Lonesome George

Meet Lonesome George, the world's last remaining Pinta Island Tortoise, a species now listed as being 'Extinct in the Wild' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The species was driven to extinction because whalers and other Galapagos settlers collected them for consumption. On top of that, feral goats were introduced and destroyed the island's vegetation. Lonesome George was found in 1971 and moved to the Charles Darwin Research Station in hopes of finding a female that could be introduced for a captive breeding program. On two occasions George successfully mated with two females of different subspecies, but none of the eggs were viable.

Recent research analyzing DNA sequences revealed that other Pinta Island Tortoises might exist on the neighboring Galapagos island of Isabela (PubMed). One male tortoise that was screened had half of its genes in common with George's subspecies, suggesting that it is likely a first generation intergrade between the subspecies. This means that a pure Pinta Island Tortoise might be living among the 2000 tortoises on Isabela. The Darwin Research Station is offering $10,000 to anyone who discovers a Pinta female.

Curious Chimpanzee

As a part of The Goulougo Ape Project in the Republic of Congo, researchers have set up many cameras in the field in order to learn more about human's closest relative: the chimpanzee. The region known as the Goulougo Triangle is a dense jungle terrain of great biodiversity, and is home to many other endangered animals including Forest Elephants and Western Lowland Gorillas. It has been dubbed "The Last Place on Earth" by National Geographic and "The Last Eden" by Time. In this short video clip we bare witness to the chimpanzee's innate sense of curiosity upon noticing the presence of the camera. Enjoy!

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, this massive accumulation of marine litter (mostly plastic) is located in the central North Pacific Ocean, approximately between 135 to 155W and 35 to 42N. The exact size of this floating island of garbage is unknown, although estimates range from the size of the state of Texas to one larger than the continental United States. Although the existence of this garbage buildup was predicted in a 1988 NOAA publication, its actual confirmed discovery did not come until 1997 when Charles Moore came across it after the Transpac sailing race. Oceanographers were alerted and gave the region the title "Eastern Garbage Patch" (EGP).

Marine debris has been amalgamating all over the world's oceans, and it is assumed that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch formed by the similar mechanisms: oceanic currents. The garbage patch is located in a seemingly stationary region of the North Pacific Ocean located in the middle of many strong currents. It draws in waste materials from across the entire ocean, including coastal waters off Japan and North America. As debris becomes trapped in the currents, the floating plastic is gradually moved towards the center by wind-driven surface currents. Moore's description of the patch as a massive accumulation of plastic is slightly misleading. The process of disintegration means that the plastic particles in most of the patch are actually too small to be seen. In a 2001 study, researchers found concentrations of plastics to be 334,721 pieces per km squared, with a mean mass of 11.27 lbs per km squared.

As the plastic is disintegrating into smaller and smaller particles, many of them are sinking deep into the ocean and affecting many levels of the food web. These small pieces of toxic-filled plastic have been known to be consumed by jellyfish, which are then eaten by larger fish. Some of the long-lasting larger pieces of plastics are consumed by marine birds and animals, including sea turtles and the albatross.

The initial cleanup steps are now underway as groups are taking samples and attempting to raise awareness of the issue. Make no mistake though, irreversible damage has already been done. Cleaning up the plastic will be a costly and difficult endeavor, one which might be thwarted by a buildup of more plastics likely to be occurring at a faster rate.

Elusive Venomous Mammal

The Hispaniolan solendon waddles around one Caribbean island with its long, thin snout. This shrew-like mammal is capable of injecting its prey with a venom-packed bite. Just like many creatures in these regions, it is threatened by hunting, deforestation, and the introduction of competing species. After a period of dormancy in the media, the mammal was finally filmed in the summer of 2008, when it was spotted in the Dominican Republic. Neighboring Haiti is the only other country where this nocturnal, insect-eating animal can be found.

Dr Richard Young, from Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, said: "My colleagues were excited and thrilled when they found it in the trap. "But despite a month's worth of trapping effort, they only ever caught a single individual."

He said: "They are still incredibly vulnerable and fragile. So it is really important to get back out there to work how how these animals are surviving." However, sometimes it can be difficult to focus on important conservation goals in countries like Haiti, where remedying political corruption takes the top spot on the To Do list. Here is a video of the captured:

RIP Debby

Sadly, Debby died a few days ago in her home at the Winnipeg Zoo where she lived to the beyond-ripe age just shy of 42. This was not surprising news, as her health had been deteriorating quickly over the past few months. See the post made on August 1st.

She was recognized in the 2008 Guiness Book of World Records as the oldest polar bear.

Pocket Primate

The pygmy tarsier (tarsius pumilus) last spotted in 1920, was thought to be extinct, until recently when a team of researchers captured three (two males + one female) in an Indonesian cloud forest on Mount Rore Katimo in Lore-Lindu National Park. They attached radio collars to their necks in order to track their movements and released them.

These little nocturnal creatures weigh less than 60 grams and have dense fur that keeps them warm in their cold habitat at high altitudes. Its eyes cannot move, so when hunting for small insects or vertebrates it turns its head 180 degrees. Unlike other primates it has claws, rather than nails.

On Your Mark, Get Set, TOAD!

The Cane Toad (Bufo Marinus) is a massive terrestrial toad native to Central and Southern America. In 1935 they were introduced to Australia in an attempt to control the native Cane Beetle population which was growing out of control. Initially there were 3000 young toads introduced, but since then they have grown to an astonishing 200 million. Due to their migratory nature they have started to evolve larger legs, larger bodies, and increased their speed of movement.

It is estimated that these toads migrate at an average of 40 km per year. This is making people nervous since they are starting to destroy flora, as well as other species, such as the Northern Quoll and certain snakes. To get an idea of how they are spreading, see the map below:

Recently some researchers have made progress predictions regarding the migration of this explosively breeding species. In the spirit of the recent Olympics, scientists have staged a 2 meter sprint event in a laboratory setting. The Ecography journal reports that Toads could hop as fast as 2km per hour at 30C, but were only able to hop at 0.3 km per hour at 15C.

Previous studies have predicted that southern regions of Australia, including Melbourne, will eventually face the toad invasion. Head researcher Dr. Kearney feels otherwise: "The cane toads cannot survive in much of southern Australia because they would be too cold to move about and forage or spawn." Perhaps these cold temperatures will halt the progress of the toad army after all.

Blackle

Developed by Heap Media Australia, is this easy alternative to Google... what's the difference? Instead of a white background, it's black. Other than that, there are plenty of Google extras that have been omitted.

So what's the big deal? Blackle argues that computer monitors use different amounts of energy dependent on what colors they are showing. In a 2002 study, they determined that an all black screen used less energy than an all white screen. Although this might be insignificant during your own 30 second search, think of the billions of hits that Google receives. Blackle creators estimate that a black Google would save 750 megawatt hours per year. To put that in perspective, 1 megawatt hour is the equivalent of 10,000 hundred-watt light bulbs turned on for 1 hour. On the Blackle Homepage they have a counter showing the number of watt hours saved. As of August 28, 2008 they claim to have saved 793,544.792 watt hours.

Oldest Polar Bear Dying

Meet Debby, the world's oldest living polar bear, currently a resident of Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo. She is 41 years and 8 months old, which more than doubles the expected life span for most polar bears that live in the wild.

"We like to boast that we're the polar bear capital of the world, with all of the polar bears up at Churchill and along the coast," zoo curator Bob Wrigley said.

She spent years living in her enclosure with her former mate Skipper, who died six years ago. Zoo keepers claim that they would huddle together outside through the night, even in -40 C. temperatures. In the morning, they would wake up completely covered in snow drifts, Wrigley said. Their long relationship was unusual for the usually solitary animals. Although options aren't too extensive when living in a zoo.

Unfortunately for Debby, her old age is catching up, and reports have been made that she is dying from age-related medical complications. She has suffered several strokes and is losing weight. Her "prognosis of recovery from age-related medical problems is not good," the zoo said in a release. Get better Debby!

Lemur Emergence

A new population of lemurs has been discovered in the Torotorofotsy wetland region of east-central Madagascar. The extremely rare greater bamboo lemur, or Prolemur simus, is listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union. This newfound group joins another isolated population of ~100 animals in Madagascar's northern bamboo forests, some 400 km away.

Scientists estimate that 30 to 40 of the lemurs live in the swampy region, where bamboo is plentiful. These wrinkly faced creatures are known for cracking open giant bamboo with their industrial-strength jaws. Perhaps a pocket population strayed south to escape habitat destruction from illegal logging, which is common in the north.

Re: Hydro High Hopes

"Too good to be true" is what everybody was thinking, well they might have been right. It all seemed so simple... The Reuters-released video showed water being poured into an energy system, and the car was shown driving. Why has there been no media attention? Then conspiracy theories arise: "The oil-guzzling governments are suppressing this technology, they don't care about the environment". Not so fast. After further research, leaves were overturned, and the truth was revealed.

It is actually quite simple to make a car appear as if it runs on water. How? Through the use of metal hydrides, which react with water to produce hydrogen, in turn powering the vehicle. But with time these hydrides start to deplete and eventually need to be replaced. So in a way the hydrides are the fuel, not the water. More energy goes into producing such hydrides than they can produce themselves.

Apologies for falling into the trap of presenting misleading information. Perhaps a more suitable title for the vehicle would have been 'Hydride Car'.

Sound The Horn

This year-old roe deer, nicknamed Unicorn, was born in captivity with a genetic mutation that gave it a single horn on the center of its head. Since then it has been drawing hundreds of onlookers to its home at a nature preserve in Tuscany.

"We have received so many calls from people, and many are coming to see it," said Gilberto Tozzi, director of the Center of Natural Sciences in Prato, northwest of Florence. "Sometimes he comes close to the fence, even if he is very shy."

Single horned deer are very rare, but not unheard of, however its central positioning is unusual. Tozzi suggests that similar mutations in the past might have inspired the unicorn myth.

Conservation works!

Good news for whale lovers. In 1966 the North Pacific ocean was estimated at having about 1400 humpback whales, according to the Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance, and Status of Humpbacks (SPLASH) report.

That same year the international whaling institute banned the hunting of humpbacks, and over the past half-century global conservation efforts have increased dramatically. A new collaborative effort, involving over 400 whale experts in the Pacific region, reveals that the population has rebounded to over 20,000 animals.

"While I agree that conservation concerns are not eliminated, this is fundamentally a good-news story," said Jay Barlow, a co-author from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California.

"If the world had more examples like this, I think that the people of the world would be more inclined to believe that conservation can make a difference."

Return Of The Moth

This mythical black-winged and orange bodied moth is so rare that it has been found on only four previous occasions since 1853. Until very recently near Loch Morie, Easter Ross, Highland in Scotland. While walking through the forest, Andy Scott and Margaret Currie noticed it in a spider's web and rescued it from certain doom.

Since the Ethmia pyrausta's discovery in 1853, two were found again in 1996 on the top of Glas Maol in the Grampians, and a further two found nearby. Butterfly expert Mark Young said "It is now up to us to try and find out where the moth breeds and to make sure that its habitat is safe."

Lone Island

The Isle of Eigg is a beautiful small island locate off the coast of Scotland. Through a mix of ingenuity and strong-willed residents, it has become the first entirely self-sufficient island, relying on a £1.6m system that draws power from a mix of local wind, solar and hydroelectric energy sources.

The system was built to supply more than 95% of their annual energy needs and has an emergency backup source of battery storage an two diesel generators. Engineers finished the project on February 1st, and it links a total of 45 households, 6 community buildings and 20 businesses over a 6-mile high voltage network. Even though the system only supports around 80 people, it still sends out an important message to the world.

Earth Hour 2008

If you are one of the millions of people who checked yesterday and was sad to see no post, I apologize. On March 29, 2008, 8:00-9:00pm was Earth Hour, but I thought it was Earth Day, therefore had no computer access... That's a good place to start.

What is (was) Earth Hour 2008? Millions of people, across the globe, turned their lights off (and electronics, in my case) to make a statement, to help find new methods of reducing the strain on the environment, in hopes of reaching a solution to our climate change crisis.

Here is their heavyhearted advertisement:

According to the website, "Earth Hour 2008 made a difference. Millions of people around the world continuing the commitments we have made–changing our lives and encouraging others to do the same–will change the world."

If you didn't know about this until now, you're too late... But don't feel guilty, the countdown has already started for next year.

Draw The Line... Again

One of the most overlooked, yet increasingly pressing issues in conservation biology, is the current location of human-implemented borders. These include borders between countries, as well as borders on natural reserves of protected areas.

First, consider physical barriers between two nations, such as regions of fencing dividing Mexico and the United States. Due to the increasing rate of illegal immigration in the US, the government has chosen to remedy the situation by building massive fences. In fact, in the election year Washington plans to complete 670 miles of it. The problem? Now people will change their point of entry, clogging the same paths that some animals, like the rare jaguar, choose to use as well. Jaguar biologist Emil McCain said, "The border barriers are directly linked with the funneling of people into the last remaining habitats. Jaguars are very solitary animals, they can't move freely where there are a lot of people."

Now, consider other borders, as in the perimeters of natural reserves or national parks. In many cases, these borders were initially devised in order to preserve the habitats of a threatened or endangered species. So how could they be causing harm now? Well, as we all know, the climate is rapidly changing, and in turn has a huge impact on habitat. As the habitat changes, the animals within that habitat will likely relocate in order to live an optimal environment. The borders could potentially prevent their migration.

Perhaps it is time to reconsider where fences are built, and where borders are established.

More Trouble For Saiga

This is a saiga mother and its calf. The creature represents a trail mix of the natural world: the body of a deer, the head of a camel, and Gerard Depardieu's nose. They stand just under two feet at the shoulder and weigh less than 50 pounds. The function of their unusual nose is not certain, but it may serve to warm or filter air during frigid winters and vicious dust storms.

Saiga once lived in Alaska and Yukon, but vanished in North America when the last ice age ended. Their numbers have fallen 95% from an estimated 1 million animals 20 years ago. Now they only live on the isolated steppes of Central Asia, and are endangered due to over hunting.

The trouble doesn't stop for this hard-featured creature. According to a study that appears in a recent issue of The Open Conservation Biology Journal, their migration routes are in a jeopardy as well. The study tracked the animals via GPS collars in Mongolia and uncovered an extremely narrow corridor of habitat that connects two populations. This 'migration bottleneck' spans just over 4 km, and is threatened by herders with livestock, along with increased traffic from motor vehicles. According to Dr. Joel Berger, the Mongolian government has expressed interest in protecting the bottleneck.

Frog Rediscovered

This is a picture of a Carrikeri Harlequin Frog. You'd think that with such a vibrant appearance it might be easy to spot. Not the case. Until a few months ago, when one was spotted in a northern Columbian forest, it hadn't been seen for about 14 years.

This rare find is extremely good news for quickly diminishing amphibian populations in rain forest regions. They are quite susceptible to infectious fungal diseases, and many have been forced to extinction. Most notably, the Golden Frog, native to the cloud forests of Central America, has vanished from sight and is assumed to be extinct.

"The rediscovery of [the Carrikeri] is the great news, but we have spent hours trying to find other frogs, and all our efforts have been unfruitful," biologist Luis Rueda said.

White Whale Spotted

About 3 kilometers off Kanaga Volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands, US scientists have spotted an extremely rare white killer whale. The whale was spotted last month by crew aboard the Oscar Dyson, a research ship conducting an acoustic survey of Pollock, a whitefish, near Stellar sea lion haul-out sites.

It appeared to be a healthy, adult male about 7 to 9 meters long and weighing as much as 10,000 pounds. The whale's saddle area was white, but since other parts of its body had a yellowish/brownish color, it may not have been a true albino.

"I had heard about this whale, but we had never been able to find it," said Holly Fearnbach, a research biologist with the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle who photographed the rarity. "It was quite neat to find it."