Birds Hiss Like Snakes to Protect Nests
Certain cavity-nesting birds emit a surprising hiss-like vocalization to deter predators and repel competitors from trying to occupy the same nesting cavity. It’s been hypothesized that that this hiss mimics a snake hiss – but is it a case of mimicry or evidence of widespread fear of hisses?
Read my latest Animal Minds post: Birds Hiss Like Snakes to Protect Nests.
Why are Some Wild Cats Black?
Black coloring is common in cats, from domestic kitties to leopards and jaguars. The persistence of this genetic trait in wild populations suggests it confers some advantage. But new research indicates it’s more of an evolutionary balancing act.
The occurrence of black coloring, also known as melanism, arises from a genetic mutation that regulates the production of the pigment melanin. These melanistic cats are the same species as their lighter-coated counterparts; it’s similar to the difference between brunettes and blondes.
Melanism has been documented in 14 out of the 40 wild species of cats. Scientists have suggested that melanism could be associated with factors such as camouflage, thermoregulation, and habitat use. Now, new research points to another factor: visual communication with other cats.
Read my latest Nat Geo news story: Is Being a Black Panther Beneficial? It Depends.
Turtle Recall
Despite a reputation for being slow, giant tortoises from the Galapagos and Seychelles Islands can demonstrate remarkable memory skills over time, according to the results of a new study. The massive reptiles are not only capable of learning new tasks quickly but can remember their training nearly a decade later, say researchers.
Read my post about the study on my Animal Minds blog: Turtle Recall.
Empathy as a 'Danger Antenna' in Rats
Rats are social animals, exquisitely attuned to the emotions of the rats around them. In a new study published in PLoS Biology, researchers from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience show that rats may use this sense of empathy as a way to gauge danger.
Read the whole story at my Animal Minds blog: Empathy as a 'Danger Antenna' in Rats.
Delay of Gratification in Kids and Crows
One measure of self-control is the ability to delay gratification; namely, the ability to wait in order to obtain a more valuable outcome in the future over a less valuable immediate one. In children, the capacity to delay gratification develops between the ages of three and five years old. In a new study, researchers used a rotating tray apparatus that allowed them to test both three- to five-year-old children and New Caledonian crows.
Read my post about it on my Animal Minds blog: Delay of Gratification in Kids and Crows.