them from killing livestock

7 July 2023

Jaguar attacks on pets and farm animals are a common problem, but after developing a drug-induced stomach ache, the big cats seem to learn not to kill certain animals


DYRYG4 collection of butterfly specimen. Image shot 2012. Exact date unknown.

Endangered butterflies are being sold for high prices on eBay

23 June 2023

More than 50,000 dead butterflies were traded on eBay in a one-year period, including endangered species protected by international treaties on wildlife trade


Reef sharks are being wiped out by overfishing so rays are taking over

15 June 2023

A global survey reveals that common species of coral reef shark are in sharp decline, and rays are more abundant in reefs where sharks have been depleted


Dehorning may affect how rhinos interact and establish territory

13 June 2023

Black rhinos are commonly dehorned to prevent poaching, but monitoring data suggests the practice may have an impact on their social interactions


Animal deaths on UK roads fell sharply during covid-19 lockdowns

1 May 2023

The coronavirus lockdowns presented a rare natural experiment to see what happens to wildlife collisions when the traffic declines drastically


Ancient droppings may help save kakapo parrots from extinction

6 April 2023

The kakapo, a flightless parrot, only survives on a few predator-free islands in New Zealand – but preserved faeces could inform the search for new habitats


Rare bird not seen for 24 years found alive in Madagascan forests

1 March 2023

The dusky tetraka, a small, ground-dwelling forest bird, hadn't been documented since 1999, but sightings of three individuals have now confirmed that the species is still alive


Wind turbine with black and white stripes

Stripy wind turbines could prevent fatal seabird collisions

28 February 2023

Based on principles of bird vision, researchers propose that seabird deaths at offshore wind farms would be reduced by painting black and white stripes on blades


Shark bay bandicoot

Bandicoots can be trained to flee predators more quickly

13 February 2023

After being captured and released by researchers, seven species of Australian marsupial, including bandicoots and bettongs, learned to flee more quickly the second time


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