The pangolin, of which there are 8 species, is a strange creature that looks like a cross between a reptile and an anteater. In fact, this mammal can climb trees, has a long tongue for finding insects, is covered in keratin scales, can spray foul smelling liquid like a skunk, and are highly endangered (ranging from vulnerable to critically endangered).
Recently, I’ve had an incredible obsession with Emily Graslie and her YouTube series, The Brain Scoop. Graslie is a fantastic science communicator and you can tell that she is passionate and that she really knows her stuff, and when she doesn’t, her curiosity for the topic shines through.
Along the Laotian and Vietnamese border lives a small forest ox. This creature was only discovered in 1992 and has since only been seen a small number of times. Despite being a new-to-us species, it’s already under threat. This Odd Animal Profile is about the Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), which is already listed as critically endangered due to habitat loss and hunting. What can we learn about this fascinating animal before it’s too late?
In March of 2015, during the height of the Ebola crisis, the New York Blood Center(NYBC), a U.S. based research institution, stopped paying for the care of over 60 of its chimpanzees. These chimps which were used in hepatitis research at a center in Liberia, were then left on islands to live out their lives. The research project they were used in was created and funded by the NYBC in partnership with the Government of Liberia.
Last month I was fortunate enough to be able to have the trip of a life time that started in the Peruvian Amazon and ended high in the Andes exploring Machu Picchu. Less fortunately I was struck quite ill from the experience. That, on top of general life things and a cross country road trip I’ve been less than active on Endangered Living. Continue reading Into the Amazon
Today I wandered into a used bookstore and came out with several exciting finds. However, I’m only going to be talking about one: “The Great Naturalists” by Thames and Hudson which features predominantly male naturalists, as most accounts of any science pre-20th century tend to do. But hidden in the mini-biographies were two fantastic women: Maria Sibylla Merian and Mary Anning.
Wild Learning is Endangered Living’s new Youtube Channel! That’s right! We’re officially kind of official! I encourage you to go subscribe to my channel, even though there is not much there yet I promise it’s going to get exciting quick and you don’t want to miss a beat! Or a bug! Or a bird! Or any other exciting thing you might encounter on Wild Learning!
Maybe you’ve come across this because you were hoping to get a pet tiger/lion/monkey/ape/or some other strange exotic animal or perhaps someone posted this link because you shared a video or photo of one of these animals being kept as a pet. But why do some people have a problem with that? Why is it dangerous to simply say “Aww! It’s so cute!! I want one!”? Here are the top 3 dangers to sharing videos of exotic animals in unnatural settings (like living rooms): Continue reading You’ve shared an exotic pet video. Now what?
In 2012 a study was conducted that examined the genetics of the 20 lions in Ethiopia, a country in Northeastern Africa. The reason that the study targeted these 20 lions is that they were last of their kind. Ethiopian lions tend to be much smaller and darker in color than those found across the rest of the continent, and, as the study found, are genetically unique (though not unique enough to earn species or sub-species status) too. Continue reading Hidden Lions Found in Ethiopia
While I faced visa problem after visa problem I found comfort in knowing that one of my cohort, and a great friend, Tom was out in the jungles of Borneo living the dream. Somewhere between May and July of 2015 I asked him to write a guest post, and being the person that I am, I am only getting around to posting it now. Sorry, Tom! But it was worth the wait, he really brings the jungle to life:
In this summer of 2015 I had the good fortune to find myself in a Bornean rainforest conducting fieldwork for my MSc. The Sabangau peat-swamp forest in Central Kalimantan was my home for two months. As I write these words my time here is drawing to a close. Read on, if you will, and I will tell you about the remarkable place where I lived and the strange and wonderful things that I saw in my short time living in the jungle. Continue reading Guest Post: Tom in the Jungle
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