Author Archives: ursusrising

There is little doubt that European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are a non-native (invasive) species in the United States. They have long been associated indirectly with Shakespeare “fanatics.” But are Shakespeare’s starlings the Iago of the American world? Some now cast doubt on that belief. According to History.com starlings are villains on a list that includesContinue reading “Are Shakespeare’s Starlings Invasive Villains Or Merely Misunderstood Players In An Ecological Drama?”

How to control the booming and expanding Burmese python population in Florida and the American southeast is a problem confounding scientists. Alligators versus pythons seems to be one natural hope for partial control. A new study suggests that alligators eat pythons at most life stages. According to Yahoo News a new alligators versus pythons studyContinue reading “Alligators Versus Pythons; Study Shows ‘Gators And Other Creatures Chow Down On Baby Pythons”

In 1959 a Russian scientist began experiments in domesticating foxes as an inquiry into the mechanics of domestication of animals. Today, the institute he founded continues to operate and if one qualifies they can obtain domesticated foxes for $8,000 each. Of course the idea of domesticated foxes raises many ethical and other questions. Is theContinue reading “Domesticated Foxes Offer A Peek Into The Often Ugly World Of Exotic Pets”

The Nashville Zoo has recently announced the birth of three Sumatran tigers, and biologists are excited about the new triplets. The three Sumatran tigers are exciting because Sumatran tigers(Panthera tigris sondaica) are rare and threatened. They are the last remaining tigers in the region as the tigers in Java and Bali were declared extinct. BaliContinue reading “Three Sumatran Tigers Born At Nashville Zoo, Cubs Are A Bright Spot In The Big Cat’s Future”

The endangered Spanish lynx (Lynx pardinus) are one of the most, if not the most, endangered felines on Earth. Their numbers have been rising, and they are being reintroduced to other parts of the Iberian Peninsula. The good news is that they are now considered endangered rather than critically endangered. According to Reuters five IberianContinue reading “Endangered Spanish Lynx Released In New Part Of Spain In Attempt To Expand Range”

The scope of the threat posed by invasive species is something like the forest versus the trees analogy. It is easy to focus on the specific threat and miss the broad picture. Apparently invasive species threaten Earth’s entire eco-system. According to New Scientist the threat is very large indeed. Some estimates place the number ofContinue reading “Invasive Species Threaten Wildlife, People And Crops According To New Study”

Increasingly, conservation efforts are leaning on advancing technology. The latest advance is AI assisted deer tracking which is expected to help continue Nepal’s so far successful efforts to boost its tiger population. Mongabay said improved deer tracking is critical as Nepalese tigers (Panthera tigris) eat spotted deer (Axis axis) about every other meal. According toContinue reading “Deer Tracking To Boost Successful Tiger Conservation In Nepal, Aid Other Wildlife”

Wolves are certainly one of most controversial of wild mammal species. The European wolf population appears to be expanding. But governments appear divided on whether to allow that or sharply cut their numbers. According to The Conversation European wolf numbers may be up as much as 25 per cent recently. But governments are reacting toContinue reading “European Wolf Population Is Rebounding, But Debate Continue About Their Future And Numbers”

The Florida python battle continues as bigger and bigger pythons are being caught. In addition, a record setting clutch of eggs has been found and disposed of. One of the biggest problems Florida faces in controlling Burmese pythons is their incredible fertility. Females lay dozens of eggs at a time. But a new Florida BurmeseContinue reading “Florida Python Battle Continues As Record Sized Python And Record Size Egg Clutch Are Recorded”

As we recently noted India is home to about 40 percent of the wildcat species on Earth. The giant nation is trying hard to protect these animals. India leads the way in tiger conservation, is defending the Gir lion and now has added the caracal and cheetah to its protection goals. But Indian wildcats asContinue reading “Indian Wildcat Future Remains Uncertain Despite Major Efforts By Government and Conservationists”