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Turtle-y amazing! Mesmerising footage shows the greatest density of sea turtles ever recorded arriving at a wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica to lay their eggs

Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles gather near beaches to lay their eggs 

The female turtles arrive within a few days of each other during the rainy season

They lay their eggs on the beach at the same time for protection in numbers

In 2016 researchers used drones to capture footage showing the 'turtle swarm'

In one area in Costa Rica there were more than 5,000 turtles per squar mile

By RYAN MORRISON FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 10:43 GMT, 28 November 2019 | UPDATED: 10:43 GMT, 28 November 2019

edited by kcontents

Incredible drone footage has captured video of the largest ever gathering of sea turtles near a wildlife refuge in Costa Rica as they prepare to lay their eggs.

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Each small white dot in this picture is a sea turtle preparing to go onshore and lay their eggs. The turtles are 'increasingly threatened' by human interference and development say researchers

Every year hundreds of thousands of female sea turtles arrive at the Ostional Nacional Wildlife Refuge within a few days of each other.

Biologist Vanessa Bézy has been studying this phenomenon - called an arribada - and filmed olive ridley sea turtles aggregating in the ocean before reaching shore.

She said she saw thousands of turtles per square mile during the filming. 

Experts don't know for certain why sea turtles like this one lay their eggs in such large numbers on beaches but predict it is to create a safety in numbers to increase the chance of the vulnerable young hatchlings surviving

Sea turtles are at their most vulnerable to predators when they are tiny hatchlings on the beach and so large groups of mothers lay their eggs at the same time in the same area to increase the chance of their offspring surviving. 

Using a drone she was able to film the 'sea turtle swarm' in November 2016 and described the scene as 'the greatest density of sea turtle species ever recorded'. 

'I immediately knew there was something special going on. To this day I'm still blown away by the video. They look like bumper cars', she told National Geographic.

Turtles such as the Olive Ridley pictured are facing habitat destruction

The researcher says she wasn't going to release the footage but has decided to make it public to raise awareness of the risks facing sea turtles.

She said they are increasingly threatened by growing numbers of tourists who can crowd the beaches at critical times as well as potential property developments.

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7734951/Mesmerising-footage-shows-greatest-density-sea-turtles-recorded.html

kcontents

The Ice Age 'puppy' with a velvety nose: Young canine with long whiskers is found perfectly preserved in the Siberian permafrost 18,000 YEARS after it died

The two-month old canine is an astonishing 18,000 years old and was near-perfectly preserved in the Siberian permafrost

The 'puppy' was found well preserved with whiskers, eyelashes and thick fur

It was discovered in the Siberian permafrost is is thought to be 18,000 years old

Researchers are uncertain whether it is an ancient Ice Age dog or a wolf

They say it could also be the 'missing link' between wolf and early dog 

By WILL STEWART FOR MAIL ONLINE

PUBLISHED: 17:29 GMT, 26 November 2019 | UPDATED: 09:07 GMT, 27 November 2019

Ancient canine expert Dr Sergey Fedorov said “This is intriguing. What if it’s a dog? We can’t wait to get results from further tests'

A 'lost puppy’ with whiskers, eyelashes, thick hair, velvety nose and sharp milk teeth has left scientists flummoxed.

The two-month old canine is an astonishing 18,000 years old and was near-perfectly preserved in the Siberian permafrost.

But detailed DNA tests have so far failed to establish its species.

They are uncertain whether it is an Ice Age dog or a wolf - or perhaps an example of the evolutionary transition from the latter to the former.

This lost ‘puppy’ with whiskers, eyelashes, thick hair, velvety nose and sharp milk teeth has left scientists flummoxed

So far tests in Sweden have drawn a blank.

The young male snarling with distinctive arrowhead fangs was found in summer 2018 in a lump of frozen ground near the Indigirka River, north-east of the world’s coldest city, Yakutsk.

The cause of death has not been established but experts say the young beast does not appear to have been in distress when it was killed in the Upper Palaeolithic era.

Russian scientists provided samples from the ancient canine to the Swedish Centre for Palaeogenetics (CPG) in order to establish whether it was a wolf cub - as initially suspected - or dog.

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7728045/A-remarkably-preserved-18-000-year-old-dog-Siberia.html

kcontents

"안 보이겠지?"...골든 리트리버 삼총사의 무시무시한 음모

이제 견생 4개월 차에 접어든 골든 리트리버 '빌리'.

빌리의 보호자 '에밀리 부헨버거(Emily Buchenberger)' 씨는 얼마 전 빌리를 처음으로 어린 강아지 전용 애견 놀이터에 데려갔습니다.

하지만 에밀리 씨는 그만 아주 비밀스런(?)회담 장면을 목격하고 말았는데요..!

골든_리트리버_비밀클럽_결성. jpg 

야_여기_좋은데?

걱정마_절대_안 보여

GoldenGirl_Billie(하...귀엽다...에디터살려...)

↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑

(동영상으로 보면 오조오억배 더 귀여움)

"만난 지 몇 시간 되지도 않았는데...아마 골든 리트리버끼리는 무엇인가 통하는 게 있었나 봐요.(웃음)"

에밀리 씨는 "놀이터 안의 다른 강아지들은 뛰어다니기 바쁜데, 이 녀석들은 저기 웅크리고선 비밀회의를 열었다."라며 신기해했습니다.

골든 리트리버 삼총사 일동: "?????"

직원이 플라스틱 놀이 구조물을 치우자 충격은 한층 더 커졌습니다.

정말로 무슨 서약이라도 맺고 있는 것처럼 서로 손을 포갠 모습이 드러난 것입니다. ...

!

비밀 서약(?)의 순간이 대중에게 노출되자, 리트리버는 당황한 듯 곧바로 흩어졌는데요.

얼마 안 있어 골든 리트리버 삼총사는 다른 놀이 구조물 밑에서 만남을 가졌다고 합니다.

GoldenGirl_BillieHaving fun with other golden retriever puppies

빌리와 친구들이 그 밑에서 대체 무슨 비밀 대화를 나눴을지 정말 궁금한데요!

여러분은 어떤 대화가 오갔을 거라고 생각하시나요? :)

혹시...무엇인가 무시무시한 음모를 꾸미고 있었던 건 아닐까요...?

CREDIT 에디터 LUERI

출처 THE DODO

kcontents

Meet Narwhal, the rescue puppy with a tail growing out of his forehead

By Jessie Yeung, CNN

Updated 0410 GMT (1210 HKT) November 14, 2019

(CNN)There's a 10-week-old puppy in Missouri with a tail growing out of his forehead.

Yes, his forehead. No, it doesn't wag. And, appropriately, his name is Narwhal.

Narwhal the puppy was found in Missouri with an extra tail growing out of his forehead.

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Well, his full name is "Narwhal the Little Magical Furry Unicorn," according to dog rescue nonprofit organization Mac's Mission, which took him in after he was discovered last Saturday. He was found in the freezing cold, with what appears to be the beginnings of frostbite on one paw.

Unlike an actual narwhal whale, which has a protruding canine tooth that resembles a tusk, the tail on Narwhal's forehead is short and stubby, sprouting right between his eyes -- and flops from side to side when he plays. He has a normal tail, too, this one is just extra.

The puppy was discovered by Mac's Mission, a nonprofit organization for special needs dogs in Missouri.

Workers at Mac's Mission, which specializes in special needs dogs who had been abused or born with defects, say he's recovering quickly, with the frostbite healing.

"He seems completely healthy other than some usual puppy worms he got meds for," said the organization in a Facebook post.

Vets took X-ray scans which showed the tail isn't connected to anything. It has no real use, as far as they can tell, but it also doesn't cause him any pain and there's no medical reason to remove it -- so the forehead tail is here to stay. "The unicorn face tail does not bother Narwhal and he never slows down just like any normal puppy," said the Facebook post.

He was found with another dog, which rescue workers speculate may be his father. This older dog, who has been named Poppa Smurf, is a Daschund Terrier mix -- so they assume Narwhal may have some Daschund in him as well.

Narwhal is 10 weeks old, and recovering from frostbite in one paw.

It's not clear what happened to the two of them before they were discovered, but a spokesperson from Mac's Mission told CNN Narwhal is from rural Missouri in the Midwest, and loves to play -- and now, he has thousands of fans online, after his special tail catapulted him to internet fame.

The rush of online attention has been "crazy," the spokesperson, adding that the staff "feel like we're in a dream."

He's not yet ready for adoption, Mac's Mission said online -- but that hasn't stopped Narwhal's fans from wanting to take him home. The organization has already received over 50 adoption applications for him, a spokesperson told CNN.

Narwhal will likely be listed for adoption once he's older and has gone through more medical procedures like vaccinations. The staff say they also want to monitor his unicorn horn a little while longer to make sure it doesn't grow or become a problem.

"Everyone is super interested in him," the spokesperson said — but "we are hopeful they are seeing the other available dogs as well!"

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/13/us/narwhal-unicorn-puppy-tail-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

Rescue puppy named Narwhal has a tail on his forehead and is 'perfectly healthy

 kcontents

Plants don't improve indoor air quality but cut outdoor pollution

Plants near factories and other pollution sources could reduce air pollution

PTI By PTI November 11, 2019 11:54 IST

As large parts of north India grapple with dangerous levels of smog, two new global studies seek to settle the debate on effective 'green' antidotes -- one concluding that potted plants don't affect indoor air quality and the other affirming that trees near factories and other pollution sources reduce outdoor air pollution.

imboldn.com

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A study by the Ohio State University, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, found that adding plants and trees to landscapes near factories and other pollution sources could reduce air pollution by an average of 27 per cent.

balconygardenweb.com

esited by kcontents

Another study by researchers at Drexel University in the US said claims about the ability of plants to improve the air quality are vastly overstated.

"This has been a common misconception for some time. Plants are great, but they don't actually clean indoor air quickly enough to have an effect on the air quality of your home or office environment," Michael Waring, an associate professor in Drexel's College of Engineering, said in a statement.

A closer look at decades of research suggesting that potted plants can improve the air in homes and offices reveals that natural ventilation far outpaces plants when it comes to cleaning the air, the researchers explained.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India is home to six of the top 10 polluted cities in the world with air quality index (AQI) in the 'severe' or 'severe plus' categories several times in a year in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Waring and one of his doctoral students, Bryan Cummings, reviewed a dozen studies, spanning 30 years of research, to draw their conclusions and published their findings on Wednesday in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.

The key finding is that the natural or ventilation air exchange rates in indoor environments, like homes and offices, dilutes concentrations of volatile organic compounds -- the air pollution that plants are allegedly cleaning -- much faster than plants can extract them from the air.

The study by researchers from The Ohio State University, however, shows plants may be cheaper options than technology for cleaning the air near a number of industrial sites, roadways, power plants, commercial boilers and oil and gas drilling sites.

The researchers collected public data on air pollution and vegetation on a county-by-county basis across the lower 48 US states.

They then calculated what adding additional trees and plants might cost.

In 75 per cent of the counties analysed, it was cheaper to use plants to mitigate air pollution than it was to add technological interventions -- things like smokestack scrubbers -- to the sources of pollution, the team found.

"The fact is that traditionally, especially as engineers, we don't think about nature; we just focus on putting technology into everything," said Bhavik Bakshi, lead author of the study and professor at The Ohio State University.

"And so, one key finding is that we need to start looking at nature and learning from it and respecting it. There are win-win opportunities if we do -- opportunities that are potentially cheaper and better environmentally," Bakshi said in a statement.

Researchers at Drexel University noted that the high-profile experiment that seemed to create the "myth of houseplants as air purifiers" happened in 1989 when NASA, in search of ways to clean the air on space stations, declared that plants could be used to remove cancer-causing chemicals from the air.

However, the problem with this experiment, and others like it, is that they were conducted in a sealed chamber in a lab, a contained environment that has little in common with a house or office, the Drexel team said.

They said the data from these studies was not interpreted further to reflect what the findings would be if the plant were in a real indoor environment with natural or ventilation air exchange.

"Typical for these studies, a potted plant was placed in a sealed chamber (often with a volume of a cubic meter or smaller), into which a single Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was injected, and its decay was tracked over the course of many hours or days," the researcher wrote.

pinterest

edited by kcontents

The review by Waring and Cummings takes the data from volumes of potted plant research one step farther, by using it to calculate a measure called the "clean air delivery rate" or "CADR".

Many of these studies did show a reduction in the concentration of volatile organic compounds over time, which is likely why people have seized on them to extol the air purifying virtues of plants.

But according to Waring and Cummings's calculations, it would take between 10 and 1,000 plants per square metre of floor space to compete with the air cleaning capacity of a building's air handling system or even just a couple open windows in a house.

On the other hand, calculations by the Ohio team included the capacity of current vegetation -- including trees, grasslands and shrublands -- to mitigate air pollution.

They also considered the effect that restorative planting --bringing the vegetation cover of a given county to its county-average levels -- might have on air pollution levels.

They estimated the impact of plants on the most common air pollutants -- sulphur dioxide, particulate matter that contributes to smog, and nitrogen dioxide.

Their research did not calculate the direct effects plants might have on ozone pollution, because, Bakshi said, the data on ozone emissions is lacking.

The analysis also didn't consider whether certain species of trees or plants would better "scrub" pollution from the air, though Bakshi said it is likely that the species of plant would make a difference in air quality.

https://www.theweek.in/news/sci-tech/2019/11/11/Plants-dont-improve-indoor-air-quality-but-cut-outdoor-pollution.html

kcontents

Kind Divers Spend Hours Helping an Octopus Trade a Plastic Cup for a Protective Shell

By Emma Taggart on October 18, 2019

It’s no secret that the ocean is becoming more and more contaminated with plastic waste. And while humans are to blame, it’s the sea creatures that have to cope with the consequences. In a recent video shot by diver Pall Sigurdsson, a tiny coconut octopus (aka veined octopus) swimming in the waters of Lembeh, Indonesia was captured taking shelter inside a disposable plastic cup.

Coconut Octopus Plastic Cup Video by Pall Sigurdsson

via youtube

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The coconut octopus is known for instinctually protecting itself with shells and other natural items found under the sea, but this particular creature had sadly found refuge in the most unnatural of places. Luckily though, Sigurdsson and his team were on the scene to lend a hand. They spent hours under water to make sure their new friend found a suitable shell to call home.

“We spent a whole dive and most of our air saving this octopus from what was bound to be a cruel fate,” says Sigurdsson. “While a shell is a sturdy protection, a passing eel or flounder would probably swallow the cup with the octopus in it, most likely also killing the predator or weakening it to a point where it will be soon eaten by an even bigger fish.”

코코넛 껍질에 숨어 있는 코코넛문어/유튜브

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The video shows how Sigurdsson and the other divers offered the octopus many shells, before it finally swapped out its plastic cup with the perfect one. “We tried for a long time to give it shells hoping that it would trade the shell,” he explains. “Coconut octopus are famous for being very picky about which shells they keep so we had to try with many different shells before it found one to be acceptable.”

Diver Pall Sigurdsson and his team helped this tiny coconut octopus trade his plastic cup for a the perfect protective shell.

Pall Sigurdsson: YouTube
h/t: [Laughing Squid]

All photos via Pall Sigurdsson.

World's fastest ant hits record-breaking speed of TWO miles per hour – that's the equivalent of a human running at 360mph

Footage of a Saharan silver ant (Cataglyphis bombycina) running highlighting when the legs are in contact with the ground and when they are swinging

Named the Saharan silver it can cover almost a yard - in a single second 

That's 108 times its body length of a third of an inch every second

In human terms, it would be equivalent to running at 360mph

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By MILLY VINCENT FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 23:00 BST, 16 October 2019 | UPDATED: 00:06 BST, 17 October 2019

The fastest ant in the world can run 108 times the length of its own body every second.

Named the Saharan silver, after the desert in which it lives it runs at a pace that, in human terms, would be equivalent to running at 360mph.

The tiny creature runs faster in proportion to its own body than a cheetah and manages about 12 strides for every one that Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt does in a second. 

The Saharan silver's muscle contraction speed may be 'close to physiological limits', they say.

It reaches a record speed of 33.7 inches (855 millimetres) a second by swinging its six tiny legs incredibly quickly.

This enables it to take up to 50 strides a second. To put this in perspective, Usain Bolt manages four.

What's more it does it in the hottest place on Earth – where the sun rules mercilessly.

The vast wilderness, as big as the United States, is the toughest part of Africa.

They venture from their nests to scavenge the corpses of dead animals at the peak of the day - when the sand can reach 60°C (140F).

The silver hairs on their back act as the ultimate sunshade - reflecting the rays and repelling the heat back towards the sky.

Lead author Professor Harald Wolf, an arthropod expert at the University of Ulm, said: 'Even among desert ants, the silver ants are special.'

But little was known about how they scamper at such blistering speeds across the sand.

So Prof Wolf and colleagues captured the enigmatic desert dwellers on camera after finding them thriving in the dunes during a visit to the salt pans of Tunisia.

Saharan silver ant (Cataglyphis bombycina) workers in the desert at Douz, Tunisia

Locating the inconspicuous nests was far from easy. Explained lab member Dr Sarah Pfeffer: 'We had to look for digging ants or follow a foraging ant back home.'

But once the researchers had located a nest, it was simply a matter of connecting an aluminium channel to the entrance - and placing a feeder at the end to lure them out.

Dr Pfeffer said: 'After the ants have found the food - they love mealworms - they shuttle back and forth in the channel and we mounted our camera to film them from the top.'

The researchers also excavated a nest, returning with it to record the insects running more slowly at cooler temperatures.

View full text

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7580045/Worlds-fastest-ant-hits-record-breaking-speed-TWO-miles-hour.html

Lightning bugs: the world's fastest ants

 kcontents

The video that proves octopuses dream? Stunning footage shows one changing color in its sleep as scientists say they think it's dreaming

PBS documentary features a segment about an octopus named Heidi who is being raised in captivity

Marine biologist captured footage of her sleeping while floating in the tank and finds her skin-color changes 

Said it is the same camouflage used to hide herself while she is hunting and eating a crab on the sea floor 

Believes  she is dreaming about hunting and eating a crab --it's the same camouflage used when she is awake 

via youtube

edited by kcontents

By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 20:44 BST, 25 September 2019 | UPDATED: 20:48 BST, 25 September 2019

Octopuses have amazed scientists for centuries --these underwater creatures can open jars, recognize faces and now a stunning video has suggested that they have dreams. 

In never before seen footage, Heidi the octopus changes skin-color, from light to dark, while sleeping upside-down in a tank.

The researcher said this marine animal could be dreaming, as the different colors are the same camouflage she uses when hunting and eating prey while awake.

Scroll down for videos 

Octopuses have amazed scientists for centuries -- these underwater creatures can open jars, recognize faces and now a stunning video has suggested that they have dreams. In never before seen footage, Heidi the octopus changes skin-color, from light to dark, while sleeping upside-down in a tank

The clip is part of a PBS sequence, 'Octopus: Making Contact', which is set to premier to the public on October 2.

Marine biologist David Scheel from Alaska Pacific University welcomes viewers into his home, as he observes an octopus named 'Heidi'. 

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7504659/Video-Octopus-changing-color-sleep-prove-creatures-dreams-scientists-say.html

 kcontents

https://twitter.com/yschae3/status/1176280498957668352?s=09

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