pumpkinseed

Camera Traps Reveal Iberian Lynxes Soaking Their Prey, a First-Ever Discovery Among Carnivores

Scientists speculate that the wild cats are trying to improve hydration or ease their cubs’ transition to solid food. The finding points to resilience in one of the world’s most endangered felines

A camera trap in Spain recorded a wild female Iberian lynx carrying a dead rabbit to a water trough and dunking it, researchers were shocked. Then, they spotted the behavior several more times. In a study published in March in Ecology, scientists detailed these findings, which they say are the first-ever observations of a carnivore soaking its dead prey in water. The unusual phenomenon has raised questions about how predatory species adapt to changing environments—and it hints at resilience in one of the world’s most endangered felines. “This is very interesting and genuinely a surprising observation,” says Wai-Ming Wong, the director of small-cat conservation science for Panthera, who was not associated with the study. “Wild cats are typically thought of as highly efficient, instinct-driven hunters, so seeing an individual modify how it handles prey in this way is quite remarkable.”...

Common Treeshrew (Tupaia glis), family Tupaiidae, order Scandentia, Singapore

Bang’s Mountain Squirrel (Syntheoscirius Brochus)

Collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu/Pecari tajacu) with leucism amongst a squadron of typical peccaries

Captured by Ramiro Gonzalez, CC BY-NC 4.0

Colleague B: “….what’s a bishounen?”

Greek chorus of other queer scientists who are all 30 or 40 years old: [simultaneously jump in to offer assorted definitions of androgynous prettyboy anime guys, at increasing volume]

Colleague B, hopefully, after a lengthy and considerate pause: “…oh, like Hisoka? From HunterXHunter?”

Sound on!

Proboscis Bat Rhynchonycteris naso

It is found from southern Mexico to Belize, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia and Brazil, as well as in Trinidad. The bats are nocturnal, sleeping during the day in an unusual formation: most of them line up, one after another, on a branch or wooden beam, nose to tail, in a straight row.

In the photo, the two bats on the lower left are carrying young.