Animals http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1132&ft=1&f=1132 Animals en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Thu, 23 May 2013 20:01:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Animals http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1132&ft=1&f=1132 Evolution Saves Cockroaches From Taking The Bait A new study unravels the mystery of a peculiar transformation: sometime in the 1990s, the insects developed a sudden aversion to sweet-tasting poisons. Thu, 23 May 2013 20:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/23/186359665/evolution-saves-cockroaches-from-taking-the-bait?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/23/186359665/evolution-saves-cockroaches-from-taking-the-bait?ft=1&f=1132 A new study unravels the mystery of a peculiar transformation: sometime in the 1990s, the insects developed a sudden aversion to sweet-tasting poisons.

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]]> Researchers Find Bird Flu Is Contagious Among Ferrets The virus's ability to move between these mammals might not bode well for humans. So far, it appears that H7N9 doesn't pass easily between people, but it could mutate over time and pose more of a threat. Thu, 23 May 2013 15:49:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/23/186304710/researchers-find-bird-flu-is-contagious-among-ferrets?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/23/186304710/researchers-find-bird-flu-is-contagious-among-ferrets?ft=1&f=1132 The virus's ability to move between these mammals might not bode well for humans. So far, it appears that H7N9 doesn't pass easily between people, but it could mutate over time and pose more of a threat.

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]]> 'Morning Edition' Listeners Get Their Feathers In A Bunch On the show Tuesday, we told you about some scientists in Canada whose research crops were destroyed by "Canadian geese." Listeners said we got the name wrong and they explained why. Wed, 22 May 2013 07:28:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/22/185977939/morning-edition-listeners-get-their-feathers-in-a-bunch?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/22/185977939/morning-edition-listeners-get-their-feathers-in-a-bunch?ft=1&f=1132 On the show Tuesday, we told you about some scientists in Canada whose research crops were destroyed by "Canadian geese." Listeners said we got the name wrong and they explained why.

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]]> African Cities Test The Limits Of Living With Livestock Hipsters may just be discovering the joys of backyard chickens, but in African megacities, people have been bringing their animals into the slums with them for decades. That's creating a new ecosystem of animals and huge numbers of people living closely together like never before. Tue, 21 May 2013 16:26:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/21/185763979/african-cities-test-the-limits-of-living-with-livestock?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/21/185763979/african-cities-test-the-limits-of-living-with-livestock?ft=1&f=1132 Hipsters may just be discovering the joys of backyard chickens, but in African megacities, people have been bringing their animals into the slums with them for decades. That's creating a new ecosystem of animals and huge numbers of people living closely together like never before.

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]]> Washington State Butcher Spikes Pig Feed With Weed Despite its name, the "pot pig" experiment isn't an attempt to develop a new meaty treat for stoners. Instead, a Seattle butcher is feeding marijuana seeds, stems and root bulbs to swine as a cheeky money-saving measure. Mon, 20 May 2013 15:27:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/17/184848204/washington-state-butcher-adds-weed-in-the-pig-feed?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/17/184848204/washington-state-butcher-adds-weed-in-the-pig-feed?ft=1&f=1132 Despite its name, the "pot pig" experiment isn't an attempt to develop a new meaty treat for stoners. Instead, a Seattle butcher is feeding marijuana seeds, stems and root bulbs to swine as a cheeky money-saving measure.

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]]> Insects May Be The Taste Of The Next Generation, Report Says A report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says insects offer a huge potential for improving the world's food security. Peter Menzel, co-author of <em>Man Eating Bugs</em>, describes some insect-based cuisine and the western aversion to creepy-crawly snacks. Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184775920/insects-may-be-the-taste-of-the-next-generation-report-says?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184775920/insects-may-be-the-taste-of-the-next-generation-report-says?ft=1&f=1132 A report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says insects offer a huge potential for improving the world's food security. Peter Menzel, co-author of Man Eating Bugs, describes some insect-based cuisine and the western aversion to creepy-crawly snacks.

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]]> What Did I Do Last Summer? Oh, I Discovered How To Make Babies Without Sex. And You? Sex is nice, but can animals make babies without it? One summer, two little boys, their tutor and the tutor's two friends did an experiment to explore this question. What they discovered, back in 1740, shocked the world. Fri, 17 May 2013 09:54:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/16/184593276/what-did-i-do-last-summer-oh-i-discovered-how-to-make-babies-without-sex-and-you?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/16/184593276/what-did-i-do-last-summer-oh-i-discovered-how-to-make-babies-without-sex-and-you?ft=1&f=1132 Sex is nice, but can animals make babies without it? One summer, two little boys, their tutor and the tutor's two friends did an experiment to explore this question. What they discovered, back in 1740, shocked the world.

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]]> Human Scent Is Even Sweeter For Malaria Mosquitoes Scientists used a Dutch woman's dirty stocking to learn that mosquitoes infected with malaria find humans hard to resist. Like a fungus that turns ants into zombies, the parasite seems to change the behavior of the mosquitoes for its own benefit. Thu, 16 May 2013 11:48:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/15/184251627/humans-scent-is-even-sweeter-for-malaria-mosquitoes?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/15/184251627/humans-scent-is-even-sweeter-for-malaria-mosquitoes?ft=1&f=1132 Scientists used a Dutch woman's dirty stocking to learn that mosquitoes infected with malaria find humans hard to resist. Like a fungus that turns ants into zombies, the parasite seems to change the behavior of the mosquitoes for its own benefit.

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]]> Go Fish (Somewhere Else): Warming Oceans Are Altering Catches Fish are moving away from the equator and toward the poles to maintain their preferred water temperature. That means, for example, that fishermen are seeing swordfish normally found in the Mediterranean swimming near Denmark. But in the tropics, there are no fish to replace the ones that are leaving. Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/15/183968378/go-fish-somewhere-else-warming-oceans-are-altering-catches?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/15/183968378/go-fish-somewhere-else-warming-oceans-are-altering-catches?ft=1&f=1132 Fish are moving away from the equator and toward the poles to maintain their preferred water temperature. That means, for example, that fishermen are seeing swordfish normally found in the Mediterranean swimming near Denmark. But in the tropics, there are no fish to replace the ones that are leaving.

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]]> The Enemy Inside: Rhino's Protectors Sometimes Aid Poachers The defenders of Africa's rhinos are battling a well-financed and well-informed enemy. Poachers clear $40,000 or more for a single rhino horn. They have cash for the latest weaponry and to pay for inside information from some of the very people whose job it is to protect the rhinos. Tue, 14 May 2013 15:05:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/14/183914773/The-Enemy-Inside-Rhinos-Protectors-Sometimes-Aid-Poachers?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/14/183914773/The-Enemy-Inside-Rhinos-Protectors-Sometimes-Aid-Poachers?ft=1&f=1132 The defenders of Africa's rhinos are battling a well-financed and well-informed enemy. Poachers clear $40,000 or more for a single rhino horn. They have cash for the latest weaponry and to pay for inside information from some of the very people whose job it is to protect the rhinos.

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]]> What Is It About Bees And Hexagons? Bees could build flat honeycombs from just three shapes: squares, triangles or hexagons. But for some reason, bees choose hexagons. <em>Always</em> "perfect" hexagons. Why? Tue, 14 May 2013 09:50:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/13/183704091/what-is-it-about-bees-and-hexagons?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/13/183704091/what-is-it-about-bees-and-hexagons?ft=1&f=1132 Bees could build flat honeycombs from just three shapes: squares, triangles or hexagons. But for some reason, bees choose hexagons. Always "perfect" hexagons. Why?

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]]> Vietnam's Appetite For Rhino Horn Drives Poaching In Africa Demand for rhino horn, used in traditional Chinese medicine, is fueling a slaughter of the animals in Africa. In Vietnam, the sought-after commodity is fetching prices as high as $1,400 an ounce, or about the price of gold. There, some believe ground horn can cure everything from hangovers to cancer. Mon, 13 May 2013 15:05:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/14/181587969/Vietnams-Appetite-For-Rhino-Horn-Drives-Poaching-In-Africa?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/14/181587969/Vietnams-Appetite-For-Rhino-Horn-Drives-Poaching-In-Africa?ft=1&f=1132 Demand for rhino horn, used in traditional Chinese medicine, is fueling a slaughter of the animals in Africa. In Vietnam, the sought-after commodity is fetching prices as high as $1,400 an ounce, or about the price of gold. There, some believe ground horn can cure everything from hangovers to cancer.

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]]> For Year-Round Buzz, Beekeepers 'Fast-Forward Darwinism' Honeybees are in trouble across the U.S., but one association in Massachusetts is hoping to boost the population in its own area. The bees it currently uses have a hard time surviving the winter and battling other foes that have been killing bees nationwide. So beekeepers in Plympton decided to breed their own. Sun, 12 May 2013 13:47:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/12/183266512/for-year-round-buzz-beekeepers-fast-forward-darwinism?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/12/183266512/for-year-round-buzz-beekeepers-fast-forward-darwinism?ft=1&f=1132 Honeybees are in trouble across the U.S., but one association in Massachusetts is hoping to boost the population in its own area. The bees it currently uses have a hard time surviving the winter and battling other foes that have been killing bees nationwide. So beekeepers in Plympton decided to breed their own.

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]]> Rhino Horns Fuel Deadly, Intercontinental Trade NPR's Frank Langfitt and Gregory Warner have teamed up for a series about how myth and money are driving extraordinary slaughter of rhinos. They talk with host Rachel Martin about the issue, which has repercussions from the African continent all the way to Asia. Sun, 12 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=183315456&ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=183315456&ft=1&f=1132 NPR's Frank Langfitt and Gregory Warner have teamed up for a series about how myth and money are driving extraordinary slaughter of rhinos. They talk with host Rachel Martin about the issue, which has repercussions from the African continent all the way to Asia.

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]]> To Count Elephants In The Forest, Watch Where You Step To know how elephants are faring, they need to be counted. But how do you count them when they're hidden under thick forest canopies? A conservationist in the 1980s started to count their poop, and that helped to create a model of elephants' numbers and movement through the forest. Sat, 11 May 2013 05:29:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/11/182951560/to-count-elephants-in-the-forest-look-down?ft=1&f=1132 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/11/182951560/to-count-elephants-in-the-forest-look-down?ft=1&f=1132 To know how elephants are faring, they need to be counted. But how do you count them when they're hidden under thick forest canopies? A conservationist in the 1980s started to count their poop, and that helped to create a model of elephants' numbers and movement through the forest.

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