The Sharks That Hunt in Packs
Animals, Ecology, Nature Mary Bates Animals, Ecology, Nature Mary Bates

The Sharks That Hunt in Packs

At the southern end of Fakarava Atoll, a reserve in French Polynesia, is a narrow channel connecting the lagoon to the ocean. It is the hunting grounds of up to 900 reef sharks, including grey reef, whitetip reef, silvertip, and blacktip reef sharks.

Researchers studying this nearly pristine ecosystem recently documented a new phenomenon during their nighttime dives: The sharks hunt in packs.

Read the whole story at my Animal Minds blog: The Sharks That Hunt in Packs.

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Skinks Avoid Danger by Eavesdropping on Bird Alarm Calls
Animals, Ecology, Nature Mary Bates Animals, Ecology, Nature Mary Bates

Skinks Avoid Danger by Eavesdropping on Bird Alarm Calls

The Kalahari tree skink gains a lot from associating with sociable weavers. These small birds build big communal nests that offer skinks increased opportunities for basking and foraging. However, weaver nests also house a major predator of skinks, the pygmy falcon. How do Kalahari tree skinks manage living next door to their predators? The answer appears to be by eavesdropping on their neighbors.

Read the whole story at my Animal Minds blog: Skinks Avoid Danger by Eavesdropping on Bird Alarm Calls.

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Making Friends, The Vampire Bat Way
Animals, Biology, Ecology, Nature, Psychology Mary Bates Animals, Biology, Ecology, Nature, Psychology Mary Bates

Making Friends, The Vampire Bat Way

Vampire bats aren’t so different from humans in some ways. These long-lived and extremely social bats form close social relationships – bonds that in humans, we’d call friendships. However, vampire bat friendships are characterized by mutual tongue baths and regurgitated blood. Now, research shows how these friendships form. In a study published today, scientists report that vampire bats gradually build trust through social grooming. The results support a model of how cooperative relationships form that could also apply to human friendships.

Read the whole story at National Geographic: How Vampire Bat Friendship is Surprisingly Like Our Own.

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