Large-Scale Squid Wash-Up Follows Quake

A recent California earthquake beached numerous squid causing public alarm.

San Diego News report:

"Dozens of dazed Humboldt squid, which were roughly three- to four-feet long and weighed close to 40 pounds, were found flapping around on La Jolla Shores beach. “It’s like their equilibrium is all messed up and they don’t know what they’re doing and they can’t back out there,” said beachgoer Bill Baumann. “It was like they got ... all shook up.” See full article.

Short Film: Baby Sea Turtle Release in Mexico

Here's something that will help you smile.

A Malibu (CA) based turtle rescue organization has instituted World Turtle Day -- (It was May 23, 2009). American Tortoise Rescue, has found homes for more than 3,000 turtles and tortoises since its inception in 1990.

Part of the 2009 celebration was a baby turtle release in Mexico.

LA Times: See article and short film.

The Case of The Mysterious Horseshoe Bat Nose

A sixty year anatomical mystery concerning a bat's nose is explained. Photo: Rolf Mueller

Cathy Taibbi Examiner.com reports:

"A research paper co-written by a Virginia Tech faculty member explains a 60-year mystery behind a rare bat's nose that is unusually large for its species. The findings soon will be published in the scientific trade journal, Physical Review Letters.

According to the release, Mueller's findings show that the bat uses its elongated nose to create a highly focused sonar beam. Bats detect their environment through ultrasonic beams, or sonar, emitted from their mouths -- or noses, as in the case of the paradoxolophus bat. The echoes of the sound wave convey a wealth of information on objects in the bat's environment. This bat from the remote rainforests of South East Asia received its name 58 years ago because of its mysterious trait." See full article.

Gorp's Top Ten National Parks for Viewing Wildlife

Gorp.away.com and Nicole Daro have developed a top ten list of National Parks for Wildlife Viewing. See full article.

Channel Islands
Glacier Bay
Denali
Glacier
Yellowstone
Rocky Mountain
Theodore Roosevelt
Big Bend
Isle Royale
Everglades

Prison Inmates Raise Endangered Frogs With Greater Success Than Experts!

Two prison inmates in Washington State have discovered they have an extraordinary knack for endangered species TLC. Photo: Mike Siegel, S. Times.

Jennifer Sullivan from the Seattle Times reports:

Since spring, Greer and fellow inmate Albert Delp have spent the bulk of their days inside a small fenced-off area at the Cedar Creek Corrections Center fussing over — and fattening — several dozen frogs. The two men are part of a project to bolster the dwindling population of the Oregon spotted frog, an animal once widespread in the Puget Sound area. The effort focuses on raising the frogs until they get big enough to no longer be a snack for natural predators. 'They would like to re-establish them back at Fort Lewis and I'm part of the project,' said Greer, who is serving time for robbery. With guidance from a senior researcher from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and staff from nearby Evergreen State College, the two men started with 80 Oregon spotted frog eggs in early April. As the eggs grew into tadpoles then into frogs, the two men have been responsible for the frequent feedings and tank-water changes. The whole time they have taken detailed notes for state researchers. See full article.

White Whale Gets Its Own Special Exclusion Zone

A unique white humpbacked whale near Australia is getting some special privileges. Photo by: D. Burns.

Wire News Services reports:

"Australian authorities have warned the public to stay away from a rare white humpback whale named Migaloo that has made an appearance off the east coast. Officials in Queensland state have declared Migaloo a "special-interest whale" and banned anyone from coming within 500 metres of him. Anyone coming too close by boat, jet ski or aircraft will face a fine of ... (£8,000)." See full article.

Rare Fossilized Dinosaur Skin Offers Picture of Real Thing

A recent fossil find in North Dakota is bringing us closer to a 65 million year old creature.

Christopher Joyce of NPR reports:

"Phillip Manning and the young man who found the fossil, Tyler Lyson, spent years digging up the hadrosaur, funded in part by the National Geographic Society. Paleontologist Manning, from the University of Manchester in England, says he was "gobsmacked" by what they found.
'The tail is three-dimensional, intact. The skin is like a cone of skin slipped over the skeleton; it's beautiful. The arm is just ... it's like shaking hands with a dinosaur, the three-dimensional skin envelope runs all the way around from the hand all the way up to its armpit. It's quite remarkable.'" See full article.

Mysterious Three Foot Earthworm Up for Protection

The Giant Palouse Earthworm lives in the deep soils of the Palouse region or Idaho and Washington and has been seen only a few times over the course of a century. (Photo University of Idaho and AP archives)

The Star Telegram.com reports:

"Fans of the giant Palouse earthworm are again seeking federal protection for the rare, sweet-smelling species that spits at predators. Sightings of the worm have been reported only four times in 110 years, but supporters contend that it is still present in the Palouse, a region of about 2 million acres of rolling wheat fields near the Idaho-Washington border south of Spokane. Decades of intense agriculture and urban sprawl have wiped out much of the worm’s habitat, said Steve Paulson with Friends of the Clearwater. Only about 2 percent of the Palouse prairie remains in a native state, he said. The worm can reach 3 feet long, is white and reportedly possesses a unique lily smell, said Greenwald, who is based in Portland, Ore. It is the largest and longest-lived earthworm in North America." See full article.

Orangutan and Blue Tick Hound Become Fast Friends

A stray dog strolls into an endangered animal park and is immediately adopted -- by one of the endangered species!

Ki Mae Heussner for ABC News reports:

"Dr. Bhagavan Antle, founder of The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS) in Myrtle Beach, told the Daily Mail that Roscoe followed him and Suryia through the park's gate one day.

'As soon as he saw Roscoe, Suryia ran over to him and they started playing.' Antle said 'It was unusual because dogs are usually scared of primates; but they took to each other straight away.'
After a few unsuccessful phone calls to find an owner, Antle said they decided to let Roscoe stay."

Woodstork Rebirth in Everglades and Beyond

Recent increases in the numbers of nesting wood storks is giving rise to the debate about when an endangered species is no longer in peril. While developers would like to see protection rules for the species eased, conservationists would like to see the population with its long term stability better insured. Still the resurgence is positive. (Photo: Suzanne Mast, Miami Herald File)

The Miami Herald reports:

'''We haven't seen this kind of nesting efforts and eggs laid since the 1930s,'' said Dean Powell, director of watershed management for the South Florida Water Management District, which compiles an annual population assessment of wading birds.

One of the largest colonies -- more than 1,000 pairs -- still lives on the fringe of the Glades in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary east of Naples, but more are now in smaller, scattered groups from North Florida to Georgia and South Carolina, two states where the birds were never found before the 1980s." See full article.

Rare Wolverine Caught on Camera on Mount Adams

The Cascades Carnivore Project has been stalking one of the least known and most rare mammals in North America -- with remote cameras. (Phot0 Cascades Carnivore Project) Check out their site for some other amazing pictures.

The Seattle Times reports:

"Photographed by a remote camera at 6,100 feet on the northwest slope of the mountain, [Mount Adams] the location of the animal that far south in Washington state was a surprise to wildlife biologists. The very few wolverines known to exist in Washington — only about 20 — have been sighted almost exclusively in the North Cascades.

Gulo gulo, dubbed "skunk bear" for its striped and pungent coat, was thought to be extinct that far south. It took 15 months of rugged field work just to get a picture of the animal." See full article.

Efforts to Save The Rare Pallid Sturgeon

A large white and very ancient fish lives in the waters of the Missouri River basin but it is becoming more rare.

The Constitution Tribune reports:

"Pallid sturgeon, which are distinctively almost snow white and Federally “endangered”, and lake sturgeon are the only two species of larger fish (the rest are minnows, darters and cavefish) that are classified as endangered under Missouri Wildlife Code 10-4.111 and anglers are not allowed to possess them. Anyone catching a pallid sturgeon is required to immediately release it.

The Missouri River Recovery Team project, a cooperative effort involving MDC and their Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa counterparts plus the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Geological Survey, involves capturing pallid sturgeon in several locations in the Missouri River, one of the few rivers still containing any of this rare species" See full article.

White Wallaby -- No Worries

An all-white wallaby stands out in a crowd for sure.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

"A rare albino swamp wallaby has been found living on the edge of Kosciuszko National Park in NSW, a stone's throw from Perisher ski resort. National park field officers spotted the cute, fully-grown marsupial, thought to be between one and two years of age, while maintaining tracks just outside the national park boundary last week. Kosciuszko National Park ranger Andrew Miller said the well camouflaged 90cm tall animal had been spotted twice eating grass in the sub-alpine region. "It's the first time any of us around here have seen one around Kosciuszko,' he told AAP." See full article.

1941 Zoology Science Test: Some Things Change and Some Remain the Same.

A 1941 science test found tucked away in an old science text tells us a few things about the evolving theory of evolution, what things were like before DNA information was in the picture and more.

Dan Vergano of USA Today reports:

Some of us might rather forget our old science exams. But sometimes they still have lessons to offer. For example, take a 1941 exam unearthed by one anatomy professor. The test is a relic of a simpler time that tells us a lot about the evolution of studying evolution.

What makes the 1941 test a fossil in its own right is that it doesn't mention DNA, or molecular biology, in its questions about evolution. ... As we all recall, tests work up to hard questions, and the 11th one on the 1941 exam asks whether whole new classes of back-boned species arise from unique, fairly recent ancestors or from early, more primitive life. "That's still a really big question today," See full article.

Young Eagle Sees Dog as Prey

A Jack Russell Terrier recently had a run in with a young bald eagle and got the worst of the encounter.

Hometown Annapolis.com reports:

"Trubee and Jurchison (dog's owners) suspect the eaglet spotted Moby as a potential meal and tried to fly off with him. They reason that Moby, who is mostly white, was a visible target against the green grass. Perhaps the eaglet didn't realize just how heavy the dog was.

'Who would have thought a raptor would swoop down and try to take your dog?' Trubee said. Moby suffered puncture wounds all over his body, which are now healing with the help of an antibiotic and painkillers from the veterinarian. see full article.