Man's best friend could be a jaguar's next meal: A case study from the Mexican Caribbean
Events of jaguars predating on and attacking dogs are poorly documented throughout the Americas. Researchers from Mexico and Germany report in detail jaguar attacks on 20 dogs at a tourist site in the Mexican Caribbean. In addition, they describe an initiative proposed by locals as well as national Read more
Cats' whiskers reveal felines favor free lunch
Domestic cats that regularly catch wild animals still get most of their nutrition from food provided at home, new research shows. Read more
25-million-year-old ancient eagle ruled the roost in Australia
A 25-million-year-old eagle fossil found in South Australia adds to the long evolutionary history of raptors in Australia. Read more
Dog parasite is developing resistance to treatments
Right now, U.S. veterinarians rely on three types of drugs to kill the hookworms, but the parasites appear to becoming resistant to all of them. Dog hookworms can also infect humans. Read more
Cats less stressed after adoption by families with children with autism, study finds
While researchers have found that adding a shelter cat to the family can help lower stress and anxiety for children with autism, a new study shows that joining a family does wonders for the felines, too. Read more
Seven personality and behavior traits identified in cats
Researchers have developed a new comprehensive questionnaire for surveying feline personality and behavior. A dataset of more than 4,300 cats representing 26 breed groups revealed seven personality and behavior traits, with significant differences observed between breeds. Read more
Carnivore interactions are a game of risk and reward
Coyotes can eat by scavenging cougars' prey but it's a risky proposition as coyotes often end up killed by cougars too, a new study of predator interactions shows. Read more
Discovery of prehistoric mammals suggests rapid evolution of mammals after dinosaur extinction
Scientists have discovered three new species of ancient creatures from the dawn of modern mammals that hint at rapid evolution immediately after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. Read more
Cats prefer to get free meals rather than work for them
When given the choice between a free meal and performing a task for a meal, cats would prefer the meal that doesn't require much effort. Read more
Some birds steal hair from living mammals, study finds
A new paper documents an unusual behavior among tufted titmice and their closest bird kin. A bird will land on an unsuspecting mammal and, cautiously and stealthily, pluck out some of its hair. Read more
Man's new best friend: What cats can teach us about human genetics and precision medicine
Although cats have lived alongside humans for millennia, it remains a dogs' world. This bias has historically bled into science as well. It's time for cats to get their day, argues veterinary medicine experts. Cats, they say, have the potential to be a valuable model organism for geneticis Read more
Why four-legged animals are better sprinters
Scientists have studied the characteristics determining the maximum running speed in animals. The model they developed explains why humans cannot keep up with the fastest sprinters in the animal kingdom. Based on these calculations, the giant spider Shelob from 'The Lord of the Rings' woul Read more
How a large cat deity helps people to share space with leopards in India
A new study documents how a big cat deity worshipped by Indigenous Peoples facilitates coexistence between humans and leopards. Read more
New method lets researchers rapidly monitor snow leopard stress levels in the wild
Biologists can now analyze snow leopard stress hormones in the field. Read more
DNA data and modelling reveal potential spread of invasive species
Scientists have found that a marine invasive species - a sea squirt that lives on rocky shores - could spread along 3,500 kilometers of South American coastline if climate change or human activities alter sea conditions. Read more
Tracking data show how the quiet of pandemic-era lockdowns allowed pumas to venture closer to urban areas
Researchers were able to clearly connect declining levels of human mobility during regional shelter-in-place orders with pumas' increased willingness to utilize more urban habitat areas. Read more
Natural history and conservation importance of Chinese mountain cat
In a large study of Chinese cats, genetic detectives highlight the evolutionary uniqueness and premier conservation importance of the elusive Chinese mountain cat (Felis silvestris bieti), found only in the Tibetan plateau of China. Read more
