Animals
S


Attention

Mystery as 130 dead seals wash up on Lake Baikal, Russia

Cecile Borkhataria
Daily Mail
Tue, 31 Oct 2017 18:51 UTC
Baikal Seals (pictured) are an exclusively freshwater species of seal that occur in Lake Baikal in southern Siberia, Russia,
Around 130 dead seals have washed up on the shores of Russia's Lake Baikal, authorities said Tuesday, as they launched a probe into the latest problem to hit the world's deepest lake.

The Baikal seal is the smallest in the world, and exactly how and when the species colonised the ancient Siberian lake is still a mystery.

'There were about 130 animals found dead' over the past few days, said environmental ministry spokesman Nikolai Gudkov.

'We took water samples to understand whether we can talk of water pollution as the reason,' he told AFP, though results have not yet been processed.

Scientists have also taken biopsies of the animals, he said.

The animal is not endangered and Gudkov said the species' population has actually increased in recent years, growing to around 130,000.

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Wolf

Elderly man killed by 2 of his dogs in Richmond County, North Carolina


wsoctv.com
Sat, 04 Nov 2017 17:54 UTC
PIT BULL ATTACK
An elderly man was mauled and killed by two dogs in Richmond County while a boy threw bricks to get the dogs off the man, the Hamlet police chief confirmed.

The attack, by a pit bull and mixed breed dog, happened just before 12:30 p.m. Saturday on West Hamlet Avenue near the intersection of High Street.

The man owned five dogs, including the two that attacked him. Both dogs were taken to an animal shelter.

Authorities said a little boy next door tried throwing bricks to get the dogs off the man, who lived alone with the five dogs.

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Horse

Horses can read our body language, even when they don't know us


Phys.org
Fri, 03 Nov 2017 16:53 UTC
horse body language study
© University of SussexAmy Smith with Red
Horses can tell the difference between dominant and submissive body postures in humans, even when the humans are not familiar to them, according to a new University of Sussex-led study.

The findings enhance our understanding of how animals can communicate using body posture across the species barrier, and are specifically helpful for informing horse handlers and trainers about the ways horses perceive human body language.

Psychology researchers worked with 30 domestic horses to see whether they were more likely to approach a person displaying a dominant body posture (involving the person standing straight, with arms and legs apart and chest expanded), or a submissive posture (slouching, keeping arms and legs close to the body, relaxed knees).

They found that even though the horses had been given food rewards previously by each person when in a neutral body posture, they were significantly more likely to approach the individual displaying a submissive rather than a dominant posture in follow-up trials.
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Gift

New study offers insights into a dog's life in families with children

Cerri Evans
Phys.org
Fri, 03 Nov 2017 16:27 UTC
sheltie doggie
'Let's go play ball!'
Millions of families know how rewarding and enjoyable dog ownership can be - but now a new study has for the first time examined the quality of life for a pet dog owned by a family with children.

There is now extensive scientific research showing the many benefits that pet dogs bring to families, including improved family functioning and wellbeing for those with children with neuro-developmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD. For all children, dogs can provide valuable companionship, encourage exercise and family activities, and teach them about responsibilities.

Until now, little attention has been paid to how living with children affects quality of life for pet dogs (those not trained as assistance dogs). Funded by Dogs Trust - the UK's largest dog welfare charity - a team of animal behaviour and welfare specialists from the University of Lincoln's School of Life Sciences are examining this question.
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Cow Skull

Several hundred dead sea turtles found floating off coast of El Salvador


Phys.Org
Fri, 03 Nov 2017 16:20 UTC
dead turtles el salvador
© MARN El SalvadorA decomposing turtle floats in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of El Salvador
Hundreds of dead sea turtles have been found floating off El Salvador's Pacific coast, leaving officials scratching their heads as to what caused the massacre.

The environment ministry said on Twitter on Thursday that its officers "found between 300 and 400 dead sea turtles floating around seven nautical miles (eight miles, or 13 kilometers) offshore from Jiquilisco Bay."

Most of the animals were decomposing when they were found, the ministry said, without giving their species.

"We don't know what caused the sea turtles' death," the ministry said, adding that laboratory tests would be carried out.

The discovery recalled a similar find in 2013, between September and October, when hundreds of sea turtles were found dead off El Salvador's coast.

Authorities at the time attributed the cause to toxic algae eaten by the turtles.

Comment: See also:

Dead marine life on Gulf coast sets off concerns over dead zone; 47 dolphins and 51 sea turtles found so far in 2017

Signs and Portents overload: Not one but two double-headed sea turtles found on the Cayman Islands in a week

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Info

Latest research concludes that animals make rational decisions

Jeannie Kever
University of Houston
Wed, 01 Nov 2017 18:09 UTC
Buckner with Raven
© University of HoustonCameron Buckner, assistant professor of philosophy at UH, says empirical evidence suggests a variety of animal species are able to make rational decisions, despite the lack of a human-like language.
Previous research has shown that animals can remember specific events, use tools and solve problems. But exactly what that means - whether they are making rational decisions or simply reacting to their environment through mindless reflex - remains a matter of scientific dispute.

Cameron Buckner, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Houston, argues in an article published in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research that a wide range of animal species exhibit so-called "executive control" when it comes to making decisions, consciously considering their goals and ways to satisfy those goals before acting.

He acknowledges that language is required for some sophisticated forms of metacognition, or thinking about thinking. But bolstered by a review of previously published research, Buckner concludes that a wide variety of animals - elephants, chimpanzees, ravens and lions, among others - engage in rational decision-making.
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Attention

Dead whale found near Frontignan, France

magictr
The Sherbrooke Times
Wed, 01 Nov 2017 08:44 UTC
DEAD WHALE
Boaters have discovered a dead whale, a dozen meters long to two pounds, which would drift at about a mile from the beaches of Frontignan, near Sete.
#Frontignan, A #whale to drift off of the Aresquiers - https://t.co/3U7fgArBvN

— Philippe Malric ⚓ (@PhilippeMalric) October 31, 2017

Comment: Taken with the above report, the last 2 months in France has seen a significant number of dead cetaceans washing up, see also these stories: Dead whale found near La Rochelle, France

A dozen dead dolphins wash up in 3 weeks in southern France

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Attention

Signs and Portents: Two-headed turtle filmed in Thailand

Phoebe Weston
Daily Mail
Tue, 31 Oct 2017 14:26 UTC
The adorable infant mutant turtle was born in August at the home of a reptile breeder Nong Somjai in Nonthaburi, Thailand
The adorable infant mutant turtle was born in August at the home of a reptile breeder Nong Somjai in Nonthaburi, Thailand
Two heads are better than one for this little turtle as he scampers across the ground with lightning speed.

The adorable infant mutant turtle was born in August at the home of Nong Somjai, a reptile breeder in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

The three-month-old slider turtle - nicknamed Michelangelo - has now won hundreds of fans with his rare features and cute behaviour filmed earlier this month.

Ms Somjai said she had been breeding turtles to sell for several years but had never seen one with two heads.

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Attention

Boy left with bizarre circular bite injury after being attacked by rare 'COOKIE CUTTER' shark in Queensland, Australia

Ben Hill
Daily Mail
Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:06 UTC
Cookiecutter sharks, also known as cigar sharks, get their name from their habit of gouging out round chunks when feeding on other animals
Cookiecutter sharks, also known as cigar sharks, get their name from their habit of gouging out round chunks when feeding on other animals
A young boy has received a bizarre and painful injury after being bitten by a rare shark.

Jack Tolley, 7, was bitten by a cookiecutter shark while swimming in Alma Bay on Magnetic Island in north Queensland on Friday, according to the Courier Mail.

He lost a chunk of flesh from his calf stretching 73mm in diameter after he was bitten by the rare shark.

The Tolley family were on holiday from Victoria when the attack happened, and Jack's father David said his mother Amy and older brother Matthew were also swimming in the water with him.

'Medically recorded, he's only the second [person] in Australia to be bitten and it's a pretty nasty bite,' Mr Tolley said.

'We don't want this to happen to anyone else.'
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Health

Florida man dies from rabies after being bitten by bat

DAVID J. NEAL
Miami Herald
Mon, 30 Oct 2017 13:28 UTC
crazy bat
Shark bite. Gator bite. Now add bat bite to the Florida wildlife chomps that can kill. A resident of Highlands County in Central Florida has died from a bat bite.

The Florida Department of Health said what killed the person, according to a report by Orlando TV station WKMG, wasn't the bite but rather the rabies likely transmitted in the bite. And the person didn't get medical care after being bitten.

The Department of Health website says, "Rabies virus can cause a nearly 100% fatal illness in humans and other mammals. The virus is present in some wildlife in Florida and can spread to unvaccinated pets, which then pose a high risk to the pet owner and their family.
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