nature

I encourage you to follow this man on Instagram he knows what he’s talking about.

Vernal Fairy Shrimp (Eubranchipus vernalis), family Chirocephalidae, order Anostraca, NE US

note the egg sacs, full of eggs.

A New Study Reveals Migration Isn’t a Solo Affair—It’s the Social Event of the Season

Migrants face myriad challenges. That's why certain songbird species choose to travel (and possibly even work) together, according to research drawing on a trove of bird banding records. In a pioneering study published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers discovered that songbirds socialize across species lines, forming “migrating communities” as they travel. While ornithologists previously believed migrant species like the American Redstart and Magnolia Warbler just happened to end up flying near one another, we now know that this closeness is no coincidence:  It’s a sign that different bird species can form ecologically meaningful relationships and may even help each other out along their migratory journeys...

I started finding a bunch of these purple millipedes near my workplace, shown below, alongside non-purple individuals that appeared to be the same species.

There's only been one documented case(afaik) of a potential millipede iridovirus, which was also from iNaturalist, though no samples were ever collected or confirmed. It even had a paper written on it. The author of that paper is actually the guy who gave me the contact info for the researcher who asked me for the samples. He told me how to go about humanely euthing and preparing the specimens to send to him, and as we know I'm willing to do basically anything a stranger on iNaturalist asks me to.

As a fun sidebar, the first potential myriapod iridovirus was seen in a completely different family of millipedes in a location in another country from me, so it's possible mine ends up being a different species of iridovirus from that one too!

I'm still working on getting a species id for the infected millipedes, I've only managed to get them down to family Julidae, but I don't think I can get gonopod shots without a microscope and dissection which I don't have the equipment or skill for, and they might end up needing to be sequenced anyway

Do Birds Use Scarecrows? - On the Evolution of Snake Skin as Nest Material

The materials birds use in nest construction can have a strong effect on conditions experienced by eggs, nestlings, and incubating parents. For example, species breeding in cold environments often use insulative materials in their nests. But, the function of many nesting materials remains poorly known. Here, we explore one material frequently reported in bird nests: shed snake skin. Snake skins are relatively rare among materials available for nesting birds, so species that use this material invest time and energy locating and gathering it, suggesting that it increases reproductive success. So, why do birds incorporate snake sheds into their nest? Our study tackled this question using three independent approaches. First, we looked for patterns across species reported to use snake skin in nest construction. So far, 78 species are reported to use shed snake skin in their nests and these species disproportionately nest in secondary cavities compared to open-cup nesting species...

Once on the brink of extinction, rare Mediterranean monk seal populations are rising, thanks to conservation efforts.

The Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, known as MOm, is a charity dedicated to the care and protection of these rare marine animals.

Nearly half of the world's estimated 800 Mediterranean monk seals live in Greek waters, where the extensive coastline offers an abundance of sea caves that provide shelter for females to rear their young.

The rare seals are the only seal species in the Mediterranean. They have big, round eyes, prominent whiskers and are remarkably fast in the water...

In the twentieth century, habitat deterioration and destruction, as well as deliberate aggression from fisherman has caused a drastic population decline, prompting the International Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN) to classify them as 'critically endangered'.

The population had decreased so dramatically that at one point the species faced extinction.

Pictured: Panagis is one of dozens of monk seals nursed back to health by the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, known as MOm.

How conservation efforts are changing their fate

Dr Alexandros Dendrinos, a marine biologist and coordinator at MOm, explains that the Mediterranean monk seal is "one of the rarest species of seal and marine mammal in the world."

"To protect an animal like the Mediterranean monk seal in its natural environment, you essentially have to protect the entire marine ecosystem,"

MOm is the only centre of its kind in the region, and has cared for around 40 seals both on location and at its facilities.

They respond to members of the public who find an animal in distress, aiding adult seals on-site when possible and bringing young seals, like Panagais, to the rehabilitation centre at Attica Zoological Park in Athens.

The young seals receive veterinary care, specialised nutrition, and swimming practice. 

They are often named after those who found them, but human interaction is kept minimal to ensure their successful reintegration into the wild.

Once they have reached a healthy weight and developed natural hunting instincts, they are tagged for tracking and reintroduced to their natural habitat.

"This year, we had a really pleasant surprise," Dr Dendrinos shared.

A female seal they rehabilitated and released four years ago was recently spotted nursing her own pup.

Conservation efforts have yielded significant results as the species moved from critically endangered to endangered on the IUCN Red List and, in 2023, improved even further to vulnerable.

Surrounded by wildflowers, a bull bison enjoys the morning in Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

New Zealand dusky dolphin "Lagenorhynchus" obscurus ssp.

Hedgehog Crab (Derilambrus angulifrons)

This spiky little crustacean belongs to the Parthenopidae family and is found in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Its spiny shell helps it blend in with rocky environments, offering protection from predators.

Tupi on the grass, munching greenery

Tupi laying down, snuggling its mom

Tupi snuggling closer to its mom, wiggling its ears

Tupi fully inside a big bowl of leafy greens, munching contentedly. Behind, Tupi’s mom stands on the ground, also munching

DOGE just froze funding to vital Federal and Indigenous conservation programs devoted to supporting the very delicate and tenuous existence of the black-footed ferret.

I fell in love with these animals as a kid traveling to our National Parks. Their rarity and ferocity made me sharply aware, even as a child, of just how much of a responsibility we have toward our environment. I can't bear the thought of them being a fucking casualty of Trump and Musk.