| Amateurs report 'common true katydid' throughout NYC, despite none documented in 100 years The common true katydid is one of the more stylish orthopterans, the group of insects that includes grasshoppers, crickets and locusts, appreciated in part for its chatty evening call from which its common name is taken. [More] rss.sciam.com |
Skate punk'd: Taxonomic 'oops' put rare fish species in danger of extinction The common skate ( Dipturus batis ), a type of ray, isn't common at all. The rare fish species is already critically endangered , but now new research indicates that the common skate is actually two species , so both are more at risk than previously thought. [More] rss.sciam.com |
Python Predation: Big snakes poised to change U.S. ecosystems Brought to the U.S. as pets, Burmese pythons have made headlines with their uncontrolled spread in the Florida Everglades and willingness to challenge alligators for the position of top predator. A report released by the U.S. Geological Survey last fall delivered more bad news: two other constrictor species, also former pets, are thriving in the area, and six others could pose similar threats. Researchers fear that reproductive populations could spread and eat native animals into extinction.The new interlopers--northern and southern African pythons, reticulated pythons, boa constrictors and four species of anacondas--have “ecological similarities,” explains Robert Reed, a USGS biologist and one of the authors of the report. “They are large invasive predators that native birds and mammals aren’t adapted to, and they are highly fecund, capable of producing up to 100 hatchlings in one nest.” They’re also big; some grow up to 20 feet and 200 pounds. They seize prey with their teeth and then wrap around the prey’s body, squeezing it to death. [More] rss.sciam.com |
The Coal Truth: Will the Coming Generation of Electric Cars Just Be Coal-Burners, Once Removed? Dear EarthTalk: Isn’t the interest in electric cars and plug-in hybrids going to spur increased reliance on coal as a power source? And is that really any better than gasoline/oil in terms of environmental impact? --Graham Rankin, via e-mail [More] rss.sciam.com |
A Vision of a Park on a Restored Los Angeles River The Friends of the Los Angeles River want to transform a 130-acre rail yard into a park that would serve as a flood detention plain for a river restored to its natural state. nytimes.com |