FLORA FAUNA - AFRICA DAILY

Scientists discover new 'transformer frog' in Ecuador

Apr 01, 2015 (AFP)

It doesn't turn into Prince Charming, but a new species of frog discovered in Ecuador has earned the nickname "transformer frog" for its ability to change its s...

How did the chicken cross the sea

Mar 31, 2015 (SPX)

It may sound like the makings of a joke, but answering the question of how chickens crossed the sea may soon provide more than just a punch line. Michigan State...

Manganese speeds up honey bees

Mar 30, 2015 (SPX)

Asked to name one way people have changed the environment, many people would probably say "global warming." But that's really just the start of it. People burn ...

Rethinking wetland restoration: Smaller wetlands more valuable than previously thought

Mar 27, 2015 (SPX)

Most efforts to protect and restore wetlands mistakenly focus on preserving only total wetland area, with no consideration of ecosystem services provided by dif...

Florida Tech study finds climate refuges where corals survive, grow

Mar 27, 2015 (SPX)

Reef-building corals, already thought to be living near their upper thermal limits, are experiencing unprecedented declines as the world's oceans continue to wa...

Squid enrich their DNA 'blueprint' through prolific RNA editing

Mar 26, 2015 (SPX)

One of the surprising discoveries to emerge from the young field of comparative genomics is that drastically different organisms--humans, sea urchins, worms, fl...

Shrinking habitats have adverse effects on world ecosystems

Mar 26, 2015 (SPX)

An extensive study of global habitat fragmentation - the division of habitats into smaller and more isolated patches - points to major trouble for a number of t...

Is blood really thicker than water

Mar 26, 2015 (SPX)

It isn't that often that a scientific controversy is featured in the New Yorker, but in 2012 an article titled "Kin and Kind" describing a tempest over a biolog...

Botswana talks to end illegal wildlife trade

Mar 25, 2015 (AFP)

Experts are gathering in Botswana on Wednesday to try to end the illegal wildlife trade that is decimating populations of elephants, rhinos and other threatened...

Botswana conference heightens alarm over illegal wildlife trade

Mar 25, 2015 (AFP)

Conservation experts meeting in Botswana on Wednesday issued dire warnings over the booming illegal wildlife trade that threatens the survival of elephants, rhi...

Parasite turns shrimp into voracious cannibals

Mar 23, 2015 (SPX)

Parasites can play an important role in driving cannibalism, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Leeds, Queen's University Belfast and St...

Bats are surprisingly fast decision makers

Mar 23, 2015 (SPX)

Bats are not as stereotyped when they hunt as previously believed. New research shows that these flying mammals are capable of making ultra-fast decisions about...

Beetles beat out extinction

Mar 23, 2015 (SPX)

Today's rich variety of beetles may be due to an historically low extinction rate rather than a high rate of new species emerging, according to a new study. The...

The secret to an effortless, split-second slime attack

Mar 23, 2015 (SPX)

The velvet worm is a slow-moving, unassuming creature. With its soft body, probing antennae, and stubby legs, it looks like a slug on stilts as it creeps along ...

Time running out for wild elephants say experts

Mar 23, 2015 (AFP)

African elephants could be extinct in the wild within a few decades, experts warned on Monday at a major conservation summit in Botswana that highlighted an ala...

Cyborg beetle research allows free-flight study of insects

Mar 23, 2015 (SPX)

Hard-wiring beetles for radio-controlled flight turns out to be a fitting way to learn more about their biology. Cyborg insect research led by engineers at the ...

How planthoppers got their wings

Mar 23, 2015 (SPX)

Each year, rice in Asia faces a big threat from a sesame seed-sized insect called the brown planthopper. Now, a study reveals the molecular switch that enables ...

Frenchman fights to make Gabon a gorilla haven

Mar 23, 2015 (AFP)

Hearing the dreaded sound of human footsteps, three enormous gorillas jump down from the branches of central Gabon's lush rainforests and rush off into the dist...

Plants' defensive responses have downstream effects on nearby ecosystems

Mar 23, 2015 (SPX)

Chemical changes that occur in tree leaves after being attacked by insects and mammals can impact nearby streams, which rely on fallen plant material as a food ...

Scientists discover gecko secret

Mar 23, 2015 (SPX)

In a world first, a research team including James Cook University scientists has discovered how geckos manage to stay clean, even in dusty deserts. The process,...