Check out this photo of a caterpillar that mimics a dead leaf. How cool is that?
Fire Ants Killing Baby Song Birds At High Rates: “Red imported fire ants may be killing as many as a fifth of baby song birds before they leave the nest, according to research recently completed at Texas A&M University.”
Perhaps a piece of the puzzle regarding the collapse of bee colonies in North America: “A virus has emerged as a strong suspect in the hunt for the mystery disease killing off North American honeybees. Genetic research showed that Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) turned up regularly in hives affected by Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Over the last three years, between 50% and 90% of commercial bee colonies in the US have been affected by CCD.” But scientists aren’t sure if the virus is a marker or a cause, and they strongly suspect CCD is caused by a combination of factors.
And speaking of bees, it would appear killer bees have moved into New Orleans, as if that city didn’t have enough problems already. “A swarm of the bees was captured about five miles from where demolition workers found a colony of Africanized bees in January, commissioner Bob Odom said Tuesday.” This should come as no surprise since the bees have spread across the entire southern United States, but poor New Orleans sure didn’t need these mean critters to add to the city’s woes. [via xocobra]
If you do nothing else today, go read this article and look at that darling photo. It’s another case of interspecies adoption, except this instance is quite striking given the two species and the circumstances. And I just can’t get over that photo. . . [via beginning to bird]
The IUCN has released its Red List of Threatened Species 2007, and the news is anything but good. Of the 41,000 species assessed this year, more than one in three now teeters on the brink of destruction, including corals, great apes, dolphins, vultures, and so many other species that the report is staggering. To wit: “One in four mammals, one in eight birds, one third of all amphibians and 70% of the world’s assessed plants on the 2007 IUCN Red List are in jeopardy.” You can see the news release here or visit the previous link for more information.