Did you know that rats laugh when you tickle them? (I learn all sorts of interesting things from living with an animal behavior guy). Not only that, they vary the intensity of their laugh response depending on their level of enjoyment. Humans can’t pick up these high pitched giggles and guffaws without a bat-range listening…
Cheering for an animal’s organs makes up one of my many badges of geekdom. In February I found out that Lizzy, one of my 10-year-old cats, had diabetes. Granted, I’d been getting the “fat cat lecture” from vets for almost five years. My black bundle of meows, attitude, klutziness, and a bottomless stomach was overweight.…
No, it’s not some kind of YouTube ruse or even a clever trick. Some animals have rhythm according to papers published this week in Current Biology (this one and this one). So, yes, the science is cool, but when there’s a fun video to go with it? Even better. We’re a parrot-loving household (a nearly…
Mussels (and geckos) exploit all sorts of crazy chemistry that scientists are still trying to understand and learn from. Geckos’ feet are the ultimate post-it notes, sticking and unsticking to surfaces without any glue. Mussels coat their “feet” in a natural protein super-glue. Some scientists are even trying to combine the two features. I’ve written…
My source at the National Zoo (otherwise known as my husband) sent me this photo of the newest bundle of gorilla joy. Apparently mom gave birth in the exhibit in full view of the public on Saturday. They don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl, and zoo folks may not get a good…