Of dogs and data In an initial study of 433 dogs we found that purebreds were better at communication than mixed breeds
and mixed breeds had better memories than purebreds. To test a dog's communicative abilities owners pointed to food
but it is remarkable in the animal kingdom. Even humans'closest relatives chimpanzees do not follow human gestures as well as dogs do.
Both purebreds and mixed breeds followed their owners'gestures but purebreds were consistently more reliant on their owner's gestures.
To test memory dogs were given a series of games that tested working memory which is the ability to hold information in mind
Purebreds were statistically more likely to choose the cup their owner pointed to rather than the cup they remembered seeing the food go into.
This does not mean that purebreds have bad memories. In fact when we tested only their memories they were just as successful as the mixed breeds.
It's just that purebreds seem to rely more on other strategies such as social information.
when the emphasis was still on function over form many purebreds were bred to be depended working dogs that on reading human gestures.
Although all dogs are good at reading human gestures purebreds might have an extra edge because of their original jobs.
In fact some animals are actually less likely to die the older they get at least up to a point.
If you put all your energy into reproduction then you will have a low survival. 5 Mysterious Animal Die offs No matter how healthy
Jellylike animals called hydras (Hydra magnipapillata) have low mortality rates that are constant throughout their lives.
so they drew from across the tree of life comparing aging patterns in 11 mammals 12 other vertebrates (animals with backbones) 10 invertebrates 12 plants and a green alga.
And many animals other than humans have life spans that continue past their reproductive years including killer whales (Orcinus orca) mynah birds (Leucopsar rothschildi) and nematode worms (Caenorhabditis elegans.
Lots of Animals Self-Medicate The use of medicine can no longer be considered a solely human trait
An ever-growing list of animals use various chemicals to self-medicate and to treat peers
and more intelligent animals where self-medication could be learned and passed on from parents to offspring.
But according to the study scientists who examined recent research in the field animals from insects to chimpanzees may self-medicate as an innate response to parasites and perhaps for other reasons as well.
Self-medication in animals is really common more common than previously thought said study author Jaap de Roode a researcher at Emory University in Atlanta.
or to prevent future parasitic attacks of an animal or its offspring according to the paper published online today (April 11) in the journal Science.
Helping humans Animal medicine can be useful to humans in a variety of ways. For instance bees collect plant resins with antifungal and antimicrobial properties
These medicines could also possibly be used to fight infection in humans or other animals. One chemical in bee resin has been shown to have inhibitory effects against HIV-1 de Roode said.
Villalba's work has shown that animals can benefit when artificial medicines are made available to them to eat when necessary.
as if the animals are dead researcher Anne Yoder director of the Duke Lemur Center said of the two species Crossley's dwarf lemur and Sibree's dwarf lemur.
since the animals are closely related to humans. Studying how the lemurs'pause button works may help scientists investigate the possibility of inducing human hibernation (think 2001:
Animal bones and thousands of stone tools used by ancient hominins suggest that early human ancestors were butchering and scavenging animals at least 2 million years ago.
In addition we find cut marks on their bones where crude stone tools were used to de-flesh the animal
The combination of evidence suggests the animals must have been hunted not scavenged. In modern-day Africa scavengers don't eat such animals
because their primary predators such as lions and hyenas will consume them entirely leaving nothing behind.)
Scavengers like hyenas will consume all the rest of the carcass but they'll leave the heads behind
Mystery man So far however the researchers have found no traces of the hominins who hunted those animals.
and underground roots and even termites or small scavenged animals although the exact composition of the diet still remains a mystery.
whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as have organized these lowly creatures.
In the last 15 years 75 percent of the Okapi population or 5100 animals have been killed
but conservationists warn that instability in the Ituri region could spell more trouble for the animals.
But the camera traps may not have caught all of the animals unawares. In one video clip of a group of Tibetan stump-tailed macaques one of the monkeys curiously sticks its face in front of the camera
WWF officials said the diversity of animals in the footage is an encouraging sign that current efforts are working.
and called for backup but even a half dozen NYPD officers were unable to wrangle the animal.
Panicked the goat ran through the neighborhood banging his head against doors in an effort to evade the cops scrambling after it according to the Daily mail. The police chased the goat into a parking lot across from Interfaith Medical center where the animal encountered Seydou Ndiaye a parking lot attendant and as luck would have it a former goat herder
Video of Escaped Goat Running from Officers I told them'Do not harm the animal it's an easy animal.
which took the goat to a local animal shelter reports WABC. Though goat meat doesn't appear commonly on North american menus it's very popular in many immigrant neighborhoods especially throughout Latino Middle Eastern Caribbean and Asian communities according to the Washington post.
Known as mutton or chevron when the meat comes from an adult animal (and cabrito or kid when the goat is young) the delicacy is rapidly gaining favor among chefs and foodies The New york times reports.
Not only do the animals pick up accents from one another demonstrating an advanced degree of vocal learning
and rather than face his end in a slaughterhouse the animal will be sent to an animal sanctuary in upstate New york WABC reports.
Whereas many studies have documented cultural transmission in lab animals few have shown this phenomenon occurs in the wild.
A team of researchers studied four groups of wild vervet monkeys each containing 24 to 44 individuals (109 animals in total.
In two groups the blue corn tasted bad so the animals learned to eat only the pink corn.
so the animals favored the blue corn. After four to six months the researchers replaced the bad-tasting corn with normal-tasting stuff
Primates aren't the only animals to learn from their peers. For example another new study shows that whales pick up feeding techniques from their friends.
Collectively these studies suggest that culture is more widespread in the animal kingdom than once thought.
Most researchers believe the domestication of animals and grains allowed small bands of hunter-gatherers to rapidly expand their populations settle down build the first cities in Mesopotamia
But old forests also provide habitat for iconic animals such as the California spotted owl and the American marten.
The virus is not zoonotic meaning it has jumped not yet species to infect humans or other animals according to a statement from the National Pork Board.
#Farm bill Amendment Tramples States Rights to Protect Animals (Op-Ed) Wayne Pacelle is the president and chief executive officer of The Humane Society of the United states (HSUS.
and a man who has opposed also federal measures to crack down on animal fighting and horse slaughter opposed federal animal welfare standards for laying hens
and was even against a federal policy to help pets in disasters the amendment is an attack on states'rights to impose reasonable standards on agriculture to protect animals workers the environment and consumers.
In King we have a person who for all practical purposes opposes all laws for animal welfare.
since you want to speak with your lawmaker about the threats posed to animals by the King amendment.
#Fenced in, Animal Migrations Cannot Survive (Op-Ed) Bradnee Chambers Executive secretary of the United nations Environment Program Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals contributed this article to Livescience's Expert Voices:
and railways with their associated embankments and cuttings form impassable barriers to animals such as the saiga antelope for
Only 20 years ago a million saigas roamed the steppes before undergoing a spectacular collapse of more than 90 percent in the 1990s leaving only about 50000 animals.
thousands of animals predominantly females and calves died. There are international efforts under way to ensure that the saiga survives it is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) the convention that regulates international trade in wildlife and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) under
The animals also do not know how to negotiate railways so tired and malnourished and unable to reach the best feeding grounds
or avoid harsh weather conditions the animals become vulnerable to predators and disease and their reproduction rates fall.
The solution could be minor changes to the construction of border fences the main purpose of which is to keep vehicles out rather than animals in by raising the height of the lowest fence wire.
and incorporating crossing points along railways with cattle guards to stop animals erring onto the tracks would allow animals to migrate unimpeded.
We know why animals migrate to look for the best conditions to breed and feed. We are only just beginning to understand how some of them do it
Only the fittest overcome natural barriers such as mountains oceans and deserts but few animals can adapt fast enough to surmount modern hazards placed in their way by humans.
Lore of the Wild Child The feral child a child raised by wild animals is common in myth and folklore.
and somehow completely disappear into the wild to be raised by animals. Even if a family lived in the remote jungle
(or be eaten by wild animals instead of being nurtured into adolescence by them). Yet the stories remain with us.
Part of the reason feral children have captured long the public's imagination is that they symbolize humanity's ambiguous relationship with other animals.
 By all accounts the animals are quite intelligent. They also sport razor-sharp tusks and can be aggressive toward people and pets.
and kill the animals. The plan is to hit the animals in a single coordinated effort
because the pigs are so smart that they can learn from failed efforts to trap them
despite the $7 million per year that Texans spends to keep the animals'numbers down the AP reports.
The animals may start reproducing when they re just 6 months old and their litters average about six sows reports Mississippi State university.
and all those other animal-rights freaks out there Nugent said according to Mlive. com. He allegedly donated the meat to the homeless.
and the Pacific ocean said Keith Bensen a biologist at Redwood National park. It's strange to have an animal with webbed feet in the forest he said.
Watch the mysterious marbled murrelet For an animal that lives for some 20 years losing an egg is a terrible terrible loss Bensen said.
It freaks everybody out to train wild animals to do what you want but it surprised the heck out of all of us how much more feasible it was thought than we Bensen said.
and feed the animals you're contributing too. It is coming at the expense of the murrelet.
and regenerate an important marine plant depends on animals to eat its seeds and poop them out around the ocean according to recent research.
and crabs and serve as food for animals as diverse as manatees and ducks Sumoski told Ouramazingplanet.
By hitching a ride in these animals'digestive tracts the grasses'seeds can travel long distances establishing far-flung seagrass meadows.
when eaten by multiple types of animals said Sumoski. The ability of some of the seeds to sprout after being eaten surprised Sumoski she said especially in the case of one fish species which commonly feed on the grasses
Scientists hope that the animals will continue to spread the meadows in the future. Animals consuming seeds in one location and then excreting them in another location where they can germinate is said not new Matt Harwell a seagrass ecologist who was involved not in the study.
However it is a new finding for a seagrass species that is found across much of the world.
They're actually bats (and one of those animals with a pretty misleading name. But though their moniker may not be accurate they are fascinating creatures that scientists know fairly little about.
A German naturalist first described the animal in 1836 but little research has been conducted on the animal
since then due to the logistical challenge of traveling to these remote islands. 7 Most Misleading Animal Names A team of naturalists based at the College of Micronesia has conducted now the first-ever field study of the Mortlock Islands
 The team identified eight plant species that the animals eat finding that they seem to prefer fruit particularly from the breadfruit tree.
but residents of the Mortlock Islands do not generally hunt the animals the researchers say.
A potentially more serious threat to the animals than predators is future sea level rise associated with climate change.
The small atolls or low-lying islands that the animals inhabit only reach between about 3 feet to 10 feet (1 to 3 m) above sea level
Risks of infection increases via the common factors consumption of untreated food or water lack of adequate sanitation and the presence of animals in the house.
#For Modern Society, Are Animals'The Ghosts in Our Machine'?('Op-Ed) Marc Bekoff emeritus professor at the University of Colorado Boulder is one of the world's pioneering cognitive ethologists a Guggenheim Fellow and cofounder with Jane Goodall of Ethologists for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals. This essay is adapted from one that appeared in Bekoff's column Animal Emotions in Psychology Today.
He contributed this article to Livescience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. In April 2013 The Ghosts in Our Machine premiered at the prestigious Hot Docs International Documentary film Festival
An incredible and forward-looking film follows internationally renowned photographer Joanne Mcarthur over the course of a year as she documents the stories of individual nonhuman animals (animals) who are caught in the web of so-called civilized society in the United states
because society is really waging a war against other animals as we wantonly exploit them in myriad ways.
and why people so easily leave animals behind and alienate ourselves from these amazing individuals as we go through our days in mindless and heartless ways.
Take away the billions of animals who suffer on factory farms those animals who make up the human diet
Take away the billions of animals who are used in research so that people can supposedly live a bit longer and more comfortably.
Also take away all of the animals who are forced to jump through hoops and rings of fire in circuses and who are trained
And don't forget those animal beings who are held captive in zoos and aquaria to satisfy people's curiosity
Take away the animals who are shot blown up poisoned and irradiated so that militaries can find more efficient ways to kill other human beings in the wars in
And finally remove the animals whose skin and fur serve humanity's fashion tastes those beings who we choose to wear
because animals are subjects of a life not mere property or objects although they are treated
and norms of a so-called exceptional contemporary culture by introducing individual and named animal beings cows turkeys dolphinsâ chimpanzees
and death are a major part of why our species makes claims of superiority and domination over other animals.
Animal pain and death hurts society as well The Ghosts In Our Machinealsoprovokes people to think about a path forward for our species that does not rely upon the exploitation of other animals
which we expand our compassion footprint to include all other animals. When Animals Suffer the Country Pays a Price (Op-Ed) Nonhuman animal beings are not mere ghosts
and society can't continue to build on the backs of these individuals. They are real beings
if other animals are conscious beings is to ignore an incredible amount of detailed scientific data
I have written since some 500 essays on the field of anthrozoology the study of human-animal relationships
I updated many of those essays more than 100 showcasing the fascinating cognitive abilities of other animals as well as their empathy compassion grief humor joy and love.
combat dogs and other animals suffer from PTSD; many animals manufacture and use complex tools;
and chickens rats and mice display empathy. Living up to society's own standards We must use the long overdue Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness
and the Universal Declaration on Animal Sentience to protect other animals from intentional and unnecessary harm.
I frankly don't see how anyone who has worked closely with any of a wide array of animals
or who has lived with companion animals could remain uncertain and agnostic about whether they are conscious and feeling individuals.
what people know about animal sentience to protect animals so this information must be incorporated into laws
Unfortunately in the United states this information has not been used on behalf of animals and billions of individuals continue to suffer
The reprehensible and unnecessary torment to which we subject billions upon billions of fascinating animals as we conveniently distance ourselves from them is utterly shameful
which we subject other animals. We often don't realize that we can experience what's called secondary trauma because of our efforts to relieve the incredible trauma to
which we expose other animal beings. This trauma can lead to burnout because of the selfless work in
which many animal advocates partake. Animal pain and death hurts us all. Joanne Mcarthur believes we really are an innately compassionate species
and that when given the opportunity to care the vast majority of people will do something for other animals.
Society needs to mind other animals and work as a unified community to harness our innate goodness kindness compassion
and empathy to work on behalf of other animals who depend on our goodwill for their very survival.
We need to stop ignoring nature and end the widespread and heartless war on other animals now.
As we do this all animals nonhuman and human will benefit greatly. Clearly our warlike ways haven't worked so let's give peace compassion empathy
And I'm sure other animals will thank us for our efforts. The Ghosts in Our Machine is a very important move in the right direction.
Amazing Horse Photos Among the many fossils we found are the two ends of the foreleg bone the canon brilliant white
The animal belonged to a group of ancient horses called Hipparionines which had toed three hooves
The researchers say this discovery helps fill in a blank spot in the evolution of horses before the animals became even better suited for a life in the grasslands growing taller and developing longer snouts for example.
Cheetahs live to be about 12 years old in the wild and as long as 17 years in zoos.
What Can Animals See? Other resources s
#Fun Facts About Giraffes Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetartiodactyla Family: Giraffidae Genus:
Giraffa Species: Giraffa camelopardalis Subspecies: G. camelopardalisperalta (West african Giraffe Nigerien Giraffe) G. camelopardalisrothschildi (Ugandan Giraffe Rothschild's Giraffe) G. camelopardalisreticulate (Reticulated Giraffe) G. camelopardalis camelopardalis (Nubian
Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world. Males can grow up to 18 feet (5. 5 meters) tall females can reach 14 feet (4. 3 m) tall
Animals'Dazzling Headgear Like camels giraffes can go for a long time without drinking water because their diet especially acacia leaves their favorite food contains a lot of water.
Giraffes are herbivores and they eat leaves buds and branches from mimosa and acacia trees.
Their height helps them reach food well above where other animals can reach. A giraffe may eat more than 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of food each day.
Because they get just a few leaves in every bite they spend most of their day eating Acacia trees have long thorns that deter most animals but not giraffes.
Giraffe Smithsonian National Zoo Fact Sheet: Giraffe PBS Nature Critter Guide: Giraffe San diego Zoo: Giraffes National geographic Giraffe Fact r
#Fun Facts About Hippos Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetartiodactyla Family: Hippopotamidae Genus:
Hippopotamus Species: Hippopotamus amphibius Basic hippopotamus facts: Hippos are the third largest land mammal species On earth after elephants and white rhinos.
Hippopotamus Smithsonian National Zoo Fact Sheet: Hippopotamus San diego Zoo: Hippopotamus Animal Planet Hippo Facts African Wildlife Foundation Fact Sheet:
#Fun Facts About Kangaroos Kangaroos are one of many marsupials native to Australia. They are expert jumpers
and even swimmers and they live in groups called mobs. Kangaroos like all marsupials a sub-type of mammalâ give birth to relatively undeveloped young that develop further in the mother's pouch.
Kangaroos are herbivores and they eat a wide variety of plants including grasses shrubs tree leaves and shoots.
Their hind legs and feet are much stronger and larger than their arms (or forelimbs. Kangaroos are the only large animals that hop as a primary means of locomotion.
A male's jump can be 10 feet (3 m) high and 30 feet (9 m) long
Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Diprotodonta Family: Phascolarctidae Genus: Phascolarctos Species: Phascolarctos cinereus  Basic koala facts:
Koalas are solitary animals that typically have a certain territory. Males mark this with a scent gland that they rub against trees A full-grown adult male weighs around 30 pounds (12.5 kilograms)
Those from the northern parts of the animal's range are much smaller and have gray fur
and contain a toxin that must be filtered out by the animal's digestive system. Their strong jaws also help koalas chew their tough food.
so they have to recognize predators by sound according to the Australia Zoo. Koalas have strong limbs
A sphincter muscle keeps the joey from falling out according to the Adelaide Zoo. When it emerges from the pouch the joey remains with its mother for six more months riding on her back feeding on both milk and eucalyptus leaves.
In the early 20th century they were hunted to near extinction for their fur according to the Adelaide Zoo.
and spend most of that time sleeping according to the Adelaide Zoo. Like humans koalas have fingerprints.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Adelaide Zoo-Koalas Sea world-Koalas National Koala Conservation and Management Strategy Government of Australia IUCN-Koala Australia Zoo
-Koalas San diego Zoo-Koalas Edinburgh Zoo-Koala  Related: Kangaroo l
#Fun Facts About Leopards Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus:
Panthera Species: Panthera pardus Subspecies: P. pardus pardus (African leopard; P. pardus delacouri (Indo-Chinese leopard;
and resourceful scavengers and they can adapt to almost any environment. The color and length of a leopard's fur can vary depending on where it lives.
in zoos they can live up to 23 years. Â Where leopards live: Most leopards are found in the grasslands of Sub-saharan africa
Leopard PBS Nature Leopard Facts San diego Zoo Animal Bytes: Leopard National geographic Leopard Facts Animal Planet Leopard Facts African Wildlife Foundation Fact Sheet:
Leopards BBC Big cat Leopard Facts  Related: Lions Tiger d
#Fun Facts About Moose Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Â Mammalia Order: Cetartiodactyla Family: Cervidae Genus:
Alces Species: Alces americanus Alces alces Basic moose facts: Moose are the largest members of the deer family.
because in North america elk is a different animal altogether). Conservation Status: Least vulnerable The total North american population is about 800000-1. 2 million animals.
Hunters take about 90000 moose annually. Their only other predators are bears and wolves. Fortunately moose continue to be abundant despite fairly intense hunting pressures in parts of its range.
of which can paralyze the animal. Moose have been hunted since the Stone age. Excavations in Sweden near to the Stora Alvaret archeological site have yielded elk antlers in wooden hut remains from 6000 B c. indicating some of the earliest elk hunting in Northern europe.
Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Â Mammalia Order: Dasyuromorphia Family: Dasyuridae Genus: Sarcophilus Species: Sarcophilus harrisii Basic Tasmanian devil facts:
Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous marsupials in the world. The animals are sized dog with a stocky and muscular build.
They can reach 30 inches (76 centimeters) in length and weigh up to 26 pounds (12 kilograms).
and will consume all parts of an animal from fur to bones and sometimes they dig up dead animals to eat their rotting bodies.
Like other marsupials their tails swell with stored fat. Female devils give birth after about three weeks of pregnancy to 20 or 30 very tiny young called joeys.
because they thought the animals were hunting livestock and valuable fur stocks. They were trapped to the point of extinction
and mouth making it difficult for the animal to eat. The Australian government has listed the species as vulnerable because of the disease.
The animal's mouth can open very wide to express fear and uncertainty. To challenge other devils to a fight they use a sharp sneeze.
Because they store extra fat in their tails unhealthy animals have limp skinny tails. Their name means Harris's meat lover after the scientist who described them.
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