Latest news with #zoology
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Zoologist captures the first EVER documented sloth fart on camera
From a blue whale's titanic toots to the fart of the tiniest mouse, breaking wind is something that unites almost every animal in existence. But for years, scientists believed that one animal was the exception to this rule. According to popular belief, sloths are simply incapable of letting one rip. Now, a zoologist has busted this myth once and for all as he captured the first documented sloth fart on camera. In this hilarious video, a baby Hoffman's two-toed sloth unleashes a stream of gassy bubbles while taking a bath in a bucket of water. The clip shared on Instagram by zoologist and author Lucy Cooke and wildlife veterinarian Andrés Sáenz Bräutigam proves definitively that these adorable animals are just as gassy as any other mammal. In the post, Ms Cooke wrote: 'No room for scientific interpretation there – just good old-fashioned bum gas. 'So yes, sloths do fart. And I may have just witnessed the first documented case.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lucy Cooke (@luckycooke) Just like cows, sloths' vegetarian diet means that they produce large quantities of gas as a byproduct of digestion. Since the leaves they eat are so tough, sloths enlist the help of bacteria in their guts, which break down plant matter and produce methane as a byproduct. Although this was an obvious side effect of a sloth's slow digestive system, scientists had thought they couldn't fart due to an odd evolutionary quirk. It was believed that sloths absorbed the excess methane back into their blood before being breathed out via their mouths. However, as this video clearly shows, this is absolutely not the case. It is true that sloths are unable to burp or vomit, due to their extremely strong oesophagus, but excess gas can clearly escape in the other direction. In fact, Mr Bräutigam, who works with sloths as a vet at the Toucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica, says that these unusual animals are exceptionally gassy. Some studies suggest that sloths ferment leaves in their stomachs so thoroughly that they produce more methane than cows relative to their body weight. Mr Bräutigam told LiveScience: 'They're so gassy that they even use their stomach gas to float when in the water.' This leads to such excessive levels of flatulence that it actually makes sloths difficult to study. Mr Bräutigam says: 'If you work with sloths you live with their gas, everywhere on X-rays, interfering with ultrasounds, it can actually be a huge concern.' The problem becomes even more pronounced when sloths are in human care and get fed vegetables as part of their diet. Vegetables are so much easier to digest than leaves that the bacteria in their stomachs produce gas at an alarming rate. 'In this way, gas and the pressure associated with it can be a huge issue,' says Mr Bräutigam. Mr Bräutigam has to deal with gassy sloths so often that the vets at Toucan Rescue Ranch have even developed a method for helping them to 'release' the pressure. 'We learnt that placing a sloth in a warm wet bath for a short time helps stimulate them to do their business and let all that gas loose,' he says. And, in case you were curious, Mr Bräutigam says that sloth farts are 'silent but deadly'. Scientists believe that almost any animal with a digestive system will probably need to fart at some point in order to relieve the gases that build up. Researchers aren't necessarily sure whether birds normally fart since food passes through their guts so quickly. But they would be able to expel gas through their cloaca, a multi-purpose orifice used to remove all forms of waste, should they need to. The only true exceptions would be animals like the Portuguese Man O'War, which doesn't have an internal digestive system. Some creatures have even learned to harness their farts into a survival advantage. Herring, for example, fart at such a high pitch that predators are unable to hear it. This lets the herring communicate with their flatulence without any potential threats eavesdropping on their conversations. What is flatulence? Medical experts define flatulence as gas, either generated in the stomach or bowels or inhaled from the air, which is expelled through the anus. The volume and frequency of flatulence can vary greatly between individuals. According to the NHS, the average person farts somewhere between 5–15 times each day. To minimise wind, they recommend eating and drinking slowly, exercising to improve digestion and consuming a balanced diet.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
4 Eyeless Creatures Have Emerged From One Cave After Hiding in the Dark for Centuries
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Pseudoscorpions can be found in habitats around the world, including bookshelves in your home. A study by South Korean scientists discovered four new species of dragon pseudoscorpions in a cave while doing field research. These new species—which are likely endemic to this single cave or karst system—are stunning evidence of the immense biological diversity that can be found in some of the world's most isolated ecosystems. In Aristotle's De historia animalium (one of the founding texts of zoology), the great Greek thinker pens the very first description of a strange creature that is 'found in books' and 'look[s] like scorpions; they have no tails, and are very small.' This is a humble pseudoscorpion—a pint-sized false scorpion (as its name suggests) that nonetheless looks a lot like it's more-dangerous, bigger cousin. While a member of the class Arachnida, they shouldn't inspire as much fear as other poisonous members of this group. These creatures use poison to subdue prey, but pose no danger to humans, and can actually be immensely beneficial for pest control—they'll munch on moth larvae, mites, and small flies. And true to Aristotle's original observation, they can often be found within the pages of books, as one of their favorite prey species (booklice) feasts on the starch typically found in bookbindings. This explains their nickname: 'book scorpions.' But not all pseudoscorpions call literary habitats their home. A new study—published in the journal PLOS One and led by scientists at Jeonbuk National University—details four new species of 'dragon pseudoscorpions,' named as such because of their dragon-like jaws. Far from the cozy confines of a bookshelf, the scientists found these miniscule critters (stretching only between one and three millimeters) in a cave system during a field study. They examined the species using genetics, ecology, and morphology and determined that they had found four new species in total: Spelaeochthonius dugigulensis, S. geumgulensis, S. magwihalmigulensis and S. yamigulensis 'In Korea, pseudoscorpions are a 'neglected' invertebrate taxon with presently 28 species in 13 genera that belong to eight families,' the authors wrote. 'However, a recent preliminary barcoding study has indicated that the species biodiversity in surface habitats must be significantly higher. The subterranean fauna is probably also diverse, but to date, only five pseudoscorpion species have been recorded from caves in South Korea.' This new discovery nearly doubles that number. Because these creatures live in caves, they have numerous adaptations that are considered 'troglomorphic,' due to living in constant darkness. For example, these four new species lack eyes and possess very little body pigmentation, causing them to range from light orange to brown. The pseudoscorpions also possess massive jaws (in relation to their body size), which likely comes in handy when searching for food in complete darkness. The researchers theorize that these species are likely endemic to one single cave or karst system, but South Korea is chock-full of caves, with an estimated 2,000 spread across the Taebaek and Sobaek mountain ranges. 'Many people have believed there is only one species (Spelaeochthonius dentifier) distributed in Korea,' Kyung-Hoon Jeong, a master student and lead author of the study from Jeonbuk National University, told IFLScience. 'However, our result was totally different. Each species in the cave has big differences, both in morphology and genetically.' Like all ecosystems on the planet, caves are threatened by climate change, and understanding the wide variety of animal life in these caves can help scientists conserve them. In order to save a species, it helps to know where to look—and sometimes you won't find the answer in the pages of a good book. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
Wild footage surfaces before lion attack
Days after a woman lost her arm in a shocking lion attack at a Queensland zoo, frightening footage has resurfaced of a staff member snuggling up to a lion behind a fence. Emergency services were called to Darling Downs Zoo near Toowoomba about 8.30am Sunday after reports a lioness had attacked a woman. The woman, who was later identified as the sister of co-owner Stephanie Robinson, was transported to hospital, where she remains in a stable condition. 'She has lost her arm,' the zoo's statement read online. 'She is not an employee, a keeper or a zoo visitor.' 'It has still not been possible to interview her to establish what led to this tragic incident. Years before the attack, footage from a 7News report in 2023 showed a staff member getting close and cuddly with a lion through a fence. The short clip showed the woman leaning over to the lion and kissing its face through the fence. Lifting her hand, the staff member moved to scratch its face before the lion snapped its head upwards and bared its teeth. A 7News report suggests the video was of Stephanie Robinson, who co-founded the zoo alongside her husband Steve. The pair began breeding lions in 2017 and opened Darling Downs Zoo in 2005, specialising in captive husbandry and breeding of critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable species. Mr Robinson spoke to reporters on Tuesday, and revealed his sister-in-law had 20 years' experience with lions, and was treated at the scene by one of the zoo's keepers. 'She was the first responder, in terms of first aid to the incident,' he said on Tuesday morning. 'She did save her life. She actually took my wife's leather belt off and applied a tourniquet very quickly.' He told reporters it was too soon to investigate the incident, as his sister-in-law was still recovering from her surgery and was 'not terribly lucid'. 'We haven't really pressed for answers as to what she was doing and how this happened,' he said. He said in the zoo's 20-year history, 'nothing like this has ever happened before'. 'We've got theories but until we get fact, I'm not going to be speculating or running with any what ifs or maybes or anything like that,' he said. 'We're still processing in our minds and coming to grips with not just what happened but what happens next.' Mr Robinson said the life of the 'lovely lady' had been 'altered' by the incident. 'Emotionally, both her and my wife are on a rollercoaster,' he said. On Monday evening, the zoo confirmed on social media it would re-open its doors on Tuesday 'with a full program of free photo ops, educational talks and paid Encounters available'. The zoo confirmed the woman was 'attacked by a lioness', and clarified she was 'not in (its) enclosure' when the incident occurred. '(The lioness) was not hungry, skinny, taunted or tortured – it is a lion,' the statement read. 'It comes from a long line of captive born lions in Australia but it is still a lion – not a pet.' The zoo also confirmed it 'would not be put down or punished in any way'. 'A full investigation has been carried out by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland,' the statement read.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Marwell Zoo tiger, Valentina, killed by male during introduction
A "much-loved" female tiger has been killed during an introduction to a Zoo announced its eight-year-old Amur tiger, Valentina, sustained fatal injuries during a meeting with male tiger, had been at the zoo for five years, having arrived from Hodonin Zoo in Croatia in first arrived at the zoo in February and staff said they had "noticed encouraging behaviours with no signs of aggression" between the pair. In a statement released on social media, the zoo said Valentina was a "much-loved and charismatic character of the zoo family, who captured the hearts of our teams and guests alike".It said introducing big cats "always carries significant risk" and staff had been observing both tigers since Pasha's arrival."Our expert teams were monitoring the situation closely, were well-prepared, and acted swiftly to draw Pasha away," the statement explained."Due to the speed and nature of the incident, it was not possible for our highly-experienced team to intervene and Valentina had already been fatally injured." The zoo has confirmed Pasha was not severely injured during the had been paired with Marwell's previous male tiger, Bagai, shortly after her statement added: "She will be deeply missed by her keepers, who formed a strong bond with her, our veterinary team, wider Marwell teams and our guests."We do ask at this difficult time that our teams are given the necessary time to process this situation. Our priority is the wellbeing of our teams and ensuring Pasha receives the care he needs." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rejected by his mother, a rare wild Asian horse foal finds a new mom
A rare wild Asian horse foal named Marat is thriving at the Minnesota Zoo thanks to a domestic mare. (AP video: Mark Vancleave)
